Bits 'n' Pieces

Port Has Record January

The Port of Long Beach kicked off the new year as the nation’s busiest seaport, marking its second-busiest January on record, Port CEO Dr. Noel Hacegaba announced last week.

Dockworkers and terminal operators moved 847,765 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo containers last month, down 11% from January 2025, which remains the Port’s best January and second-busiest month in its 115-year history. Imports were down 13.1% to 409,818 TEUs and exports rose 0.8% to 99,478 TEUs. Empty containers moving through the Port declined 11.5% to 338,470 TEUs.

“We are leading the nation in trade, and providing a safe harbor in the sea of tariff and trade uncertainty for our customers and the goods movement industry,” Hacegaba said Wednesday during the first of his monthly Supply Chain Insight virtual media briefings. “No matter what happens with cargo volume, the Port of Long Beach has the capacity, infrastructure and workforce to move goods quickly, efficiently and reliably.”

“Our cargo numbers show the Port of Long Beach continues to be the Port of Choice for our customers,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Frank Colonna. “We are well on our way to another busy year for cargo.”

The decline in cargo volume follows a record-setting year of 9.9 million TEUs moved in 2025, when uncertainty prompted shippers to move goods before tariffs and reciprocal tariffs were implemented last spring.

Hacegaba said he anticipates continued uncertainty following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last week declaring two-thirds of tariffs imposed last year under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, unconstitutional.

“While this decision ruled on the legality of the IEEPA tariffs, it did little to remove the uncertainty we’ve seen – and continue to see – across the global supply chain,” Hacegaba said. “Our customers are seeking clarity on whether tariffs already paid will be refunded, and consumers are seeking relief from higher prices.”

Bar Association Honorees

The Long Beach Bar Association (LBBA) celebrated a milestone evening as it held its 109th Annual Installation & Awards Dinner on Feb. 26, at the Hotel Maya.

The LBBA honored individuals who have shaped the legal and civic landscape of Southern California and beyond:

Lawyer of the Year (Posthumous) – Samuel “Skip” Keesal: A powerhouse attorney and civic leader, Skip built a global law firm and devoted his life to local philanthropy, leaving an indelible mark on Long Beach and the broader legal community.

Distinguished Service – Mario Cordero: Recognized upon his retirement after 8.5 years as CEO of the Port of Long Beach, Cordero’s visionary leadership guided the Port through historic growth, the COVID-19 pandemic, and groundbreaking sustainability advances.

Judge of the Year – Hon. James Horan: A veteran Los Angeles Superior Court Judge currently presiding over family law, Judge Horan is honored for his dedicated service at the Long Beach and Whittier courthouses and his foundational career as a public defender.

The evening marked the installation of Randall Fudge as president of the LBBA’s 2026 Board of Governors. Fudge, Long Beach assistant city prosecutor, brings over 30 years of expertise in appellate, civil and housing litigation to the leadership role, ushering in a new era for the association.

New LBCC Building

Long Beach City College hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Trades, Technology and Community Learning Campus to celebrate the grand opening of the new Building MM complex. The facility supports the city’s growing Space Beach sector and serves as the new home for the architecture, anthropology, carpentry, horticulture, HVAC and plant science programs, preparing students for careers in aerospace, advanced manufacturing and construction industries expanding across the region.

“Building MM reflects our responsibility to prepare students for the industries shaping Long Beach’s future,” said Uduak-Joe Ntuk, president of the LBCC Board of Trustees “As we continue to grow our Space Beach, we must connect students to real opportunities in aerospace, advanced manufacturing, construction and sustainable technologies. Voter-approved bond funding allows us to invest in facilities that support workforce development and long-term economic growth for our entire community.”

“This investment directly improves how students learn and train,” said Dr. Mike Muñoz, LBCC superintendent-president. “The new classrooms and labs are designed to support applied instruction and current industry practices. Students gain experience with modern equipment and hands-on training that prepares them to enter the workforce with marketable skills and confidence.”

Building MM was a full demolition and new construction project completed in two phases. It replaces facilities originally built in the 1950s with a modern instructional complex designed to support high-demand trades and technical programs.

The $50 million complex was supported by voter-approved Measure E and Measure LB bonds, along with state funds.

The two-phase modernization was designed by Gensler and HPI Architecture, with construction led by AMG & Associates, Inc. LBCCD’s bond management company, the Cordoba Corporation, oversees project management for LBCC.

Grand Prix Setup Begins

The roar of engines may still be weeks away, but the transformation of city streets into a world-class racing circuit is officially underway as track construction began last week for the April 17-19 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Over the next 50 days, more than 2,400 concrete blocks that anchor the safety system around the 1.97-mile, 11-turn racing circuit will be placed along with 14 large grandstands that line the racecourse. More than 200,000 fans attended the 50th anniversary race last year, the event’s best attendance since the 2008 Indy car “reunification.”

In total, Grand Prix Director of Operations Dwight Tanaka, LIUNA Local 1309 and Grand Prix Operations staff will put in more than 33,000 working hours installing the safety system – more than 24 million pounds of concrete blocks, four miles of fencing and 17,000 bolted-together tires – along with 14 grandstands, seven pedestrian bridges and nine giant vision boards for full-circuit TV coverage.

Tanaka’s staff will also install 60 high-end hospitality suites, three hospitality clubs, tents, electrical lines and equipment, phones, porta-johns, trash containers and a myriad of other items around the track.

The eastern portion of the racetrack (Turns 9, 10 and 11) will also be used for Round One of the eight-event 2026 Formula Drift season April 10-11, and part of the circuit will be used as a running course for the Grand Prix Foundation of Long Beach’s 8th Annual Grand Prix 5K Run on Sunday morning, April 12.

All businesses along the race circuit which includes Shoreline Drive, Aquarium Way and Pine Avenue, will remain open during construction of the racetrack.

The 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will be headlined by the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. In addition, the weekend will include the Super Drift Challenge under the lights on Friday and Saturday nights, plus doubleheader action from Robby Gordon’s SPEED Energy Stadium Super Trucks, Porsche Carrera Cup North America and the Historic Sports Car Challenge, featuring muscle cars that competed on road and street courses from the 1970s through 1991.

Ticket prices range from $56 for a Friday General Admission ticket to $221 for a three-day ticket that includes Sat./Sun. reserved seating in grandstand upper levels. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Paddock passes, Super Photo tickets and a wide variety of hospitality packages. Fans can select and pay for their 2026 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach seats, parking and paddock passes online at gplb.com. Ticket orders can also be placed by calling the toll-free ticket hotline, (888) 827-7333.

61nd Congressional Cup

The Long Beach Yacht Club has announced the dates and first eight entrants for the 2026 Congressional Cup, one of the world’s premier match racing events and a founding event of the World Match Racing Tour.

The 61st race, which is April 29-May 3 at the Belmont Pier, blends seasoned champions with rising stars, setting the stage for another unforgettable battle for one of sailing’s most coveted titles, the Congressional Cup and Crimson Blazer. Public viewing is free for the entire event.

“I’m excited to see these young guns take on the old guard” says Congressional Cup Event Chair Ken Mattfeld. “Each of them has the potential to upset the match racing world order and we are looking forward to hosting them at the 2026 Congressional Cup.”

Defending champion Eric Monnin from Switzerland returns to Long Beach for his twelfth challenge of the event, aiming to repeat his team’s breakthrough victory of the Cup last year, marking Monnin’s first ever World Match Racing Tour championship event win. He will face some of the sport’s most accomplished skippers, including the remarkable and seemingly ageless Ian Williams from Great Britain, a nine-time World Match Racing Champion and five-time Congressional Cup winner. Ian has competed at the Long Beach event thirteen times, donning his first Crimson Blazer in 2011.

Another enduring force, Sweden’s Johnie Berntsson enters his seventeenth Congressional Cup this year. A 2009 winner, Berntsson remains a formidable presence on the World Match Racing Tour, winning the Bermuda Gold Cup the last three consecutive years. Joining these titans is two-time Congressional Cup winner and America’s Cup hopeful Chris Poole from the USA. Poole delivered a historic Congressional Cup performance in 2023, sweeping the event with an undefeated 24‑0 record. He claimed the title again in 2024 and finished a close second last year, falling to Monnin only in a sudden‑death final decided in fading breeze.

The 2026 field also features four rising talents already making their mark on the international match racing stage. Denmark’s Jeppe Borch returns for his fourth Congressional Cup appearance, having finished second in 2023 after a commanding 3–0 semifinal victory over Williams. Two‑time Governor’s Cup champion Cole Tapper from Australia also returns for his third attempt following a strong finish behind Poole last year.

France’s Ian Garreta, currently ranked fifth by World Sailing, returns for his second appearance. Rounding out the group is newcomer Christian Prendergast, who earned his berth by winning the four‑event U.S. Grand Slam Series 2025. Still early in his career, Prendergast is already ranked tenth in the world.

The event is immediately preceded by the Ficker Cup Grade 2 from April 24-26, also a stage of the 2026 World Match Racing Tour. The top two finishers of the Ficker Cup will earn an invitation to the Congressional Cup.

For more information on Congressional Cup visit www.thecongressionalcup.com; and www.wmrt.com for details on the World Match Racing Tour.