latimes--2020-05-15--L.A. Councilman Huizar, embroiled in FBI probe, faces calls from colleagues to step down

Days after federal prosecutors described a Los Angeles City Council member as the ringleader of a “ criminal enterprise , ” a chorus of public officials called on Councilman Jose Huizar to resign .
“ Whatever ends up happening to Jose Huizar on the legal front , it is blatantly obvious he has compromised his ability to represent his district and should step down immediately , ” Councilman Joe Buscaino said Friday .
Huizar , who has been representing an Eastside district since 2005 , has not been arrested or publicly charged with a crime .
But federal prosecutors have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ L.A. City Council member embroiled in their ongoing corruption probe of City Hall , providing biographical information in their court filings that matches Huizar .
Buscaino was joined in his calls Friday by City Controller Ron Galperin and Councilmen Paul Krekorian , David Ryu and Bob Blumenfield .
Said Blumenfield : “ My blood boils as I learn more details about this horrific tale of corruption.
” As of Friday afternoon , Council President Nury Martinez had stopped short of asking Huizar to resign but instead asked the councilman to stop attending council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ legal clarity ” on the federal probe , according to her chief of staff , Ackley Padilla .
Mayor Eric Garcetti later said he supported Martinez ’ s request .
Huizar responded Friday with a statement that he would “ respect the council president ’ s wishes that I limit my participation in council while working to meet the needs of my district ” but did not explain how he would do so , saying through a spokeswoman that the details were still being worked out .
Huizar said he didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” to the council ’ s work but intends to continue carrying out his duties to “ protect the safety and economic well-being of the residents of Los Angeles ” during the COVID-19 crisis .
The push for Huizar to skip meetings or step down entirely comes after a drumbeat of new revelations in the federal probe .
Real estate consultant George Chiang agreed this week to plead guilty to participating in a criminal scheme in which Chinese real estate developers allegedly bribed a council member in exchange for help on a hotel-and-residential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unnamed council member as the leader of a broader “ criminal enterprise.
” In March , real estate appraiser Justin Jangwoo Kim admitted to helping arrange a $ 500,000 bribe intended for a council member to smooth the way for another development project .
In both cases , key details in the federal filings point to Huizar , whose attorneys have repeatedly declined to comment .
Huizar had long been known to be under federal investigation — FBI agents raided his home and offices in 2018 — but the filings revealed new details @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The councilman was stripped of many committee assignments shortly after the raids , including the powerful panel that vets real estate developments , but has continued to attend council meetings , draft proposals and cast votes .
Until recently , council members had remained largely silent about the ongoing investigation .
Some federal probes involving city officials — including an investigation involving donors to Martinez — have not resulted in charges in the past , making some reluctant to jump to conclusions based merely on the existence of an investigation .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal prosecutors , along with public disgust at the claims , appear to have shifted the calculus for some council members .
Blumenfield said the latest filings were the catalyst for him , adding that it was a “ big problem ” for the public to be left questioning the integrity of council decisions as the city faces a crisis .
Krekorian said in a statement that although he recognized that no criminal charges had been filed against Huizar , it was clear that he was the councilman referenced in the federal filings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no longer have confidence that council member Huizar is representing their interests fairly and honestly , and with his full attention.
” Some residents balked at the push for Huizar to pull back from the council .
Monica Alcaraz , a community activist who lives in Highland Park , said Martinez should not have demanded that Huizar stop participating in council meetings , since he has not been charged or given the opportunity to tell his side of the story .
Residents in Huizar ’ s Eastside district need him to continue casting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evictions and protections for vulnerable renters , Alcaraz said .
“ To not have somebody representing our needs is not acceptable , ” she added .
But Gerren Kelsaw , a founder of the downtown advocacy group DTLA Strong , said that considering the allegations of “ brazen ” misconduct in the court documents , Huizar should not only stop going to council meetings but should resign .
Although Huizar should have the opportunity to fight the allegations , “ it ’ s clear that he can not function for the downtown neighborhood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Kelsaw , who said he was speaking for himself and not his organization .
“ Are we going to have a dearth of leadership right now because he wants to hang onto the job ?
” Huizar is scheduled to step down at the end of the year due to term limits .
Former State Sen. Kevin de Leon has already won the election to replace him but is not set to be sworn in until December .
The City Charter , which serves as the governing document for Los @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member to be suspended if they are pending criminal trial for “ violation of official duties.
” The council can also publicly rebuke one of its members .
Under the charter , the council can pass a resolution of “ censure ” with respect to any council member “ whose actions constitute a gross failure to meet such high standards , even if the action does not constitute a ground for removal from office under the charter.
” Asked whether Huizar should step down or take a leave of absence in light of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City Atty .
Mike Feuer , who is running for Los Angeles mayor , said Friday that if any council member is indicted , “ the right thing to do would be to step down.
” The city attorney ’ s office was raided by FBI agents last summer as part of a separate investigation involving the Department of Water and Power .
No one has been publicly charged in that investigation .
A failure to attend council meetings could become a legal issue .
Under the charter , an elected office can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ceased to discharge the duties of the office for 90 consecutive days , except when prevented by illness , injury or other reasonable cause.
” Council rules also state that members shall attend regular and special meetings unless they are sick or have been granted a leave of absence .

Emily Alpert Reyes, Dakota Smith, David Zahniser

L.A. City Council President Nury Martinez has asked Councilman Jose Huizar, shown, to stop attending council meetings until there is “legal clarity” on the federal corruption investigation at City Hall.
Days after federal prosecutors described a Los Angeles City Council member as the ringleader of a “criminal enterprise,” a chorus of public officials called on Councilman Jose Huizar to resign.
“Whatever ends up happening to Jose Huizar on the legal front, it is blatantly obvious he has compromised his ability to represent his district and should step down immediately,” Councilman Joe Buscaino said Friday.
Huizar, who has been representing an Eastside district since 2005, has not been arrested or publicly charged with a crime. But federal prosecutors have made clear that he is the unnamed L.A. City Council member embroiled in their ongoing corruption probe of City Hall, providing biographical information in their court filings that matches Huizar.
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Buscaino was joined in his calls Friday by City Controller Ron Galperin and Councilmen Paul Krekorian, David Ryu and Bob Blumenfield. Said Blumenfield: “My blood boils as I learn more details about this horrific tale of corruption.”
As of Friday afternoon, Council President Nury Martinez had stopped short of asking Huizar to resign but instead asked the councilman to stop attending council meetings and casting votes until there is “legal clarity” on the federal probe, according to her chief of staff, Ackley Padilla. Mayor Eric Garcetti later said he supported Martinez’s request.
Huizar responded Friday with a statement that he would “respect the council president’s wishes that I limit my participation in council while working to meet the needs of my district” but did not explain how he would do so, saying through a spokeswoman that the details were still being worked out.
Huizar said he didn’t want to be a “distraction” to the council’s work but intends to continue carrying out his duties to “protect the safety and economic well-being of the residents of Los Angeles” during the COVID-19 crisis.
The push for Huizar to skip meetings or step down entirely comes after a drumbeat of new revelations in the federal probe. Real estate consultant George Chiang agreed this week to plead guilty to participating in a criminal scheme in which Chinese real estate developers allegedly bribed a council member in exchange for help on a hotel-and-residential project. The plea deal described the unnamed council member as the leader of a broader “criminal enterprise.”
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In March, real estate appraiser Justin Jangwoo Kim admitted to helping arrange a $500,000 bribe intended for a council member to smooth the way for another development project. In both cases, key details in the federal filings point to Huizar, whose attorneys have repeatedly declined to comment.
Huizar had long been known to be under federal investigation — FBI agents raided his home and offices in 2018 — but the filings revealed new details about the allegations involved in the case.
The councilman was stripped of many committee assignments shortly after the raids, including the powerful panel that vets real estate developments, but has continued to attend council meetings, draft proposals and cast votes.
Until recently, council members had remained largely silent about the ongoing investigation. Some federal probes involving city officials — including an investigation involving donors to Martinez — have not resulted in charges in the past, making some reluctant to jump to conclusions based merely on the existence of an investigation.
But the specific allegations now laid out by federal prosecutors, along with public disgust at the claims, appear to have shifted the calculus for some council members. Blumenfield said the latest filings were the catalyst for him, adding that it was a “big problem” for the public to be left questioning the integrity of council decisions as the city faces a crisis.
Krekorian said in a statement that although he recognized that no criminal charges had been filed against Huizar, it was clear that he was the councilman referenced in the federal filings, and therefore, Angelenos “can no longer have confidence that council member Huizar is representing their interests fairly and honestly, and with his full attention.”
Some residents balked at the push for Huizar to pull back from the council.
Monica Alcaraz, a community activist who lives in Highland Park, said Martinez should not have demanded that Huizar stop participating in council meetings, since he has not been charged or given the opportunity to tell his side of the story.
Residents in Huizar’s Eastside district need him to continue casting votes on such issues as homelessness, evictions and protections for vulnerable renters, Alcaraz said.
“To not have somebody representing our needs is not acceptable,” she added.
But Gerren Kelsaw, a founder of the downtown advocacy group DTLA Strong, said that considering the allegations of “brazen” misconduct in the court documents, Huizar should not only stop going to council meetings but should resign.
Although Huizar should have the opportunity to fight the allegations, “it’s clear that he cannot function for the downtown neighborhood in the way we need him to,” said Kelsaw, who said he was speaking for himself and not his organization. “Are we going to have a dearth of leadership right now because he wants to hang onto the job?”
Huizar is scheduled to step down at the end of the year due to term limits. Former State Sen. Kevin de Leon has already won the election to replace him but is not set to be sworn in until December.
The City Charter, which serves as the governing document for Los Angeles City Hall, allows a council member to be suspended if they are pending criminal trial for “violation of official duties.”
The council can also publicly rebuke one of its members. Under the charter, the council can pass a resolution of “censure” with respect to any council member “whose actions constitute a gross failure to meet such high standards, even if the action does not constitute a ground for removal from office under the charter.”
Asked whether Huizar should step down or take a leave of absence in light of the recent Department of Justice filings, City Atty. Mike Feuer, who is running for Los Angeles mayor, said Friday that if any council member is indicted, “the right thing to do would be to step down.”
The city attorney’s office was raided by FBI agents last summer as part of a separate investigation involving the Department of Water and Power. No one has been publicly charged in that investigation.
A failure to attend council meetings could become a legal issue. Under the charter, an elected office can become vacant when the incumbent “has ceased to discharge the duties of the office for 90 consecutive days, except when prevented by illness, injury or other reasonable cause.”
Council rules also state that members shall attend regular and special meetings unless they are sick or have been granted a leave of absence.


latimes--2020-05-16--L.A. County reports 1,073 new coronavirus cases, 40 deaths

Los Angeles County public health officials on Saturday reported 1,073 new cases of the coronavirus and 40 related deaths .
Long Beach , which has its own health department , reported an additional 57 cases , bringing the county ’ s total to 37,360 cases in L.A. County cases and 1,793 deaths .
“ Our hearts go out to everyone who has lost someone they love to COVID-19 , ” Barbara Ferrer , the county public health director , said in a statement .
“ We share in your sorrow , and wish you healing and peace.
” There were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with 26 % in intensive care and 20 % on ventilators , officials said .
The metric is one of several that officials are closely watching in order to determine when to lift additional stay-at-home restrictions , and it continues to decrease slightly .
Overall , about 16 % of all positive cases recorded by the county have required hospitalization at some point .
“ If that number holds steady , we do OK , ” Ferrer said Saturday during a Facebook Live chat with Supervisor Sheila Kuehl .
“ If that number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do OK because we can overwhelm our hospitals.
” More than 298,000 people have been tested and received their results , with about 11 % testing positive .
Still , the county remains below its goal of performing 15,000 tests a day .
Over the past week , it has performed an average of 11,404 tests each day , according to a dashboard released by the county Department of Public Health .
As more businesses and outdoor areas reopen and more people are out and about , the responsibility to stem the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Ferrer said .
“ I know it ’ s not always easy to say we all have to take some personal responsibility because it ’ s hard to do that , ” Ferrer said .
“ But if we ’ re going out more than we were , our obligation to the other person , to protect that other person from the fact that we could be infected and not know that we ’ re infected , becomes paramount.
” Right now , the only available tools to achieve that are wearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she said .
“ We don ’ t have a vaccination .
We don ’ t have therapeutic medicine .
We don ’ t have rapid testing so you can test yourself every morning and in 10 minutes know whether you were positive or not .
We don ’ t have those yet , ” she said .
“ I ’ m hopeful that we will have some of that and that we ’ ll have it as soon as possible , but in the absence of that , I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rely on me .
And that ’ s how we ’ re going to get through this together .
”

People take advantage of the newly opened walking path on the Strand in Manhattan Beach on Friday.
Los Angeles County public health officials on Saturday reported 1,073 new cases of the coronavirus and 40 related deaths.
Long Beach, which has its own health department, reported an additional 57 cases, bringing the county’s total to
37,360 cases in L.A. County cases and 1,793 deaths.
“Our hearts go out to everyone who has lost someone they love to COVID-19,” Barbara Ferrer, the county public health director, said in a statement. “We share in your sorrow, and wish you healing and peace.”
There were 1,648 coronavirus patients in county hospitals, with 26% in intensive care and 20% on ventilators, officials said. The metric is one of several that officials are closely watching in order to determine when to lift additional stay-at-home restrictions, and it continues to decrease slightly.
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Overall, about 16% of all positive cases recorded by the county have required hospitalization at some point.
“If that number holds steady, we do OK,” Ferrer said Saturday during a Facebook Live chat with Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. “If that number starts increasing, we don’t do OK because we can overwhelm our hospitals.”
More than 298,000 people have been tested and received their results, with about 11% testing positive. Still, the county remains below its goal of performing 15,000 tests a day. Over the past week, it has performed an average of 11,404 tests each day, according to a dashboard released by the county Department of Public Health.
As more businesses and outdoor areas reopen and more people are out and about, the responsibility to stem the spread of the virus has shifted onto individuals, Ferrer said.
“I know it’s not always easy to say we all have to take some personal responsibility because it’s hard to do that,” Ferrer said. “But if we’re going out more than we were, our obligation to the other person, to protect that other person from the fact that we could be infected and not know that we’re infected, becomes paramount.”
Right now, the only available tools to achieve that are wearing face coverings and keeping distance from others, she said.
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“We don’t have a vaccination. We don’t have therapeutic medicine. We don’t have rapid testing so you can test yourself every morning and in 10 minutes know whether you were positive or not. We don’t have those yet,” she said.
“I’m hopeful that we will have some of that and that we’ll have it as soon as possible, but in the absence of that, I’m relying on you and you need to rely on me. And that’s how we’re going to get through this together.”


latimes--2020-05-16--He drove more than 600 miles for a haircut. He's not alone

The temptation after seeing the Facebook post was too great for J Farr , a 28-year-old living in near isolation in his Olympia , Wash. , apartment .
An old friend from his hometown of Yuba City , north of Sacramento , had announced he had gotten a haircut .
“ I immediately started making preparations , ” said Farr , who before the coronavirus pandemic would get his hair cut every few weeks and , with no clear end in sight , had considered shaving his head .
A couple of days later , Farr , who had lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was in his Volkswagen Jetta listening to country music and driving more than 600 miles back home for the first time in four years .
He arrived on Tuesday night , and by the next afternoon was sitting at the busy Butte House Barber Shop in Sutter County .
His barber wore a mask , but Farr didn ’ t .
He left sporting a fade haircut with a quarter-inch taken off the top .
It cost $ 20 plus tip .
“ When I got in there it was exactly what I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I ’ ve been isolated for the last three months and that ’ s the first time I had that type of social interaction in that period .
It ’ s a really good feeling to feel like there ’ s other people in the world who aren ’ t going to sit inside in fear when there ’ s nothing to be afraid of.
” People from across California and outside the state have been driving hours to visit beauty salons in neighboring Sutter and Yuba counties , which have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s statewide stay-at-home order .
Clients desperate for a haircut have also sought a sense of normalcy after living with little social contact for months .
Some salons worried about losing their state license haven ’ t opened .
Many are having clients wait in their cars and , per county rules , require face coverings and limit close contact with beauty professionals to 30 minutes .
Patrons often leave with wet hair .
The demand for cuts and color , both from locals and outsiders , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people ’ s hair from out of state , from San Francisco , Walnut Creek , Martinez , Fresno , Madera , Redding , Reno , ” said Wes Heryford , 42 , owner of the Butte House Barber Shop .
“ There ’ s not very many options and people are excited that there is someone cutting hair , so they have no problem to drive three or four hours to come see us.
” In early May , officials in Yuba and Sutter counties allowed fitness centers , restaurants , shopping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spas , tattoo parlors and other businesses to reopen , ahead of the state ’ s plans , as long as social distancing and other safety protocols were followed .
Officials have argued that the counties , which together have had more than 60 COVID-19 cases , were less affected by the pandemic than spots such as Los Angeles and the Bay Area .
This past week , counties like Yuba and Sutter received permission to move further into what the governor has called Phase 2 of California ’ s reopening plan and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still does not allow personal care services like salons to operate , the Yuba-Sutter bi-county health officer has held that the local order still stands and that businesses should seek private legal counsel if they do not fall within Phase 2 .
The discrepancy has concerned many salon owners .
The California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology has warned that it may pursue disciplinary action against the licenses of those who do not follow the state ’ s stay-at-home order .
The board has received more than 800 complaints of businesses across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but has taken no disciplinary action yet , a spokesman said .
Meanwhile , a federal lawsuit filed on Tuesday by the Professional Beauty Federation of California , a nonprofit that represents licensed beauty professionals , has sought to reopen the industry .
It has cited the sanitation and hygiene training that stylists , cosmetologists and barbers already are required to complete .
“ That ’ s been the hardest thing of going to work , ” said Mercedes Brockman , 30 , co-owner of Beyond Appearance Salon Spa in Marysville in Yuba @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nevada and Oregon .
“ It ’ s not the extra sanitation , it ’ s the fear of someone threatening to take where I have worked ... threatening to take that away because we ’ re trying to provide for our families.
” Dr. George Rutherford , an epidemiologist at UC San Francisco , acknowledged the industry ’ s cleanliness standards but said that the key is safety around breathing .
Commonly worn cotton masks , he said , do not protect fully against coronavirus transmission , and that the longer people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be of coming across a barber or client who is infected .
“ I think you ’ re in very close contact and even with masks it ’ s going to be problematic , ” he said .
“ It ’ s the concern about respiratory secretions.
” That didn ’ t faze Mike , a 52-year-old bread deliveryman from San Bruno in San Mateo County , who drove two hours to Heryford ’ s salon .
Mike , who declined to disclose his last name , said he typically gets his hair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stretch would be three.
” He found the salon on Google after a co-worker told him that barbershops were open in Yuba City .
Good reviews were enough assurance , and he made the 115-mile drive on his day off on Wednesday .
Heryford doesn ’ t require his clients or barbers to wear masks , and Mike opted not to himself .
He said he wasn ’ t concerned about getting the virus .
“ Barbers go about sanitizing their clippers , their combs , whatever tools they use , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big thing , sanitization from one customer to the next .
They ’ re very careful about it.
” While Heryford said his shop is doing its best to practice social distancing , it ’ s up to his customers — just like mask use .
“ I don ’ t force anything on anybody , it ’ s a free country as far as I ’ m concerned , ” he said .
“ It ’ s their decision , it ’ s their life .
I myself am not afraid of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not wearing a mask.
” Other salons have taken numerous extra precautions .
Amy Johnson , 40 , the owner of Rockabetty ’ s Hair Parlor in Yuba City , said she needed to reopen to support her family and her stylists , independent contractors who rent out her space .
She already faces a significant financial loss because she has let the stylists skip rent payments .
Anyone who enters the salon has their shoes sprayed with disinfectant and their hands sanitized .
Clients and stylists sign release forms stating that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus at the facility or any time after that .
A walkway drawn with tape from the salon ’ s entrance to its hair styling chairs promotes social distancing .
Stylists use a 30-minute timer , and the business has turned away requests for color corrections and smoothening treatments that would take longer .
Johnson said she ’ s had “ tons ” of customers from across the state , including Santa Rosa , Sacramento , and Los Angeles — including many men .
But she ’ s been debating whether to continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health risks of serving visitors who may come from other counties .
“ I ’ m really not sure what to do , ” she said .
“ How am I going to say that to a person ?
And how am I going to enforce that ?
” Some owners , like Kristi Goldby , 49 , who helps run the Headlines Salon and Spa in Yuba City , have been placing out-of-towners on a waiting list .
Goldby has received many calls a day from people in other counties , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Monterey .
Others have barred them altogether .
“ We are only taking locals .
Just to keep our community safe , ” said Jennifer Johnson , the owner of Image Salon and Day Spa in Yuba City , who has been taking the temperature of her clients .
Marti , a woman in her 70s who lives in Davis , drove about an hour to Rockabetty ’ s on Wednesday for a $ 40 cut .
She wears her hair , naturally gray but dyed brown , in a bob .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trip .
Marti , who declined to provide her full name , lives alone and had only been leaving her home for trips to the grocery and drug store .
But she grew less worried when she learned the region has had a low death and case count .
And , although she had been busying herself with an online eight-week meditation retreat , she also felt constrained .
“ Like many people in lockdown , you have good days and days that aren ’ t as good , and maybe days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good about yourself , ” she said .
“ Of course , I could have kept going , but I needed a lift .
It was really , really therapeutic to have someone wash my hair and give me a head massage.
” Marti said she felt safe because she chatted with her stylist through the appointment .
Going to a salon , she said , is not something she would have felt comfortable doing in her own county .
“ I feel a little bit guilty that I ’ m not waiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
“ I like Gov .
Newsom and think he has our best interests at heart , and I wanted to follow his guidelines .
I would have felt guilty if I was sitting there and some authority came along and cited them .
”

Wes Heryford, 42, gives J Farr, 28, a haircut at Butte House Barber Shop in Yuba City. Farr drove more than 600 miles from Olympia, Wash., to get his hair trimmed while barbershops elsewhere are closed.
The temptation after seeing the Facebook post was too great for J Farr, a 28-year-old living in near isolation in his Olympia, Wash., apartment. An old friend from his hometown of Yuba City, north of Sacramento, had announced he had gotten a haircut.
“I immediately started making preparations,” said Farr, who before the coronavirus outbreak would get his hair cut every few weeks and, with no clear end in sight, had considered shaving his head.
A couple of days later, Farr, who had lost his job as a paint sprayer, was in his Volkswagen Jetta listening to country music and driving more than 600 miles back home for the first time in four years. He arrived on Tuesday night, and by the next afternoon was sitting at the busy Butte House Barber Shop in Sutter County.
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His barber wore a mask, but Farr didn’t. He left sporting a fade haircut with a quarter-inch taken off the top. It cost $20 plus tip.
“When I got in there it was exactly what I had hoped for,” he said. “I’ve been isolated for the last three months and that’s the first time I had that type of social interaction in that period. It’s a really good feeling to feel like there’s other people in the world who aren’t going to sit inside in fear when there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
People from across California and outside the state have been driving hours to visit beauty salons in neighboring Sutter and Yuba counties, which have opened their parlors under local guidance despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s statewide stay-at-home order. Clients desperate for a haircut have also sought a sense of normalcy after living with little social contact for months.
Wes Heryford, center, owner of Butte House Barber Shop in Sutter County, works on Ben Martin, 25. Heryford doesn’t require his clients or barbers to wear masks, and said he wasn’t concerned about getting the coronavirus. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Some salons worried about losing their state license haven’t opened. Many are having clients wait in their cars and, per county rules, require face coverings and limit close contact with beauty professionals to 30 minutes. Patrons often leave with wet hair.
The demand for cuts and color, both from locals and outsiders, has been overwhelming.
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“I am cutting people’s hair from out of state, from San Francisco, Walnut Creek, Martinez, Fresno, Madera, Redding, Reno,” said Wes Heryford, 42, owner of the Butte House Barber Shop. “There’s not very many options and people are excited that there is someone cutting hair, so they have no problem to drive three or four hours to come see us.”
In early May, officials in Yuba and Sutter counties allowed fitness centers, restaurants, shopping malls, hair and nail salons, spas, tattoo parlors and other businesses to reopen, ahead of the state’s plans, as long as social distancing and other safety protocols were followed. Officials have argued that the counties, which together have had more than 60 COVID-19 cases, were less affected by the pandemic than spots such as Los Angeles and the Bay Area.
This past week, counties like Yuba and Sutter received permission to move further into what the governor has called Phase 2 of California’s reopening plan and open more businesses. While that phase still does not allow personal care services like salons to operate, the Yuba-Sutter bi-county health officer has held that the local order still stands and that businesses should seek private legal counsel if they do not fall within Phase 2.
The discrepancy has concerned many salon owners. The California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology has warned that it may pursue disciplinary action against the licenses of those who do not follow the state’s stay-at-home order. The board has received more than 800 complaints of businesses across the state operating in violation of the order but has taken no disciplinary action yet, a spokesman said.
Meanwhile, a federal lawsuit filed on Tuesday by the Professional Beauty Federation of California, a nonprofit that represents licensed beauty professionals, has sought to reopen the industry. It has cited the sanitation and hygiene training that stylists, cosmetologists and barbers already are required to complete.
“That’s been the hardest thing of going to work,” said Mercedes Brockman, 30, co-owner of Beyond Appearance Salon Spa in Marysville in Yuba County, who has had clients from Nevada and Oregon. “It’s not the extra sanitation, it’s the fear of someone threatening to take where I have worked ... threatening to take that away because we’re trying to provide for our families.”
Dr. George Rutherford, an epidemiologist at UC San Francisco, acknowledged the industry’s cleanliness standards but said that the key is safety around breathing. Commonly worn cotton masks, he said, do not protect fully against coronavirus transmission, and that the longer people wait, the lower the chances will be of coming across a barber or client who is infected.
“I think you’re in very close contact and even with masks it’s going to be problematic,” he said. “It’s the concern about respiratory secretions.”
That didn’t faze Mike, a 52-year-old bread deliveryman from San Bruno in San Mateo County, who drove two hours to Heryford’s salon. Mike, who declined to disclose his last name, said he typically gets his hair cut every two weeks and “a stretch would be three.”
He found the salon on Google after a co-worker told him that barbershops were open in Yuba City. Good reviews were enough assurance, and he made the 115-mile drive on his day off on Wednesday.
Anyone who enters Rockabetty’s Hair Parlor in Yuba City must have their shoes sprayed with disinfectant and their hands sanitized. Clients and stylists sign release forms stating that the parlor is not liable if they contract the coronavirus at the facility or any time after that. (Amy Johnson)
Heryford doesn’t require his clients or barbers to wear masks, and Mike opted not to himself. He said he wasn’t concerned about getting the virus.
“Barbers go about sanitizing their clippers, their combs, whatever tools they use,” he said. “It’s a big thing, sanitization from one customer to the next. They’re very careful about it.”
While Heryford said his shop is doing its best to practice social distancing, it’s up to his customers — just like mask use.
“I don’t force anything on anybody, it’s a free country as far as I’m concerned,” he said. “It’s their decision, it’s their life. I myself am not afraid of the virus, so I’m not wearing a mask.”
Other salons have taken numerous extra precautions. Amy Johnson, 40, the owner of Rockabetty’s Hair Parlor in Yuba City, said she needed to reopen to support her family and her stylists, independent contractors who rent out her space. She already faces a significant financial loss because she has let the stylists skip rent payments.
Anyone who enters the salon has their shoes sprayed with disinfectant and their hands sanitized. Clients and stylists sign release forms stating that the parlor is not liable if they contract the coronavirus at the facility or any time after that. A walkway drawn with tape from the salon’s entrance to its hair styling chairs promotes social distancing. Stylists use a 30-minute timer, and the business has turned away requests for color corrections and smoothening treatments that would take longer.
Johnson said she’s had “tons” of customers from across the state, including Santa Rosa, Sacramento, and Los Angeles — including many men. But she’s been debating whether to continue to allow that, worried about the health risks of serving visitors who may come from other counties.
At Rockabetty’s Hair Parlor in Yuba City, a walkway drawn from the salon’s entrance to hair styling chairs promotes social distancing. (Amy Johnson)
“I’m really not sure what to do,” she said. “How am I going to say that to a person? And how am I going to enforce that?”
Some owners, like Kristi Goldby, 49, who helps run the Headlines Salon and Spa in Yuba City, have been placing out-of-towners on a waiting list. Goldby has received many calls a day from people in other counties, including one person willing to drive four hours from Monterey.
Others have barred them altogether.
“We are only taking locals. Just to keep our community safe,” said Jennifer Johnson, the owner of Image Salon and Day Spa in Yuba City, who has been taking the temperature of her clients.
Marti, a woman in her 70s who lives in Davis, drove about an hour to Rockabetty’s on Wednesday for a $40 cut. She wears her hair, naturally gray but dyed brown, in a bob.
She was hesitant at first to make the trip. Marti, who declined to provide her full name, lives alone and had only been leaving her home for trips to the grocery and drug store. But she grew less worried when she learned the region has had a low death and case count.
And, although she had been busying herself with an online eight-week meditation retreat, she also felt constrained.
“Like many people in lockdown, you have good days and days that aren’t as good, and maybe days where you don’t feel as good about yourself,” she said. “Of course, I could have kept going, but I needed a lift. It was really, really therapeutic to have someone wash my hair and give me a head massage.”
Marti said she felt safe because she chatted with her stylist through the appointment. Going to a salon, she said, is not something she would have felt comfortable doing in her own county.
“I feel a little bit guilty that I’m not waiting until my county opens up,” she said. “I like Gov. Newsom and think he has our best interests at heart, and I wanted to follow his guidelines. I would have felt guilty if I was sitting there and some authority came along and cited them.”


latimes--2020-05-16--L.A. County health officials warn against drive-in graduation celebrations

As students graduate in Los Angeles County , public health officials are warning against marking the milestone with drive-in celebrations .
“ I think it ’ s unfortunate that this is happening during a pandemic because we are asking that all graduations be virtual only , ” Barbara Ferrer , the county public health director , said Saturday during a Facebook Live chat with Supervisor Sheila Kuehl .
“ Our health officer order prohibits , as does the state ’ s , any events from happening and even those car drive-in graduations that folks would like to have are considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be nothing but a virtual graduation.
” She said that officials hope that delayed graduations might be possible in some form later in the summer .
In addition , they are working with superintendents on a plan for resuming classroom education in the fall .
Options include a hybrid model incorporating both distance and classroom learning , as well as cohorting plans that would see a group of students learn together as a unit but not mingle with other units within the same school , Ferrer said .
As researchers embark on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antibodies to the coronavirus infection , she said , they also will be testing children to learn more about their role in spreading the virus .
“ If children are going to be these asymptomatic vectors of the virus , then we have to make sure that the [ classroom ] environments are very safe and that we protect each other in those environments , ” she said .

The staff and faculty of Cal State San Marcos celebrated the Class of 2020 with a parade on Friday in San Marcos. In Los Angeles County, public health officials have warned against gatherings, even when people remain in their cars.
As students graduate in Los Angeles County, public health officials are warning against marking the milestone with drive-in celebrations.
“I think it’s unfortunate that this is happening during a pandemic because we are asking that all graduations be virtual only,” Barbara Ferrer, the county public health director, said Saturday during a Facebook Live chat with Supervisor Sheila Kuehl.
“Our health officer order prohibits, as does the state’s, any events from happening and even those car drive-in graduations that folks would like to have are considered events. So right now, there can be nothing but a virtual graduation.”
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She said that officials hope that delayed graduations might be possible in some form later in the summer.
In addition, they are working with superintendents on a plan for resuming classroom education in the fall.
Options include a hybrid model incorporating both distance and classroom learning, as well as cohorting plans that would see a group of students learn together as a unit but not mingle with other units within the same school, Ferrer said.
As researchers embark on another round of serology testing to detect antibodies to the coronavirus infection, she said, they also will be testing children to learn more about their role in spreading the virus.
“If children are going to be these asymptomatic vectors of the virus, then we have to make sure that the [classroom] environments are very safe and that we protect each other in those environments,” she said.


latimes--2020-05-16--Person with coronavirus attends Mother's Day church service, exposes 180 in Butte County

After a person who attended an in-person religious service on Mother ’ s Day tested positive for the novel coronavirus , public health officials in Butte County issued a strongly worded warning to residents not to speed too quickly through the reopening process .
The person received a positive test result the day after the service , which had more than 180 attendees , officials said Friday in a news release .
Gatherings of any size remain prohibited , even in counties that are reopening more quickly than the rest of California .
But the organization that held the service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules , exposing the entire congregation to the coronavirus , officials said .
“ This decision comes at a cost of many hours and a financial burden to respond effectively to slow or stop the spread of COVID-19 , ” the release said , noting that health officials are working to notify all those who attended the service and instruct them to self-quarantine .
The county health department also is working with healthcare partners to obtain testing for all attendees , officials said .
“ At this time , organizations that hold in-person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and safety of their congregations , the general public and our local ability to open up at great risk , ” Danette York , county public health director , said in a statement urging residents to follow stay-at-home orders .
“ Moving too quickly through the reopening process can cause a major setback and could require us to revert back to more restrictive measures , ” York said .
Butte County is one of 22 counties that has certified to the state that it meets the conditions for additional businesses to reopen .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Andy Miller , announced Saturday that he was resigning effective July 10 .
The decision was not related to any particular incident or disagreement , the county public health department said in a news release .
Miller ’ s contract was up for renewal in the fall and he wanted to give the health department more time to recruit a replacement , the release said .
“ We are prepared to recruit for a health officer who , like Dr. Miller , will lead us as we bring our economy back and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shari McCracken , the county ’ s chief administrative officer , said in a statement .
The vast majority of religious institutions have followed the state ’ s stay-at-home order .
But a few churches have challenged it and in some cases held services .
Earlier this month , a federal judge ruled that California Gov .
Gavin Newsom had the right to ban church assemblies in the interest of public health during the coronavirus outbreak .
Newsom ’ s stay-at-home order did not violate the constitutional rights to free assembly and religion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holding services , Judge John Mendez ruled in Sacramento .

Almost 200 people at a Mother’s Day church service were exposed to the coronavirus by an attendee with COVID-19, officials say. Shown is a microscope image of the coronavirus, which causes COVID-19.
After a person who attended an in-person religious service on Mother’s Day tested positive for the novel coronavirus, public health officials in Butte County issued a strongly worded warning to residents not to speed too quickly through the reopening process.
The person received a positive test result the day after the service, which had more than 180 attendees, officials said Friday in a news release.
Gatherings of any size remain prohibited, even in counties that are reopening more quickly than the rest of California. But the organization that held the service chose to open its doors despite the rules, exposing the entire congregation to the coronavirus, officials said.
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“This decision comes at a cost of many hours and a financial burden to respond effectively to slow or stop the spread of COVID-19,” the release said, noting that health officials are working to notify all those who attended the service and instruct them to self-quarantine. The county health department also is working with healthcare partners to obtain testing for all attendees, officials said.
“At this time, organizations that hold in-person services or gatherings are putting the health and safety of their congregations, the general public and our local ability to open up at great risk,” Danette York, county public health director, said in a statement urging residents to follow stay-at-home orders.
“Moving too quickly through the reopening process can cause a major setback and could require us to revert back to more restrictive measures,” York said.
Butte County is one of 22 counties that has certified to the state that it meets the conditions for additional businesses to reopen.
The county’s public health officer, Andy Miller, announced Saturday that he was resigning effective July 10. The decision was not related to any particular incident or disagreement, the county public health department said in a news release.
Miller’s contract was up for renewal in the fall and he wanted to give the health department more time to recruit a replacement, the release said.
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“We are prepared to recruit for a health officer who, like Dr. Miller, will lead us as we bring our economy back and keep this virus at bay,” Shari McCracken, the county’s chief administrative officer, said in a statement.
The vast majority of religious institutions have followed the state’s stay-at-home order. But a few churches have challenged it and in some cases held services.
Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled that California Gov. Gavin Newsom had the right to ban church assemblies in the interest of public health during the coronavirus outbreak.


latimes--2020-05-16--California continues to ease into reopening amid coronavirus fight

More hiking trails and recreation areas reopened Saturday as California continued to ease into the recovery phase of its fight against the novel coronavirus .
The Angeles National Forest on Saturday reopened 23 popular trails , four trailheads and 19 roads in the San Gabriel Mountains .
Forest officials also will begin gradually reopening campgrounds , picnic areas and other “ developed recreation ” sites that have been off-limits since early April .
That was preceded by the reopening of Los Angeles city and county trails May 9 , followed by L.A. County beaches Wednesday .
The city of L.A. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limits street traffic to neighborhood residents so people can walk , run and bike , launched Friday in Del Rey and Sawtelle .
“ Learning to live with COVID-19 means finding creative ways to get outside while staying close to home , ” Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement .
The locations were chosen for plans they created to adhere to public health guidelines , officials said in a news release .
People using the streets are required to engage in active recreation , wear a face covering and keep six feet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California is moving through Phase 2 of relaxing its stay-at-home orders .
Along with many outdoor areas , businesses deemed at lower risk have been gradually permitted to reopen , with retailers offering curbside pickup only .
Many retailers are still adjusting to the new rules , which also require that they put in place physical-distancing guidelines and infection-control protocols .
At the Original Farmers Market in Los Angeles , Kip ’ s Toyland reopened Friday with only one worker per shift .
The store was not allowing anyone inside Saturday , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying .
“ We have had a surprising amount of people that have actually come up to the door even though we ’ ve been trying to do mainly phone orders , ” employee Eli Margolis said , “ so I ’ ve been doing this kind of crazy thing of having to run around the whole store and show them something they might like.
” “ It was kind of difficult .
But that ’ s on me to kind of figure out and make suggestions.
” Margolis said there had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by early Saturday afternoon .
He sold some puzzles , a hobbyhorse and the board game Sorry !
“ For the most part I think it ’ s still kind of this weird stagnant period right now , especially with everyone still trying to refigure out — especially stores like us trying to redo our whole game plan and figure out how to kind of function in this new world , ” he said .
“ It ’ s strange for sure.
” Flowers by Eugene in La Puente was permitting customers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wear masks .
A manager there also described the attempt at moving toward normalcy as surreal .
“ It ’ s still kind of weird , ” said the manager , Liz , who declined to give her last name .
“ I feel like it ’ s slowly getting better because we do have people coming in and calling.
” The store has been physically open since last week but had been taking online and phone orders before that .
While customers were slowly returning , the florist was facing a different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re limited in our flower supply because of what ’ s going on , ” Liz said .
“ Flowers , it ’ s pretty scarce out there right now .
The few people that have flowers out there now are asking for a lot.
” Now Serving is a small independent bookstore in Chinatown that specializes in cookbooks and culinary books .
Ken Concepcion , who owns it with his wife , Michelle Mungcal , said customers haven ’ t been inside the shop since March , and he has pivoted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his inventory on his website .
“ I still think we don ’ t know enough about the virus to where we can make definitive choices , ” Concepcion said .
He said they have a toddler and an employee who lives with an elderly relative .
“ It seems irresponsible if we were just to let anybody come in , ” he said .
Customers place orders online , then swing by to pick them up , with the store now serving as a kind of warehouse .
“ We ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our door , ” Concepcion said .
“ There ’ s a lot of waving , but there ’ s not a lot of other interaction.
” Still , some businesses said it was difficult to serve customers remotely .
“ It doesn ’ t feel normal , ” said Donna Tabut , assistant manager of Book Alley in Pasadena .
“ We ’ re primarily a used bookstore .
A lot of customers , they like to look at the book.
” Browsing is a key part of the store ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Someone will come in , they can ’ t find the book that they were looking for , and they ’ ll come up to the register with 10 books that they weren ’ t expecting to find.
” Still , the store was taking orders through its website , as well as by phone and email .
Customers were also able to walk up and look at the display window .
“ As long as you ’ re six feet away from the store wearing a facial covering , we ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can , ” Tabut said .
“ But we can ’ t allow anyone into the store at this moment.
” At Just Ride L.A. , a bicycle shop in downtown Los Angeles , business has been open throughout the pandemic , and it has been booming .
“ We can ’ t even do rentals anymore because we don ’ t have any more bikes to rent , ” sales manager Darina Parker said .
“ They ’ re flying off the shelves .
We can barely hang onto any bikes.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Parker said , it was deemed an essential business and was allowed to stay open .
Before the pandemic , Parker said , the shop sold three or four bicycles a day , but now it sells 10 to 20 .
At Golden Apple Comics on Melrose Avenue , the doors are still closed to customers , but people are picking up orders in the back parking lot .
Owner Ryan Liebowitz said his shop hasn ’ t received a shipment of new comics since March , thanks to shutdowns in printing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expects new comics to start arriving next week .
“ Comic book stores live and die every week by their shipment , ” Liebowitz said .
Until curbside pickup was recently allowed , Liebowitz said , Golden Apple was relying on customers who subscribe to titles through the store and on online sales , with expanded online events intended to connect with customers .
“ Our online sales are through the roof , ” he said .
“ We ’ re waiting on Phase Three , where we can let people inside the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet.
” Counties that meet certain criteria can apply for a variance to move more quickly through Phase 2 , allowing for the opening of additional businesses , like dine-in restaurants and shopping malls .
Riverside County notified Gov .
Gavin Newsom on Thursday that it was requesting such an acceleration , saying it had met six of the seven criteria to reopen more quickly .
The county has a plan to protect essential workers and expand contact tracing capabilities ; it also has ample testing capacity , the ability to protect vulnerable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health system , the county Board of Supervisors wrote in a letter to Newsom .
When it comes to the seventh requirement — that a county must demonstrate that it has contained COVID-19 by having no deaths in the previous 14 days , and no more than one case per 10,000 residents over the same time frame — county officials said it was not attainable .
“ In our opinion , the metrics are unrealistic for urban counties , and Riverside County in particular , where our geographic size and population make it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result in a 14-day time frame , ” they wrote .
Instead , they wrote , it would be more appropriate to adopt federal benchmarks , which the county is already meeting due to downward trends in cases , positive test results and flu- and COVID-19-like symptomatic cases .
Butte County is one of 22 counties that has certified to the state that it meets the conditions for additional businesses to reopen .
But after a person who attended an in-person religious service on Mother ’ s Day tested positive for the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worded warning to residents not to speed too quickly through the process .
The person received positive test results the day after the service , which had more than 180 attendees , officials said Friday in a news release .
Gatherings of any size remain prohibited , even in counties that are reopening more quickly than the rest of the state .
But the organization that held the service chose to open its doors despite the rules , exposing the entire congregation to the coronavirus , officials said .
“ This decision comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a financial burden to respond effectively to slow or stop the spread of COVID-19 , ” the release said , noting that health officials are working to notify all those who attended the service and instruct them to self-quarantine .
The county health department also is working with healthcare partners to obtain testing for all attendees , officials said .
“ At this time , organizations that hold in-person services or gatherings are putting the health and safety of their congregations , the general public and our local ability to open up at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Butte County ’ s public health director , said in a statement urging residents to follow stay-at-home orders .
“ Moving too quickly through the reopening process can cause a major setback and could require us to revert back to more restrictive measures , ” York said .
Butte County ’ s public health officer , Andy Miller , announced Saturday that he is resigning , effective July 10 .
The decision was not related to any particular incident or disagreement , the county public health department said in a news release .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ renewal in the fall , and he wanted to give the health department more time to recruit a replacement , the release said .
“ We are prepared to recruit for a health officer who , like Dr. Miller , will lead us as we bring our economy back and keep this virus at bay , ” Shari McCracken , the county ’ s chief administrative officer , said in a statement .
In Los Angeles County , which is home to nearly half the state ’ s confirmed coronavirus cases and more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have said it ’ s extremely unlikely they would attempt to apply for a variance to reopen more quickly than the rest of the state .
But like the state , the county has seen varying impacts from the virus , with some areas hit less hard than others .
For that reason , L.A. County officials are trying to determine whether it ’ s possible for individual cities that meet the benchmarks to move to the next stage of reopening before other parts of the county do .
Supervisor Kathryn Barger said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Lancaster and Palmdale have approached the county to inquire about reopening and appear to meet Newsom ’ s criteria .
She said she has asked county counsel and the Department of Public Health to provide an analysis of whether there ’ s anything in the governor ’ s order that would permit the cities to do so .
“ I think it ’ s important for cities to be able to meet their own benchmarks and safely reopen so they are not dependent only on the county , ” Barger said .

Alex Wigglesworth, Kevin Baxter, Christopher Goffard

People take advantage of the newly opened walking path Friday on the Strand in Manhattan Beach.
More hiking trails and recreation areas reopened Saturday as California continued to ease into the recovery phase of its fight against the novel coronavirus.
The Angeles National Forest on Saturday reopened 23 popular trails, four trailheads and 19 roads in the San Gabriel Mountains. Forest officials also will begin gradually reopening campgrounds, picnic areas and other “developed recreation” sites that have been off-limits since early April.
That was preceded by the reopening of Los Angeles city and county trails May 9, followed by L.A. County beaches Wednesday.
Advertisement
The city of L.A.’s Slow Streets initiative, which limits street traffic to neighborhood residents so people can walk, run and bike, launched Friday in Del Rey and Sawtelle.
“Learning to live with COVID-19 means finding creative ways to get outside while staying close to home,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement.
The locations were chosen for plans they created to adhere to public health guidelines, officials said in a news release. People using the streets are required to engage in active recreation, wear a face covering and keep six feet away from others at all times.
California is moving through Phase 2 of relaxing its stay-at-home orders. Along with many outdoor areas, businesses deemed at lower risk have been gradually permitted to reopen, with retailers offering curbside pickup only.
Many retailers are still adjusting to the new rules, which also require that they put in place physical-distancing guidelines and infection-control protocols.
Advertisement
At the Original Farmers Market in Los Angeles, Kip’s Toyland reopened Friday with only one worker per shift.
The store was not allowing anyone inside Saturday, but that didn’t stop customers from trying.
“We have had a surprising amount of people that have actually come up to the door even though we’ve been trying to do mainly phone orders,” employee Eli Margolis said, “so I’ve been doing this kind of crazy thing of having to run around the whole store and show them something they might like.”
“It was kind of difficult. But that’s on me to kind of figure out and make suggestions.”
Margolis said there had been four customers at the retro toy shop by early Saturday afternoon. He sold some puzzles, a hobbyhorse and the board game Sorry!
“For the most part I think it’s still kind of this weird stagnant period right now, especially with everyone still trying to refigure out — especially stores like us trying to redo our whole game plan and figure out how to kind of function in this new world,” he said. “It’s strange for sure.”
Flowers by Eugene in La Puente was permitting customers to come inside Saturday but requiring them to wear masks. A manager there also described the attempt at moving toward normalcy as surreal.
“It’s still kind of weird,” said the manager, Liz, who declined to give her last name. “I feel like it’s slowly getting better because we do have people coming in and calling.”
The store has been physically open since last week but had been taking online and phone orders before that.
While customers were slowly returning, the florist was facing a different hurdle.
“The problem is we’re limited in our flower supply because of what’s going on,” Liz said. “Flowers, it’s pretty scarce out there right now. The few people that have flowers out there now are asking for a lot.”
Now Serving is a small independent bookstore in Chinatown that specializes in cookbooks and culinary books. Ken Concepcion, who owns it with his wife, Michelle Mungcal, said customers haven’t been inside the shop since March, and he has pivoted to online sales and worked to showcase his inventory on his website.
“I still think we don’t know enough about the virus to where we can make definitive choices,” Concepcion said. He said they have a toddler and an employee who lives with an elderly relative.
“It seems irresponsible if we were just to let anybody come in,” he said.
Customers place orders online, then swing by to pick them up, with the store now serving as a kind of warehouse.
“We’ll place their goods on a table outside our door,” Concepcion said. “There’s a lot of waving, but there’s not a lot of other interaction.”
Still, some businesses said it was difficult to serve customers remotely.
“It doesn’t feel normal,” said Donna Tabut, assistant manager of Book Alley in Pasadena. “We’re primarily a used bookstore. A lot of customers, they like to look at the book.”
Browsing is a key part of the store’s business model, she said.
“Someone will come in, they can’t find the book that they were looking for, and they’ll come up to the register with 10 books that they weren’t expecting to find.”
Still, the store was taking orders through its website, as well as by phone and email. Customers were also able to walk up and look at the display window.
“As long as you’re six feet away from the store wearing a facial covering, we’ll try to assist you in whatever way we can,” Tabut said. “But we can’t allow anyone into the store at this moment.”
At Just Ride L.A., a bicycle shop in downtown Los Angeles, business has been open throughout the pandemic, and it has been booming.
“We can’t even do rentals anymore because we don’t have any more bikes to rent,” sales manager Darina Parker said. “They’re flying off the shelves. We can barely hang onto any bikes.”
Because the shop does bicycle repairs, Parker said, it was deemed an essential business and was allowed to stay open. Before the pandemic, Parker said, the shop sold three or four bicycles a day, but now it sells 10 to 20.
At Golden Apple Comics on Melrose Avenue, the doors are still closed to customers, but people are picking up orders in the back parking lot. Owner Ryan Liebowitz said his shop hasn’t received a shipment of new comics since March, thanks to shutdowns in printing, distribution and shipping, but he expects new comics to start arriving next week.
“Comic book stores live and die every week by their shipment,” Liebowitz said.
Until curbside pickup was recently allowed, Liebowitz said, Golden Apple was relying on customers who subscribe to titles through the store and on online sales, with expanded online events intended to connect with customers.
“Our online sales are through the roof,” he said. “We’re waiting on Phase Three, where we can let people inside the shop. That hasn’t happened yet.”
Counties that meet certain criteria can apply for a variance to move more quickly through Phase 2, allowing for the opening of additional businesses, like dine-in restaurants and shopping malls.
Riverside County notified Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday that it was requesting such an acceleration, saying it had met six of the seven criteria to reopen more quickly.
The county has a plan to protect essential workers and expand contact tracing capabilities; it also has ample testing capacity, the ability to protect vulnerable residents and enough surge capacity in its health system, the county Board of Supervisors wrote in a letter to Newsom.
When it comes to the seventh requirement — that a county must demonstrate that it has contained COVID-19 by having no deaths in the previous 14 days, and no more than one case per 10,000 residents over the same time frame — county officials said it was not attainable.
“In our opinion, the metrics are unrealistic for urban counties, and Riverside County in particular, where our geographic size and population make it impossible that no deaths from COVID-19 will result in a 14-day time frame,” they wrote.
Instead, they wrote, it would be more appropriate to adopt federal benchmarks, which the county is already meeting due to downward trends in cases, positive test results and flu- and COVID-19-like symptomatic cases.
Butte County is one of 22 counties that has certified to the state that it meets the conditions for additional businesses to reopen.
But after a person who attended an in-person religious service on Mother’s Day tested positive for the coronavirus, public health officials issued a strongly worded warning to residents not to speed too quickly through the process.
The person received positive test results the day after the service, which had more than 180 attendees, officials said Friday in a news release.
Gatherings of any size remain prohibited, even in counties that are reopening more quickly than the rest of the state. But the organization that held the service chose to open its doors despite the rules, exposing the entire congregation to the coronavirus, officials said.
“This decision comes at a cost of many hours and a financial burden to respond effectively to slow or stop the spread of COVID-19,” the release said, noting that health officials are working to notify all those who attended the service and instruct them to self-quarantine. The county health department also is working with healthcare partners to obtain testing for all attendees, officials said.
“At this time, organizations that hold in-person services or gatherings are putting the health and safety of their congregations, the general public and our local ability to open up at great risk,” Danette York, Butte County’s public health director, said in a statement urging residents to follow stay-at-home orders.
“Moving too quickly through the reopening process can cause a major setback and could require us to revert back to more restrictive measures,” York said.
Butte County’s public health officer, Andy Miller, announced Saturday that he is resigning, effective July 10. The decision was not related to any particular incident or disagreement, the county public health department said in a news release.
Miller’s contract was up for renewal in the fall, and he wanted to give the health department more time to recruit a replacement, the release said.
“We are prepared to recruit for a health officer who, like Dr. Miller, will lead us as we bring our economy back and keep this virus at bay,” Shari McCracken, the county’s chief administrative officer, said in a statement.
In Los Angeles County, which is home to nearly half the state’s confirmed coronavirus cases and more than half the related deaths, officials have said it’s extremely unlikely they would attempt to apply for a variance to reopen more quickly than the rest of the state.
But like the state, the county has seen varying impacts from the virus, with some areas hit less hard than others.
For that reason, L.A. County officials are trying to determine whether it’s possible for individual cities that meet the benchmarks to move to the next stage of reopening before other parts of the county do.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger said Friday that the cities of Santa Clarita, Lancaster and Palmdale have approached the county to inquire about reopening and appear to meet Newsom’s criteria.
She said she has asked county counsel and the Department of Public Health to provide an analysis of whether there’s anything in the governor’s order that would permit the cities to do so.
“I think it’s important for cities to be able to meet their own benchmarks and safely reopen so they are not dependent only on the county,” Barger said.


latimes--2020-05-16--L.A. City Council approves plans to turn developer fees into emergency arts grants

The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved two motions this week that will take arts fees paid by developers in support of now-canceled or planned cultural events and instead make the money available as small-dollar grants to artists , arts organizations and live performance spaces that have been economically devastated by the pandemic .
One motion approved Wednesday , introduced by Councilman David Ryu of District 4 late last month , will allow the Department of Cultural Affairs ( DCA ) to reallocate $ 368,810 in arts development funding designated for Ryu ’ s district to support artists and nonprofit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City Council also approved an additional $ 181,663 in District 4 funds so that the program could be replicated in other districts .
In a separate vote , the City Council on Wednesday approved a motion by District 2 Councilmember Paul Krekorian to reallocate $ 200,000 of his district ’ s arts development fees for an emergency grant program aimed at helping live performing arts venues with fewer than 50 employees .
This will help support the many theaters clustered in the NoHo Arts District in North Hollywood .
The COVID-19 Emergency Response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Ryu is called , will focus in District 4 “ on individual artists and arts organizations with the greatest risk of hardship , ” according to a recommendation issued by the DCA last week .
This includes tiered grants of between $ 500 and $ 2,000 for individual artists , with the highest amounts reserved for artists who are full-time freelancers , and therefore “ more vulnerable in an economic downturn.
” Similarly , there will be tiered grants of $ 3,000 and $ 5,000 for small and mid-sized arts organizations at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
“ Whether a poet , a painter or a dancer , Los Angeles needs its artists right now , ” Ryu said in a statement , “ and artists need our help.
” In District 2 , individual grants of $ 8,000 will go to performing arts venues .
The money , according to the motion , “ can be used for operating capital in return for a virtual publicly accessible performance , lesson or workshop and/or a certain number of free , publicly accessible performances , lessons or workshops upon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Council District 2 has the second largest concentration of theaters in the United States , which present more than 500 shows per year , host roughly 35 acting classes on any given night and provide entertainment to over 20,000 people throughout the year , ” the motion states .
In a statement , Krekorian described the district as “ a cultural treasure ” and said the funds will help them survive “ until they can once again provide the extraordinary productions that have thrilled theatergoers for decades.
” The councilman ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to launch the application for those District 2 grants , which will be managed by the Department of Cultural Affairs , by next week .
The DCA aims to have the application process for the District 4 project ironed out by the end of this month .
Cultural Affairs general manager Danielle Brazell said the fund will help support the city ’ s “ rich tapestry of nonprofit arts and cultural organizations , independent artists and creative industries , all of whom fuel our regional economy and are deeply impacted as a result @ @ @ @

The El Portal Theatre on Lankershim is one of the North Hollywood theaters affected by the pandemic.
The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved two motions this week that will take arts fees paid by developers in support of now-canceled or planned cultural events and instead make the money available as small-dollar grants to artists, arts organizations and live performance spaces that have been economically devastated by the pandemic.
One motion approved Wednesday, introduced by Councilman David Ryu of District 4 late last month, will allow the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) to reallocate $368,810 in arts development funding designated for Ryu’s district to support artists and nonprofit arts organizations in the district. The City Council also approved an additional $181,663 in District 4 funds so that the program could be replicated in other districts.
For the record: An earlier version of this post featured an image of the NoHo Arts Center theater in North Hollywood, which no longer functions as a theater. It is now a bar.
In a separate vote, the City Council on Wednesday approved a motion by District 2 Councilmember Paul Krekorian to reallocate $200,000 of his district’s arts development fees for an emergency grant program aimed at helping live performing arts venues with fewer than 50 employees. This will help support the many theaters clustered in the NoHo Arts District in North Hollywood.
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The COVID-19 Emergency Response Program, as the relief fund pitched by Ryu is called, will focus in District 4 “on individual artists and arts organizations with the greatest risk of hardship,” according to a recommendation issued by the DCA last week. This includes tiered grants of between $500 and $2,000 for individual artists, with the highest amounts reserved for artists who are full-time freelancers, and therefore “more vulnerable in an economic downturn.”
Similarly, there will be tiered grants of $3,000 and $5,000 for small and mid-sized arts organizations at different budget levels under $800,000 per year.
“Whether a poet, a painter or a dancer, Los Angeles needs its artists right now,” Ryu said in a statement, “and artists need our help.”
In District 2, individual grants of $8,000 will go to performing arts venues. The money, according to the motion, “can be used for operating capital in return for a virtual publicly accessible performance, lesson or workshop and/or a certain number of free, publicly accessible performances, lessons or workshops upon reopening.”
“The NoHo Arts District in Council District 2 has the second largest concentration of theaters in the United States, which present more than 500 shows per year, host roughly 35 acting classes on any given night and provide entertainment to over 20,000 people throughout the year,” the motion states.
In a statement, Krekorian described the district as “a cultural treasure” and said the funds will help them survive “until they can once again provide the extraordinary productions that have thrilled theatergoers for decades.”
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The councilman’s office said it expects to be able to launch the application for those District 2 grants, which will be managed by the Department of Cultural Affairs, by next week. The DCA aims to have the application process for the District 4 project ironed out by the end of this month.
Cultural Affairs general manager Danielle Brazell said the fund will help support the city’s “rich tapestry of nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, independent artists and creative industries, all of whom fuel our regional economy and are deeply impacted as a result of COVID-19.”


latimes--2020-05-16--Magnitude 3.3 earthquake reported near Hollister, Calif.

A magnitude 3.3 earthquake was reported Saturday at 9:38 a.m. Pacific time 10 miles from Hollister , Calif. , according to the U.S. Geological Survey .
The earthquake occurred 13 miles from Soledad , Calif. , 14 miles from Salinas , Calif. , 16 miles from Prunedale , Calif. , and 23 miles from Gilroy , Calif .
In the last 10 days , there have been no earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby .
On Friday , a magnitude 6.5 quake rattled western Nevada , with shaking felt in California .
A series of temblors continued in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0 occur per year in California and Nevada , according to a recent three-year data sample .
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 4.5 miles .
Did you feel this earthquake ?
Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS .
Even if you didn ’ t feel this small earthquake , you never know when the Big One is going to strike .
Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit .
This story was automatically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS .
A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published .
If you ’ re interested in learning more about the system , visit our list of frequently asked questions .

The epicenter is shown in red for the earthquake that struck at 9:38 a.m. Pacific time Saturday near Hollister, Calif.
A magnitude 3.3 earthquake was reported Saturday at 9:38 a.m. Pacific time 10 miles from Hollister, Calif., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake occurred 13 miles from Soledad, Calif., 14 miles from Salinas, Calif., 16 miles from Prunedale, Calif., and 23 miles from Gilroy, Calif.
In the last 10 days, there have been no earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
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On Friday, a magnitude 6.5 quake rattled western Nevada, with shaking felt in California. A series of temblors continued in Nevada on Saturday morning.
An average of 234 earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0 occur per year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 4.5 miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Even if you didn’t feel this small earthquake, you never know when the Big One is going to strike. Ready yourself by following our five-step earthquake preparedness guide and building your own emergency kit.
This story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.


latimes--2020-05-16--LAPD wants to give rapid-result coronavirus tests to everyone it arrests

The Los Angeles Police Department wants to give a rapid-result test to everyone its officers arrest to check for the coronavirus and are pushing city officials to secure the equipment to do so .
Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore told the police department ’ s civilian oversight body that he has asked City Hall to secure a rapid-result testing system capable of determining within 15 minutes whether people are infected with the coronavirus .
Such systems exist , though their accuracy has been questioned .
Right now , jails are testing all new arrivals , but results take days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The delayed results give the department a “ backwards look ” at exposure , but rapid-result testing would provide real-time data that could help the department isolate sick detainees , keep others incarcerated in local jails safe and quickly alert officers to any potential exposure , Moore said .
The need for such equipment in Los Angeles , and particularly for those coming into contact with the criminal justice system , is not in question .
Already , more than 350 inmates in L.A. County jails have tested positive for coronavirus , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have tested positive .
As of Tuesday , the police department had 125 personnel at home , either because they are symptomatic or had close contact with an infected person .
Still , it ’ s unclear if such rapid-result test machines are coming , or if their test results could even be trusted .
Though Moore told the Police Commission on Tuesday that “ the effort of the city is to acquire four ” of the rapid-result test machines , and then place them at detainee intake locations around the city , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doubt .
After days of questioning about the status of such testing , Alex Comisar , a spokesman for Mayor Eric Garcetti , said only that Garcetti “ is committed to expanding testing in any way we can , especially among vulnerable populations , ” and that his administration “ will continue looking into this and other testing options as we continue our fight against the spread of COVID-19.
” There is no chosen vendor or contract for the equipment .
Moore told the Police Commission that the national supply of rapid-result testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Emergency Management Agency , which is doling them out under a process that prioritizes hospitals over police departments .
“ We ’ re what you would consider Tier 2 , ” Moore told the commission .
However , FEMA denied controlling supplies , saying it “ does not control the purchase of testing machines.
” The agency said that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the White House ’ s coronavirus taskforce have helped coordinate the delivery of supplies to states in the past , but now “ there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of testing equipment from reputable commercial vendors in the U.S. domestic market.
” “ The process for purchase follows conventional commercial supply procedures where vendors seek to sell available commodities and project future production to meet demand , ” the agency said .
“ FEMA does not collect commercial orders nor do we track requirements for testing machines.
” Local agencies , including police departments , that want help fighting the coronavirus should direct their requests through their states first , FEMA said .
“ Any needs that can not be met by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent to the respective FEMA regional office , ” it said .
If Los Angeles were to obtain rapid-test machines , the results could be viewed with some skepticism .
Recent studies have raised doubts about the accuracy of rapid-result tests for the coronavirus , with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday issuing an alert about one major manufacturer ’ s test potentially returning false negatives .
The agency said it had received 15 “ adverse event reports ” suggesting users of the Abbott ID Now test were receiving inaccurate negative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to determine why , and whether certain types of equipment used in conjunction with the tests , such as swabs , are causing the errors .
Dr. Tim Stenzel , director of the FDA ’ s Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health , said the tests can still be used to identify “ many positive cases in minutes , ” but that negative results “ may need to be confirmed ” with additional , highly sensitive follow-up testing .
Abbott , in its own statement , said “ no test is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ has been delivering reliable results when and where they ’ re needed ” and remains an “ important tool ” in the nation ’ s testing arsenal .
“ The availability and ease-of-access of ID Now , which delivers results in minutes rather than a day or more , is helping to reduce the risk of infection in society by detecting more positive results than would otherwise be found , ” the company said .
Testing capacity has been a problem in the United States since the start of the coronavirus outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first attempt by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to produce and distribute working tests .
Private manufacturers have since stepped into the fold to provide tests , including to state and local governments , but the national dearth of testing capacity has made the market for the associated processing equipment hyper-competitive .
City officials did not have estimates for the cost of a rapid-testing system for the city , though machines run into the thousands of dollars each .

Officer Nick Ferara checks the address for his next food donation drop with other officers April 29 at LAPD Harbor Station in San Pedro.
The Los Angeles Police Department wants to give a rapid-result test to everyone its officers arrest to check for the coronavirus and is pushing city officials to secure the equipment to do so.
Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore told the Police Department’s civilian oversight body that he has asked City Hall to secure a rapid-result testing system capable of determining within 15 minutes whether people are infected with the coronavirus.
Such systems exist, though their accuracy has been questioned.
Right now, jails are testing all new arrivals, but results take days to come back, Moore said. The delayed results give the department a “backwards look” at exposure, but rapid-result testing would provide real-time data that could help the department isolate sick detainees, keep others incarcerated in local jails safe and quickly alert officers to any potential exposure, Moore said.
The need for such equipment in Los Angeles, and particularly for those coming into contact with the criminal justice system, is not in question. Already, more than 350 inmates in L.A. County jails have tested positive for the coronavirus, and more than 100 LAPD officers and staff have tested positive. As of Tuesday, the Police Department had 125 personnel at home, either because they are symptomatic or had close contact with an infected person.
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Still, it’s unclear whether such rapid-result test machines are coming, or if their test results could even be trusted.
Though Moore told the Police Commission on Tuesday that “the effort of the city is to acquire four” of the rapid-result test machines, and then place them at detainee intake locations around the city, the purchase of such machines remains in doubt.
After days of questioning about the status of such testing, Alex Comisar, a spokesman for Mayor Eric Garcetti, said only that Garcetti “is committed to expanding testing in any way we can, especially among vulnerable populations,” and that his administration “will continue looking into this and other testing options as we continue our fight against the spread of COVID-19.”
There is neither a chosen vendor nor a contract for the equipment.
Moore told the Police Commission that the national supply of rapid-result testing machines is being controlled by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is doling them out under a process that prioritizes hospitals over police departments.
“We’re what you would consider Tier 2,” Moore told the commission.
However, FEMA denied controlling supplies, saying it “does not control the purchase of testing machines.”
Advertisement
California LAPD training academy outbreak: 17 recruits infected with coronavirus An outbreak at the LAPD training center has seen 17 trainee officers and jailers infected with the coronavirus, and officials are now implementing weekly testing.
The agency said that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the White House’s coronavirus task force have helped coordinate the delivery of supplies to states in the past, but now “there is a growing capacity to purchase different types of testing equipment from reputable commercial vendors in the U.S. domestic market.”
“The process for purchase follows conventional commercial supply procedures where vendors seek to sell available commodities and project future production to meet demand,” the agency said. “FEMA does not collect commercial orders nor do we track requirements for testing machines.”
Local agencies, including police departments, that want help fighting the coronavirus should direct their requests through their states first, FEMA said.
“Any needs that cannot be met by the state or tribe should then be sent to the respective FEMA regional office,” it said.
A police spokesman referred questions about Moore’s comments back to Garcetti’s office.
If Los Angeles were to obtain rapid-test machines, the results could be viewed with some skepticism.
Recent studies have raised doubts about the accuracy of rapid-result tests for the coronavirus, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday issuing an alert about one major manufacturer’s test potentially returning false negatives.
The agency said it had received 15 “adverse event reports” suggesting users of the Abbott ID Now test were receiving inaccurate negative results. It said it is working to determine why, and whether certain types of equipment used in conjunction with the tests, such as swabs, are causing the errors.
Dr. Tim Stenzel, director of the FDA’s Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health, said that the tests can still be used to identify “many positive cases in minutes” but that negative results “may need to be confirmed” with additional, highly sensitive follow-up testing.
Abbott, in its own statement, said that “no test is perfect” but that ID Now “has been delivering reliable results when and where they’re needed” and remains an “important tool” in the nation’s testing arsenal.
“The availability and ease-of-access of ID Now, which delivers results in minutes rather than a day or more, is helping to reduce the risk of infection in society by detecting more positive results than would otherwise be found,” the company said.
Testing capacity has been a problem in the United States since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, caused in part by a failed first attempt by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to produce and distribute working tests.
Private manufacturers have since stepped into the fold to provide tests, including to state and local governments, but the national dearth of testing capacity has made the market for the associated processing equipment hyper-competitive.
City officials did not have estimates for the cost of a rapid testing system for the city, though machines run into the thousands of dollars each.