Community News

African American Festival

Celebrating the richness and diversity of African American and African cultures, the Aquarium of the Pacific’s 19th annual African American Festival will take place as a virtual event on Saturday, Feb. 27. It will feature African and African American music, dance, storytellingand historical displays.

Festival performances will include Mardi Gras second line dancing, hip hop and breakdancing, tap and modern dance, soul-pop fusion musicand West African drumming, dancingand storytelling. At 3:15 p.m., the aquarium will present its Heritage Award to Felton Williams, Ph.D. for his outstanding service to African American communities. Immediately following the Heritage Award, the aquarium will officially announce and celebrate its 2021 African American Scholar recipients. The virtual online festival will be streaming live from the aquarium and anyone can tune in for free from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Info: (562) 590-3100 or visit pacific.to/africanamericanfestival

Nature Detectives

The LB Parks, Recreation and Marine Department (PRM) will continue the popular Nature Detectives after-school camp program at El Dorado Nature Center on select days in March and April. Registration for the four-week program, available for children ages 5 to 10, begins March 2.

Designed to ignite an interest in nature through hands-on activities, Nature Detectives follows a curriculum that corresponds to grade-level content standards for elementary-aged students.

Registration begins Tuesday, March 2, at 8 a.m. online and in person at El Dorado Nature Center, located at 7550 E. Spring Street. Camp sessions are $80 per participant. Registration will continue until full, or until March 16, whichever comes first. Enrollment must correspond with the participant’s current grade level and their birthday must be before Sept. 2, 2015.

All camp sessions will take place from 2:30 to 4 p.m., with check-in and medical screenings beginning at 2:15 p.m. each day.

Spring Sessions:

• Kindergarten and first grade: Tuesdays: March 16, 23 and 30 and April 13
• Second and third grade: Wednesdays: March 17, 24 and 31 and April 14
• Fourth and fifth grade: Thursdays: March 18 and 25 and April 1 and 15

To ensure the safety of all camp participants and staff, Nature Detectives will adhere to the following COVID-19 safety protocols:

• Health screenings for participants and staff.
• Limiting the number of participants in each camp.
• Maintaining a 10:1 participant-to-staff ratio.
• Implementing physical distancing protocols, including at check-in and check-out.
• Cleaning and sanitizing facilities multiple times each day.
• Cleaning and sanitizing all high-touch areas frequently.
• Requiring face coverings for participants and staff.

In addition to Nature Detectives, PRM offers several other free and low-cost programs for youth. Additional information is available by visiting longbeach.gov/park or by calling (562) 570-3150.

Republican Women

With masks and social distancing remaining in place, Long Beach Republican Women Federated will welcome members and guests to its Saturday, March 13, breakfast meeting. Former Congressman Douglas Arlo Ose is the featured speaker who will share his views about recent events and what can be expected this year from a Democrat controlled Congress.

Businessman Ose, who served as U.S. Representative for California’s 3rd Congressional District from 1999 to 2005, considered running for governor in 2018. His thoughts about Gov. Newsom’s handling the pandemic and economy as well as the recall makes this a must attend meeting for everyone interested in California’s future.

The breakfast meeting is held at The Grand (4101 E Willow St.) with registration starting at 9 a.m. and the meeting starting promptly at 9:30 a.m. The cost is just $30 for members and $35 for non-members with free parking and includes a served breakfast. The reserved outside area is tented; however, if the situation changes to allow indoor events, the meeting can be moved inside.

For information and reservations phone: (562) 433-8996 or (562) 760-1556 or visit www.longbeachrepublicanwomen.com/calendar.

Romeo and Juliet

The Long Beach Shakespeare Company presents Romeo and Juliet, Feb. 26 through March 28. This is the streaming recorded version of the stage show at $35 per household, available at LBShakespeare.org. This is not a live stream.

When purchased, you will receive a confirmation email with a URL link to YouTube that you can view on your smartphone, computer and some smart TVs and a Google link for a PDF of the program to print or view. The link is available for you to watch any time that is convenient from Feb. 26 to March 28,

Conservancy Ball

Join Catalina Island Conservancy at its milestone 25th Annual Conservancy Ball on April 10. The 2021 Catalina Island Conservancy Ball – Under the Stars – will be a completely virtual experience for the first time.

This year’s virtual event will mark a quarter-century of celebrating “under the stars” while raising essential funds for the conservancy’s vital conservation, education and recreation programs. The evening promises to be a new experience, though will be filled with familiar faces, music and fun.

The main event will take place on April 10 and will be an interactive and engaging broadcast with various ways to participate for all levels of supporters of the Conservancy and Catalina Island. In order to participate, attendees must register online.

Virtual tickets to the broadcast are complimentary and include opportunities to bid in the auction and more. Virtual+ tickets are $150 and include a dinner kit available for pick-up the afternoon of the ball from any Bluewater Grill restaurant. Individual sponsorships and corporate partnerships are also available.

For more information, visit http://catalinaconservancy.org/Ball.