One of the best parts about working in a local newsroom is that we get to write about average people in our city who have done extraordinary things.
Whether it’s a lifelong endeavor or a spur-of-the-moment good deed, these are a few of our favorites from 2024.
A daring rescue
Talk about being in the right place at the right time: Scott Dixon, a lifeguard battalion chief, just happened to be leaving a Christmas party when a truck veered off the road in front of him.
As it sank into a roadside flood channel, Dixon jumped right in — pulling three people to safety before climbing back into his own car and heading home with his family.
A legendary barber
Nicolas Nicola has a 47-year legacy on Fourth Street.
An immigrant from Cyprus, Nicola built a barbering business that earned such loyalty from customers that they kept coming back for decades.
As he was closing up shop for the last time in September, he had a piece of advice for anyone hoping to learn from the pride he took in his work: “Always, you have to look for not only today. You have to look for tomorrow, for next week, for next year, for your future for yourself and your family and your kids.”
A trailblazing bar
Long Beach takes pride in its diversity, so — of course — it became the site of the state’s first sports bar dedicated specifically to women’s athletics.
Jax Diener and Emme Eddy’s Watch Me! Sports Bar has quickly become a hub for community at the corner of Second Street and Pacific Coast Highway.
A haunted house for good
Robert Duck’s passion is contagious. Every year — with the help of his family — he turns his home into an extravagant haunted house staffed by volunteers and local drama students.
When we saw how much effort they put in, it inspired us to make a video documenting the spooky fairytale backstory Duck created for his haunt, dubbed Fairbrook Manor.
Perhaps the best part: They raise money and donations every year for the Long Beach Rescue Mission.
An advocate for youth
Eric Oba Totton has been mentoring local youth and giving away skate and school gear for years.
Yet, somehow, we’d never heard of him or his nonprofit Dreamz Into Goals, until its massive youth fair drew hundreds of families to Lincoln Park earlier this year for free shoes and skateboards.
We decided more people needed to know his story, which you can read here.
Who did we miss? If you have nominations who belong on a list like this, send me an email at [email protected].