🌱 Sand Berms At 72nd Pl Failed + LB Playhouse To Show 'Towards Zero'

Hey, everybody! Today, we dress warm for National Play Outside Day! I'm back with your new edition of the Long Beach Daily. Here are all the most important things to know about what's happening in the community today. Today we'll talk about...

• 🦑 The Aquarium on Wheels visiting Prisk Elementary
• 🏥 VR calming kids at MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital
• 🔐 Macy’s at the Los Cerritos Mall closing for a day

💗 Please help us grow! Send a friend or neighbor this link, so they can be in the know, like you!

☁️ But first, today's weather:

Cloudy. High: 62 Low: 47.

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

• Sinclair at 5588 Long Beach Blvd., $3.89
• ARCO at 1001 Redondo Ave., $3.99
• ARCO at 1785 Bellflower Blvd., $3.99

💐 Valentine’s Day Poll! 🥂
Pink hearts, boxes of chocolates, and greeting cards – reminders that Valentine’s Day is coming are everywhere. But responses to the holiday are mixed. What are your feelings about the occasion? Do you celebrate? So far, 48.1% take a bah-humbug approach, while another 37% plan on a Valentine’s Day with all the trimmings. 3.7% plan on celebrating Galentine’s Day, and 11.1% focus on Singles Awareness Day.

📰 Here are the top stories today in Long Beach:

1. Long Beach is still cleaning up after this week’s bomb cyclone. As of Friday, the Peninsula appears to have suffered the brunt of the damage. High tides led to flooded streets when sand berms at 72nd Place failed. Residents who took up the fire department on its sandbag offer had a little advantage when garages flooded between 68th and 72nd places. If you want to prepare for the upcoming storm that’s supposed to hit on Monday, “sandbags for impacted residents will continue to be available at the Lifeguard Station at 72nd Place and Ocean Boulevard and at the Claremont Lot at 54th Place and Ocean Boulevard.” (Long Beach Post)
2. The Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific is on the road again! Its Aquarium on Wheels had been a huge hit with students of the Long Beach Unified School District — until the pandemic hit. However, on Thursday, the Aquarium on Wheels rolled into the yard at Prisk Elementary School at 2375 Fanwood Avenue. Educators came with “tidepool animals (kids) can touch, life-sized inflatables of a white shark and an elephant seal and a new classroom program.” (Press-Telegram/paywall)
3. Children at MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital now benefit from the introduction of virtual reality (VR). We learned on Thursday that “VR goggles have proved especially beneficial before and during minor medical procedures and tests.” While youngsters undergo intravenous therapy, they can “explore other worlds and landscapes.” (Long Beach Local News)
4. Nextdoor was abuzz with folks wondering why Macy’s at the Los Cerritos Mall was closed Thursday, with a sign referencing “unseen circumstances.” Scuttlebutt suggested that the store was dealing with electrical issues. A day before, escalators weren’t functioning, and registers didn’t work either. All seemed to be well on Friday. (Nextdoor)
5. Circle January 13 on your calendar! At the Long Beach Playhouse at 5021 East Anaheim Street, performers will put on “Towards Zero” by Agatha Christie as a half-price preview. Insiders call it “a guaranteed hit for Playhouse audiences.” The cast at the Playhouse will feature four debuts, namely from Jordan Brayboy, Milena Gotch, Samantha Haase and Ben Pettis. (Broadway World)

📆 Today in Long Beach:

• Virtual Workshop: How to Embody the INNER WORK Instead of Just Processing It (9 AM)
• Brewery Yoga at Trademark Brewing (11 AM)
• Paper Card Crafting With Michael at the Billie Jean King Main Library (3 PM)
• Fingal's Cave plays at the Auld Dubliner (10 PM)
• American Monster Burlesque & Blues Show at Harvelle's (11 PM)

📓 From my notebook:

• "Sand and sandbags are available only to Long Beach residents. Residents are required to bring their IDs in order to pick up a maximum of 10 bags. Head to Fire Station 7 (2295 Elm St.), Station 12 (1199 Artesia Blvd.), Station 13 (2475 Adriatic Ave.), or Station 14 (5200 Eliot St.)." (City of Long Beach)
• "There’s no better way to start 2023 than recognizing our newest 'Employees of the Quarter'! Det. Gamboa and Analyst Gallagher are invaluable employees whose unparalleled work ethic help keep our community safe." (Long Beach Police Department)

Thanks for following along and staying informed. See you all tomorrow for another 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