“I think that 20 years from now,” Mayor Bob Foster said downtown Tuesday, “We’ll look back on this day and be able to say that we did something great.”
The statement was met with cheers from the pro-Measure E crowd packed into Smooth’s Sports Bar & Grille to celebrate what many hoped would be a victory for the measure that would provide millions of dollars to Long Beach City College for renovations and improvements. Signs and balloons decorated the restaurant, which packed supporters shoulder-to-shoulder.
An announcement finally came around 9:30pm. Only 10% of the precincts had reported, but Measure E had a commanding 68%-31% approval rating. The crowd erupted, and though plenty of time remained, it seemed that momentum might carry the Measure through. Needing to end with a final 55% approval rating, the measure hit a peak of 70% before all votes had been counted.
City and school officials celebrated the victory with friends and mascots, following other propositions and the national presidential race closely on the restaurant’s mounted flatscreens.
Disclosure: Robert Garcia, co-publisher of lbpost.com, is an employee of LBCC.
