🌱 Possible CD 5 Upheaval + Community Hospital Cuts + Queen Mary

Morning, neighbors! Sylvia here with your brand-new Long Beach Daily.

Redistricting could create huge changes in CD 5, including Council Member Mungo’s residence. Also, the Community Hospital was not as urgently needed as everyone thought, and it’s closing emergency care. Finally, new Queen Mary rumors suggest that the absence of action is, in fact, action.

Today’s GasBuddy PSA: If you want to buy gas under $4/gallon, head to ARCO at 1001 Redondo Avenue ($3.95), ARCO at 3201 East 7th Street ($3.95), or Sam’s Club at 7480 Carson Street ($3.99). You’re welcome.

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First, today's weather:

Areas of fog, then sun. High: 69 Low: 56.

Here are the top stories in Long Beach today:

1. Redistricting could create problems for the incumbent and challenger in District 5 by writing them out of the neighborhood. As frustrations are rising and nobody wants to give an inch, Thursday’s meeting proposed to “reunite long-split Wrigley by chopping up CD 5 and splitting Bixby Knolls/Los Cerritos.” California Heights could also come to CD5, which could lose El Dorado Park and surrounding neighborhoods to CD 4. Stay tuned until the November 10 meeting. (LBReport)
2. The Community Hospital of LB said Thursday that it hasn’t made the money needed. Also, it doesn’t have the funds to pay the millions of dollars it would take to seismically retrofit the aging behemoth. These considerations caused MemorialCare, back in the day, to cut its losses and abandon the facility. To prevent this from happening with the current operator, the City has agreed to rebrand the hospital as “LB Community Wellness Campus.” This means a focus on mental and behavioral health and closure of the emergency department and acute medical services. (LB Post)
3. Scuttlebutt emerged Thursday that the Queen Mary may be doomed for demolition. Citing the ongoing deterioration “to the point of collapse,” there are “rusted structural steel, an aged bilge system, a weakened hull, and numerous leaks.” Even though officials suggested that they want to preserve the ship, doing nothing might put it to a point of no return. (LB Local News)
4. Why did it take eight years to find funding for a traffic signal upgrade of Los Coyotes Diagonal? We may never know. What we do know is that there was a Thursday mention of signal upgrades over the next few months. They will involve ten intersections on the Diagonal “from Outer Traffic Circle Drive to Carson Street.” It is noteworthy that it will not upgrade signals at McBride HS or the intersection at Spring and Willow, where a teen was killed. (LB Post)
5. Also on Thursday, a car drove into a building. The accident took place in North KB. USAR Task Force 6 assisted with shoring the structure to prevent collapse. (@lbfirefighters)

Today in Long Beach:

• Bixby Park Monthly Cleanup + Free Bike Registration (9:00 AM)
• North Pine Walking Tour - Long Beach Heritage (9:30 AM)
• Together We Make Change - Arts Council for Long Beach (12:30 PM)
• Romeo Chocolates' Grand Opening at Long Beach Exchange! (2:00 PM)
• Meet Your Neighbor - Fairfield Family Branch YMCA (4:00 PM)
• An Evening with Branford Marsalis (8:00 PM)

Long Beach Patch Notebook

• Long Beach Police Department (CA): It doesn't have to be Halloween to hand out some goodies! East Divisions Officers continue to have a great time connecting with the community during Neighborhood Walks. (Facebook)
• Long Beach City: This Saturday, stop by the Black Health Expo at Houghton Park from 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.! (Facebook)

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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today. I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow with your next update! If you're enjoying these newsletters, consider bringing some friends and neighbors into the fold. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Sylvia Cochran

About me: Sylvia Cochran works out of sunny Southern California and has been freelance writing full-time since 2005. Her SEO-optimized internet copy includes social media marketing projects and German to English business translations. She loves dogs, cats, books, plays Fishdom (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? Email me at LongBeach-CA@Patch.com.