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This Week’s Highlights, and How the Jalapeño Plant Dominated America
This Week’s Highlights, and How the Jalapeño Plant Dominated America
Inside: a spicy origin story, local events, and what’s shaping Long Beach right now.
Robert Brennan
Jan 20, 2026
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Some business events feel like a blur of handshakes, but Garden Grove Network Nexus 2026 is designed to be different. As a regional chamber networking event, it brings Southern California business networking into one focused room, creating space for real conversations, meaningful introductions, and partnerships that extend beyond city lines.
On Wednesday, January 21, Network Nexus 2026 brings together chambers and business organizations from across Southern California for one focused evening in Garden Grove. For Long Beach professionals who want stronger regional connections, this is the kind of event that can change what your next quarter looks like.
What to Expect at Network Nexus 2026 in Garden Grove
Network Nexus 2026 runs from 5:30 to 8:00 PM at the Anaheim Marriott Suites on Harbor Boulevard. The setting matters. A venue like this signals that the event is meant for serious conversation, not just casual drop ins. It also gives people room to talk without being rushed out the door.
The event is hosted by the Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce, with a long list of partner organizations participating. That partner mix is the whole point. Instead of networking inside one city bubble, you get a wider circle of potential clients, vendors, collaborators, and referral partners in one place.
If you have been trying to grow beyond your usual lanes, this is a practical way to do it. You are not pitching into the void. You are meeting people who are already plugged into regional business activity and are actively looking for connections that make sense.
Why Regional Networking Matters for Long Beach Businesses
Long Beach businesses are increasingly regional, even when the storefront is local. Service providers work across county lines. Suppliers and partners are rarely limited to one city. New customers often come from networks that stretch through Orange County and beyond.
That is why events like Network Nexus matter. They shorten the distance between Long Beach and the rest of Southern California commerce. One conversation can lead to a referral. One introduction can lead to a vendor relationship. A single connection can open a new lane for your business that you did not have last month.
This is also the kind of room where confidence grows. When you hear how other owners talk about what they are building, it sharpens your own message. You leave with clearer language, stronger context, and a better sense of where you fit in the larger market.
Who You Will Meet: Chambers and Business Organizations
Network Nexus 2026 pulls together a wide range of business networks, chambers, and support organizations. That means you are not only meeting business owners. You are also meeting the connectors who know everyone, the resource partners who can point you to help, and the community builders who create opportunities year round.
The partner list includes the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, Cypress Chamber of Commerce, Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce, and Westminster Chamber of Commerce. It also includes groups like the Asian Business Association Orange County, SCORE, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and other regional business networks.
This mix makes the night useful whether you are just getting started or already established. If you are new, you can find mentors and community. If you are growing, you can find partners and pipelines. If you are stable, you can find fresh visibility in circles that may not know your name yet.
How to Attend Network Nexus 2026 and Make It Worth Your Time
Admission is priced to keep the room full and accessible. Members of any participating chamber or organization can attend for $25, and non members are $35. The flyer notes an additional charge at the door, so registering ahead of time is the smart move.
Exhibit tables are available, which is a strong signal that this is not just a mingle. Exhibitors get a chance to show what they do and create longer conversations. If your business is in a growth phase, exhibiting can turn the room into a lead generator instead of a social circle.
If you attend, show up with a simple goal. Meet five people you would actually follow up with. Ask what they are focused on this year. Listen for needs you can solve. Then make the follow up easy by offering one next step, not ten. That is how events like this turn into real business.
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Event Details
Network Nexus 2026 Read More... |
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Interesting Facts About Long Beach Chamber |
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Paws on the Promenade: A dog‑friendly monthly community walk for pups and their humans along the Downtown Long Beach Promenade. Feb 3, 2026 — 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM; Downtown Long Beach Promenade; Free
36th Annual Long Beach Jazz Festival: A world‑class jazz festival weekend featuring top jazz artists at the Long Beach Amphitheater. Spring 2026 (exact dates TBD); Long Beach Amphitheater; Tickets required
7KX Convention – Long Beach: A dynamic three‑day convention featuring community events, workshops, and celebrations at the Long Beach Convention Center. Mar 26–28, 2026 — Long Beach Convention Center; Tickets required; Event page
Hearts of Soul – Valentine's Soul Concert: A soulful concert event at the Long Beach Terrace Theater featuring legendary performers for Valentine’s Weekend 2026. Feb 15, 2026 — Doors 5:00 PM, Show 6:00 PM; Long Beach Terrace Theater; Tickets required
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The Jalapeño Pepper Plant Is Not Being Deported |
A spicy immigrant that took root in U.S. kitchens, gardens, and hearts. |
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A plant that originating more than 6,000 years ago in Central Mexico, the jalapeño plant crossed the American border with open arms. Now deeply rooted in American society, it has become part of everyday life. The jalapeño isn’t going anywhere, it’s here to stay. Here’s why…
In a time when the word deported shows up in headlines far more often than anyone would like, it feels almost absurd to apply it to a plant. And yet, the jalapeño has lived a quiet version of that conversation for decades. Native to Mexico, this small green pepper crossed the border long ago and never left. Instead, it settled in growing in backyards, showing up in kitchens, and becoming so familiar that most people stopped thinking about where it came from at all.
In Food It Found Respect
You might think you don’t like jalapeños, but their flavor, and their usefulness, goes far beyond the dinner table.
The jalapeño plant doesn’t demand attention, but it earns its place. In sauces, it blends. In toppings, it sparks. In marinades, it lingers. Over time, it’s gone from an accent to a staple, from specialty ingredient to shelf regular. Some people seek out the heat, others just appreciate the flavor tucked inside a meal they didn’t even realize had a pepper in it.
Beyond The Burn
The jalapeño plant stands about three feet tall when harvested for its spicy flavor, but when left to fully mature, it turns yellow and takes on a sweeter taste.
It’s a growing custom to add jalapeños to a variety of foods or just enjoy them alone. Sautéed in olive oil with a touch of salt, they stand on their own. It’s a side dish in some Mexican meals. Once you indulge yourself in this spicy arena, it’s hard to escape.
In many Mexican meals, jalapeños aren’t just added for heat, they’re respected. You’ll see them roasted, blistered, pickled, or just sitting on the side of the plate, still sizzling.
It’s common to find them next to rice and beans or nestled beside grilled meats, soft and smoky from the pan.
How Jalapeños Are Used, Beyond Flavor
People think jalapeños are all about the burn. But that’s not the full story.
They’ve been used to help slow bacteria in food, to keep pests and rodents away from crops, and even in medicine for pain relief.
But the flavor is where it hits first. Green, earthy, and just sharp enough to cut through heavy food. That’s why it works. Not every pepper can do that. Some come in swinging; all fire and no finesse. But jalapeños? They play on both sides. They lift what’s on the plate without taking over.
And once you start tasting the difference, between fresh, pickled, pan-finished, or roasted, you stop calling it just a topping. You start calling it what it is: an appetizer.
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