Photo by Adam Brown

It started out as kind of a joke, a group of mom’s wondering if their kids could eat for free, every night of the week, in Long Beach and the surrounding areas. And it became a mission really…a small one, but a mission nonetheless, to find the restaurants in our area that have the option of a kids-eat-free night!

As with most anything these days, you may want to give these places a call first to make sure the deal is still going strong, but I have managed to find a place a night that you and the kids can dine! Make sure to read the fine print here too, there are a handful of these restaurants that kids-eat-free every night!  So sit back, relax and let my hunting pay off for your family!

Read the rest of Kids-Eat-Free Every Night in Long Beach!!

Enjoy an afternoon of live music, food and drink specials, and the wildest annual parade to hit the shores of Long Beach! Participation in this year’s parade is FREE – send in your entry form, and join the fun at 3pm for this year’s Mardi Gras parade!

Read the rest of Long Beach Mardi Gras Returns to Rainbow Harbor

Read the rest of The Deli News: Perfect Pizza for a Penny Pincher

Kim Kabar

What leads you to the refrigerator?

Hunger? Habit? Cravings? Emotions?

Hungry for Less in Long Beach isn’t your mama’s weight loss program. Founded by a former yo-yo dieter, Hungry for Less provides transformational tools that allow women to lose weight without deprivation, without product dependency and without calorie counting, diet pills or pre-packaged meals.

Read the rest of Hungry for Less Offers Free Class to Women Ready to Lose Weight Permanently

Read the rest of Neighborhood Resource Center Hosts Community Watch Workshop Wednesday

It is the first-ever LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, designation given to a building at the university.

Read the rest of CSULB Student Recreation and Wellness Center Awarded University’s First-Ever LEED Designation

How long has Long Beach Cinematheque been around? Did it start in Long Beach?

Hello!

The Long Beach Cinematheque was founded in Long Beach, CA, and is celebrating over two years of cinematic, multimedia, and community events and programming.

Read the rest of Spotlight on Long Beach Cinematheque

Greggory Moore

Local authors return to Portfolio Coffeehouse in January for Long Beach Writers Read, a public reading and discussion where they will share select portions of their recently published works and answer questions from the audience. On January 23, author Greggory Moore will read from his novel, The Use of Regret, from 7-8:30 pm.

Read the rest of Portfolio Coffeehouse Presents ‘Long Beach Writers Read’ Featuring Greggory Moore

Kim Kabar of Hungry For Less leads a unique program for losing weight.

Were you able to eat guilt-free during holiday season? One way to ease the guilt over holiday (over) eating, is to have a concrete weight loss plan for the New Year. Start your weight loss plan for the New Year by attending a free introductory class to Hungry for Less this Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m.

Hungry for Less in Long Beach is the nation’s first low-cost weight loss program that addresses the #1 reason why women overeat.

“If you’re eating when you aren’t hungry then more than likely you’re heading to the refrigerator or snack cabinet because of some emotion,” said Kim Kabar, founder of Hungry for Less and a long-time resident of Long Beach.

Read the rest of Drop the Guilt and Jumpstart Your Resolution to Lose Weight

Councilman Dee Andrews

The Sixth District Councilman Dee Andrews and the Peace Week Committee are pleased to announce the Long Beach 2012 Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Maker Awardees.

Five award recipients will be honored at 5:00 pm, on January 10th, at the Long Beach City Council meeting, 333 West Ocean Blvd, as part of Peace Week —a week-long celebration leading up to the City of Long Beach’s 24th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Peace & Unity Parade Celebration, on January 14th. The candidates have been selected for their history of volunteering, community work, or support in areas of peace making, nonviolence, and community support/building.  “The Peace Maker Award acknowledges the spirit in which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. demonstrated compassionate, non-violent strategies toward peace and community building, which are ideas we value in the City of Long Beach”, said Councilman Andrews. This year honorees include King Chan, Jessica Quintana, Darryl Smith, Food Bank of Southern California, and Ralphs Food 4 Less.

Read the rest of Councilman Dee Andrews Announces the Recipients of the 5th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Maker Award

By: Cindy Peters, RN, MSN, ACNP, Center for Women’s Cardiac Heath and Research and Angie West, RN, CCRN, CNRN, Neuro/Stroke Program Director, Long Beach Memorial

The holiday seasons are coming to a close and it’s that time when New Year’s resolutions begin. As you prepare your resolutions to ring in 2012, Long Beach Memorial encourages you to focus on health.

Most people create a mental list of things they’d like to accomplish, like losing weight, getting ready for beach season, eating healthier, being more patient and spending more time with their families. How about changing it up this year? Make a resolution to be more heart and stroke conscious in 2012 and there are serious reasons why.

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Photo by LaurelsPhotos'

The City of Long Beach ban on single-use plastic bags will be expanded on January 1, 2012, when smaller retailers will stop distributing plastic carryout bags.

“Our plastic bag ban has been very successful in helping to reduce litter in our neighborhoods; reduce plastic debris in our waterways and storm drains; and reduce waste transported to landfills,” said Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal. “By promoting the use of reusable bags and expanding the ban, we are helping to make Long Beach an even cleaner city to live, work and visit.”

Read the rest of January 1 Marks Expansion of Long Beach Plastic Bag Ban

The Downtown Residential Council is comprised of resident leaders from the six Downtown neighborhood associations: Promenade Area Residents Association, Ocean Residents Community Association, North Pine Neighborhood Alliance, West End Community Association, Willmore City Heritage Association, and East Village Association.

Read the rest of The Downtown Residential Council Host Holiday Forum Monday December 19th

Photo by wolfro54

Tickets are now on sale for the Downtown Long Beach Associates’ (DLBA) massive New Year’s Eve celebration taking place on Pine Avenue and Broadway. Kicking off at 7 p.m. on Saturday, December 31, 2011, the high-energy street party will encompass two-square blocks and feature live music by Wayward Sons and Love Fool, covering hits from the ‘70s, ‘80s and the ‘90s.

Read the rest of Tickets Now on Sale For DLBA’s New Year’s Eve Celebration

“Our Pajama Party Movie Night events have been a huge success, and we decided to do something special by hosting Santa as a special guest for the children in the community for the final event,” explained Kimberly Daskas, Director of Marketing for Vestar California.

Read the rest of Meet Santa at Pajama Party Movie Night at Long Beach Town Center

Photo by Daan Franken

Long Beach Animal Care Services (LBACS) reminds residents to keep the Thanksgiving holiday fun and safe for all family members, including pets. According to Margaret Lee, Shelter Veterinarian for LBACS, families should practice a few simple tips to keep their pets healthy and safe over Thanksgiving:

Read the rest of Tips to Keep Your Pets Safe During Thanksgiving Festivities

Read the rest of Holiday Bone-Anza Fundraising Festival For Eastside Dog Park

The neighborhood meeting will begin with a Meet & Greet from 6:45 to 7:00 p.m. Come enjoy coffee, deserts and other refreshments provided by WANA Volunteers and chat with friends and neighbors.

Mix and mingle with the special guests and speakers Lenny Arkinstall, LB Connect TV and Felton Williams. 

Read the rest of Wrigley Area Neighborhood Alliance Will Collect Toys and Food at November Meeting

It was the year after my mom and step-dad married and the first year that all the families would be sharing a holiday together. My mom announced early on that she would not cook for 22 people without a dishwasher. As the big day neared and the dishwasher still hadn’t arrived, Mom stated simply that she would just have to serve the Thanksgiving meals on paper plates. Dad was shocked that she could even suggest it. And the new dishwasher? Well, it arrived Thanksgiving morning.

Everyone has their own idea of the “perfect Thanksgiving” and for some that means not having to do the dishes! For those that prefer eating in a restaurant or picking up a catered dinner to take home, Long Beach has many restaurants willing to take care of all the cooking.

Read the rest of Thanksgiving meals: Restaurants to enjoy a holiday feast

Read the rest of Gourmet Food Trucks Team With MemorialCare Breast Center For Cancer Education Fundraiser

Read the rest of El Pollo Imperial: High Altitude on Atlantic

The LBFD annual food drive begins this month.

The Long Beach Fire Department will once again be participating in the annual Holiday Canned Food Drive starting November 1 through the end of the year.

This program operates very similarly to the Spark of Love Toy Drive.  Large cardboard donation boxes will be placed at all Long Beach Fire Stations for the general public and Firefighters to drop off their canned or dry goods for those less fortunate. 

Read the rest of LBFD Annual Holiday Canned Food Drive Begins This Week

Long Beach has participated in Pioneering Healthier Communities (PHC) – part of the YMCA’s Healthier Communities Initiatives – since September 2009. The Y’s Healthier Communities Initiatives focus on making policy and environmental changes that support healthy lifestyles and are built on the concept that local communities can work together to provide all community members with healthy choice options. This latest grant, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), allows a total of 23 communities, including Long Beach, to expand their current work to advance high-impact policies. High impact policies reach and impact large groups of people. For the purpose of PHC Initiatives, they are defined as any chronic disease health policy that can be implemented across an area.

Read the rest of YMCA of Greater Long Beach Receives $20,000 Grant To Expand Healthier Communities Programs

Read the rest of Death, Jesus, Love and Belly Buttons, New Season At LB Playhouse Begins

The Over the Edge Fundraiser for Special Olympics will send 100 people rappelling down a 16-story hotel in Long Beach.

Do you have the courage to go Over the Edge? Adventure seekers will rappel 158 feet down the Hyatt Regency Long Beach on October 29 to raise money for Special Olympics athletes. Participants — including Courtney Prather, Hotel Maya Director of Rooms — will descend the entire length of the hotel, to a cheering crowd below.

“I’m naturally competitive so when the opportunity to rappel the 16-story hotel was presented on behalf of Hotel Maya, I was immediately committed to meeting the challenge to support Special Olympics Southern California,” says Prather.

“Over The Edge” is sponsored by the Hyatt Regency Long Beach for Special Olympics Southern California as a unique, higher challenge to individuals to raise or commit to $1,000 in support of the organization’s athletes.

Read the rest of LB Goes Over the Edge! Daring Fundraisers Rappel Down 16-Story Hotel Downtown