Bits 'N' Pieces

LGB Ride Share Pilot Program Begins

Long Beach Airport (LGB) will begin a pilot program to allow operation of Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), more commonly known as ride sharing, at the airport. Beginning Wednesday, April 5, companies such as Uber, Lyft, Wingz, and See Jane Go will be allowed to pick-up at LGB as part of the pilot program. Previously, they were only permitted to drop-off.

Long Beach Airport invited TNCs, ground transportation service providers and the public to participate in a meeting February 1 to discuss and gain feedback on the proposed changes to the airport’s ground transportation program and fee structure. Staff also performed a survey of the traveling public which determined that 87 percent of those travelers at LGB would use TNCs if available.

“Our study findings showed that adding TNC travel as an option to our passengers will benefit both travelers and the airport,” said Airport Director Jess L. Romo, AAE. “The pilot program will evaluate usage, infrastructure needs, airport revenue impacts, and enforcement, so we can continue to offer the high level of customer service which we are known for and still strive to provide a level playing field for all ground transportation operators at Long Beach Airport.”

A $3.00 per-trip fee will be implemented for TNCs and fixed permitting fees will be updated for taxis, limousines, and shuttles.

Library Month Kicks Off With New Service, Amnesty

April is National Library Month, and the Long Beach Public Library is celebrating by launching a Mobile Studio, and by offering an Overdue Fines Amnesty Program as well.

The Mobile Studio will bring technology classes and workshops to all 12 library locations on a rotating monthly schedule, community centers, and neighborhood special events, with a ribbon cutting on Saturday, April 1, at 10:00 am at the Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library, 5870 Atlantic Avenue. The event will also feature 3D printing, programming with Scratch and Tinkercad, and painting with robots. All workshops are free and designed to engage the entire family, and will continue throughout the year.

 The Long Beach Public Library will also offer an Overdue Fines Amnesty Program in April. Fines will be forgiven for all overdue materials returned to the Long Beach Public Library, and free replacement library cards will also be given to anyone who has lost their card.

“April is National Library Month and this year libraries across the nation are celebrating how ‘Libraries Transform,’” said Glenda Williams, Director of Library Services. “Here in Long Beach, our library services are continuously transforming and we are thrilled to launch and highlight our newest services to our residents, the Mobile Studio and Speed Reader, our book bike library.”

More information about National Library Month, the Mobile Studio, and the Amnesty Program can be found on the library’s website, www.lbpl.org.

Spring into Action

More than 70 percent of Americans engage in the annual tradition of spring cleaning, according to a 2013 survey by the American Cleaning Institute. And nearly three-fifths (57 percent) of American adults will shop for spring/summer apparel in whole or in part this year, according to a 2016 poll by ORC International. Whether consumers are decluttering or refreshing their wardrobes, they can give people in their communities a fresh start through job training and placement by donating to and shopping at Goodwill this spring.

Through its social enterprise model, Goodwill, Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County (SOLAC) sells donated items in its retail stores and online to create employment opportunities, training and programs for job seekers in Southern Los Angeles County, including youth, older workers, veterans, people with disabilities and disadvantages, and others with barriers to employment. As a result, in 2016, Goodwill SOLAC placed 462 people in employment. In addition, through Goodwill SOLAC’s job programs, last year 41 people achieved economic self-sufficiency and moved out of poverty.

Having the right skills and training is essential to securing a job and succeeding in the workplace. That’s why Goodwill SOLAC is calling on people in Southern Los Angeles County to spring into action with Goodwill this season and make a difference in their community by donating when they finish spring cleaning and making Goodwill their destination for spring shopping.

“Spring is the time of year for new beginnings. When your spring cleaning ends with a donation to Goodwill, you not only extend the lifecycle of goods, but you help Goodwill SOLAC initiate employment programs that create jobs, which strengthen families and the Southern Los Angeles County community,” said Janet McCarthy, president and CEO of Goodwill SOLAC.

Entrepreneurs Recognized

Richard and Trent Bryson, co-owners of Bryson Financial, have been presented with the 2017 City National Bank Entrepreneur of the Year Award and will be honored at a Long Beach Chamber of Commerce Luncheon on April 27.

Richard and Trent, father and son, are highly regarded in the Long Beach business community and are known for a strong commitment to philanthropic work. “They are both true entrepreneurs,” says Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Randy Gordon, who noted that the Brysons are the 20th recipients of the award. “Their company, Bryson Financial, is respected for innovative client service and as an exemplary workplace for employees. We are proud to present the City National Bank Entrepreneur of the Year Award to these business role models.”

Bryson Financial is celebrating 48 years in business in Long Beach. Richard Bryson founded Bryson Financial in 1969 and Trent joined the agency in 2001. Bryson Financial provides employee benefits, business insurance, business retirement services and wealth management.

The luncheon will be held at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach, starts at 10:30 and is co­sponsored by Holthouse Carlin & Van Trigt, Chick-Fil-A and Long Beach City College. For more information and to register, visit www.lbchamber.com/events/details/2017-city-national-bank-entrepreneur-of... or contact Wendy Rupp at (562) 432-7830.

City Adopts Gender-Neutral Restrooms

The City of Long Beach is requiring that all single-user restrooms in any business, City and government building, and other public places be available to all genders, and have new accompanying signage, as mandated by State Assembly Bill 1732, which went into effect on March 1, 2017.

All existing city buildings with single-user toilet facilities are in the process of installing the new required signs to ensure equal access in public accommodations.

The required unisex signage consists of a geometric triangle and circle. The triangle symbol should contrast with the circle symbol, either light on a dark background or dark on a light background.  No pictogram, text, or Braille is required on the symbol.

Single-user restrooms are facilities with no more than one toilet and/or urinal, with a lock on the inside, and designated for use by one occupant at a time or for family or assisted use. 

In compliance with Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations pursuant to the 2016 Edition of the California Building Code, all single-user toilet facilities in any business establishment, city and government agency building, or other public place must be identifiable for all-gender use with new required signage placed in clear view to entrances at single-user restrooms.

For more information on single-user, gender-neutral restrooms in Long Beach, visit: www.lbds.info/lbgenderneutralrestrooms. 

MemorialCare Medical Group Expands Locations

MemorialCare Medical Group, a member of MemorialCare Health System with locations in Orange County and the Greater Long Beach area, has announced its opening of two new office locations in Fountain Valley and Long Beach. Patients have access to comprehensive prenatal and gynecological care including well-woman care, reproductive, maternity, minimally-invasive surgery, menopause and other age-related issues, as well as family and internal medicine and pediatrics.

The Fountain Valley office is housed at the new Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center Health & Wellness Pavilion, located at 18035 Brookhurst St., Suite 2100. The office is staffed with 15 health care providers including board certified OB/GYNs, certified nurse midwives, and board certified primary care physicians specializing in family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics, with specialty care available in the spring.

Laboratory, digital x-ray, ultrasound, non-stress test services and retail pharmacy services will be available on-site for patient convenience. Guests will also have access to the Wellness Resource Center where community members can obtain valuable wellness resources and information. Expecting mothers will deliver at Orange Coast Memorial where the nursing staff is Magnet recognized, and  labor and delivery rooms as well as a Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are available.

The Long Beach-Douglas Park office is located at 3828 Schaufele Ave, Suite 200. The office is staffed with four health care providers including board certified obstetrics/gynecologists, and a primary care physician. Additional primary care physicans will be available at the office this summer.

Patients have access to MemorialCare Imaging Center (for advanced imaging studies) and MemorialCare Surgery Center within the complex. Expecting mothers can deliver their babies at nearby Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach where a Level III NICU is located onsite.

“For these growing communities, we recognize the importance and need to ensure our patients have access to a comprehensive range of health services right in their own backyard,” explains Mark Schafer, MD, CEO of MemorialCare Medical Foundation. “Our goal is to enhance the patient experience for women and their families by offering them innovative healthcare services in an environment that is conducive to positive outcomes for women, expecting mothers, and their babies.”

MemorialCare Medical Group accepts most major HMO, PPO, EPO, POS and some Covered California plans, as well as Medicare, Tricare, Medicare Advantage and Supplemental plans. New patients are now being accepted. The offices are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and offer free parking and valet parking at the Fountain Valley location.

For more information about MemorialCare Medical Group’s two new health centers, Women’s Health Services or to request an appointment, please visit www.memorialcare.org/obgyn. 

Healthiest Arteries

The Tsimane people – a forager-horticulturalist population of the Bolivian Amazon – have the lowest reported levels of vascular aging for any population, with coronary atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) being five times less common than in the U.S., according to a study published recently in The Lancet and presented at the American College of Cardiology.

Senior author of the study is Gregory S. Thomas, M.D., MPH, medical director, MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute. Dr. Thomas is principal investigator of the HORUS research team studying CT scans of mummies in ancient Egypt and globally. The team found that since atherosclerosis was common in arteries of humans who lived thousands of years ago, it was not just a product of modern lifestyle.

Three years ago, the primarily physician HORUS team joined with the Tsimane Health & History Project anthropology team to evaluate the degree of atherosclerosis in a population living an ancient lifestyle.

Based on their mummy work, Dr. Thomas and his colleagues believed atherosclerosis was inherent to aging. Over time, they expected humans to develop atherosclerosis, including atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries that supply the heart. As blockages appear in these arteries, heart attack and death from heart disease can occur.

The Tsimane (pronounced chee-MAH-nay) indigenous population living along an Amazon tributary in the wilds of Bolivia provided a prime example. If a population could live an ancient lifestyle, growing or hunting their own food for their families, and be active much of the day, researchers hypothesized that they might not develop blockages of their heart arteries, a condition that plagues much of industrialized society.

Although the Tsimane lifestyle is very different from contemporary society, certain transferable elements could help to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Their diet is largely carbohydrate-based (72 percent) and includes non-processed carbohydrates high in fibre such as rice, plantain, manioc, corn, nuts and fruits. Protein making up 14 percent of their diet comes from wild game and fish. The diet is very low in fat compromising only 14 percent of the diet, with only five percent saturated fat. The typical U.S. diet consists of 34 percent fat, including 11 percent saturated fat.

Groundbreaking Ceremony of Habitat Homes Held

The City of Long Beach, in partnership with The Long Beach Community Investment Company (LBCIC), Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles (Habitat LA) and Edison International (Edison), celebrated the groundbreaking of four single-family homes that will provide the opportunity for lower-income families to purchase their first home.

Located at 1950-1960 Henderson Avenue, the development site consists of two properties conveyed to Habitat LA by The LBCIC, which provides assistance to housing developers for the construction or rehabilitation of affordable housing. Habitat LA has targeted this area of Long Beach as a focus community, and has built several other single-family residences throughout the neighborhood as part of its $20 million commitment to revitalize the Washington Neighborhood.

Habitat LA will oversee the construction of the single-family residences, using sustainable materials and environmentally friendly building and landscaping practices, as well as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) energy efficient standards.

Habitat LA plans to complete at least 54 homes in this area through its Neighborhood Revitalization initiative: building strong and stable homes in partnership with families, individuals, volunteers, municipalities and donors; and enhancing the strength and stability of the community.

Colloquium on Health, Aging

 SCAN, a leading senior-focused organization with the mission of keeping seniors healthy and independent, today announced it will cohost a colloquium on aging and independence in partnership with Long Beach State University and the City of Long Beach on Wednesday, April 12. The event, titled “Aging Reimagined: A Community Approach to Health and Independence,” will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT at the Walter Pyramid on Long Beach State University’s campus, and will feature panel discussions and presentations by educators, city officials, industry leaders and senior healthcare experts. The colloquium is the first of several community and employee engagement initiatives SCAN has planned in 2017 to celebrate the organization’s 40th anniversary.

“We are so pleased to be marking 40 years of supporting seniors—not only in Long Beach but across California—with a collaborative event designed to focus attention and efforts on the needs of seniors in our local communities,” said Chris Wing, CEO of SCAN. “We hope event attendees—who represent academia, private and nonprofit organizations, and government—will gain insights to better understand how we can provide a cohesive network of support for seniors.”

Tim Carpenter, founder and executive director of EngAGE and host and producer of radio show Experience Talks, will serve as event emcee, lending his significant expertise to further amplify program discussions. EngAGE is a nonprofit that transforms aging and the way people think about aging by turning affordable senior living communities in Southern California into centers of learning, wellness and creativity. Carpenter, who serves on the board of the National Center for Creative Aging, is widely recognized as a notable advocate for senior wellness.

John Keisler, director of Economic and Property Development with the City of Long Beach, will deliver the keynote presentation on emerging technologies and local incubators that help older adults maintain their independence. Additional sessions and panel discussions will focus on topics essential to supporting senior health and wellness. Participants will address research on seniors’ attitudes toward aging, best practices in care and funding, employment and volunteer opportunities, strategies that enable seniors to stay active and continue learning, and ways to build productive government, academic, provider and community partnerships in support of local seniors.

SCAN, Long Beach State University and the City of Long Beach are dedicated to ensuring seniors have access to quality care and community services. The colloquium exemplifies the collaborative work of these entities to advance healthy and independent living, and positively influence quality of life for seniors.

Attendance at the colloquium is by invitation only. Additional information and key takeaways will be made available to the public following the event. To learn more, please visit rebrand.ly/AgingReimagined. 

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