🌱 Duck Plague At El Dorado Pond + Fire Damages Little League Field

Welcome back, Long Beach; today is National Hamburger Day! I'm here in your inbox this morning to get you caught up on everything you need to know about what's going on in town. Here goes.

Muscovy ducks are dying, and duck plague is to blame. Also, somebody set trash cans on fire at Heartwell Park and damaged a Little League field in the process. Finally, we’re getting more community gardening plots on LB Blvd.

First, today's weather:

Low clouds, then sunshine. High: 68 Low: 61.

Where’s The Cheapest Gallon Of Regular Gasoline In Long Beach?
Arco at 10201 Artesia Blvd., $5.35
Del Amo Petroleum at 4990 Long Beach Blvd., $5.49
Costco at 2200 E Willow St., $5.49
Sam’s Club at 7480 Carson St., $5.49
Noil USA at 1234 W Cowles St., $5.54

🏡 Looking for more real estate leads in Long Beach? Let us help you reach prospective home buyers and stand out from the competition. Click here to learn more.

Poll: Who Should Be The Next Long Beach Mayor?
Please let me know your thoughts! (As of today, Suzie Price leads the pack with 41% of your votes, but Rex Richardson is second with 24.7%.)

Here are the top five stories in Long Beach today:

1. Have you noticed that there are markedly fewer ducks at the El Dorado duck pond? According to officials on Thursday, 14 Muscovy ducks have been found dead over three weeks. They are said to be the victims of duck viral enteritis (duck plague). While it doesn’t jump to humans, it is “a contagious and fatal disease also common with other waterfowl such as geese and swans.” (LB Post)
2. Someone set Heartwell Park trash cans on fire Sunday night. Little League players arrived to find that the blaze damaged the almost-new backstop at field 10. “Why would someone want to do that to a field where kids want to play here and feel safe,” one of the children said. Now, the teams are fundraising to repair the damage and install cameras. (ABC 7)
3. We learned Thursday that Long Beach Organic has leased its ninth property that will become a community garden. The new plot of land is in the 3100 block of LB Boulevard. Discussions about this plot had begun in 2016, and recent legislation offering tax breaks to owners helped close the deal. In about two months, Long Beach Organic should have the necessary permits to begin creating the community gardening spaces. (Signal Hill Tribune)
4. The Long Beach Unified School District wants to hear from you. There will be an in-person meeting on June 2 to discuss school safety. Please head to the Teacher Resource Center in Signal Hill from 6 to 7:30 p.m. (LBUSD)
5. Mark your calendars! The Pirate Invasion is coming back! Scheduled for July 30 and 31, fancifully clad pirates will come to the Queen Mary events park. Starting at 10 a.m., there will be “a Mermaid Village, a vendor's row, food, drink — and the occasional pirate attack” as well as rides for the kids. (Press-Telegram)

Today in Long Beach:

• L.A. Fleet Week at the Battleship IOWA, 250 S. Harbor Blvd. in San Pedro (10 a.m.)
• Long Beach Seafood Festival at Shoreline Aquatic Park (11 a.m.)
• Deep House Brunch Sunset Boat Party meets at Catalina Classic Cruises (5 p.m.)
• The Art Of Flamenco Dinner Show at Café Sevilla of Long Beach (6:30 p.m.)
• Bee Gees Gold perform at the Gaslamp LB (8 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The Long Beach Public Library will test new operating hours at the following three branch locations: 👉🏽 Bay Shore Library 👉🏽 Bach Library 👉🏽 Billie Jean King Main Library. (Facebook)
• Check out the latest Long Beach Leaders are Readers story! In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2022, Library Foundation Board member, Anil Pandya, has shared a reading recommendation. (Facebook)
• Tell the City how you’d like to see federal funding prioritized by joining the next community meeting! The city will allocate a projected $40 million in federal funding from 2023 through 2027 to provide opportunities for various activities. (Facebook)
• A neighbor in the Bluff Park area neighborhood is asking the "gun shots or fireworks?" question. About 15 rounds heard on 1st and Paloma. (Nextdoor)
• A kind Artcraft Manor neighbor says that someone has let loose four tame pet rabbits at the new playground on Federal Avenue @ Recreation Park. They picked up one, and he is going to be fostered. Many coyotes and dogs will kill these poor things. (Nextdoor)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today! See you tomorrow morning for 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 Daily? Contact me at LongBeach-CA@Patch.com