Greetings Mariners,

September is upon us, it brings with it American traditions such as Labor Day gatherings, apple picking, college football, Oktoberfest, and new school uniforms. For most of America, Labor Day means two things, a three-day weekend and the official end of summer. For mariners, it is one of the busiest days of the year on the water. Because of COVID-19, sales of used boats and personal water craft have skyrocketed as everyone takes to the outdoors. New boaters are always a blessing to marina and launch ramp operators. And we are grateful and busy issuing new slip permits. Some of you have new neighbors. Who knows, “this might be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

We have seen an unprecedented number of vessels on the water, many of which are operated by “rookies.” I want to commend our seasoned boaters, on daily basis from my office window, I see how you safely maneuver around the rentals whether it’s a Duffy, kayak, water bike or stand up paddle board. For those of you using our launch ramps, we want to thank you for your patience, as it has become common for the ramp lots to close due to reaching capacity on the weekends. Make sure to come out early if you planned an outing on Labor Day.

I’d like to mention a couple of other September and October holidays that are celebrated in the Hallinan household. September 5th is International Day of Charity, created to honor Mother Teresa’s humanitarian contributions, it is celebrated by experiencing the joy of charitable giving. September 11 is Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance. A day etched in most of our minds. I clearly remember watching my 19-month old, holding on to the coffee table playing with blocks, as her grandfather and I watched the twin towers collapse. I wondered how her life had just changed. Take a few moments to read the presidential proclamation that created this holiday. It will remind you of the American spirit. September 13th is Grandparents Day! I loved the elementary school celebrations. If you are a grandparent don’t miss out. October 4th is National Cinnamon Bun Day, this one is credited to our daughter. At the age of 10 she was looking for an excuse to bake cinnamon rolls every weekend. At dinner last night, the Hallinan’s committed to finding a fun, “just because” holiday to celebrate, looks like we are going with National Knock-Knock Jokes Day. Tim and Hannah made it a competition, so send me any good ones you might have! I’m reminded to always take the time to enjoy life and am grateful for these two in my life.

Until next time,
Elvira Hallinan
Your Long Beach Marinas Manager
Marina Offices are open and are now accepting new vessel permit applications. To protect you and our staff from COVID-19 please call the ABM and Shoreline offices to set up an appointment for any and all boating needs. Note – Many requests can now be handled by phone or email.
 
Our transition to the new ABM boat owner restroom key is complete. Active permittees with old Cor-key deposit receipts in their file will have their account credited. With September billing Alamitos Bay slip permittees will start seeing Key Deposit credits on their account. If you don’t see a credit this month, please be patient as marina staff is working through permit files alphabetically to apply your credit.

SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING
Please contact the marina offices or the Long Beach Police if you see or witness suspicious activity in our marinas. In case of emergency immediately dial 911.

Commercial activity without an authorized commercial permit is prohibited in our marinas. Commercial purposes include, but are not limited to, any activity involving the use of a permittee’s vessel for which use the permittee receives cash, credit, or any other form of valuable consideration.

DID YOU KNOW? 
Labor Day became a federally recognized holiday 126 years ago in 1894. The equinox on September 21 may mark the end of summer and the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere but it also marks the end of winter and the start of spring in the Southern Hemisphere. Halloween is thought to have originated around 4000 B.C., which means Halloween has been around for over 6,000 years. Pumpkins are classified as a fruit, not as a vegetable. 
Marine Patrol is a 24/7 operation. Each day is broken into three shifts. A day shift, a swing (mid) shift, and a night shift. On a typical day Marine Patrol staffing consists of three units per shift. One unit is assigned to patrol the Down town
Marinas, one is assigned to patrol the Alamitos Bay Marina, and the third unit is a Supervisor who oversees shift operations. These officers work diligently to provide their services to the many tenants of the marinas.

As of July 1st, Marine Patrol officers have been dispatched to 289 calls for service. They have initiated over 5,800 targeted patrols which include directed patrols of a specific area, dock-walks, and field investigations. Officers have
 taken enforcement action on over 70 instances where a misdemeanor violation took place and have written over
110 citations.

On July 19, just after midnight, a Marine Patrol officer was securing Belmont Pier for the evening when they smelled smoke. They investigated the smell and it led them to a small storage shed near the end of the pier. Here they located a plugged-in electrical cord with smoke emitting from it. They quickly unplugged the cord and stood by for Marine Maintenance to respond. They ensured the safety of the shed and socket. The officer’s actions saved the shed, and possibly the pier, from catching fire.
Dion & Sons Inc., the new fuel dock operator for Alamitos Bay and Shoreline Marina, pledges to be a first class fueling and service facility. Since assuming operation of the City’s marina fuel docks on February 1, 2020, Dion & Sons has completed new upgrades, including the expansion of the convenience stores and maintenance department.
 
Dion & Sons is dedicated to providing the local boating community with all necessary boating needs. Both marina convenience stores offer a variety of beer and wine options, soda and energy drinks, snacks, chips, protein bars, candy, and ice cream. Both fuel docks offer a 24/7 self-serve vending ice machine that has the ability to produce 2,500 pounds of ice per day. Dion & Sons also provide free dog treats and fresh water for your furry friends. Dion & Sons Marine Fuels offers 2020 certified CNG tanks filled to 2,500 PSI for a swap program. In addition to the new improvements, Alamitos Bay Fuel Dock is home to the Official IGFA Weigh Station that can weigh your catch of the day up to 300 pounds.
 
A new state of the art maintenance department located at the Alamitos Bay Fuel Dock location has upgraded to a five staged fuel filtration system, which can pump out the old fuel and filter to ASTM D975 cleanliness specifications. Dion & Sons also has the technology and equipment ready for your next 100-hour full-service oil change or tank cleaning. Utilizing a dual staged ultra-high efficiency micro-glass 3 micron filter to remove particulate contamination from the fuel, Dion & Sons’ service department will have your boat running better than ever. Inspection plates can be installed to fuel tanks to make tank cleaning as thorough as possible.
 
Dion & Sons Marine Fuels welcomes all feedback for improvements, products or any other local boating need. Dion & Sons, welcomes you to stop by and check out the new improvements. If you have any questions or feedback please feel free to call 562-594-0888 or email info@longbeachfueldocks.com.
On Tuesday, August 18 Marine Maintenance staff were attending to daily duties on the water in Alamitos Bay when a distressed vessel required immediate assistance. A 45-foot powerboat was identified to be afire and its passengers required evacuation.

In the vicinity conducting vessel operation training Marine Maintenance employees Garret Potter and Olando Hall identified smoke arising from a vessel near the Harbormaster’s dock in Alamitos Bay. Potter immediately radioed for Marine Safety response. Once emergency services was­ notified, Potter and Hall quickly maneuvered their vessel, a working barge affectionately known as “The Grunt”, into position to provide aid to the imperiled boaters.

The Grunt was aligned to the stern of the distressed vessel and Potter and Hall were able to assist two passengers safely aboard their craft. They steered clear of the smoke and were able to deliver both passengers to shore well and unharmed.

Marine Safety Rescue Boats arrived promptly thereafter to arrest the flames on the vessel and tow it to a safe mooring. The fire is suspected to have originated in the starboard engine electrical.
The 2020 Census will be visiting the Long Beach Marinas throughout the month of September. Why is the Census important? It is the driving force behind assignment of Federal, State and Local government representation and funding for our communities. Information gathered from the Census allocates approximately $900 billion a year in federal funding. California, as the most populace state in the nation, receives $115 billion of that total each year. Federal dollars allocated based on 2020 Census information will fund education, healthcare, and housing initiatives. Funds will also be used to promote business development and transportation infrastructure.

When fewer than the actual number of people are accounted, an undercount, our community will not get fair representation and will be allocated less funding for important community programs. For each Long Beach resident unaccounted for it is estimated our community loses $2,000 in federal funding each year. As of August 10, Long Beach has a 63.3 percent census response rate which is middle of the pack when compared to cities of our size across the nation.

If you have received the 2020 Census mailer and have yet to complete the survey, please do so soon. In-person Census Enumerators will also be making visits to our marinas in September to promote participation and to better account for every Long Beach resident. For more information on the 2020 Census visit https://2020census.gov/en or www.longbeach.gov/census.
Long Beach Police........................... 911
Marine Patrol Emergency.............. 911 or 9911 (Dock Phone)
Non Emergency...........................(562) 435-6711
Shoreline Office.......................... (562) 570-4950
Alamitos Bay Office.................(562) 570-3215

Maintenance:
Office hours............................. (562) 570-1582
After office hours.....................(562) 570-3101