🌱 Shoutout To S. Picazzo + Lomina Ave Catalytic Converter Thefts

Hey, neighbors; and happy St. Patrick’s Day! It's me again, Sylvia, your host of the Long Beach Daily.

Congrats to the City’s employee of the month for January! Also, catalytic converter theft crews now add vandalism to their repertoire. Finally, grocery workers are demonstrating ahead of a strike vote.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and beautiful. High: 76 Low: 53.

Attention, top law firms! We're now offering sponsorship opportunities for local firms interested in building lasting connections with clients in Long Beach. Click here to learn more.

Here are the top five stories in Long Beach today:

1. Shoutout to Stephanie Picazzo! On Tuesday, the City Council recognized her as the January 2022 Employee of the Month. Picazzo is the Secretary for the Long Beach Fire Department Support Services Bureau. Congratulations! (@LBFD)
2. Catalytic converter thefts are now accompanied by vandalism. On March 12, three attempts were made near the 4500 block of Lomina Avenue. Ring surveillance video “shows a large group pulling up to a home near Lakewood Mall and smashing a resident's vehicle with baseball bats. The person who uploaded the video says they stole a woman's catalytic converter.” (ABC)
3. Although the strike vote is not supposed to happen until next week, a group of grocery store workers spent Tuesday demonstrating outside a Ralphs supermarket in the city. They were joined by “Long Beach Union School District board member Megan Kerr, Josh Lowenthal, a candidate for Assembly District 69, and Andrea Zinder, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers.” (Fox 11)
4. Gerrie Schipske, who is running for City Attorney, is asking for an investigation into the high gas prices. “Los Angeles County has 6 major refineries, so production is not a factor,” she said Tuesday. Watchdog groups assert that the State is “paying tomorrow’s prices for oil that was purchased yesterday.” (Schipske4LB)
5. Heads up! Caltrans will close “all southbound lanes on I-710 . . . for maintenance between 11:59 p.m. Saturday, March 26, and 7 a.m. Sunday, March 27.” There will be a detour at PCH. On-ramps may be closing as early as 10 p.m. (@CaltransDist7)

From our sponsor:

Today’s newsletter is brought to you by Ring, a Patch Brand Partner. We all know that Ring is the leader in video doorbells for home security. But did you know that Ring now makes a home security system that is getting raves from consumer electronic experts? (Reviewers at CNET called the new system — known as the Ring Alarm Pro — “a giant leap for home security”). So why the kudos?

In a nutshell: the Ring Alarm Pro can protect your home both online and off. It includes a built-in eero Wi-Fi 6 router to help you get reliable physical and digital security in one, innovative device. Now you can help protect your home with all the benefits of the Ring Alarm, to keep your home safe and secure, while experiencing fast, reliable connectivity.

To learn more about the system CNET called “the future of home security” or to build your own custom system, you can visit Ring here.

Today in Long Beach:

• St. Patrick’s Day Bagpiper & Irish Band at 2ND & PCH (1:30 PM to 2:15 PM)
• St. Patrick's Day Pub Crawl & Block Party starting at The Harbor (3 PM to 7 PM)
• St. Paddy's Day Party at Waters Edge Winery (5 PM to 9 PM)
• St. Patrick's Day - Irish Beers & Live Music at Ten Mile Brewing (6 PM to 9 PM)
• St. Patrick's Annual 'Laugh Now, Cry Later' Comedy Show at the SOL Venue (9 PM)

From my notebook:

• The LA City's Department of Recreation and Park is hiring lifeguards for the summer. Lifeguard tests will be held on March 19 and March 27 at Expo/John C. Argue Swim Stadium. (Nextdoor)
• An Atherton South neighbor is wondering if anyone knows of a veterinary that might specialize in flat faced dogs with breathing problems? (Nextdoor)
• Our Bluff Heights neighbor repeats that a server says that the Katella Deli Bakery and Restaurant remodel will be done in a month or so. This is the area where that sunken lounge used to be. You can see the new look on the way to the restroom. (Nextdoor)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• GISTEK Networks, Inc. — (Visit website)
• Add your business here

Events:

• American Diabetes Association Diabetes Alert Day: Understand Your Risk (March 22)
• Add your event

Loving the Long Beach Daily? Here are all the ways you can get more involved:

• Send a friend or neighbor this link, so they can subscribe
• Get your local business featured in front of readers
• Send me a news tip or suggestion at LongBeach-CA@Patch.com

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Thursday! 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.