The Word with Jackie Rae

This week on the Word on Long Beach, we venture out into the city for our first over podcast “Office Hours.” We set up shop on The Bird Dive Bar on Fourth Street and, we’ll give you an update on the transition from “Fern’s” to the current ownership. ADVERTISEMENT - 1:06 – Ryan Kurtzman is the project manager for the Long Beach Smart City Initiative. He joins us to tell us more about the first Long Beach Augmented Reality (AR) Exhibition, which will take place in Downtown Long Beach on Aug. 8 from noon to 5 p.m. All you will need to enjoy this exhibition is your smartphone and your Instagram or Facebook app. No registration is needed. If you have an idea on how technology can improve Long Beach, Kurtzman encourages everyone to submit their ideas online. There you can also find out about some of the projects the initiative is working including meeting the needs of the homeless and, addressing systemic racism. 16:55 – We set up shop at The Bird Dive Bar on Fourth Street to give members of the community the opportunity to speak directly with members of the Long Beach Post staff. We will be having “Office Hours” once a month, specifically to allow the community to speak with us, ask questions and tell us what issues you would like for us to address. While some were reluctant to join us on-air, this time did give us an opportunity to follow up on the transition from Fern’s, to The Bird Dive Bar in Long Beach. The bar is now open for business and is hoping to be a haven for local musicians in the very near future.

1:30 - This week on “The Word on Long Beach,” we discuss if assuming the swastikas painted on the MLK statue was the work of white supremacists is a knee-jerk reaction that does not address long-standing issues in the 6th district. Sheba Gills is the granddaughter of Autrilla Scott. The former nanny for a young Bill Clinton and renowned in Central Long Beach for her involvement in neighborhood improvement. She is now an educator of children in grades K-12 and she shares her thoughts. 18:52 - The Long Beach Wine Festival is happening October 2-3 at Harry Bridges Memorial Park. The festival’s organizer Scherr Lillico and the owner of the only winery in Long Beach Collin Mitzenmacher join to tell us what the festival will entail. And, give discount codes to the festive and Waters Edge Winery of Long Beach. 32:52 - One of the longest staff members of the Long Beach Post Justin Ruiz joins to talk about the about and downs of covering politics in Long Beach.

This week on The Word on Long Beach, we re-visit the drive-by shooting near The Pike Outlets that sparked panic and left three people wounded, including a 13-year-old boy. Reporter Cheantay Jensen returned to the scene the day after the shooting to get the communities reaction and, we’ll give you some updated crime statistics. But first, we turn our attention to South Florida. As the country continues to watch the details unfold regarding the condo collapse near Miami, questions regarding older buildings here in Long Beach have begun. We have an expert here with us who will try to answer some of those questions. :46 - As you drive around Long Beach, you will see several mid and high-rise buildings that are over 40-years old. Given the recent developments in South Florida, the question of safety has become a concern. This week, Long Beach Building and Safety Superintendent David Khorram, addresses those concerns and, tells us how Long Beach is very different than Florida. 18:25 - Just one day after the drive-by shooting near the Pike Outlets it was once again business as usual. Long Beach Post Reporter Cheantay Jensen returned to the scene to get the communities reaction. Later that week Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna addressed the shooting and revealed current crime trends in Long Beach.

This week on The Word on Long Beach we explore the impacts of COVID-19 on our community, businesses, and outlook. :00 While most of us are excited about getting back outside and doing the things we love, there are still some long-standing issues that are not easily resolved. One of those is the impact the pandemic has on renters and property owners. As businesses closed, some people were furloughed while others lost their jobs completely. No job of course means no ability to pay rent. As thousands of people are returning to work, there is still a mountain of debt that must be addressed. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on June 22 extended an eviction moratorium through the end of September, and will gradually phase out tenant protections. For now, the extension will continue to prohibit evictions based on non-payment of rent due to financial hardship related to COVID-19. This week, Natasha Schulteis, a property owner here in Long Beach, joins us to give a perspective from the side of a property manager. She owns or co-owns more than a half dozen rental properties, and helps manage a bigger 20-unit property. During our Zoom call, she emphasized that communication between property owners and landlords is essential because the pandemic really did affect both sides. 19:45 - Imagine leaving a six-figure income to start your own business and then, the bottom falls out thanks to the pandemic. Do you go back to your old job or, do you weather the storm and try to figure it out? Shelley Williams decided to weather it out. Her art studio is called Craft and Light Creative art studio, and her pandemic survival idea came from those who were not ready to give up on what they were learning at the studio 27:45 The Word on Long Beach host and Reporter Sebastian Echeverry talk about some of the resistance people in the Black and Latino community have regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.

On this week's episode of The Word on Long Beach, we give you an inside look at how one nonprofit is tackling the homeless epidemic. Plus, we’ll tell you how one local business survived the pandemic. And will introduce you to students from Operation Jump Start who are changing family traditions. 00:44 - “Lil by Lil.” That is the motto of Care Closet LBC. It represents the non-profits commitment to meet the needs of Long Beach’s unhoused community. Little by little. This week, we met up with Founder and CEO Duke Givens to find out what made him start his nonprofit. He says it was one moment, and one man going through a back issue he could relate to. From there, the vision and the passion grew. To date, Care Closet has give out almost 1200 sleeping bags, over 500 tents, thousands of meals, and over 50 tons of trash. Givens has a unique approach to addressing the needs of the unhoused. Give them purpose. He has a team, several of them homeless, who work to keep the area around them clean. We went out with him to meet the people he serves. 15:01 - It’s a new day! Businesses are now open and we can get back to many of the things we love. For some businesses, it is a much-needed relief. Keeping a business alive, when there is no business coming in, was a challenge that was impossible for some to meet. Reporter Crystal Niebla, of the Long Beach Post, joins us to give us more insight on how Roxanns Bar and Willie’s Tin Shop survived the pandemic. 29:10 - What a difference a year makes. Last year, students were forced to have drive-by graduation celebrations, if they had any celebrations at all. This year, the class of 2021, accepted their diplomas in front of family and friends. While this moment is one that is one most graduating seniors will cherish for years to come, the next step is one that is a generational celebration for others. Thanks to Operation Jump Start, several Long Beach Students will be the first in their families to attend college. We sat down with graduates Wendy Rodriguez and Fabian Ochoa, to find out how they feel moving into this new chapter.

Get ready for more community news, event announcements and a deep-dive discussions on some of our most in-depth stories from the Long Beach Post with our new podcast The Word on Long Beach. Available on Soundcloud, this 45-minute show will release weekly in addition to publishing individual videos. 00: - The Queen Mary has been in financial limbo for quite some time. Last week, City Council took a step to resolve the ongoing saga. Kelly Puente brings tells us how we got to this point and, what the future may hold for the historic vessel. 9:54 - The new Rainbow Color Lifeguard Tower was unveiled at Alamitos Beach. While several Long Beach residents watched the unveiling with joy, others took time to reflect on how much work still needs to be done. Juneteenth is June 19th. Each year the attention and meaning behind the historic day grows. Long Beach is having a festival this year on Pine Avenue between Fourth and Fifth street from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. But if you are not quite ready to venture out, you can celebrate Juneteenth virtually. DreamKreators will hold a Facebook Live event from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. With an additional reflection hour between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. The reflection hour will tell the true meaning and history of Juneteenth and its GalvestonTexas roots. 29:29 - After 15 months of restrictions on how we live our lives, the state is finally shedding most COVID-19 restrictions. Several businesses in the area are excited to get back to normal but, it is a “new” normal. World-renowned tattoo artist and owner of Outer Limits Tattoo, reflects on how the last 15 months have impacted her business. And, explains how some practices adopted during the pandemic will continue as they begin to accept more customers.

The Long Beach Post has a new podcast that will air weekly on Soundcloud. The Word On Long Beach will break down some of the biggest news stories the post is covering, and tell you what we have in the works. You will also learn about Long Beach events and, meet a member of the Long Beach Post Staff. This week on, The Word on Long Beach, we sit down with Mike Guardabascio and Tyler Hendrickson. They will tell us how parents, students, and faculty came together to make sure Poly High’s C.I.C. program stays in place indefinitely. Antwoine Gant is the founder and CEO of the Stress Free Experience. We speak with him on how he is creating a series of events that are designed to be fun but, will also bring information and raise awareness regarding Mental Health in the Black Community. The pandemic made business operations difficult for several restaurant owners. The Inaugural Long Beach Burger week is hoping to revitalize the restaurant industry and encourage customers to once again dine-in. And you will meet, Sebastian Echeverry. He tells about his journey to become the Northside reporter for the Post.