Bits 'n' Pieces

COVID-19 2nd Booster Doses Available

The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is now administering second booster doses of either the Pfizer-BioNTech (Pfizer) or the Moderna mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for eligible people.

The following people may receive their second booster four months after their first booster:

  • Those 50 years of age and older who received an mRNA vaccine as their first booster dose
  • All adults 18 and older who received Johnson & Johnson as their primary booster dose
  • People 12 years of age and older who are immunocompromised (Pfizer only)
  • People 18 years of age and older who are immunocompromised

The city continues to offer free COVID-19 vaccination six days a week. The COVID-19 vaccination schedule is as follows:

CSULB (6049 E. 7th St.), Mondays and Wednesdays in March, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays in April, noon to 3 p.m.

El Dorado Park West (2800 N. Studebaker Rd.), Wednesdays, 2 to 6 p.m.

For more information and to schedule an appointment, visit www.longbeach.gov/vaxLB or call (562) 570-4636.

Grand Opening of 35-Story Shoreline Gateway Tower

Developers Ledcor Development LP and Anderson Pacific, LLC recently celebrated the grand opening of Shoreline Gateway, a new 35-story, mixed-use development located at 777 E. Ocean Blvd. in the heart of Downtown Long Beach.

A ceremonial ribbon-cutting was held for the 417-foot structure, located at East Ocean Boulevard and Alamitos Avenue. In addition to transforming the Long Beach skyline, the tower is now the tallest building along the California coast from the southern region of Los Angeles to the downtown and harbor areas of San Diego.

The development consists of 315 residential units, 6,500 square feet of commercial space, a five-level underground parking garage, several community living spaces, a pool and spa, a fitness center, a dog park and a myriad of resident amenities. Units will include a mix of studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments and two-story penthouses located on the building’s upper levels. The project’s expansive rooftop terrace provides unobstructed 270-degree views of the Long Beach coastline and beyond.

The tower is the second of a two-phase project which includes The Current, the adjacent 17-story, mixed-use project which was completed in 2016. The two state-of-the-art buildings are connected via a 10,000-square-foot shared plaza that will be activated with premium retail and entertainment uses, a world-class art installation and more.

The two-phase Shoreline Gateway project was originally approved by the Long Beach City Council and the former Long Beach Redevelopment Agency (RDA) in 2006. The development is the last of the former RDA projects to be completed.

The transit-oriented development offers easy access to the waterfront and is located within walking distance to the Metro Blue Line and the Long Beach Transit Mall, Pine Avenue and the East Village Arts District, further revitalizing and activating the corridor and adjacent neighborhood.

For more information about Shoreline Gateway, visit shorelinegatewayliving.com.

St. Mary Receives LGBTQ+ Equality Recognition

St. Mary Medical Center has been recognized as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Top Performer by the Human Rights Campaign, which is the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ organization.

The HEI is the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey of healthcare facilities on policies and practices dedicated to the equitable treatment and inclusion of their LGBTQ+ patients, visitors and employees.

The HEI evaluates and scores healthcare facilities on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars:

  • Foundational Policies and Training in LGBTQ+ Patient-Centered Care;
  • LGBTQ+ Patient Services and Support;
  • Employee Benefits and Policies; and,
  • Patient and Community Engagement.

LGBTQ+ patients have historically faced significant and long-standing challenges to accessing the care they need, and St. Mary Medical Center as well as the Care Center are committed to providing welcoming, compassionate care for LGBTQ+ patients and their families. The CARE Center at St. Mary was founded at the start of the AIDS crisis in 1986 to support people living with HIV and others directly impacted by the virus.

St. Mary Medical Center is one of dozens of Dignity Health care sites recognized in the 2022 HEI. As part of the HEI survey process, St. Mary worked with a nationally recognized LGBTQ+ health expert to undertake a comprehensive review of LGBTQ+ care policies and practices within the organization. St. Mary updated dozens of policies to support LGBTQ+ health care outcomes, expanded training for staff and clinicians, updated patient forms and IT processes to better capture preferred pronouns and solicit feedback from LGBTQ+ patients, created the role of an LGBTQ+ patient advocate and clarified wording in employee benefits to be explicitly inclusive of LGBTQ+ employees – to name just a few examples.

For more information about St. Mary’s commitment to LGBTQ+ care, visit www.dignityhealth.org/lgbtqcare.

Rocket Lab to Attempt First Mid-Air Helicopter Capture

Rocket Lab USA, Inc., a leading launch and space systems company, has announced today that during its next Electron launch, a commercial rideshare mission currently scheduled in April 2022, the company will attempt a mid-air helicopter capture of the Electron launch vehicle for the first time.

The “There and Back Again” mission, Rocket Lab’s 26th Electron launch, will lift off from Pad A at Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Māhia Peninsula within a 14-day launch window scheduled to commence on April 19, 2022 UTC.

Electron will deploy 34 payloads from commercial operators Alba Orbital, Astrix Astronautics, Aurora Propulsion Technologies, E-Space, Unseenlabs and Swarm Technologies via global launch services provider Spaceflight Inc. The launch is expected to bring the total number of satellites launched by Electron to 146.

For the first time, Rocket Lab – based in Long Beach – will also attempt a mid-air capture of Electron’s first stage as it returns from space after launch, the next major step in the Company’s development program to make Electron a reusable rocket. Rocket Lab will be attempting the catch with a customized Sikorsky S-92, a large twin engine helicopter typically used in offshore oil & gas transport and search and rescue operations.

Catching a returning rocket stage mid-air as it returns from space is a highly complex operation that demands extreme precision. Several critical milestones must align perfectly to ensure a successful capture.

“We’re excited to enter this next phase of the Electron recovery program,” said Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Peter Beck. “We’ve conducted many successful helicopter captures with replica stages, carried out extensive parachute tests and successfully recovered Electron’s first stage from the ocean during our 16th, 20th and 22nd missions. Now it’s time to put it all together for the first time and pluck Electron from the skies.”

Rocket Lab has previously conducted three successful ocean recovery missions where Electron returned to Earth under parachute and was recovered from the ocean. Analysis of those missions informed design modifications to Electron, enabling it to withstand the hard re-entry environment and also helped to developed procedures for an eventual helicopter capture.

DA to Expand Support for Victims in Unsolved Crimes

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón has announced that his office would expand the reach of his Bureau of Victim Services to aid all those who have experienced serious harm, regardless of whether the crime has been solved.

The bureau provides support for crime victims who are being prosecuted by the office. However, as many as 25% of homicides are never resolved. As in resolved cases, the victims in these cases often need financial, medical and emotional support.

District Attorney Gascón committed to supporting victims in unsolved cases, starting with homicides. He also vowed yesterday to find ways to build trust with the community and law enforcement partners to ensure that citizens feel comfortable cooperating with law enforcement to hold those who cause harm responsible.

Gascón is requesting additional funding from the Board of Supervisors to support the unit so it may rapidly expand its reach, connecting those who have experienced harm with the community-based services that can build them up.

“When someone has been harmed, when they have suffered the loss of a loved one, they need far more than criminal prosecution to start on the path toward recovery,” District Attorney Gascón said. “Whether they receive that support should not depend on whether the police are able to solve the case or whether our office can prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. We will work tirelessly to support all members of this community who have experienced serious harm.”

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