Bits 'n' Pieces

Bay Shore Neighborhood Library to Close

Long Beach Public Library’s (LBPL) Bay Shore Neighborhood Library at 195 Bay Shore Ave. will temporarily close for a scheduled renovation beginning Monday, Aug. 14. The last day of library service at this location is Saturday, Aug. 12. Due to the extensive renovation work to be conducted, an estimated eight-month closure is anticipated. During this period, all library services, including exterior book returns, will be unavailable at this location.

The current Bay Shore Neighborhood Library, named for Alamitos Bay which the building overlooks, and Belmont Shore, the community it serves, is a 6,900-square-foot building with an exterior constructed from glass, stucco and unfinished California redwood, which opened to the public in 1959.

The Bay Shore Branch Library renovation project, partially funded through Measure A, includes significant restorations to the building’s exterior architecture and energy efficient enhancements like window replacement. Renovations are being made to beautify the charming mid-century building that will enhance the visitor experience and infrastructure quality and extend the useful life of this public facility.

During Bay Shore Neighborhood Library’s temporary closure, three nearby neighborhood libraries are available for patrons to enjoy:

• Alamitos Neighborhood Library (1836 E. 3rd St.)
• Brewitt Neighborhood Library (4036 E. Anaheim St.)
• Los Altos Neighborhood Library (5614 E. Britton Dr.)

More information about LBPL hours and branch locations is available at lbpl.org.

POLB Community Grants

Is your government agency or 501(c)(3) nonprofit considering a large parks project that would buffer the area around the Port from sources of port-related air quality and noise impacts? You may qualify for funding through the Port of Long Beach Community Grants Program.

The award-winning Community Grants Program is a more than $46 million effort to fund projects that help those in the community who are most vulnerable to port-related environmental impacts. These projects are expanding asthma services, controlling stormwater runoff through the building of permeable parking lots, and creating open space buffers between port operations and communities, to name a few.

Combined with a previous program started in 2009, the Port of Long Beach has set aside more than $65 million, making it the largest voluntary port mitigation initiative in the country. To date, $37 million has been committed.

Guidelines for the three areas of the Community Grants Program – Community Health, Community Infrastructure, and Facility Improvements – can be found on the Port website at www.polb.com/grants. The upcoming parks and open space solicitation will be administered using the Community Infrastructure guidelines.

St. Mary New VP, COO

Dignity Health – St. Mary Medical Center (SMMC) announced the appointment of Ardel Guillamas Avelino, DNP, MHA, RN, PHN, as vice president and chief operating officer (COO).

“With more than two decades of healthcare and leadership experience, Ardel’s knowledge and background will help us to advance our operational excellence and ensure the continued growth and financial strength of our facility,” shares Carolyn Caldwell, president and chief executive officer.

Throughout his tenure, Avelino has held numerous leadership roles and has excelled at them all. In this new role, he will oversee the hospital’s daily operations, execute the strategic plan and will work closely with the CEO to plan and carry out improvement initiatives and service line growth.

He joined SMMC in 2002 as a staff nurse in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where he helped provide compassionate care for St. Mary’s most vulnerable patients. Throughout his tenure, Avelino has worked as a mentor and advocate for the nursing profession, has demonstrated excellent oversight of patient care and quality management initiatives, and oversaw the implementation of several key projects at the hospital. Avelino is dedicated to closing the gaps in healthcare disparities and social determinants of care through stakeholder partnerships.

Avelino is an active member in the Long Beach community where he serves on numerous community boards, including chairman of the Board of Trustees for Goodwill Southern Los Angeles County. He received an undergraduate nursing degree and has advanced degrees including a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from California State University, Long Beach and a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Executive Leadership from Baylor University.

Call for Artists

Long Beach Airport (LGB) and the Arts Council for Long Beach (ArtsLB) announced a national Call for Artists to commission artwork for an art vinyl mural project measuring three stories on Parking Structure A, across from the ticketing lobby. The project is timed to coincide with the airport’s 100th anniversary this fall.

ArtsLB is seeking submissions from skilled artists who are dedicated to supporting the arts community. Artists from all over the country can submit up to three complete artworks to be considered. The deadline for submissions is Aug. 31, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. Interested artists can learn more and apply at artslb.org.

The top artist whose artwork is selected will receive $10,000, in addition to the opportunity to create the marquee project. Five finalists will also be selected, each of whom will receive $1,500 and the opportunity to create digital-media artworks that will be printed and displayed for a limited time at the airport to further add to the vibrant creativity at the airport. The finalists’ artworks will be displayed on rotation beginning in the fall of 2023, in time for Long Beach Airport’s 100th anniversary celebration.

“Long Beach Airport is already known for its first-class atmosphere and facilities – the addition of such an impressive piece of art to our campus will only enhance the experience for our travelers,” said Long Beach Airport Director Cynthia Guidry. “We are proud to collaborate with the Arts Council for Long Beach to launch this national call for artists.”

LA County Property Values Near $2 Trillion

Following what has been an unpredictable and volatile year for the local real estate market, Los Angeles County Assessor Jeff Prang has announced that the 2023 Assessment Roll has increased by 5.91% over last year, marking 13 years of continuous growth.

The 2023 Assessment Roll’s growth translates to a record $1.997 trillion in total net value that will put about $20 billion property tax dollars towards funding vital public services such as public education, first responders and healthcare workers, as well as other County services.

The Assessor establishes the assessed value of all taxable property in Los Angeles County each year as required by the State Constitution. Those values are placed on a list called the Assessment Roll and reflect the lien date values on January 1, 2023.

The Roll, as such, provides insight into the state of the real estate market as well as the local economy and works as a valuable tool for local governments as they prepare their annual budgets in anticipation of property tax revenues.

Although the housing market has cooled considerably compared to 2021, home median sales prices (MSP) remained strong, reaching a record high exceeding $900,000 while falling to about $865,000 in June. The continued strength of the single-family residential market through the first three quarters of 2022 produced a marked increase in property transfer assessments, which added $67.4 billion to the Assessment Roll.

The inflation adjustment mandated under Proposition 13 is the second most significant factor contributing to the Roll. This year the California Consumer Price Index trended well beyond the full 2% allowable. This resulted in a $36.7 billion increase to the 2023 Assessment Roll.

New construction added a moderate $5.6 billion to the 2023 assessment roll, while decline-in-value reductions and miscellaneous roll changes decreased the Roll by $2.5 billion.

Personal property and fixtures came in stronger than expected and added a record $10.4 billion to the 2023 Roll. Business sectors such as aerospace, motion picture, and retail, which were adversely impacted in recent years, saw robust growth this past year as consumers returned to the market.

However, the growth does not mean property owners will be subject to a corresponding increase on their annual property tax bills. Most property owners will see only a 2% adjustment prescribed by Proposition 13.

The 2023 Roll consists of 2,391,198 taxable real property parcels, 200,969 business property assessments, 33,871 boats, and 2,952 aircraft. A full list of assessment growth amounts and parcel counts for cities and unincorporated areas is available here.

Haunting of the QM

Vertical, an independent film distributor, has set Aug. 18 for the North American release of the supernatural horror-mystery “Haunting of the Queen Mary” from “Dracula Untold” director Gary Shore. The film, previously titled “The Queen Mary,” is a psychological horror which explores the mysterious and violent events surrounding one family’s voyage on Halloween night (1938) and their interwoven destiny with another family onboard the infamous ocean liner present day.

“Haunting of the Queen Mary” stars Alice Eve, Joel Fry, Nell Hudson, William Shockley and Lenny Rush.

Stephen Oliver and Tom Vaughan penned the script with revisions by Shore. The film is produced by Brett Matthew Tomberlin of Imagination Design Works, Thorsten Schumacher of Rocket Science, Lars Sylvest, Nigel Sinclair and Nicholas Ferrall of White Horse Pictures and Mali Elfman.

Shooting of the film took place aboard the Queen Mary. A luxury ocean-liner graced by generations of the rich and famous, HMS Queen Mary has been referred to as “One of the World’s Most Haunted Places” by Time Magazine.

In the early twentieth century, shipping lines competed to be the fastest to complete a transatlantic crossing. But among the most famous record-holders was the RMS Queen Mary, which held the record for 14 years. It now serves as a luxury hotel and tourist attraction. The ship has a lengthy history of visitors reporting seeing ghosts and visions in its rooms and on its decks, making it the perfect setting for paranormal goings-on on the big screen.

Port Awards $220,000 in College Scholarships

The Port of Long Beach on Wednesday announced $219,500 in scholarships for 154 local college and high school students to assist in their pursuit of higher education degrees in port-related fields from engineering to international business.

The students receiving the scholarships were recognized at the Port’s “Celebrating Education” event on Aug. 2. The event also honored the 2023 class of summer high school interns, the first class after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Celebrating Education event brings together students, educators, public officials and business leaders to highlight the Port’s education outreach programs and recognize the accomplishments of students involved.

Since 2014, the Port has awarded nearly $1.1 million in scholarships to students pursuing careers in international trade and goods movement. This year’s scholarships went to students from local high schools, Long Beach City College and Cal State Long Beach. This fiscal year’s budget for scholarships was $250,000, up from the previous year’s $200,000.