Bits 'n' Pieces

McKenzie Mortuary Marks 25 Year Anniversary

During a 5 p.m. presentation at the Long Beach City Council meeting on Oct. 22 McKenzie Mortuary will be recognized on their 25th anniversary. Mortuary owner Ken McKenzie will be presented a certificate of recognition from Mayor Robert Garcia and Councilman Daryl Supernaw of the Fourth Council District. The presentation will memorialize the city’s appreciation for the mortuary’s outstanding service to the community.

McKenzie started his small funeral practice on Nov. 4, 1994 at the age of 26. Since opening he purchased land and built the current mortuary located at 3843 E. Anaheim St. He has cared for over 24,000 souls in our community.

Over the years, many articles have been published about McKenzie’s willingness to give back to his community. There have been articles written about his unique fund raisers, for example his calendar series the “Men of Mortuaries Beef Cake Calendar” depicting morticians from across the US. These men pose shirtless to raise money for www.kammcares.org.

Along with the calendar, McKenzie has also written two books “Mortuary Confidential” and “Over Our Dead Bodies.” All proceeds from the books have also gone to www.kammcares.org. A non-profit organization Ken created to assist women with breast cancer.

McKenzie wanted to make sure that the Long Beach Community he has called home for 32 years knows how much he appreciates their support and how much it means each day that the City of Long Beach trusted a young kid’s idea and has help this idea grow into a city icon.

Charter School Reform Bill Signed by Governor

Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach) issued the following statement in response to Governor Newsom signing Assembly Bill 1505:

“AB 1505 is a long overdue reform of the state’s charter school law. As the chair of the Assembly Education Committee, I am proud of what we accomplished for students. This bill ensures that we will have qualified teachers in all classrooms and gives local school boards more discretion over charter authorization.

“More work needs to be done to hold bad actors accountable. I look forward to continuing conversations on how we can best protect our schools, students and our public dollars. Thank you to the governor for his leadership and the stakeholders for their hard work to ensure student success and taxpayer accountability.”

Arrojo is the New Rancho Development Director

Rancho Los Alamitos Foundation announced that Elena Arrojo has joined the staff as Director of Development at its historic ranch and gardens. Arrojo has worked in the nonprofit and educational arena for more than 20 years, leading development, marketing, communications and educational programming activities.

Before coming to the rancho, she managed development and communications at TASK, a Southern California-based nonprofit organization that offers special education support for families who have children with disabilities. She also managed a volunteer program at Marina High School in Huntington Beach, where she led communications efforts and supported the school’s Viking Foundation with special events and fundraising activities.

Her Long Beach connections lead back to the Arts Council for Long Beach where, in several different roles over six years, she managed the city’s municipal funding program for the arts and provided technical support for artists and small arts and cultural organizations; managed the Arts Council’s in-school programs, including Smithsonian Week in Long Beach, artist-in-residence programs and co-created the Eye on Design public art education program.

Before coming to the Arts Council for Long Beach, she was director of education at the Orange County Museum of Art in Newport Beach and managed the education department at Laguna Art Museum. Her undergraduate and graduate studies were in art history.  She lives in Huntington Beach with her husband and two sons.

“I am excited to return to Long Beach, a beautifully diverse city with a robust arts and cultural community. With its historic adobe home, formal gardens and farm animals, Rancho Los Alamitos offers wonderful opportunities to engage with, explore and better understand the unique cultural heritage of Long Beach and the broader Southern California region. I look forward to sharing its stories, cultivating community partnerships and increasing funding opportunities to support this incredibly special place,” said Arrojo.

New Chief Philanthropy Officer, Michael Neils

Dignity Health – St. Mary Medical Center (SMMC) has announced the appointment of Michael Neils as Chief Philanthropy Officer (CPO), effective Sept. 23.

As CPO, Neils will help advance the St. Mary Medical Center Foundation’s charter to support the mission of the hospital to care for our most vulnerable populations. In his role, he will oversee all fundraising campaigns, including the ongoing efforts to expand the emergency department, while working with community partners to increase the donor-base of the Foundation.

Neils joins St. Mary with more than 30 years of experience as a successful leader for mission-driven, non-profit organizations, particularly in health care and education. Carolyn Caldwell, hospital president, shared, “Michael is known for his commitment, leadership and enthusiasm, and we are delighted to have him join our team as we continue to improve our services and expand our resources to meet the needs of the greater Long Beach community.”

 Most recently, he was senior development officer at Providence Little Company of Mary Foundation, which supported several Providence Health & Services facilities in the South Bay. In that role, Neils was responsible for leading major campaigns, establishing relationships with key physicians and trustees, and serving on the Mission and Bioethics Committees.

 Neils stated, “St. Mary Medical Center is a jewel within the Long Beach community, especially to the bustling downtown area. It’s a privilege to be the chief philanthropy officer at a well-respected hospital that has been providing high-quality, compassionate care for nearly a century. It’s an exciting time at St. Mary and I look forward to being part of the team.”

New Parklet Opens

In order to take advantage of Southern California’s amazing climate, as well as to offer additional seating to Long Beach’s loyal diners, Taste Wine-Beer-Kitchen has completed construction on a 21-seat parklet on Broadway to be shared with its sister market, Olives Gourmet Grocer.

Taste, which has been serving the local community with seasonally inspired smaller plates since 2015, is now taking reservations for customers wishing to dine al fresco style. Additionally, the parklet will be available as a venue for those wishing to host special events and holiday parties.

The parklet’s opening coincides with Taste’s transitioning of its menu from summer to autumn. New dishes on the upcoming menu will include Charred Broccolini with Chilies, Garlic and Lemon; Brussels Sprouts Gratin; Smoked Baby Beets Salad; Twice Baked Squash with Mascarpone and Parmesan; and Braised Short Ribs with Celery Root Mashed Potatoes & Fall Vegetable Pot a Feu Sauce.

Coming early next year, Taste will open for weekend brunch with a brand-new menu, designed to reflect all the produce associated with spring gardens. The menu will continually be updated with the changes of season in mind.

The new parklet also expands the options for patrons of Olives Gourmet Grocer. Guests are encouraged to take advantage of the outdoor seating during daytime hours. O’Hagan and Semon have plans to add a breakfast menu at Olives for the first time. The neighborhood market will feature table service, giving guests a chance to have a cup of coffee while enjoying handcrafted morning dishes outdoors.

Taste is located at 3506 E. Broadway, Long Beach.

Volunteers Sought for Bike & Pedestrian Count

The City of Long Beach is looking for volunteers to assist with tallying the number of bicyclists and pedestrians across key intersections in Long Beach and to make observations on how people are using roadways. The data collected through this annual activity helps the city determine the effectiveness of infrastructure projects and provides staff with key information for designing new projects.

The count will take place from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. on 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17; and from noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20; the day and timeslot depends on the location. More information is available at http://www.longbeach.gov/goactivelb/programs/annual-bicycle-and-pedestri.... Additional locations could be added if enough volunteers are available.

Over the past year, the City of Long Beach added over 15 miles of bike lanes, closed significant gaps in the bikeway network and constructed pedestrian improvements like enhanced crosswalks and reconstructed sidewalks. The city plans to use data from the bike and pedestrian count as a tool to guide design for future transportation projects.