🌱 RIP Chef Arthur Gonzalez + Van Kills Man Asleep In Rec Park Bushes

Happy Thursday, people of Long Beach; today is National Limerick Day, which celebrates the birthday of poet Edward Lear and has been observed since at least 1984! Let's get this day started. Here's what's going on in Long Beach today.

A beloved Belmont Heights chef has died. Also, a single-vehicle collision killed a man sleeping in some bushes near Rec Park. Finally, Pier 76 Fish Grill is closing.

First, today's weather:

Sunny; breezy in the p.m. High: 79 Low: 56.

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Poll!
Who should be the next Long Beach Mayor? Please let me know your thoughts! (As of today, Suzie Price leads the pack with 43.8% of your votes, but Rex Richardson is second with 26.6%. Franklin Sims has 15.6%, and Joshua Rodriguez comes in with 9.4%!)

Here are the top five stories in Long Beach today:

1. Chef Arthur Gonzalez has died at the age of 47. He suffered a heart attack on Saturday and succumbed to complications the following Monday. You know him as the chef behind Panxa Cocina in Belmont Heights. After briefly working as a firefighter, he experienced a meteoric rise in the culinary world that began as a dishwasher at Spaghettini and continued on to include the mentorship of Chef Eric Distefano. (L.A. Taco)
2. A 66-year-old man sleeping in the bushes near the Rec Park Golf Course at PCH and Santiago Avenue died on Tuesday after being hit by a van. The LBPD investigated the collision that occurred around 1:50 a.m. when a “white Dodge van was traveling westbound on Pacific Coast Highway when it struck the north curb, entered onto a flower bed, rolled over several large bushes, and sideswiped a nearby wall.” The driver remained on the scene and “police noted distracted driving, impaired driving, nor speed were believed to be factors.” (Fox)
3. What is behind the closure of Pier 76 Fish Grill on Pine Avenue? Opened in 2012, the restaurant dealt with “trouble finding workers, and the higher costs of paying them, as well as ever-rising food prices, along with the continuing effects of COVID-19, which continues to keep Downtown offices vacant while employees work remotely.” “Just look at Downtown during the afternoon. It’s dead. A few years ago, our place was packed all the time. I’d come to work and see the parking lot packed with cars and think we’re going to be jammed today. That doesn’t happen anymore,” the owner explained Tuesday. (LB Post)
4. Do you rely on LB Transit to get around? Do you ride routes 8, 191, 40, 91, 93, 121, or 173? If so, you have until June 3 to weigh in on the proposed removal of 31 bus stops. (Ride LBT)
5. When you “are experiencing or witnessing a crime or emergency,” you know to call 911. However, for anything else that requires police attention, you should dial the non-emergency number of 562-435-6711. In the past, you might have spoken to a live person. However, beginning this week, you will find yourself in a “phone tree with a prerecorded list of non-emergency services.” (LB Post)

Today in Long Beach:

• Exhibition "Out of Step/Out of Line" at the LBMA Downtown (11 AM)
• Vince Staples' "Limbo Beach" Carnival at El Dorado Park-West Willow Grove Reserved Picnic Site (4 PM)
• The Culver Steps Will Hold Weekly "Sounds on the Steps"at 9300 Culver Blvd. (6 PM)
• Stone Brews Cruise leaves from 1046 Queens Highway (7 PM)
• Cider Making-Night at Ficklewood Ciderworks (7 PM)

From my notebook:

• The LBPL has teamed up with literary nonprofit Women Who Submit to present "I'M FROM HERE," a video series honoring AAPI voices and stories. In this first installation of the series, Grace Singh Smith reads an excerpt. (Facebook)
• A Belmont Heights South neighbor is looking for a housekeeper. If anyone knows anyone available, please let them know! (Nextdoor)
• Our Memorial Heights neighbor is looking for a midwife. Do you have suggestions? (Nextdoor)

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• Divorce & The Home: the Spring Housing Market – Vesta Irvine, CA Hub (May 13)
• 3-D Theatricals Presents Disney's NEWSIES, A Musical Based on the Disney Film - May 13-29, 2022 (May 13)
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• Kontrapunktus presents THE ITALIANS (June 10)
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Thanks for following along and staying informed! See you all tomorrow 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