City Councilman Wants to Name a Park in 6th District after Jenni Rivera

From a press release:

Councilman Dee Andrews will be bringing forward an agenda item at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, requesting the Long Beach City Council to consider naming a park in the 6th District in honor of Latina Superstar, Jenni Rivera.

Born and raised in the city of Long Beach, Jenni was an Alumni of Long Beach Polytechnic High School. Councilmember Andrews inducted Rivera into the Poly Walk Hall of Fame on July 26, 2012 for her career achievements and charitable work.

“Jenni was an inspiration to us all. Her star on the Poly Walk of Fame reminds us to keep reaching for our dreams no matter what are circumstances or surroundings maybe”, said Councilman Dee Andrews. “By honoring Jenni Rivera with a Memorial Park, the City of Long Beach will be paying tribute to a great citizen of our City who was a remarkable entertainer, inspirational leader and an amazing ambassador of all of Long Beach, continued Andrews.

Jenni Rivera was a Mexican-American, Latin Grammy nominated singer, songwriter, actress, television producer, and entrepreneur. She was known for her work within the banda, norteña and mariachi music genres. Jenni began recording music in 1998.

Her 10th studio album, Jenni (2008) became her first No. 1record on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart in the United States. She was named the “Top Latin Artist of 2013” by Billboard Magazine. Her long career included such honors as 20 million albums sold, making her the highest earning Banda singer of all time.

In 2010, she appeared in and produced the reality TV show Jenni Rivera Presents: Chiquis & Raq-C. She also appeared in and produced I Love Jenni from 2011 through 2013, as well as, Chiquis ‘n Control in 2012. Her acting debut was in the film Filly Brown, which was released in 2013.

Her songs, at many times, dealt with issues of domestic violence. Though a victim herself, she became a voice and a champion for bringing attention, as well as, help to women, children and families across the world. On August 6, 2010, Jenni Rivera was named a spokeswoman for the National Coalition against battered women and domestic violence. A proclamation was given officially naming August 6th “Jenni Rivera Day” by the Los Angeles City Council for all her charity work and involvement in the community.

On Dec. 9, 2012, after performing to a sold out crowd of 17,000 fans in Monterrey, Mexico, Jenni Rivera, along with six others, perished in a tragic plane crash. Her death made international headlines for months. Rivera was buried, Dec. 31, 2012 at All Souls Cemetery, located in Long Beach.

“We are honored and humbled to have a great community asset named after our mother, daughter and sister in the greatest City of the world. Jenni always considered herself a chic from Long Beach with pride, no matter how many millions of albums she sold. She always knew she’d return to her hometown, but this exceeded her dreams. We are forever grateful”, stated the Rivera Family.

The item is co-authored by Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez, Councilwoman Suzie Price, and Councilman Roberto Uranga. The recommendation for the agenda item to refer to the Housing and Neighborhoods Committee and the Parks and Recreation Commission to consider naming the public right of way park located on Walnut Avenue at 20th Street “Jenni Rivera Memorial Park” and report back to City Council with recommendation. For more information call the Office of Councilman Dee Andrews at (562) 570-6816.