Three P-T round-up stories get 2008 in the boat and hit it with the oar

Round-up stories in newspapers are usually a double negative: horrific to write–lotsa busy work, little pay-off–and life-shortening to read. Like weather stories.

And so without further ado, here are three round-up stories from recent issues of the Press-Telegram. But good ones–chock fulla stuff you might actually use, like important dates and Randy Gordon’s favorite color (not really) and Disney. On ice!

Firstly, Kristopher Hanson writes about container fees, a looming new contract for the longshoremen and assorted security and environmental issues which should spool themselves out this year.

The longshoremen (and longshorewomen) start bargaining next month; port security can still improve–as The District’s Rachel Powers showed you–and bit by bit, the Port is greening.

Then Paul Eakins calls this the Year of the Politician, which sounds wrong but is technically right. Between Long Beach Unified School District, Long Beach City College, the presidential contest and the City Council races, if you live here and vote, you’ll be voting four times this year.

(Your jury summons will arrive somewhat later. We warned you about getting that Social Security number. Sure, they said, it’ll just be for Social Security–and you had to do it.)

Eakins also explains (briefly) how Long Beach Unified’s lawsuit against the city over its environmental report on the potential effects of expanding the Long Beach Airport terminal will come to court next month in Orange County.

“The school district says that if the city goes ahead with the project, it should provide soundproofing for several nearby schools,” Eakins writes–and living in a helicopter flight pattern (dizzying), I have to wonder if there isn’t something to this one. Airplane noise is definitely the reason I failed AP Biology. That and, as Jason Jessee once put it, “totally not caring.”

And lastly, Tim Grobaty enumerates all the events you wish you could attend this year, like the State of the City luncheon Jan. 15, Disney on Ice (let’s keep Disney on ice all year, yes?), leap year, David Copperfield, Toyota Grand Prix, the Pride Festival, David Sedaris and a locksmiths’ convention.

Actually, leap year’s a cinch.

Tags: 2008 Long Beach City Council races, AP Biology, California, container fees, David Sedaris, Disney on Ice, Jason Jessee, Kristopher Hanson, leap year, locksmiths, Long Beach, long beach city college, Long Beach City Council, Long Beach Pride Festival, Long Beach State of the City luncheon, Long Beach Unified School District, longshoremen, Paul Eakins, Port of Long Beach, press telegram, Rachel Powers, randy gordon, social security, Southern California, The District Weekly, Theo Douglas, Tim Grobaty, Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Year of the Politician