latimes--2020-09-04--Meatpacking was already a dangerous job for California workers. The pandemic made it worse

When Daljit Singh retired in April after 26 years processing chicken carcasses at Foster Farms in Livingston , friends called him “ the lucky one.
” He had avoided the crippling injuries of his colleagues : knee replacements , shoulder surgeries , nerve damage that led to “ claw hand.
” Working eight-hour shifts , six nights a week , still took a toll on his back , shoulders and legs , said Singh , 68 , an Indian immigrant who spoke to The Times through an interpreter .
Supervisors sped up production lines to compensate for having employees out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep up or put in overtime were penalized under a points system that led to firings .
Then in March , a new threat emerged with the pandemic — and it ’ s one that even six months later , state officials still don ’ t have a full picture of , a Times review of documents indicates .
“ I feel grateful that I was able to get out before — that I didn ’ t get coronavirus , ” he said .
“ People are very , very scared.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Compared to other sectors , food workers are 9.5 times more likely to die on the job .
Injuries are especially high in meatpacking , where an average of two amputations occurs weekly .
The pandemic has only amplified those threats for a workforce largely made up of people of color , immigrants and migrants .
Workers not only fear contracting the virus , but getting injured as more employees call out sick , leaving less staff to meet heightened demands for food production .
Since April , more than 53,000 food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and over 200 have died , most of them in the meatpacking industry .
In Los Angeles County , food processing accounts for the second highest number of infections by workplace , following nursing homes .
Despite the escalating stakes , an examination by The Times found vast inconsistencies in workplace reporting .
Some businesses have been slow to report cases to local officials or test employees .
Others with well-publicized outbreaks haven ’ t filed reports of sick or dead workers to California ’ s Division of Occupational Safety and Health , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the agency has struggled to manage the crisis with little direction from its federal counterpart , the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration — which has been accused by worker advocates of abandoning its role to ensure safe workplaces .
On Wednesday , the Foster Farms factory where Singh had worked was shut down for deep cleaning after Merced County health officials learned that eight of its employees had died after contracting the virus and another 358 had tested positive .
A Times review of Cal/OSHA data obtained through public records laws @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death from Jan. 1 through Aug. 13 , the most recent data available .
A corporate memo dated Aug. 24 said nine employees had died companywide .
Martha Vera , who has worked at the plant for 24 years , is mourning the loss of her husband , a Foster Farms truck driver who died Aug. 14 of complications from COVID-19 .
“ What does this company really want ?
” she said through tears .
“ How many more people do they think should die for them to do something … for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How many more ?
Can someone tell me ?
” The plant has been grappling with an outbreak since June , but Cal/OSHA didn ’ t inspect the facility in person until Aug. 3 .
The county ’ s decision to shutter the plant came weeks after local health officials flagged Foster Farms for repeated testing failures and ordered management to provide employees with face coverings and accurately report COVID-19 related hospitalizations and deaths to Cal/OSHA .
The United Farm Workers of America , which represents workers at the Livingston plant , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answers about exactly how many employees have died and when .
“ Foster Farms has sought to obscure the number of deaths and the sanctity of each person ’ s life throughout this crisis , ” wrote organizer Elizabeth Strater .
Ira Brill , vice president of communications for Foster Farms , declined to comment on the pending Cal/OSHA investigation , and in a two-page statement to The Times blamed the surge in infections on California ’ s reopening efforts .
“ Foster Farms can protect employees while they are on our premises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures that they should always be taking , but we can not fully protect them when they are exposed in the county community , ” Brill said .
The scope of the Livingston outbreak wasn ’ t publicly known until the shutdown because Merced County had stopped reporting the total number of worksite infections online sometime in July , citing health privacy concerns .
According to health director Dr. Rebecca Nanyonjo-Kemp , the county still tracks worksite cases but stopped posting the figures publicly because the information was “ being used in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Concerns from local businesses played a role in the decision , she said , but were not a “ driving determinant.
” Nanyonjo-Kemp said working closely with businesses is key to keeping workplaces safe .
“ We ’ re not trying to destroy by reputation , or otherwise , how people operate.
” She described the Livingston plant as an outlier and said other employers have been following COVID-19 guidelines .
It ’ s unclear how closely Cal/OSHA is keeping track of workplace outbreaks or coordinating with local health officials .
By @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report any serious work-related injuries , illnesses and deaths .
Internal emails released in July show officials refining voluntary employer guidelines , but reveal little in the way of enforcement or coordination to deal with an influx of COVID-19-related workplace complaints .
State data provided in late August showed wide gaps in employer reports of sick and injured workers .
When Merced County officials first tried to close the plant , Foster Farms invoked President Trump ’ s executive order deeming meatpacking facilities “ critical infrastructure.
” Doing so allowed the company a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which was driven by industry lobbying and issued in late April , has been derided by unions as justification to keep plants running despite widespread outbreaks .
Foster Farms ’ safety problems aren ’ t limited to its Livingston plant .
Separate investigations are underway at the company ’ s locations in Fresno and Turlock , where a worker died on the job April 27 .
Juanita Salazar remembers rushing home after a 10-hour workday to drive her son , Luis , to the turkey plant for his night shift .
Though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barely seen each other during the pandemic .
“ Bye , Luis , I love you , ” Juanita said as she drove off , blowing him a kiss .
Less than two hours later , the 30-year-old stood lifeless , hunched over a conveyor belt with his skull pinned between two metal tracks .
At the time of the accident , Foster Farms was experiencing periodic staffing shortages due to workers out sick or quarantining , according to community leaders .
The family and their attorney have not been able to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still investigating the accident .
Official policy requires the agency to contact family members early on in a fatality investigation .
Salazar ’ s death is among the dozens that happen annually in food processing nationwide .
Back in December , Cal/OSHA Chief Doug Parker vowed to take a closer look at California ’ s uptick in workplace deaths , including Latino workers , who accounted for 43 % of the state ’ s worksite fatalities in 2018 .
In an August meeting , Parker said Cal/OSHA had received reports of 122 fatalities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , which he believes is an “ undercount.
” The Times found that while some companies provided detailed updates of individual workers stricken with COVID-19 , others with well-publicized outbreaks filed no reports to Cal/OSHA — like Smithfield Foods , which operates the Farmer John plant in Vernon .
Cal/OSHA spokesperson Erika Monterroza would not comment on inconsistencies in employer reporting , but said the agency has made recent strides to address outbreaks in food plants , including more inspections .
“ We will continue to prioritize these facilities , particularly where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” she wrote in an email .
Monterroza also acknowledged that coordination has been a “ challenge ” for the agency , requiring communication with “ 60 different local health officials across the state.
” The agency is now seeking to staff up , following articles by The Times outlining years of vacancies and mismanagement that have left Cal/OSHA understaffed , including bilingual inspectors .
On Friday , the agency issued 11 COVID-19 related citations to employers in food processing , meatpacking , healthcare , agriculture and retail , calling them “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the coming weeks and months.
” None of the citations involved employers mentioned in this story .
The Livingston plant will be allowed to reopen following Labor Day , but county officials cautioned the closure could be extended if Foster Farms continues to disobey orders .
Emails reviewed by The Times show Smithfield was slow to notify Vernon about positive cases , confirming an outbreak on April 17 only after city officials received a complaint about numerous sick workers .
But as the outbreak grew , Vernon officials told Smithfield it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the city because of Trump ’ s executive order .
By the time Cal/OSHA inspected Farmer John on May 27 , union officials were urging for a complete shutdown after more than 100 workers were sickened .
A Smithfield worker , who asked for anonymity for fear of retaliation and tested positive for the virus , said they were concerned production line speeds had increased , which could lead to more injuries .
“ This is how I eat and pay bills , ” the worker said , adding that if it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I wouldn ’ t be going back to work.
” Smithfield declined to answer questions about its Farmer John plant .
In an emailed statement to The Times , the company said it was committed to keeping workers safe and had taken precautions across its sites nationwide , such as slowing down production .
Last month , the Congressional Hispanic Caucus demanded a federal investigation into meatpacking , including the approval of faster line speeds , which has been shown to increase catastrophic injuries .
The request followed July ’ s “ Safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bill co-sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein ( D-Calif. ) that would prevent facilities from speeding up production during the pandemic .
Worker safety advocates have criticized Cal/OSHA for anemic enforcement , pointing to delayed investigations and complaints that go unanswered .
In May , several came out in support of statewide emergency standards that would require employers to take greater precautions against COVID-19 .
After months of discussion , Cal/OSHA signaled support for the proposed standards .
But an independent board appointed by Gov .
Gavin Newsom to oversee policy changes at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amount to an unnecessary “ additional regulatory burden ” — echoing concerns from business groups that have criticized the proposed standards as duplicative .
Instead , the board wrote , Cal/OSHA should focus its “ limited resources ” on current enforcement and consultation efforts .
An official vote on the matter is scheduled for later this month .
In the meantime , workers continue to get sick .
At One World Beef in Imperial Valley , a slaughterhouse just north of the U.S.-Mexico border , at least one worker has died from COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection figures for any food processing sites they oversee , writing in an email in late July that the matter was “ currently under investigation.
” George Medina , an organizer with the United Food and Commercial Workers , which represents 1.3 million workers nationwide , said more than 150 workers at the plant have been diagnosed with COVID-19 .
A majority of the predominantly Latino workforce lives in Mexicali , Mexico , raising concerns of cross-border transmission .
One World Beef is among many plants that use attendance-based bonuses despite criticism they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
During the pandemic , the plant has offered weekly bonuses of $ 100 and 10 pounds of meat to workers who complete full shifts .
A similar bonus was mentioned in a lawsuit filed last month by Pennsylvania meatpacking workers against federal OSHA , claiming the agency has ignored their safety concerns .
One World Beef did not respond to multiple requests for comment .
A worker who requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation said many who have experienced COVID-19 symptoms have stayed silent to keep working .
“ I scolded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It ’ s for your health , for mine and for everyone ’ s .
But they worry about their income too.
” Times staff writer Rong-Gong Lin II in San Francisco contributed to this report .

Jie Jenny Zou , Andrea Castillo, Erin B. Logan

When Daljit Singh retired in April after 26 years processing chicken carcasses at Foster Farms in Livingston, friends called him “the lucky one.”
He had avoided the crippling injuries of his colleagues: knee replacements, shoulder surgeries, nerve damage that led to “claw hand.”
Working eight-hour shifts, six nights a week, still took a toll on his back, shoulders and legs, said Singh, 68, an Indian immigrant who spoke to The Times through an interpreter.
Supervisors sped up production lines to compensate for having employees out sick, Singh said. Those unable to keep up or put in overtime were penalized under a points system that led to firings.
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Then in March, a new threat emerged with the pandemic — and it’s one that even six months later, state officials still don’t have a full picture of, a Times review of documents indicates.
“I feel grateful that I was able to get out before — that I didn’t get coronavirus,” he said. “People are very, very scared.”
Food processing has always been dangerous work. Compared to other sectors, food workers are 9.5 times more likely to die on the job. Injuries are especially high in meatpacking, where an average of two amputations occurs weekly.
The pandemic has only amplified those threats for a workforce largely made up of people of color, immigrants and migrants. Workers not only fear contracting the virus, but getting injured as more employees call out sick, leaving less staff to meet heightened demands for food production.
1 / 7 People gather for a community candlelight vigil Thursday in Livingston, Calif., to honor the eight people who died in a COVID-19 outbreak at Foster Farms’ Livingston plant. (Andrew Kuhn / Merced Sun-Star) 2 / 7 Lety Valencia, rght, interprets for a speaker during the vigil. (Andrew Kuhn / Merced Sun-Star) 3 / 7 People gather for a community candlelight vigil Thursday in Livingston, Calif., to honor the eight people who died in a COVID-19 outbreak at Foster Farms’ Livingston plant. (Andrew Kuhn / Merced Sun-Star) 4 / 7 People gather for the community candlelight vigil at the Max Foster Sports Complex in Livingston. (Andrew Kuhn / Merced Sun-Star) 5 / 7 Deep Singh speaks during the vigil. (Andrew Kuhn / Merced Sun-Star) 6 / 7 People gather for a community candlelight vigil Thursday in Livingston, Calif., to honor the eight people who died in a COVID-19 outbreak at Foster Farms’ Livingston plant. (Andrew Kuhn / Merced Sun-Star) 7 / 7 People gather for a community candlelight vigil Thursday in Livingston, Calif., to honor the eight people who died in a COVID-19 outbreak at Foster Farms’ Livingston plant. (Andrew Kuhn / Merced Sun-Star)
Since April, more than 53,000 food workers nationwide have tested positive for COVID-19 and over 200 have died, most of them in the meatpacking industry. In Los Angeles County, food processing accounts for the second highest number of infections by workplace, following nursing homes.
Despite the escalating stakes, an examination by The Times found vast inconsistencies in workplace reporting.
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Some businesses have been slow to report cases to local officials or test employees. Others with well-publicized outbreaks haven’t filed reports of sick or dead workers to California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, known as Cal/OSHA.
Understaffed and overwhelmed, the agency has struggled to manage the crisis with little direction from its federal counterpart, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration — which has been accused by worker advocates of abandoning its role to ensure safe workplaces.
On Wednesday, the Foster Farms factory where Singh had worked was shut down for deep cleaning after Merced County health officials learned that eight of its employees had died after contracting the virus and another 358 had tested positive.
A Times review of Cal/OSHA data obtained through public records laws shows Foster Farms reported just one COVID-19 death from Jan. 1 through Aug. 13, the most recent data available. A corporate memo dated Aug. 24 said nine employees had died companywide.
Martha Vera, who has worked at the plant for 24 years, is mourning the loss of her husband, a Foster Farms truck driver who died Aug. 14 of complications from COVID-19.
“What does this company really want?” she said through tears. “How many more people do they think should die for them to do something … for the company to protect its workers? How many more? Can someone tell me?”
Foster Farms’ Livingston, Calif., facility 25 miles southeast of Modesto is a major employer in the community. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)
The plant has been grappling with an outbreak since June, but Cal/OSHA didn’t inspect the facility in person until Aug. 3.
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The county’s decision to shutter the plant came weeks after local health officials flagged Foster Farms for repeated testing failures and ordered management to provide employees with face coverings and accurately report COVID-19 related hospitalizations and deaths to Cal/OSHA.
The United Farm Workers of America, which represents workers at the Livingston plant, said union officials have been unable to get answers about exactly how many employees have died and when. “Foster Farms has sought to obscure the number of deaths and the sanctity of each person’s life throughout this crisis,” wrote organizer Elizabeth Strater.
Ira Brill, vice president of communications for Foster Farms, declined to comment on the pending Cal/OSHA investigation, and in a two-page statement to The Times blamed the surge in infections on California’s reopening efforts.
“Foster Farms can protect employees while they are on our premises, and educate them as to protective measures that they should always be taking, but we cannot fully protect them when they are exposed in the county community,” Brill said.
The scope of the Livingston outbreak wasn’t publicly known until the shutdown because Merced County had stopped reporting the total number of worksite infections online sometime in July, citing health privacy concerns.
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According to health director Dr. Rebecca Nanyonjo-Kemp, the county still tracks worksite cases but stopped posting the figures publicly because the information was “being used in a negative light” and was “misunderstood.” Concerns from local businesses played a role in the decision, she said, but were not a “driving determinant.”
Nanyonjo-Kemp said working closely with businesses is key to keeping workplaces safe. “We’re not trying to destroy by reputation, or otherwise, how people operate.” She described the Livingston plant as an outlier and said other employers have been following COVID-19 guidelines.
It’s unclear how closely Cal/OSHA is keeping track of workplace outbreaks or coordinating with local health officials. By law, employers are required to immediately report any serious work-related injuries, illnesses and deaths.
Internal emails released in July show officials refining voluntary employer guidelines, but reveal little in the way of enforcement or coordination to deal with an influx of COVID-19-related workplace complaints. State data provided in late August showed wide gaps in employer reports of sick and injured workers.
When Merced County officials first tried to close the plant, Foster Farms invoked President Trump’s executive order deeming meatpacking facilities “critical infrastructure.” Doing so allowed the company a 48-hour stay. Trump’s order, which was driven by industry lobbying and issued in late April, has been derided by unions as justification to keep plants running despite widespread outbreaks.
Foster Farms’ safety problems aren’t limited to its Livingston plant. Separate investigations are underway at the company’s locations in Fresno and Turlock, where a worker died on the job April 27.
Juanita Salazar and her son, Luis Salazar (Salazar family)
Juanita Salazar remembers rushing home after a 10-hour workday to drive her son, Luis, to the turkey plant for his night shift. Though the two lived together, they had barely seen each other during the pandemic.
“Bye, Luis, I love you,” Juanita said as she drove off, blowing him a kiss. Less than two hours later, the 30-year-old stood lifeless, hunched over a conveyor belt with his skull pinned between two metal tracks.
At the time of the accident, Foster Farms was experiencing periodic staffing shortages due to workers out sick or quarantining, according to community leaders.
The family and their attorney have not been able to get in touch with Cal/OSHA, which is still investigating the accident. Official policy requires the agency to contact family members early on in a fatality investigation.
Salazar’s death is among the dozens that happen annually in food processing nationwide. Back in December, Cal/OSHA Chief Doug Parker vowed to take a closer look at California’s uptick in workplace deaths, including Latino workers, who accounted for 43% of the state’s worksite fatalities in 2018.
In an August meeting, Parker said Cal/OSHA had received reports of 122 fatalities and 494 injuries and illnesses related to COVID-19, which he believes is an “undercount.”
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The Times found that while some companies provided detailed updates of individual workers stricken with COVID-19, others with well-publicized outbreaks filed no reports to Cal/OSHA — like Smithfield Foods, which operates the Farmer John plant in Vernon.
Cal/OSHA spokesperson Erika Monterroza would not comment on inconsistencies in employer reporting, but said the agency has made recent strides to address outbreaks in food plants, including more inspections.
“We will continue to prioritize these facilities, particularly where there is any evidence of workplace transmission,” she wrote in an email. Monterroza also acknowledged that coordination has been a “challenge” for the agency, requiring communication with “60 different local health officials across the state.”
The agency is now seeking to staff up, following articles by The Times outlining years of vacancies and mismanagement that have left Cal/OSHA understaffed, including bilingual inspectors.
On Friday, the agency issued 11 COVID-19 related citations to employers in food processing, meatpacking, healthcare, agriculture and retail, calling them “the first of many to be issued in the coming weeks and months.” None of the citations involved employers mentioned in this story.
The Livingston plant will be allowed to reopen following Labor Day, but county officials cautioned the closure could be extended if Foster Farms continues to disobey orders.
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Calls for a similar shutdown plagued the Farmer John facility.
Emails reviewed by The Times show Smithfield was slow to notify Vernon about positive cases, confirming an outbreak on April 17 only after city officials received a complaint about numerous sick workers. But as the outbreak grew, Vernon officials told Smithfield it would no longer need to report positive cases to the city because of Trump’s executive order.
By the time Cal/OSHA inspected Farmer John on May 27, union officials were urging for a complete shutdown after more than 100 workers were sickened.
A Smithfield worker, who asked for anonymity for fear of retaliation and tested positive for the virus, said they were concerned production line speeds had increased, which could lead to more injuries.
“This is how I eat and pay bills,” the worker said, adding that if it were up to family members, “I wouldn’t be going back to work.”
Smithfield declined to answer questions about its Farmer John plant. In an emailed statement to The Times, the company said it was committed to keeping workers safe and had taken precautions across its sites nationwide, such as slowing down production.
Last month, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus demanded a federal investigation into meatpacking, including the approval of faster line speeds, which has been shown to increase catastrophic injuries. The request followed July’s “Safe Line Speeds in COVID-19 Act,” a bill co-sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) that would prevent facilities from speeding up production during the pandemic.
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Worker safety advocates have criticized Cal/OSHA for anemic enforcement, pointing to delayed investigations and complaints that go unanswered.
In May, several came out in support of statewide emergency standards that would require employers to take greater precautions against COVID-19. After months of discussion, Cal/OSHA signaled support for the proposed standards.
But an independent board appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to oversee policy changes at the agency said the new rules would amount to an unnecessary “additional regulatory burden” — echoing concerns from business groups that have criticized the proposed standards as duplicative.
Instead, the board wrote, Cal/OSHA should focus its “limited resources” on current enforcement and consultation efforts. An official vote on the matter is scheduled for later this month.
In the meantime, workers continue to get sick.
At One World Beef in Imperial Valley, a slaughterhouse just north of the U.S.-Mexico border, at least one worker has died from COVID-19. County officials declined to provide coronavirus infection figures for any food processing sites they oversee, writing in an email in late July that the matter was “currently under investigation.”
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George Medina, an organizer with the United Food and Commercial Workers, which represents 1.3 million workers nationwide, said more than 150 workers at the plant have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
A majority of the predominantly Latino workforce lives in Mexicali, Mexico, raising concerns of cross-border transmission.
One World Beef is among many plants that use attendance-based bonuses despite criticism they could encourage sick employees to continue working. During the pandemic, the plant has offered weekly bonuses of $100 and 10 pounds of meat to workers who complete full shifts.
A similar bonus was mentioned in a lawsuit filed last month by Pennsylvania meatpacking workers against federal OSHA, claiming the agency has ignored their safety concerns.
One World Beef did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
A worker who requested anonymity out of fear of retaliation said many who have experienced COVID-19 symptoms have stayed silent to keep working. “I scolded them,” he said. “It’s for your health, for mine and for everyone’s. But they worry about their income too.”
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Times staff writer Rong-Gong Lin II in San Francisco contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-09-04--State of emergency declared as California faces historic heat, possible power outages

With potentially historic temperatures set to sear California through Labor Day weekend , Gov .
Gavin Newsom issued an emergency proclamation aimed at shoring up the state ’ s energy capacity and staving off the kind of power outages and rolling blackouts that left tens of thousands of residents in the dark during the last massive heat wave .
Virtually all of California will be under an excessive heat watch or warning beginning Friday or Saturday and continuing through Sunday or Monday .
Forecasters say temperatures are expected to climb 15 to 20 degrees above normal in some areas through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely fall .
L.A. County health officials on Friday announced that an extreme heat warning will be in effect through Tuesday for the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys , as well as the eastern and western San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys .
Newsom ’ s proclamation is focused on keeping California ’ s power grid operating at its peak .
Specifically , it “ permits power plants to generate more power by suspending certain permitting requirements , helping to alleviate the heat-induced demands on the state ’ s energy grid.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major utilities warn that the one-two-punch of sweltering conditions and increased energy demand could stress the power grid to its limit , potentially resulting in outages .
“ For this weekend , conservation is key , ” said Jim Hanggi , a spokesman for Southern California Edison .
The California Independent System Operator , which runs the power grid for most of the state , has already issued a — calling for residents to voluntarily cut back their electricity consumption from 3 to 9 p.m. Saturday through Monday .
While the last major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state on Aug. 14 and 15 , California ISO Vice President of Operations Eric Schmitt told reporters “ at this point , we are not forecasting any blackouts.
” “ As we get closer and closer to each day , we ’ ll know better about the accuracy of our forecasts , ” he said during a briefing Thursday .
California ISO officials cited several factors they hoped would help California avoid rolling blackouts this time around — including the flex alert , a previously issued “ restricted maintenance ” order requiring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coordination with other state agencies “ to encourage additional load conservation and make additional generation capacity available for the holiday weekend.
” To help boost capacity at power plants , Newsom ’ s proclamation temporarily suspends requirements “ adopted by local air quality management districts that restrict the amount of power that a facility may generate , restrict the amount of fuel that a facility may use , or impose air quality requirements that prevent the facility from generating additional power during peak demand hours ... or as otherwise needed to respond to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it states that the California Air Resources Board “ shall exercise maximum discretion to permit the use of stationary and portable generators or auxiliary ship engines to reduce the strain on the energy infrastructure and increase energy capacity , ” according to the order .
Given the intensity of the expected heat , though , utility officials say power outages are possible and customers need to heed the call to conserve .
If demand is too high for too long , especially when temperatures soar , power transformers could fail , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like a radiator in your car , ” he said Friday .
“ So if you have air conditioning running around the clock , those transformers don ’ t have the opportunity to cool down.
” The situation is “ made worse when high nighttime temperatures do not allow for equipment to cool off overnight , ” according to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power .
Should outages occur , both Edison and LADWP said their crews would work to restore service as quickly and safely as possible .
To reduce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ISO recommends that residents hold off on using major appliances , turn off unnecessary lights , close blinds and drapes and set thermostats to 78 degrees while the flex alert is in effect .
Other tips include unplugging devices and appliances when they ’ re not in use and avoiding cooking and baking , if possible .
“ These simple steps can go a long way to limiting the strain on our power infrastructure that occurs when sudden and intense heat hits our system , ” LADWP general manager and chief engineer Martin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While rolling blackouts were necessary at points during last month ’ s heat wave , they weren ’ t as widespread or as lengthy as some had feared — a development officials credited to consumer action .
“ When we had the last heat storm , it was the customers taking the steps to conserve that helped to alleviate any additional rotating outages , ” Hanggi said .
“ Conservation and customers taking the steps to watch their energy use are key.
” CAISO officials did point to some potential good news — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be as widespread as the high temperatures that led to the August outages .
About 25 percent of California ’ s electricity comes from out-of-state energy imports .
But in August , a “ heat dome ” stubbornly remained over neighboring states including Washington and Arizona , and those states held on to their resources instead of transferring them to the Golden State .
“ Things can change rapidly , ” Schmitt said , “ We still do have fires in California at the moment .
They move quickly , of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation .
However , we ’ re looking good for potential transfers into California from the West , and the heat event doesn ’ t seem to be as broad-sweeping as the mid-August event.
” According to CAISO officials , on a normal summer day the California system handles a total load of about 38,000 megawatts .
The demand forecast for Saturday will be 44,237 megawatts , said John Phipps , CAISO ’ s director of real time operations , said .
It is expected to go to 46,636 megawatts Sunday and 45,060 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the same as loads seen in mid-August .
While heat waves aren ’ t uncommon in California at this time of year , Bill Patzert , a climatologist and local weather expert , said climate change has made them a more regular and potent occurrence .
“ Looking back over the past century or so , heat waves in Southern California have gotten longer , they ’ ve gotten more intense and they ’ re more frequent , ” he said .
“ And , of course , this is a global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reach dangerous levels , officials say residents need to avoid the heat as much as possible .
If you have to be outside , officials recommend wearing light-colored , lightweight clothing and using a hat or umbrella for shade .
Children and pets also should never be left in cars , and residents should be mindful of the symptoms of heat-related illnesses — including vomiting , pale and clammy skin and high body temperature .
.
A red flag warning is in effect Saturday and Sunday for areas of San Diego and Riverside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Service .
Rob Nikolewski of The San Diego Union-Tribune contributed to this report .

A blazing sun silhouettes power lines in North Long Beach ahead of a heatwave that is forecast to begin on Saturday.
With potentially historic temperatures set to sear California through Labor Day weekend, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an emergency proclamation aimed at shoring up the state’s energy capacity and staving off the kind of power outages and rolling blackouts that left tens of thousands of residents in the dark during the last massive heat wave.
Virtually all of California will be under an excessive heat watch or warning beginning Friday or Saturday and continuing through Sunday or Monday. Forecasters say temperatures are expected to climb 15 to 20 degrees above normal in some areas through the weekend — and warned that records will likely fall.
L.A. County health officials on Friday announced that an extreme heat warning will be in effect through Tuesday for the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys, as well as the eastern and western San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys.
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Newsom’s proclamation is focused on keeping California’s power grid operating at its peak. Specifically, it “permits power plants to generate more power by suspending certain permitting requirements, helping to alleviate the heat-induced demands on the state’s energy grid.”
The governor’s declaration comes as some major utilities warn that the one-two punch of sweltering conditions and increased energy demand could stress the power grid to its limit, potentially resulting in outages.
“For this weekend, conservation is key,” said Jim Hanggi, a spokesman for Southern California Edison.
The California Independent System Operator, which runs the power grid for most of the state, has already issued a statewide flex alert — calling for residents to voluntarily cut back their electricity consumption from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday through Monday.
California ISO Vice President of Operations Eric Schmitt told reporters that while the last major heat wave saw rotating power outages hit the state on Aug. 14 and 15, “at this point, we are not forecasting any blackouts.”
“As we get closer and closer to each day, we’ll know better about the accuracy of our forecasts,” he said during a briefing Thursday.
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ISO officials cited several factors they hoped would help California avoid rolling blackouts this time around, including the flex alert, a previously issued “restricted maintenance” order requiring that planned routine outages be postponed and coordination with other state agencies “to encourage additional load conservation and make additional generation capacity available for the holiday weekend.”
To help boost capacity at power plants, Newsom’s proclamation temporarily suspends requirements “adopted by local air-quality management districts that restrict the amount of power that a facility may generate, restrict the amount of fuel that a facility may use or impose air-quality requirements that prevent the facility from generating additional power during peak demand hours ... or as otherwise needed to respond to the extreme heat event.”
Additionally, the order states that the California Air Resources Board “shall exercise maximum discretion to permit the use of stationary and portable generators or auxiliary ship engines to reduce the strain on the energy infrastructure and increase energy capacity.”
1 / 52 Laura Martinez, 8, of Santa Ana cools off at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 52 From left, Annie Nguyen, 17, Kendra Cheung, 8, Katelyn Le, 9, and Phu Le, 17, enjoy a Labor Day picnic at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 52 A Labor Day picnic at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 52 Guitarist Marcelo Sotelo of Anaheim leads members of the Iglesias Pentecostal United Church of Santa Ana in a song at Mile Square Park. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 52 Tug of war at Mile Square Park. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 52 A swan boat at Mile Square Park. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 52 Yolanda Soria of Glendale looks out over thousands of people at Huntington Beach on Sunday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 52 Huntington State Beach on Sunday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 52 Santa Ana River County Beach in Newport Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 52 Dan and Candy McCoy of La Habra relax in the back of their truck in Huntington Beach on Sunday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 52 Girls play in a stream near Lake Balboa/Anthony C. Beilenson Park on Sunday. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 52 Girls play in a stream near Lake Balboa/Anthony C. Beilenson Park on Sunday. (Gabriella Angotti-Jones / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 52 Charlotte Henderson and her dog Benny find relief from the heat at a cooling center in Seal Beach. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 52 Rita Zeid, 79, left, works on puzzles and her husband, Mike, 84, reads magazines while cooling off Sunday at the Marina Community Center in Seal Beach. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 52 The Marina Community Center in Seal Beach. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 52 Monica Ruiz, 32, cools off on skid row in downtown Los Angeles. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 52 People crowd Hermosa Beach on Saturday to escape the heat. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 52 Jessica Luebke puts goggles on her son Sebastian Longeretta, 3, while her son Enzo Longeretta, 7, jumps into their Silver Lake pool on Saturday. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 52 Rowan Cook keeps cool Saturday on a water slide in his yard in Highland Park. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 52 The parking lot is full at Junipero Beach in Long Beach on Saturday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 52 People cool off in the ocean at Hermosa Beach on Saturday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 52 Hermosa Beach is packed as the temperature soars Saturday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 52 A Labor Day weekend crowd descends on Huntington Beach on Saturday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 52 Surfers wait to catch a wave in the waters off Huntington Beach on Saturday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 52 A cyclist hydrates while waiting to cross Pacific Coast Highway at Main Street in Huntington Beach on Saturday. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 52 People crowd Hermosa Beach on Saturday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 52 Children take shade at Balboa Park in Van Nuys on Saturday. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 52 Lesandro Jimenez helps his daughter Genesis with some ice cream at Balboa Park in Van Nuys on Saturday. (Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 52 Cael Kirkland of Los Angeles and his son cool off at Will Rogers State Beach on Friday. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 52 Carlos Gutierrez creates his own shade while walking with inflatable balls for sale in Pacoima. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 52 Paddle boarders navigate Alamitos Bay in Long Beach. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 52 Miguel Garcia of Tujunga after jogging at Hansen Dam Recreation Area in Pacoima. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 52 A blazing sun silhouettes power lines in Long Beach. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 52 A man rides his bike through the Arts District in downtown Los Angeles. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 52 Enrique Hernandez, 7, Ranfery Hernandez, 5, and Angeline Hernandez, 10, play in the ocean Friday at Will Rogers State Beach. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 52 Alexie Epstein, from left, Jackie Nuchow, Sammy Nuchow and Maddie Clark, all 17, cool off after a training session at Balboa Park in Encino. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 52 People visit the Huntington Beach Pier ahead of a hot Labor Day weekend. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 52 Chris Ruiz finds a shady spot to practice his javelin throw at Newhall Park in Santa Clarita. Ruiz hopes to make it onto the Cal State Northridge track and field team. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 52 Melinda Mena and her husband, Rick, apply primer to a wrought-iron fence in front of their Porter Ranch home. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 52 Ray Gonzalez takes a break from the heat near a water fountain after having lunch in the arts district in downtown Santa Ana. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 52 Chrystabelle Ramirez of Los Angeles gets in her workout on the Terri and Jerry Kohl Staircase at the Music Center in downtown Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 52 A fisherman at the Redondo Beach Pier. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 52 Sergio Curiel feeds a seagull at the Redondo Beach Pier. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 52 Beachgoers enjoy a warm, sunny Wednesday ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend near the San Clemente Pier. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 52 People enjoy a warm, sunny Wednesday ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend at the San Clemente Pier. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 52 A fisherman statue is fitted with a mask outside Fisherman’s Restaurant and Bar in San Clemente. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 47 / 52 Beachgoers enjoy a warm, sunny day ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend near San Clemente Pier. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 52 A youngster does a flip on the beach near the San Clemente Pier on a warm sunny Wednesday ahead of the Labor Day holiday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 49 / 52 Drone view of a skim boarder riding a wave on a sunny day ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend in Seal Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 50 / 52 A kite surfer goes airborne while another glides across the water ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend in Seal Beach. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 51 / 52 Reana Gallardo cools off in the sprinkler at Mason Park in Chatsworth during her lunch break from work. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) 52 / 52 Jeff Teho and wife, Debbie Paris, let their dogs, Dexter, left, and Lizzy, experience paddle boarding for the first time in Marina Del Rey. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Given the intensity of the expected heat, though, power outages are possible, utility officials say, and customers need to heed the call to conserve.
If demand is too high for too long, especially when temperatures soar, power transformers could fail, according to Hanggi.
“They kind of work like a radiator in your car,” he said Friday. “So if you have air conditioning running around the clock, those transformers don’t have the opportunity to cool down.”
The situation is “made worse when high nighttime temperatures do not allow for equipment to cool off overnight,” according to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
Both Edison and LADWP said that should outages occur, their crews would work to restore service as quickly and safely as possible.
To reduce stress on the grid, the ISO recommends that residents avoid using major appliances, turn off unnecessary lights, close blinds and drapes and set thermostats to 78 degrees while the flex alert is in effect. Other tips include unplugging devices and appliances when they’re not in use and avoiding cooking and baking.
“These simple steps can go a long way to limiting the strain on our power infrastructure that occurs when sudden and intense heat hits our system,” Martin Adams, LADWP general manager and chief engineer, said in a statement Thursday.
While rolling blackouts were necessary at points during last month’s heat wave, they weren’t as widespread or as lengthy as some had feared — a development officials credited to consumer action.
“When we had the last heat storm, it was the customers taking the steps to conserve that helped to alleviate any additional rotating outages,” Hanggi said. “Conservation and customers taking the steps to watch their energy use are key.”
ISO officials did point to some potential good news: The upcoming heat wave does not appear to be as widespread as the high temperatures that led to the August outages.
About 25% of California’s electricity comes from out-of-state energy imports. But in August, a “heat dome” stubbornly remained over neighboring states, including Washington and Arizona, which held on to their resources instead of transferring them to the Golden State.
“Things can change rapidly,” Schmitt said. “We still do have fires in California at the moment. They move quickly, of course, and that can change the transmission situation. However, we’re looking good for potential transfers into California from the West, and the heat event doesn’t seem to be as broad-sweeping as the mid-August event.”
According to ISO officials, on a normal summer day, the California system handles a total load of 38,000 megawatts.
The demand forecast for Saturday will be 44,237 megawatts, said John Phipps, the ISO’s director of real time operations. It is expected to go to 46,636 megawatts on Sunday and 45,060 on Monday. Those figures are roughly the same as loads seen in mid-August.
While heat waves aren’t uncommon in California at this time of year, climate change has made them a more regular and potent occurrence, according to Bill Patzert, a climatologist and local weather expert.
“Looking back over the past century or so, heat waves in Southern California have gotten longer, they’ve gotten more intense and they’re more frequent,” he said. “And of course, this is a global warming signal.”
With temperatures forecast to reach dangerous levels, residents need to avoid the heat as much as possible, officials say.
They recommend that those who must be outside wear light-colored, lightweight clothing and use a hat or umbrella for shade. Children and pets should never be left in cars, and residents should be mindful of the symptoms of heat-related illnesses, including vomiting, pale and clammy skin and high body temperature.
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Rob Nikolewski of the San Diego Union-Tribune contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-09-04--O.C. Democratic leader faces backlash after sharing post praising Ho Chi Minh on Facebook

An Orange County Democratic Party leader has learned the perils of sharing social media posts praising dead communist leaders .
On Sunday , Jeff LeTourneau , vice chair of the county ’ s Democratic Party , shared a Facebook post that glorified Ho Chi Minh , the former communist leader of Vietnam .
The post drew immediate criticism from politicians from both parties , including from those who represented Orange County ’ s politically active Vietnamese American community , which was built on a bedrock of refugees from communism and the Vietnam War .
On Wednesday , LeTourneau resigned from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic Party of Orange County .
The post , which was deleted about 90 minutes later , said that “ Ho Chi Minh liberated an entire poor , colonized nation from 2 of the most powerful imperial military forces in the world ( the US and France ) and won full independence for the people of Vietnam.
” The post also described Ho Chi Minh as short and awkward in stature .
Ho Chi Minh was a founding member of the Viet Minh in 1941 and seized control of Hanoi , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ establishing his dictatorial communist rule .
While Minh died six years before the fall of Saigon , which signified a victory for North Vietnam , his rule is remembered for its massive casualties and for causing the diaspora of South Vietnamese who feared retribution from their war efforts .
LeTourneau , a Brea resident and longtime LGBTQ+ advocate , later issued an apology post Monday after screenshots of the post were recirculated and politicians from both sides of the aisle called for his resignation .
LeTourneau said the post caused “ great harm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Vietnamese community that he is “ not insensitive to their pain.
” In an interview just before the special meeting , LeTourneau said he did not intend to offend anyone .
At the time , he said his supporters were asking that he not step down .
LeTourneau later said he decided to resign from as vice chair and from his two chair positions on the Bylaws and Resolutions Committee for the sake of party unity before the November election .
“ I hope that my resignation from leadership positions in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in healing and reconciliation for our communities , ” LeTourneau said in a statement .
“ It is my hope that Democrats across Orange County can unite behind our candidates and the values of the Democratic Party.
” The controversy comes just two years after the Democratic party flipped four districts in Orange County , once a solidly Republican stronghold .
Orange County has more than 183,000 Vietnamese residents , making it the largest Vietnamese community in the United States .
Vietnamese Americans have historically voted Republican , though their children are increasingly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Democrats .
Janet Nguyen , the Republican candidate for the 72nd Assembly District seat , said she was appalled by LeTourneau ’ s post .
Nguyen called upon her Democratic opponent , current Garden Grove City Councilwoman Diedre Nguyen , to “ reject the Orange County Democratic Party ’ s endorsement and money if this is what they stand for.
” In an interview , Nguyen recalled staying with her grandmother when her parents were both imprisoned for attempting to leave Vietnam .
Her family attempted to flee in a boat on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thailand , they were turned away because the country was no longer accepting refugees .
Nguyen ’ s mother proposed breaking the boat away from the shore and swimming in to avoid returning to Vietnam .
Nguyen was 3 when she swam into Thailand with her mother and sister .
She compared praising Ho Chi Minh to praising Hitler .
“ That ’ s how much anger we have and we can ’ t forgive it , ” Nguyen said .
Diedre Nguyen responded that she would still accept the money .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad .
You can not pretend the whole party is bad , ” she said .
The Garden Grove councilwoman , who represents parts of Little Saigon , said her family also experienced the aftermath of Ho Chi Minh ’ s reign .
She and family members were imprisoned on multiple occasions after attempting to flee the country .
In response to LeTourneau sharing the Ho Chi Minh post , Diedre Nguyen sent a letter to the Democratic Party of Orange County asking for him to be removed from his position .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near the Vietnam War memorial in Westminster ’ s Freedom Park .
Three Democratic Orange County congress members facing reelection — Gil Cisneros , Lou Correa and Harley Rouda — also sent a letter earlier this week asking for LeTourneau ’ s resignation .
“ Mr .
LeTourneau ’ s glorification of Ho Chi Minh spits in the face of the freedom , prosperity , and safety that so many Vietnamese Americans fought and died for , and the deaths of 58,000 American soldiers who laid down their lives to defend the freedom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement read .
Orange County Board of Supervisor Michelle Steel , who is currently running against Rouda for his 48th District seat , released a statement calling for LeTourneau ’ s resignation earlier this week .
“ A lot of people here are very patriotic and their family members were killed by [ Ho Chi Minh ] .
They deserve better than him , ” Steel said in an interview .
Garden Grove City Councilwoman Kim Nguyen , a Democrat , learned about the post Sunday while sharing a meal of cơm tấm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents , grandparents and younger brother .
During her meal , she began receiving a flood of notifications .
Nguyen left the room to respond to a call .
After several minutes , her father , a Vietnamese immigrant , checked to see if she was returning to the table .
Eventually , he realized Ho Chi Minh was somehow involved in the conversation .
“ My dad ’ s reaction was rage , but I know it was masking pain and sadness , ” Nguyen said .
“ Being the daughter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gravity that a post like that carries .
”

An Orange County Democratic Party leader has learned the perils of sharing social media posts praising dead communist leaders.
On Sunday, Jeff LeTourneau, vice chair of the county’s Democratic Party, shared a Facebook post that glorified Ho Chi Minh, the former communist leader of Vietnam.
The post drew immediate criticism from politicians from both parties, including those who represent Orange County’s politically active Vietnamese American community, which was built on a bedrock of refugees of communism and the Vietnam War.
On Wednesday, LeTourneau resigned from his position during a special meeting of the Democratic Party of Orange County.
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The post, which was deleted about 90 minutes later, said that “Ho Chi Minh liberated an entire poor, colonized nation from 2 of the most powerful imperial military forces in the world (the US and France) and won full independence for the people of Vietnam.”
The post also described Ho Chi Minh as short and awkward in stature.
Ho Chi Minh was a founding member of the Viet Minh in 1941 and seized control of Hanoi, a northern Vietnam city, in 1946, establishing his dictatorial communist rule. Although he died six years before the fall of Saigon, which signified a victory for North Vietnam, his rule is remembered for its massive casualties and for causing the diaspora of South Vietnamese who feared retribution for their war efforts.
An undated handout photo of Jeff LeTourneau, a Brea resident and longtime LGBTQ+ advocate.
(Democratic Party of Orange County)
LeTourneau, a Brea resident and longtime LGBTQ+ advocate, later issued an apology post Monday after screenshots of the post were recirculated and politicians from both sides of the aisle called for his resignation. LeTourneau said the post caused “great harm and opened deep wounds” and told the Vietnamese community that he is “not insensitive to their pain.”
In an interview just before the special meeting, LeTourneau said he did not intend to offend anyone. At the time, he said his supporters were asking that he not step down.
LeTourneau later said he decided to resign as vice chair and from his two chair positions on the Bylaws and Resolutions Committee for the sake of party unity before the November election.
“I hope that my resignation from leadership positions in the Democratic Party would be a first step in healing and reconciliation for our communities,” LeTourneau said in a statement. “It is my hope that Democrats across Orange County can unite behind our candidates and the values of the Democratic Party.”
The controversy comes just two years after the Democratic Party flipped four districts in Orange County, once a solidly Republican stronghold.
Orange County has more than 183,000 Vietnamese residents, making it the largest Vietnamese community in the United States. Vietnamese Americans have historically voted Republican, though their children are increasingly staking out more liberal positions and voting for Democrats.
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Janet Nguyen, the Republican candidate for the 72nd Assembly District seat, said she was appalled by LeTourneau’s post.
Former state Sen. Janet Nguyen speaks at a rally organized by members of Orange County’s Vietnamese American community in March 2017. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Nguyen called upon her Democratic opponent, current Garden Grove City Councilwoman Diedre Nguyen, to “reject the Orange County Democratic Party’s endorsement and money if this is what they stand for.”
In an interview, Nguyen recalled staying with her grandmother when her parents were both imprisoned for attempting to leave Vietnam. Her family attempted to flee in a boat on several occasions. When they had reached Thailand, they were turned away because the country was no longer accepting refugees. Nguyen’s mother proposed breaking the boat away from the shore and swimming in to avoid returning to Vietnam.
Nguyen was 3 when she swam into Thailand with her mother and sister. She compared praising Ho Chi Minh to praising Hitler.
“That’s how much anger we have and we can’t forgive it,” Nguyen said.
Diedre Nguyen responded that she would still accept the money.
“Every party has the good and the bad. You cannot pretend the whole party is bad,” she said.
The Garden Grove councilwoman, who represents parts of Little Saigon, said her family also experienced the aftermath of Ho Chi Minh’s reign. She and family members were imprisoned on multiple occasions after attempting to flee the country.
In response to LeTourneau sharing the Ho Chi Minh post, Diedre Nguyen sent a letter to the Democratic Party of Orange County asking for him to be removed from his position. She also coordinated a news conference on Tuesday near the Vietnam War memorial in Westminster’s Freedom Park.
Three Democratic Orange County congress members facing reelection — Gil Cisneros, Lou Correa and Harley Rouda — also sent a letter earlier this week asking for LeTourneau’s resignation.
“Mr. LeTourneau’s glorification of Ho Chi Minh spits in the face of the freedom, prosperity, and safety that so many Vietnamese Americans fought and died for, and the deaths of 58,000 American soldiers who laid down their lives to defend the freedom of the Vietnamese people,” the statement read.
Orange County Supervisor Michelle Steel, who is currently running against Rouda for his 48th District seat, released a statement calling for LeTourneau’s resignation earlier this week.
“A lot of people here are very patriotic and their family members were killed by [Ho Chi Minh]. They deserve better than him,” Steel said in an interview.
Garden Grove City Councilwoman Kim Nguyen, a Democrat, learned about the post Sunday while sharing a meal of cơm tấm, or broken rice, with her parents, grandparents and younger brother.
During her meal, she began receiving a flood of notifications. Nguyen left the room to respond to a call. After several minutes, her father, a Vietnamese immigrant, checked to see if she was returning to the table. Eventually, he realized Ho Chi Minh was somehow involved in the conversation.
“My dad’s reaction was rage, but I know it was masking pain and sadness,” Nguyen said. “Being the daughter of refugees, I understand the severity and the gravity that a post like that carries.”


latimes--2020-09-04--Close-knit Latino family ties bring coronavirus dangers to traditional gatherings

Reymond Padilla , director of the Whittier Spartans Softball league , has plans to protect himself , his team and his children from COVID-19 that he follows with zealous devotion .
The girls — including his 12-year-old daughter — must wear masks while practicing and playing .
They take breaks every 30 minutes to sanitize their hands , even though they stand yards apart .
Before agreeing to play games with other teams , he asks for a list of COVID-19 protocols they follow .
If their rules don ’ t meet his standards , he cancels the game .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it comes to family .
His daughter lives in her mother ’ s household , where uncles , nephews and other family are invited for weekend gatherings without wearing masks .
Padilla himself made an exception to celebrate the Fourth of July at his sister ’ s Simi Valley home .
The 42-year-old warehouse manager and his sister , a Los Angeles Police Department detective , wore masks .
But their children did not .
There is a “ false sense of safety ” around loved ones , Padilla acknowledged .
`` [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re home , they ’ re isolated and protected .
But that ’ s not true , ” he said .
“ You don ’ t know where your cousin or uncle has been.
” In the U.S. , Latinos have been disproportionate casualties of the virus that has brought parts of the world to a standstill .
They are about 39 % of the population in California , but Latinos make up 60 % of positive cases and 48 % of deaths , according to the California Department of Public Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are in fact more worried about contracting the virus and being economically impacted compared with other demographic groups .
As a result , most Latinos wear masks while running errands , sanitize frequently and stay away from large gatherings with strangers , well aware of the heightened risk they face .
But experts say familial closeness , often a strength for many working-class Latino families that lean on each other to get by , can present a chink in the armor guarding against COVID-19 .
“ The Latino culture is one that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have people all wear a mask [ in a family home ] has a different connotation than it would for a culture where families are not as tight-knit , ” said April Denise Thames , an associate professor of psychology at USC .
“ It implies an element of distrust.
” While much attention has been focused on large parties teeming with young , potential “ superspreaders ” in places such as the Hollywood Hills , experts say small gatherings among friends and family can quietly be just as dangerous .
At USC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of nearly 150 infected students was spread by small groups gathering for games or study sessions without masks , not large parties .
According to a May study from researchers in the U.S. , China and Australia published in the BMJ Global Journal , “ Transmission of COVID-19 within families and close contacts accounts for the majority of epidemic growth .
Community mask wearing , hand washing and social distancing are thought to be effective but there is little evidence to inform or support community members on COVID-19 risk reduction within families.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home was 79 % effective in reducing the virus spread if families wore the mask before they began experiencing symptoms .
But for many people , there is a stubborn perception that contracting the virus is less risky among family , Thames said .
Latinos are no different .
But their exposure to the virus is already higher due to the fact they are overrepresented in essential industries — from service jobs to agriculture — that involve close contact with other people .
As a result , family get-togethers , especially those involving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be especially perilous if no precautions are taken .
Maria Luisa Moreno , 59 , said she avoids neighbors she routinely sees hosting large parties or gatherings .
To protect against COVID-19 , she rarely leaves her home — and if she does she ’ s careful to wear a protective mask and take other precautions .
“ It ’ s the only way we can stay healthy , ” the East Los Angeles resident said while shopping at the Target on Whittier Boulevard .
But every Sunday , those precautions go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Moreno ’ s five children and their spouses take turns visiting her home .
She cooks a big meal and they sit around the dinner table .
They do not wear masks .
Moreno said she feels safe around family .
The fact that one of Moreno ’ s daughters is a medical assistant at a healthcare company dealing with patients does not chip away at her feeling of security under her own roof — among those she holds dearest .
“ We have to keep going in life , ” Moreno @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a daily balancing act between staying healthy and safeguarding his children ’ s mental health .
“ Everybody is thinking health and isolation , ” he said .
“ But we ’ re overlooking what these girls are taking away .
They ’ ve had their schools taken away , they ’ ve had their graduations taken away .
Life for them has changed completely .
Now their escape from stress has been taken away as well.
” Family may not cure these ills , but it helps make it easier to cope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Boyle Heights , a neighborhood with a high rate of COVID-19 infections , Silvia Sanchez , 46 , says she ’ s so careful that she sometimes forgets to take the mask off at home .
She ’ ll be doing housework in her front yard and a bemused neighbor will shout : “ You have your mask on !
Take off your mask !
” Though Sanchez refuses to visit other family , she feels she can ’ t refuse opening her doors for her sister , who lives next door .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on her mask and maintains a distance .
Donning the mask under her own roof , with her sister , doesn ’ t feel natural , she said .
But her sister , who suffers from diabetes — an underlying health condition that makes her more vulnerable to COVID-19 — refused to wear a mask .
“ She laughs at me , but oh well , ” Sanchez said .
“ I prefer to be safe .
You never know whether the people you ’ re with have the virus or not.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks in their own home .
Even in one ’ s own yard , wearing a mask can create a sense of emotional distancing around close family , she said .
“ Taking that to the level of the home where you ’ re supposed to feel the most protected ... that is just not normal , ” she said .
Don Garcia , medical director at Clínica Monseñor Oscar A. Romero , which serves predominantly Latino patients in Boyle Heights , Pico-Union and Westlake , said that one of his patients , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his office sick with the virus .
When he asked where she had been , she responded that she had visited her child ’ s father — who was also infected .
“ She ’ s now positive and she lives in a one-bedroom apartment with her parents and her sister and the infant and another child , ” he said .
“ So this has created a very difficult situation.
” Garcia said that because of a fear of being stigmatized , some people visit their family without telling them they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have tested positive for the virus .
Among working-class Latinos , who depend so heavily on a sense of community , the fear of being ostracized because of COVID-19 can be pronounced , said Hernan Hernandez , director of the California Farmworker Foundation .
“ If you work in the field , it ’ s one big giant family , ” he said .
“ You ’ re used to eating with your friends and your family , sharing meals , giving each other a soda.
” In the pandemic ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County communities were getting two conflicting messages : one from American media urging them to shelter in place ; another from Spanish-language media , in which they saw Mexico ’ s president and others hugging , kissing and shaking hands without reservation , Hernandez said .
The foundation launched educational campaigns and Mexican officials began to take the pandemic more seriously as Mexico racked up some of the highest casualty numbers in the world .
Some of the family gatherings began to decline , or become more discreet , Hernandez said .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in swaths of California slowly begin to decline again , many people are letting their guard down .
Hernandez said in neighborhoods he has seen parking lots and streets packed as people begin to gather again .
People will lounge in their yards outside , sharing a coffee or having a carne asada barbecue , Hernandez said .
“ We ’ re starting to see the erosion of those guidelines , ” he said .
“ It ’ s just like one deadly cocktail.
” Ana Cumplido , a 34-year-old resident from Commerce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her home , she doesn ’ t wear a mask .
Cumplido said she can ’ t make her mother do it ; and she relies on her for affordable childcare while she runs errands .
Her mother has diabetes and also has regular contact , sans mask , with other family members .
Cumplido said she worries not only about her mother , but her own children , who might get infected by their grandmother .
“ I know if she gets the virus , it ’ s more dangerous for her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she gets the virus , she could pass it onto the kids.
” Still , the family tries to keep their distance and wear a mask outside the home .
They greet each other with air hugs .
But when Cumplido ’ s grandmother visits , she always goes in for a real hug .
And there ’ s no denying her .

Reymond Padilla, a father of three and director of the Whittier Spartans softball team, has gone to great lengths to keep his team safe from COVID-19. But things get complicated when it comes to family.
Reymond Padilla, director of the Whittier Spartans softball team, has plans to protect himself, his team and his children from COVID-19 that he follows with zealous devotion.
The girls — including his 12-year-old daughter — must wear masks while practicing and playing. They take breaks every 30 minutes to sanitize their hands, even though they stand yards apart. Before agreeing to play games with other teams, he asks for a list of COVID-19 protocols they follow. If their rules don’t meet his standards, he cancels the game.
But that line of resistance fades when it comes to family.
His daughter lives in her mother’s household, where uncles, nephews and other family are invited for weekend gatherings without wearing masks. Padilla himself made an exception to celebrate the Fourth of July at his sister’s Simi Valley home. The 42-year-old warehouse manager and his sister, a Los Angeles Police Department detective, wore masks. But their children did not.
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There is a “false sense of safety” around loved ones, Padilla acknowledged.
“[People feel] that just because they’re home, they’re isolated and protected. But that’s not true,” he said. “You don’t know where your cousin or uncle has been.”
In the U.S., Latinos have been disproportionate casualties of the virus that has brought parts of the world to a standstill. Latinos make up about 39% of the population of California but account for 60% of positive cases and 48% of deaths, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Reymond Padilla with his daughter Clarisa, 12. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
A recent poll revealed that Latinos are in fact more worried about contracting the virus and being economically impacted compared with other demographic groups. As a result, most Latinos wear masks while running errands, sanitize frequently and stay away from large gatherings with strangers, well aware of the heightened risk they face.
But experts say familial closeness, often a strength for many working-class Latino families that lean on each other to get by, can present a chink in the armor guarding against COVID-19.
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“The Latino culture is one that has the closest family units, and to have people all wear a mask [in a family home] has a different connotation than it would for a culture where families are not as tight-knit,” said April Denise Thames, an associate professor of psychology at USC. “It implies an element of distrust.”
While much attention has been focused on large parties teeming with young, potential “super-spreaders” in places such as the Hollywood Hills, experts say small gatherings among friends and family can quietly be just as dangerous.
At USC, officials determined that a recent outbreak of nearly 150 infected students was spread by small groups gathering for games or study sessions without masks, not large parties.
According to a May study from researchers in the U.S., China and Australia published in the journal BMJ Global Health, “transmission of COVID-19 within families and close contacts accounts for the majority of epidemic growth. Community mask wearing, hand washing and social distancing are thought to be effective but there is little evidence to inform or support community members on COVID-19 risk reduction within families.”
The study found that wearing masks at home was 79% effective in reducing the virus spread if families wore the mask before they began experiencing symptoms.
A woman, center, helps Rosa Castillo, right, and Oscar Armando Martinez as they form a line as participants prepare for COVID-19 testing at the Mexican Consulate office in Los Angeles. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
But for many people, there is a stubborn perception that contracting the virus is less risky among family, Thames said.
Latinos are no different. But their exposure to the virus is already higher due to the fact that they are overrepresented in essential industries — from service jobs to agriculture — that involve close contact with other people. As a result, family get-togethers, especially those involving people who work in such jobs, can be especially perilous if no precautions are taken.
Maria Luisa Moreno, 59, said she avoids neighbors she routinely sees hosting large parties or gatherings. To protect against COVID-19, she rarely leaves her home — and if she does she’s careful to wear a protective mask and take other precautions.
“It’s the only way we can stay healthy,” the East Los Angeles resident said while shopping at the Target on Whittier Boulevard.
But every Sunday, those precautions go out the door.
That’s when Moreno’s five children and their spouses take turns visiting her home. She cooks a big meal and they sit around the dinner table. They do not wear masks.
Moreno said she feels safe around family. The fact that one of Moreno’s daughters is a medical assistant at a healthcare company dealing with patients does not chip away at her feeling of security under her own roof — among those she holds dearest.
“We have to keep going in life,” Moreno said.
For Padilla, there is a daily balancing act between staying healthy and safeguarding his children’s mental health.
“Everybody is thinking health and isolation,” he said. “But we’re overlooking what these girls are taking away. They’ve had their schools taken away, they’ve had their graduations taken away. Life for them has changed completely. Now their escape from stress has been taken away as well.”
Family may not cure these ills, but it helps make it easier to cope with them, Padilla said.
In Boyle Heights, a neighborhood with a high rate of COVID-19 infections, Silvia Sanchez, 46, says she’s so careful that she sometimes forgets to take the mask off at home. She’ll be doing housework in her front yard and a bemused neighbor will shout: “You have your mask on! Take off your mask!”
Though Sanchez refuses to go to see family members, she feels she can’t say no to visits from her sister, who lives next door. When her sister comes, Sanchez sometimes puts on her mask and maintains a distance. Donning the mask under her own roof, with her sister, doesn’t feel natural, she said.
But her sister, who suffers from diabetes — an underlying health condition that makes her more vulnerable to COVID-19 — refuses to wear a mask.
“She laughs at me, but oh well,” Sanchez said. “I prefer to be safe. You never know whether the people you’re with have the virus or not.”
Hundreds of people gather at Ruben Salazar Park in Los Angeles in late August to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium and the death of Mexican American journalist Ruben Salazar. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Thames said people are unlikely to wear masks in their own home. Even in one’s own yard, wearing a mask can create a sense of emotional distancing around close family, she said.
“Taking that to the level of the home where you’re supposed to feel the most protected ... that is just not normal,” she said.
Don Garcia, medical director at Clínica Monseñor Oscar A. Romero, which serves predominantly Latino patients in Boyle Heights, Pico-Union and Westlake, said that one of his patients, a young woman, recently came to his office sick with COVID-19. When he asked where she had been, she responded that she had visited her child’s father — who was also infected.
“She’s now positive, and she lives in a one-bedroom apartment with her parents and her sister and the infant and another child,” he said. “So this has created a very difficult situation.”
Garcia said that because of a fear of being stigmatized, some people visit their family without telling them they have tested positive or have been near people who have tested positive.
Among working-class Latinos, who depend so heavily on a sense of community, the fear of being ostracized because of COVID-19 can be pronounced, said Hernan Hernandez, director of the California Farmworker Foundation.
“If you work in the field, it’s one big, giant family,” he said. “You’re used to eating with your friends and your family, sharing meals, giving each other a soda.”
In the pandemic’s early days, working-class Latinos in Kern County communities were getting two conflicting messages: one from American media urging them to shelter in place; another from Spanish-language media, in which they saw Mexico’s president and others hugging, kissing and shaking hands without reservation, Hernandez said.
The foundation launched educational campaigns and Mexican officials began to take the pandemic more seriously as the country racked up some of the highest casualty numbers in the world. Some of the family gatherings began to decline, or become more discreet, Hernandez said.
But he said that as the number of infections in swaths of California slowly begins to decline, many people are letting their guard down. Hernandez said he has seen parking lots and streets in neighborhoods packed as people begin to gather again, lounging in their yards, sharing a coffee or having a carne asada barbecue.
“We’re starting to see the erosion of those guidelines,” he said. “It’s just like one deadly cocktail.”
Ana Cumplido, a 34-year-old resident of Commerce, said that when her mother visits her home, she doesn’t wear a mask. Cumplido said she can’t make her mother, upon whom she relies for affordable child care, do so.
Her mother has diabetes and also has regular contact, sans mask, with other family members. Cumplido said she worries about not only her mother, but her own children, who might get infected by their grandmother.
“I know if she gets the virus, it’s more dangerous for her,” Cumplido said. “If she gets the virus, she could pass it on to the kids.”
Still, the family tries to keep their distance and wear a mask outside the home. They greet each other with air hugs.
But when Cumplido’s grandmother visits, she always goes in for a real hug. And there’s no denying her.


latimes--2020-09-04--Dijon Kizzee was 'trying to find his way' before being killed by L.A. deputies, relatives say

Dijon Kizzee loved riding bicycles — anything with wheels , really , his uncle Anthony Johnson recalled .
As a youth , he would build go-karts and used to drive his mother crazy with his passion for mini motorcycles .
That ’ s why it wasn ’ t surprising , Johnson said , that 29-year-old Kizzee was on a bike Monday afternoon when he was flagged for an alleged vehicle code violation in a South Los Angeles neighborhood .
He tried to flee and subsequently was fatally shot by L.A. County sheriff ’ s deputies .
The shooting has spurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighborhood .
Many view Kizzee as another victim of police violence against Black people amid the national public outcry over the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha , Wis. , and the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
The Sheriff ’ s Department hasn ’ t indicated what vehicle codes Kizzee allegedly violated .
Officials have said deputies pursued Kizzee as he dropped his bicycle and ran .
They said deputies opened fire after he “ made a motion toward ” a gun that fell to the ground when he dropped a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members said that he lived in Lancaster and was visiting friends in L.A .
They recall a family-oriented man who was hit hard by the death of his mother as a young adult and had been working on finding his way in life .
Neighbors who witnessed the killing said deputies kept firing at Kizzee after he had fallen to the ground .
Attorneys representing the family said Wednesday that he was shot at 15 times .
“ Who knew this would hit our home ?
Who knew this would happen to us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told several dozen protesters gathered Tuesday evening at the spot where he was killed .
“ They killed my nephew in cold blood .
They killed my nephew.
” Kizzee , an unemployed plumber , grew up in South L.A. and later moved with his mother and younger brother to the Antelope Valley to escape violence in the area .
“ They moved to get away from the crime — a lot of gang shootings were happening , ” Johnson said .
Johnson , a resident of Palmdale , lived a short drive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone who was generous with his relatives and friends , recalling how Kizzee had recently insisted that Johnson use his car as if it were his own .
When his mother died in 2011 due to health issues , Kizzee was left grieving and trying to care for his younger brother .
“ He was a momma ’ s boy for sure , ” Johnson said .
“ There ’ s really two Dijons .
The Dijon before she passed away and the Dijon after she passed away.
” By that point , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Antelope Valley and L.A. , often going back and forth to visit family and friends .
He was convicted for various crimes in L.A. and Kern counties over the last decade and served two terms in state prison totaling more than a year between 2016 and 2019 , according to officials .
The prison terms related to charges including evading or attempting to evade a peace officer while driving recklessly , as well as possession of a firearm by a felon or addict .
“ He was trying to work on himself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Johnson said .
“ He was still trying to find his way.
” Kizzee received his high school diploma in the L.A. County jail system , said Shanley Rhodes , a principal at the time for Five Keys Charter School , which runs higher education programs for inmates .
When Rhodes heard about Kizzee ’ s death , she immediately recalled a good-natured man who put in extra work to graduate on time , studying independently after taking several hours of classes during the day .
“ It ’ s hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard to have hope , it ’ s hard to look forward when you ’ re incarcerated , ” she said .
“ It takes a really strong person to say , ‘ I ’ m going to keep my eyes forward.
’ That was all of our students , and that was certainly Dijon.
” In the weeks before he died , Kizzee had been coping with more personal loss .
Kevin “ Twin ” Orange , a gang intervention worker , said he ran into Kizzee about three weeks ago in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a man who recently died .
When Orange got to the family home , Kizzee was there and gave him a hug .
The recent loss was one in a string for Kizzee , Orange said .
Two other people that Kizzee knew had been killed recently in the Westmont community .
“ He said : ‘ I just can ’ t take it .
It ’ s too much , ’ ” Orange said .
Etta Clark , Kizzee ’ s grandmother who lives in Lancaster , said Kizzee called her “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her .
“ He was always very kind , always a loving child , very respectful to me , ” she said , recalling how he ’ d offer to help her with yard work without being prompted .
Her son and Kizzee ’ s uncle , Aaron Clark , a hip-hop artist who goes by “ Pro , ” said that Kizzee would sometimes come to his home and they would sit in his studio talking about his music .
They once played with the idea of writing a song based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was killed years ago , and the incarceration of Kizzee ’ s father , Edwin .
Despite his absence for much of Kizzee ’ s life , he would speak to his son frequently .
“ He gave his son advice , tried to help him learn from his mistakes , ” Clark said .
“ He was a very big part of his life , even though he wasn ’ t there physically a lot of the time.
” Clark and Kizzee would sometimes talk about what it meant to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Valley , which has a history of racism , harassment and discrimination by law enforcement .
“ As Black men , we are profiled every day , ” Clark said .
“ We sit in our cars at the light , and we ’ re profiled .
He was on his bike .
What threat does a man on a bike really cause ?
He spoke about being profiled because he was .
“ No matter what was going on , he didn ’ t deserve to be gunned down in the streets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We ’ re going to miss Dijon terribly.
” Times researcher Scott Wilson and staff writers Alene Tchekmedyian and Nicole Santa Cruz contributed to this report .

Jonetta Ewing, the partner of the late Dijon Kizzee, breaks down while addressing the crowd of activists gathered for a weekly Black Lives Matter protest outside the Hall of Justice on Wednesday.
Dijon Kizzee loved riding bicycles — anything with wheels, really, his uncle Anthony Johnson recalled. As a youth, he would build go-karts and used to drive his mother crazy with his passion for mini motorcycles.
That’s why it wasn’t surprising, Johnson said, that 29-year-old Kizzee was on a bike Monday afternoon when he was flagged for an alleged vehicle code violation in a South Los Angeles neighborhood. He tried to flee and subsequently was fatally shot by L.A. County sheriff’s deputies.
The shooting has spurred anger and nightly protests in the Westmont neighborhood. Many view Kizzee as another victim of police violence against Black people amid the national public outcry over the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis., and the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The Sheriff’s Department hasn’t indicated what vehicle codes Kizzee allegedly violated. Officials have said deputies pursued Kizzee as he dropped his bicycle and ran. They said deputies opened fire after he “made a motion toward” a gun that fell to the ground when he dropped a jacket he had been carrying.
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Family members said that he lived in Lancaster and was visiting friends in L.A. They recall a family-oriented man who was hit hard by the death of his mother as a young adult and had been working on finding his way in life.
Neighbors who witnessed the killing said deputies kept firing at Kizzee after he had fallen to the ground. Attorneys representing the family said Wednesday that he was shot at 15 times.
Dijon Kizzee, 29, was killed by L.A. County sheriff’s deputies Monday in the Westmont neighborhood of Los Angeles. (Kizzee family)
“Who knew this would hit our home? Who knew this would happen to us?” an anguished aunt of Kizzee told several dozen protesters gathered Tuesday evening at the spot where he was killed. “They killed my nephew in cold blood. They killed my nephew.”
Kizzee, an unemployed plumber, grew up in South L.A. and later moved with his mother and younger brother to the Antelope Valley to escape violence in the area.
“They moved to get away from the crime — a lot of gang shootings were happening,” Johnson said.
Johnson, a resident of Palmdale, lived a short drive from Kizzee. He described him as someone who was generous with his relatives and friends, recalling how Kizzee had recently insisted that Johnson use his car as if it were his own.
When his mother died in 2011 due to health issues, Kizzee was left grieving and trying to care for his younger brother.
“He was a momma’s boy for sure,” Johnson said. “There’s really two Dijons. The Dijon before she passed away and the Dijon after she passed away.”
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By that point, Kizzee had a social life in both the Antelope Valley and L.A., often going back and forth to visit family and friends.
He was convicted for various crimes in L.A. and Kern counties over the last decade and served two terms in state prison totaling more than a year between 2016 and 2019, according to officials. The prison terms related to charges including evading or attempting to evade a peace officer while driving recklessly, as well as possession of a firearm by a felon or addict.
“He was trying to work on himself, but that was definitely an obstacle,” Johnson said. “He was still trying to find his way.”
Kizzee received his high school diploma in the L.A. County jail system, said Shanley Rhodes, a principal at the time for Five Keys Charter School, which runs higher education programs for inmates.
When Rhodes heard about Kizzee’s death, she immediately recalled a good-natured man who put in extra work to graduate on time, studying independently after taking several hours of classes during the day.
“It’s hard to stay motivated, it’s hard to have hope, it’s hard to look forward when you’re incarcerated,” she said. “It takes a really strong person to say, ‘I’m going to keep my eyes forward.’ That was all of our students, and that was certainly Dijon.”
California Video shows sheriff’s deputies killing Dijon Kizzee. But questions remain A grainy but graphic video obtained by The Times shows a struggle between Kizzee and deputies before he tries to run away and deputies gun him down.
In the weeks before he died, Kizzee had been coping with more personal loss.
Kevin “Twin” Orange, a gang intervention worker, said he ran into Kizzee about three weeks ago in South L.A. while visiting the family of a man who recently died. When Orange got to the family home, Kizzee was there and gave him a hug. The recent loss was one in a string for Kizzee, Orange said. Two other people that Kizzee knew had been killed recently in the Westmont community.
“He said: ‘I just can’t take it. It’s too much,’” Orange said.
Etta Clark, Kizzee’s grandmother who lives in Lancaster, said Kizzee called her “Granny” and would often check on her.
“He was always very kind, always a loving child, very respectful to me,” she said, recalling how he’d offer to help her with yard work without being prompted.
Her son and Kizzee’s uncle, Aaron Clark, a hip-hop artist who goes by “Pro,” said that Kizzee would sometimes come to his home and they would sit in his studio talking about his music. They once played with the idea of writing a song based on the loss of Clark’s brother, who was killed years ago, and the incarceration of Kizzee’s father, Edwin.
Despite his absence for much of Kizzee’s life, he would speak to his son frequently.
“He gave his son advice, tried to help him learn from his mistakes,” Clark said. “He was a very big part of his life, even though he wasn’t there physically a lot of the time.”
Clark and Kizzee would sometimes talk about what it meant to be a Black man in the Antelope Valley, which has a history of racism, harassment and discrimination by law enforcement.
“As Black men, we are profiled every day,” Clark said. “We sit in our cars at the light, and we’re profiled. He was on his bike. What threat does a man on a bike really cause? He spoke about being profiled because he was.
“No matter what was going on, he didn’t deserve to be gunned down in the streets like that,” he said. “We’re going to miss Dijon terribly.”
Times researcher Scott Wilson and staff writers Alene Tchekmedyian and Nicole Santa Cruz contributed to this report.