latimes--2020-07-17--Workers vanished as coronavirus swept through L.A. Apparel. Colleagues struggled for answers

As the months passed , people began disappearing .
Chairs once occupied by garment workers inside the Los Angeles Apparel factory sat empty .
Rumors circulated about how the missing workers had gotten sick , or even died , of COVID-19 .
Mariana , a 56-year-old woman from El Salvador , felt afraid every day .
She said workers like herself received little or delayed information from the South L.A. company about positive cases , leaving them to try and deduce why their colleagues had left .
The company ’ s founder said that as the coronavirus swept through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been exposed in a timely fashion .
But garment workers who spoke to The Times tell a different story , saying they were largely kept in the dark as colleagues became sick , and the information they did receive was slow to arrive or vague .
One morning in June , after word spread that several employees had died , workers decided to stage an action .
Dozens in one of the company ’ s plants stood by their stations and refused to sew for nearly two hours , demanding better sanitation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we said we ’ re not going to work until you promise to clean the machines , ” said Mariana , who agreed to be identified by her middle name for fear of retaliation .
“ We wanted them to practically close the factory so they would clean.
” Coronavirus is surging in workplaces across Los Angeles County as the economy reopens .
But officials say Los Angeles Apparel suffered the worst coronavirus outbreak of any business in the county , with more than 300 of the factory ’ s roughly 1,800 employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In interviews with The Times in recent days , current and former Los Angeles Apparel workers said the company did not consistently inform them when people got sick , creating a climate of panic and uncertainty .
They also said management failed to enforce social distancing and did not adequately train workers on how to stay safe .
Vendors were allowed to come into the factory to sell products to workers , they said , heightening the risks .
The L.A. County Department of Public Health said it first shut down operations at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after inspectors found “ flagrant violations ” of infection-control orders and the company failed to cooperate with an investigation of a reported coronavirus outbreak .
Last week , the department ordered the continued suspension of operations at the company ’ s South L.A. buildings until necessary improvements were made .
The state Division of Occupational Safety and Health , Cal/OSHA , opened an on-site inspection in June to investigate a complaint regarding workplace hazards at a Los Angeles Apparel facility , reported by company workers .
The story of Los Angeles Apparel — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic began — underscores growing concerns that California is not doing enough to protect essential workers , many of them in food processing and manufacturing facilities such as garment factories .
Black and brown communities have been especially hard hit by COVID-19 .
Latinos in L.A. County are now more than twice as likely as whites to contract the coronavirus , and officials believe many of them get sick at work .
The majority of workers at Los Angeles Apparel are Spanish-speakers , county officials said .
The company ’ s founder , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the company did not protect its workers and inform them of positive cases .
“ There was no secrecy , ” he said .
Charney said workers were told “ right away ” and encouraged to get tested and quarantine if needed .
“ I ’ m not saying if there was someone in one building , we told the other building , but we told the people who worked proximately to them , ” he said .
Charney said the company had conducted temperature checks and maintained proper social distancing , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South L.A. would naturally be reflected in a factory there .
Moreover , Charney said he believed there were elevated numbers because the company has had all its workers get tested several times .
( The county has said its information confirms that only a fraction of workers were tested . )
“ We believe that at all times — since the launch of the epidemic — we ’ ve been doing our best in doing social distancing and following every directive we ’ re aware of , ” Charney told The Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dealing with a massive epidemic that has risen astronomically in our community , in South L.A. , and it ’ s manifested itself in our factory.
” Charney founded Los Angeles Apparel in 2016 after he was ousted from his former business , American Apparel , following allegations of sexual harassment and other misconduct at the company , which he has denied .
Industry experts say the COVID-19 outbreak has highlighted health and safety issues that have long plagued the garment industry in L.A. , and that violations are likely much more widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least 19 coronavirus complaints related to the industry , including three about Los Angeles Apparel .
It ’ s currently investigating a coronavirus outbreak at another garment manufacturing facility .
Marissa Nuncio , director of the Garment Worker Center , noted that the type of “ insufficient ” protections against the virus at Los Angeles Apparel are “ most definitely the case or worse in other L.A. garment factories , ” many of which are sweatshops employing undocumented immigrants .
“ Almost everyone has gotten sick , ” said Beto , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ factory in South L.A. , where he said mask use is not enforced , and employees are not provided with disinfectant .
One employee he was friendly with died after showing symptoms of the virus .
Experts say the virus may spread more easily in factories than other workplaces , since they ’ re often crowded environments where people touch the same materials .
Linda Delp , director of UCLA ’ s Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program , said pressure to work constantly when earning pay by the piece , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be contributing factors .
“ They ’ re workers that are already paid low wages , so they don ’ t have a cushion to depend on , ” she said .
“ Unless they can stay home when they ’ re sick , when they have been exposed or infected , there ’ s this real pressure to continue coming to work.
” Three of the coronavirus-related deaths at Los Angeles Apparel occurred in early June and one in early July , officials said .
“ There were tremendous numbers of cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we weren ’ t getting a response in a timely fashion from L.A. Apparel , ” said Jan King , an L.A. County public health officer for West and South Los Angeles .
The department has said a healthcare provider notified it June 19 of a potential outbreak .
Health officials asked the company for a list of all employees so they could compare it to testing results the department had received .
The company , they said , failed to provide the list after multiple requests .
( Charney has said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . )
During a site visit June 26 , the department stated , inspectors observed multiple violations of infection-control protocols , including the use of cardboard as a barrier between workers .
King noted that among other violations , disinfectant solution was not readily available , and management was not monitoring social distancing .
Workstations , she said , were not six feet apart .
“ We observed sometimes when they had employees come in , for instance , to pick up checks , there was not social distancing , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ putting tape or cones to mark the six feet .
That was not being done .
If you don ’ t have that , people have a tendency to bunch up.
” The company , she said , was unable to tell officials where workers had sat , making contact tracing difficult and forcing the department “ to determine that everyone that was there was potentially exposed.
” It also did not train workers on safety in their primary language , which for most was Spanish , she said .
Charney said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week and that prior to doing so , it communicated to workers how to stay safe .
“ We got the message of six feet distancing , the message of not coming to work if you ’ re ill , the fundamental message that you must wear a mask , ” he said .
“ We communicated those issues.
” Nuncio at the Garment Worker Center said she began hearing in May from Los Angeles Apparel workers who had gotten sick from the coronavirus .
They described how managers would come within six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemed to allow visitors in without much oversight .
“ Vendors would come trying to sell things to employees , ” she said .
“ [ Workers ] also said that applicants , people looking to apply for work , would come in — that they weren ’ t preventing that , and there wasn ’ t protocols in place for those people , whether they maintained social distance , whether they wore a mask.
” Workers said the company didn ’ t communicate cases of the virus to them , leaving them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ They were of course concerned and worried it was because of COVID but didn ’ t get that confirmed , ” Nuncio said .
“ There were rumors about workers passing away , but it wasn ’ t confirmed.
” Chiara , a 52-year-old woman from Peru who asked to be identified by her last name for fear of backlash , tested positive for the coronavirus after working at the factory for several weeks .
When she first felt symptoms in June , it seemed to be “ a simple flu.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ days , but after developing a painful headache and feeling faint , she stopped going in .
A supervisor advised that she should get tested .
Now , she wonders if she was exposed during her breaks , since she hadn ’ t made sure that the people who had occupied a lunch table before her had disinfected it .
She has questioned whether she should have been better about cleaning her equipment , since she shared it with someone from a different shift .
“ We would have taken better care of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had workers been trained on protecting themselves from the virus .
But she plans on returning to the factory once it reopens , doubting that she ’ ll find another job that pays her $ 14.25 an hour .
“ They ’ re changing things there , ” she said .
“ It gives me security that I ’ ll be fine there .
That ’ s what I say [ now ] .
I don ’ t know what will happen.
” But Maribel Maldonado , a 50-year-old Mexican worker who also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t be coming back .
Maldonado said there wasn ’ t adequate social distancing when she began working in April as a trimmer at Los Angeles Apparel .
She would sit at a makeshift cardboard table with about half a meter separating her from others , causing her to ask if she could distance herself more .
In early May , she said , she worked in an area that lacked ventilation .
She sat at a long table where workers tried to maintain distance .
At one point , she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people were sitting too close together .
She tested positive for the coronavirus shortly thereafter , experiencing headaches and feeling nauseous .
She ’ s now taking online classes to prepare for a new job providing financial services related to life insurance — work she can do without close contact with others .
“ I wouldn ’ t return there — least of all now that I ’ ve just started to get better , ” she said .
“ It ’ s too hot there .
They aren ’ t careful about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Los Angeles Apparel for about three years , began wearing two masks as she heard of more and more employees who had gotten sick .
Before the county shut down the factory , she would get tested several times a month and would bring her own disinfectant from home .
After the June work stoppage , Charney met with workers .
He told them to practice social distancing and that a few employees had tested positive , Mariana recalled .
She has noticed improvements .
When Los Angeles Apparel opened briefly last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given permission to open , while officials called it a violation ) , there were “ gallons of disinfectants , ” she said .
Workers passed around a box to raise money to support the family of a colleague who had died from the virus .
Charney said that the company has added upgrades such as touchless faucets , better ventilation , more robust screening for symptoms and improved training for cleaning staff .
The company , he said , has been helping workers to get tested before reopening .
“ The opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have the best factory , ” he said .
“ If this thing lasts for a long time , we have the best opportunity to keep going and keep everybody safe.
” During a safety training session for workers Wednesday at the factory , 11 people sat in socially distanced rows of chairs .
Hand sanitizer and gloves rested on a table nearby .
A sign glued to the sanitizer said in Spanish , “ Masks are required.
” Several instructors presented in English and Spanish , explaining that many Black and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Workers were to clean shared work spaces and notify supervisors when they didn ’ t feel well , they said .
“ Your job will be here , ” an instructor told the group in Spanish .
“ We ’ re trying to prevent more people from getting sick.
” When it was time for questions , one man raised his hand .
“ Can you get the virus if you touch someone with the virus ?
” he asked .
A few seconds later , he had an answer from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk .

Los Angeles Apparel holds a health and safety training session for its employees Wednesday, after the South L.A. garment factory was shut down by county officials due to more than 300 coronavirus cases and four worker deaths.
As the months passed, people began disappearing. Chairs once occupied by garment workers inside the Los Angeles Apparel factory sat empty. Rumors circulated about how the missing workers had gotten sick, or even died, of COVID-19.
Mariana, a 56-year-old woman from El Salvador, felt afraid every day. She said workers like herself received little or delayed information from the South L.A. company about positive cases, leaving them to try and deduce why their colleagues had left.
The company’s founder said that as the coronavirus swept through the factory, management informed employees who may have been exposed in a timely fashion. But garment workers who spoke to The Times tell a different story, saying they were largely kept in the dark as colleagues became sick, and the information they did receive was slow to arrive or vague.
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One morning in June, after word spread that several employees had died, workers decided to stage an action. Dozens in one of the company’s plants stood by their stations and refused to sew for nearly two hours, demanding better sanitation.
“We got up, and we said we’re not going to work until you promise to clean the machines,” said Mariana, who agreed to be identified by her middle name for fear of retaliation. “We wanted them to practically close the factory so they would clean.”
A woman has her temperature checked before entering Los Angeles Apparel. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Coronavirus is surging in workplaces across Los Angeles County as the economy reopens. But officials say Los Angeles Apparel suffered the worst coronavirus outbreak of any business in the county, with more than 300 of the factory’s roughly 1,800 employees testing positive. Four have died.
In interviews with The Times in recent days, current and former Los Angeles Apparel workers said the company did not consistently inform them when people got sick, creating a climate of panic and uncertainty. They also said management failed to enforce social distancing and did not adequately train workers on how to stay safe. Vendors were allowed to come into the factory to sell products to workers, they said, heightening the risks.
The L.A. County Department of Public Health said it first shut down operations at Los Angeles Apparel on June 27, after inspectors found “flagrant violations” of infection-control orders and the company failed to cooperate with an investigation of a reported coronavirus outbreak. Last week, the department ordered the continued suspension of operations at the company’s South L.A. buildings until necessary improvements were made.
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The state Division of Occupational Safety and Health, Cal/OSHA, opened an on-site inspection in June to investigate a complaint regarding workplace hazards at a Los Angeles Apparel facility, reported by company workers.
The story of Los Angeles Apparel — which shifted to making masks when the pandemic began — underscores growing concerns that California is not doing enough to protect essential workers, many of them in food processing and manufacturing facilities such as garment factories. Black and brown communities have been especially hard hit by COVID-19.
Latinos in L.A. County are now more than twice as likely as whites to contract the coronavirus, and officials believe many of them get sick at work. The majority of workers at Los Angeles Apparel are Spanish-speakers, county officials said.
The company’s founder, Dov Charney, has refuted assertions that the company did not protect its workers and inform them of positive cases. “There was no secrecy,” he said. Charney said workers were told “right away” and encouraged to get tested and quarantine if needed.
“I’m not saying if there was someone in one building, we told the other building, but we told the people who worked proximately to them,” he said.
Charney said the company had conducted temperature checks and maintained proper social distancing, and that higher infection rates in communities like South L.A. would naturally be reflected in a factory there. Moreover, Charney said he believed there were elevated numbers because the company has had all its workers get tested several times. (The county has said its information confirms that only a fraction of workers were tested.)
Los Angeles Apparel founder Dov Charney, 51, on the sewing floor of the factory. He has held that the company took diligent measures to protect its workers. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
“We believe that at all times — since the launch of the epidemic — we’ve been doing our best in doing social distancing and following every directive we’re aware of,” Charney told The Times last week. “We’re dealing with a massive epidemic that has risen astronomically in our community, in South L.A., and it’s manifested itself in our factory.”
Charney founded Los Angeles Apparel in 2016 after he was ousted from his former business, American Apparel, following allegations of sexual harassment and other misconduct at the company, which he has denied.
Industry experts say the COVID-19 outbreak has highlighted health and safety issues that have long plagued the garment industry in L.A., and that violations are likely much more widespread. The public health department has received at least 19 coronavirus complaints related to the industry, including three about Los Angeles Apparel. It’s currently investigating a coronavirus outbreak at another garment manufacturing facility.
Marissa Nuncio, director of the Garment Worker Center, noted that the type of “insufficient” protections against the virus at Los Angeles Apparel are “most definitely the case or worse in other L.A. garment factories,” many of which are sweatshops employing undocumented immigrants.
“Almost everyone has gotten sick,” said Beto, a 34-year-old Guatemalan garment worker at a small factory in South L.A., where he said mask use is not enforced, and employees are not provided with disinfectant. One employee he was friendly with died after showing symptoms of the virus.
Experts say the virus may spread more easily in factories than other workplaces, since they’re often crowded environments where people touch the same materials. Linda Delp, director of UCLA’s Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program, said pressure to work constantly when earning pay by the piece, as well as inadequate sick-leave policies, may also be contributing factors.
“They’re workers that are already paid low wages, so they don’t have a cushion to depend on,” she said. “Unless they can stay home when they’re sick, when they have been exposed or infected, there’s this real pressure to continue coming to work.”
Three of the coronavirus-related deaths at Los Angeles Apparel occurred in early June and one in early July, officials said.
“There were tremendous numbers of cases, we have the four deaths, and we weren’t getting a response in a timely fashion from L.A. Apparel,” said Jan King, an L.A. County public health officer for West and South Los Angeles.
The department has said a healthcare provider notified it June 19 of a potential outbreak. Health officials asked the company for a list of all employees so they could compare it to testing results the department had received. The company, they said, failed to provide the list after multiple requests. (Charney has said it took time to gather the information.)
During a site visit June 26, the department stated, inspectors observed multiple violations of infection-control protocols, including the use of cardboard as a barrier between workers. King noted that among other violations, disinfectant solution was not readily available, and management was not monitoring social distancing. Workstations, she said, were not six feet apart.
“We observed sometimes when they had employees come in, for instance, to pick up checks, there was not social distancing,” she said. “A lot of companies are putting tape or cones to mark the six feet. That was not being done. If you don’t have that, people have a tendency to bunch up.”
The company, she said, was unable to tell officials where workers had sat, making contact tracing difficult and forcing the department “to determine that everyone that was there was potentially exposed.” It also did not train workers on safety in their primary language, which for most was Spanish, she said. Charney said the company has been providing training sessions this week and that prior to doing so, it communicated to workers how to stay safe.
“We got the message of six feet distancing, the message of not coming to work if you’re ill, the fundamental message that you must wear a mask,” he said. “We communicated those issues.”
Attendees of a training session are told to alert their supervisors if they don’t feel well. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Nuncio at the Garment Worker Center said she began hearing in May from Los Angeles Apparel workers who had gotten sick from the coronavirus. They described how managers would come within six feet of workers and how the factory seemed to allow visitors in without much oversight.
“Vendors would come trying to sell things to employees,” she said. “[Workers] also said that applicants, people looking to apply for work, would come in — that they weren’t preventing that, and there wasn’t protocols in place for those people, whether they maintained social distance, whether they wore a mask.”
Workers said the company didn’t communicate cases of the virus to them, leaving them to suspect that missing employees were sick.
“They were of course concerned and worried it was because of COVID but didn’t get that confirmed,” Nuncio said. “There were rumors about workers passing away, but it wasn’t confirmed.”
Chiara, a 52-year-old woman from Peru who asked to be identified by her last name for fear of backlash, tested positive for the coronavirus after working at the factory for several weeks. When she first felt symptoms in June, it seemed to be “a simple flu.” She worked for a few more days, but after developing a painful headache and feeling faint, she stopped going in. A supervisor advised that she should get tested.
Now, she wonders if she was exposed during her breaks, since she hadn’t made sure that the people who had occupied a lunch table before her had disinfected it. She has questioned whether she should have been better about cleaning her equipment, since she shared it with someone from a different shift.
“We would have taken better care of our health,” Chiara said, had workers been trained on protecting themselves from the virus. But she plans on returning to the factory once it reopens, doubting that she’ll find another job that pays her $14.25 an hour.
“They’re changing things there,” she said. “It gives me security that I’ll be fine there. That’s what I say [now]. I don’t know what will happen.”
But Maribel Maldonado, a 50-year-old Mexican worker who also tested positive for the virus, won’t be coming back.
Maldonado said there wasn’t adequate social distancing when she began working in April as a trimmer at Los Angeles Apparel. She would sit at a makeshift cardboard table with about half a meter separating her from others, causing her to ask if she could distance herself more.
In early May, she said, she worked in an area that lacked ventilation. She sat at a long table where workers tried to maintain distance. At one point, she said, the company added more tables because people were sitting too close together.
She tested positive for the coronavirus shortly thereafter, experiencing headaches and feeling nauseous. She’s now taking online classes to prepare for a new job providing financial services related to life insurance — work she can do without close contact with others.
“I wouldn’t return there — least of all now that I’ve just started to get better,” she said. “It’s too hot there. They aren’t careful about distancing.”
Mariana, who has worked at Los Angeles Apparel for about three years, began wearing two masks as she heard of more and more employees who had gotten sick. Before the county shut down the factory, she would get tested several times a month and would bring her own disinfectant from home.
After the June work stoppage, Charney met with workers. He told them to practice social distancing and that a few employees had tested positive, Mariana recalled.
She has noticed improvements. When Los Angeles Apparel opened briefly last week (the company said it was given permission to open, while officials called it a violation), there were “gallons of disinfectants,” she said. Workers passed around a box to raise money to support the family of a colleague who had died from the virus.
In addition to holding safety training sessions, shown, Los Angeles Apparel said it has upgraded its facilities and instituted more robust health screenings. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Charney said that the company has added upgrades such as touchless faucets, better ventilation, more robust screening for symptoms and improved training for cleaning staff. The company, he said, has been helping workers to get tested before reopening.
“The opportunity here is, we’re going to have the best factory,” he said. “If this thing lasts for a long time, we have the best opportunity to keep going and keep everybody safe.”
During a safety training session for workers Wednesday at the factory, 11 people sat in socially distanced rows of chairs. Hand sanitizer and gloves rested on a table nearby. A sign glued to the sanitizer said in Spanish, “Masks are required.”
Several instructors presented in English and Spanish, explaining that many Black and Latino people have died from the virus. Workers were to clean shared work spaces and notify supervisors when they didn’t feel well, they said.
“Your job will be here,” an instructor told the group in Spanish. “We’re trying to prevent more people from getting sick.”
When it was time for questions, one man raised his hand.
“Can you get the virus if you touch someone with the virus?” he asked.
A few seconds later, he had an answer from the instructor. Yes, there was a risk.


Ask a Reporter

Being an L.A. Times journalist means going to interesting places , talking to fascinating people and seeing things that most people only ever read about .
Many of those experiences are captured in the articles , videos and images we publish online and in print , but there ’ s always more to the story.Our new live event series , “ Ask a Reporter , ” is your chance to find out about the experiences journalists have that don ’ t make it into their work.Each week , an L.A. Times reporter , photographer , columnist or videographer will answer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our Twitter profile or our Facebook page to share your questions ahead of time and to sign up to receive an alert when the video begins.On July 21 , photographer Jay Clendenin will talk about what it ’ s like to photograph celebrities from afar because of the coronavirus with moderator and audience engagement editor Adriana Lacy On July 28 , reporter Ben Oreskes and columnist Erika Smith will discuss the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles.On August 4 , reporter Sarah Wire will answer questions about the end of the U.S. congressional session @ @ @ @ @ @ @ audience engagement editor Adrienne Shih

Join Times reporters Rosanna Xia and Sammy Roth as they discuss “Our Climate Change Challenge” during a live streaming conversation.
City Editor Maria La Ganga will moderate this discussion, based on a Times special report investigating the state of climate change in California – and what we can do about it.
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The project explores topics such as recycling, composting, use of solar energy at home, sustainable design, public transit, reduced waste kitchens and Southern California’s air quality. Readers are invited to share their questions and suggestions before and during the event.
Rosanna Xia is an environment reporter for the Times, where she specializes in stories about the coast and ocean. She also is the author of “California Against the Sea: Visions for our Vanishing Coastline,” which will be published Sept. 26. Sammy Roth covers energy for Times and writes the weekly Boiling Point newsletter.
When: Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. PT
Where: This free virtual event will be live streaming. Sign up on Eventbrite and watch links will be provided the week of the event.
Q&A: What would you like to ask the reporters? Share your questions when you RSVP, or send an email to bookclub@latimes.com.


latimes--2020-07-17--Cal State Trustee Jeffrey Krinsk resigns after angering colleagues

Jeffrey Krinsk , a member of the California State University Board of Trustees , resigned his position Friday amid a furor over his behavior toward fellow trustees and staff .
It is the first time in recent memory a trustee has resigned over conduct , although others have left voluntarily , CSU spokesman Mike Uhlenkamp said .
Krinsk , a San Diego-based attorney who is active in Democratic politics , was appointed to the 25-member board by Gov .
Gavin Newsom last August and had yet to be confirmed by the state Senate .
After appointment , trustees may begin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a year .
Krinsk faced a possible vote of censure by his colleagues on the board at its next meeting on Tuesday for violation of their code of conduct , which says , among other things , that a trustee should use designated institutional channels when conducting board business and refrain from actions that may prove embarrassing to the CSU .
“ I resigned because of the censure and the belief that it took place ... without my knowledge or ability to respond , ” Krinsk said in an interview by phone Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” He said also that while serving as a trustee he lacked meaningful opportunity to dissent from his colleagues or Chancellor Timothy White , whom he described as “ extremely capable.
” White accepted Krink ’ s resignation Friday afternoon .
He declined to comment .
Lillian Kimbell , chair of the board , said in a statement : “ We appreciate his service as a trustee and wish him well in his future endeavors.
” The agenda for Tuesday ’ s meeting said Kimbell would present information “ regarding misconduct by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ she ] has determined to be a breach of the Trustees ’ Code of Conduct ” and recommend a vote of censure .
The agenda item did not name Krinsk .
Uhlenkamp said the agenda item related to “ several instances ” of misconduct by a member of the board toward fellow trustees and staff , in both public and private meetings .
During a committee session at the May board of trustees meeting , which was held remotely , Krinsk repeatedly questioned whether and when notice of a previous meeting had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the CSU ’ s general counsel and secretary of the board , responded that it had been sent at least 10 days prior to the meeting , as required by law , Krinsk pressed him further .
“ Could you send me some confirmation of that ?
” he asked .
“ I doubt that ’ s the case.
” After then-board Chair Adam Day and other trustees confirmed the date of the notice , Krinsk acknowledged the error was his .
“ I apologize if I inferred otherwise , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the future ... to refrain from impugning the character of our hardworking staff , ” Day said .
The members of the committee recessed for a break .
When they returned , White spoke first .
“ When anybody attacks the integrity of the chair of the board of trustees they attack the integrity of the entire board , and I will not , for one , stand for that , ” he said .
Krinsk said Friday he may have offended some people but “ the idea of acting politely is secondary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consideration of alternatives is important to a university as important as the CSU.
” Krinsk ’ s resignation is effective immediately .
Newsom will decide his replacement .
The governor ’ s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment .

Jeffrey R. Krinsk, a member of the Board of Trustees at California State University, resigned his position Friday.
Jeffrey Krinsk, a member of the California State University Board of Trustees, resigned his position Friday amid a furor over his behavior toward fellow trustees and staff.
It is the first time in recent memory a trustee has resigned over conduct, although others have left voluntarily, CSU spokesman Mike Uhlenkamp said.
Krinsk, a San Diego-based attorney who is active in Democratic politics, was appointed to the 25-member board by Gov. Gavin Newsom last August and had yet to be confirmed by the state Senate. After appointment, trustees may begin their terms but must be confirmed within a year.
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Krinsk faced a possible vote of censure by his colleagues on the board at its next meeting on Tuesday for violation of their code of conduct, which says, among other things, that a trustee should use designated institutional channels when conducting board business and refrain from actions that may prove embarrassing to the CSU.
“I resigned because of the censure and the belief that it took place ... without my knowledge or ability to respond,” Krinsk said in an interview by phone Friday. “It was a kangaroo court.”
He said also that while serving as a trustee he lacked meaningful opportunity to dissent from his colleagues or Chancellor Timothy White, whom he described as “extremely capable.”
White accepted Krink’s resignation Friday afternoon. He declined to comment. Lillian Kimbell, chair of the board, said in a statement: “We appreciate his service as a trustee and wish him well in his future endeavors.”
The agenda for Tuesday’s meeting said Kimbell would present information “regarding misconduct by a member of the Board of Trustees which [she] has determined to be a breach of the Trustees’ Code of Conduct” and recommend a vote of censure. The agenda item did not name Krinsk.
Uhlenkamp said the agenda item related to “several instances” of misconduct by a member of the board toward fellow trustees and staff, in both public and private meetings.
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During a committee session at the May board of trustees meeting, which was held remotely, Krinsk repeatedly questioned whether and when notice of a previous meeting had been sent out. When Andrew Jones, the CSU’s general counsel and secretary of the board, responded that it had been sent at least 10 days prior to the meeting, as required by law, Krinsk pressed him further.
“Could you send me some confirmation of that?” he asked. “I doubt that’s the case.”
After then-board Chair Adam Day and other trustees confirmed the date of the notice, Krinsk acknowledged the error was his. “I apologize if I inferred otherwise,” he said.
“I would appreciate in the future ... to refrain from impugning the character of our hardworking staff,” Day said.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Krinsk responded.
The members of the committee recessed for a break. When they returned, White spoke first.
“When anybody attacks the integrity of the chair of the board of trustees they attack the integrity of the entire board, and I will not, for one, stand for that,” he said.
Krinsk said Friday he may have offended some people but “the idea of acting politely is secondary to my belief that accomplishment and meaningful consideration of alternatives is important to a university as important as the CSU.”
Krinsk’s resignation is effective immediately. Newsom will decide his replacement. The governor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


latimes--2020-07-17--Los Angeles County reports highest weekly total of new coronavirus cases

Los Angeles County saw three record-breaking single-day increases in new coronavirus infections this week and the highest number of cases logged in one week .
Surpassing 17,000 cases from last week , Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti reported 23,310 new cases in the county from this week at a Friday evening briefing .
Los Angeles County public health officials reported 4,506 new coronavirus cases Thursday , shattering the record for the highest single-day increase in new infections of 4,200 from Tuesday .
“ Each case represents a person that is capable of , and in all probability is , infecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barbara Ferrer , the county health director , said in a statement .
“ If you do the math , it is easy to see why the alarm.
” Garcetti reported 2,885 new cases and 62 deaths on Friday in the county , for a total of 150,319 positive confirmed cases and 4,047 deaths , matching the expectations from the county to surpass 4,000 deaths by the end of the week .
“ The simple truth of this fight is that this virus is affecting more and more of us every day , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was taking place across California , which has now tallied 367,561 confirmed cases of the virus and 7,524 deaths , according to the Los Angeles Times ’ California coronavirus tracker .
On Tuesday , the state recorded its highest number of new cases in a single day , 11,142 infections .
Tuesday also marked the second-highest number of deaths in a single day statewide , with 144 deaths tallied , according to the tracker .
“ This week we ’ ve hit concerning milestones , ” Ferrer said .
“ We have reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the most hospitalizations and tragically high death numbers.
” L.A. County reported record numbers of confirmed coronavirus patients in its hospitals on Tuesday and again Wednesday .
There were 2,173 confirmed coronavirus patients in county hospitals Thursday , with 27 % in intensive care and 17 % on ventilators .
Twenty percent of the patients are between 18 and 40 , a higher share than at any other point during the pandemic , officials said Thursday .
The proportion of test results coming back positive also continues to climb , with more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday and 9 % testing positive .
An increase in the positivity rate indicates that the disease is spreading more rapidly in the community , experts say .
Officials believe the uptick in disease transmission began in late May , when more people began leaving their homes to go back to work , attend social gatherings and visit newly reopened restaurants and other establishments .
It takes up to two weeks for the virus to incubate and then another week or two for cases to result in hospitalization or death .
County health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus is spreading rapidly in workplaces that are not following safety rules .
The sectors with the highest numbers of cases are food processing and distribution facilities , including meatpacking plants , manufacturing facilities , garment factories and wholesale warehouses .
The worst local workplace outbreak occurred at Los Angeles Apparel , a garment manufacturer based in South L.A. More than 300 of the company ’ s nearly 2,300 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 and four have died , Muntu Davis , the county health officer , said Thursday .
The county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shut down operations at the garment manufacturer June 27 after inspectors found “ flagrant violations ” of public health infection control orders and said the company failed to cooperate with an investigation of a reported coronavirus outbreak .
The company ’ s founder , Dov Charney , disputed those claims and questioned whether there was evidence that the factory ’ s workers were being infected at a higher rate than those living in the surrounding community .
Higher mortality rates among lower-income communities and Black and Latino residents in L.A. County have remained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deaths among Latino residents make up 60 % of the fatalities that have occurred outside skilled-nursing facilities in the county , data show .
“ Unfortunately , a lot of disproportionality can be traced to the fact that a significant number of essential workers are low-income or are people of color , ” Davis said .
“ Oftentimes , people who are low-income can not stay home to work , and early in the pandemic , there were few protections offered at many work sites.
” Officials estimate that the effective transmission rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1.07 , according to data released Wednesday , although the actual number could be anywhere from 0.94 to 1.2 .
That means officials estimate that on average , every one person infected with the virus transmits it to 1.07 other people .
In a bid to tamp down the uptick , Gov .
Gavin Newsom on June 28 ordered bars closed in L.A. County and several others , followed by indoor restaurant dining on July 1 .
Garcetti said Friday that he will hold off on additional closures .
It has been about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it ’ ll take at least three weeks to learn whether the actions taken that week decisively changed the course of the pandemic , said Dr. Christina Ghaly , director of health services for Los Angeles County .
Ghaly said Wednesday that if people go back to safer behavior — staying home as much as possible , avoiding social gatherings , wearing face coverings , keeping physical distance and workplaces following new safety protocols — L.A. County could avoid having hospitals and ICUs overwhelmed .
Still , given the exponential nature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have expressed concern about the outlook in the coming days .
The 4,500-plus cases identified Thursday could lead to more than 18,000 infected people “ in a few weeks , ” Ferrer said .
“ And this is just from one day of new cases , ” she said .
“ Without aggressive action on the part of every person , we will not get back to slowing the spread .
”

Alex Wigglesworth, Hannah Fry, Rong-Gong Lin II, Stephanie Lai

An employee has her temperature checked before entering LA Apparel, a company that has seen one of the worst local coronavirus outbreaks.
Los Angeles County saw three record-breaking single-day increases in new coronavirus infections this week and the highest number of cases logged in one week.
Surpassing 17,000 cases from last week, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti reported 23,310 new cases in the county from this week at a Friday evening briefing.
Los Angeles County public health officials reported 4,506 new coronavirus cases Thursday, shattering the record for the highest single-day increase in new infections of 4,200 from Tuesday.
Advertisement
“Each case represents a person that is capable of, and in all probability is, infecting at least one other person,” Barbara Ferrer, the county health director, said in a statement. “If you do the math, it is easy to see why the alarm.”
Garcetti reported 2,885 new cases and 62 deaths on Friday in the county, for a total of 150,319 positive confirmed cases and 4,047 deaths, matching the expectations from the county to surpass 4,000 deaths by the end of the week.
“The simple truth of this fight is that this virus is affecting more and more of us every day,” Garcetti said.
A similar surge was taking place across California, which has now tallied 367,561 confirmed cases of the virus and 7,524 deaths, according to the Los Angeles Times’ California coronavirus tracker.
On Tuesday, the state recorded its highest number of new cases in a single day, 11,142 infections. Tuesday also marked the second-highest number of deaths in a single day statewide, with 144 deaths tallied, according to the tracker.
“This week we’ve hit concerning milestones,” Ferrer said. “We have reported the most cases in a single day, the most hospitalizations and tragically high death numbers.”
Advertisement
L.A. County reported record numbers of confirmed coronavirus patients in its hospitals on Tuesday and again Wednesday. There were 2,173 confirmed coronavirus patients in county hospitals Thursday, with 27% in intensive care and 17% on ventilators.
By Friday, hospitalizations stood at 2,188 confirmed coronavirus patients.
Twenty percent of the patients are between 18 and 40, a higher share than at any other point during the pandemic, officials said Thursday.
The proportion of test results coming back positive also continues to climb, with more than 1.44 million people tested as of Thursday and 9% testing positive. An increase in the positivity rate indicates that the disease is spreading more rapidly in the community, experts say.
Officials believe the uptick in disease transmission began in late May, when more people began leaving their homes to go back to work, attend social gatherings and visit newly reopened restaurants and other establishments.
It takes up to two weeks for the virus to incubate and then another week or two for cases to result in hospitalization or death.
County health officials said earlier this week that the coronavirus is spreading rapidly in workplaces that are not following safety rules. The sectors with the highest numbers of cases are food processing and distribution facilities, including meatpacking plants, manufacturing facilities, garment factories and wholesale warehouses.
The worst local workplace outbreak occurred at Los Angeles Apparel, a garment manufacturer based in South L.A. More than 300 of the company’s nearly 2,300 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 and four have died, Muntu Davis, the county health officer, said Thursday.
The county public health department said that it first shut down operations at the garment manufacturer June 27 after inspectors found “flagrant violations” of public health infection control orders and said the company failed to cooperate with an investigation of a reported coronavirus outbreak.
The company’s founder, Dov Charney, disputed those claims and questioned whether there was evidence that the factory’s workers were being infected at a higher rate than those living in the surrounding community.
Higher mortality rates among lower-income communities and Black and Latino residents in L.A. County have remained a key concern for health officials. Deaths among Latino residents make up 60% of the fatalities that have occurred outside skilled-nursing facilities in the county, data show.
“Unfortunately, a lot of disproportionality can be traced to the fact that a significant number of essential workers are low-income or are people of color,” Davis said. “Oftentimes, people who are low-income cannot stay home to work, and early in the pandemic, there were few protections offered at many work sites.”
Officials estimate that the effective transmission rate of the coronavirus has risen slightly to 1.07, according to data released Wednesday, although the actual number could be anywhere from 0.94 to 1.2. That means officials estimate that on average, every one person infected with the virus transmits it to 1.07 other people.
In a bid to tamp down the uptick, Gov. Gavin Newsom on June 28 ordered bars closed in L.A. County and several others, followed by indoor restaurant dining on July 1.
Garcetti said Friday that he will hold off on additional closures.
It has been about two weeks since Newsom’s order, but it’ll take at least three weeks to learn whether the actions taken that week decisively changed the course of the pandemic, said Dr. Christina Ghaly, director of health services for Los Angeles County.
Ghaly said Wednesday that if people go back to safer behavior — staying home as much as possible, avoiding social gatherings, wearing face coverings, keeping physical distance and workplaces following new safety protocols — L.A. County could avoid having hospitals and ICUs overwhelmed.
Still, given the exponential nature of the virus’ growth, officials have expressed concern about the outlook in the coming days. The 4,500-plus cases identified Thursday could lead to more than 18,000 infected people “in a few weeks,” Ferrer said.
“And this is just from one day of new cases,” she said. “Without aggressive action on the part of every person, we will not get back to slowing the spread.”


latimes--2020-07-17--A New York writer asked 'L.A. Twitter' where she should live. It didn't go well

It was totally an innocent question .
She promises .
Taylor Lorenz , a New York Times Style reporter known for cheeky but astute explainers on online youth culture , tweeted an innocuous query to her 171,000 followers that set off — true to the high-wire tensions of the web these days — an avalanche of indignant responses .
“ LA Twitter , ” Lorenz , “ Everyone says Silverlake , Echo Park , and Los Feliz are the best places to live in LA .
But why not Santa Monica or Venice ?
Wouldn ’ t u wan na @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in CA ?
Just something I ’ ve been wondering ” .
The replies were , uh , impassioned .
Hundreds weighed in , revealing a complexity of emotions and biases that inform any hot take about the social and cultural landscape of urban Los Angeles .
“ I feel like non-LA people just don ’ t understand how infrequently LA people go to LA beaches , ” Haley Potiker , who works in communications for a local union .
“ A not perfect at all analogy would be ‘ Everyone says Williamsburg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places to live .
But why not Upper East or Upper West Side ?
Wouldn ’ t you wan na be near Central Park if you live in NY ?
’ ” wrote Nicolas Gonzalez , offering actually a near-perfect analogy for Lorenz ’ s lens on L.A. “ Not criticizing you but you may be getting slanted intel , ” he added .
Another : “ This thread is peak LA .
Everyone thinks every place is awful besides where they live.
” In Los Angeles , needling a New Yorker ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become something of an internet pastime .
Especially in recent years , as the city grapples with what often feels like an unending stream of plopped-in arrivals from New York , the country ’ s cockiest metropolis .
Angelenos have a stereotype about these folks : people who ceaselessly , often ridiculously try to define every central neighborhood in L.A. with an analogous counterpart in New York .
Although Lorenz was tweeting for her own reconnaissance mission , her question unleashed for many the memories of an embarrassing string of New York Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Real Estate sections , that make L.A. sound like an alien kingdom , devoid of history or meaning that doesn ’ t involve a New Yorker ’ s stamp of approval .
One such story referred to Olvera Street as little more than the source of “ all useless items in the world , ” resulting in an apology from its writer and editors .
Other pieces recycle the tropes of L.A. 's supposed lack of pedestrian culture , or its epic traffic , or the symbols of palm trees and plastic surgery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” one New York Times writer recently asked , as if the mere existence of this place was too much for the brain to bear .
Little wonder L.A. Twitter was triggered .
Reached this week at home in New York , Lorenz admitted that her question was maybe too innocent for the knives-out climate surrounding the New-Yorkers-on-Los-Angeles problem .
“ I was just looking at a map of L.A. trying to be like , ‘ Hmm , where should I even start looking ?
’ ” Lorenz said .
“ This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The writer is moving to L.A. because much of her area of coverage lately is centered here , where she flies in , takes Ubers and chases TikTok stars at mansions in Calabasas or the Hollywood Hills .
( Disclosure : This reporter briefly overlapped with Lorenz on the staff of the New York Times Style section last fall . )
Regarding her tweet , she said she honestly needed the guidance .
“ I didn ’ t realize some of the challenges these communities are facing with gentrification , ” Lorenz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from New York .
I ’ m deeply aware of those issues in New York.
” Just prior to this L.A. Twitter storm , Lorenz was facing an aggressive doxxing campaign for her reporting work .
On July 1 , her name came up in a conversation on the invite-only live-audio app Clubhouse , in which members derided the “ right ” of Lorenz , and journalists at large , to question or “ cancel ” venture capitalists and Silicon Valley tech leaders .
Since then , powerful VC figures have attacked her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand why she might want a nice home retreat .
The reporter said she probably won ’ t live in any of the neighborhoods mentioned in the original tweet , realizing that all of them — even once-scrappy Echo Park — are out of her price range .
“ The places I saw in Los Feliz were not that much cheaper than places in Venice , so I kind of got the sense [ the replies were ] more of a beef between areas , ” Lorenz said .
And what a beef @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revealed deeply entrenched stereotypes that Angelenos harbor about one another , along hard geographical lines .
Many respondents , cruelly , called the Santa Monica and Venice shorelines smelly , ugly or worse .
( “ It was a lot of Westside bashing , ” the reporter marveled . )
“ Anything west of the 405 might as well be North Korea for how likely I am to visit , ” screenwriter Sam Laskey .
More serious replies accused Lorenz of ignoring lower-income or non-white native Angelenos by using the euphemism of “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : outsiders with enough mobility to move to California , which in 2018 had the of any state , according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis .
Times staff writer Esmeralda Bermudez with a truism repeated throughout the mini-controversy , that L.A. , in its spatial vastness , is far richer than the neighborhoods where privileged arrivals from the East Coast tend to congregate — a handful of locales compared to the ’ hoods , cities or unincorporated places that are currently designated by The Times ’ neighborhood mapping project .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kid .
I ’ ve never lived or had any interest in living in any of these places , ” Bermudez replied to Lorenz .
“ L.A .
is so much more than these neighborhoods , though it ’ s often all transplants choose to see.
” For other hardened Angelenos , the Lorenz tweet reflected the shifting edges of “ cool ” and “ up-and-coming ” in a city characterized by constant layering , upheaval and displacement .
Pat Saperstein , an editor at Variety and founder of the old-school blog Eating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and lived in the Melrose area when it was the absolute hippest — in the 1980s .
She then moved to Silver Lake , or the area she tried at one point , unsuccessfully , to normalize as the Near Eastside ( reminder : “ Eastside ” should only be used for places east of the L.A. River ) .
Saperstein said she explicitly avoided weighing in on the Lorenz tweet controversy , saying , “ We ’ ve litigated it so many times.
” Today she lives in Echo Park .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to be in Santa Monica or Venice , that ’ s why those areas are so incredibly expensive ; then they went to Silver Lake so they could afford it , and now that area is attractive to a whole other group of people , ” Saperstein said .
And judging from the machinations of the local real estate market , the boundary of the next-edgy ’ hood has arguably already left places like Echo Park behind .
“ In my neighborhood there are huge houses going up that are now selling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is just insane , ” Saperstein said .
It ’ s possible , she added , that defensiveness about the coolness factor of Los Feliz , Silver Lake and Echo Park is rooted in the anguish over the trifecta ’ s inevitable de-cooling .
“ I think it ’ s starting to get those characteristics that people don ’ t like about the Westside , ” Saperstein said , adding that she has no intention of leaving .
In that regard , others noted , the Westside is also too often dismissed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who refuses to acknowledge that the Westside is not simply rich , white and recent .
“ L.A .
is a big , vibrant , wonderful city that has great neighborhoods in the Eastside , the Westside and even the fake Eastside that all the gentrifiers live in is really nice , ” said Eric Nusbaum , a Culver City native and author of “ Stealing Home , ” a new book about the displacement of working-class residents in Chavez Ravine for the construction of Dodger Stadium .
“ I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because there ’ s a lack of curiosity in that.
” Lorenz seemed to take the raking gamely .
The use of “ everyone ” in her L.A. tweet , she admitted , landed wrongly : She actually meant a casual group chat with friends who already live in Los Angeles .
As far as the Westside vs. Eastside battle in L.A. , Lorenz offered another New York analogy , because of course .
“ People in Brooklyn talk a lot of [ crap ] on Manhattan , and people in Manhattan just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The roasting she took by L.A. Twitter users , she said , was more instructive than any piece of advice she ’ s gotten on where to move .
“ I ’ m scared of L.A. Twitter now , ” Lorenz laughed .
“ I always thought New York Twitter is the most intense Twitter , and this literally felt like I was being introduced to L.A. Internet.
” Meanwhile , her search continues .
Somewhere in the Valley , she said in all seriousness , suddenly sounded nice .

Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake, one of the neighborhoods of Los Angeles that attracts recently arrived New Yorkers.
It was totally an innocent question. She promises.
Taylor Lorenz, a New York Times Style reporter known for cheeky but astute explainers on online youth culture, tweeted an innocuous query to her 171,000 followers that set off — true to the high-wire tensions of the web these days — an avalanche of indignant responses.
“LA Twitter,” Lorenz wrote , “Everyone says Silverlake, Echo Park, and Los Feliz are the best places to live in LA. But why not Santa Monica or Venice? Wouldn’t u wanna be near the beach if u live in CA? Just something I’ve been wondering”.
The replies were, uh, impassioned. Hundreds weighed in, revealing a complexity of emotions and biases that inform any hot take about the social and cultural landscape of urban Los Angeles.
“I feel like non-LA people just don’t understand how infrequently LA people go to LA beaches,” responded Haley Potiker, who works in communications for a local union.
“A not perfect at all analogy would be ‘Everyone says Williamsburg, Bushwick and Greenpoint are the best places to live. But why not Upper East or Upper West Side? Wouldn’t you wanna be near Central Park if you live in NY?’” wrote Nicolas Gonzalez, offering actually a near-perfect analogy for Lorenz’s lens on L.A.
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“Not criticizing you but you may be getting slanted intel,” he added.
Another said : “This thread is peak LA. Everyone thinks every place is awful besides where they live.”
In Los Angeles, needling a New Yorker’s cluelessness about L.A.’s geography has become something of an internet pastime. Especially in recent years, as the city grapples with what often feels like an unending stream of plopped-in arrivals from New York, the country’s cockiest metropolis.
Angelenos have a stereotype about these folks: people who ceaselessly, often ridiculously try to define every central neighborhood in L.A. with an analogous counterpart in New York.
Although Lorenz was tweeting for her own reconnaissance mission, her question unleashed for many the memories of an embarrassing string of New York Times pieces, largely in the Travel and Real Estate sections, that make L.A. sound like an alien kingdom, devoid of history or meaning that doesn’t involve a New Yorker’s stamp of approval.
One such story referred to Olvera Street as little more than the source of “all useless items in the world,” resulting in an apology from its writer and editors. Other pieces recycle the tropes of L.A.’s supposed lack of pedestrian culture, or its epic traffic, or the symbols of palm trees and plastic surgery. “What is Los Angeles?” one New York Times writer recently asked, as if the mere existence of this place was too much for the brain to bear.
Advertisement
Little wonder L.A. Twitter was triggered.
Reached this week at home in New York, Lorenz admitted that her question was maybe too innocent for the knives-out climate surrounding the New-Yorkers-on-Los-Angeles problem.
“I was just looking at a map of L.A. trying to be like, ‘Hmm, where should I even start looking?’” Lorenz said. “This is before I was even looking at prices.”
The writer is moving to L.A. because much of her area of coverage lately is centered here, where she flies in, takes Ubers and chases TikTok stars at mansions in Calabasas or the Hollywood Hills. (Disclosure: This reporter briefly overlapped with Lorenz on the staff of the New York Times Style section last fall.) Regarding her tweet, she said she honestly needed the guidance.
“I didn’t realize some of the challenges these communities are facing with gentrification,” Lorenz said. “My whole family is from New York. I’m deeply aware of those issues in New York.”
Just prior to this L.A. Twitter storm, Lorenz was facing an aggressive doxxing campaign for her reporting work. On July 1, her name came up in a conversation on the invite-only live-audio app Clubhouse, in which members derided the “right” of Lorenz, and journalists at large, to question or “cancel” venture capitalists and Silicon Valley tech leaders. Since then, powerful VC figures have attacked her character. It’s easy to understand why she might want a nice home retreat.
The reporter said she probably won’t live in any of the neighborhoods mentioned in the original tweet, realizing that all of them — even once-scrappy Echo Park — are out of her price range. “The places I saw in Los Feliz were not that much cheaper than places in Venice, so I kind of got the sense [the replies were] more of a beef between areas,” Lorenz said.
And what a beef it was. The Twitter storm also revealed deeply entrenched stereotypes that Angelenos harbor about one another, along hard geographical lines. Many respondents, cruelly, called the Santa Monica and Venice shorelines smelly, ugly or worse. (“It was a lot of Westside bashing,” the reporter marveled.)
“Anything west of the 405 might as well be North Korea for how likely I am to visit,” tweeted screenwriter Sam Laskey.
Why not Venice? It smells, some respondents told writer Taylor Lorenz. (Allison Zaucha / For The Times)
More serious replies accused Lorenz of ignoring lower-income or non-white native Angelenos by using the euphemism of “everyone” to mean people like her: outsiders with enough mobility to move to California, which in 2018 had the highest rental housing prices of any state, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
“It’s erasure rooted in white supremacy,” tweeted journalist Aura Bogado.
Times staff writer Esmeralda Bermudez responded with a truism repeated throughout the mini-controversy, that L.A., in its spatial vastness, is far richer than the neighborhoods where privileged arrivals from the East Coast tend to congregate — a handful of locales compared to the 272 ’hoods, cities or unincorporated places that are currently designated by The Times’ neighborhood mapping project.
“Been in L.A. since I was a kid. I’ve never lived or had any interest in living in any of these places,” Bermudez replied to Lorenz. “L.A. is so much more than these neighborhoods, though it’s often all transplants choose to see.”
For other hardened Angelenos, the Lorenz tweet reflected the shifting edges of “cool” and “up-and-coming” in a city characterized by constant layering, upheaval and displacement. Pat Saperstein, an editor at Variety and founder of the old-school blog Eating L.A., grew up in Santa Monica and lived in the Melrose area when it was the absolute hippest — in the 1980s.
She then moved to Silver Lake, or the area she tried at one point, unsuccessfully, to normalize as the Near Eastside (reminder: “Eastside” should only be used for places east of the L.A. River). Saperstein said she explicitly avoided weighing in on the Lorenz tweet controversy, saying, “We’ve litigated it so many times.” Today she lives in Echo Park.
“A decade or two ago, everyone wanted to be in Santa Monica or Venice, that’s why those areas are so incredibly expensive; then they went to Silver Lake so they could afford it, and now that area is attractive to a whole other group of people,” Saperstein said.
And judging from the machinations of the local real estate market, the boundary of the next-edgy ’hood has arguably already left places like Echo Park behind. “In my neighborhood there are huge houses going up that are now selling for close to $3 million, which is just insane,” Saperstein said.
It’s possible, she added, that defensiveness about the coolness factor of Los Feliz, Silver Lake and Echo Park is rooted in the anguish over the trifecta’s inevitable de-cooling. “I think it’s starting to get those characteristics that people don’t like about the Westside,” Saperstein said, adding that she has no intention of leaving.
In that regard, others noted, the Westside is also too often dismissed by so-called new Eastsiders, or anyone who refuses to acknowledge that the Westside is not simply rich, white and recent.
“L.A. is a big, vibrant, wonderful city that has great neighborhoods in the Eastside, the Westside and even the fake Eastside that all the gentrifiers live in is really nice,” said Eric Nusbaum, a Culver City native and author of “Stealing Home,” a new book about the displacement of working-class residents in Chavez Ravine for the construction of Dodger Stadium. “I don’t like the superiority that people have, because there’s a lack of curiosity in that.”
A view of the 405 Freeway heading into the San Fernando Valley, a place the New York Times writer is seriously considering calling home. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Lorenz seemed to take the raking gamely. The use of “everyone” in her L.A. tweet, she admitted, landed wrongly: She actually meant a casual group chat with friends who already live in Los Angeles. As far as the Westside vs. Eastside battle in L.A., Lorenz offered another New York analogy, because of course.
“People in Brooklyn talk a lot of [crap] on Manhattan, and people in Manhattan just don’t care,” she said.
The roasting she took by L.A. Twitter users, she said, was more instructive than any piece of advice she’s gotten on where to move. “I’m scared of L.A. Twitter now,” Lorenz laughed. “I always thought New York Twitter is the most intense Twitter, and this literally felt like I was being introduced to L.A. Internet.”
Meanwhile, her search continues. Somewhere in the Valley, she said in all seriousness, suddenly sounded nice.


latimes--2020-07-18--Almost 500 people have died of COVID-19 in Orange County as cases approach 30,000

Orange County reported 25 more deaths connected to the novel coronavirus on Saturday , the third-highest day on record as the number of confirmed cases continues to surge .
Health officials said that 109 deaths have been reported in the last two weeks , and 494 since the pandemic began .
The deaths reported Saturday included seven people who lived in institutional settings such as nursing homes .
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases countywide climbed to 29,011 , with 702 new cases reported Saturday .
The number of infections in Orange County has grown dramatically over the last month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Los Angeles County .
Across California , transmission rates for coronavirus continued to rise .
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases topped 375,000 Friday , and the number of deaths exceeded 7,600 .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom added Orange County to his coronavirus watchlist because the share of COVID-19 tests that have come back positive , and the number of people infected per 100,000 residents , are too high to meet state benchmarks .
Over a seven-day period , 13.9 % of COVID-19 tests came back positive .
Over the last two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases , an average of 396 positive tests per 100,000 Orange County residents — a rate equivalent to that of L.A. County .
Orange and Riverside counties have seen the number of hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 infections nearly triple in the last two months .
In San Bernardino County , that number has more than quadrupled .
All three counties allowed many businesses to reopen a week before Los Angeles County .
California has mandated face coverings in public settings since June 18 .
But Orange County has become a hotbed of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from public health officials who say the coverings are among the most effective tools to slow the spread of the virus .
Orange County ’ s former health officer resigned after receiving weeks of verbal abuse , including a death threat , over her mandatory mask order .
Last week , education officials approved recommendations that would allow public schools to reopen in the fall without requiring social distancing or mandatory mask policies , prompting immediate backlash .

Orange County reported 25 more deaths connected to the novel coronavirus on Saturday, the third-highest day on record as the number of confirmed cases continues to surge.
Health officials said that 109 deaths have been reported in the last two weeks, and 494 since the pandemic began. The deaths reported Saturday included seven people who lived in institutional settings such as nursing homes.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases countywide climbed to 29,011, with 702 new cases reported Saturday. The number of infections in Orange County has grown dramatically over the last month, and is now second only to Los Angeles County.
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Across California, transmission rates for coronavirus continued to rise. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases topped 375,000 Friday, and the number of deaths exceeded 7,600.
Gov. Gavin Newsom added Orange County to his coronavirus watchlist because the share of COVID-19 tests that have come back positive, and the number of people infected per 100,000 residents, are too high to meet state benchmarks.
Over a seven-day period, 13.9% of COVID-19 tests came back positive. Over the last two weeks, officials have confirmed 12,531 new cases, an average of 396 positive tests per 100,000 Orange County residents — a rate equivalent to that of L.A. County.
Orange and Riverside counties have seen the number of hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 infections nearly triple in the last two months. In San Bernardino County, that number has more than quadrupled. All three counties allowed many businesses to reopen a week before Los Angeles County.
California has mandated face coverings in public settings since June 18. But Orange County has become a hotbed of opposition to that rule, sparking concern from public health officials who say the coverings are among the most effective tools to slow the spread of the virus.
Orange County’s former health officer resigned after receiving weeks of verbal abuse, including a death threat, over her mandatory mask order.
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Last week, education officials approved recommendations that would allow public schools to reopen in the fall without requiring social distancing or mandatory mask policies, prompting immediate backlash.


latimes--2020-07-18--L.A. County surpasses 4,000 COVID-19 deaths to cap a record-breaking week

Los Angeles County has seen a record-breaking week when it comes to the rapid spread of the coronavirus .
More than 4,000 Los Angeles County residents have now died from causes related to COVID-19 , and more than 150,000 cases of the virus have been recorded , authorities announced Friday .
Those numbers came on the heels of Thursday ’ s total of 4,506 new coronavirus cases , which shattered the previous one-day record of 4,244 that was set just two days before .
It was the county ’ s worst week for new infections since the pandemic began , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with 23,310 new cases soaring past the 17,000 added the week before .
“ The simple truth of this fight is that this virus is affecting more and more of us every day , ” Garcetti said .
A similar surge is taking place across California , which has now tallied 374,522 confirmed cases of the virus and 7,613 deaths , according to the Los Angeles Times ’ California coronavirus tracker .
On Tuesday , the state recorded its highest number of new cases in a single day — 11,142 — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Though L.A. County residents still account for more than half of the state ’ s deaths , they are a declining share of the total number of cases — about 40 % — compared with closer to 50 % in mid-May .
Over the last two weeks , Orange , Riverside and San Bernardino counties have all reported higher per capita coronavirus case rates than L.A. County , according to a Times analysis .
In addition to new cases , hospitalizations also continue to rise .
That metric is particularly worrying because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk overwhelming the healthcare system , experts say .
L.A. County reported record numbers of confirmed coronavirus patients in its hospitals on Tuesday and again Wednesday .
There were 2,122 such patients Friday , with 26 % in intensive care and 18 % on ventilators .
The most recent three-day average of daily hospitalizations represents an increase of 13 % , according to the Department of Public Health dashboard that tracks reopening metrics .
In a bid to tamp down the uptick , Gov .
Gavin Newsom on June 28 ordered bars closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ followed by indoor restaurant dining on July 1 .
Officials have said it will take at least three weeks to learn whether the closures had an effect .

Los Angeles County has seen a record-breaking week when it comes to the rapid spread of the coronavirus.
More than 4,000 Los Angeles County residents have now died from causes related to COVID-19, and more than 150,000 cases of the virus have been recorded, authorities announced Friday.
Those numbers came on the heels of Thursday’s total of 4,506 new coronavirus cases, which shattered the previous one-day record of 4,244 that was set just two days before.
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It was the county’s worst week for new infections since the pandemic began, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Friday, with 23,310 new cases soaring past the 17,000 added the week before.
“The simple truth of this fight is that this virus is affecting more and more of us every day,” Garcetti said.
A similar surge is taking place across California, which has now tallied 374,522 confirmed cases of the virus and 7,613 deaths, according to the Los Angeles Times’ California coronavirus tracker.
California Urgent warnings to wear masks but so far only modest enforcement There are loud and persistent calls for Californians to wear masks when out in public, but so far enforcement of the mandate is modest at best.
On Tuesday, the state recorded its highest number of new cases in a single day — 11,142 — and its second-highest number of deaths — 144.
Though L.A. County residents still account for more than half of the state’s deaths, they are a declining share of the total number of cases — about 40% — compared with closer to 50% in mid-May.
Over the last two weeks, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties have all reported higher per capita coronavirus case rates than L.A. County, according to a Times analysis.
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In addition to new cases, hospitalizations also continue to rise. That metric is particularly worrying because too steep a surge in patients could risk overwhelming the healthcare system, experts say.
L.A. County reported record numbers of confirmed coronavirus patients in its hospitals on Tuesday and again Wednesday. There were 2,122 such patients Friday, with 26% in intensive care and 18% on ventilators. The most recent three-day average of daily hospitalizations represents an increase of 13%, according to the Department of Public Health dashboard that tracks reopening metrics.
In a bid to tamp down the uptick, Gov. Gavin Newsom on June 28 ordered bars closed in L.A. County and several others, followed by indoor restaurant dining on July 1. Officials have said it will take at least three weeks to learn whether the closures had an effect.


latimes--2020-07-18--Sailors test positive for coronavirus after sharing gear fighting San Diego ship fire

At least two sailors from a U.S. amphibious transport dock have tested positive for the coronavirus after helping to fight this week ’ s fire aboard the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard , the Navy said .
At least 27 people who were in contact with them are now quarantined .
The Navy ’ s statement on Friday came in response to questions raised by several sailors from the amphibious transport dock San Diego during interviews with the San Diego Union-Tribune .
According to the sailors , at least five sailors from their ship have tested positive in the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they are not authorized to publicly comment on the matter .
The Navy confirmed that two of the sick were at the scene of the fire .
“ Two Sailors supporting USS Bonhomme Richard firefighting operations recently tested positive for COVID-19 after exhibiting symptoms , ” said Lt. Cmdr .
Nicole Schwegman , a Navy spokeswoman .
“ Contract tracing identified 27 close contacts , ” she said .
“ All contacts were placed in ROM [ restriction of movement ] .
The Navy continues to implement COVID-19 mitigation measures to protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sailors from the ship said a significant number of the 27 “ close contacts ” work in the San Diego ’ s engineering department and include senior department personnel .
The department has increased its staffing rotations to fill in gaps left by those under quarantine , the sailors said .
Citing privacy laws , Schwegman declined to comment on who is quarantined or in which department they work .
One sailor who helped fight the fire told the Union-Tribune Friday that the scene outside the Bonhomme Richard during the height of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responding sailors routinely swapped and shared firefighting equipment , such as masks and gloves .
Photos provided by the Navy show firefighting equipment being washed and sanitized .
More than 400 sailors from 16 San Diego-based ships helped fight the fire , said Adm. Mike Gilday , the chief of naval operations , at a .
Gilday was in San Diego touring the fire-ravaged ship and meeting with its leaders , sailors and firefighters who battled the blaze over five days .
According to the sailor who fought the fire , much of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was damaged or destroyed by the flames , so its sailors relied on gear brought from neighboring vessels — including the San Diego .
The Navy announced the fires were extinguished Thursday .
The damage to the ship is “ extensive , ” Gilday said .
It has been a tumultuous few months for the Navy as it tries to balance its national defense mission with the need to keep sailors healthy amidst a pandemic .
The San Diego-based aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt was sidelined in Guam for two months earlier this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of its 5,000-person crew , one of whom died .
The subsequent firing of the Roosevelt ’ s captain by then-acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly ignited a political firestorm that ended with Modly ’ s resignation days later .
The fate of the Bonhomme Richard is up in the air .
Gilday said he believes the 22-year-old ship can be repaired but he isn ’ t sure it should be .
A damage assessment is not yet complete Navy fire teams are expected to continue to rotate through the Bonhomme Richard throughout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conducting further inspections , the sailors said .

Sailors help one another with their firefighting gear before boarding the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard on Wednesday morning in San Diego. At least two sailors responding to the fire have since tested positive for the coronavirus.
At least two sailors from a U.S. amphibious transport dock have tested positive for the coronavirus after helping to fight this week’s fire aboard the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard, the Navy said.
At least 27 people who were in contact with them are now quarantined.
The Navy’s statement on Friday came in response to questions raised by several sailors from the amphibious transport dock San Diego during interviews with the San Diego Union-Tribune. According to the sailors, at least five sailors from their ship have tested positive in the last few days.
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The sailors spoke anonymously because they are not authorized to publicly comment on the matter.
The Navy confirmed that two of the sick were at the scene of the fire.
“Two Sailors supporting USS Bonhomme Richard firefighting operations recently tested positive for COVID-19 after exhibiting symptoms,” said Lt. Cmdr. Nicole Schwegman, a Navy spokeswoman.
“Contract tracing identified 27 close contacts,” she said. “All contacts were placed in ROM [restriction of movement]. The Navy continues to implement COVID-19 mitigation measures to protect the health of our force.”
The sailors from the ship said a significant number of the 27 “close contacts” work in the San Diego’s engineering department and include senior department personnel. The department has increased its staffing rotations to fill in gaps left by those under quarantine, the sailors said.
Citing privacy laws, Schwegman declined to comment on who is quarantined or in which department they work.
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One sailor who helped fight the fire told the Union-Tribune Friday that the scene outside the Bonhomme Richard during the height of the conflagration was “chaotic,” and responding sailors routinely swapped and shared firefighting equipment, such as masks and gloves.
Photos provided by the Navy show firefighting equipment being washed and sanitized.
More than 400 sailors from 16 San Diego-based ships helped fight the fire, said Adm. Mike Gilday, the chief of naval operations, at a news conference Friday . Gilday was in San Diego touring the fire-ravaged ship and meeting with its leaders, sailors and firefighters who battled the blaze over five days.
According to the sailor who fought the fire, much of the Bonhomme Richard’s firefighting equipment was damaged or destroyed by the flames, so its sailors relied on gear brought from neighboring vessels — including the San Diego.
The Navy announced the fires were extinguished Thursday. The damage to the ship is “extensive,” Gilday said.
It has been a tumultuous few months for the Navy as it tries to balance its national defense mission with the need to keep sailors healthy amidst a pandemic.
The San Diego-based aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt was sidelined in Guam for two months earlier this year as the virus spread to almost 25% of its 5,000-person crew, one of whom died. The subsequent firing of the Roosevelt’s captain by then-acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly ignited a political firestorm that ended with Modly’s resignation days later.
The fate of the Bonhomme Richard is up in the air. Gilday said he believes the 22-year-old ship can be repaired but he isn’t sure it should be. A damage assessment is not yet complete
Navy fire teams are expected to continue to rotate through the Bonhomme Richard throughout the weekend, doing fire watches and conducting further inspections, the sailors said.
Dyer writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.


latimes--2020-07-18--Silver Lake's the Satellite returns to restaurant roots as coronavirus upends live music

The coronavirus outbreak is forcing the Satellite in Silver Lake to rebrand yet again .
The indie music and alt-comedy club has hosted live shows and dance parties for 25 years but will no longer do so , its owner announced Friday , citing failed attempts to reopen during the pandemic .
“ We ’ re still figuring a lot of it out but we know we ’ re not doing live music anymore .
That ’ s just not in our future , ” Jeff Wolfram , 51 , said by phone on Friday .
Instead of shuttering completely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will remove its stage to ready the space for dining .
As a restaurant , owner Wolfram hopes the Satellite will be “ more of a place to get good quality drinks and food.
” The small venue shut its doors March 12 after bands started canceling shows and the city , county and state ’ s evolving shutdown orders halted operations for bars and nightclubs .
Rock band Dirty Cakes played the venue ’ s last show on March 11 , which happens to be Wolfram ’ s birthday .
By the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ audience of only about 20 people , singer Charley Tichenor told The Times , despite an earlier line out the door to get in .
The pandemic has hit live music venues hard .
Wolfram said the Satellite can no longer afford to wait to be allowed to have shows again .
“ If we do that , we will not have the money to continue and will be forced to close forever.
” The haunt will return to original form as a restaurant .
The redesign plans include reopening the Satellite ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its parking lot and on the sidewalk for the time being .
They ’ re also looking into hiring a food truck .
But it ’ s slow going .
Wolfram initially set up a GoFundMe fundraiser for employees , but when the donations stopped coming in , he shut it down .
“ Right now we ’ re putting money back in the business to try to open up .
We don ’ t know if it ’ s going to be much different , but we ’ re going to try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Wolfram said .
He reached out to family for help , invested his own funds and has taken out a small loan to transform the space .
But it isn ’ t the first redesign the venue has had .
Not even the second , third or fourth .
Before it was the Satellite , the establishment was the Red Chimney restaurant , which Wolfram ’ s family bought in 1967 .
Traditional German performances inside ultimately gave way to disco in the 1970s when the eatery was renamed Le Chic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again and again , with other names that include Dreams of L.A. , Pan and Spaceland in the 1980s and ‘ 90s .
Wolfram , a self-proclaimed ski bum who was living in Mammoth , moved back down to L.A. in 1995 and took over the business from his father .
That ’ s when he rebranded it as the Satellite .
“ This redesign is more sad than any of them , ” Wolfram said .
“ We built a community , we had customers come in for years .
You get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was more of a family .
I love the live music .
I loved seeing the shows .
It broke my heart to have to change this again.
” He recently plucked his brother-in-law Ashanti Rogers from a restaurant and made him general manager .
Together , they ’ re still coming up with a menu and figuring out the other details .
They ’ re hoping to a create a space with an indoor seating capacity of 260 people — assuming indoor dining can resume again in L.A. Country after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Satellite has hosted many nascent alt-rock ensembles over the years and counts the Foo Fighters , White Stripes , Lady Gaga , Beck and Foster the People among the acts who shaped their routines there .
Its Saturday-night dance party , Dance Yourself Clean , became a signature local event .
Wolfram said people are reaching out to buy Satellite logo T-shirts , and he has been touched by the response .
“ You know that a lot of people cared about the venue , but the overwhelming reach-out that we got from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Wolfram recently told The Times that the venue had been doing fine until the South by Southwest festival in Austin , Texas , was canceled in early March .
But the venue , like many others , continued to struggle along .
Wolfram said it was getting tough to pay utilities , and he had to start the online fundraiser to pay his employees .
“ People think , ‘ Oh , you own a venue , you must be rich.
’ No , not at all , ” Wolfram said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on restaurant margins .
You don ’ t make money , but you do it because you love it .
“ I ’ ve reached out to [ Rep. ] Adam Schiff and organizations for venues , and there ’ s been lots of enthusiasm .
Live Nation and Goldenvoice will be fine , but indie venues are screwed.
” On Friday , Wolfram said he hoped fans would support the National Independent Venue Assn .
and similar groups as they ask Congress to assist indie clubs “ so they do not have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just close their doors forever.
” “ I ’ d love to see the other venues survive , ” he said .

Manager Ashanti Rogers, left, and owner Jeff Wolfram are shown at the Satellite, a music venue that was a hip Silver Lake mainstay for local and established indie bands before the pandemic hit.
The coronavirus outbreak is forcing the Satellite in Silver Lake to rebrand yet again.
The indie music and alt-comedy club has hosted live shows and dance parties for 25 years but will no longer do so, its owner announced Friday, citing failed attempts to reopen during the pandemic.
“We’re still figuring a lot of it out but we know we’re not doing live music anymore. That’s just not in our future,” Jeff Wolfram, 51, said by phone on Friday.
Instead of shuttering completely, however, the hip neighborhood mainstay will remove its stage to ready the space for dining. As a restaurant, owner Wolfram hopes the Satellite will be “more of a place to get good quality drinks and food.”
The small venue shut its doors March 12 after bands started canceling shows and the city, county and state’s evolving shutdown orders halted operations for bars and nightclubs. Rock band Dirty Cakes played the venue’s last show on March 11, which happens to be Wolfram’s birthday. By the end of the night there was an audience of only about 20 people, singer Charley Tichenor told The Times, despite an earlier line out the door to get in.
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The pandemic has hit live music venues hard. Wolfram said the Satellite can no longer afford to wait to be allowed to have shows again. “If we do that, we will not have the money to continue and will be forced to close forever.”
The haunt will return to original form as a restaurant. The redesign plans include reopening the Satellite’s kitchen and resuming dining operations in its parking lot and on the sidewalk for the time being. They’re also looking into hiring a food truck. But it’s slow going.
Wolfram initially set up a GoFundMe fundraiser for employees, but when the donations stopped coming in, he shut it down.
“Right now we’re putting money back in the business to try to open up. We don’t know if it’s going to be much different, but we’re going to try to do the best we can,” Wolfram said.
He reached out to family for help, invested his own funds and has taken out a small loan to transform the space. But it isn’t the first redesign the venue has had. Not even the second, third or fourth.
Manager Ashanti Rogers, left, and owner Jeff Wolfram are pictured in the Satellite. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
Before it was the Satellite, the establishment was the Red Chimney restaurant, which Wolfram’s family bought in 1967. Traditional German performances inside ultimately gave way to disco in the 1970s when the eatery was renamed Le Chic, a Top-40 dance club. It changed again and again, with other names that include Dreams of L.A., Pan and Spaceland in the 1980s and ‘90s.
Wolfram, a self-proclaimed ski bum who was living in Mammoth, moved back down to L.A. in 1995 and took over the business from his father. That’s when he rebranded it as the Satellite.
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“This redesign is more sad than any of them,” Wolfram said. “We built a community, we had customers come in for years. You get people coming back all the time. It was more of a family. I love the live music. I loved seeing the shows. It broke my heart to have to change this again.”
He recently plucked his brother-in-law Ashanti Rogers from a restaurant and made him general manager. Together, they’re still coming up with a menu and figuring out the other details. They’re hoping to a create a space with an indoor seating capacity of 260 people — assuming indoor dining can resume again in L.A. Country after the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases.
The Satellite has hosted many nascent alt-rock ensembles over the years and counts the Foo Fighters, White Stripes, Lady Gaga, Beck and Foster the People among the acts who shaped their routines there. Its Saturday-night dance party, Dance Yourself Clean, became a signature local event.
Wolfram said people are reaching out to buy Satellite logo T-shirts, and he has been touched by the response.
“You know that a lot of people cared about the venue, but the overwhelming reach-out that we got from people is amazing,” he said.
Wolfram recently told The Times that the venue had been doing fine until the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, was canceled in early March. But the venue, like many others, continued to struggle along. Wolfram said it was getting tough to pay utilities, and he had to start the online fundraiser to pay his employees.
“People think, ‘Oh, you own a venue, you must be rich.’ No, not at all,” Wolfram said. “Every small venue, we operate on restaurant margins. You don’t make money, but you do it because you love it.
“I’ve reached out to [Rep.] Adam Schiff and organizations for venues, and there’s been lots of enthusiasm. Live Nation and Goldenvoice will be fine, but indie venues are screwed.”
On Friday, Wolfram said he hoped fans would support the National Independent Venue Assn. and similar groups as they ask Congress to assist indie clubs “so they do not have to change format like we did or just close their doors forever.”
“I’d love to see the other venues survive,” he said.