Bits 'n' Pieces

Library Begins Limited Re-Opening at Four Locations

The Long Beach Public Library (LBPL) will reopen four locations with limited capacity, starting Tuesday, May 18. Billie Jean King (BJK) Main Library, Bay Shore, Mark Twain and Michelle Obama Neighborhood Libraries will re-open to the public for visits up to 30 minutes long. Book stacks will be open for browsing, and public computers and printing services will be available.  

The three branch libraries will be open during the following hours:

• Tuesdays, noon to 7 p.m.
• Wednesdays, noon to 6 p.m.
• Thursdays, noon to 7 p.m.
• Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Capacity at the four library locations will be limited and metered for the health and safety of both residents and library staff. Brief visits will allow these libraries to serve more patrons each day. All visitors will be required to wear face masks and perform a health self-assessment before entering library facilities. These four locations will also continue to offer LBPL To-Go services for those who just wish to stop by to pick up holds.

LBPL To-Go will also continue at Bret Harte, El Dorado and Los Altos Neighborhood Libraries. Other LBPL locations will not reopen at this time due to a number of library staff continuing to be reassigned to support COVID-19 emergency operations. The above locations were selected to reopen due to adequate staffing levels at the locations.

“Library staff are excited to begin welcoming residents back into our buildings in the safest ways possible, adhering to all State, County and City orders,” said Glenda Williams, Director of Library Services. “We’re confident that the new limited reopenings, which features book browsing, checkouts, material returns and computer use, will provide patrons with the most frequently requested library services. As always, our online digital library is available to cardholders 24/7.”

Seating areas, study and community rooms and in-person live events and classes are not yet available. Long Beach Public Library will phase in more services over time, when deemed prudent and safe for all. More information about other library services is available on the Library website at www.lbpl.org or by calling (562) 570-7500.

4,500 Meals Provided for LBCC & CSULB Students

On April 17, members of the Rotary Club of Long Beach (RCLB) gathered to create “Grab & Go” bags for Long Beach City College’s (LBCC) Viking Vault and the Beach Pantry at the University of California, Long Beach (CSULB).

As part of their “Feeding the Future” program, Rotarians purchased enough non-perishable food and hygiene supplies to fill 1,500 bags, providing 4,500 meals for food-insecure students.

RCLB President, Matt Kinley said, “A couple of years ago, Rotarians became aware that one in four college students were food-insecure, so we began our “Feeding the Future” program to help local college students. COVID-19 has since caused the number of students in need to skyrocket, so this school year we collected 8,420 pounds of non-perishable food in an October food drive and we’ve added this recent spring event.”

CSULB Development Associate Christina Limon passed along one of many notes of gratitude from a student who said, “…as a single mother and student dealing with the sacrifices of attending grad school, this gift of food has been a blessing.”

Anyone wishing to donate to LBCC or CSULB Pantries can contact them directly:
LBCC Viking Vault: jmendez@lbcc or CSULB Beach Pantry: Christina.Limon@csulb.edu.

New St. Anthony President

Michael Brennan has been appointed the new president of St. Anthony High School by Superintendent of Schools Paul Escala.

The search committee felt that Brennan is a strong, humble, Christ-centered leader with extensive executive experience who will passionately and strategically advance the mission and vision of St. Anthony High School. Brennan is currently concluding his 15th year as principal of Servite High School in Anaheim, where he was instrumental in building nationally recognized curricular and co-curricular programs of excellence, growing enrollment, strengthening academic outcomes, and graduating faith-filled leaders.

Prior to his tenure at Servite High School, Brennan served as principal of South Junior High School and assistant principal at Western High School in the Anaheim Union High School District. Additionally, he served as president of the Trinity League and CIF Re-leaguing Chairperson for Orange County.

“I am humbled and honored to be selected president of St. Anthony High School,” Brennan shared upon his appointment as president last week. “I excitedly look forward to serving and working with St. Anthony students, faculty, staff, administration, alumni and donors, as well as the Long Beach community.

“I would like to thank the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for providing me this opportunity, as well as the current president, Gina Maguire, for her dedicated and loyal service. I feel absolutely blessed to be a member of the St. Anthony High School community.”

In this role as president, Brennan will serve as the chief executive of the school, and as such, will hold full responsibility for implementation of the school mission and all other aspects of the school’s business operations.

He will be directly responsible for the external affairs of the school, for setting a vision and developing a strategic plan, and for ensuring sufficient resources, sound fiscal management and financial stability of the school through direct oversight of the business operations, development, alumni, community relations, and enrollment management activities. He will be a key partner with principal Marcelo Eureste who will continue to lead St. Anthony’s curricular and co-curricular programs.

St. Anthony High School is Long Beach’s only Catholic high school, celebrating its 100th Anniversary this school year. SAHS offers a top quality, co-educational Catholic, college preparatory education with competitive curriculum and a wealth of athletic, extracurricular, and leadership opportunities. More information is available by visiting the school’s website: www.LongBeachSaints.org, or by contacting the high school at (562) 435-4496.

Jewish Agencies Combine

They’ve shared one campus and the same constituency for over 70 years and now they will be one organization. Unanimously passed by the boards of both agencies, Jewish Long Beach and the Barbara and Ray Alpert Jewish Community Center (AJCC) have voted to integrate, creating a single, seamless organization positioned to serve the Jewish and broader communities for generations to come.

“The integration process signals the dawn of an exciting and unprecedented new era for our Jewish community and its agencies,” said Jewish Long Beach CEO Zach Benjamin. “The Alpert JCC and Jewish Long Beach will become uniquely positioned to set and adjust community priorities designed to advance Jewish life in a manner that is not only deeply effective, but also efficient and sustainable for the long term.”

Their priorities are broad, including creating impact-driven programming, education, grant funding, leadership development, and advocacy opportunities.

Recent years have heralded much change inside the walls of the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Jewish Long Beach Campus.

“We’ve had these discussions over the years and amid the pandemic, it became very clear that this was the right decision for both organizations,” said Deborah Goldfarb who retired in 2019 as the CEO of the Jewish Federation and Jewish Community Foundation. She was recruited out of retirement in August of 2020 to serve as the interim executive director of the AJCC.

“We realize that this news will generate significant questions and curiosity,” Benjamin said. “Most importantly, the communities of Long Beach and West Orange County can continue to expect the same quality programming that they have always enjoyed from the AJCC. The primary differences will be in the efficiency with which our missions are carried out.”

LGB Sets Emissions Reduction Target

Long Beach Airport (LGB) will enter the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) program and pledges to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions on a per passenger basis by 20% in 2025 and 40% in 2030. Administered by Airports Council International (ACI), the ACA program helps airports identify, manage and reduce their carbon emissions.

In preparation for ACA certification, last year LGB began inventorying its Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions from 2016 to 2019. The emissions reduction targets are based on the 2016 baseline year. Scope 1 emissions are airport-owned or controlled sources, such as airport vehicles, on-site waste management and power generation. Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from the consumption of purchased energy, such as electricity and heat. An independent third-party verifier is in the process of auditing the ACA application and then it will be submitted to the ACA program for certification.

LGB aims to achieve Level 2 certification from ACI before the end of this year. The Level 2 certification requires airports to develop and continually update their Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions inventory, implement a carbon management plan and reduce its carbon footprint each year. Ultimately, LGB plans to achieve Level 3+, or carbon neutrality for all airport emissions.

The highest level, Level 4+, is reserved for airports that achieve net zero carbon emissions, which requires reducing emissions from sources not controlled by the airport, such as passenger travel to and from the airport and business partners like airlines, rental car companies and other airport businesses.

LGB has made a number of strides in its sustainability program over the past two years, including embarking on a voluntary emissions reduction program with the South Coast Air Quality Management District, fully electrifying all 11 commercial gates for ground service equipment and collaborating with Aeroplex/Aerolease on the largest solar energy project to date on the airport campus.

In 2018, the City Council unanimously approved an item that requested that the city develop a plan to lead the nation on sustainability for airports and to work with airlines and other partners to become an incubator of clean tech in aviation, with the goal of becoming a carbon-neutral facility.

Goodwill Launches Rising Together Coalition

Goodwill, the leading workforce provider in North America, today announced a new, first-of-its-kind coalition called Rising Together, which will work to create an equitable economic recovery and provide job seekers with the skills and supports needed to access sustainable jobs.

Joining Goodwill with a goal of empowering one million people to access sustainable careers by 2025 are Fortune 50 companies and global philanthropic and business leaders, including the Anthem Foundation, Coursera, Google, Indeed and Lyft.

Together, Goodwill and its partners are providing resources to address the widening skills gap and the negative impact of the economic downturn brought on by the pandemic.

The Rising Together coalition will provide a combination of holistic workforce services and supports, as well as build and expand upon programs that address the inequities and systemic barriers facing workers in our society the most. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 2.3 million women have left the labor force, a phenomenon that is being called the ‘shecession,’ and many others remain out of work and without the skills needed to gain new employment.

Nationwide, pandemic-related job loss has also had a disproportionate impact on Black and Hispanic men and women as well as those who do not have post-high school education.

These powerhouse brands are on the frontlines of America’s workforce, hiring thousands of new employees each year. The coalition will use its combined hiring strength to support the holistic needs of job seekers – from providing essential transportation and broadband access to offering training opportunities and job search skills.

New Police/Fire Memorial Monument Commemorated

The City of Long Beach commemorated its new Police and Fire Memorial Monument during a virtual Police and Fire Memorial Ceremony on Tuesday. The ceremony is a longstanding tradition for the Police and Fire Departments and pays tribute to the 29 police employees and 14 firefighters who have lost their lives in service to our community.

The memorial monument, installed at the Long Beach Civic Center, is a collaborative effort by the City of Long Beach and numerous business and community leaders.

This year’s ceremony included remarks by Mayor Robert Garcia, Police Chief Robert Luna and Fire Chief Xavier Espino. The ceremony also included the posting of the colors, flag presentation, a “Last Alarm” tribute, and a 21-gun salute, consisting of three ceremonial gunshot volleys, by the Long Beach Police and Fire Honor Guards.

“I would like to recognize the men and women of our police department for the sacrifices they make on a daily basis to serve our community. They continue to represent our department with honor and dignity in the most trying of times,” said Police Chief Robert Luna.

“I thank the city for providing this location in Civic Center Plaza for our new Police and Fire Memorial to honor the brave men and women of the Police and Fire Departments who have made the ultimate sacrifice in laying down their lives in service of others. We are grateful for our city, business and community partners who have done so much to memorialize them.”

“As we pay our respects to those who have fallen in the line of duty, let us never forget the families and loved ones they left behind,” said Fire Chief Xavier Espino.

“Their loss is etched into the history of our city and our fire department just like their names are etched symbolically on the bronze folded flags throughout our new Police and Fire Memorial. Their sacrifice is something that we must stay mindful of. They are not simply names to be forgotten by history; we must remember the stories behind each amazing individual who gave their life in pursuit of faithful service to our city, state and our nation, no matter the cost.”