Community News

Joe Ball on Straight Talk

Joseph Ball, distinguished attorney and senior council to the Warren Commissioner investigating the assassination of President Kennedy will be the guest on the next edition of Straight Talk. He joins host Art Levine to discuss the findings of the commission that Lee Harvey Oswald was the lone assassin and not part of a conspiracy.

Ball also reflects on the changes in the practice of law over the years.He was a partner in the law firm of Ball, Hunt, Hart, Brown and Baerwitz, and was considered one of the top trial attorneys in America.

This show will air Saturday, Feb. 2 and Sunday, Feb. 3 at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on LBTV Channel 3. It is also viewable on demand at straighttalktv.com.

Climate Action Fair

Temple Israel Long Beach will partner with the City of Long Beach, Belmont Heights Community Association, local community groups, and environmental activists to host the Neighborhood Climate Action Fair on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2-4 p.m. at Temple Israel, 269 Loma Ave.

At the free, family-friendly fair, attendees will learn about a wide range of climate change impacts already affecting and expected to impact Southeast Long Beach, and will get information about opportunities for mitigation provided by expert speakers, with projection maps of sea level change and other poster presentations, hands-on activities, discussion, and videos.

Local residents are also encouraged to give direct input to the City of Long Beach 25-year Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP), learn about a variety of free and easy changes that have big ecological benefits, shop for eco-products, and meet local environmental volunteer groups that are making a difference.

Food, live music and children’s activities will also be available at the fair. For more information or questions, contact Kate Sachnoff ksachnoff@aol.com.

Aquarium Night Dive

The Aquarium of the Pacific presents Night Dive, an adults-only event featuring live performances, hands-on science activities and other special programming, and food and drink for an 18-and-over crowd on Friday, Feb. 15, 7-11 p.m.

 Discover the Aquarium at night, and explore its galleries in a new way, with DJs and local artists creating an eclectic ambiance.

$17.95 per person, and free for aquarium members. Open to ages 18+ only

Discounted Late Night

The public is invited to enjoy the Aquarium of the Pacific after hours while taking advantage of special savings on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 16 and 17, 5-8 p.m.

Visitors will have the opportunity to journey through the Pacific Ocean to meet over 11,000 animals, including more than 150 sharks they can touch. In addition, the aquarium’s short films will be shown in the Ocean Theater throughout the evening. Please note: The Lorikeet Forest aviary closes at 4:30 p.m.

$14.95 per person and free for kids ages three and under and aquarium members

Diabetes & You

Join the Diabetes Program at MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center for Diabetes & You: Ask the Expert – a quarterly class that features a presentation on various diabetes-related topics on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 6 to 7:30 p.m.. The class also provides an opportunity to network and find support from other people living with diabetes. Light refreshments will be provided. Call (562) 933-5043 to RSVP. Walk-ins are welcome.

Diabetes Support Group

Join the Diabetes Program at MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center for a support group for adults with diabetes on the second Monday of each month, 6-7:30 p.m. Get support and interact with peers on a variety of diabetes-related topics, including insulin-pump related issues. Cost of support group is free, and significant others are welcome.

Call (562) 933-5043 for more information.

African-American Festival

Join the Aquarium of the Pacific as it hosts its 17th annual African-American Festival, celebrating the rich diversity of African-American and African cultures on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 23-24, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The festival will feature live entertainment and arts and crafts. Festival performers include Mardi Gras second line dancers, hip hop and break dancers, jazz musicians, interactive drum circles, West African dancers, and storytellers.

General Admission – $29.95 adult (12+), $26.95 senior (62+), $17.95 child (3-11), and free for children under age three and aquarium members

Info/Tickets: (562) 590-3100 or aquariumofpacific.org/events/info/african_american_festival.

Heart Healthy Dinner

The MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center presents its 22nd Annual Heart Healthy Dinner featuring healthy Spanish-style cuisine and a special cooking presentation on Tuesday, Feb. 19, at 6 p.m. Guests will enjoy dinner, a glass of wine, a dark chocolate fountain and guest speakers.

$20 per person/$30 per couple. Call (562) 933-9326 to RSVP.

Heart & Stroke Seminar

Join MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center for the 12th Annual Women’s Heart & Stroke Seminar on Saturday, Feb. 23, from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. . Blood pressure, carotid ultrasound, cholesterol and blood glucose (non-fasting) screenings are provided. Learn your risks and get information on how to prevent heart disease and stroke.

Cost: $25 (breakfast and lunch provided). Call (562) 933-0100 to register.

Cult to Culture

Photographs by LeRoy Grannis are on exhibit through April 21 at the Long Beach Museum of Art, 2300 E. Ocean Blvd., in the museum’s Hartman Pavilion and Galleries.

American photographer Grannis documented the evolution of surfing from its humble beginnings that grew into a global sport and lifestyle, witnessing first-hand its epochal development in the history of American surf culture. “Cult to Culture: Photographs by LeRoy Grannis” is the first West Coast museum presentation of the artist’s work.

Organized by the Long Beach Museum of Art, the exhibition explores Grannis’s mastery in the medium and his ability to capture iconic images that played a profound role in shaping the world of surfing during its golden age of the 1960s and the ‘70s.