H1N1 vaccines available in LB

The City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services will offer free
H1N1 flu vaccine at a special clinic at El Dorado Park on Wednesday, February
10, 2010 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.  The clinic will be held
in the El Dorado Park Senior Center facility, which is located at 2800
Studebaker Road, Long Beach.  No appointments are needed. 

H1N1 flu vaccine is recommended and available for all people over the age of 6
months.  Only one dose is required for people over the age of ten but children 9
and under should receive two doses at least three weeks apart.

FREE Sand Bags for storm available.

The City of Long Beach is providing free sand and up to 10 bags to residents and
businesses at the following five Fire Stations:

Station No. 5             7575 E. Wardlow Road (El Dorado Park)
Station No. 7             2295 Elm Ave.
Station No. 12            6509 Gundry Ave.
Station No. 13            2475 Adriatic Ave.
Station No. 14            5200 Eliot St.

    Sandbags will last as long as they don't have a hole. If the bags are
reusable, residents should keep them for the next major rainstorm. To discard,
distribute sand in a flowerbed or over a lawn, and then throw away the empty
bags.

    Do not take sand from the beach. It is illegal to dump sand at the beach,
in the gutter or in the storm drain system.  

2 New Carriers @ LB Airport

Long Beach Airport (LGB) announced today that Frontier Airlines and Allegiant
Air would begin flight service in time for the busy summer travel season. 

In May 2010 Frontier Airlines will offer two daily non-stop flights to Denver, CO. 
Allegiant Air is expected to begin service in summer 2010.  The two new entrants
join LGB's other carriers, Alaska/Horizon Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue
Airways and US Airways, which currently provide non-stop flights to 14 US
destinations, with connections throughout the world.

Youth Center Work Opportunity

If you are between the ages of 16-24, or know someone that is, and is motivated to learn the skills necessary to get employed, and live in Lomita, Long Beach, Signal Hill, or Torrance, you will want to take advantage of free training that will get you ready for the world of work and help you earn a nationally recognized work credential that will provide an edge in job interviews.

The no-fee 25-hour program is offered by the Pacific Gateway Workforce Investment Network's Youth Opportunity Center. There are no income requirements for this training.

A new class begins on February 22, 2010, at the Youth Opportunity Center. For more information, or to reserve a seat, visit the Youth Opportunity Center at 2nd Floor, 3447 Atlantic Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90807 or call 562.570.4700.

New Street in Long Beach!

A portion of Oregon Ave has been re-named: “West Coast Choppers Place,” in honor of the iconic Long Beach shop and its owner, Jesse James. Congrats Mr James.

PS: As you may have heard, Jesse's Pit Bull "Cinnabun" recently disappeared from their shop. She was last seen wearing a large pink collar near West Coast Choppers and Cisco Burger on Anaheim. If you have any information, please call 951-545-1098 or 562-983-6666.

Civil Service Jobs in Long Beach

The City of Long Beach Civil Service Department is accepting applications for the following jobs:
Public Health Nutritionist

The City of Long Beach Civil Service Department is accepting applications from City of Long Beach employees only for the following jobs:
Fire Captain (Promotional)
Fleet Services Supervisor (Promotional)
Park Maintenance Supervisor (City of Long Beach employees only)
Police Sergeant (Promotional)

For more information on these jobs and/or to apply online, please visit the
Civil Service Department website at: http://www.longbeach.gov/civilservice

Help for FOSTER CARE arriving.

Long Beach City Councilmember Patrick O'Donnell, 4th District, The Long Beach Housing Development Company (LBHDC), LINC Housing Corporation, and United Friends of the Children (UFC) will host a Community Preview at The Palace Hotel on Thursday, Jan. 28 at 2:00 pm. The Palace Hotel, built in 1929 at 2640 E. Anaheim St., will soon begin renovation and construction to become home to 13 youths transitioning from foster care.Attendees of the Community Preview will have the opportunity to view renderings of the renovation project as well as talk with representatives from LINC Housing, UFC, LBHDC and the City of Long Beach. In Long Beach, there are more than 1,000 children in foster care. According to UFC, without assistance, many of these young people will become homeless and chronically unemployed within two to four years of leaving the foster care system. In addition to the 13 studio apartments, the property will also include a manager's unit, common areas, offices to help provide services to the residents, as well as retail space on the first floor that may help employ some of the residents. Several technologies will improve the sustainability of the building including a photovoltaic array and fuel cells that use natural gas to create electricity and in the conversion process generate heat that will be used to generate domestic hot water. Residents at The Palace will be required to work and pay rent, in addition to attending weekly life-skills classes and regular meetings with their advocacy counselors. Construction is due to begin in the spring.

$8,000 TAX CREDIT extended

$8,000.00 Tax credit until Midnight June 1, 2010

You are a first time home buyer if you haven't owned a home for the last 3 years. The $8,000.00 tax credit was extended! The first thing you want to do when you are remotely thinking about buying a home is to talk with a lender. Find out what you approve for and what you want to spend on a home. What monthly mortgage payment are you comfortable with, will you impound your property taxes, how much will you put down on the home (minimum 3.5%)? Second, talk with a real estate professional, a Realtor, like myself. It's important to find a Realtor who understands what your needs and wants are. To me it is important that throughout the home buying process, you know every step of the way what is going on. You need to feel comfortable with the decisions you will have to make. The $8,000.00 tax credit is a great incentive to purchase a home in the first quarter of 2010. Interest rates are still low and home values are at levels that make home buying a possibility for many people. If you are interested in more information about buying a home, or selling, email or call me. I intend 2010 to be a very prosperous year. I wish you the best year yet!