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Love Your Pet Party

On Saturday, August 22, Seal Beach’s biggest animal-expo event of the year will take place when Helen Sanders CatPAWS hosts “Benny’s Birthday & Love Your Pet Party” from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Seal Beach Marina Community Center, 151 Marina Drive, near the pickleball courts.

Admission is just $20 and includes a catered lunch and cake. Kids 12 and under are free.

The annual festival honors Benny the Cat, who suffered severe abuse during kittenhood but with the help of Long Beach Animal Care Services and Helen Sanders CatPAWS was rescued. He recovered to become a loving, trusting cat. Benny, with his crooked smile (attributed to the broken jaw and neurological damage he endured) has become a bit of a celebrity, with his own Facebook and Instagram pages (@bennythecatsjustice). He also won Long Beach’s Favorite Pet contest in the cat category this year!

There will be adoptable cats from CatPAWS, adoptable dogs from Long Beach Animal Care Services, therapy dogs from Orange County Animal Allies, and rescued rabbits from Sunshine Rabbit Center in Long Beach. The Animal Assistance League of OC will be on hand to provide information about their many animal-aid programs.

Benny’s party includes music, games and prizes for kids, arts & crafts and special surprise guests. There will be complimentary lemonade courtesy of Raising Cane’s plus free popcorn from Kernel Tom.

Over 20 vendors will offer pet services that include portraits, photography, cat sitting, pet clothing and accessories. There will be clothing and accessories for humans too, like artisan jewelry and soaps, organic hair and skin care products, jellies, jams and books.

Raffle items include gift cards and products from local merchants, baskets, pet supplies and a special bonus raffle: roundtrip airfare on JetBlue to anywhere in the world the airline flies. Two pairs of roundtrip tickets will be raffled during the event.

Tickets are available at the door or skip the line and purchase in advance at www.helensanderscatpaws.com. For liability reasons, please leave your pets at home.

All money raised at Benny’s Birthday & Love Your Pet Party goes toward the life-saving work of Helen Sanders CatPAWS, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to saving cat lives and helping the people who love them. They offer a foster-based rescue and adoption program, low-cost spay/neuter services, pet therapy for seniors in assisted living, pet loss grief support and more.

For more information, visit www.HelenSandersCatpaws.com.

Book Signing

Local author Tiara L. Simmons Mercius will host a book launch event for her debut contemporary fiction novel, “Reasonable Accommodations,” at Our Generation Cares Labs on Thursday, August 27, 6-8:00 p.m. at 235 E. Broadway, 8th Floor. The event will feature a reading, book signing, and a live Q&A session titled “The Side Bar.”

“Reasonable Accommodations” follows a disabled, Black woman attorney as she navigates corporate legal culture, intense office politics, complex friendships and the modern dating scene. While the book is a work of fiction, it is deeply rooted in and inspired by the author’s real-world experiences navigating professional spaces in California.

RSVP: www.JordanEllisEsq.com/register.

Lifetime Learning Classes

Registration is live on the LBCC Foundation website for the Lifetime Learning Center Senior Studies Program at the LBCC Trades Technology & Community Learning Campus (formally Pacific Coast Campus).

Classes offered in person are: Broadway Musicals with Lucy Daggett, New Hollywood Classic Film Series with Erroll Parker, Homeopathy 101 with Constance Malaambo RN, iPhone, Power of Apple Ecosystem and Understanding Artificial Intelligence with Phil Newell.

Classes offered on Zoom are Strength Training with Jessi McMaster. Classes start September 2 and cost between $30 and $70.

The classes are open to all adults and parking is only $5 a semester and is free with a handicap placard. Register online at https://lbccfoundation.org/lifetime-learning-center/classes/

For more information contact Theresa Brunella at (562) 938-3047.

Guided Nature Walk

On Sept. 5, from 8 to 10 a.m., learn about the restoration of wetlands in a unique patch of open space between Long Beach and Seal Beach. Tour the native plant-growing section and enjoy views of Zedler Marsh, an area normally off-limits to the public.

The walk is for ages seven and up. Meet at the corner of PCH and 1st Street in Seal Beach. Email elizabeth@lcwlandtrust.org with questions or to RSVP.

Plane Pull at LGB

On Sept. 12, 26 teams come together on the LGB runway with one bold goal: pull a massive 124,000-pound UPS jet 12 feet as fast as possible. It is loud, high-energy and fueled by teamwork, determination, and excitement you can feel the moment the rope is in your hands. Funds raised will benefit athletes and programs for Special Olympics Southern California.

The event at JetZero, 4150 E Donald Douglas Drive, is open to the public and invites groups to participate in several categories including corporate, faith-based, open, and law enforcement. Free event parking is available in Structure B.

Registration opens at 8 a.m., followed by an opening ceremony at 9 a.m. Plane Pull begins at 9:30 with an all-athlete team - additional team pulls every five minutes.

All funds raised through the Plane Pull will help empower people with intellectual disabilities to live happier, healthier, and more fulfilling lives. Plane Pull is a great event for the whole family that includes a festival area with stage entertainment, vendors, and food and beverage available for purchase from Legends Restaurant and Sports Bar.

Kids are invited to join the fun at the Katten Kid Zone, which will include games, face painting and teaming up to pull a CHP Cessna. Hear inspiring stories from athletes about how Special Olympics has helped change their lives.

LBCC Student Housing

Long Beach City College (LBCC) will break ground on a new student housing facility at its Liberal Arts Campus (LAC), marking a major investment in supporting students and addressing housing needs that can affect their educational goals. Members of the community are invited to attend the Oct. 8 groundbreaking ceremony and learn more about the student housing project.

Today’s community college students often balance their education with work and family responsibilities, while others are returning to school or facing housing insecurity and challenges outside the classroom. The new student housing facility is part of LBCC’s broader effort to respond to those changing student needs.

The approximately 93,000-square-foot student housing complex will provide 431 beds in a mix of studio, single, and double-bed units. The facility will also feature study, lounge and meeting spaces; shared kitchens and laundry rooms; and indoor and outdoor gathering areas designed to create a welcoming residential community for LBCC students.

Located at the corner of Clark Avenue and Lew Davis Street, the new residence hall will provide students with convenient access to the center of the Liberal Arts Campus, Public Safety, nearby athletic fields, and the new Stadium and Athletic Sports Complex. The project has a budget of approximately $127 million and is expected to be completed in Fall 2028.

The project was designed with attention to community input and with a focus on minimizing impacts to the surrounding neighborhood. As part of the design process, LBCC reduced the building height facing Clark Avenue from four stories to three, eliminated student entry from Clark Avenue, relocated the rooftop patio to the far west end of the facility, and incorporated landscaping, architectural enhancements, and murals to give the building a more residential feel. Lighting will be designed to remain within the property line, and the facility’s digital display was relocated to Lew Davis Street rather than Clark Avenue.