🌱 Community Hospital Winter Shelter Update + Black Restaurant Week

Morning, everybody! Today, we plan our next museum visit on Heritage Treasures Day! It’s Sylvia, your host of the Daily. Here are all the things you need to know about what’s happening in town. Today’s briefing includes:

• 👮 Discovery of a deceased woman in front of an office building
• 💧 Precautions to prevent further flooding
• 🏗️ 2400 Long Beach Boulevard construction update

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🌥️ But first, today’s weather:

Variable cloudiness. High: 63 Low: 48.

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I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. If that’s you, then I invite you to learn more and secure your spot now.

⛽ Three of the Cheapest Gas Stations in the City of Long Beach

• Sam’s Club at 7480 Carson St., $3.89
• G&M at 805 E Ocean Blvd., $3.99
• ARCO at 1785 Bellflower Blvd., $3.99

💐 Valentine’s Day Poll! 🥂
Pink hearts, boxes of chocolates, and greeting cards – reminders that Valentine’s Day is coming are everywhere. But responses to the holiday are mixed. What are your feelings about the occasion? Do you celebrate? So far, 50% take a bah-humbug approach, while 38.9% plan on a Valentine’s Day with all the trimmings. 2.8% plan on celebrating Galentine’s Day, and 8.3% focus on Singles Awareness Day.

📰 Here are the top stories in Long Beach today:

1. Homeless winter shelter update: On Sunday, we talked about the winter homeless shelter at Community Hospital that doesn’t offer showers or functioning indoor toilets to residents. On Monday evening, the restrooms reopened, and mobile showers are on the way, so residents don’t have to be bused around town. Reportedly, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn was outraged “by the plumbing problems that had been plaguing the shelter since almost immediately after it opened on Dec. 19.” There’s some talk of opening another facility because Community Hospital filled up so quickly, but nothing has been confirmed yet. (Patch, Long Beach Post)
2. Passersby found the body of a woman on 1st Street close to the Promenade on Tuesday morning. She was “on the sidewalk just outside a Downtown Long Beach office building” around 6:30 a.m. According to the police, there’s no suspicion of foul play. (Long Beach Post)
3. After flooding in the peninsula last week, Long Beach residents weren’t willing to take a chance with the second forecast rainstorm. On Monday, you saw people from across the city “taking full advantage of the free sandbags at the 72nd Place lifeguard station to fortify their homes.” It’s noteworthy that officials weren’t expecting “the surf and high tide to be as severe or destructive as last week.” But even if you aren’t close to the coast, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on things. “If you see palm fronds, put them up on the sidewalk . . . Keep them out of the storm drains. We all have to get together to protect our community,” Long Beach’s fire captain explained. (CBS)
4. The school bus depot near Willow Station was removed to allow “for the construction of a mixed-use affordable housing complex.” The project was approved last March and will bring 194 apartments to 2400 Long Beach Boulevard. Costing an estimated $92 million, “dwellings (will be) priced for households earning between 30 and 70 percent of the area median income level.” There’s no completion date yet. (LA Urbanize)
5. Long Beach is bringing back “Black Restaurant Week” for a second time. Running for eight days from January 22 to 29, it celebrates “African, African American and Caribbean fare” while also putting the spotlight on “Black-owned culinary businesses as well as Black chefs and bartenders.” So far, we know that Eddie Clyde’s Tamale Hut & Sweet Treats is a confirmed participant. (Long Beach Food & Beverage, 2)

📆 Today in Long Beach:

• Yoga at the Belmont Heights United Methodist Church (9 AM)
• Narsiso Martinez’s exhibit “Rethinking Essential” is extended to January 28 at MOLAA (11 AM)
• Let’s Werk ~ A Weekly Coworking Date Just for Queers at Wood Coffee Co. (11 AM)
• Free Trivia at Beachwood Brewing (7 PM)
• Karaoke at DiPiazza’s (9 PM)

🖊️ From my notebook:

• “❗️Here are some rain safety tips↓ ✅ Call 562.570.2700 to report street flooding/downed trees ✅ Plan commute accordingly, and please drive safely, avoid flooded streets ✅Follow Long Beach Recycles for street sweeping.” (Long Beach City via Facebook)
• “Today and every day, we appreciate the men and women of the LBPD for their continued service to our community! Happy Law Enforcement Appreciation Day! 💙” (Long Beach Police Department (CA) via Facebook)
• “Long Beach residents can pick up sandbags and sand at the Lifeguard Station located at 72nd Place and Ocean Boulevard. Empty sandbags are also available at all neighborhood Long Beach Fire Department stations.” (Long Beach City via Facebook)
• “Our Long Beach Public Library, in partnership with the Arts Council for Long Beach and supported by Urban Word, is launching the inaugural Long Beach Youth Poet Laureate program.” (Long Beach City via Facebook)
• “The MLK Day of Service is ONE WEEK AWAY! If you’re looking for a way to honor him and want to volunteer, we have projects that still need sign-ups!” (Leadership Long Beach via Facebook)

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Long Beach Daily? Contact me at LongBeach-CA@Patch.com