Beachcombing

Molly died. Our chihuahua mix of 16 years passed away early on Halloween morning and has entered the land of everlasting peace.

Now the bad news: Try working with Animal Care Services (ACS) on the options for disposing of your deceased pet’s remains. There’s nothing on their website. Don’t call on Monday or Tuesday because they are closed.

When they are open you will be put on hold for 20 minutes. Only then will you learn there is a small fee of $25 to bring your pet for handling and about five times that amount if they come to your house. That arrangement can take “several days.”

Don’t ask for an information sheet on these services because they do not have one for the public. No printed details on options or costs.

ACS contracts with an outside firm to handle the cremation process and I assume they also handle strays that are euthanized because they don’t qualify for a “forever home.”

Here’s my solution to the problem: Assigned two of the new deputy mayors to staff the phones and front desk at ACS. There’s plenty of money for it since the mayor’s budget for staff was increased from $1.19 million to $2.3 million. He now has 13 minions listed on the city website.

Janette Villalon poses the following questions and comments for Rex Richardson on LongBeachPolitics.com. “Why are you doubling your staff? Where do you think the money is going to come from? He needs to be reminded that he is a public servant and doesn’t need so many servants. He serves us … not his ego.”

Not to be outdone, our city councilmembers have had their budgets doubled from $290,000 to $588,000.

This sounds like good fodder for our “public advocate,” Gerrie Schipske, to tackle in an upcoming column.

Now for some really good news. According to LBD4 News and Councilman Daryl Supernaw, Sports Basement is coming to Los Altos Center’s vacant Sears building.

The huge retail building includes three stories and a basement. The Long Beach location will be Sports Basement’s thirteenth location, the second in Southern California, joining another in Fountain Valley. The new Marketplace Sports Basement is expected to open in the spring of 2024.

With 11 stores in the Bay Area, “Sports Basement is unique in the sporting goods industry because it embraces numerous retail strategies for a one-stop shopping experience. Building on a corporate culture of community and fun, stores are in repurposed buildings and are unique to that local community,” according to LBD4 News. The stores have a discount warehouse feel that reflects its “best brands at basement prices” company moto.

Sports Basement also rents sports and event equipment. Unlike REI and the long defunct Sports Authority and Sports Chalet’s rental focus on mainly skiing and camping equipment rentals, Sports Basement has numerous categories of “outdoor” equipment rentals. Rentals include a wide variety of sports equipment and sports clothing, plus travel (think car accessories and luggage) and a selection of outdoor event items as single rentals or whole everything-you-need packages.

“Sports Basement is a hub for local clubs, non-profits, and corporate partners. Our stores, in all their reclaimed glory, transform into whatever our community needs them to be. We serve as meeting halls, call centers, movie theaters, art galleries, yoga studios ... we could even be a wedding venue if you want. And you can reserve any of our community spaces at select stores, for free, by clicking the buttons below – it’s as simple as that because being a part of our communities should be the easiest thing in the world,” states their website.

Food for thought from my Rotary friend George:

“It is only when a mosquito lands on your [private parts] that you realize there is a way to solve problems without using violence.”

— Confucius

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