Beachcombing

It finally happened – we were evicted! After 16 years in our offices at 5199 E. Pacific Coast Highway, a transient moved into a small storage room we utilize in the stairwell between the fifth and sixth floors.

I went there last week to pick up some tax records from 2014 and discovered that three large tubs containing old Beachcombers and our Christmas decorations were replaced with a sleeping bag, pillow, towel, clothing, books and lots of other personal treasures.

Included was a DMV notice of Failures to Appear and Failures to Pay from the Los Angeles Superior Court, issued to 38-year-old Jonathan Sanchez, whom I suspect to be the new “tenant” who was skilled in picking door locks.

Our building maintenance supervisor – Armando – quickly disposed of Sanchez’s property and put metal shields on several doors to prevent access to the latches. But that was only after Sanchez presumedly picked the lock to the utility cellar in the middle of the night and turned off electrical power to our entire building. Apparently that was his way of showing displeasure over being counter-evicted for non-payment of rent.

Fortunately, Armando found our three missing storage tubs a few stories down the same stairwell in similar storage room, demonstrating that the freeloader did not destroy any of our financial records. There was, however, evidence of janitorial supplies being taken for reasons unknown.

That incident proved helpful in getting me to cast off a few thousand extra, old Beachcombers in preparation for selling the paper to an aspiring publisher in forthcoming years, peddling only PR services in semi-retirement. Next, we will be tossing out a few hundred pounds of newsletters, brochures, fliers, annual reports, etc. accumulated during the 1980s and 1990s.

So, Mr. Sanchez did us a favor in that regard and we no longer have a need to store financial records, newspapers and other unneeded stuff in a storage room that was converted to an rent-free boudoir.

Included in this issue of the Beachcomber is a “Best of Long Beach” ballot that will be repeated in our Feb. 28 issue. In February we poll readers to tell us what services are best and in July we survey your favorites for products and entertainment.

This is our 19th year of conducting this popular contest. It would not be possible without the support of our sponsors, who provide us with a dozen gift certificates or cards valued at $25 each or more. If your business would like to become a sponsor, just give me a call and we will include you in the promotional materials.

They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery. In recent weeks the Grunion Gazette has joined the Press-Telegram in copying our “Best of Long Beach” contest. The main difference between them and us is that we award more that $5,000 in prizes to participates from qualifying ballots.

Humor time: A drunken man staggers into a Catholic church and sits down in a confession box and says nothing.

The priest coughs to attract his attention, but the man says nothing. The priest knocks on the wall three times in an attempt to get the man to speak.

Finally the drunk replies: “No use knockin’ mate, there’s no paper in this one either.”

 publisher@beachcomber.news