Spring Has Sprung

Have you noticed more trees in Bluff Heights? We hope so, because:

• 30 trees were planted in 2023 (funded by the city’s CDBG grant)

• 5 trees were planted in 2023 (funded by the city’s micro grant)

• 7 trees were planted in 2023 (funded by the Port of Long Beach) 

• 38 Crepe Myrtle trees were planted by BHNA and the city in 2022

That means 80 new trees in Bluff Heights!

Now, we need to “tree-age” (triage) them and keep them healthy. If you can help with tree maintenance, please email BHNA at info@bluffheights.org.

We are in the process of scheduling a “tree-age” for Saturday, April 6 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. We will meet at the Corto Place garden (behind the Taco Bell) and will need volunteers to help water and weed. We hope you can join us to keep our trees healthy and happy this spring.

New Year Off to a Great Start!

By Stephen Sutton, President

BHNA assisted PTA parents and Mann Elementary teachers in harvesting the lettuce planted during our MLK Day of Service on January 13th. More than 25 large bags of greens were harvested and given away to willing families after school. We’re also thrilled to learn there have been more than one gourmet salad prepared in the teachers' lounge with those fresh schoolyard garden greens! :) We’re so delighted seeing our many raised beds overflowing with fresh produce—and there are many more weeks of harvest to come before school is dismissed for summer! 

Bluff Heights is off to a bustling pace in 2024 to provide even more volunteer activities and neighborhood improvement opportunities. Our $2,000 July 4th Port of Long Beach grant was approved for this summer and we are actively seeking more Long Beach micro grants to support our mission. We will be applying for a grant to host our first-ever EARTH DAY CELEBRATION, a collaboration with nearby Rose Park on the afternoon of April 21st. Stay tuned for more details on that exciting upcoming event.

Part of our recent grant requests include enlisting the expertise of Agency 241, a California State University Long Beach academic program giving students practical experience working with a local business or non-profit. We’re thrilled to have this bright team of dedicated students launching all of our BHNA social media channels in one convenient location: @bluffheightslb. 

Here’s a convenient link for all: https://linktr.ee/bluffheightslb

Please FOLLOW & TAG US @bluffheightslb when you’re out discovering the neighborhood and help us grow our followers!

We look forward to seeing you around the neighborhood or @bluffheightsLB!

An Enlightening Tour

By Val Pfeifer

On a recent rainy Saturday, I had the opportunity to take the Downtown Walking Tour in Long Beach, conducted by Linda and Sam Dragga through the Long Beach Heritage Organization. I have taken many of their tours and always find them highly informative. A highlight of the tour was walking through the First Congregational Church at 241 Cedar Avenue and West 3rd Street. 

The tour was not only educational but enlightening. I always thought the word “Congregational” had a religious connotation, but it’s actually administrative. “Congregational” means the church is administered by the local congregation and is not beholden to any church administration.

The congregation was established in 1888, with the present church built in 1914. Over its 110-year history the church has undergone a number of repairs, modifications, and upgrades, with a seismic retrofit being the largest one. The latest repair was the replacement of the rose window on the east side (a circular window with circular terra cotta tracery and stained glass). In earlier days the congregation was substantial, consisting of bankers and businessmen among others. Raising money was much easier then. Should you have any change that was trying to make a hole in your pocket, you knew how to solve the problem.

Findings in the church courtyard were surprising. Where a hall once stood on the north side of the courtyard, there seems to be a blank wall–but not quite. The wall has a beautiful metal sculpture of vines and flowers and is actually a columbarium (a structure of recessed vaults for placing urns with ashes). If you are looking for a distinguished resting place, look no further.

Every first week of December, the church holds a winter concert. The experience is phenomenal–in particular, listening to “Silent Night” with dimmed lights and singers holding lit candles. Mark your calendars in November and go to CSULB Winterfest 2024 for tickets and additional information. Choirs from CSULB are not to be missed!

Next time you are downtown on a Sunday morning and looking for a spiritual experience, step inside the church and enjoy the beauty of its architectural details.

I have worked with Jill on a number of projects over the last seven years, including the book series Whiskey Dog Mysteries, written under the nom de plume Faith Walker, which Jill launched with her brother in late January. The first book in the cozy mystery series is Paws and Puzzles, which can be ordered from booksellers everywhere. The series features an intuitive red heeler cattle dog named Whiskey as the main sleuth in addition to his human sidekick Sarah Carter. The second book in this series, Poodles and Poison, will be out later this year. 

If you have any need for a writer, editor, or business coach, please support our local business people and contact Jill at www.jillferguson.com.

A Neighborhood Mitzvah

By Donna Sievers

In February, I walked to Olives on Broadway for some bread and then made my way on Broadway toward Coco Renos for their very good chicken tortilla soup. I was halfway through the intersection on Broadway and Newport when a white car approaching from the west on Broadway sped up and turned right in front of me. Had I kept walking and not stopped in the middle of the street, the car would have crashed right into me. 

I was completely shocked and stood in the middle of the street waving my arms around (I probably looked like one of those air-filled balloon men) when I realized I was yelling, “What!!! Am I invisible? You could not have waited a nanosecond to let me pass before you almost killed me?”

I proceeded to Coco Renos and ordered my soup to go. As I was waiting, a man walked in and came up to me. He stared intently into my face and asked, “Are you all right?” I answered with, “Yes, were you in that car?” The gentleman responded, “Oh no…but I saw what happened. I was standing in front of the Library and wanted to make sure you were ok.” Starting to get teary, I said, “I’m ok but I was scared.” This kind gentleman then gave me a giant bear hug and said, “I am glad you are ok. I am so sorry this happened to you.”

He then exited Coco Renos and I noticed that the two cooks were watching and listening to this encounter with quizzical expressions. I explained that the gentleman just did a mitzvah (which means a kindness) as he saw that I was almost run over and wanted to see if I was alright. As I left and paid for my soup, I passed that mitzvah on to the cooks and left them my best tip ever.  

A mitzvah, to me, is a “good or praise-worthy deed” and a way to express our common humanity. It is so easy to just keep your head down and ignore others, but I will always be grateful for the gentleman who took the time to make sure I was okay. His expression of concern still warms my heart.

Each month we will publish a photograph from our neighborhood. This sunset image was captured by Meghan O'Dell.

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



Office of the Vice Mayor

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

Coastal Real Estate Experts

Stephen W. Sutton | stephensuttonrealtor@gmail.com