Community News

City Holiday Closures

Libraries

All Long Beach Public Libraries will be closed Saturday, Dec. 23 through Monday, Dec. 25 and Saturday, Dec. 30 through Monday, Jan. 1. All L

libraries are closed on Mondays per their normal schedule and will reopen on Tuesday following the respective holiday. (The library catalog, downloads and databases are available 24/7.)

Street Sweeping

There will be no scheduled street sweeping or enforcement of street sweeping violations on Monday, Dec. 25 or Monday, Jan. 1. Street sweeping will resume its regular schedule the Tuesday following each holiday.

Parking Enforcement

Read your parking meter: Parking meters will be enforced on Monday, Dec. 25 and Monday, Jan. 1 unless the meter states “Exempt on Holidays.” All meters will be enforced as usual on Dec. 24 and Dec. 31. The days and hours of enforcement are displayed inside the meters.

Refuse/Recycling

Refuse and recycling collection will not occur on Monday, Dec. 25 or Monday, Jan. 1; collection will be delayed by one day for the remainder of the week, ending on Saturday. For example, if Monday is your regular trash day, then it will be collected on Tuesday instead; and if Tuesday is your regular trash day, then it will be collected on Wednesday instead.

Towing and Lien Sales

The Towing Operations & Vehicle Storage Facility that is located at 3111 E. Willow St. between Temple Avenue and Redondo Avenue will be closed on Monday, Dec. 25. Normal business hours are:

• Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Closed Sunday and holidays.
• Vehicles and property are available for release outside of the hours listed above for an additional fee. More information can be found online.

City Offices and Services

City of Long Beach offices and services will adhere to the following schedule on Monday, Dec. 25 and Monday, Jan. 1. City Hall re-opens on Tuesday, Dec. 26 and on Tuesday, Jan. 2.

Closed on Monday, Dec. 25 and Monday, Jan. 1:

• Animal Care Services and spcaLA (Animal Control Officers are available to respond to calls for service and lost pets can be redeemed by appointment only by calling 562-570-PETS)
• Career Transition Center
• Center for Working Families
• City Hall
• Citizen Police Complaint Commission
• Code Enforcement services
• El Dorado Regional Park
• El Dorado Nature Center
• Fire Headquarters, Support Services, Fire Prevention, & Operations, including Marine Safety Administration
• Gas Services (Emergencies: 562.570.2140)
• Health Department and Health facilities
• Housing Authority
• Libraries
• Marina offices (Thanksgiving Day only)
• Neighborhood Resource Center
• Pacific Gateway Workforce Investment Center
• Park offices and community park facilities
• Police administration
• Street Sweeping
• Swimming pools
• Water Department (Emergencies: 562.570.2390)
• Open on Monday, Dec. 25 and on Jan. 1:
• Fire Stations and Lifeguard Stations
• Main Police Station Front Desk
• Marina offices
• Refuse and Recycling Collection
• Towing and Lien Sales

Treecycle

The city’s annual holiday Tree Recycling program gives residents a chance to dispose of trees free of charge while keeping the trees out of the trash after the holidays.

From Dec. 26 through Jan. 12, residents can drop off trees at several locations throughout the city, as shown on www.longbeach-recycles.org. Residents with city refuse service can leave their trees out where trash is normally collected by 7 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13.

All trees must have decorations and stands removed and trees over 12 feet tall should be cut in half.

Nature Walks

The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust offers free nature walks in the Long Beach/Seal Beach wetlands. The walks are the first Saturday of each month, 8-10 a.m. They are led by naturalists and are appropriate for age 7 and above. Closed-toed shoes are required.

All walks focus on the history and future of the wetlands. Participants in the walks might see herons, hawks and rabbits and will learn about native plants. The Raptor Ramble has information about how the Tongva Native Americans lived in and used the wetlands.

The Heron Hike visits the Marketplace Marsh and ecologists discuss the reintroduction of tides and bringing water back into the land. Participants in the Turtle Trek hope for glimpses of the endangered Pacific Green Sea Turtles which have taken up residence in a portion of the San Gabriel River.

The schedule of the 2018 walks is below. To RSVP, contact Elizabeth at elizabeth@lcwlandtrust.org. Learn more about the wetlands at www.lcwlandtrust.org.

• January 6 – Raptor Ramble
• February 3 – Heron Hike
• March 3 – Turtle Trek
• April 7 – Raptor Ramble
• May 5 – Heron Hike
• June 2 – Turtle Trek
• July 7 – Raptor Ramble
• August – No Hike
• September 1- Heron Hike
• October 6 – Turtle Trek
• November 3- Raptor Ramble
• December 1- Heron Hike

Volunteers Needed

How do you want to spend your time in 2018? There are over 250,000 seniors in this area and many suffer with a myriad of chronic, long term or terminal illness. Pathways, a non-profit organization in Lakewood, is currently looking for volunteers to help seniors in our area who are trying to stay independent and in their own homes at no cost to them.

Seasoned volunteer Bobbi Vernon recently celebrated her 20-year anniversary working with Pathways. By volunteering her time and heart, Bobbi is able to give her client access to our community where she could connect and remain active. Not only does she get to help her client live well, Bobbi feels she has had the opportunity to become a much-needed friend.

Pathways Care Navigation program provides support to isolated and lonely seniors to help them stay independent in their home for as long as possible. One of Bobbi’s longtime clients had lost her husband and her only family lived out of state. Without Bobbi’s help, this client would have continued to be isolated in her home, continue to struggle with getting her groceries and would have missed out on having someone in which to share her beauty parlor trips.

Bobbi is able to give her client access to our community where she can remain active and connected. She even surprised her client with a party on her birthday! Bobbi believes that someday “everyone will need one or all of the services Pathways provides for either themselves or someone in their family.” She feels that Pathways clients really became just like family.

If you would like to join the Pathways team and help a senior live well or would like more information on any of their services, please visit www.pathwayshospice.org or call   (562) 531-3031.