🌱 St. Mary SEIU Protest + Puppy Palooza + Poly & Washington Upgrades

Welcome back, Long Beach! Today's Gryffindor Pride Day; did you know author J.K. Rowling got the idea for Harry Potter in 1990 while waiting for a train? I'm here in your inbox today to tell you everything you need to know that's going on in town, including news on...

• 💰 The city's need for $1 billion
• 🏗️ Upgrades for Polytechnic High School and George Washington Middle School
• 🤝 A city hiring event

💗 Please help us grow! Send a friend or neighbor this link, so they can be in the know, like you!

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🌧️ But first, today's weather:

Showers and a heavier t-storm. High: 61 Low: 51.

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📈 Interested in reaching our highly engaged readers with targeted messaging that drives proven results for local businesses? I'm looking for business owners and marketers in Long Beach who want to build awareness, connect with customers, and increase sales. If that's you, click here to learn more.

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

• Food 4 Less at 6700 Cherry Ave., $4.15
• G&M at 805 E Ocean Blvd., $4.39
• ARCO at 4235 E Anaheim St., $4.39

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😋 Fair Food Poll!
Fair food is the ultimate cheat meal. Although we all know it's unhealthy, everyone has a guilty pleasure. Which is your favorite?

• 26.2% Funnel cake
• 24.6% Candy apples
• 18.4% Corndogs
• 4.6% Guacamole
• 3.1% Cotton candy, Cheesecake, Tri-Tip sandwiches, Turkey legs
• 1.5% Guacamole with cheese, Pork chop on a stick. Deep-fried bacon-wrapped pickle, Cinnamon rolls, Spicy sausage link on a French roll, Fried cheese curds, Deep-fried butter, Blooming onions

The rest have the willpower to stay away from fair food.

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📰 Here are the top stories today in Long Beach:

1. We learned on Tuesday that Long Beach is looking for money. It's tapping the state and federal governments, hat in hand. We have a list of 37 projects with a final price tag of right around $1 billion. Some of the projects that could benefit from any funds received are the completion of the El Dorado Duck Pond overhaul; a public pool for Ramona Park; replacing Shoemaker Bridge; realigning Shoreline Drive; and building a new pier in Belmont Shore. However, the state has an anticipated $22.5 billion deficit, which means Congress is the city's only hope. (Long Beach Post)
2. On Monday, a group of hospital workers and union representatives protested outside St. Mary Medical Center at 1050 Linden Avenue. The SEIU United Healthcare Workers West stated its picketing is due to Dignity Health facilities' chronic under-staffing. Reportedly, 77% of represented healthcare workers "described their working conditions as 'severely' or 'somewhat' understaffed." Dignity Health is part of CommonSpirit Health, which ended 2021 with a $5.4 billion profit. Picketing will continue at different facilities, such as the California Hospital Medical Center in L.A. on March 28. (SEIU-UHW)
3. Long Beach Polytechnic High School at 1600 Atlantic Avenue and George Washington Middle School at 1450 Cedar Avenue will get some much-needed upgrades. Poly's modernization and athletics upgrades will start toward the end of 2024 and take a projected six years. Washington has fewer issues and will also begin receiving upgrades close to the end of 2024, but only take three years to complete. Possible upgrades include a cafetorium, classroom building and gym. (Signal Tribune)
4. The city is hiring! Its hiring event will be Thursday at Long Beach City College's LAC Campus. Head to 4901 East Carson Street between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to talk to representatives of over 20 departments. Free parking is at Veterans Stadium. The city will hire for classified and unclassified positions, ranging from entry-level to highly skilled jobs. If you need application assistance, the school's holding a workshop at 10 a.m. (City of Long Beach, HR)
5. It's Puppy Palooza time! On Thursday, spcaLA invites residents to fall in love with a doggie and adopt them free of charge. Starting at 5 a.m., spcaLA will feature 18 pups needing adoption on ABC 7. You can adopt them at the PD Pitchford Companion Animal Village & Education Center at 7700 East Spring Street at 11 a.m. (ABC)

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📆 Today in Long Beach:

• The California Association for Bilingual Education hosts CABE 2023 at the Convention Center (7:30 AM)
• Soul Dimension features an Online Awakening Yoga Class (7:30 AM)
• AutoZone will have a Hiring Event at 2401 Long Beach Blvd. (8 AM)
• The Long Beach Brewing Lab hosts America's Pub Quiz (7 PM)
• Laugh along with "Spanglish" by Paul Rodriguez at the Laugh Factory (7:45 PM)

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🖊️ From my notebook:

• "LB NATION 📣 #4 Men's Volleyball is BACK in the 'Mid THIS FRIDAY at 7PM as they take on #11 USC! It's a WHITEOUT game, so come early to secure a men's volleyball white t-shirt. Don't miss this TOP 15 MATCHUP!" (Long Beach State Athletics via Instagram)
• "We are opening our Safe Parking site for approximately 50 passenger vehicles. The program will provide a safe space for people currently sheltering in their vehicles to park overnight, while connecting them to services." (Long Beach City via Facebook)
• "Starting the day off on the right foot 🚶 Our officers were thrilled to welcome students to school as Walk to School Week kicked off this morning! We had a blast handing out goodies & are looking forward to bringing the good times to even more schools throughout the week." (Long Beach Police Department (CA) via Facebook)
• "Save the date: May 11! 🗓️ Gather your friends for an evening of delicious appetizers, wine, sweets and shopping! Guests are invited to bid on vintage, gently, and rarely used BLING, ranging from jewelry to home goods, to benefit our work on behalf of the Long Beach Public Libraries all while enjoying a memorable evening out." (Long Beach Public Library Foundation via Facebook)
• "🗣 We are a finalist for the IDC Smart Cities North America Awards for not one, but TWO tech and innovation projects! The awards recognize how Long Beach uses tech and innovation to meet the needs of our community. We need you to vote so we can win! http://bit.ly/3JKtpvn" (Long Beach City via Facebook)

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🏡 What are homes selling for these days in Long Beach?

• Median Listing Home Price $750K
• Median Listing Home Price/Square Foot $610
• Median Sold Home Price $695K

Check out more Long Beach real estate information!

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🐶 Check out cats, dogs, and other Pets Available For Adoption at Long Beach Area Shelters!

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Featured events:

• Torrance Antique Street Faire (March 26)
• Add your event

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You're officially in the loop for today. I'll see you soon!

— Sylvia Cochran

About me: Sylvia Cochran works out of sunny Southern California and has been freelance writing full-time since 2005. She loves dogs, cats, books, plays Best Fiends (don't judge), embraces social justice, and tries to live out Micah 6:8.

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