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. Post reporter Kelly Puente tells us how we got to this point and what the future may hold for the historic vessel.

9:54 The city’s new rainbow lifeguard tower was unveiled at Alamitos Beach last week. While many Long Beach locals watched the unveiling with joy, others took time to reflect on how much work still needs to be done.

14:27 Juneteenth, which celebrates the emancipation of enslaved Americans in the United States, takes place annually on June 19th.  Each year the attention and meaning behind the historic day grows. In Long Beach, that includes a festival this Saturday on Pine Avenue between Fourth and Fifth streets from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. If you are not quite ready to venture out, you can also celebrate Juneteenth virtually. Local broadcaster DreamKreator Studio will hold a Facebook Live event from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.  With an additional reflection hour between 6 and 7 p.m. that is meant to tell the true meaning and history of Juneteenth and its Galveston, Texas roots.

29:29 After 15 months of restrictions on how we live our lives, the state is finally shedding most COVID-19 rules on Tuesday, June 15. Several businesses in the area are excited to get back to normal, even if it is a “new” normal.  Kari Barba, the world-renowned tattoo artist and owner of Outer Limits Tattoo in Downtown, joins us via Zoom to reflect on how the last 15 months have impacted her business. She also explains how some practices adopted during the pandemic will continue as they begin to accept more customers.

https://soundcloud.com/thewordlb/juneteenth-and-life-after-the-pandemic