— SPECIAL SUMMER ISSUE—

Block Party Celebration

July 4th was a success because neighbors were meeting (often for the very first time) and sharing stories and observations about their block, their historic homes, and their day-to-day living in Bluff Heights. This gave us all a sense of belonging! ~Frank Ginipro, BHNA Board Member

The annual Bluff Heights Neighborhood Association’s 4^th of July Block Party was a sparkling success. It was a beautiful day, made a little more delightful by a breeze that moved through the event all day long. This event is one of many things that make Bluff Heights a great place to live, and a huge debt of gratitude goes to the BHNA board members who work so hard on the annual affair. There were many highlights, including the popular chili cook-off which was organized and managed again this year by Dennis Snyder, dogs in costumes parading up and down the street, and the delicious hot dog (or bratwurst) “boat” served with a friendly smile. Many happy kids had their faces painted by Veronica Cherene, and Jason Walker ran a fun water balloon toss. Thank you to Joyce Hackett and Lee Apel for leading us in singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” And a big thank you goes out to a those who helped to setup and tear down the event: John Brown and his crew, who provided the EZ-up tents, tables, chairs, misters, and delux port-o-potty; the Conservation Corps of Long Beach who helped with setting up and taking down the chairs and trash containers; and Mayor Richardson's office who paid for the barricades,

We added more images to the slideshow of photos from the event on the homepage of www.bluffheights.org.

Big thanks go to our sponsors:

The Port of Long Beach

Theresa on 3^rd

Cindy Allen, Vice Mayor

Ocean Boulevard Real Estate

And many thanks to all the local (and a few not-so-local) businesses and individuals who donated to our raffle: