The 47th Acura Grand Prix Comes to the City of Long Beach April 8-10th
This weekend, the streets of this Long Beach, California will come alive with the 47th Acura Grand Prix It is expected that there will be 200,000 spectators in attendance over a three-day period, April 8-10th. It’s the second biggest street race in the world, behind Formula One’s Monaco Grand Prix held in Monte Carlo.
But two years ago, this race came to an unexpected halt. It was a casualty of the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020 that virtually shut down the United States for a least three months. That was followed by various shutdowns, mandates, and prohibitions from various states. From a financial standpoint, not having a race in 2020 could have been devastating to the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. But through the leadership of President Jim Michaelian and his 15-person full-time staff, they were able to pivot and persevere. The 2021 race was moved to September 26 in order to have a full crowd – something vital for the economic health of this event.
This weekend, it returns to its traditional April date without any restrictions to spectators or participants. Having the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is a tradition that many Southern Californians anxiously await. Long Beach in April is as synonymous as the Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day Weekend in May.
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Long Beach Celebrates the Grand Opening of Ronald R. Arias Health Equity Center
On Monday, April 4, City officials celebrated the grand opening and dedication of the Ronald R. Arias Health Equity Center (RAHEC), located at 6335 Myrtle Ave., inside North Long Beach’s Houghton Park.
The event kicked off National Public Health Week, an annual week that recognizes the contributions of public health and highlights issues that are important to improving our nation's health. About 100 people attended the grand opening, including Vice Mayor Rex Richardson, Department of Health and Human Services Department Director Kelly Colopy, Department of Public Works Director Eric Lopez, Ron Arias, for whom the Health Equity Center was named and other dignitaries and neighborhood partners.
After a ceremony that included a land acknowledgement by Tongva elder Edgar Lopez, visitors toured the newly renovated building. RAHEC enables residents to access services more readily and demonstrates the Health Department’s commitment to equity by bringing those services directly into the communities most impacted by poverty, chronic health conditions, structural racism, housing access and violence. All programming at the RAHEC is family-centered and focused on a two-generational approach to uplift families and strengthen their social and economic mobility.
This space houses the Health Department’s violence prevention and human dignity initiatives, the Office of Youth Development, The Fundamentals of Fatherhood Program and Family Preservation. These programs and initiatives are geared towards increasing peace and unity and strengthening family protective factors. In addition, the Health Department has opened a health clinic focused on family planning, HIV/STD prevention, testing and treatment and TB clinical services. Other important services include reentry employment services offered by the Pacific Gateway Workforce Investment Network and access to rental assistance made possible by Development Services.
RAHEC is a full remodel of a long-time Health Department building. Renovations included significant energy facility upgrades, as well as a new roof, improved HVAC system, modern lighting and a more welcoming layout for the community to navigate.
The Ronald R. Arias Health Equity Center was made possible with funding from Measure A, AB32 and General Capital funds, totaling $4.95 million.
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City Seeks Proposals from Eligible Organizations to Administer Special Cleanup and Maintenance Services in Parks and Open Spaces
The City of Long Beach is seeking proposals from highly experienced contractors interested in serving as the administrator for the cleanup and restoration of sites affected by encampments in parks and open spaces. The City recently launched a Request for Proposals (RFP) for park and beach cleaning, litter abatement and special collections services within City Parks, open spaces and beaches. Now through April 28, 2022, at 11 a.m., eligible companies are encouraged to submit proposals through the City’s RFP Vendor Portal, PlanetBids, for consideration.
Conducting high-quality maintenance and litter abatement across the more than 160 City parks are critical components to providing vibrant, healthy and safe parks for the Long Beach community. These efforts include the safe and respectful clean up and collection of special waste items and encampment belongings of those experiencing homelessness.
The RFP seeks to identify qualified contractors with expertise in clean up and litter abatement in parks and open spaces, including the removal of large items, bio-hazardous and waste material, and illegally dumped items. The services will assist the City in providing safe and clean parks and open spaces. To be eligible, contractors must meet the following criteria:
- Experience with large clean-ups
- Ability to respond to work assignments at 48 hours’ notice
- Have proper operational equipment and staffing model to complete necessary work
- Ability to discern and sort personal items from waste material
- Ability to require participation in trauma-informed training to all staff
- Ability to treat park patrons, people experiencing homelessness and service animals with respect.
Details related to scope areas, eligibility requirements and submission instructions are available at PlanetBids. The City also has developed an instructional video on the registration process.
This opportunity is made possible by Long Beach Recovery Act, a plan to fund economic and public health initiatives for Long Beach residents, workers and businesses critically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of $4 million has been allocated support Clean City efforts throughout the City like park and public right of way cleanups, litter abatement and partnering with neighborhood associations for
Economic Recovery. Additional information about the Long Beach Recovery Act is available at longbeach.gov/recovery.
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For more information, please contact Mary Frances Torres, SR/WA, Acting Real Estate Development Bureau Manager, Economic Development Department, at mary.torres@longbeach.gov.
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