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— AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2024 ISSUE —

National Night Out

By Donna Sievers


On August 6, 2024, the Bluff Heights Neighborhood Association participated in National Night Out. We met in front of Immanuel Place Senior Living and enjoyed a lovely Long Beach evening with neighbors, friends, BHNA Board members, and our special guests.


The purpose of National Night Out is to set aside time annually for a community event that promotes a partnership with police and communities throughout the country. Our special guests included Long Beach Police officers, cadets, and Field Representative Paige McCracken from Cindy Allen’s District 2 Council Office.


We discussed several concerns with the police officers and Vice-Mayor Allen’s office including:


  1.  A prior request for a traffic study within Bluff Heights including Broadway where several accidents have occurred. I have emailed Paige McCracken and Cindy Allen asking for an update regarding the traffic studies. McCracken mentioned that this is a significant concern throughout Long Beach and she will follow up for us. 
  2. The double-parkers in front of Horace Mann School. Students return to school on August 17 and we have requested that Long Beach Police be in attendance to warn and then ticket double-parkers who make Obispo very unsafe during drop-off and pick-up.


Thanks to all who attended our BHNA National Night Out. We hope you enjoyed the ice cream and the camaraderie.  

Bluff Heights Historic District Walking Tour

By Val Pfeifer


On Sunday, July 14, Bluff Heights Neighborhood Association hosted a walking tour featuring several homes in the historic district. Conducted by local architectural historian and Bluff Heights resident Val Pfeifer, this educational stroll highlighted some of the oldest and most distinguished homes in the neighborhood. 

First up on the tour was the oldest home in the district, located on Orizaba Avenue, just west of East Vista Street. Built in 1890, the well-maintained Queen Anne Victorian–style home remains as charming as it is beautiful. The defining features are an asymmetrical façade, hipped roof, front-facing gable, wood shingles with a fish-scale pattern, a single bay window with lead patterned glass, and fan-shaped spindle work at the top of the porch column.

Next, the Sunday strollers encountered a 1933 English Tudor home on Orizaba Avenue, between Mariquita and East 3rd Street. The most distinguished features of this striking home are the two front-facing gables and false timber framing with plaster infill. False timber framing is often considered the most recognizable feature of a Tudor-style home or structure, setting the home apart from the rest on the block.

A tour of some of Southern California’s historic homes wouldn’t be complete without a bungalow Craftsman on the route, so the group walked over to Coronado Avenue, near the corner of East Colorado Street, to see a home of this type built in 1922. This particular home design and construction is attributed to the local famed builder and stone mason, Miner Smith, with his unique architectural elements lovingly preserved. Some of these include slightly sloped dentils over the porch and stone masonry piers, with a recess featuring an Ogee arch at the top and a planter shelf at the bottom. A second pier cap is adorned with acanthus leaves at all four corners. 


Just as the marine layer burned off and the July sun crested over Broadway, Pfeifer concluded the tour and the group of strollers dispersed, armed with new knowledge of the history of some of the homes in their neighborhood and a greater appreciation of the architectural cornucopia right in their backyard. 

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Born in Slovenia, Val Pfeifer emigrated to Orange County, New York (home to West Point) when he was 16 years old. He earned his U.S. citizenship then spent 2 years in Germany after WWII, where he gained valuable experience as a draftsman. Val became an architect when he was 49 years old and spent many years designing innovative commercial and industrial architectural projects, including the printing plant for the Washington Post. Val moved to Long Beach in 2017 and began his active life of volunteering with Long Beach Heritage (at the Bembridge House) and with the Bluff Heights Neighborhood Association. Watch this newsletter for other interesting history articles from Val in the months ahead!

Butterflies in Bluff Heights

By Donna Sievers


Have you noticed all the butterflies in Bluff Heights this year? I have, and am so grateful for their beauty and how they enhance our neighborhood. I wondered why I’ve been seeing more butterflies this summer, and I think I may have the answer.


On April 21, 2024, the Bluff Heights and Rose Park Neighborhood Associations collaborated to celebrate Earth Day with our communities. BHNA set up a tent full of butterflies, and kids of all ages were able to enter the tent to be amazed by the butterflies’ playful behavior. A few butterflies even escaped the tent prior to the moment we released the rest of the butterflies into Rose Park.  


BHNA also gave away 50 native milkweed plants to celebrate Earth Day. Milkweed is the necessary host for caterpillars and is critical for monarchs to survive. Perhaps the planting of new milkweed has attracted more butterflies. BHNA also gave away several books, including those about butterflies.


My husband and I sit in our yards on Vista Street and watch these lovely creatures flutter and fly about. Often there are two monarchs chasing each other, just like kids playing tag. Once in a while, one of the butterflies heads right towards me and I think maybe one will actually land on me. This has not yet happened but I hold out hope. Watching a butterfly’s shadow in the yard also brings me joy, knowing I can look up and see them flying around from flower to flower. 


I can’t imagine a world without butterflies and I hope I never have to. In literature and art, butterflies symbolize hope and love: “Their gentle flight is a reminder of life’s fleeting moments and the importance of embracing joy and freedom.”

Call for "Tree-age" Volunteers

By Donna Sievers


Can you answer YES to any of these questions? If so, we need your help watering trees during this hot summer!


  1. Do you love trees?
  2. Do you love the shade trees provide?
  3. Do you believe that trees have a positive impact on our community and on the world?
  4. Do you have one to two (or more) free hours a month to help water the trees in our parkways?
  5. Do you want to participate with your kids (which means they won’t be on any electronic devices for a couple of hours a month)?

6. Do you want to volunteer at your convenience, knowing you are supporting Bluff Heights?


If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you can be a perfect BHNA “tree-age” (triage) volunteer. Please email us at info@bluffheights.org and put “Trees” in the subject line to volunteer. We can then discuss which trees you would like to adopt and the most efficient ways to water them.


We need to keep our Bluff Heights parkway trees alive and healthy, especially during this hot time of year.


Many thanks to our neighbors and friends.

Bluff Heights Neighborhood Association Needs Storage Space 

by Donna Sievers


Bluff Heights puts on a tremendous 4th of July Block Party every year; in turn, we have a tremendous amount of items that need storing. Everything for the Cake Walk, decorations, tents, signage, kids crafts, and more are in need of a place to be stored until next year.


If you have any extra room in your garage, we would be so grateful to store a few crates in your garage until next 4th of July. Everything is packaged and labeled; all we need is a bit of space in a dry spot.


If you can help, please email info@bluffheights.org and put Storage in the subject line. Thank you!

Restaurant review: CAVA

By Maria Kootsikas


CAVA opened this past January in Long Beach at 4680 E. Los Coyotes Diagonal, near the Traffic Circle. I thought I would give it a try because I’d heard it’s a Mediterranean version of Chipotle, implying fresh and healthy fast food. I figured why not try CAVA since I love the fresh flavors of Greek food, and Chipotle was my go-to place when I traveled for work.


CAVA is categorized as “Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant brand, bringing together healthful food and bold, satisfying flavors at scale.” CAVA operates as a corporate-owned business rather than a franchise model with over 350 locations nationwide. 


I ordered a spicy lamb meatball, a spicy chicken pita sandwich, and a Greek salad for my husband, myself, and a neighbor to taste-test. The person who served me was very pleasant, asking me if there was anything I did not want. I told him to make the pita sandwiches as he normally would. What a mistake! The sandwiches were so full of sauces that they fell apart when I took them out of their wrapping. 


The pita sandwich was covered in skhug sauce, a very tasty Middle Eastern hot sauce made from chili pepper and various spices. I cut the sandwiches in thirds for everyone to try and give their opinions. These sandwiches should come with a warning: “remove the pita sandwich from the paper wrapping at risk of getting sauce all over you.” 


Hidden underneath the skhug sauce was an excellent lamb meatball. The pita, though, was rubbery, maybe from too much sauce. Everyone commented that the Greek lettuce salad did not taste fresh. Bottom line: everything tasted like salt to us. The spicy lamb meatball sandwich contains 2,020 milligrams of sodium, which is 88% of the recommended total daily salt intake, and the Greek salad has 1,730 milligrams of sodium, which is 75% of the recommended total daily salt intake. Sandwiches are between 800 and 900 calories and the Greek salad is 600 calories. With one meal, I consumed all the salt and calories needed for the entire day. I was ready for a nap and a big glass of water. Note to self: next time, I will order a take-out order of lamb meatballs, sans sauce, placed on top of pita bread to enjoy with a glass of Cava.

Each issue we will publish a photograph from our neighborhood. This photo of the geometric garden was submitted by Frank Ginipro.

If you have photos that highlight the beauty and uniqueness of our neighborhood, please send them to info@bluffheights.org




Long Beach Greek Festival

Opa! Experience the Contemporary Flavors and Melodies of Greece at Long Beach’s Premiere Greek Food + Music Festival. See you on Labor Day Weekend, Aug 31 – Sep 2

The event opens at noon each day.

$5 admission gets you in!

The festival grounds are located at:

5761 E. Colorado Street 

Find more information HERE.

Fin


Backyard Bounty

The second Sunday of the month is Backyard Bounty day in Bluff Heights. Share the bounty from your backyard by placing it in front of your house. Take a walk through the neighborhood, get a little exercise, and enjoy the bounty. Find the label HERE.

Sunday, September 8 and October 13, starting at 9:00 AM



Fresh Produce at Local Farmers Markets

Farmers Markets and farm stands are great places to browse, sample, and buy fresh produce and handmade products. Visit the market at Bixby Park (130 Cherry Avenue) every Tuesday starting at 3:00 PM and every Saturday starting at 9:00 AM 

Find more details HERE.



Saving Water Is the Long Beach Way 

As we face unprecedented drought across California, we all need to do our part to conserve water. HERE is a flyer from the Long Beach Water Department outlining the new rules. Find more information on water conservation HERE.



Is it Time to Trim your Waste-Line? 

It's really simple to trim your "Waste-Line!" All you need to do is collect your e-waste, hazardous waste, and/or old tire waste and bring it to one of three local collection centers under the conditions set by the City of Long Beach on this flyer.

You will feel much lighter now that you took care of those extra notches on your Waste-Line! Doesn't being a loser feel good?



STAY INFORMED ON CITY AND DISTRICT NEWS

District 2 - Councilwoman Cindy Allen
(562) 570-2222
Cindy.Allen@longbeach.gov or district2@longbeach.gov
Connor Lock, Chief of Staff

LBPD Blotter
On March 17 2022, the Long Beach Police Department debuted a new tool for the Long Beach community to access information about police activity and investigations.
To view this new community resource, and other Police Department information, please visit the LBPD Homepage and LBPD News.



PLEASE SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES,
ESPECIALLY OUR SPONSORS

Ms. Theresa Marino
aka
Theresa on 3rd
Neighborhood Advocate & A Neighbor Who Cares
 

Office of the Vice Mayor

Phone: (562) 570-2222 | district2@longbeach.gov

Coastal Real Estate Experts

Stephen W. Sutton | stephensuttonrealtor@gmail.com

SUPPORTERS

The Bicycle Stand

Cats & Dogs Animal Hospital

Dr. James Dohn

Flamin Curry

Gallagher's Pub and Grill

Granny's Donuts

Hot Java

Hug Life Ice Cream

Hug Life Ice Cream

La Parolaccia Osteria

Nice Alterations and Tailoring

Park Pantry

TC Raw Eats

Tru Nature Juice Bar

Syndicate Barber Shop

The Wine Crush


Click HERE to inquire about showing support in our newsletter.

YES, I'M A SUPPORTER!
The Bluff Heights Neighborhood and Historic District is a great place to live. Your $10 of support will go a long way toward making your neighborhood even better through our communication outlets, community events, and critical activities!
THANK YOU to all the neighbors who have already donated!
Support the BHNA
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