🌱 Compton Sewage Spill + Wilson HS Kids Face Adult Anti-Maskers

Happy Thursday, Long Beach, and happy National Carrot Cake Day! Here's everything you need to know going on locally today.

Another day, another sewage spill that affects local beach closures. Also, a group of adults protested in front of a HS while kids were trying to get to class. Finally, here’s what you can expect in bike way projects this year.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 65 Low: 45.

Here are the top five stories in Long Beach today:

1. Tuesday started off with another sewage spill that led to some beach closures. It impacted “all swimming areas west of Belmont Pier in Long Beach” because “approximately 12,000 gallons of sewage was discharged into the Los Angeles River” on Monday. Officials blame the sewage spill on “a grease blockage causing sewage to overflow from a manhole” in the City of Compton. (City of LB)
2. A group of about 50 adult protesters set up in front of Wilson HS on Wednesday morning and “urged students to defy school rules by refusing to wear their masks.” The protest came a day after a 16-year-old boy refused to wear a mask in school and “filmed himself in class as an administrator repeatedly told him to come to the office, where he’d be suspended for being defiant.” His father said, “if the students say no, this will all go away.” On the other side were frustrated parents and students who “thought it was inappropriate for parents to be ‘yelling at 15-year-olds,’ trying to go to class.” (LB Post)
3. The City Council determined future bike way projects on Tuesday. This year, there will be improvements to Spring Street at Studebaker, Del Amo Boulevard between Atlantic and Orange, South Street between Dairy and Atlantic, and Market Street between the L.A. River and Cherry. When Mayor Robert Garcia asked “about creating a west-east bike lane on Anaheim Street,” the traffic engineer advised this would require a road diet, "which is inadvisable due to the volume of motor vehicle traffic on Anaheim." (LBC Meeting Notes)
4. The City is trying to end oil drilling. By employing financial factors, the wells are “estimated to become economically unviable in 2035.” However, this hasn’t ended drilling. “Companies recently ramped up production again, and the city is averaging one and a half new wells per month.” Last Friday, the Long Beach Sustainable City Commission wrote a memo asking the City’s leadership to “declare a climate emergency to halt new oil drilling permits in Long Beach.” The Sierra Club’s Dirty Fuels campaign agrees and calls it an “environmental justice issue” because “most oil drilling occurs in communities of color.” On the other hand, there are the $18.9 million the City took in during 2020 in “oil taxes, sales and fees.” (LB Post)
5. Wu-Tang Clan is playing Sunday as part of Cali Vibes at the Marina Green Park. Actually, the Festival starts on Friday and features the Marley Brothers, Sublime with Rome, Shaggy, and plenty of others. Look for plenty of LA’s local Caribbean talent. If you’re in the mood for a mix of reggae, punk, and rap, buying the tickets is well worth the money. (Cali Vibes Fest)

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Today in Long Beach:

• One Team Scavenger Hunt at 100 Pacific Avenue (all day)
• Library Play Date at the Downey City Library (10:30 AM to 12 PM)
• In-Person Long Beach Tai Chi for Beginners at Marine Stadium Park (11:45 AM)
• Puppy Course For Dogs 5 Months And Under at the Bark Bark Daycare (12 PM)
• The Power of Truth: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow - Black History Month Event at the Expo Arts Center (6 PM to Saturday at 6 PM)

From my notebook:

• Did you notice that, to celebrate Lunar New Year, Long Beach City illuminated some city landmarks red? (Facebook)
• In honor of Black History Month, Long Beach State Athletics recognizes pioneer athletes this month who have made an extraordinary impact on sports. (Instagram)
• The friendly folks at the Long Beach Public Library highly recommend Jesmyn Ward’s "Sing, Unburied, Sing," a narrative so beautifully taut and heartbreakingly eloquent that it stops the breath. (Facebook)

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You're all caught up for today. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with your next update!

— 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.