🌱 Pistol-Whipping At Santa Fe Ave Business + Christmas Tree Recycling

Hello, friends! Today, we eat our way through National Fruitcake Day! It's Sylvia, your host of the Long Beach Daily — here to tell you everything you need to know that's happening in town these days. Including news on...

• 🎅 Hood Santa and 6,000 kids
• 🛹 The Action Sports Kids Foundation at the Rose Parade
• 🚌 FREE rides on New Year’s Eve

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🌧️ But first, today's weather:

Rain and drizzle in the p.m. High: 67 Low: 53.

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

• Vons at 1818 Ximeno Ave., $3.79
• Sinclair at 5588 Long Beach Blvd., $3.79
• ARCO at 3401 Long Beach Blvd., $3.95

⏰ New Year’s Resolutions Poll! 🎶
We asked, what are your resolutions for 2023? You answered! 17.4% intend to meet new people or interact more with current friends. Letting go of negativity is the goal for 13%, and 8.7% want to travel or experience something new. Another 39.1% want to live healthier, and the final 21.7% plan to embrace change. Interestingly, nobody resolved to learn a new language or skill; also, no one plans to say ‘no’ and rest more. Thanks for participating!

📰 Here are the top stories today in Long Beach:

1. A shooting at a business near the 2300 block of Santa Fe Avenue on Sunday resulted in a police response. Officers arrived around 7:39 p.m. A male adult, who wasn’t hit, said “he was inside the business when he became involved in an altercation with a male adult suspect. The suspect pistol-whipped the victim, exited the business, fired shots, then fled.” The presence of casings and strike marks make it clear that a shooting occurred; besides that, a parked car was hit. (Long Beach Police Department)
2. Hood Santa and the nice folks of the Local Hearts Foundation spent Saturday hosting the organization’s 12th annual toy giveaway. More than 6,000 eager recipients patiently stood in line “halfway around MacArthur Park in Central Long Beach.” Hood Santa, who goes by the name Tito Rodriguez when he’s not handing out more than 10,000 toys, remembers growing up poor and knows that “some families that attended the event had as many as six kids and that even spending as little as $30 on each could spread some families too thin.” (The HiLo/paywall)
3. Long Beach will have some representation in Monday’s Rose Parade! Look for the Meet the Nouns float, which highlights the City’s Action Sports Kids Foundation. It was “formed 27 years ago by former City Councilman Mike Donelon to promote skate parks” and quickly “formed a partnership with skateboard legend Tony Hawk.” On the float, you will see Donelon and three skaters; another four will skateboard next to the float. (Press-Telegram/paywall)
4. Don’t start the new year with a court summons. If you’re going to celebrate New Year’s Eve with alcoholic beverages, leave the car at home and rely on the Long Beach Transit System! Starting at 5 p.m. on Saturday, you get to ride for FREE. Also, “nine routes to and from the Downtown Long Beach area will have extended late-night service until approximately 1:00 a.m.” (Ride Long Beach Transit)
5. If you're eyeing the Christmas tree — that’s dropping needles faster than your mutt sheds — with trepidation, relax! On Monday, the city started its annual tree recycling program. At 12 locations around the city, you can drop off that old tree between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Venues include Houghton Park, Wardlow Park and Hudson Park. Just remember to take off the decorations first! (Fox)

Patch deals of the day:

Whether you're soaking up the season or ready to hit snooze on the holidays, you deserve a little something for yourself. And these limited-time offers — hand-selected by the Patch Deals team — could be just what you need to start 2023 on a high note.

* Wine Insiders Offer (70% off) — Get 15 bottles of red blend for a fraction of what you'd normally pay. Shipping isn't cheap at $29.99, but that still comes out to about $8 per bottle.

* 2 Dozen Mixed Color Roses (53 percent off) — Get 24 gorgeous long-stem roses delivered straight from the farm to your door.

* $100 Restaurant.com eGift Card (89% off) — Pay just $11 and get $100 to spend at participating local restaurants.

(Patch may earn a commission on purchases. All deals are as of publication and could change.)

📆 Today in Long Beach:

• Skatedogs Winter Break Camp at St. Luke's Lutheran Church (9:30 AM)
• Storytime at the Rancho Los Cerritos (10 AM)
• Caígale al Zoom with the Long Beach Public Library (4:30 PM)
• Kwanzaa at the African American Cultural Center (5 PM)
• Comedy Jam at 1037 East South St (7 PM)

📓 From my notebook:

• "Big West Basketball is back this week 💪🏀 Catch the Men in action at Home on Thursday and Saturday, while the Women play away. Get your 🎟️ !" (Long Beach State Athletics via Instagram)
• "Not quite Santa Claus, but just as jolly—it's Sgt. Garcia spreading the holiday cheer! Sgt. Garcia took some time out of his week to give back and ensure no kid in our community was going to be without a gift during the holidays." (Long Beach Police Department (CA) via Facebook)
• "Joel Murray averaged 19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals to lead LBSUMBB to a pair of home wins to close out non-conference play. Those efforts have earned the senior our Player of the Week award, presented by Port of Long Beach." (Long Beach State Athletics via Instagram)
• "Although it's sunny in Long Beach, the Bomb Cyclone affects the entire airline industry, so please check your flight status before coming to the airport and arrive 2 hours before your flight! 🌴✈️" (Long Beach Airport via Instagram)
• "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)

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You're officially in the loop for today. 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