🌱 Fire Destroys A Shopping Center + Queen Mary’s Promenade Deck Opens

Welcome back, Long Beach! Today, we enjoy National Cocoa Day! I'm here in your inbox per usual to tell you everything you need to know that's going on around town. Today we'll cover...

• 👮 The arrest of an 18-year-old man on gun charges
• 🌴 A palm tree that crushed a car
• 🎄 The stunningly festive “Miracle” pop-up

🌞 But first, today's weather:

Plenty of sunshine, but cool. High: 61 Low: 40.

🚪 Dear local businesses: Patch invites you to partner with us to build local awareness and set yourself apart from the competition. Showcase your business and drive more customers through your door with a sponsorship in our Long Beach newsletter. Click here to learn more.

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

• Sinclair at 5588 Long Beach Blvd., $3.89
• Noil USA, Inc. at 1234 W Cowles St., $3.94
• G&M at 805 E Ocean Blvd., $3.99

🍪 Holiday Treats Poll! 🎄
December is the month for holiday treats and goodies. We asked which is your favorite. You answered! 37.7% love See’s Candies, while 11.6% look forward to sugar cookies. Peppermint bark appeals to 5.8%, and eggnog has the winning following of 40.6%. Poached pears, King Cake, and fruit cake are favorites for 1.4% each. Interestingly, nobody liked soft & chewy gingersnap cookies. Thank you for participating!

📰 Here are the top stories today in Long Beach:

1) The vacant East Anaheim Plaza shopping center, which was undergoing renovations, is no more. Located at 810 East Anaheim Street, near the intersection with Olive Avenue, a fire destroyed it Sunday morning at 3:40 a.m. The Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD) called for assistance from the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACOFD), which brought a heavy excavator. “As of Sunday evening, authorities did not yet have details on what caused the fire.” (Long Beach Post, LBFD)

2) On Saturday evening, just after 9 p.m., the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) received a “shots fired” call near the 1000 block of Carson Street. “Upon arrival, officers determined an unknown male suspect fired shots towards the air.” An 18-year-old man matching witness descriptions was still in the area and turned out to be on probation. As he was now a suspect, officers searched the man’s home and “located multiple firearms and related items, including two ghost guns, ammunition, and a silencer.” He was booked on several counts, with bail set at $35,000. (LBPD)

3) Another storm, and another tree falls. On Sunday, just before 9 a.m., a palm tree crushed a Honda Fit on the 300 block of Cherry Avenue. Since there were no immediate reports of injuries, the car was most likely unoccupied. (KTLA)

4) The Ordinarie is an American cocktail bar with a gastropub vibe. Located at 210 The Promenade North, it's been transformed into the “Miracle” pop-up. With holiday themes as far as the eye can reach, the menu now offers “festive drinks and food” such as the Snowball Old Fashioned. The decor is stunning, and you must see it to believe it, but don’t wait too long — it’s only in place until December 30. (ABC)

5) Mark your calendars! Selected areas of the RMS Queen Mary’s Promenade Deck will reopen on December 15 for “free guided tours to the public for a limited time.” The docent-led tour will last about an hour and take you “through the Promenade Shops, Observation Bar, Queen Salon and Royal Salon, among other areas.” However, you can’t just show up; you need to register online. (City of Long Beach)

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📆 Today in Long Beach:

• Karaoke at Alex's Bar (8 PM)
• Red Cross Blood Drive at the Long Beach Towne Center (11:30 AM)
• Bixby Park Farmers Market at 130 Cherry Avenue (3 PM)
• Trivia Night at diPiazza (6 PM)
• Holiday Movie Night "Gremlins" at Trademark Brewing (7 PM)

📓 From my notebook:

• "As part of an ongoing commitment to increase access to contracting opportunities, the City of Long Beach has launched a monthly webinar series titled 'Doing Business with the City' for business and nonprofits." (Long Beach City via Facebook)
• A West Bixby Knolls neighbor knows about "another job opportunity from Baja Sonora in LB: - COOKS (LONG BEACH) compensation: $19-$21 Cook + $150.00 bonus after 90 days. Higher pay with experience employment type: full-time!" (Nextdoor)
• "Happy Howlidays: Pet Supplies Plus Adoption Event & Donation Drive at Pet Supplies Plus on December 16 from 11 AM to 2 PM." (Animal Care Services)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Frosty's Winter Wonderland In Corona — (Visit website)
• Add your business here

Events:

• Holiday Pops with your Long Beach Symphony (December 17)
• Add your event

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Tuesday. 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 Daily? Contact me at LongBeach-CA@Patch.com