latimes--2020-09-05--Column: Is President Trump right? Are Democrats destroying our cities and states?

In California , Wisconsin , Portland , Seattle , Chicago — and wherever else there are protests , homelessness , wildfires or any other problems — Democrats are to blame .
Just ask President Trump or any of my readers who regularly write to tell me they agree with him .
Los Angeles has tens of thousands of homeless people , these people say .
The mayor is a Democrat .
The City Council is full of Democrats .
The Legislature is dominated by Democrats who work with a Democratic governor .
So there you go .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unless you consider that in the Central Valley , which has a lot of Republican legislators , local officials and some of Trump ’ s most powerful congressional allies , cities up and down Highway 99 have big homeless populations .
Are Democrats to blame there , too ?
Look , there are plenty of reasons to second-guess the work of California ’ s Democrats , who just ended a belly-flop legislative session with “ accomplishments outmatched by the deep troubles facing communities across California , ” as my colleague John Myers put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve weighed in many times on the failures of our fearless leaders to handle the housing crisis , homelessness and other problems .
And now the city of L.A. is in another budget mess after local leaders approved raises for police officers and others they can ’ t afford to pay .
But Trump has been even more unhinged than usual lately , which suggests he must believe the polls that say he ’ s losing to a guy he accuses of being asleep in his basement .
The president has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thugs traveling to spread violent riots .
He has warned that Joe Biden is a radical controlled by the far left , that gang members are moving in next door and that Democrats are planning to abolish suburbs once they burn down the cities .
It ’ s interesting that the president of a country with the most COVID-19 deaths , millions out of work and white supremacy rising is telling us what might go wrong if he loses .
It ’ s kind of like the manager of a losing ball club @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can put a stop to the skid .
As for unrest in cities , vandalism and violence can ’ t be condoned , and some mayors have been a little clueless about how to respond .
But the characterization of widespread chaos condoned by Democrats is fiction .
I got to wondering what it ’ s like to keep getting pummeled by Trump for everything , here in the state with the world ’ s fifth-largest economy , so I called a couple of local Democratic public officials .
L.A. County Supervisor Hilda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eye-rolling indifference .
“ This president believes the way to get reelected is by fear-mongering and inciting more riots , protests and civil disobedience .
To me , he ’ s creating more havoc , ” said Solis , who has also served in the Legislature , in Congress and as Labor secretary in the Obama administration .
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia , another Democrat , said crime rates in many cities have been in decline .
( Hate crimes , however , increased by 17 % in Trump ’ s first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI . )
Garcia was particularly ticked about Trump ’ s suggestion that Democrats have all but endorsed mob rule in the streets .
“ I don ’ t know any mayor … who isn ’ t strongly against looting and crime , and we ’ re doing everything in our power to make sure that doesn ’ t happen , while recognizing the importance of peaceful protest , ” said Garcia .
And why might people be marching ?
It ’ s partly about patterns of excessive police force and systemic racism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades of public policy decisions by both major political parties that have left far too many people trapped in substandard housing , with jobs that don ’ t pay the bills , schools ill-equipped to level the playing field , and cities patching budget holes partly , but not entirely , of their own making .
Federal aid accounted for 13 % of municipal budgets in 1978 , said Peter Dreier , a professor of urban policy at Occidental College .
But big cuts began under President Reagan .
“ Federal funds now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ municipal budgets , ” said Dreier , who added that Trump “ has proposed the most drastic cuts to cities of any president since Reagan , but Congress has not approved most ” of them .
Supervisor Solis said it has been harder to get federal transportation and housing funding since Trump took office , and Mayor Garcia had a similar observation .
“ Under Obama , they sent regular support and were really engaged at all levels of federal government .
And that immediately changed once Trump took office , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to inflame and create more division and his policies have made things worse .
He put in a tax-cut program that benefits the top 1 % and large corporations , and he campaigns against basic improvements like raising the minimum wage.
” Yeah , but we need a lot more than a boost in the minimum wage .
Five years ago in Long Beach , when an aircraft assembly plant closed , I watched Boeing employees who made $ 40 an hour at their union jobs struggle to find any work that paid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago , when I looked into why more than 20 % of the students at Telfair Elementary School in Pacoima were homeless , I realized the school was surrounded by shuttered aerospace and manufacturing plants .
Neither major political party has had a good enough response to global forces that made middle-class wages scarce and drove income inequality in the U.S. Two months away from election day , Trump is promising to “ reduce taxes and regulations at levels not seen before.
” Biden ’ s pitch is to tax the wealthy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ education and child care for working parents .
May the best plan win .
Trump was right when he said four years ago that the system was rigged against the little guy , but by many measures , he rigged it even more , and guess what — people ought to be marching in the streets , as well as to the polls .
The tax cut was so weighted to the wealthy , the income gap widened .
Job growth was primarily in relatively low-paying jobs .
The promised return of manufacturing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Not only has the guarantee of cheaper and better healthcare never materialized , but millions lost coverage .
I thought Trump ’ s best pitch four years ago was a national infrastructure program that would create good-paying jobs for legions of Americans .
“ We are going to fix our inner cities and rebuild our highways , bridges , tunnels , airports , schools , hospitals , ” he said in a victory speech .
“ We are going to rebuild our infrastructure , which will become , by the way , second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people to work as we rebuild it.
” And for that , Trump can ’ t blame Democrats .

Thousands participate in the All Black Lives Matter solidarity march along Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood on June 14, 2020.
In California, Wisconsin, Portland, Seattle, Chicago — and wherever else there are protests, homelessness, wildfires or any other problems — Democrats are to blame.
Just ask President Trump or any of my readers who regularly write to tell me they agree with him.
Los Angeles has tens of thousands of homeless people, these people say. The mayor is a Democrat. The City Council is full of Democrats. The Legislature is dominated by Democrats who work with a Democratic governor. So there you go. It’s all their fault.
This makes sense unless you consider that in the Central Valley, which has a lot of Republican legislators, local officials and some of Trump’s most powerful congressional allies, cities up and down Highway 99 have big homeless populations. Are Democrats to blame there, too?
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Look, there are plenty of reasons to second-guess the work of California’s Democrats, who just ended a belly-flop legislative session with “accomplishments outmatched by the deep troubles facing communities across California,” as my colleague John Myers put it a few days ago.
And I’ve weighed in many times on the failures of our fearless leaders to handle the housing crisis, homelessness and other problems. And now the city of L.A. is in another budget mess after local leaders approved raises for police officers and others they can’t afford to pay.
But Trump has been even more unhinged than usual lately, which suggests he must believe the polls that say he’s losing to a guy he accuses of being asleep in his basement. The president has ranted recently about planes full of black-clad thugs traveling to spread violent riots. He has warned that Joe Biden is a radical controlled by the far left, that gang members are moving in next door and that Democrats are planning to abolish suburbs once they burn down the cities.
It’s interesting that the president of a country with the most COVID-19 deaths, millions out of work and white supremacy rising is telling us what might go wrong if he loses. It’s kind of like the manager of a losing ball club insisting on a contract extension so he can put a stop to the skid.
As for unrest in cities, vandalism and violence can’t be condoned, and some mayors have been a little clueless about how to respond. But the characterization of widespread chaos condoned by Democrats is fiction.
I got to wondering what it’s like to keep getting pummeled by Trump for everything, here in the state with the world’s fifth-largest economy, so I called a couple of local Democratic public officials.
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L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis came in somewhere between outrage and eye-rolling indifference.
“This president believes the way to get reelected is by fear-mongering and inciting more riots, protests and civil disobedience. To me, he’s creating more havoc,” said Solis, who has also served in the Legislature, in Congress and as Labor secretary in the Obama administration.
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, another Democrat, said crime rates in many cities have been in decline. (Hate crimes, however, increased by 17% in Trump’s first year as president, according to the FBI.) Garcia was particularly ticked about Trump’s suggestion that Democrats have all but endorsed mob rule in the streets.
“I don’t know any mayor … who isn’t strongly against looting and crime, and we’re doing everything in our power to make sure that doesn’t happen, while recognizing the importance of peaceful protest,” said Garcia.
And why might people be marching?
It’s partly about patterns of excessive police force and systemic racism. But it’s also about decades of public policy decisions by both major political parties that have left far too many people trapped in substandard housing, with jobs that don’t pay the bills, schools ill-equipped to level the playing field, and cities patching budget holes partly, but not entirely, of their own making.
Federal aid accounted for 13% of municipal budgets in 1978, said Peter Dreier, a professor of urban policy at Occidental College. But big cuts began under President Reagan.
“Federal funds now account for only about 3% of municipal budgets,” said Dreier, who added that Trump “has proposed the most drastic cuts to cities of any president since Reagan, but Congress has not approved most” of them.
Supervisor Solis said it has been harder to get federal transportation and housing funding since Trump took office, and Mayor Garcia had a similar observation.
“Under Obama, they sent regular support and were really engaged at all levels of federal government. And that immediately changed once Trump took office,” he said. “He’s trying to inflame and create more division and his policies have made things worse. He put in a tax-cut program that benefits the top 1% and large corporations, and he campaigns against basic improvements like raising the minimum wage.”
Yeah, but we need a lot more than a boost in the minimum wage.
Five years ago in Long Beach, when an aircraft assembly plant closed, I watched Boeing employees who made $40 an hour at their union jobs struggle to find any work that paid even half that amount.
Two years ago, when I looked into why more than 20% of the students at Telfair Elementary School in Pacoima were homeless, I realized the school was surrounded by shuttered aerospace and manufacturing plants.
Neither major political party has had a good enough response to global forces that made middle-class wages scarce and drove income inequality in the U.S.
Two months away from election day, Trump is promising to “reduce taxes and regulations at levels not seen before.”
Biden’s pitch is to tax the wealthy and invest in green jobs, housing, education and child care for working parents.
May the best plan win.
Trump was right when he said four years ago that the system was rigged against the little guy, but by many measures, he rigged it even more, and guess what — people ought to be marching in the streets, as well as to the polls.
The tax cut was so weighted to the wealthy, the income gap widened. Job growth was primarily in relatively low-paying jobs. The promised return of manufacturing jobs has mostly been a flop. Not only has the guarantee of cheaper and better healthcare never materialized, but millions lost coverage.
I thought Trump’s best pitch four years ago was a national infrastructure program that would create good-paying jobs for legions of Americans.
“We are going to fix our inner cities and rebuild our highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, schools, hospitals,” he said in a victory speech. “We are going to rebuild our infrastructure, which will become, by the way, second to none and we will put millions of people to work as we rebuild it.”
It never happened.
And for that, Trump can’t blame Democrats.
steve.lopez@latimes.com


latimes--2020-09-05--L.A. teachers union opposes opening campuses for students with disabilities, English learners

Citing safety concerns , the leader of the Los Angeles teachers union said Friday it opposes reopening campuses for small in-person classes or one-on-one services for students who are disabled or learning English — even though county health officials have cleared the way to do so .
Some outside advocacy groups pushed back against the union ’ s position and the unwillingness of the L.A. Unified School District to address the issue directly and publicly .
“ The students that have disproportionately suffered over the last several months in LAUSD are students with disabilities and English learners , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local group Alliance for a Better Community .
“ They must be immediately prioritized and they must get the services they are entitled to legally .
The learning loss is significant so there needs to be urgency.
” Cecily Myart-Cruz , president of United Teachers Los Angeles , said safety concerns for teachers had to take precedence and , she added , the union has the legal authority to veto any attempt by L.A. Unified to order any members of her union to work on campus .
Her union also represents nurses and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learn best in physical schools face to face with educators and the support providers they need and deserve , but UTLA stands strongly against any physical return to schools unless it is safe to do so for our members , students and the community we serve , ” Myart-Cruz said .
“ And that is not the case at this point.
” Students with special needs for services such as speech therapy or orthopedic manipulation are among the children whose education has been most deeply hurt since the coronavirus-forced school closures .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hands-on services they need , and many parents cite regression in their children ’ s progress .
A similar scenario has unfolded for students who are learning English and need targeted academic help as many have limited support at home because their parents lack English skills .
Acknowledging this hardship , local health officials on Wednesday gave approval for L.A. County ’ s 80 public school districts to offer small-group , in-person instruction for these students .
The county said their strict guidance for reopening schools must be followed for the in-person classes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two supervisors .
L.A. Unified declined to answer questions about UTLA ’ s position , including about whether the district favored bringing back small groups of students with special needs , which prompted concerns from a local advocacy group .
“ There are legitimate questions about how the district will implement necessary safety measures , but we don ’ t believe silence from the district is acceptable when families and kids are in desperate need of help , ” said Katie Braude , chief executive of the group Speak Up .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kids for whom the risk of a return to campus will be too great right now , ” Braude said , “ but a voluntary return for the highest-needs students should be allowed with safety measures in place.
” School systems are legally obligated to provide appropriate services to students with special needs , but the county and state have not ordered districts to bring these children back for in-person classes .
L.A. 's union — representing about 30,000 teachers , nurses , counselors and librarians — is among the unions up and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their districts over distance learning and that are empowered to negotiate again over school reopenings .
Some smaller districts in L.A. County are making efforts to bring back students with special needs .
“ We are assessing the logistics for bringing students ... in small cohorts , ” said Kristine Nam , a spokeswoman for the Glendale Unified School District .
“ Plans will be made in collaboration with our unions.
” Glendale already has brought back some high-needs students for supervised online learning that doesn ’ t require direct in-person instruction from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified , said he hoped to avoid union discord by stressing that teacher participation on campus would be voluntary .
His plan is to pilot the small-group option by offering instruction to older disabled students with such classes as Transition to Independence and Life Skills .
“ We will begin the process by working with those teachers willing to return , ” Cherniss said .
Long Beach Unified School District , one of the state ’ s largest districts , is reviewing the guidelines , but “ we don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be needed for a return of students , ” district spokesman Chris Eftychiou said .
“ We will , however , continue to collaborate with our labor partners.
” L.A. Unified responded to detailed questions from The Times with a one-sentence response : “ Los Angeles Unified continues to work on plans for students to return to schools as soon as it ’ s safe and appropriate to do so.
” In remarks broadcast on Facebook , Myart-Cruz also took on other issues that underscored the challenge of distance learning .
She said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district plan to conduct widespread coronavirus testing and contact tracing had been delayed till after Labor Day .
The district announced the effort three weeks ago .
L.A. Unified declined to comment or answer questions Friday on the status of its testing program .
Myart-Cruz also said there were important unresolved questions regarding aspects of distance learning .
For example , she said , the district has not made it clear whether teachers are allowed to have one-on-one video conferences with students .
On campus , teachers have typically learned to have witnesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the classroom door open when they happen to be alone with a student .
The goal is to avoid any appearance of impropriety and limit legal liability .
Online meetings layer a new wrinkle onto this dynamic .
More clarity also is needed , Myart-Cruz said , on how to manage groups of students online .
The videoconferencing platform allows teachers to place students in different online groups , allowing the teacher to “ move ” from group to group and work more directly with students .
But does a different adult need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is elsewhere ?
L.A. Unified did not respond to questions about these issues .

L.A. teachers union President Cecily Myart-Cruz said Friday that the union would block an immediate, mandatory return of any teachers to campuses.
Citing safety concerns, the leader of the Los Angeles teachers union said Friday it opposes reopening campuses for small in-person classes or one-on-one services for students who are disabled or learning English — even though county health officials have cleared the way to do so.
Some outside advocacy groups pushed back against the union’s position and the unwillingness of the L.A. Unified School District to address the issue directly and publicly.
“The students that have disproportionately suffered over the last several months in LAUSD are students with disabilities and English learners,” said Vanessa Aramayo, executive director of the local group Alliance for a Better Community. “They must be immediately prioritized and they must get the services they are entitled to legally. The learning loss is significant so there needs to be urgency.”
Cecily Myart-Cruz, president of United Teachers Los Angeles, said safety concerns for teachers had to take precedence and, she added, the union has the legal authority to veto any attempt by L.A. Unified to order any members of her union to work on campus. Her union also represents nurses and counselors.
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“We know our students learn best in physical schools face to face with educators and the support providers they need and deserve, but UTLA stands strongly against any physical return to schools unless it is safe to do so for our members, students and the community we serve,” Myart-Cruz said. “And that is not the case at this point.”
Students with special needs for services such as speech therapy or orthopedic manipulation are among the children whose education has been most deeply hurt since the coronavirus-forced school closures. Many of them are unable to receive the hands-on services they need, and many parents cite regression in their children’s progress.
A similar scenario has unfolded for students who are learning English and need targeted academic help as many have limited support at home because their parents lack English skills.
Acknowledging this hardship, local health officials on Wednesday gave approval for L.A. County’s 80 public school districts to offer small-group, in-person instruction for these students. The county said their strict guidance for reopening schools must be followed for the in-person classes of no more than 12 students with two supervisors.
L.A. Unified declined to answer questions about UTLA’s position, including about whether the district favored bringing back small groups of students with special needs, which prompted concerns from a local advocacy group.
“There are legitimate questions about how the district will implement necessary safety measures, but we don’t believe silence from the district is acceptable when families and kids are in desperate need of help,” said Katie Braude, chief executive of the group Speak Up.
“We understand that there are both teachers and kids for whom the risk of a return to campus will be too great right now,” Braude said, “but a voluntary return for the highest-needs students should be allowed with safety measures in place.”
School systems are legally obligated to provide appropriate services to students with special needs, but the county and state have not ordered districts to bring these children back for in-person classes.
L.A.’s union — representing about 30,000 teachers, nurses, counselors and librarians — is among the unions up and down the state that negotiated agreements with their districts over distance learning and that are empowered to negotiate again over school reopenings.
Some smaller districts in L.A. County are making efforts to bring back students with special needs.
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“We are assessing the logistics for bringing students ... in small cohorts,” said Kristine Nam, a spokeswoman for the Glendale Unified School District. “Plans will be made in collaboration with our unions.”
Glendale already has brought back some high-needs students for supervised online learning that doesn’t require direct in-person instruction from a teacher.
Alex Cherniss, superintendent at Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified, said he hoped to avoid union discord by stressing that teacher participation on campus would be voluntary. His plan is to pilot the small-group option by offering instruction to older disabled students with such classes as Transition to Independence and Life Skills.
“We will begin the process by working with those teachers willing to return,” Cherniss said.
Long Beach Unified School District, one of the state’s largest districts, is reviewing the guidelines, but “we don’t anticipate that formal negotiations will be needed for a return of students,” district spokesman Chris Eftychiou said. “We will, however, continue to collaborate with our labor partners.”
L.A. Unified responded to detailed questions from The Times with a one-sentence response: “Los Angeles Unified continues to work on plans for students to return to schools as soon as it’s safe and appropriate to do so.”
In remarks broadcast on Facebook, Myart-Cruz also took on other issues that underscored the challenge of distance learning. She said that the start of an ambitious school district plan to conduct widespread coronavirus testing and contact tracing had been delayed till after Labor Day. The district announced the effort three weeks ago.
L.A. Unified declined to comment or answer questions Friday on the status of its testing program.
Myart-Cruz also said there were important unresolved questions regarding aspects of distance learning. For example, she said, the district has not made it clear whether teachers are allowed to have one-on-one video conferences with students.
On campus, teachers have typically learned to have witnesses for meetings with students or to leave the classroom door open when they happen to be alone with a student. The goal is to avoid any appearance of impropriety and limit legal liability. Online meetings layer a new wrinkle onto this dynamic.
More clarity also is needed, Myart-Cruz said, on how to manage groups of students online. The videoconferencing platform allows teachers to place students in different online groups, allowing the teacher to “move” from group to group and work more directly with students. But does a different adult need to be supervising groups when the teacher is elsewhere?
L.A. Unified did not respond to questions about these issues.


latimes--2020-09-05--Meet L.A.'s small business cheerleader. She's out to save mom-and-pops

WANTED for all the fine mom-and-pops struggling to survive in our city : Neighborhood cheerleaders to remind us that these shops and restaurants are out there , hurting , that they could use our visits and our orders and whatever spare dollars we have to spend .
Don ’ t take this on for the pay .
There won ’ t be any .
Just the payoff of helping small businesses you like cover their bills and keep the lights on .
And no need to volunteer if you ’ re close to Woodland Hills .
She posts bubbly live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hard-hit West Valley storefronts she spotlights each week , asking in post after post for 10 people or 15 people or 20 people to go sample the mango gelato at the Golden Rose Bakery or eat a funnel cake at the Funnel House or try on a buttery soft cotton jumpsuit at Wood ‘ N ’ Hanger or order a beet salad to go from Jinky ’ s Cafe .
Holman-Maiden didn ’ t exactly sign up for what ’ s become nearly a full-time gig .
She ’ s just big-hearted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her own inimitably charming , free-form and often hilarious way .
With her videos that don ’ t fuss over brushed hair or makeup or dogs barking or kids interrupting , with her emoji-sprinkled posts that don ’ t fret over spelling or grammar ( whose or who ’ s , your or you ’ re — what ’ s the difference ? )
, she ’ s become a one-woman paycheck protection program easing the pain for an ever-expanding list of neighborhood business owners barely hanging on , without any or adequate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve had to furlough or lay off , whose straitened circumstances add to the stress .
Not that Holman-Maiden , 39 , didn ’ t have her own heaping plateful of worries before she began pep-talking her fast-growing number of followers into patronizing this boutique and that restaurant and the bakery just down the street .
She and her husband , Jared Maiden , have two kids — Austin , 10 , and Ivy , 8 — who are now at home with her trying to figure out virtual school .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times arranges trips for groups of high school students .
She manages her family ’ s 46-year-old British pub on Ventura Boulevard , where she grew up around the dartboards and the Guinness signs and the kitchen serving up shepherd ’ s pie and bangers and mash — and is now pulling several shifts a week .
Pickwick ’ s Pub , the family business , itself was pummeled by the COVID-19 shutdowns .
How does a bar used to crowding people in for cheerful company and live music and trivia nights keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come in ?
Holman-Maiden , who grew up in West Hills and seems to know just about everyone in the area , took to social media to call out for people to help by ordering food to pick up — and the community responded .
People from St. Mel ’ s Catholic School started placing large takeout orders .
So did others looking to feed front-line workers — including a neighborhood boy named Jake Fitzgerald who raised $ 1,500 to pay for meals from Pickwick ’ s for hospital staff .
Pickwick ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which gave Holman-Maiden the notion that she should try to spread the magic .
She needed some summer clothes , so in May she started a Facebook quarantine shopping group , asking for tips on local boutiques that maybe could use a boost .
Within days , suggestions pouring in , she created what she calls the Maiden Community , which is now more than 2,500 members strong .
Sami Bennett , who owns the clothing and gift boutique Wood ‘ N ’ Hanger with her daughter , Carly Bennett , told me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ this sweet little thing came in and said , ‘ All right , so I have this idea.
’ ” She ’ d get new customers to come into the boutique , she said — and in return , Bennett would commit to donating 10 % of the money they spent into a pot that the Maiden Community would use to help people and good causes in the area .
Bennett says she ’ s gotten at least 40 new customers through Holman-Maiden , “ and it spreads because there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And you know what ?
” she said about Holman-Maiden ’ s gift to her , “ it couldn ’ t have come at a better time .
I mean , we were closed for three and a half months .
It was devastating.
” The boutique opened extra hours to accommodate the new visitors , Bennett told me , “ and the most wonderful women came in here.
” “ She ’ s like the Pied Piper , ” she said of Holman-Maiden .
“ It ’ s her gift .
People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and support.
” The Maiden Community gives them plenty of ways to do that .
There are the visits to the shops and the Two-dollar Tuesday donations to the community pot — which are helping to do many things , including buying gym and cooling equipment for a local firehouse .
Holman-Maiden is always asking for suggestions for new places to spotlight and setting up socially distanced outdoor gatherings .
( This week , moms and kids met for “ mocktails ” at Jinky ’ s . )
And here ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next for those who get swept up into Holman-Maiden ’ s Facebook world .
They make new friends and become part of a chain , helping more and more people as it goes .
Businesses get more visits .
The charity pot refills .
Sami Bennett told Holman-Maiden about Doan ’ s Bakery a few doors down , which the Maiden Community highlighted soon after .
“ It was amazing how many people came in because of that , ” said Karen Doan , who with her son Eric owns the bakery — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cake .
Now both the Bennetts and the Doans try to frequent the other places Holman-Maiden highlights .
Sami Bennett says she tries to give to the community ’ s charity drives — such as the one for J.J. Woofin ’ Paws Rescue Agency , to help heal a little dog named Roxy after she was hit by a car .
Holman-Maiden ’ s support chain keeps on growing and strengthening , though she tells me she wants to limit the number of businesses it focuses on .
She doesn ’ t want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one time and then move on .
She wants them to keep coming back to the same places , as she does to remind them , and thus work toward their long-term survival .
It ’ s an approach that leads me back to a column I wrote recently about Diamond Bakery on Fairfax Avenue , a 74-year-old institution recently bought by a group of its employees and now fighting to get through the pandemic slowdown .
I would never have heard about the Maiden Community if a woman named Susie Comi hadn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ read that column .
Comi , a friend of Holman-Maiden ’ s family , thought I ’ d like to know about Holman-Maiden because she is doing just what I ’ d urged readers of the bakery column to do : lend support in any way they could to the small businesses they would hate to lose .
The weekend that column came out , there were lines outside Diamond , and money poured into its fundraising page .
Comi characterizes the Maiden Community as a Valley-style version of that kind of effort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting things done.
” She wanted me to know that Holman-Maiden is so focused on helping others that she didn ’ t even plug Pickwick ’ s , owned by her British-born parents , Craig and Lizz Holman of Blackpool , until her Facebook support group had been up and running for weeks .
It didn ’ t take me long to see this myself when I went to meet Holman-Maiden at Pickwick ’ s one night this week .
After we chatted a bit , we went right next door to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Roya Khajeaian , whose Lebanese menu got her group ’ s star treatment long before the pub .

Sami Bennett, left, enjoys a visit from Kimberly Holman-Maiden at Wood ‘N’ Hanger in Woodland Hills. Holman-Maiden, in her Facebook group, has been urging people to frequent Bennett’s boutique and help it survive the pandemic slump.
WANTED for all the fine mom-and-pops struggling to survive in our city: Neighborhood cheerleaders to remind us that these shops and restaurants are out there, hurting, that they could use our visits and our orders and whatever spare dollars we have to spend.
Don’t take this on for the pay. There won’t be any. Just the payoff of helping small businesses you like cover their bills and keep the lights on.
And no need to volunteer if you’re close to Woodland Hills.
A whirlwind named Kimberly Holman-Maiden has that territory covered.
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She posts bubbly live videos almost every day on Facebook from the hard-hit West Valley storefronts she spotlights each week, asking in post after post for 10 people or 15 people or 20 people to go sample the mango gelato at the Golden Rose Bakery or eat a funnel cake at the Funnel House or try on a buttery soft cotton jumpsuit at Wood ‘N’ Hanger or order a beet salad to go from Jinky’s Cafe.
VIDEO | 00:50 Helping businesses hit by the pandemic Kimberly Holman-Maiden has been posting videos to Facebook almost every day to urge people to come into this boutique, which has struggled because of the pandemic.
Holman-Maiden didn’t exactly sign up for what’s become nearly a full-time gig. She’s just big-hearted and somehow started doing it — in her own inimitably charming, free-form and often hilarious way.
With her videos that don’t fuss over brushed hair or makeup or dogs barking or kids interrupting, with her emoji-sprinkled posts that don’t fret over spelling or grammar (whose or who’s, your or you’re — what’s the difference?), she’s become a one-woman paycheck protection program easing the pain for an ever-expanding list of neighborhood business owners barely hanging on, without any or adequate government aid and without the workers they’ve had to furlough or lay off, whose straitened circumstances add to the stress.
Not that Holman-Maiden, 39, didn’t have her own heaping plateful of worries before she began pep-talking her fast-growing number of followers into patronizing this boutique and that restaurant and the bakery just down the street.
She and her husband, Jared Maiden, have two kids — Austin, 10, and Ivy, 8 — who are now at home with her trying to figure out virtual school. She works for a company that in ordinary times arranges trips for groups of high school students. She manages her family’s 46-year-old British pub on Ventura Boulevard, where she grew up around the dartboards and the Guinness signs and the kitchen serving up shepherd’s pie and bangers and mash — and is now pulling several shifts a week.
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Emily Coupe prepares an order as the granddaughter of the owners Ivy Maiden, right, washes her hands after eating dinner at Pickwick’s Pub. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
Pickwick’s Pub, the family business, itself was pummeled by the COVID-19 shutdowns. How does a bar used to crowding people in for cheerful company and live music and trivia nights keep going when the crowds can’t come in?
Holman-Maiden, who grew up in West Hills and seems to know just about everyone in the area, took to social media to call out for people to help by ordering food to pick up — and the community responded. People from St. Mel’s Catholic School started placing large takeout orders. So did others looking to feed front-line workers — including a neighborhood boy named Jake Fitzgerald who raised $1,500 to pay for meals from Pickwick’s for hospital staff.
Pickwick’s was getting much-needed life support, which gave Holman-Maiden the notion that she should try to spread the magic. She needed some summer clothes, so in May she started a Facebook quarantine shopping group, asking for tips on local boutiques that maybe could use a boost. Within days, suggestions pouring in, she created what she calls the Maiden Community, which is now more than 2,500 members strong.
Sami Bennett, who owns the clothing and gift boutique Wood ‘N’ Hanger with her daughter, Carly Bennett, told me about the day in late May when “this sweet little thing came in and said, ‘All right, so I have this idea.’”
She’d get new customers to come into the boutique, she said — and in return, Bennett would commit to donating 10% of the money they spent into a pot that the Maiden Community would use to help people and good causes in the area.
Bennett says she’s gotten at least 40 new customers through Holman-Maiden, “and it spreads because there’s nothing like word of mouth.”
“And you know what?” she said about Holman-Maiden’s gift to her, “it couldn’t have come at a better time. I mean, we were closed for three and a half months. It was devastating.”
The boutique opened extra hours to accommodate the new visitors, Bennett told me, “and the most wonderful women came in here.”
“She’s like the Pied Piper,” she said of Holman-Maiden. “It’s her gift. People will follow her and go to places and support.”
The Maiden Community gives them plenty of ways to do that. There are the visits to the shops and the Two-dollar Tuesday donations to the community pot — which are helping to do many things, including buying gym and cooling equipment for a local firehouse. Holman-Maiden is always asking for suggestions for new places to spotlight and setting up socially distanced outdoor gatherings. (This week, moms and kids met for “mocktails” at Jinky’s.)
And here’s a beautiful thing about what tends to happen next for those who get swept up into Holman-Maiden’s Facebook world. They make new friends and become part of a chain, helping more and more people as it goes. Businesses get more visits. The charity pot refills.
Sami Bennett told Holman-Maiden about Doan’s Bakery a few doors down, which the Maiden Community highlighted soon after. “It was amazing how many people came in because of that,” said Karen Doan, who with her son Eric owns the bakery — best known for her white chocolate coconut cake.
Now both the Bennetts and the Doans try to frequent the other places Holman-Maiden highlights. Sami Bennett says she tries to give to the community’s charity drives — such as the one for J.J. Woofin’ Paws Rescue Agency, to help heal a little dog named Roxy after she was hit by a car.
Kimberly Holman-Maiden at her family owned establishment, Pickwick’s Pub in Woodland Hills. (Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
Holman-Maiden’s support chain keeps on growing and strengthening, though she tells me she wants to limit the number of businesses it focuses on. She doesn’t want people to visit the places she promotes one time and then move on. She wants them to keep coming back to the same places, as she does to remind them, and thus work toward their long-term survival.
It’s an approach that leads me back to a column I wrote recently about Diamond Bakery on Fairfax Avenue, a 74-year-old institution recently bought by a group of its employees and now fighting to get through the pandemic slowdown.
I would never have heard about the Maiden Community if a woman named Susie Comi hadn’t written to me after she read that column. Comi, a friend of Holman-Maiden’s family, thought I’d like to know about Holman-Maiden because she is doing just what I’d urged readers of the bakery column to do: lend support in any way they could to the small businesses they would hate to lose.
The weekend that column came out, there were lines outside Diamond, and money poured into its fundraising page.
Comi characterizes the Maiden Community as a Valley-style version of that kind of effort — “a bunch of suburban people getting things done.” She wanted me to know that Holman-Maiden is so focused on helping others that she didn’t even plug Pickwick’s, owned by her British-born parents, Craig and Lizz Holman of Blackpool, until her Facebook support group had been up and running for weeks.
It didn’t take me long to see this myself when I went to meet Holman-Maiden at Pickwick’s one night this week. After we chatted a bit, we went right next door to the Blue Water Cafe to meet Sam Khechen and Roya Khajeaian, whose Lebanese menu got her group’s star treatment long before the pub.


latimes--2020-09-05--As second heat wave sears California, experts say health impacts will worsen with climate change

As the second major heat wave in weeks bears down on Southern California , experts and authorities are warning the public to take seriously the health dangers of extreme temperatures that are only getting worse due to climate change .
If the past is any guide , Los Angeles will see a spike in 911 calls , emergency room visits and deaths during a powerful heat spell that ’ s expected to peak Sunday , with highs between 110 and 120 hitting inland valleys and 95 to 105 degrees along the coast .
“ Heat of this magnitude is rare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” the National Weather Service warned .
Temperatures will remain unusually warm overnight — in the mid-70s and 80s — “ creating a dangerous situation where it will be difficult to cool off without air conditioning.
” Wildfires , elevated smog levels and possible power outages may pose additional threats .
The pandemic , meanwhile , could make this Labor Day weekend especially deadly , as coronavirus restrictions have closed many of the cooled indoor spaces that usually offer relief .
Exacerbating it all is climate change , which researchers say is increasing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events .
As greenhouse gases continue to rise globally , heat spells of this severity are an unfortunate reality that Californians will increasingly have to get used to , they say .
Last month ’ s heat wave , one of the worst to hit California in years , brought “ an increase in health-related emergency room visits in relation to the sustained high temperatures , ” the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in an email .
“ We are particularly concerned that these extreme heat events and the health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent years due to climate change.
” Though extreme heat is a less visible menace than , say hurricanes or wildfires , it is climate change ’ s most life-threatening impact , causing more deaths each year in the United States than any other weather-related problem , including all floods and storms combined .
“ Of all the climate change exposures we study , heat is the No .
1 killer , ” Rupa Basu , chief of air and climate epidemiology for the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aren ’ t only dying from conditions such as heat stroke and dehydration .
Extreme heat increases risk of complications and death from an array of other chronic illnesses including kidney disease , cardiovascular disease and diabetes .
“ Most of the time you won ’ t see it on a death certificate , because people with underlying conditions are pushed to the edge , ” said Dr. Jonathan Fielding , a UCLA professor of public health and medicine and former L.A. County public health director .
“ They have a cardiac condition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other conditions , like COVID .
So I ’ m very concerned about it , and I think it ’ s really important that people take this very , very seriously.
” Global warming is already bringing longer-lasting heat waves that don ’ t cool down as much overnight , limiting people ’ s ability to rest and recover .
As climate change accelerates , scientists project the number of days topping 95 degrees in Los Angeles to double or even triple within a few decades .
“ It means that we ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in terms of weather events , particularly heat , ” said Fielding , who is co-director of a new center at UCLA focused on addressing the near-term health impacts of climate change .
This weekend ’ s heat spell , he said , “ is not a one-off that maybe we won ’ t have for another 20 years .
This is going to become more the norm , unfortunately.
” A 2012 analysis by the L.A. County Department of Public Health found there were 3.6 times as many emergency department visits on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to days with temperatures in the 80s .
Across California , heat-related emergency room visits increased by 35 % between 2005 and 2015 , “ with disproportionate increases among African Americans , Asian Americans and Latinx residents due to the inequitable impacts of extreme heat , ” according to the department .
Helen Chavez , associate director with the L.A. County Office of Emergency Management , said dozens of cooling centers have been activated at libraries , community centers , gymnasiums and other locations throughout the county , but are operating at lower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distancing restrictions .
Still largely closed are movie theaters , malls and other air-conditioned public gathering places that people without air conditioning would normally flock to .
“ The problem with cooling centers is they ’ re not all that cool .
They ’ re kind of boring , so people don ’ t really gravitate to them , ” said Bryn Lindblad , deputy director of the Los Angeles nonprofit Climate Resolve , which advocates for reflective roofs and other measures designed to reduce urban temperatures .
About one-third of households in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but that number is higher in neighborhoods near the coast , where roughly half don ’ t have air conditioning , according to a .
Much like with the coronavirus , the health damage from heat waves is not distributed evenly .
Poorer communities of color tend to have more paved surfaces and less shade , and therefore suffer more from higher temperatures .
“ We ’ ve brought this heat on ourselves from our carbon pollution , but the people who have done the least to cause that problem will have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lindblad said .
That ’ s partly because of the urban heat island effect , in which the masses of buildings and paved surfaces that dominate cities make them several degrees hotter than their rural surroundings .
Those hard surfaces absorb heat and radiate it overnight , making it even harder for residents in the most urbanized areas to cool down and recuperate .
At the same time , some of the populations at greatest risk for heat-related illness have also been hit hard by COVID-19 , including residents over 65 , those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outdoors , such as farmworkers and construction workers .
“ Again and again , whether it ’ s heat , wildfire or COVID , it seems to be the same very high-risk groups that are affected , ” Basu said .
Many of those same communities have also suffered disproportionately for years from higher exposure to air pollution and other environmental health threats .
That ’ s certainly the case in the northeast San Fernando Valley , where a high of 113 is forecast for Sunday .
Andres Ramirez , policy director with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he is worried about how the area ’ s low-income residents will deal with a dangerous combination of a brutal heat wave and pandemic restrictions that have put cooled public spaces at a greater premium than ever .
“ Those resources are not as available because we ’ re still in a pandemic and the mandate is we shouldn ’ t be congregating , ” Ramirez said .
“ But at the same time , people need to be able to get out of their house when it ’ s a heat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Ramirez hopes people find ways to cool down — maybe walk to a park and find some shade , he said .
“ But I feel like climate change is almost magnified in our communities.
” A recent study by the Los Angeles Urban Cooling Collaborative , which is developing strategies to combat urban heat , found that widespread tree planting and retrofitting of roofs and streets with solar-reflective surfaces could cool down Los Angeles enough to reduce heat-related illnesses and deaths by more than 25 % .
“ As scary as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really doom and gloom — the work that we ’ ve been doing ... is fundamentally optimistic , ” said Edith de Guzman , director of research for the environmental group TreePeople who directs the collaborative .
“ Because even though we ’ re in this boat together that ’ s kind of sinking , we ’ re like OK , hang on , we can actually have a positive impact .
We can actually save lives.
” Even without air conditioning , there are concrete steps you can take to get through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your health intact .
Here are some recommendations from authorities and health experts : • Avoid the sun and stay in a cooled indoor place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. • If you don ’ t have air conditioning or can ’ t afford to run it , take a cool shower twice a day and go to a cooling center or other air-conditioned location .
Even a shaded yard or park is better than staying inside .
• Stay extra hydrated .
During a heat wave , that means drinking two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
• Avoid alcohol , reduce physical activity and don ’ t exercise outdoors during the hottest hours of the day .
If you must work outside , make sure to drink juice or sports drinks to replenish the salts and minerals removed from your body when you sweat .
• Wear loose-fitting , light-colored clothing and a hat if you go outdoors .
• Check on your neighbors , friends and relatives , particularly if they are elderly or don ’ t have air conditioning .
Chavez , with the county emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves with the signs of heat exhaustion and illness and be prepared to keep themselves and their families safe .
“ Heat-related illnesses can kind of creep up on you , ” Chavez said “ So now is the time , when we ’ re having protracted periods of heat , that it ’ s really important to be aware of how you ’ re feeling .
”

A plane lands at Los Angeles International Airport beneath a blistering sun recently. A second heat wave has been forecast for this weekend.
As the second major heat wave in weeks bears down on Southern California, experts and authorities are warning the public to take seriously the health dangers of extreme temperatures that are only getting worse due to climate change.
If the past is any guide, Los Angeles will see a spike in 911 calls, emergency room visits and deaths during a powerful heat spell that’s expected to peak Sunday, with highs between 110 and 120 hitting inland valleys and 95 to 105 degrees along the coast.
“Heat of this magnitude is rare, dangerous and very possibly deadly,” the National Weather Service warned. Temperatures will remain unusually warm overnight — in the mid-70s and 80s — “creating a dangerous situation where it will be difficult to cool off without air conditioning.”
Wildfires, elevated smog levels and possible power outages may pose additional threats. The pandemic, meanwhile, could make this Labor Day weekend especially deadly, as coronavirus restrictions have closed many of the cooled indoor spaces that usually offer relief.
Advertisement
Exacerbating it all is climate change, which researchers say is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events. As greenhouse gases continue to rise globally, heat spells of this severity are an unfortunate reality that Californians will increasingly have to get used to, they say.
Last month’s heat wave, one of the worst to hit California in years, brought “an increase in health-related emergency room visits in relation to the sustained high temperatures,” the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in an email. “We are particularly concerned that these extreme heat events and the health impacts from them have been increasing in recent years due to climate change.”
Though extreme heat is a less visible menace than, say, hurricanes or wildfires, it is climate change’s most life-threatening impact, causing more deaths each year in the United States than any other weather-related problem, including all floods and storms combined.
“Of all the climate change exposures we study, heat is the No. 1 killer,” Rupa Basu, chief of air and climate epidemiology for the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, said in an interview last month.
People aren’t only dying from conditions such as heat stroke and dehydration. Extreme heat increases risk of complications and death from an array of other chronic illnesses including kidney disease, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
“Most of the time you won’t see it on a death certificate, because people with underlying conditions are pushed to the edge,” said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, a UCLA professor of public health and medicine and former L.A. County public health director. “They have a cardiac condition, they have a respiratory condition or other conditions, like COVID. So I’m very concerned about it, and I think it’s really important that people take this very, very seriously.”
Global warming is already bringing longer-lasting heat waves that don’t cool down as much overnight, limiting people’s ability to rest and recover. As climate change accelerates, scientists project the number of days topping 95 degrees in Los Angeles to double or even triple within a few decades.
Advertisement
“It means that we’re going to have increasingly difficult times in terms of weather events, particularly heat,” said Fielding, who is co-director of a new center at UCLA focused on addressing the near-term health impacts of climate change.
This weekend’s heat spell, he said, “is not a one-off that maybe we won’t have for another 20 years. This is going to become more the norm, unfortunately.”
A 2012 analysis by the L.A. County Department of Public Health found there were 3.6 times as many emergency department visits on days with temperatures above 100 degrees compared to days with temperatures in the 80s. Across California, heat-related emergency room visits increased by 35% between 2005 and 2015, “with disproportionate increases among African Americans, Asian Americans and Latinx residents due to the inequitable impacts of extreme heat,” according to the department.
Helen Chavez, associate director with the L.A. County Office of Emergency Management, said dozens of cooling centers have been activated at libraries, community centers, gymnasiums and other locations throughout the county, but are operating at lower capacity than usual due to coronavirus social distancing restrictions.
Still largely closed are movie theaters, malls and other air-conditioned public gathering places that people without air conditioning would normally flock to.
“The problem with cooling centers is they’re not all that cool. They’re kind of boring, so people don’t really gravitate to them,” said Bryn Lindblad, deputy director of the Los Angeles nonprofit Climate Resolve, which advocates for reflective roofs and other measures designed to reduce urban temperatures.
About one-third of households in Greater Los Angeles lack air conditioning, but that number is higher in neighborhoods near the coast, where roughly half don’t have air conditioning, according to a 2019 study by USC scientists .
Much like with the coronavirus, the health damage from heat waves is not distributed evenly. Poorer communities of color tend to have more paved surfaces and less shade, and therefore suffer more from higher temperatures.
“We’ve brought this heat on ourselves from our carbon pollution, but the people who have done the least to cause that problem will have the hardest time escaping it now,” Lindblad said.
That’s partly because of the urban heat island effect, in which the masses of buildings and paved surfaces that dominate cities make them several degrees hotter than their rural surroundings. Those hard surfaces absorb heat and radiate it overnight, making it even harder for residents in the most urbanized areas to cool down and recuperate.
At the same time, some of the populations at greatest risk for heat-related illness have also been hit hard by COVID-19, including residents over 65, those with preexisting health conditions and people working outdoors, such as farmworkers and construction workers.
“Again and again, whether it’s heat, wildfire or COVID, it seems to be the same very high-risk groups that are affected,” Basu said.
Many of those same communities have also suffered disproportionately for years from higher exposure to air pollution and other environmental health threats. That’s certainly the case in the northeast San Fernando Valley, where a high of 113 is forecast for Sunday.
Andres Ramirez, policy director with the environmental justice group Pacoima Beautiful, said he is worried about how the area’s low-income residents will deal with a dangerous combination of a brutal heat wave and pandemic restrictions that have put cooled public spaces at a greater premium than ever.
“Those resources are not as available because we’re still in a pandemic and the mandate is we shouldn’t be congregating,” Ramirez said. “But at the same time, people need to be able to get out of their house when it’s a heat wave and it’s 110 degrees.”
Ramirez hopes people find ways to cool down — maybe walk to a park and find some shade, he said. “But I feel like climate change is almost magnified in our communities.”
A recent study by the Los Angeles Urban Cooling Collaborative, which is developing strategies to combat urban heat, found that widespread tree planting and retrofitting of roofs and streets with solar-reflective surfaces could cool down Los Angeles enough to reduce heat-related illnesses and deaths by more than 25%.
“As scary as it is — and sometimes it feels really doom and gloom — the work that we’ve been doing ... is fundamentally optimistic,” said Edith de Guzman, director of research for the environmental group TreePeople who directs the collaborative. “Because even though we’re in this boat together that’s kind of sinking, we’re like OK, hang on, we can actually have a positive impact. We can actually save lives.”
Even without air conditioning, there are concrete steps you can take to get through an exceptionally hot Labor Day weekend with your health intact.
Here are some recommendations from authorities and health experts:
Avoid the sun and stay in a cooled indoor place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
If you don’t have air conditioning or can’t afford to run it, take a cool shower twice a day and go to a cooling center or other air-conditioned location. Even a shaded yard or park is better than staying inside.
Stay extra hydrated. During a heat wave, that means drinking two to four glasses of water every hour.
Avoid alcohol, reduce physical activity and don’t exercise outdoors during the hottest hours of the day. If you must work outside, make sure to drink juice or sports drinks to replenish the salts and minerals removed from your body when you sweat.
Wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothing and a hat if you go outdoors.
Check on your neighbors, friends and relatives, particularly if they are elderly or don’t have air conditioning.
Chavez, with the county emergency management office, urged residents to familiarize themselves with the signs of heat exhaustion and illness and be prepared to keep themselves and their families safe.
“Heat-related illnesses can kind of creep up on you,” Chavez said. “So now is the time, when we’re having protracted periods of heat, that it’s really important to be aware of how you’re feeling.”


latimes--2020-09-05--Column: These Black activists could be pawns in Trump's evil reelection plan. They don't care

The 22-year-old founder of the upstart Black Future Project spent the summer protesting police brutality in downtown Los Angeles before moving on to get arrested on allegations of disrupting the tranquility of residents in Beverly Hills .
He has heard all about President Trump ’ s recent attempts to smear Black activists like himself as “ anarchists ” and “ looters.
” He knows that the stakes are high in this election , especially for Black people , and he ’ s aware that some suburban voters might actually buy Trump ’ s claims about Democrats being the enablers of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like many activists in California — still isn ’ t backing down .
“ All of this rhetoric is an attempt to have these right-wing groups look at the Gen Z and millennial people who are predominantly hitting the streets and make us look like uneducated nuisances , ” Butler told me by phone from Boston , where he ’ s planning yet another protest .
“ But we ’ re upset and angry , and we see the wrongdoings of the system and we are sick of it.
” These are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ baby boomers and some of the Gen Xers in the Democratic Party an ulcer .
People such as Willie Brown , former California Assembly speaker , former San Francisco mayor and confidant to Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris .
He recently declared in the San Francisco Chronicle that “ the biggest threat to a Democratic election sweep in November isn ’ t the Republican in the White House , but the demonstrators who are tearing up cities in the name of racial justice.
” And then , as if on cue , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ad that begins with images of vehicles and buildings that were presumably set ablaze in some riot somewhere .
“ I want to make it absolutely clear , ” Biden intones .
“ Rioting is not protesting .
Looting is not protesting .
And those who do it should be prosecuted.
” It ’ s a message he echoed during a campaign stop in Kenosha , Wis. , where a handful of city blocks have been ripped apart by protesters enraged over the gruesome and wholly unnecessary police shooting of Jacob Blake .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Lewis used to say .
But none of it justifies looting , burning or anything else .
So regardless how angry you are , if you loot or you burn , you should be held [ as ] accountable as someone who does anything else .
Period , ” Biden said .
“ It just can not be tolerated , across the board.
” Allow me , for just a moment , to inject a few facts into all of this political fiction .
According to a recent analysis from the Armed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence occurred at only about 7 % of the thousands of protests that popped up across the country this summer after a Minneapolis cop kneeled on George Floyd ’ s neck .
Put another way , the vast majority of people who took to the streets in support of Black lives did so peacefully and only a tiny fraction of those protests drew police intervention .
And this is true despite what has happened in downtown Portland , Ore. , and likely will happen again this weekend as that city reaches 100 consecutive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 % of the hundreds of counterprotests that have occurred this summer — many led by belligerent Trump supporters — have ended in violence , according to the analysis .
“ We ’ ve seen people in MAGA hats show up at our weekly protest , ” said Melina Abdullah , co-founder of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles .
“ We ’ ve seen people come at us very violently on social media .
We ’ ve had to ramp up our security protocols.
” It ’ s no wonder then that activists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over whether Trump will use them to win reelection .
Rather , they are fed up , as all of us should be .
“ How the hell did one minute we were talking about defund the police and killer cops , and now all of a sudden the whole narrative across the nation has been looting and rioters ?
” said Berry Accius , an activist with Voice of the Youth in Sacramento .
“ Why are we here ?
Let ’ s talk about that.
” The reason , of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ er , political fiction — of this situation seems complicated .
I have enough friends living in the suburbs in the Midwest to believe that what the president is saying will , in fact , resonate with some voters .
Especially those who haven ’ t ventured into “ the city ” for months and what they know of the protests is limited to what they see on TV and read on Facebook .
But the real question is how much will it resonate ?
And so far , the answer seems to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new ABC News/Ipsos poll found that 59 % of Americans said Biden would do a better job handling the protests , compared with about 39 % who said the same about Trump .
When it comes to handling racial discrimination , 64 % said Biden would do a better job as opposed to nearly 34 % for Trump .
And on reducing violence in the country overall , Americans favored Biden over Trump , 59 % to 39 % All of which makes me wonder why Biden and Harris are giving so much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Why , at a time when we learn of another Black man shot by police almost every week and when police unions are scuttling legislation in Sacramento to bring about criminal justice reform , make a big stink about being endorsed by law enforcement officials , as the Biden campaign did on Friday ?
Why even talk about protests that have been overwhelmingly peaceful ?
And why release ads promising to punish the very few who turn to vandalism and theft , instead of solely focusing on why they are out there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ settle this back in May when everyone lost their mind over people stealing stuff out of a Target in the mayhem after Floyd died in Minneapolis ?
“ Joe Biden is giving his own version of the ‘ very fine people on both sides ’ narrative , ” Abdullah said .
“ He should take an unshakable stance on the side of those of us who are protesting police brutality and violence against white supremacist terrorism , but he hasn ’ t done that.
” To be fair , the former vice president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with his rhetoric and for refusing to denounce his supporters who have shown up at peaceful protests with guns and , in at least one case , killed people .
The Biden campaign , with Harris at the forefront , also is pushing for police reform .
One thing seems clear , though .
If fretful Democrats were hoping that activists marching for Black lives would take a hint and take a break between now and election day , that ’ s not going to happen .
Not in California anyway .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me not protest , ” Abdullah said .
“ The one way they can be sure that we ’ ll protest harder is to tell us we can ’ t. ” Perhaps that ’ s the thinking behind one of the findings in the ABC News/Ipsos poll .
When asked if what Biden has been saying is making the protests better , worse or having no effect one way or the other , about half said he hasn ’ t had much of an effect .
“ Hearing a Democrat say something like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the line ?
Well , killing Black people is also crossing the line , ” Butler said .
“ What do you expect people to do ?
”

President Trump tours a block in Kenosha, Wis., that was damaged during protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake in August.
James Butler isn’t backing down.
The 22-year-old founder of the upstart Black Future Project spent the summer protesting police brutality in downtown Los Angeles before moving on to get arrested on allegations of disrupting the tranquility of residents in Beverly Hills.
For the record: A previous version of this column misidentified Joe Biden as a former presidential nominee. Biden is the current Democratic nominee.
He has heard all about President Trump’s recent attempts to smear Black activists like himself as “anarchists” and “looters.” He knows that the stakes are high in this election, especially for Black people, and he’s aware that some suburban voters might actually buy Trump’s claims about Democrats being the enablers of “anti-American riots.”
But he — like many activists in California — still isn’t backing down.
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“All of this rhetoric is an attempt to have these right-wing groups look at the Gen Z and millennial people who are predominantly hitting the streets and make us look like uneducated nuisances,” Butler told me by phone from Boston, where he’s planning yet another protest. “But we’re upset and angry, and we see the wrongdoings of the system and we are sick of it.”
These are the kind of words that will surely give baby boomers and some of the Gen Xers in the Democratic Party an ulcer. People such as Willie Brown, former California Assembly speaker, former San Francisco mayor and confidant to Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
He recently declared in the San Francisco Chronicle that “the biggest threat to a Democratic election sweep in November isn’t the Republican in the White House, but the demonstrators who are tearing up cities in the name of racial justice.”
And then, as if on cue, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden released an ad that begins with images of vehicles and buildings that were presumably set ablaze in some riot somewhere.
“I want to make it absolutely clear,” Biden intones. “Rioting is not protesting. Looting is not protesting. And those who do it should be prosecuted.”
It’s a message he echoed during a campaign stop in Kenosha, Wis., where a handful of city blocks have been ripped apart by protesters enraged over the gruesome and wholly unnecessary police shooting of Jacob Blake.
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“Protesting is protesting, my buddy John Lewis used to say. But none of it justifies looting, burning or anything else. So regardless how angry you are, if you loot or you burn, you should be held [as] accountable as someone who does anything else. Period,” Biden said. “It just cannot be tolerated, across the board.”
Easy there, Joe.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden speaks at Grace Lutheran Church in Kenosha, Wis., on Thursday. (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press)
Allow me, for just a moment, to inject a few facts into all of this political fiction.
According to a recent analysis from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, violence occurred at only about 7% of the thousands of protests that popped up across the country this summer after a Minneapolis cop kneeled on George Floyd’s neck.
Put another way, the vast majority of people who took to the streets in support of Black lives did so peacefully and only a tiny fraction of those protests drew police intervention. And this is true despite what has happened in downtown Portland, Ore., and likely will happen again this weekend as that city reaches 100 consecutive nights of protests.
Meanwhile, about 12% of the hundreds of counterprotests that have occurred this summer — many led by belligerent Trump supporters — have ended in violence, according to the analysis.
“We’ve seen people in MAGA hats show up at our weekly protest,” said Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles. “We’ve seen people come at us very violently on social media. We’ve had to ramp up our security protocols.”
It’s no wonder then that activists aren’t exactly consumed with worry over whether Trump will use them to win reelection. Rather, they are fed up, as all of us should be.
“How the hell did one minute we were talking about defund the police and killer cops, and now all of a sudden the whole narrative across the nation has been looting and rioters?” said Berry Accius, an activist with Voice of the Youth in Sacramento. “Why are we here? Let’s talk about that.”
The reason, of course, is that the political reality — er, political fiction — of this situation seems complicated. I have enough friends living in the suburbs in the Midwest to believe that what the president is saying will, in fact, resonate with some voters. Especially those who haven’t ventured into “the city” for months and what they know of the protests is limited to what they see on TV and read on Facebook.
But the real question is how much will it resonate? And so far, the answer seems to be not a whole lot.
A new ABC News/Ipsos poll found that 59% of Americans said Biden would do a better job handling the protests, compared with about 39% who said the same about Trump. When it comes to handling racial discrimination, 64% said Biden would do a better job as opposed to nearly 34% for Trump. And on reducing violence in the country overall, Americans favored Biden over Trump, 59% to 39%
All of which makes me wonder why Biden and Harris are giving so much air to Trump’s law-and-order narrative?
Why, at a time when we learn of another Black man shot by police almost every week and when police unions are scuttling legislation in Sacramento to bring about criminal justice reform, make a big stink about being endorsed by law enforcement officials, as the Biden campaign did on Friday?
Why even talk about protests that have been overwhelmingly peaceful?
And why release ads promising to punish the very few who turn to vandalism and theft, instead of solely focusing on why they are out there at all? Didn’t we settle this back in May when everyone lost their mind over people stealing stuff out of a Target in the mayhem after Floyd died in Minneapolis?
“Joe Biden is giving his own version of the ‘very fine people on both sides’ narrative,” Abdullah said. “He should take an unshakable stance on the side of those of us who are protesting police brutality and violence against white supremacist terrorism, but he hasn’t done that.”
To be fair, the former vice president has called out Trump for inciting violence with his rhetoric and for refusing to denounce his supporters who have shown up at peaceful protests with guns and, in at least one case, killed people. The Biden campaign, with Harris at the forefront, also is pushing for police reform.
One thing seems clear, though. If fretful Democrats were hoping that activists marching for Black lives would take a hint and take a break between now and election day, that’s not going to happen. Not in California anyway.
“Nobody’s going to ever make me not protest,” Abdullah said. “The one way they can be sure that we’ll protest harder is to tell us we can’t.”
Perhaps that’s the thinking behind one of the findings in the ABC News/Ipsos poll. When asked if what Biden has been saying is making the protests better, worse or having no effect one way or the other, about half said he hasn’t had much of an effect.
“Hearing a Democrat say something like that, like the rioting is crossing the line? Well, killing Black people is also crossing the line,” Butler said. “What do you expect people to do?”


latimes--2020-09-05--'A forgotten city':  An L.A. community beset by police violence and crime hopes for change

Denise Nelson remembers when her Westmont neighborhood wasn ’ t filled with liquor stores , storefront churches and abandoned buildings .
There used to be a theater across the street from her bargain store near Imperial Highway and Vermont Avenue .
The area was once home to a roller skating rink and thriving Black-owned businesses .
Recent years have brought hard luck to the small South L.A. community of nearly 34,000 people wedged between the city of Los Angeles and Inglewood .
This week , Dijon Kizzee , 29 , was shot and killed by Los Angeles County sheriff ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ headlines decrying excessive use of force against Black people , including George Floyd , Jacob Blake and Breonna Taylor .
On May 26 , another man was shot by sheriff ’ s deputies on the same street as Kizzee .
Deputies fired 19 rounds at Robert Avitia , 18 , who was a suspect in a killing and had a handgun , authorities told coroner investigators .
Residents in the area say they fear street violence and the potential for violence perpetrated by authorities .
Their struggles are compounded by a decades-long lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic that has disproportionately affected Black and brown communities .
“ It ’ s like a forgotten city , ” said Kevin “ Twin ” Orange , a longtime gang intervention worker who was born and raised in Westmont .
“ All we got is candles where people have been killed at , abandoned buildings and motels and liquor stores.
” Recently , there ’ s been a string of violence in the area .
Alan Snipes , 42 , was found on a sidewalk with gunshot wounds the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 , Derek Wilson , 61 , was killed in his car .
Two days earlier , Lorenzo Hall Jr. , 27 , and William Lay , 31 , were shot hours apart .
Kizzee was on a bike when he was flagged down for what the Sheriff ’ s Department said was a vehicle code violation .
Kizzee dropped his bicycle and ran .
Deputies shot him after Kizzee dropped a jacket he was carrying and made “ a motion toward ” a gun that fell to the ground , sheriff ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the killing said deputies kept firing at Kizzee after he collapsed to the ground .
His family said he was a family-oriented man .
On a recent afternoon , Gregory Brown and two friends sat outside an apartment building to relax after a long day of work .
A breeze blew through the neighborhood as other residents sat on their porches , talking to one another .
Brown said he ’ s frustrated not only by the violence but years of injustice and the economic disadvantages that Black people have faced for hundreds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ 80s , we went through that , ” Brown said .
“ But now you got this pandemic and now you got the police you have to watch out for at the same time.
” Brown tries to set an example for his two sons .
He votes because he wants them to vote when they grow up .
“ It ’ s the only way to change things , ” he said .
The median household income in Westmont — whose residents are 44 % Black and 53 % Latino — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ L.A. and the county as a whole , according to census figures .
Only 6 % of residents hold a bachelor ’ s degree .
In a 2018 L.A. County Department of Public Health report examining community disparities , Westmont ranked as one of the lowest in the county for life expectancy .
“ There ’ s just structural and historical abandonment , ” said Alejandro Villalpando , a professor of Pan African and Latin American Studies at Cal State L.A. who grew up in the neighborhood and lives nearby .
Villalpando recounted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ High School to prepare for an SAT test and witnessing a shooting .
At 19 , sheriff ’ s deputies pulled their guns on him while he was riding his bike in the neighborhood .
Villalpando said at the heart of the problem is a lack of investment in recreation programs and mental health services , and what he calls “ active disinvestment ” in the community .
“ People aren ’ t born to be shooting at people at 7 in the morning , ” Villalpando said .
“ That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Patterson , a social worker at Westmont Counseling Center who runs a group for women , said people in the neighborhood experience structural racism , poverty and violence on a daily basis .
“ They ’ ve learned to function in a state of trauma , ” she said .
Patterson said she ’ s used to hearing ambulance sirens and the hum of helicopters during sessions .
“ You hear it every single day , ” she said .
In recent years , there have been efforts to reinvest in the area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a stretch of land near Vermont and Manchester avenues that has sat vacant since the 1992 civil unrest with a shopping center , boarding school for at-risk youth and affordable housing .
A homeless shelter is scheduled to be built near the sheriff ’ s station .
And the Public Health Department has also launched an initiative to help stem violence and trauma .
“ We can ’ t let the community give up on itself , ” said Mark Ridley-Thomas , a county supervisor whose district includes Westmont .
Besides the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trees and is working to build a small park .
“ We ’ ve gone in and tried to make a number of things happen , ” he said .
Los Angeles Sheriff ’ s Capt .
Duane Allen said before this year , the area had seen a record low number of shootings before a surge this summer .
Budget cuts in the department slashed additional summer patrols and a youth program .
“ We don ’ t have extra people to engage the community , ” Allen said .
Demetra Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was shot and killed by deputies in 2018 in the neighborhood , said the changes haven ’ t come soon enough .
Relations between the Sheriff ’ s Department and community are tense , she said .
That much was visible on a wall and building not far from where Kizzee was killed .
Graffiti spelled out expletives and the word “ sheriffs ” was crossed out .
When Kizzee was killed this week , Johnson joined other demonstrators in a march to the South Los Angeles sheriff ’ s station .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the market she runs .
“ It ’ s just heartbreaking , ” she said of another police shooting in the neighborhood she ’ s called home since 1983 .
Johnson worries about her 14-year-old son .
She says she ’ s lucky that he prefers playing video games to going outside to play .
When Alani Snipes , a 22-year-old mother of two , saw signs in the area listing local landmarks such as Los Angeles Southwest College , she was disheartened : The streets are in need of repairs .
Schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Snipes said , as if officials are pretending that crime , murder and police killings are not occurring in the area .
“ The things that truly matter are not given the time and effort as they should , ” she said .
Snipes , who lives near the sheriff ’ s station , said she thought her proximity to law enforcement meant safety .
Last month , her father , Allan Snipes , was killed while on a morning walk .
The shooting of Kizzee left her thinking that police officers need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she said , and it ’ s an issue that must be spearheaded by local officials .
“ You have to nourish the people in order to nourish the city and they don ’ t see that , ” she said .
Nelson , who owns Connaisseur ’ s Bargain Store in Westmont , is working to improve conditions .
She runs A Step Above Your Vision , a nonprofit that provides transitional housing and life skills to homeless people .
She mentors young women in the area .
She wants to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in her store .
Her dream is to one day open up a homeless shelter and resource center next door .
Her goals are an attempt to bring something to the community she thinks is needed : a message of hope .
“ I ’ m trying to be a good example for people , ” she said .
“ I ’ m trying to show what they can do .
”

Relatives and friends of Dijon Kizzee gather in Westmont, near West 109th Place and South Budlong Avenue, where the 29-year-old Black bicyclist was shot and killed this week by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies.
Denise Nelson remembers when her Westmont neighborhood wasn’t filled with liquor stores, storefront churches and abandoned buildings.
There used to be a theater across the street from her bargain store near Imperial Highway and Vermont Avenue. The area was once home to a roller skating rink and thriving Black-owned businesses.
Recent years have brought hard luck to the small South L.A. community of nearly 34,000 people wedged between the city of Los Angeles and Inglewood. This week, Dijon Kizzee, 29, was shot and killed by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies, sparking protests and national headlines decrying excessive use of force against Black people, including George Floyd, Jacob Blake and Breonna Taylor.
On May 26, another man was shot by sheriff’s deputies on the same street as Kizzee. Deputies fired 19 rounds at Robert Avitia, 18, who was a suspect in a killing and had a handgun, authorities told coroner investigators.
Residents in the area say they fear street violence and the potential for violence perpetrated by authorities. Their struggles are compounded by a decades-long lack of investment and resources, and the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic that has disproportionately affected Black and brown communities.
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Latex gloves left by emergency medical technicians litter the ground in Westmont where L.A. County sheriff’s deputies killed Dijon Kizzee , 29. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
“It’s like a forgotten city,” said Kevin “Twin” Orange, a longtime gang intervention worker who was born and raised in Westmont. “All we got is candles where people have been killed at, abandoned buildings and motels and liquor stores.”
Recently, there’s been a string of violence in the area. Alan Snipes, 42, was found on a sidewalk with gunshot wounds the morning of Aug. 4. On June 30, Derek Wilson, 61, was killed in his car. Two days earlier, Lorenzo Hall Jr., 27, and William Lay, 31, were shot hours apart.
Kizzee was on a bike when he was flagged down for what the Sheriff’s Department said was a vehicle code violation. Kizzee dropped his bicycle and ran. Deputies shot him after Kizzee dropped a jacket he was carrying and made “a motion toward” a gun that fell to the ground, sheriff’s officials said.
People who witnessed the killing said deputies kept firing at Kizzee after he collapsed to the ground. His family said he was a family-oriented man.
On a recent afternoon, Gregory Brown and two friends sat outside an apartment building to relax after a long day of work. A breeze blew through the neighborhood as other residents sat on their porches, talking to one another.
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Brown said he’s frustrated not only by the violence but years of injustice and the economic disadvantages that Black people have faced for hundreds of years.
Relatives and friends of Dijon Kizzee gather at the site where Kizzee was killed. Recently, there’s been a string of violence in the South L.A. neighborhood of Westmont that has left four men dead from gunshots. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
“We survived the ‘80s, we went through that,” Brown said. “But now you got this pandemic and now you got the police you have to watch out for at the same time.”
Brown tries to set an example for his two sons. He votes because he wants them to vote when they grow up.
“It’s the only way to change things,” he said.
The median household income in Westmont — whose residents are 44% Black and 53% Latino — is lower than other areas of South L.A. and the county as a whole, according to census figures. Only 6% of residents hold a bachelor’s degree. In a 2018 L.A. County Department of Public Health report examining community disparities, Westmont ranked as one of the lowest in the county for life expectancy.
“There’s just structural and historical abandonment,” said Alejandro Villalpando, a professor of Pan African and Latin American Studies at Cal State L.A. who grew up in the neighborhood and lives nearby.
Villalpando recounted as a youth walking to Washington Preparatory High School to prepare for an SAT test and witnessing a shooting. At 19, sheriff’s deputies pulled their guns on him while he was riding his bike in the neighborhood.
Villalpando said at the heart of the problem is a lack of investment in recreation programs and mental health services, and what he calls “active disinvestment” in the community.
“People aren’t born to be shooting at people at 7 in the morning,” Villalpando said. “That’s not the order of things.”
Kala Patterson, a social worker at Westmont Counseling Center who runs a group for women, said people in the neighborhood experience structural racism, poverty and violence on a daily basis.
People gather in the South L.A. neighborhood of Westmont on Budlong Avenue and face off with sheriff’s deputies for hours after the deputy-involved shooting of Dijon Kizzee. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
“They’ve learned to function in a state of trauma,” she said. Patterson said she’s used to hearing ambulance sirens and the hum of helicopters during sessions.
“You hear it every single day,” she said.
In recent years, there have been efforts to reinvest in the area. Plans are in place to redevelop a stretch of land near Vermont and Manchester avenues that has sat vacant since the 1992 civil unrest with a shopping center, boarding school for at-risk youth and affordable housing. A homeless shelter is scheduled to be built near the sheriff’s station. And the Public Health Department has also launched an initiative to help stem violence and trauma.
“We can’t let the community give up on itself,” said Mark Ridley-Thomas, a county supervisor whose district includes Westmont. Besides the other efforts, his office has also planted trees and is working to build a small park.
“We’ve gone in and tried to make a number of things happen,” he said.
Los Angeles Sheriff’s Capt. Duane Allen said before this year, the area had seen a record low number of shootings before a surge this summer. Budget cuts in the department slashed additional summer patrols and a youth program.
“We don’t have extra people to engage the community,” Allen said.
A sign with a photograph of slain 16-year-old Anthony Weber is held up during an emergency town hall meeting of the sheriff’s Civilian Oversight Commission in February 2018 to discuss the deputy-involved shooting that killed Weber. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)
Demetra Johnson, whose son Anthony Weber, 16, was shot and killed by deputies in 2018 in the neighborhood, said the changes haven’t come soon enough. Relations between the Sheriff’s Department and community are tense, she said.
That much was visible on a wall and building not far from where Kizzee was killed. Graffiti spelled out expletives and the word “sheriffs” was crossed out.
When Kizzee was killed this week, Johnson joined other demonstrators in a march to the South Los Angeles sheriff’s station. She said Kizzee was a patron at the market she runs.
“It’s just heartbreaking,” she said of another police shooting in the neighborhood she’s called home since 1983.
Johnson worries about her 14-year-old son. She says she’s lucky that he prefers playing video games to going outside to play.
When Alani Snipes, a 22-year-old mother of two, saw signs in the area listing local landmarks such as Los Angeles Southwest College, she was disheartened: The streets are in need of repairs. Schools lack decent equipment.
It felt, Snipes said, as if officials are pretending that crime, murder and police killings are not occurring in the area.
“The things that truly matter are not given the time and effort as they should,” she said.
Paint peels off commercial buildings along Normandie Avenue in Westmont. In recent years, there have been efforts to reinvest in the area, including plans to redevelop vacant land with a shopping center, boarding school for at-risk youth and affordable housing. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Snipes, who lives near the sheriff’s station, said she thought her proximity to law enforcement meant safety. Last month, her father, Allan Snipes, was killed while on a morning walk.
The shooting of Kizzee left her thinking that police officers need better training. Police reform is needed, she said, and it’s an issue that must be spearheaded by local officials.
“You have to nourish the people in order to nourish the city and they don’t see that,” she said.
Nelson, who owns Connaisseur’s Bargain Store in Westmont, is working to improve conditions. She runs A Step Above Your Vision, a nonprofit that provides transitional housing and life skills to homeless people. She mentors young women in the area.
She wants to add a juice bar and sandwich shop in her store. Her dream is to one day open up a homeless shelter and resource center next door.
Her goals are an attempt to bring something to the community she thinks is needed: a message of hope.
“I’m trying to be a good example for people,” she said. “I’m trying to show what they can do.”
Times staff writer Sandhya Kambhampati contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-09-04--Sentenced to life as a teen, Compton man to be freed after evidence is questioned

A Compton man who has spent nearly two decades in prison for a gang-motivated shooting will be allowed to leave San Quentin prison next week after attorneys and Los Angeles County prosecutors engineered his release amid questions about the evidence used to convict him .
Emon Barnes , now 34 , was just 15 when L.A. County sheriff ’ s deputies arrested him on suspicion of attempted murder in 2001 , according to Laurie Levenson , founder of the Project for the Innocent at Loyola Marymount University .
Barnes had been accused in a pair of shootings tied to gang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He was convicted in one case , which hinged largely on the testimony of one shooting victim , who identified Barnes , and was sentenced to 40 years to live in prison .
Barnes , whose father died in a gang shooting when he was just 6 months old , has long maintained he was at home with his mother at the time the gunfire erupted , Levenson said .
“ He was a nice kid .
He was never a member of a gang , in part because his mother really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Lawyers with the Project for the Innocent took on Barnes ’ case approximately six years ago , after the victim in the case acknowledged Barnes may not have been the shooter , Levenson said .
But as the coronavirus crisis continued to wreak havoc in jails and prisons , the case took on new urgency .
Barnes suffers from sickle cell disease and was considered high risk if he contracted the virus , Levenson said .
Barnes will be freed under a section of the penal code that allows prosecutors or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a defendant due to a significant change in circumstances , including medical conditions .
L.A. County Deputy Dist .
Atty .
Bobby Grace , who filed the petition to have Barnes resentenced , said he also considered new state law that would have prevented Barnes from being tried in adult court if the same case was presented now .
The law is now retroactive , Grace said .
The district attorney ’ s office did not find any factual reasons to void Barnes ’ conviction , according to Grace .
Levenson said defense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conviction , though she declined to discuss other evidence that might lead a court to do so .
A judge approved Barnes ’ release on Friday morning , and he is expected to be sent home by the end of next week , Levenson said .
Attorneys with the Project for the Innocent said sheriff ’ s investigators had simply been overzealous in arresting Barnes without additional evidence .
“ The more we investigated , the more obvious it became that Emon was innocent , ” attorney Michael Petersen said in a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gang .
He was a quiet kid in a bad neighborhood .
The police were simply way off when they set their sights on him .
”

Emon Barnes, seen here as a teenager, will be released from San Quentin after serving 19 years for a Compton shooting after prosecutors and attorneys raised raised questions about the evidence used to convict him.
A Compton man who has spent nearly two decades in prison for a gang-motivated shooting will be allowed to leave San Quentin prison next week after attorneys and Los Angeles County prosecutors engineered his release amid questions about the evidence used to convict him.
Emon Barnes, now 34, was just 15 when L.A. County sheriff’s deputies arrested him on suspicion of attempted murder in 2001, according to Laurie Levenson, founder of the Project for the Innocent at Loyola Marymount University.
Barnes had been accused in a pair of shootings tied to gang activity in Compton, according to Levenson. He was convicted in one case, which hinged largely on the testimony of one shooting victim, who identified Barnes, and was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison.
Barnes, whose father died in a gang shooting when he was just 6 months old, has long maintained he was at home with his mother at the time the gunfire erupted, Levenson said.
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“He was a nice kid. He was never a member of a gang, in part because his mother really watched carefully over him,” she said.
Lawyers with the Project for the Innocent took on Barnes’ case approximately six years ago, after the victim in the case acknowledged Barnes may not have been the shooter, Levenson said. But as the coronavirus crisis continued to wreak havoc in jails and prisons, the case took on new urgency. Barnes suffers from sickle cell disease and was considered high risk if he contracted the virus, Levenson said.
Barnes will be freed under a section of the penal code that allows prosecutors or corrections officials to seek the resentencing of a defendant due to a significant change in circumstances, including medical conditions. L.A. County Deputy Dist. Atty. Bobby Grace, who filed the petition to have Barnes resentenced, said he also considered new state law that would have prevented Barnes from being tried in adult court if the same case was presented now. The law is now retroactive, Grace said.
The district attorney’s office did not find any factual reasons to void Barnes’ conviction, according to Grace. Levenson said defense attorneys will still seek to vacate his conviction, though she declined to discuss other evidence that might lead a court to do so.
A judge approved Barnes’ release on Friday morning, and he is expected to be sent home by the end of next week, Levenson said.
Attorneys with the Project for the Innocent said sheriff’s investigators had simply been overzealous in arresting Barnes without additional evidence.
“The more we investigated, the more obvious it became that Emon was innocent,” attorney Michael Petersen said in a statement. “Emon was not in a gang. He was a quiet kid in a bad neighborhood. The police were simply way off when they set their sights on him.”