🌱 Fire At 6406 E Stearns’ Fish & Chips + Los Potros Controversy

Hello all! Today, we remember Rebecca Webb Carranza’s great idea as we snack along on National Tortilla Chip Day. I'm here with your fresh copy of the Long Beach Patch newsletter, filled with all the local news you need to know right now. Today we'll cover these stories and more:

• 🌳 Trees that came down or are still teetering
• 😠 A hacker targeted the school district
• 🦑 Dr. Danna Joy Staaf will lecture about Jeanne Villepreux-Power

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🌧️ But first, today's weather:

Downpours; winds subsiding. High: 57 Low: 49.

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

• ARCO at 1785 Bellflower Blvd., $4.19
• Costco at 2200 E Willow St., $4.19
• Sinclair at 5588 Long Beach 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, 26.7% choose peach cobbler, 16.7% each select ambrosia salad and lemon bars. 13.3% opt for fruit tarts and 3.3% each for mixed berry buckle and strawberry icebox cake. The write-in candidate Key lime pie is coming in at 19.9%.

📰 Here are the top stories today in Long Beach:

1. The Village Inn Fish & Chips at 6406 East Stearns Street caught on fire Wednesday evening. Just down the street from Cal State LB, the strip mall saw quite a bit of action. Due to heavy smoke, the fire got the two-alarm treatment. The Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD) successfully contained the blaze to the restaurant’s stove and then put it out. (LBFD)
2. Whenever it’s windy, trees across Long Beach come down. In some cases, a homeowner might have some warning. (A shoutout to Bev, who noticed a large tree uprooting and swaying on Senasac and Stearns Wednesday and notified the homeowner!) However, some weren’t so lucky. A tree fell onto a sedan at 1st Street and Claremont Avenue. Besides trees, power lines are also coming down. As of Wednesday, the LBFD received 16 reports. And it’s not over; high winds will continue “throughout the week.” (Nextdoor, Long Beach Post)
3. The Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) was hacked, and sensitive data is now posted online, “officials confirmed in a Wednesday, Feb. 22, email to pupils and parents.” The data posted appears to consist of student names, IDs and LBUSD email addresses. If the hacker’s to be believed, they’re planning similar attacks on other school districts, “including the Charlottesville City Public Schools District in Virginia.” (Press-Telegram/paywall)
4. The Los Potros is a nightclub and restaurant at 1901 East Pacific Coast Highway. Developers were looking to turn it into an automated car wash. In November, the Planning Commission put the kibosh on that project. However, on Tuesday, the Long Beach City Council unanimously decided to override the commission’s decision, change the zoning, and issue a conditional use permit. Critics of the project said the area is saturated with car washes, and building affordable housing would make more sense. The developer countered, saying, “building the project was better than not building anything.” The restaurant’s employees worried about losing their jobs. (Long Beach Post)
5. Learn about the story of Jeanne Villepreux-Power. A seamstress by trade, she “invented the first research aquariums.” She’s recognized as a renowned cephalopod researcher, and you can learn more about her on March 1 at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Dr. Danna Joy Staaf will lead the presentation and participate in a Q&A session. (Aquarium of the Pacific)

📆 Today in Long Beach:

• Bring the baby to Infant Story Time at the El Dorado Neighborhood Library (12 PM)
• Attend the half-price preview of "She Kills Monsters" at the Long Beach Playhouse (8 PM)
• The Sticks and Stones Band plays live dance music at the Jade Restaurant (8:30 PM)
• Join the Fat Friday Party at the Edison Theatre (9:30 PM)
• Listen to the Robert Incelli Latin Jazz Band at Café Sevilla (10 PM)

🖊️ From my notebook:

• "Reminder! Take the Vaccine Community Health Assessment. This survey is designed to gain insight into the feelings, attitudes & belief systems that influence health outcomes among Long Beach residents. For more information, visit http://longbeach.gov/vaccinesurvey" (Long Beach Health Department)
• "It's windy out there! 💨 If you see any 🌳 downed trees, call 📞 562-570-2700 and our Long Beach Public Works team can help." (Long Beach City via Facebook)
• "CSULB leaders will reinforce the message of the power of a Beach degree as part of Super Sunday, an annual CSU-wide event held at area African American churches. Several local churches are taking part. Click here for more information: https://bit.ly/CSULB-Super-Sunday-23" (Cal State Long Beach)
• "🏎 Countdown to Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach has officially begun! 🏁" (Long Beach City via Facebook)
• "The City Council ended the declaration of emergency on the novel coronavirus, nearly three years after the council first proclaimed a local health emergency in response to the global pandemic." (Office of Mayor Rex Richardson)

🏡 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:

• Free Estate Planning Webinar (February 24)
• Torrance Antique Street Faire (February 26)
• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (February 28)
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• Attention AETNA and CIGNA plan members! (Details)
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Thanks for following along and staying informed! 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