Community News

Republican Women Meet

Greater Long Beach Republican Women will hold their monthly meeting on Saturday, March 14, at The Grand, 4101 E. Willow St. Registration is at 9 a.m. with buffet breakfast at 9:30 a.m.

Features two guest speakers: Alex Villanueva, candidate for Los Angeles County Sheriff and Josh Rodriguez, candidate for Long Beach City Mayor. Hear directly from the candidates, in preparation for making informed choices during the 2026 election season.

Cost is $30 for members, $35 for non-members. For a reservation, call Sandy Dubrowskij (562) 310-4283 or email glbrw2024@gmail.com.

OLLI Spring Registration

On March 17, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at California State University, Long Beach will begin registration for its spring session. Classes will be held on campus, at satellite community locations and online using Zoom.

Over 90 classes, including 20 new ones, will be offered covering a wide variety of subjects including computer/tech skills, music, art, crafting, fitness and wellness, foreign languages, writing, movies, literature, history, current events, personal finance, dance and recreational activities. Single-session special event classes covering a range of unique topics will be scheduled as well both in person and on Zoom.

The eight-week session begins on April 6, and is open to all adults age 50 and over. One must be an OLLI member to take classes, however the annual membership fee is only $20. Classes are $15 each. More information, including registration, can be found by visiting the OLLI website www.csulb.edu/olli.

For over 30 years OLLI has been dedicated to enriching the lives of older adults throughout Greater Long Beach and Orange County by providing educational opportunities and social engagement.

Polynesian Fundraiser

The Children’s Benefit League will hold its main event at the Old Ranch Country Club, Seal Beach on March 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. “Where aloha inspires giving” is the theme and sets the stage for a live and silent auction, a 50-50 opportunity drawing, island entertainment and luncheon.

Children’s BenefitLeague is the oldest children’s charity in Long Beach, also serving the surrounding local areas. The five clinics they raise money for are The Children’s Dental Clinic, The Guidance Center, Ability First, John Tracy Center and The Children’s Clinic.

Please refer to CBLLB website “Events” to buy tickets or get more information.

Five brave women, who had experienced the power of women volunteers through the USO during WW11, met for lunch in November 1946. The objectives for the Children’s Benefit League were formed. They decided that the services and money raised would go to the medical care of children. An open invitation went out to women of Long Beach and surrounding areas in Orange County to join.

On March 30, 1948, Children’s Benefit League was officially incorporated as a non-profit. To this day the league has donated over $2 million to help the underserved. They currently split our funds among five clinics who serve medically needy children and their families. CBL remains very active with over 100 members, both retired and active.

Bridge Outreach Session

The Port of Long Beach will host an outreach meeting in March to inform the public and solicit feedback about a project planned for later this year that will demolish the ramps connecting the Shoemaker Bridge to the North Harbor area.

The meeting, rescheduled from an earlier date, will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, at the Jenny Oropeza Community Center at Cesar Chavez Park, 401 Golden Ave., Long Beach 90802. A presentation by the project team at the beginning of the meeting will be followed by an open house. RSVP at www.polb.com/shoemaker. Requests for translation must be received by Monday, March 23. Contact Alice Castellanos at (562) 283-7720 or alice.castellanos@polb.com for translation or assistance registering for the event.

In 2026, the Port of Long Beach plans to demolish ramps between the Shoemaker Bridge and the port as part of construction of the Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility. Pier B will help to accommodate the expected growth of cargo volume, while taking trucks off the road and improving the environment.

The planned demolition work will remove the 9th and 10th Street on- and off-ramps crossing over the 710 Freeway. Currently, as scheduled, the ramps will be permanently closed in spring. The ramps are not heavily used and sufficient alternate routes are available in the area, including Willow Street, Pacific Coast Highway, Anaheim Street, Ocean Boulevard and the Queensway Bridge. Motorists will still be able to access the Shoemaker Bridge from West Seventh Street, West Third Street, West Ocean Boulevard and West Shoreline Drive, east of the Los Angeles River.

Work will require three temporary weekend closures this summer: first, the northbound 710, then the Shoemaker Bridge, and finally the southbound 710. Dates have not been set.

The Port of Long Beach is a global leader in green port initiatives and top-notch customer service, moving cargo with reliability, speed and efficiency. As the premier U.S. gateway for trans-Pacific trade, the Port handles trade valued at more than $300 billion annually and supports 2.7 million jobs across the United States, including 691,000 in Southern California.