Bits 'n' Pieces

Public Invited to Nominate Lifesaving Heroes

Do you know a local hero? The American Red Cross Los Angeles Region is calling for nominations for its 20th annual Hometown Heroes Awards. This event recognizes individuals and groups who displayed extraordinary courage in moments of crisis, stepping up to help a stranger, friend or family member when it mattered most.

In 2025, the Hometown Heroes Awards luncheon will take place on Friday, May 16, 2025, aboard the historic Queen Mary in Long Beach, a ship that once served as a troop carrier during World War II. This remarkable venue adds a fitting sense of history and significance to the celebration of modern-day heroes. Nominations are open through Feb. 1, 2025, and can be submitted at redcross.org/la-heroes.

“When faced with life-or-death situations, there are those who instinctively rise to the occasion, acting not out of obligation but out of pure human compassion,” said Amy Papageorges, executive director for the Long Beach and Greater South Bay Chapter. “These Hometown Heroes remind us that in times of crisis, everyday individuals can become the difference between tragedy and hope. Their quick actions and bravery in saving the lives of total strangers are a testament to the power of community and kindness.”

The Red Cross is seeking stories of life-saving acts such as CPR rescues, near-drowning incidents or any heroic deed that took place outside the hero’s usual work duties. Nominees must either work or live in Los Angeles County, though their acts of heroism can have occurred elsewhere, within the past year.

At last year’s event, honorees included a teenager who used her CPR training to save her cousin from drowning, two car wash managers who came to the aid of a school crossing guard after a tragic car accident and off-duty police officers who pulled young girls from a burning vehicle.

This year’s event promises to inspire and celebrate more extraordinary stories of courage and compassion. Help us recognize those who make Los Angeles a better, safer place – nominate your hero today!

Ticket and sponsorship information available here: redcross.org/la-heroes.

DHHS Awarded Distracted Driving Prevention Grant

The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has been awarded a $275,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to reduce distracted driving-related crashes.

DHHS’s GreenlightLB Program will use grant funds to support educational activities and strategies focused on reducing distracted driving in Long Beach. Funds received will support initiatives conducted between Oct. 1, 2024, and Sept. 30, 2025, including:

• Teen and young adult traffic safety education through activities on high school campuses, educational workshops and youth traffic assemblies.
• Partnership with community leaders to equip neighborhood organizations with tools to promote positive change and reduce distracted driving on local streets.
• Distracted driving demonstrations to show the real-life consequences of taking your eyes off the road.
• Efforts to reduce health disparities and advance health equity through expanded partnerships offering bilingual and culturally relevant distracted driving education.
• A peer-to-peer youth program designed to empower young people to actively advocate for traffic safety.
• Collection of distracted driving data through citywide observations and community surveys to inform the Long Beach Vision Zero initiative and future programming.
• A train-the-trainer course to prepare community leaders with the knowledge and resources needed to educate the public on key traffic safety issues.

“With support from OTS, we’re shaping safer driving habits, especially among young people, and working to change the culture around distracted driving,” said Health Department Director Alison King. “Together, we can make Long Beach’s streets safer for everyone.”

Last year, the program reached 1,300 community members via:

• 16 distracted-driving community presentations and youth-focused workshops.
• 17 educational outreach tables and pop-ups to promote safer driving.
• The graduation of 12 students from across five Long Beach schools for the Safe Streets Ambassador program.
• Co-hosting the fourth annual Long Beach Safe Streets Awareness week.
• Conducting two extensive observational assessments at intersections across Long Beach.

“Silence your phone and put it away while driving,” said Office of Traffic Safety Director Barbara Rooney. “It is a simple, yet significant action that keeps yourself and others on the road safe.”

This is the fifth year that DHHS has received an OTS grant to continue its distracted driving prevention efforts. The activities funded by the grant are in line with strategies identified in DHHS’s Strategic Plan: to develop and implement a citywide distracted driving prevention program to change the behaviors of drivers through public awareness, education and informed decision-making; expand activities during Safe Streets Awareness Week to educate drivers on how to safely share the streets with pedestrians and bicyclists; and offer DHHS resources, training and professional expertise to community members, schools, and other service partners to build capacity, extend reach, and advance public health goals. GreenlightLB’s program activities also help to advance goals identified in the city’s Safe Streets Action Plan to eliminate traffic-related deaths and serious injuries by 2026.

LB Airport Wraps Up Centennial Celebration

As Long Beach Airport (LGB) wraps up its centennial year, it is also using a freshly trademarked slogan for its future as: “America’s Coolest Airport.” The official trademark, announced today at a centennial time capsule sealing ceremony, emphasizes the uniquely relaxed, easy vibes and local flair at the award-winning municipal airport.

The trademarked slogan was announced during a celebration and time capsule sealing ceremony at the airport that wrapped up LGB’s yearlong centennial anniversary campaign, which included special events, a new mural, a historic report, historic video series and branded giveaways.

The centennial time capsule was placed inside a wall in the historic terminal building to be opened in 50 years. Among the modern artifacts included in the capsule are letters from city leaders, as well as photographs of the airport and city, newspaper articles, tokens from airport business partners and airlines, and much more.

This is the second time capsule to be kept inside the historic terminal building; the first was laid in the cornerstone in 1941 and was opened in 1966.

Highlighting its role as america’s coolest airport, pop-up pickleball courts have been introduced for the holiday season, giving travelers an opportunity to play the game thanks to a partnership with the city’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine. Located just north of the terminal, the two temporary pickleball courts will be periodically activated throughout the holidays to bring joy and recreation to the traveling public.

The America’s Coolest Airport slogan was created following an organizational planning process at LGB, where a multi-division planning team was convened, representing all levels of the organization, to develop a phrase that would define LGB as it is today and set a vision for how the airport wants to be seen in the coming years.

Official trademark status for America’s Coolest Airport was established earlier this year in the midst of LGB’s yearlong 100th anniversary marketing campaign. The airport also owns the trademark slogan: Where the Going Is Easy.

“Our new slogan is a promise to travelers that they will enjoy a fun, first-class experience at LGB,” said Airport Director Cynthia Guidry. “We might be 100 years old, but I like to say we don’t look it. We are setting a new, cooler standard in the aviation industry.”

The announcement of the new slogan comes at a time of significant growth and development for Long Beach Airport, which broke multiple all-time monthly and seasonal passenger traffic records this year. Recent upgrades at LGB have included the addition of a new ticketing lobby, checked baggage inspection system, consolidated baggage claim, roadway loop improvements, solar canopies and restoration of the terminal building. These critical development projects are all designed to enhance the overall experience from curb to gate, making travel even cooler, more convenient and more environmentally friendly for passengers.

A recent study revealed that the LGB complex generates $9 billion in total economic output and supports nearly 42,000 jobs across the region. Over 800 businesses thrive within this complex, ranging from aviation to aerospace and technology companies.

Racing Legends Named Co-Grand Marshals

Two of the most iconic names in motorsport history, Mario Andretti and Al Unser Jr., will serve as co-Grand Marshals for the 50th Anniversary Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 11-13, 2025. The milestone race weekend will celebrate 50 Years at Full Speed with special fan experiences, thrilling racing and a celebration of racing legends who have starred on the iconic streets of Long Beach.

Mario Andretti is a motorsports icon whose career accomplishments span multiple decades and disciplines. Andretti’s extensive resume includes a victory at the 1977 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix West in Long Beach, solidifying his status as an international star and the race’s status as a major international event. Among his many achievements are the 1978 Formula 1 World Championship, four Indy Car titles, and victories in the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500, and 24 Hours of Le Mans. When Long Beach switched to Indy cars in 1984, Andretti won that race, again establishing Long Beach as a world-class event and went on to win twice more over the next three years. Andretti is widely regarded as one of the greatest racing drivers of all time.

Al Unser Jr., affectionately known as “Little Al,” is the winningest driver in Long Beach history, with six victories (1988-91 and 1994-95) over a dominant eight-year span. Unser also boasts two Indianapolis 500 wins (1992 and 1994) and is a two-time Indy Car champion (1990 and 1994). A 2009 inductee into the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame and Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, Unser’s dominance on the streets of Long Beach earned him the nickname, “King of the Beach.”

The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will be headlined by the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, as well as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. In addition, the weekend will include the Super Drift Challenge under the lights on Friday and Saturday nights, plus doubleheader action from Robby Gordon’s SPEED Energy Stadium Super Trucks, GT America Powered by AWS and the unique Historic Formula Exhibition, featuring cars from the three racing eras at Long Beach – Formula 5000, Formula 1 and Indy Car – racing together for the first time.

 Sunday ticket prices start at $97 for a General Admission ticket which does not include grandstand seating and go up to $205 for a three-day ticket that includes Sat./Sun. reserved seating in grandstand upper levels. Pre-paid parking packages are also available, along with handicapped seating, NTT INDYCAR SERIES Paddock passes, Super Photo tickets and a wide variety of hospitality packages. Continuing a longstanding policy at the Grand Prix, children 12 years and under will be admitted free with a ticketed adult.

Fans can select and pay for their 2025 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach seats, parking and paddock passes online at gplb.com. Ticket orders can also be placed by calling the toll-free ticket hotline, (888) 827-7333.

DHHS Awarded Drug-Impaired Driving Grant

The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has been awarded a $310,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to educate the community about responsible cannabis use and reduce drug-impaired driving related collisions.

The Health Department’s GreenlightLB Program will utilize grant funds to educate the community on the dangers of drug-impaired driving and encourage safer choices, including responsible driving behaviors. The grant will support various initiatives from Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025, including:

• DUI-Drug prevention workshops, educating high school and college students about the risks of impaired driving and promoting alternative transportation.
• Community partnerships to advance health equity through bilingual and culturally relevant workshops on drug-impaired traffic safety.
• An e-scooter and e-bike safety campaign reminding users that riding under the influence is unsafe and illegal.
• A peer-led youth program empowering young people to advocate for traffic safety.
• Collaborations with cannabis dispensaries to educate consumers on responsible use and the risks associated with cannabis-impaired driving.
• Enhanced awareness of drug-impaired driving through print and digital media, including coordination of Long Beach Safe Streets Awareness Week.
• DUI demonstrations to show the real-life effects of impairment on driving abilities.

“Protecting public health is central to our mission,” said DHHS Director Alison King. “This grant allows us to implement evidence-based strategies that address the serious risks of drug-impaired driving, raise awareness and promote safer choices.”

Last year, the program reached 4,000 community members via:

• 30 drug-impaired driving community presentations and youth-focused workshops.
• 35 educational outreach tables and pop-ups to promote safer driving.
• The graduation of 12 students from across five Long Beach schools for the Safe Streets Ambassador program.
• Co-hosting the fifth annual Long Beach Safe Streets Awareness week.
• Conducting the annual city-wide cannabis and health assessment.

“Getting in a vehicle remains one of the most dangerous things we do,” said California Office of Traffic Safety Director Barbara Rooney. “We must continue to work with our partners to shift that realization and make traveling on our roads safer.”

This is the eighth year that DHHS has received an OTS grant to continue its drug-impaired driving prevention efforts. The activities funded by this grant are in line with the department’s strategic plan goals: to further develop a comprehensive approach to encourage responsible cannabis use and increase awareness about how mind-altering drugs, including those prescribed for medical purposes, can impair drivers; and partner with non-profit organizations that have expertise in reaching the Cambodian community with services and information. GreenlightLB’s program activities also help to advance goals identified in the city’s Safe Streets Action Plan to eliminate traffic-related deaths and serious injuries by 2026.