Community News

Free Nature Walk

On April 4, 8-10 a.m. An ecologist will share progress of the Southern Los Cerritos Wetlands Restoration Project. While hiking through Gum Grove Park you may see raptors or monarch butterflies. You will learn about tribal cultural history.

This is a new, limited-time tour, so come check it out. Bring binoculars if you have them. Email elizabeth@lcwlandtrust.org with questions or to RSVP. Park in the Gum Grove parking lot at Crescent View & Avalon Dr., Seal Beach.

Republican Women

Greater Long Beach Republican Women will hold their monthly meeting Saturday, April 11, at The Grand, 4101 E. Willow St. Registration is at 9 a.m. followed by a buffet breakfast 9:30 a.m.

Two guest speakers are Maureen Flaherty, candidate for Long Beach Unified School Board – District 5 and Quinn Stolarz, founder, Turning Point USA Chapter Golden West College.

Hear directly from a local candidate, in preparation for making an informed choice during the 2026 election season. Cost is $30 for members, $35 for non-members. For a reservation, call Sandy Dubrowskij at (562) 310-4283 or email glbrw2024@gmail.com

Favorite Pet Competition

Partners of Parks announces the inaugural Long Beach’s Favorite Pet Competition, benefiting Long Beach Animal Care Services. Applications for the competition are open now with cash prizes and ultimate Parent & Pet prize packs up for grabs. Could your dog, cat, snake or fish be Long Beach’s Favorite? There’s only one way to find out. Enter!

The Long Beach’s Favorite Pet competition is the brainchild of Partners of Parks Executive Director, Ashley Jones. Having adopted Long Beach Animal Care Services’ longest-stay dog, Gumbo, who spent nearly two years at the shelter, she entered him into the nationwide America’s Favorite Pet competition to show off his many outfits. He finished in the top 1% of pets nationally, but “I thought I could run this competition better and as a fundraiser for our local shelter,” said Jones.

Since the idea’s inception, Partners of Parks has secured donations from Chewy, Raising Cane’s, Yoga Six, The Aquarium of the Pacific and The Reptile Zoo with more prizes being added daily. 1st, 2nd & 3rd place winners in each category will receive a cash prize as well as ‘Parent & Pet’ prize packs to include great gifts for both humans and pets.

The competition is open to dogs, cats and all other legal pets such as fish, hamsters and lizards. The application consists of a few questions, a request for photos, and basic pet information. Initial applications will be evaluated by a team of “animal-adjacent” judges within the Long Beach community and semi-finalists will be announced on May 4th to kick off Partners of Parks National Pet Month activities.

Applications are open now! A $10 tax deductible donation to Long Beach Animal Care Services as well as a completed entry form serve as admission to the competition. Complete rules and information are available on the Partners of Parks website.

Info: (562) 570-3209 or info@poplb.org or visit www.partnersofparks.org.

Restaurant Week

The fourth annual Long Beach Cambodian Restaurant Week will return May 17-24, 2026, organizers announced today. The event is organized by United Cambodian Community (UCC) of Long Beach, a California registered 501(c)3 non-profit.

Long Beach Cambodian Restaurant Week is a means to bring everyone to the table, from all walks of life, to showcase the city’s delicious Cambodian food scene. The eight-day event also seeks to highlight Cambodian-owned food businesses as well as Cambodian chefs and bartenders.

 “We are excited for the 4th year of Cambodian Restaurant Week!” stated Sayon Syprasoeuth, program director at UCC. “This will again give our local Cambodian community the opportunity to share our culture and cuisine with all food lovers in Long Beach and encourage them to try something they may not have experienced before.”

Long Beach is home to the largest community of Cambodians outside of the country itself, many refugees settling in Long Beach after escaping the Khmer Rouge regime genocide of the late 1970s.

Long Beach’s own “Cambodia Town” is a bustling collection of eateries, shops and retailers.

Cambodian-owned restaurants, food trucks, caterers, bakeries, pop-ups, cottage businesses and retail food businesses are invited to participate.

Visit CambodianRestaurant WeekLB.com for more information.