🌱 SWAT At 655 Cedar + Cars Miss The Turn At 2nd & Livingston

Good morning, neighbors, and happy Squirrel Appreciation Day! It's me again, Sylvia, your host of the Long Beach Daily.

There was a standoff at the Second Samoan Congregational Church. Also, a resident wants something to be done, so a challenging curve is easier to navigate. Finally, having parks in the City isn’t cheap.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 69 Low: 49.

Here are the top five stories today in Long Beach:

1. The Second Samoan Congregational Church at 655 Cedar Avenue offers transitional housing to individuals experiencing homelessness. On Thursday morning, a fight ensued between two individuals in the program. The attacker barricaded himself in the home. SWAT rolled, evacuated neighbors, tried to negotiate, and eventually used a taser to arrest him. (LB Post)
2. The intersection at 2nd Street and Livingston Drive is proving tricky for drivers leaving Belmont Shore. There’s a curve that turns onto Livingston Drive, but drivers tend to miss it. On January 9, one car smashed into the house there. The residents report that car accidents happen more frequently. Five years ago, a car crashed into an established tree on the property. “People say it’s such a busy intersection, but all they have to do is put some flashing signs or a temporary roadblock with reflector lights like at the end of Vista Avenue where Rogers Middle School is located,” the home’s resident suggested. (Press Telegram)
3. The City Council approved a plan Tuesday that allows for a significant upgrade of the parks. However, the upkeep of these green spaces isn’t cheap. According to a report from last year, “for each acre of park space, the city needs about $1.8 million for maintenance and another $800,000 for operations.” Therefore, it is unlikely that new parks will be created unless LB were to receive a grant for the project. (LB Post)
4. LBUSD’s classified workers protested on Wednesday when contract talks failed. Workers say that their salaries have not increased since 2018. The District says it offered the union a 5% raise. The “California Schools Employees Association wants a 7% pay raise and $2,200 in hazard pay.” Workers are now threatening to strike. (CBS)
5. A 35-year-old former professional skateboarder from LB was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in federal prison. He pleaded guilty “to one count each of distribution of methamphetamine and laundering of monetary instruments.” The defendant sold almost two pounds of meth and laundered Bitcoin. (The OCR/paywall)

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Today in Long Beach:

• Impressions Expo opens at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center (10 AM to Sunday at 5 PM)
• California Landscapes at the Long Beach Museum of Art (11 AM to 5 PM)
• Connecting Women Offers Tasty Testimonies at Cornerstone Church (6 PM to 8 PM)
• Gaslamp Music presents 80s With Knyght Ryder (9 PM)
• The Good Foot vs. Funky Sole at Alex's Bar (9 PM)

From my notebook:

• A kind MacArthur Park neighbor found a puppy Thursday on Walnut and Anaheim. Really friendly, well groomed, she has two different color eyes. Is it yours? (Nextdoor)
• An eagle-eyed Alamitos Beach neighbor found keys on Hermosa & 3rd St. They left them on the corner. (Nextdoor)
• Our Cal Heights neighbor needs recommendations for a reasonably priced housekeeper. (Nextdoor)
• Another Alamitos Beach neighbor has a FREE brand-new full size air mattress. You'll have to pick it up. (Nextdoor)
• An E 68th-E 69th neighbor has Australian shepherd puppies for rehoming. 562-302-2725. (Nextdoor)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Friday! I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow morning with 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.