latimes--2020-02-01--2 California bases picked as possible coronavirus quarantine sites

The Defense Department said Saturday it has agreed to house up to 1,000 people who may need to be quarantined upon arrival from overseas travel because of the coronavirus and that two of the four facilities selected are in California .
Travis Air Force Base in Solano County and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego County are the two California sites that were selected , Lt. Col. Chris Mitchell , a Pentagon spokesman , said in a statement .
The others are Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and the 168th Regiment Regional Training Institute in Colorado .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be subject to 14-day quarantines starting Sunday , the Trump administration announced Friday .
Health and Human Service officials had requested the Defense Department provide facilities capable of housing at least 250 people in individual rooms through Feb. 29 , the statement said .
The Defense Department will assist with housing only ; Health and Human Services personnel will be responsible for all other care and transportation of any evacuees , according to the statement .
“ The department ’ s primary responsibility is the safety of our force , our families and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Any evacuees housed at the bases will be monitored for 14 days , and if they are identified as being ill , Health and Human Services will arrange to transport them to a hospital , according to the statement .
They were will be kept apart from military personnel .
In a news release Saturday , Travis Air Force Base officials emphasized that the situation was still evolving .
“ Travis airmen and personnel will not be directly in contact with the evacuees and evacuees will not have access to any base @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the release said .
The new strain of coronavirus has killed more than 300 people since it emerged in Wuhan , China , in late December , and there are now eight confirmed cases in the United States and more than 12,000 worldwide .
There are three confirmed cases in California .
The announcement came a day after growing global health concerns over the outbreak prompted the Trump administration to declare a public health emergency and impose restrictions on people traveling from China to the United States .
Under the flight restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Hubei province , where Wuhan is located , within the last 14 days will be subject to a two-week quarantine to prevent the virus from spreading further , officials said .
Exceptions will be made for immediate family members of American citizens and permanent residents .
Foreign nationals who recently visited China won ’ t be allowed to enter the U.S. at all .
Also on Friday , the U.S > Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered a quarantine of all 195 people from Wuhan , China , who were evacuated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County this week after fleeing the coronavirus outbreak .
The mandatory quarantine was the CDC ’ s first in more than 50 years .

A plane carrying U.S. citizens evacuated from Wuhan, China, because of the deadly coronavirus lands at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside on Wednesday.
The Defense Department said Saturday it has agreed to house up to 1,000 people who may need to be quarantined upon arrival from overseas travel because of the coronavirus and that two of the four facilities selected are in California.
Travis Air Force Base in Solano County and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego County are the two California sites that were selected, Lt. Col. Chris Mitchell, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement. The others are Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and the 168th Regiment Regional Training Institute in Colorado.
American citizens returning from mainland China will be subject to 14-day quarantines starting Sunday, the Trump administration announced Friday.
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Health and Human Service officials had requested the Defense Department provide facilities capable of housing at least 250 people in individual rooms through Feb. 29, the statement said. The Defense Department will assist with housing only; Health and Human Services personnel will be responsible for all other care and transportation of any evacuees, according to the statement.
“The department’s primary responsibility is the safety of our force, our families and our base communities,” Mitchell said.
Any evacuees housed at the bases will be monitored for 14 days, and if they are identified as being ill, Health and Human Services will arrange to transport them to a hospital, according to the statement. They were will be kept apart from military personnel.
In a news release Saturday, Travis Air Force Base officials emphasized that the situation was still evolving.
“Travis airmen and personnel will not be directly in contact with the evacuees and evacuees will not have access to any base location other than their assigned housing,” the release said.
The new strain of coronavirus has killed more than 300 people since it emerged in Wuhan, China, in late December, and there are now eight confirmed cases in the United States and more than 12,000 worldwide. There are three confirmed cases in California.
The announcement came a day after growing global health concerns over the outbreak prompted the Trump administration to declare a public health emergency and impose restrictions on people traveling from China to the United States.
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Under the flight restrictions announced Friday, people who have traveled in Hubei province, where Wuhan is located, within the last 14 days will be subject to a two-week quarantine to prevent the virus from spreading further, officials said. Exceptions will be made for immediate family members of American citizens and permanent residents. Foreign nationals who recently visited China won’t be allowed to enter the U.S. at all.
Also on Friday, the U.S> Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ordered a quarantine of all 195 people from Wuhan, China, who were evacuated to March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County this week after fleeing the coronavirus outbreak. The mandatory quarantine was the CDC’s first in more than 50 years.
Times staff writer David Cloud contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-02-02--High winds, cooler temperatures and possible showers forecast for L.A. area

Sunny and unseasonably warm weather in the Los Angeles area this weekend is expected to give way to cooler temperatures , strong winds and the possibility of showers later Sunday .
Forecasters say that a strong low pressure system from the Pacific Northwest will move through the area later in the day on Sunday , bringing very high winds , cold temperatures , dangerous seas and the chance of light showers and low-elevation snow .
The frontal system is expected to move in suddenly in the mid-to-late afternoon .
Temperatures will tumble , with the most dramatic drops of 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ valley areas , according to the National Weather Service .
Temperatures in the 60s and lower 70s are forecast for those areas .
The storm could bring showers — there ’ s a 20 % to 30 % chance , forecasters say — and snow levels are expected to drop to 2,000 to 3,000 feet , which could complicate travel through mountain passes , including the Interstate 5 corridor .
But the strong winds are expected to pose the greatest hazard , with forecasters warning of possible downed trees and power lines and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the least of the threat , ” said Dave Bruno , a meteorologist with the weather service in Oxnard .
“ What we think is going to be the biggest effect of this storm system is the very strong northwest and north winds behind it , which will spread over most of Southern California.
” The Los Angeles , Ventura and Santa Barbara mountains could see gusts of 70-80 mph , with isolated gusts of up to 90 mph in the windiest areas , like the peaks above Interstate 5 .
Gusts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The peak of the event is expected to hit late Sunday evening through the overnight hours .
The weather service expects to issue high-wind warnings and advisories for multiple locations .
“ It ’ s not a run-of-the-mill wind event , ” Bruno said .
“ It ’ ll be one of the stronger ones of the year.
” Travelers are advised to check road reports , especially if heading through the Grapevine or into the mountains .
The winds are also expected to whip up steep seas and high surf along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It will be very unsafe for boaters anytime from tomorrow afternoon through Monday , ” Bruno said .
“ The winds are going to make it quite dangerous throughout the coastal waters.
” Temperatures are expected to remain chilly into next week , with freezing conditions possible in some wind-sheltered locations Sunday night .
That will be followed by a more widespread freeze on Monday night , when the winds die down but the cold air mass remains over the region , Bruno said .
During the day on Monday , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many areas , possibly reaching the lower 60s in the warmest coastal regions .
“ It doesn ’ t get much colder than this here , ” Bruno said .
“ We ’ ll be seeing cool days and cool nights right through Thursday .
”

A parched wind kicks up sand south of the pier at Huntington Beach in 2006.
Sunny and unseasonably warm weather in the Los Angeles area this weekend is expected to give way to cooler temperatures, strong winds and the possibility of showers later Sunday.
Forecasters say that a strong low pressure system from the Pacific Northwest will move through the area later in the day on Sunday, bringing very high winds, cold temperatures, dangerous seas and the chance of light showers and low-elevation snow.
The frontal system is expected to move in suddenly in the mid-to-late afternoon. Temperatures will tumble, with the most dramatic drops of 10 to 15 degrees forecast for coastal and valley areas, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures in the 60s and lower 70s are forecast for those areas.
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The storm could bring showers — there’s a 20% to 30% chance, forecasters say — and snow levels are expected to drop to 2,000 to 3,000 feet, which could complicate travel through mountain passes, including the Interstate 5 corridor.
But the strong winds are expected to pose the greatest hazard, with forecasters warning of possible downed trees and power lines and dangerous travel conditions.
“Rain is the least of the threat,” said Dave Bruno, a meteorologist with the weather service in Oxnard. “What we think is going to be the biggest effect of this storm system is the very strong northwest and north winds behind it, which will spread over most of Southern California.”
The Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara mountains could see gusts of 70-80 mph, with isolated gusts of up to 90 mph in the windiest areas, like the peaks above Interstate 5. Gusts of 60-70 mph are forecast for the valleys.
The peak of the event is expected to hit late Sunday evening through the overnight hours. The weather service expects to issue high-wind warnings and advisories for multiple locations.
“It’s not a run-of-the-mill wind event,” Bruno said. “It’ll be one of the stronger ones of the year.”
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Travelers are advised to check road reports, especially if heading through the Grapevine or into the mountains.
The winds are also expected to whip up steep seas and high surf along the region’s beaches.
“It will be very unsafe for boaters anytime from tomorrow afternoon through Monday,” Bruno said. “The winds are going to make it quite dangerous throughout the coastal waters.”
Temperatures are expected to remain chilly into next week, with freezing conditions possible in some wind-sheltered locations Sunday night. That will be followed by a more widespread freeze on Monday night, when the winds die down but the cold air mass remains over the region, Bruno said.
During the day on Monday, however, temperatures are forecast in the 50s in many areas, possibly reaching the lower 60s in the warmest coastal regions.
“It doesn’t get much colder than this here,” Bruno said. “We’ll be seeing cool days and cool nights right through Thursday.”


latimes--2020-02-01--L.A. is planning a big memorial for Kobe Bryant. But fans aren't waiting to pay their respects

Nearly a week since the death of Kobe Bryant and eight others in a helicopter crash , the memorial vigils have not stopped .
People converged all week on L.A. Live and the Staples Center — Bryant ’ s basketball home — to grieve .
Fans are also still coming to the crash site in Calabasas to pay their respects .
Then on Friday , the Lakers put on an emotional tribute at Staples Center led by LeBron James .
He remembered his friend in a moving eulogy and recalled the 20 years of blood , sweat and tears Bryant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a celebration ” of his life , James said .
Los Angeles officials are expected to announce a public memorial for Bryant and the others in the coming days .
But many fans aren ’ t waiting for that event to honor him .
Q : What is the scene in Calabasas ?
As fans keep coming , there are talks about creating a makeshift memorial where people can sort out their emotions with collective hugs , tears , prayers , teddy bears , candles and cards .
The crush of grieving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a quarter-mile behind the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District headquarters and near its restricted reservoir in the northwest Santa Monica Mountains , has prompted the agency to hire additional security guards .
Representatives of the conservation authority , the water district and the city of Calabasas are expected to meet early next week to identify a memorial site that is safe , easily accessible and not fraught with liability issues .
That won ’ t be easy .
Potential sites under review , officials said , include a dog park and a middle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Loop trailhead just off the Las Virgenes Road exit .
“ We understand that people need a place to memorialize everyone who lost their lives , ” Michael Russo , spokesman for the city of Calabasas , said .
“ And we ’ re going to come up with a plan for that.
” In the meantime , he said , people have been leaving flowers and cards on a lawn by the basketball courts at nearby Juan Bautista de Anza Park .
How about Bryant ’ s home base in Orange County @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crash victims lived , has been hard hit .
Kobe and Gianna Bryant ’ s faces appeared overnight on the side of El Toro Bravo market in Costa Mesa .
Orange County artist Tyke Witnes , a lifelong Lakers fan , said he had been planning since December to fill the wall at 739 W. 19th St. with a Lakers team portrait , including retired greats such as Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson .
But when the news broke Sunday that Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash along with his daughter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Newport Beach and Huntington Beach , Witnes — a 44-year-old father of two girls — knew he had to change his plans .
A local mariachi band gathered at the foot of the mural Thursday night , serenading the artist as he painted the finishing touches beneath a black sky .
A row of candles and flowers lined the sidewalk below the painting .
Passersby stopped to admire the mural , take photos and reflect .
“ Out of tragedy comes something good , ” Costa Mesa Mayor Katrina Foley wrote in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Newport Beach City Council also paid tribute to those lost .
“ Grief and despair have engulfed our tight-knit community , ” said Mayor Will O ’ Neill , who signed nine notes of condolence on cards with the city seal .
“ Three families in our community lost mothers and daughters , two families lost fathers and we lost neighbors and friends .
Our City Council could not start [ the meeting ] tonight any other way than by remembering each one of these well-loved men , women and young ladies.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Orange said , “ Kobe was an icon who inspired us through his words and actions to set our goals , work hard and achieve our dreams .
He was a committed Catholic who loved his family and loved his faith .
A longtime Orange County resident and parishioner in our diocese , Kobe would frequently attend Mass and sit in the back of the church so that his presence would not distract people from focusing on Christ ’ s presence.
” There has been talk of some kind of more permanent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Los Angeles memorial ?
Murals have popped up across the city honoring the NBA great .
On Thursday , Garcetti said the city was planning a memorial for Byrant and the other victims .
“ We don ’ t have that date finalized but we ’ ve been talking every day to the Lakers , and most importantly , to [ Bryant ’ s widow , Vanessa ] as well .
I think one message that I would say is this is not just about a man who was a basketball player @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is about a leader , this is about a filmmaker , this is about an artist , this is about somebody who was so much more than just how he was on the court , ” he said .
It ’ s unclear whether the Bryant memorial would be at Staples Center , which was the site for events memorializing both rapper Nipsey Hussle and singer Michael Jackson .

Louis Sahagun, Dakota Smith, Faith E. Pinho, Hillary Davis

Ron Bio, his nephew Branden Parry, left, son Gabriel and nephew Dylan Parry visit a memorial at Juan Bautista de Anza Park in Calabasas for Kobe Bryant and rest of Sunday’s crash victims.
Nearly a week since the death of Kobe Bryant and eight others in a helicopter crash, the memorial vigils have not stopped.
People converged all week on L.A. Live and the Staples Center — Bryant’s basketball home — to grieve. Fans are also still coming to the crash site in Calabasas to pay their respects.
Then on Friday, the Lakers put on an emotional tribute at Staples Center led by LeBron James. He remembered his friend in a moving eulogy and recalled the 20 years of blood, sweat and tears Bryant gave to his team.
“Tonight is a celebration” of his life, James said.
Los Angeles officials are expected to announce a public memorial for Bryant and the others in the coming days. But many fans aren’t waiting for that event to honor him.
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Q: What is the scene in Calabasas?
As fans keep coming, there are talks about creating a makeshift memorial where people can sort out their emotions with collective hugs, tears, prayers, teddy bears, candles and cards.
The crush of grieving pilgrims to the crash site, just a quarter-mile behind the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District headquarters and near its restricted reservoir in the northwest Santa Monica Mountains, has prompted the agency to hire additional security guards.
Representatives of the conservation authority, the water district and the city of Calabasas are expected to meet early next week to identify a memorial site that is safe, easily accessible and not fraught with liability issues.
That won’t be easy. Potential sites under review, officials said, include a dog park and a middle school parking lot near the New Millennium Loop trailhead just off the Las Virgenes Road exit.
“We understand that people need a place to memorialize everyone who lost their lives,” Michael Russo, spokesman for the city of Calabasas, said. “And we’re going to come up with a plan for that.”
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In the meantime, he said, people have been leaving flowers and cards on a lawn by the basketball courts at nearby Juan Bautista de Anza Park.
How about Bryant’s home base in Orange County?
Newport Beach, where most of the crash victims lived, has been hard hit.
Kobe and Gianna Bryant’s faces appeared overnight on the side of El Toro Bravo market in Costa Mesa.
Orange County artist Tyke Witnes, a lifelong Lakers fan, said he had been planning since December to fill the wall at 739 W. 19th St. with a Lakers team portrait, including retired greats such as Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson.
But when the news broke Sunday that Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash along with his daughter “Gigi” and seven other people from Newport Beach and Huntington Beach, Witnes — a 44-year-old father of two girls — knew he had to change his plans.
A local mariachi band gathered at the foot of the mural Thursday night, serenading the artist as he painted the finishing touches beneath a black sky. A row of candles and flowers lined the sidewalk below the painting. Passersby stopped to admire the mural, take photos and reflect.
“Out of tragedy comes something good,” Costa Mesa Mayor Katrina Foley wrote in a text message.
On Tuesday, the Newport Beach City Council also paid tribute to those lost.
“Grief and despair have engulfed our tight-knit community,” said Mayor Will O’Neill, who signed nine notes of condolence on cards with the city seal. “Three families in our community lost mothers and daughters, two families lost fathers and we lost neighbors and friends. Our City Council could not start [the meeting] tonight any other way than by remembering each one of these well-loved men, women and young ladies.”
Bishop Timothy Freyer of the Diocese of Orange said, “Kobe was an icon who inspired us through his words and actions to set our goals, work hard and achieve our dreams. He was a committed Catholic who loved his family and loved his faith. A longtime Orange County resident and parishioner in our diocese, Kobe would frequently attend Mass and sit in the back of the church so that his presence would not distract people from focusing on Christ’s presence.”
There has been talk of some kind of more permanent memorial in Orange County.
What about the Los Angeles memorial?
Murals have popped up across the city honoring the NBA great.
On Thursday, Garcetti said the city was planning a memorial for Byrant and the other victims.
“We don’t have that date finalized but we’ve been talking every day to the Lakers, and most importantly, to [Bryant’s widow, Vanessa] as well. I think one message that I would say is this is not just about a man who was a basketball player, this is about a father, this is about a leader, this is about a filmmaker, this is about an artist, this is about somebody who was so much more than just how he was on the court,” he said.
It’s unclear whether the Bryant memorial would be at Staples Center, which was the site for events memorializing both rapper Nipsey Hussle and singer Michael Jackson.


latimes--2020-02-01--Lunar New Year parade to take place today in L.A.'s Chinatown

Los Angeles will celebrate the Lunar New Year on Saturday with the 121st Golden Dragon Parade in Chinatown , even though a similar celebration set in Alhambra was postponed because of fears over the growing coronavirus outbreak .
The parade starts at 1 p.m. at Hill and Ord streets , though some streets were shut down at 10 a.m .
There will also be a festival featuring artists , food trucks and performances .
Street closures include Hill between Bernard Street and Temple Avemie ; Ord , Alpine , College and Bernard streets between Broadway and Hill ; Broadway between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cesar Chavez between Broadway and Main Street .
The Lunar New Year is the most important holiday on the calendar for many of the nearly 1.5 million people of Chinese , Korean and Vietnamese descent in Southern California , according to the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles .
The chamber estimates that more than 110,000 people attended last year ’ s parade .
The city of Alhambra postponed a similar event scheduled for Saturday , citing fears over the new strain of coronavirus that ’ s killed more than 250 people @ @ @

Members of the Chinese American Culture Assn. marched during the Golden Dragon Parade in Chinatown in 2008.
Los Angeles will celebrate the Lunar New Year on Saturday with the 121st Golden Dragon Parade in Chinatown, even though a similar celebration set in Alhambra was postponed because of fears over the growing coronavirus outbreak.
The parade starts at 1 p.m. at Hill and Ord streets, though some streets were shut down at 10 a.m. There will also be a festival featuring artists, food trucks and performances.
Street closures include Hill between Bernard Street and Temple Avemie; Ord, Alpine, College and Bernard streets between Broadway and Hill; Broadway between Bernard and Cesar Chavez Avenue; and Cesar Chavez between Broadway and Main Street.
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The Lunar New Year is the most important holiday on the calendar for many of the nearly 1.5 million people of Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese descent in Southern California, according to the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles. The chamber estimates that more than 110,000 people attended last year’s parade.
The city of Alhambra postponed a similar event scheduled for Saturday, citing fears over the new strain of coronavirus that’s killed more than 250 people in China.


latimes--2020-02-01--Magnitude 4.4 earthquake strikes near Mammoth Lakes

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake was reported at 10:36 a.m. Saturday about 9½ miles from Mammoth Lakes in California ’ s Eastern Sierra , the U.S. Geological Survey said .
The earthquake ’ s epicenter was 28 miles from Bishop , 64 miles from Clovis and 68 miles from Fresno , according to the USGS .
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 6.2 miles .
A 3.1-magnitude quake followed in the same area at 10:55 a.m. , the USGS said .
In the past 10 days , there have been two earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ between 4.0 and 5.0 occur per year in California and Nevada , according to a recent three-year data sample .
Did you feel these earthquakes ?
Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS .
Find out what to do before , and during , an earthquake near you by reading our five-step earthquake preparedness guide .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , visit our list of frequently asked questions .

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake was reported at 10:36 a.m. Saturday about 9½ miles from Mammoth Lakes in California’s Eastern Sierra, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The earthquake’s epicenter was 28 miles from Bishop, 64 miles from Clovis and 68 miles from Fresno, according to the USGS. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 6.2 miles.
A 3.1-magnitude quake followed in the same area at 10:55 a.m., the USGS said.
In the past 10 days, there have been two earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
An average of 25 earthquakes with magnitudes between 4.0 and 5.0 occur per year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
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Did you feel these earthquakes? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Find out what to do before, and during, an earthquake near you by reading our five-step earthquake preparedness guide.
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--2020-02-01--L.A. Public Library releases Kobe Bryant's reading list

In the wake of Kobe Bryant ’ s death in a helicopter crash last weekend , the Los Angeles Public Library has put together a list of books once recommended by the basketball legend .
Bryant was one of nine people , including his daughter Gianna , who died in the crash in Calabasas on Sunday morning .
“ As one would expect from a passionate storyteller , Bryant also appreciated reading a good book , ” librarian Keith Kesler wrote in a blog post on the library ’ s website .
“ I searched through old interviews and social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspired the Black Mamba.
” The 15 titles include “ The Alchemist ” by Paulo Coelho , “ The Tipping Point ” and “ Blink ” by Malcolm Gladwell , and “ Jonathan Livingston Seagull ” by Richard Bach .
In addition , the library listed four books that Bryant wrote or created , almost all of which were checked out or on hold .
Of those books , just three copies of Bryant ’ s “ Mamba Mentality ” remained on the shelf late Saturday morning — one each at the Junipero @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mark Twain Branch in Vermont Vista and the Venice Abbot Kinney Memorial Branch , according to the library ’ s website .

The Los Angeles Public Library has assembled a list of books once recommended by Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, shown in 2015,
In the wake of Kobe Bryant’s death in a helicopter crash last weekend, the Los Angeles Public Library has put together a list of books once recommended by the basketball legend.
Bryant was one of nine people, including his daughter Gianna, who died in the crash in Calabasas on Sunday morning.
“As one would expect from a passionate storyteller, Bryant also appreciated reading a good book,” librarian Keith Kesler wrote in a blog post on the library’s website. “I searched through old interviews and social media posts to find the books that inspired the Black Mamba.”
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The 15 titles include “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho, “The Tipping Point” and “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell, and “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” by Richard Bach.
In addition, the library listed four books that Bryant wrote or created, almost all of which were checked out or on hold. Of those books, just three copies of Bryant’s “Mamba Mentality” remained on the shelf late Saturday morning — one each at the Junipero Serra Branch in South Park, the Mark Twain Branch in Vermont Vista and the Venice Abbot Kinney Memorial Branch, according to the library’s website.


latimes--2020-02-01--For siblings who escaped almost 50 years ago, fire at L.A. high rise was deja vu, again

It was early and dark when a loud thud and the crash of the front door woke up 9-year-old Matthew Stegman and his 12-year-old sister , Janet .
Within seconds , the siblings heard several strange and plodding footsteps from people entering their father ’ s two-bedroom Westside apartment accompanied by the smell of smoke and charred wood .
Frightened , the boy pulled the covers over his head , while his sister sat up in a cold fear , her eyes still adjusting to the inky blackness .
The strangers opened an empty master bedroom before heading to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ separate single beds .
Janet could hear muddled conversation .
Then the door to the children ’ s room suddenly swung open .
Surprised by the startled youngsters , the firefighter yelled a profanity .
“ All of a sudden there were five firefighters walking around our apartment in full uniform , ” Janet Stegman recalled .
It was New Year ’ s Day , 1971 .
The fire had broken out on the fourth floor of the Barrington Plaza apartment complex on Wilshire Boulevard .
Almost 50 years later , it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barrington Plaza burned again .
This time , the blaze broke out on the sixth floor , causing hundreds of tenants to scramble to escape .
The building had no fire sprinklers .
Residents scurried for their lives , with some climbing out of windows and others being rescued from the rooftop .
One person died on Friday evening while another dozen people were injured .
The fire spurred a lawsuit and calls for safety reforms .
In the aftermath of the blaze , Mayor Eric Garcetti and Councilman Mike Bonin spoke of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between 1943 and 1974 , such as the Barrington Plaza , to not install fire sprinklers .
“ This loophole is a dangerous one , ” Garcetti said the day after .
“ Fires happen much more than earthquakes in this town and we dodged a bullet .
There could have been a lot of lives lost yesterday.
” The fire , which happened Wednesday , followed seven years after another one at the high rise — in 2013 .
As the Stegmans watched the news , it all felt so familiar .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 58-year old federal prosecutor , said he was walking through a shopping complex in Washington , D.C. , when he caught a CNN news report that led to a double take .
“ I saw a high-rise fire in L.A. , and I said , ‘ Oh , my God , that looks like the Barrington Plaza ’ and it was , ” he said .
“ That place keeps having problems.
” The 1971 fire erupted around 12:52 a.m. down the hall from where the Stegman children slept .
A dried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caught fire and the flames spread , eventually rendering all three of the 25-story building ’ s elevators unusable .
As firefighters were escorting the children out of the apartment , their panicked father , Edwin Stegman , was pushing his way past security guards to try to reach his kids .
Father and children met in the fourth-floor hallway , which was water-logged from the firefighters ’ hoses .
Edwin Stegman , who left his kids asleep while he headed to a New Year ’ s Eve party , was forever grateful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the persistence of Los Angeles firefighters .
“ We walked down the stairs together , ” Matthew Stegman said of his father and sister .
“ We went to a nearby 24-hour coffee shop and had some hot chocolate before we were let back into the apartment later in the day.
” Janet Stegman added : “ We were lucky because I never heard an alarm .
We didn ’ t smell the fire.
” On Wednesday , Matthew Stegman turned the television on when he got home .
The Washington , D.C.-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department of Justice ’ s Antitrust Division , stared at close-ups of an apartment complex in flames some 3,000 miles away .
Even before the CBS Evening News identified the location , Stegman was almost positive he recognized the building .
The Barrington Plaza was burning again .
Reports said the incident was the second at the complex in seven years .
Stegman vividly recalled the fire much longer ago .
“ When I saw the TV , I saw the balcony , the fire coming out and the black on the outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s just what it looked like back then … and it was eerily similar.
” Matthew Stegman said his father had been living in the Barrington Plaza for about a month after separating from his wife , Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lillian M. Stevens .
Edwin Stegman moved out shortly after the blaze .
“ A few months later , there was a problem with a boiler or heating unit or something else exploding and he just felt like that building was a death trap and decided to get out , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday , Matthew and his sister Janet , 61 , reconnected over their experience in 1971 over the phone .
The siblings don ’ t remember the fire exactly the same way .
He believes he heard a fire alarm , while his sister has no such recollection .
But the Stegmans share a laugh over one of their most colorful memories : the shock of the first firefighter who came to their rescue and the expletive that came out of his mouth that New Year ’ s Day morning .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s like a video playing , ” Janet Stegman said .
“ You know you have some memories in your life that you can ’ t forget .
”

It was early and dark when a loud thud and the crash of the front door woke up 9-year-old Matthew Stegman and his 12-year-old sister, Janet.
Within seconds, the siblings heard several strange and plodding footsteps from people entering their father’s two-bedroom Westside apartment accompanied by the smell of smoke and charred wood.
Frightened, the boy pulled the covers over his head, while his sister sat up in a cold fear, her eyes still adjusting to the inky blackness. The strangers opened an empty master bedroom before heading to the guest room where the siblings slept in separate single beds.
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Janet could hear muddled conversation. Then the door to the children’s room suddenly swung open.
Surprised by the startled youngsters, the firefighter yelled a profanity.
“All of a sudden there were five firefighters walking around our apartment in full uniform,” Janet Stegman recalled.
It was New Year’s Day, 1971. The fire had broken out on the fourth floor of the Barrington Plaza apartment complex on Wilshire Boulevard.
Almost 50 years later, it was a case of deja vu as the Barrington Plaza burned again.
This time, the blaze broke out on the sixth floor, causing hundreds of tenants to scramble to escape. The building had no fire sprinklers. Residents scurried for their lives, with some climbing out of windows and others being rescued from the rooftop. One person died on Friday evening while another dozen people were injured. The fire spurred a lawsuit and calls for safety reforms.
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In the aftermath of the blaze, Mayor Eric Garcetti and Councilman Mike Bonin spoke of ending an exemption that allowed high-rises built between 1943 and 1974, such as the Barrington Plaza, to not install fire sprinklers.
“This loophole is a dangerous one,” Garcetti said the day after. “Fires happen much more than earthquakes in this town and we dodged a bullet. There could have been a lot of lives lost yesterday.”
The fire, which happened Wednesday, followed seven years after another one at the high rise — in 2013. As the Stegmans watched the news, it all felt so familiar.
In 2013, Matthew Stegman, now a 58-year old federal prosecutor, said he was walking through a shopping complex in Washington, D.C., when he caught a CNN news report that led to a double take.
“I saw a high-rise fire in L.A., and I said, ‘Oh, my God, that looks like the Barrington Plaza’ and it was,” he said. “That place keeps having problems.”
The 1971 fire erupted around 12:52 a.m. down the hall from where the Stegman children slept. A dried out Christmas tree in another apartment had caught fire and the flames spread, eventually rendering all three of the 25-story building’s elevators unusable.
As firefighters were escorting the children out of the apartment, their panicked father, Edwin Stegman, was pushing his way past security guards to try to reach his kids.
Father and children met in the fourth-floor hallway, which was water-logged from the firefighters’ hoses.
Edwin Stegman, who left his kids asleep while he headed to a New Year’s Eve party, was forever grateful for a thick 1-hour-rated fire door and the persistence of Los Angeles firefighters.
“We walked down the stairs together,” Matthew Stegman said of his father and sister. “We went to a nearby 24-hour coffee shop and had some hot chocolate before we were let back into the apartment later in the day.”
Janet Stegman added: “We were lucky because I never heard an alarm. We didn’t smell the fire.”
On Wednesday, Matthew Stegman turned the television on when he got home.
The Washington, D.C.-based attorney, a member of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, stared at close-ups of an apartment complex in flames some 3,000 miles away.
Even before the CBS Evening News identified the location, Stegman was almost positive he recognized the building. The Barrington Plaza was burning again.
Reports said the incident was the second at the complex in seven years. Stegman vividly recalled the fire much longer ago.
“When I saw the TV, I saw the balcony, the fire coming out and the black on the outside,” Stegman said. “It’s just what it looked like back then … and it was eerily similar.”
Matthew Stegman said his father had been living in the Barrington Plaza for about a month after separating from his wife, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lillian M. Stevens.
Edwin Stegman moved out shortly after the blaze.
“A few months later, there was a problem with a boiler or heating unit or something else exploding and he just felt like that building was a death trap and decided to get out,” Matthew Stegman said.
Later on Wednesday, Matthew and his sister Janet, 61, reconnected over their experience in 1971 over the phone.
The siblings don’t remember the fire exactly the same way. He believes he heard a fire alarm, while his sister has no such recollection. But the Stegmans share a laugh over one of their most colorful memories: the shock of the first firefighter who came to their rescue and the expletive that came out of his mouth that New Year’s Day morning.
“I’ll never forget that; it’s like a video playing,” Janet Stegman said. “You know you have some memories in your life that you can’t forget.”


latimes--2020-02-01--3 injured in LAPD patrol car crash

3 injured in LAPD patrol car crash

Two Los Angeles police officers were among three people injured when their patrol car collided with another vehicle early Saturday @ @ @ @ @ said .
The crash occurred near Vernon Avenue and Broadway about 12:45 a.m. , police @ @ @ @ @ officers were transported to a hospital , as was an 18-year-old man in the other @ @ @ @ @ as significant .
Their names were not released .
All three were in stable condition @ @ @ @ @ other details were available .

Three people, including two police officers, were injured in a car crash in South Park early Saturday.
Two Los Angeles police officers were among three people injured when their patrol car collided with another vehicle early Saturday in South Park, police said.
The crash occurred near Vernon Avenue and Broadway about 12:45 a.m., police said.
The two police officers were transported to a hospital, as was an 18-year-old man in the other car whose injuries authorities described as significant. Their names were not released.
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All three were in stable condition, police said.
No other details were available.


latimes--2020-02-01--Outside Staples Center, a grim hustle for unlicensed vendors of Kobe R.I.P. shirts

Nearly a week after the death of Kobe Bryant , the ongoing vigil at Staples Center in honor of the basketball great showed no sign of abating .
Mourners , day and night , have left purple-and-gold flowers , candles , caps , handwritten messages and in some cases their favorite pairs of basketball shoes across the expanse of L.A. Live ’ s XBox Plaza .
On Wednesday , mariachis played “ .
” On Thursday night , .
Along the edges of the downtown sports complex , just outside the boundary between private property and public sidewalk , are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up less than 24 hours after the helicopter crash that killed Bryant and eight other adults and children , including his daughter Gianna .
The items they brought already carried Bryant ’ s years of life , 1978-2020 , and fans were stopping and noticing .
“ T-shirts , T-shirts , ” one vendor yelled at the foot traffic across the street from the Staples Center late Tuesday night .
“ How much ?
” a pair of L.A. guys walked up and asked , eyeing the vendor ’ s rows of black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The young customers , in gold Bryant jerseys over white tees , looked to be street-smart shoppers .
“ Two for 18 ?
” one asked with a smile .
Contreras grunted a “ yes ” and sealed the sale .
T-shirts inevitably permeate a cultural happening as large as the death of a celebrity such as Bryant .
On Friday , before the Lakers ’ emotion-filled first game since the Sunday tragedy , the organization draped T-shirts bearing Bryant ’ s retired jersey Nos .
8 or 24 on every seat except @ @ @ @ @ @ @ usual chairs , which got special treatment .
It was a generous giveaway .
At the online NBA store , official Bryant jerseys now .
Contreras started silk-screening his own Bryant memorial tees at home as soon as he heard about the accident .
“ It happened on a Sunday .
I have my own setup , ” he said with some pride in explaining how quickly he made it out before a growing row of competitors along the sidewalks .
“ We made ours in a snap.
” The vendor has items @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best seller is a somber black tee with a print of Bryant ’ s face and the phrase : In Loving Memory of Kobe Bryant , 1978-2020 .
The back shows the basketball star in a familiar courtside embrace with his daughter Gianna , 13 , who died in the crash , as well as the names of the other seven local victims who were friends or close associates : John Altobelli , Keri Altobelli , Alyssa Altobelli , Sarah Chester , Payton Chester , Christina Mauser and Ara Zobayan .
But so-called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less newsworthy deaths : fathers , brothers , friends gone too soon .
Like the thousands who have been streaming in and out of the complex , Contreras didn ’ t expect to be here .
But since that first night , he ’ s set up shop on a sheet atop a grubby piece of sidewalk at Figueroa and Olympic , with his original — and unlicensed — T-shirt designs on display .
Others have joined him .
“ A fan I ’ m not , unfortunately , ” Contreras said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is part of the work .
This is what we do.
” Contreras is demure on the details of his operation .
Since Bryant ’ s death , he ’ s been pulling in wads of small bills from sales , every afternoon into the late evening .
He uses a shell of a low-tier cotton blend imported from China , but it does the job .
He promised a lingering customer he ’ d cart out “ other designs ” as the week progressed .
“ People are going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said one tee buyer , Fabian Villarreal II .
Contreras and other vendors said they know their goods are unlicensed .
But he argues his business plays a role in how Los Angeles mourns .
When deaths of local heroes of great magnitude occur , the people of L.A. hold public memorials and all-day vigils .
Angelenos also mourn with personal displays : tattoos , window decals on vehicles and most of all , T-shirts .
They are a wearable memorial .
Contreras has sold memorial tees for all the big ones , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in mourning .
In the past , Michael Jackson , Nipsey Hussle and maybe lesser known but no less influential figures such as Jenny Rivera or Adan “ Chalino ” Sanchez , all generated memorial merchandise .
The way Contreras sees it , people want his products in times like these .
Even under the city ’ s liberalizing rules related to the contentious issue of street vending , sidewalk merchants must apply and pay for an official vendor license through a permitting program that began Jan. 1 .
There are also no-vendor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them .
On Friday , inspectors from the city of Los Angeles were out around the facility , asking several vendors to voluntarily move to the east side of Figueroa Street .
“ There ’ s a buffer zone , ” said Elena Stern , spokeswoman for the L.A. Public Works Department .
“ That buffer zone is off limits to permitted and unpermitted vendors.
” But overall , a heavy-handed enforcement operation has not materialized .
Contreras , who is a native of Mexico City , is set up just outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ They ’ re letting us work , ” Contreras said of the police , displaying some of the trademark bravado of the Mexico City chilangos .
Jason M. , a vendor who declined to give his full last name , citing another job he keeps , said his shirts contribute to the mourning process .
“ It ’ s just the culture out here , it ’ s L.A. , ” said the 20-year-old native of Inglewood .
“ L.A .
is all about getting that hustle.
” He said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bryant ’ s life from a supplier and , like Contreras , sold his merchandise for $ 10 .
“ I play football , ” Jason said .
“ I was able to apply that mentality that [ Bryant ] had : having a purpose , working hard , getting the right results.
” Rosa Miranda , a longtime L.A. vendor organizer who is deeply versed in the vendor geography of the city ’ s streets , described the R.I.P .
shirt merchants as “ vendedores de eventos , ” or “ event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they define themselves , ” Miranda said , while describing the difficulties to get such vendors to join the networks that have advocated for full decriminalization before the City Council for more than a decade .
Stern at the Public Works Department said the city has awarded more than 220 permits since the new application process began Jan. 1 , but there are an estimated tens of thousands of L.A. vendors that populate sidewalks .
An overall grace period is in place through June .
Contreras , the vendor on Figueroa , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major tragedies since the death of Jackson in 2009 .
“ This is the same , ” he said , addressing the level of intensity in fan fervor for Bryant ’ s death at age 41 .
“ And with the rapper , ” Contreras said of Hussle , who was shot in March 2019 .
Contreras has arrived every day around 3 p.m. , and stayed until 11 or later .
He plans to be out here until the crowds thin out .
“ We don ’ t know when the parade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As the night wore on , three friends from Lakewood and Cerritos stopped to check out Contreras ’ black tees .
“ It ’ s for my amigo , ” Vangie Cervantes , 32 , said to the street vendor .
She decided to also get a shirt for her own collection .
“ I think it ’ s me keeping him in memory , keeping him alive , ” she said .
“ Future , present , and past .
”

Nearly a week after the death of Kobe Bryant, the ongoing vigil at Staples Center in honor of the basketball great showed no sign of abating. Mourners, day and night, have left purple-and-gold flowers, candles, caps, handwritten messages and in some cases their favorite pairs of basketball shoes across the expanse of L.A. Live’s XBox Plaza. On Wednesday, mariachis played “ Amor Eterno .” On Thursday night, Aztec dancers appeared .
Along the edges of the downtown sports complex, just outside the boundary between private property and public sidewalk, are the T-shirt vendors.
They began showing up less than 24 hours after the helicopter crash that killed Bryant and eight other adults and children, including his daughter Gianna. The items they brought already carried Bryant’s years of life, 1978-2020, and fans were stopping and noticing.
“T-shirts, T-shirts,” one vendor yelled at the foot traffic across the street from the Staples Center late Tuesday night.
Advertisement
“How much?” a pair of L.A. guys walked up and asked, eyeing the vendor’s rows of black tees featuring Bryant’s face.
“Ten dollars,” responded vendor Gerardo Contreras, 25.
The young customers, in gold Bryant jerseys over white tees, looked to be street-smart shoppers. “Two for 18?” one asked with a smile. Contreras grunted a “yes” and sealed the sale.
A wearable memorial
T-shirts inevitably permeate a cultural happening as large as the death of a celebrity such as Bryant. On Friday, before the Lakers’ emotion-filled first game since the Sunday tragedy, the organization draped T-shirts bearing Bryant’s retired jersey Nos. 8 or 24 on every seat except two, Bryant and Gianna’s usual chairs, which got special treatment. It was a generous giveaway. At the online NBA store, official Bryant jerseys now sell for $300 .
Contreras started silk-screening his own Bryant memorial tees at home as soon as he heard about the accident. “It happened on a Sunday. I have my own setup,” he said with some pride in explaining how quickly he made it out before a growing row of competitors along the sidewalks. “We made ours in a snap.”
From left, Bridgette Portillo, 13, Martha Martinez, 14, and Elizabeth Hernandez, 12, all of Los Angeles, buy Kobe Bryant memorial T-shirts from a street vendor near Staples Center. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
The vendor has items in purple and gold, but his best seller is a somber black tee with a print of Bryant’s face and the phrase: In Loving Memory of Kobe Bryant, 1978-2020.
The back shows the basketball star in a familiar courtside embrace with his daughter Gianna, 13, who died in the crash, as well as the names of the other seven local victims who were friends or close associates: John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, Christina Mauser and Ara Zobayan.
But so-called R.I.P. shirts also arise to mark less newsworthy deaths: fathers, brothers, friends gone too soon.
Advertisement
It’s a grim hustle, Contreras acknowledged.
Memorial shirts and hats for Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Like the thousands who have been streaming in and out of the complex, Contreras didn’t expect to be here. But since that first night, he’s set up shop on a sheet atop a grubby piece of sidewalk at Figueroa and Olympic, with his original — and unlicensed — T-shirt designs on display. Others have joined him.
“A fan I’m not, unfortunately,” Contreras said. “It might sound bad, but this is part of the work. This is what we do.”
Contreras is demure on the details of his operation. Since Bryant’s death, he’s been pulling in wads of small bills from sales, every afternoon into the late evening. He uses a shell of a low-tier cotton blend imported from China, but it does the job. He promised a lingering customer he’d cart out “other designs” as the week progressed.
“People are going to be making money out here regardless,” said one tee buyer, Fabian Villarreal II.
Contreras and other vendors said they know their goods are unlicensed. But he argues his business plays a role in how Los Angeles mourns.
When deaths of local heroes of great magnitude occur, the people of L.A. hold public memorials and all-day vigils. Angelenos also mourn with personal displays: tattoos, window decals on vehicles and most of all, T-shirts. They are a wearable memorial.
Street vendors selling Kobe Bryant memorial T-shirts near Staples Center. (Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times)
Contreras has sold memorial tees for all the big ones, and this town has certainly had practice in mourning. In the past, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Hussle and maybe lesser known but no less influential figures such as Jenny Rivera or Adan “Chalino” Sanchez, all generated memorial merchandise. The way Contreras sees it, people want his products in times like these.
Even under the city’s liberalizing rules related to the contentious issue of street vending, sidewalk merchants must apply and pay for an official vendor license through a permitting program that began Jan. 1. There are also no-vendor zones, and Staples Center is one of them.
On Friday, inspectors from the city of Los Angeles were out around the facility, asking several vendors to voluntarily move to the east side of Figueroa Street.
“There’s a buffer zone,” said Elena Stern, spokeswoman for the L.A. Public Works Department. “That buffer zone is off limits to permitted and unpermitted vendors.”
But overall, a heavy-handed enforcement operation has not materialized. Contreras, who is a native of Mexico City, is set up just outside Staples Center‘s no-vending buffer zone.
“They’re letting us work,” Contreras said of the police, displaying some of the trademark bravado of the Mexico City chilangos.
Waiting for a ‘parade’
Jason M., a vendor who declined to give his full last name, citing another job he keeps, said his shirts contribute to the mourning process. “It’s just the culture out here, it’s L.A.,” said the 20-year-old native of Inglewood. “L.A. is all about getting that hustle.”
He said he got his shirts with multicolor designs honoring Bryant’s life from a supplier and, like Contreras, sold his merchandise for $10.
“I play football,” Jason said. “I was able to apply that mentality that [Bryant] had: having a purpose, working hard, getting the right results.”
Rosa Miranda, a longtime L.A. vendor organizer who is deeply versed in the vendor geography of the city’s streets, described the R.I.P. shirt merchants as “vendedores de eventos,” or “event vendors.”
“That’s how they define themselves,” Miranda said, while describing the difficulties to get such vendors to join the networks that have advocated for full decriminalization before the City Council for more than a decade. Stern at the Public Works Department said the city has awarded more than 220 permits since the new application process began Jan. 1, but there are an estimated tens of thousands of L.A. vendors that populate sidewalks. An overall grace period is in place through June.
Contreras, the vendor on Figueroa, said he’s been hawking T-shirts after major tragedies since the death of Jackson in 2009. “This is the same,” he said, addressing the level of intensity in fan fervor for Bryant’s death at age 41.
“And with the rapper,” Contreras said of Hussle, who was shot in March 2019.
Contreras has arrived every day around 3 p.m., and stayed until 11 or later. He plans to be out here until the crowds thin out. “We don’t know when the parade will be,” he said.
As the night wore on, three friends from Lakewood and Cerritos stopped to check out Contreras’ black tees.
“It’s for my amigo,” Vangie Cervantes, 32, said to the street vendor. She decided to also get a shirt for her own collection. “I think it’s me keeping him in memory, keeping him alive,” she said. “Future, present, and past.”


latimes--2020-02-01--Lopez: Inspired by Greta Thunberg, this 101-year-old takes a stand against climate change

At first glance , it wasn ’ t a message that grabbed me .
“ I am seeking publicity , ” began the email from Marian Sachs .
She must have known I would roll my eyes .
“ I am 101 years old and live in an assisted living facility , ” Sachs wrote , saying that she was inspired by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg ’ s activism on climate change .
“ There is not much we seniors can do to help , ” Sachs wrote .
“ However , I have thought perhaps we could observe one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ room .
The proposal has met with remarkable acceptance by our residents.
” A little publicity might inspire other seniors to do their part , Sachs wrote .
Her timing couldn ’ t have been better , because I ’ d just met with two climate change experts to talk about the specific threats in California and what we can do about it .
So before I tell you about my trip to see Mrs. Sachs at her home in Pasadena , let me tell you about my visit with the experts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ NASA ’ s Jet Propulson Lab , and Steve LaDochy , a semi-retired meteorology and geosciences professor at Cal State L.A , were both quoted in a Jan. 11 Los Angeles Times story by Paul Duginski about the decreased prevalence of tule fog in the midsection of the state .
“ In the dry Central Valley , plants , especially native plants , love the extra water that this fog provides , ” Patzert said in that story .
And LaDochy explained that warming temperatures and a decrease in air pollution — which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the decrease in fog .
Over a cup of coffee with me in Sierra Madre , Patzert and LaDochy had a lot to say , and most of it was frightening .
That ’ s not surprising when the news is filled with horror stories about melting glaciers , rising sea levels , raging wildfires and killer drought-deluge cycles .
Global greenhouse-gas emissions reached a record high in 2019 , we just completed the hottest decade on record , and heat stored in the upper levels of oceans is at a record high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and glaciers melting , it ’ s easy to overlook the effects in a place like Southern California .
But , as Patzert and LaDochy explained , climate change is having a huge effect here , where population explosions and increased emissions have created so-called heat islands .
While the average global temperature has risen about 1.7 degrees above the 20th century average , Patzert said , it ’ s risen closer to 5 degrees in downtown Los Angeles .
“ In August and September , it ’ s 8 to 9 degrees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Patzert said , noting that , since the 1950s , California ’ s population has quadrupled while the nation ’ s has merely doubled .
“ As you build a great megalopolis … you tend to generate your own heat with shopping centers , housing developments , blacktop , ” Patzert said .
And then there ’ s the obvious .
More people means more vehicles .
LaDochy drives a Prius .
Patzert doesn ’ t fly as much as he used to .
Everyone can find a way to make a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greatest tool for change , Patzert said — noting the unconscionable policies of certain so-called leaders — is the ballot box .
Marian Sachs isn ’ t waiting for an election to do her part .
She had left her door ajar and called for me to come on in when I knocked .
She did not look her age , and when she began speaking I wanted to check her birth certificate .
After more than a century on the planet , she ’ s still sharp , curious , engaged .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; she and her late husband raised three kids , drove one of the first hybrid vehicles , collected rocks and shared a love of nature .
She now aims her binoculars at nearby birds , follows the news closely , and is horrified by growing evidence of an overheated planet .
Her hero Thunberg , 84 years her junior , has stared down complacent world leaders and exclaimed , “ How dare you … entire ecosystems are collapsing.
” But Sachs — whose home is a gallery of the wildlife painting she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not want to talk politics .
“ I ’ m rendered speechless , ” Sachs said .
“ Don ’ t get me stirred up.
” She told me she recognized that she and her fellow residents couldn ’ t change the world on their own , but doing nothing is not an option .
The meat-free menu was all she could think of , and her neighbor and friend Marion Marx embraced the idea .
They wrote up their proposal and circulated a memo to the 130 residents of the Fair Oaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the consciousness of young people the world over , including “ our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren.
” “ As responsible seniors , we should give them our support in this climate crisis .
We feel we can do our part by observing a meatless day once a week .
It will be our opportunity to be of some help.
” Residents were asked to say yea or nay .
A week later , the Fair Oaks climate change initiative won in a landslide , 44-6 .
One resident who voted against added a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Another resident wondered if the banned meats would include venison .
“ I don ’ t think they ’ ve ever even served venison , ” said Mrs. Sachs .
Sachs and Marx delivered the news to the chef , Rigo Arias , who said the plan was for Meatless Mondays to begin soon — no beef , chicken or pork for breakfast , lunch or dinner .
Arias told me that , with tofu , pasta , eggplant and the new lines of plant-based meat substitutes , menus wouldn ’ t be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the moment , fish has not been banned .
“ I think it ’ s a great idea , ” Arias said .
“ I was really surprised , in a good way , that in these kinds of places , there ’ s still an interest in supporting a cause.
” I followed Sachs to lunch — soup , tuna salad and ham sandwiches were on the menu — and she sat with her pals Marx , Shelley Gutman and Luretta Rideout , all of whom support the motion .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marx , “ or we ’ re going to be in dire straits.
” Less meat means lower methane emissions , said Sachs .
And if we don ’ t keep cutting down trees to clear space for grazing , that would help , too , said Marx .
A small weekly sacrifice at one retirement center won ’ t accomplish much , the women conceded .
But it ’ s better than doing nothing , Sachs said , and the idea might catch on at other retirement centers .
If a teenager @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why can ’ t they ?

Senior living residents Marion Marx, left, and Marian Sachs, 101, were instrumental in getting meat removed from the menu one day a week at the Fair Oaks Assisted Living facility in Pasadena.
At first glance, it wasn’t a message that grabbed me.
“I am seeking publicity,” began the email from Marian Sachs.
She must have known I would roll my eyes.
“Stop,” she wrote. “Don’t delete this … please.”
I didn’t, fortunately.
“I am 101 years old and live in an assisted living facility,” Sachs wrote, saying that she was inspired by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg’s activism on climate change.
“There is not much we seniors can do to help,” Sachs wrote. “However, I have thought perhaps we could observe one meatless day a week in our dining room. The proposal has met with remarkable acceptance by our residents.”
A little publicity might inspire other seniors to do their part, Sachs wrote.
Advertisement
“Can you help?” she asked.
Her timing couldn’t have been better, because I’d just met with two climate change experts to talk about the specific threats in California and what we can do about it. So before I tell you about my trip to see Mrs. Sachs at her home in Pasadena, let me tell you about my visit with the experts.
Bill Patzert, a former climatologist at NASA’s Jet Propulson Lab, and Steve LaDochy, a semi-retired meteorology and geosciences professor at Cal State L.A, were both quoted in a Jan. 11 Los Angeles Times story by Paul Duginski about the decreased prevalence of tule fog in the midsection of the state.
“In the dry Central Valley, plants, especially native plants, love the extra water that this fog provides,” Patzert said in that story. And LaDochy explained that warming temperatures and a decrease in air pollution — which absorbs vapor — were to blame for the decrease in fog.
Over a cup of coffee with me in Sierra Madre, Patzert and LaDochy had a lot to say, and most of it was frightening.
That’s not surprising when the news is filled with horror stories about melting glaciers, rising sea levels, raging wildfires and killer drought-deluge cycles. Global greenhouse-gas emissions reached a record high in 2019, we just completed the hottest decade on record, and heat stored in the upper levels of oceans is at a record high.
With islands disappearing in the oceans and glaciers melting, it’s easy to overlook the effects in a place like Southern California. But, as Patzert and LaDochy explained, climate change is having a huge effect here, where population explosions and increased emissions have created so-called heat islands.
Advertisement
While the average global temperature has risen about 1.7 degrees above the 20th century average, Patzert said, it’s risen closer to 5 degrees in downtown Los Angeles.
“In August and September, it’s 8 to 9 degrees warmer than it used to be,” Patzert said, noting that, since the 1950s, California’s population has quadrupled while the nation’s has merely doubled.
“As you build a great megalopolis … you tend to generate your own heat with shopping centers, housing developments, blacktop,” Patzert said.
And then there’s the obvious. More people means more vehicles.
LaDochy drives a Prius. Patzert doesn’t fly as much as he used to. Everyone can find a way to make a contribution, they said. But the greatest tool for change, Patzert said — noting the unconscionable policies of certain so-called leaders — is the ballot box.
Marian Sachs isn’t waiting for an election to do her part. She had left her door ajar and called for me to come on in when I knocked. She did not look her age, and when she began speaking I wanted to check her birth certificate.
After more than a century on the planet, she’s still sharp, curious, engaged. She worked in nursing and then architecture; she and her late husband raised three kids, drove one of the first hybrid vehicles, collected rocks and shared a love of nature. She now aims her binoculars at nearby birds, follows the news closely, and is horrified by growing evidence of an overheated planet.
Her hero Thunberg, 84 years her junior, has stared down complacent world leaders and exclaimed, “How dare you … entire ecosystems are collapsing.” But Sachs — whose home is a gallery of the wildlife painting she took up as a hobby — did not want to talk politics.
“I’m rendered speechless,” Sachs said. “Don’t get me stirred up.”
She told me she recognized that she and her fellow residents couldn’t change the world on their own, but doing nothing is not an option. The meat-free menu was all she could think of, and her neighbor and friend Marion Marx embraced the idea.
They wrote up their proposal and circulated a memo to the 130 residents of the Fair Oaks, telling them that Thunberg had raised the consciousness of young people the world over, including “our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren.”
“As responsible seniors, we should give them our support in this climate crisis. We feel we can do our part by observing a meatless day once a week. It will be our opportunity to be of some help.”
Residents were asked to say yea or nay. A week later, the Fair Oaks climate change initiative won in a landslide, 44-6.
One resident who voted against added a comment: “God controls climate.”
Another resident wondered if the banned meats would include venison.
“I don’t think they’ve ever even served venison,” said Mrs. Sachs.
Sachs and Marx delivered the news to the chef, Rigo Arias, who said the plan was for Meatless Mondays to begin soon — no beef, chicken or pork for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Arias told me that, with tofu, pasta, eggplant and the new lines of plant-based meat substitutes, menus wouldn’t be hard to put together. And at the moment, fish has not been banned.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Arias said. “I was really surprised, in a good way, that in these kinds of places, there’s still an interest in supporting a cause.”
I followed Sachs to lunch — soup, tuna salad and ham sandwiches were on the menu — and she sat with her pals Marx, Shelley Gutman and Luretta Rideout, all of whom support the motion.
“We have to do something,” said Marx, “or we’re going to be in dire straits.”
Less meat means lower methane emissions, said Sachs. And if we don’t keep cutting down trees to clear space for grazing, that would help, too, said Marx.
A small weekly sacrifice at one retirement center won’t accomplish much, the women conceded.
But it’s better than doing nothing, Sachs said, and the idea might catch on at other retirement centers. If a teenager was able to start a movement, why can’t they?
Steve.lopez@latimes.com


latimes--2020-02-01--L.A.-based dissident claims he was target of kidnapping attempt by Saudi Arabia

A Saudi dissident living in Los Angeles said U.S. authorities granted him political asylum after he claimed that the Middle Eastern kingdom had attempted to extract him from the United States as a result of his criticism of the crown prince .
Abdulrahman Almutairi told The Times he was a student at the University of San Diego in late 2018 when his father and an unknown Saudi man arrived unannounced at Los Angeles International Airport , where U.S. authorities intercepted the two men and sent them home .
FBI agents told Almutairi what had happened at LAX and said they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Akram Abusharar , an immigration attorney in Orange County , said he presented Almutairi ’ s story to the Los Angeles political asylum office , which he said concluded that the 27-year-old would probably be “ killed , tortured or even disappear ” if he were forced to return home .
Almutairi was granted political asylum in July , said the lawyer , who took on the case pro bono .
Almutairi declined to provide documentation of his asylum to The Times , saying it contained private information that he didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declined to comment .
An official with U.S .
Citizenship and Immigration Services said the agency doesn ’ t comment on asylum cases “ due to privacy protections.
” The FBI has contacted other Saudi dissidents in the United States about threats to their lives made by the kingdom , according to a report in the Middle East Eye .
But Almutairi ’ s account , first reported by the Daily Beast , marks the first in which anyone has publicly claimed that the kingdom sent someone to the United States to bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a professor of Middle Eastern studies at UCLA , said Almutairi ’ s account is unlikely to affect U.S. and Saudi diplomatic relations under the Trump administration , which is closely aligned with the kingdom ’ s views on the region .
“ The United States under Trump is locked into a perpetual alliance with Saudi Arabia , and nothing is going to change that , ” Gelvin said .
Almutairi said his ordeal began shortly after the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi , who was strangled and his body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s consulate in Istanbul .
The CIA concluded that the Saudi dissident was probably murdered on the orders of the kingdom ’ s powerful crown prince , Mohammed bin Salman , whom Khashoggi had criticized .
The crown prince has denied ordering the killing .
Almutairi recorded a comedy video of himself speaking in Arabic about the killing , which mocked the crown prince ’ s denials as unbelievable and belittled the ruler using a child ’ s nickname .
The YouTube video now has more than 1.2 million views .
Days later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arabia told him his father was on a flight to Los Angeles to see him .
Fearing a plot to kidnap him , Almutairi called the police , and within a few days met with FBI agents , he said .
They showed him a picture of a man with a short beard who they said arrived at LAX with his father , and asked Almutairi if he knew him .
He said he didn ’ t .
Almutairi said his criticism of the crown prince would have resulted in a prison sentence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The kingdom , which had been paying for his healthcare and education and providing him with a stipend as an overseas student , cut him off .
He was temporarily homeless , he said , and isolated from his family back in Saudi Arabia .
“ My entire family has been destroyed , ” Almutairi said .
Almutairi said he doesn ’ t see himself ever returning to Saudi Arabia .
He said he plans to apply to USC ’ s film school , and hopes to make movies that bridge the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home country .

A Saudi dissident living in Los Angeles said he fears for his life after publicly criticizing the kingdom’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.
A Saudi dissident living in Los Angeles said U.S. authorities granted him political asylum after he claimed that the Middle Eastern kingdom had attempted to extract him from the United States as a result of his criticism of the crown prince.
Abdulrahman Almutairi told The Times he was a student at the University of San Diego in late 2018 when his father and an unknown Saudi man arrived unannounced at Los Angeles International Airport, where U.S. authorities intercepted the two men and sent them home.
FBI agents told Almutairi what had happened at LAX and said they were investigating the matter, he said.
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Akram Abusharar, an immigration attorney in Orange County, said he presented Almutairi’s story to the Los Angeles political asylum office, which he said concluded that the 27-year-old would probably be “killed, tortured or even disappear” if he were forced to return home. Almutairi was granted political asylum in July, said the lawyer, who took on the case pro bono.
Almutairi declined to provide documentation of his asylum to The Times, saying it contained private information that he didn’t want disclosed.
An FBI spokesperson declined to comment. An official with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said the agency doesn’t comment on asylum cases “due to privacy protections.”
The FBI has contacted other Saudi dissidents in the United States about threats to their lives made by the kingdom, according to a report in the Middle East Eye. But Almutairi’s account, first reported by the Daily Beast, marks the first in which anyone has publicly claimed that the kingdom sent someone to the United States to bring a dissident back.
James Gelvin, a professor of Middle Eastern studies at UCLA, said Almutairi’s account is unlikely to affect U.S. and Saudi diplomatic relations under the Trump administration, which is closely aligned with the kingdom’s views on the region.
“The United States under Trump is locked into a perpetual alliance with Saudi Arabia, and nothing is going to change that,” Gelvin said.
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Almutairi said his ordeal began shortly after the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, who was strangled and his body dismembered by Saudi agents in Riyadh’s consulate in Istanbul. The CIA concluded that the Saudi dissident was probably murdered on the orders of the kingdom’s powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, whom Khashoggi had criticized. The crown prince has denied ordering the killing.
Almutairi recorded a comedy video of himself speaking in Arabic about the killing, which mocked the crown prince’s denials as unbelievable and belittled the ruler using a child’s nickname. The YouTube video now has more than 1.2 million views.
Days later, Almutairi said, friends in Saudi Arabia told him his father was on a flight to Los Angeles to see him. Fearing a plot to kidnap him, Almutairi called the police, and within a few days met with FBI agents, he said. They showed him a picture of a man with a short beard who they said arrived at LAX with his father, and asked Almutairi if he knew him. He said he didn’t.
Almutairi said his criticism of the crown prince would have resulted in a prison sentence at best, and at worst execution. The kingdom, which had been paying for his healthcare and education and providing him with a stipend as an overseas student, cut him off. He was temporarily homeless, he said, and isolated from his family back in Saudi Arabia.
“My entire family has been destroyed,” Almutairi said.
Almutairi said he doesn’t see himself ever returning to Saudi Arabia. He said he plans to apply to USC’s film school, and hopes to make movies that bridge the cultural divide between the U.S. and his home country.


latimes--2020-02-01--Pearl Berg will celebrate her 110th birthday this year. What's her secret to a long L.A. life?

I can just picture the scene in our well-worn old newsroom downtown .
The city desk phone rings and rings .
Finally some harried , impatient reporter picks up .
He or she briefly takes in that an L.A. resident named Pearl Berg is about to turn 100 and then — been there , done that , blasé — cuts the conversation short .
One hundred is no longer news .
“ Call back in 10 years , ” the reporter barks .
I ’ m so glad one of her friends actually forgave us our jadedness and did .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a woman who puts her birth date in the same year , 1910 , that residents of Hollywood voted to make their city a part of Los Angeles .
More than two years before the Titanic hit the iceberg .
Four years before the start of World War I .
A woman who arrived in L.A. with her family as a young woman just a few months before the 1929 stock market crash .
After a make-or-break cross-country trip from Pittsburgh that was undertaken because her father — a photographer who was selling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t sold a single car for a year .
I found Pearl Berg not lying checked out in a bed in a nursing home but sitting at a table in her Los Feliz living room , reading voraciously , rapidly turning pages while simultaneously eating heart-shaped chocolates from a relatively youthful 78-year-old Beverly Hills chocolatier .
I got to meet my new role model for aging , whose success in living fascinated me .
I hate to say it but I think I fascinated her somewhat less .
She was so caught @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” by Carolyn Parkhurst ) that at one point she forgot that I was still there and then ever so politely apologized for doing so , insisting on sending me off when I left her with the fine chocolate she so clearly relished .
( It was very generous , though I ’ m told she likes celery and salted popcorn even more . )
Sometimes , she shut her eyes for a bit and rested — something this nap-loving woman half her age would never dream of begrudging her — but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ altogether with it .
Known throughout her long life for her beautiful presentation , she insisted on going to get her hair done by Alberto Fayad , her stylist for more than 30 years , before our photographer came to take her photo .
When I mentioned to her some of the great things her younger son Robert , of Washington , D.C. — who is 79 and had a distinguished career in the fields of international development and peace — had told me about her , she looked me squarely in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and said , “ Well , I ’ m his favorite mother.
” I watched her play multiple hands of gin rummy with Rachel Gelanga , one of her caregivers , who started out with her 14 years ago , when she had just recently given up driving and mostly just needed rides to her weekly bridge club and her twice-monthly book club .
Both those clubs slowly wasted away until there were too few members left .
She outlasted them and carried on .
Life slows us all down eventually and Pearl @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Valentine ’ s Day , has been slowing down in recent years .
She has oxygen on hand when she needs it .
She has caregivers in her home with her 24 hours a day .
And she needs to rest a lot more than she used to — though she still regularly stays up until 2 a.m. beading the edges of scarves or reading — lifelong hobbies , still no eyeglasses necessary .
When it comes to reading , by the way , Pearl ’ s not a slave to genre @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything she can get her hands on , she told me , except if it ’ s really badly written .
That ’ s always been her way , she said .
Her mother used to call to her in vain and then follow with , “ Pearl , get your nose out of that book.
” If reading ’ s not the key , what could be ?
Her son Alan Berg , 82 , is a recently retired geriatrician in the Philadelphia suburbs , who for years made house calls to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These things are not so easy to pinpoint , he told me .
She ’ s had some health run-ins but none too serious .
She wears a pacemaker .
She ’ s always been engaged and used to talk a lot , answering questions with stories , just as he now does , he says .
She spent her years not out making a name for herself but in support of her late husband and her two sons , and her broader brood of relatives and friends .
But in so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rich fabric of community that has also supported her .
And while I ’ m no expert — and even the experts aren ’ t absolutely sure what makes some people live so much longer than most of us — I have to believe that her connection to others has helped her stay so connected to life .
Human beings are living longer these days .
That much is not news .
But while more people make it to 100 , those who make it a whole lot further remain relatively rare .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I was told that because there are so few of them in America , the bureau suppresses the data to protect their privacy .
Generous estimates put the number of supercentenarians who have lived to 110 or longer at somewhere around 1,000 of about 7.8 billion humans worldwide .
The Gerontology Research Group , based in Newport Beach , which is generally considered the authority on the oldest of the old , requires serious documentation to verify .
Robert Young , who directs the GRG ’ s supercentenarian research , told me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In 2004 , the group estimated about 450 supercentenarians worldwide .
The oldest verified human at the moment , he told me , is Kane Tanaka , 117 , of Japan .
The oldest living American is Hester Ford , 114 , of North Carolina .
Minnie Whicker , 113 , of Roseville currently is the oldest Californian — one of about 10 supercentenarians in the state and about 100 in the country if you count both the officially verified and those who aren ’ t faking it but don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But back to Pearl , whose birth date has not been officially verified by the GRG but who interests me more than any statistic or list .
At Temple Israel , this woman who has outlived her husband , Mark , by more than three decades , used to be the go-to person at the synagogue when it came to writing letters , especially to grieving members of the congregation .
She still writes thank-you notes to those who visit her , in beautiful cursive writing and equally beautiful prose .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just before it got mailed this week .
It told me all I needed to know , and confirmed her in her role as what I want to be when I grow up .
“ I thank my lucky stars — and when I say lucky stars , I mean it , ” she wrote to longtime friends .
“ Every day in every way — I get better and better .
Just stay with me so I can celebrate every moment .
”

Pearl Berg of Los Angeles is about to turn 110, putting her in the very rare category of supercentenarians.
I can just picture the scene in our well-worn old newsroom downtown. The city desk phone rings and rings. Finally some harried, impatient reporter picks up.
He or she briefly takes in that an L.A. resident named Pearl Berg is about to turn 100 and then — been there, done that, blasé — cuts the conversation short.
One hundred is no longer news. “Call back in 10 years,” the reporter barks.
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I’m so glad one of her friends actually forgave us our jadedness and did.
Because this week I got to meet a woman who puts her birth date in the same year, 1910, that residents of Hollywood voted to make their city a part of Los Angeles. More than two years before the Titanic hit the iceberg. Four years before the start of World War I.
A woman who arrived in L.A. with her family as a young woman just a few months before the 1929 stock market crash. After a make-or-break cross-country trip from Pittsburgh that was undertaken because her father — a photographer who was selling used cars at the time — hadn’t sold a single car for a year.
I found Pearl Berg not lying checked out in a bed in a nursing home but sitting at a table in her Los Feliz living room, reading voraciously, rapidly turning pages while simultaneously eating heart-shaped chocolates from a relatively youthful 78-year-old Beverly Hills chocolatier.
Pearl plays cards with her longtime caregiver Rachel Gelanga. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
Pearl and her fiance, Mark Berg, picnic in Pasadena in 1931. (Berg family)
I got to meet my new role model for aging, whose success in living fascinated me. I hate to say it but I think I fascinated her somewhat less.
She was so caught up in her book (“Harmony,” by Carolyn Parkhurst) that at one point she forgot that I was still there and then ever so politely apologized for doing so, insisting on sending me off when I left her with the fine chocolate she so clearly relished. (It was very generous, though I’m told she likes celery and salted popcorn even more.)
Sometimes, she shut her eyes for a bit and rested — something this nap-loving woman half her age would never dream of begrudging her — but I had no doubt that she was altogether with it. Known throughout her long life for her beautiful presentation, she insisted on going to get her hair done by Alberto Fayad, her stylist for more than 30 years, before our photographer came to take her photo.
Advertisement
When I mentioned to her some of the great things her younger son Robert, of Washington, D.C. — who is 79 and had a distinguished career in the fields of international development and peace — had told me about her, she looked me squarely in the eye, gave me a puckish smile and said, “Well, I’m his favorite mother.”
I watched her play multiple hands of gin rummy with Rachel Gelanga, one of her caregivers, who started out with her 14 years ago, when she had just recently given up driving and mostly just needed rides to her weekly bridge club and her twice-monthly book club.
Both those clubs slowly wasted away until there were too few members left. She outlasted them and carried on.
Life slows us all down eventually and Pearl, who will celebrate her 110th birthday on Valentine’s Day, has been slowing down in recent years. She has oxygen on hand when she needs it. She has caregivers in her home with her 24 hours a day. And she needs to rest a lot more than she used to — though she still regularly stays up until 2 a.m. beading the edges of scarves or reading — lifelong hobbies, still no eyeglasses necessary.
(I don’t bead, by the way. I can barely even sew on a button. But I read every night, well into the wee hours. I’m secretly hoping that’s the key to long life.)
When it comes to reading, by the way, Pearl’s not a slave to genre. She’ll read just about anything she can get her hands on, she told me, except if it’s really badly written. That’s always been her way, she said. Her mother used to call to her in vain and then follow with, “Pearl, get your nose out of that book.”
If reading’s not the key, what could be? Her son Alan Berg, 82, is a recently retired geriatrician in the Philadelphia suburbs, who for years made house calls to patients in the twilight of their lives. These things are not so easy to pinpoint, he told me. She’s had some health run-ins but none too serious. She wears a pacemaker. She’s always been engaged and used to talk a lot, answering questions with stories, just as he now does, he says.
She spent her years not out making a name for herself but in support of her late husband and her two sons, and her broader brood of relatives and friends.
But in so doing, she wove around herself a rich fabric of community that has also supported her. And while I’m no expert — and even the experts aren’t absolutely sure what makes some people live so much longer than most of us — I have to believe that her connection to others has helped her stay so connected to life.
Human beings are living longer these days. That much is not news. But while more people make it to 100, those who make it a whole lot further remain relatively rare.
When I called the U.S. Census Bureau, I was told that because there are so few of them in America, the bureau suppresses the data to protect their privacy.
Generous estimates put the number of supercentenarians who have lived to 110 or longer at somewhere around 1,000 of about 7.8 billion humans worldwide. The Gerontology Research Group, based in Newport Beach, which is generally considered the authority on the oldest of the old, requires serious documentation to verify.
Robert Young, who directs the GRG’s supercentenarian research, told me he believes the number is rising rapidly. In 2004, the group estimated about 450 supercentenarians worldwide.
The oldest verified human at the moment, he told me, is Kane Tanaka, 117, of Japan. The oldest living American is Hester Ford, 114, of North Carolina. Minnie Whicker, 113, of Roseville currently is the oldest Californian — one of about 10 supercentenarians in the state and about 100 in the country if you count both the officially verified and those who aren’t faking it but don’t have all the documentation the GRG requires.
But back to Pearl, whose birth date has not been officially verified by the GRG but who interests me more than any statistic or list.
At Temple Israel, this woman who has outlived her husband, Mark, by more than three decades, used to be the go-to person at the synagogue when it came to writing letters, especially to grieving members of the congregation.
She still writes thank-you notes to those who visit her, in beautiful cursive writing and equally beautiful prose. I managed to sneak a peek at one just before it got mailed this week.
It told me all I needed to know, and confirmed her in her role as what I want to be when I grow up.
“I thank my lucky stars — and when I say lucky stars, I mean it,” she wrote to longtime friends. “Every day in every way — I get better and better. Just stay with me so I can celebrate every moment.”