🌱 Dozens Of Pickleball Courts + Worthington Ford Bought By BP Ford

Hey, everybody! Today, we treat ourselves on National Chocolate Mint Day. It's Sylvia, your host of the Long Beach Patch newsletter. Here's everything you need to know that's happening in town, including...

• ⚽ Mini-pitch fields at DeForest Park
• 📬 Theft from a USPS truck on Wardlow and Woodruff
• 💻 Virtual tickets for the Interfaith Intercultural Breakfast

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🌤️ But first, today's weather:

Partly sunny. High: 67 Low: 47.

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

• American Oil at 6850 Long Beach Blvd., $4.15
• Sam’s Club at 7480 Carson St., $4.16
• ARCO at 1785 Bellflower Blvd., $4.19

🍰 Spring Dessert Poll! 🍓
The first day of spring is March 20! Among the things we look forward to in spring are refreshing desserts. Which is your favorite spring dessert? So far, 16.7% each favor mixed berry buckle, fruit tarts, peach cobbler, and our write-in: key lime pie. 33.3% reach for the ambrosia salad.

📰 Here are the top stories today in Long Beach:

1. Dozens of pickleball courts in time for summer? Yes, please! DeForest and Veterans parks are where dedicated courts will be built, with possible improvements beginning as early as next week. At other locations, existing tennis courts will receive dual striping to accommodate either sport. According to the Parks, Recreation and Marine Director, “by 2026, we may have upwards of 100 or more opportunity courts throughout our city.” We’ve heard some scuttlebutt about a pickleball complex, but no funds are allocated for that yet. (Long Beach Post)
2. Speaking of DeForest Park, did you see the hoopla going on Friday? What you witnessed was the ribbon-cutting ceremony for “two new mini-pitch fields, providing kids with a safe place to play.” These park improvements came courtesy of the city, Herbalife Nutrition’s Joint Community Partnership Fund, the LA Galaxy Foundation and the U.S. Soccer Foundation. If you haven’t seen them yet or want to take the kids, head to the area south of the basketball court. (PR Newswire)
3. It’s the end of an era: Nick Worthington is selling Worthington Ford in Long Beach. Old-timers will remember Cal Worthington and his "dog Spot" and a host of borderline cheesy commercials. The company became a Long Beach staple, and everyone either bought at least one car from Worthington or knows someone who did. The new owner will be the Nouri/Shaver Automotive Group, which said the Worthington Ford employees can reapply for their jobs. Look for the new name, BP Ford, at the end of the month. (ABC)
4. A shoutout to our neighbor Nicole! She witnessed a woman stealing a container of mail from a mail truck on Friday near the corner of Woodruff and Wardlow. Nicole flagged down the mail carrier, provided them with door cam video and a description so they could connect with the post office supervisors and relay the details. By the way, it’s a good idea to sign up on the USPS website for informed delivery; you’ll get an email every day with images of the letters that should be coming to your mailbox. If something doesn’t show up, you can initiate a trace. (Nextdoor)
5. The Interfaith Intercultural Breakfast hosted by the California Conference for Equality and Justice (CACEJ) is sold out. However, you can buy tickets to attend virtually on March 3. And, this year, you might want to do that. This time around, you'll hear from Regina Jackson and Saira Rao, who are sure to provide thought-provoking information. (CACEJ)

📆 Today in Long Beach:

• The Marina Farmers Market sets up in the parking lot of the Alamitos Bay Marina at 6602 E. Marina Dr. (9 AM)
• Check out the Arts & Crafts Fair behind the Trader Joe’s on PCH and 2nd St in the courtyard of the Marketplace (9 AM)
• Come and see the cuteness overload that is the Bulldog Beauty Contest at the boat launch ramp next to Rosie's Dog Beach (9 AM)
• Participate in Tai Chi for Beginners & Qi Gong Flow at the Heartwell Park Lake near the Ruth Bach Library (9:30 AM)
• The Long Beach Birth Center hosts an Open House & Community Birth Fair at 1224 E. Wardlow Road (12 PM)

🖊️ From my notebook:

• "The Walter Pyramid in Long Beach will host the matchup featuring former world champion Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez (44-1, 30 KOs) of Mazatlán, Mexico and Philadelphia’s Gabriel "King" Rosado (26-16-1, 15 KOs). A Mexico vs. Puerto Rico 12-round light heavyweight matchup is scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 18 and will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN beginning at 5:00 p.m. PST/8:00 p.m. EST." (Boxing Scene)
• "Long Beach Parks is recruiting Recreation Specialists! Visit https://bit.ly/3JBpzoq to apply before the deadline & attend the job fair with an on-site interview! Save the date! 2/25/23 @ 11:00 am-1:00 pm McBride Park (1550 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave.)" (Long Beach HR)
• "Smart Patrol, the ultimate tribute to DEVO, returns to Alex's Bar for an all-night 80s dance party with special guests The No-Go's (tribute to The Go-Go's) plus Missing Words and DJ Red Baron!" (Dice)
• "Meet & greet for all bulldog breeds of the LBC & surrounding area! Just trying to build a community of wrinkly faced lovers. Follow us on Instagram @LBbulldogmeetup or @ChunkznTubz for more updates!" (Meetup)
• "The largest FREE Mardi Gras on the West Coast is finally back! Featuring live Zydeco music, 5000+ bead throws, 2 DJs, roaming entertainment, specialty food and dancing. The annual LONG BEACH MARDI GRAS at Shoreline Village and Rainbow Harbor returns on Saturday, February 25, 2023." (Shoreline Village)

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

• Median Listing Home Price $720K
• Median Listing Home Price/Square Foot $603
• Median Sold Home Price $725K

Check out more Long Beach real estate information!

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Featured events:

• Wills vs. Trust (February 23)
• Add your event

Featured announcements:

• Attention AETNA and CIGNA plan members! (Details)
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Thanks for following along and staying informed. I'll catch up with you bright and early Tuesday 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.

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