latimes--2020-10-01--In the age of coronavirus, a 95-year-old World War II hero is honored very carefully

It was November 1944 , and U.S. forces were fighting to liberate the heavily fortified French city of Metz from the Nazis .
When Knuth ’ s battalion attacked the German-held Fort Jeanne d ’ Arc , he and about 30 other soldiers with the Army ’ s 95th Infantry Division got stuck behind enemy lines , in the bitter cold , with meager supplies .
For five days , Pfc .
Knuth , a 19-year-old Iowa farm boy , survived on military-issued chocolate bars called D-rations .
His wet feet swelled as the trench foot that would trouble him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in .
For their bravery , Knut and his fellow soldiers would come to be known as the Iron Men of Metz .
But on a warm afternoon this week , as the 95-year-old World War II veteran was awarded one of the U.S. Army ’ s highest honors , he was treated as delicately as an ancient vase .
Organizers of the ceremony at his Thousand Oaks retirement village , where Knuth received a Bronze Star , mounted a defense against an invisible but deadly new enemy : COVID-19 .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Metz standoff .
“ Not very many men ... made it to the fort .
Some were injured .
Some died .
Some just turned around because the fire from the Germans was so intense.
” Only a handful of people were allowed at the retirement facility ’ s first in-person gathering since the pandemic began .
Everyone wore masks .
People stood far from Knuth to pay their respects , and there were no congratulatory handshakes .
Residents were encouraged to watch from their rooms on an internal television channel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Normally , this would be standing-room only , ” said Dmitry Estrin , executive director of University Village , as he stood near the few dramatically spaced out chairs in a large event hall .
For older people like Knuth , a slight man with bright blue eyes and thin white hair who leans heavily on a walker , the coronavirus has been especially devastating .
That Knuth could have an in-person celebration at University Village , where he and his 94-year-old wife , Margaret , live with nearly 500 other retirees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bronze Star , which recognizes meritorious service in a combat zone , in the mail a month ago and figured that would be the end of it .
Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Robert Johnson , who volunteers working with older veterans , said Knuth had long qualified for the Bronze Star but that it had been overlooked , as was common with World War II veterans .
Johnson helped Knuth apply to receive his long-overdue award , which took more than a year to arrive , and arranged the University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very special , ” Knuth said , wearing a black suit jacket adorned with military service medals .
His voice was muffled by a black cloth mask with a University Village logo and the words , “ I Wear This Mask to Protect You.
” Over the last six months , life has changed a lot for the Knuths .
He was an avid swimmer who hit the pool five times a week to maintain circulation in legs badly damaged by the cold , wet weather during the Battle of Metz .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the University Village pool and gym for several weeks , and he now has to make appointments to exercise .
He and Margaret don ’ t socialize much , eating in their villa instead of in the dining hall with friends .
They don ’ t see their six children as often .
And they worry about catching COVID-19 during doctors ’ appointments .
“ It ’ s stressful , ” Knuth said .
“ If you go out , you have to worry about , ‘ Am I going to come back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been a few cases of COVID-19 among residents on the sprawling campus , which includes an adjacent skilled nursing facility called OakView Health Center , Estrin said .
But residents have been “ great partners ” with the safety protocols and have been successful at avoiding outbreaks , he said .
Tuesday ’ s Bronze Star ceremony was a ray of hope after so many stressful months .
Attendees said it was important to honor World War II veterans , whose numbers are dwindling .
At the 70th reunion of the Iron @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Okla. , last year — where Knuth was awarded the French National Legion of Honor Medal — there were only seven veterans .
Fewer show up for each gathering , Knuth said .
“ Our World War II veterans are becoming a rare sighting , ” Col. Gilbert Roldan , chief of staff of the California National Guard ’ s 40th Infantry Division , said Tuesday .
“ It ’ s a generation we ’ re not going to be privileged to see anymore.
” Roldan knows only three World War II veterans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he has been able to speak to them only by phone , so it was especially meaningful to attend Knuth ’ s ceremony in person .
Maj. Gen. Laura L. Yeager , commander of the 40th Infantry Division and the first woman to lead an Army infantry division , said she “ jumped at the opportunity ” to present Knuth his Bronze Star .
Coming three quarters of a century after his wartime service , she said , the award was “ obviously overdue.
” “ With all we ’ re dealing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is a nice break , ” she said .
Wearing a mask as he sat at the front of the event hall , Knuth smiled as speakers — who cleaned the microphone between each speech — praised his valor and the full life he lived after the war .
He was an engineering professor who taught for 35 years at UCLA , wrote more than 100 scientific papers and traveled the world with Margaret .
“ We think we ’ re living in trying times , ” Yeager told the audience .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , wildland fires , economic uncertainty , racial disparities and all the tensions that we face today are definitely rocking the state and the nation .
But with reflection , we know that we have been through much worse.
” Citing the old adage that when the going gets tough , the tough get going , she said Knuth “ never stopped making the world a better place.
” “ Professor Knuth , you are tough , ” she said .
“ You are wicked smart .
You are a lifelong learner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , recognized researcher , prize-winning author , professor emeritus , mentor to others , dad , husband .
You are an American hero.
” Knuth pulled down his mask to smile as Yeager , still wearing hers , pinned the medal to his jacket .
She took hers off for a few seconds to take a photograph , but not without first stepping away to keep a safe distance .
Knuth ’ s daughter-in-law , Carolyn Nicholson , 69 , said she was delighted to celebrate him in person .
They haven ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , and she drove more than two hours from Yucca Valley to attend .
“ He ’ s everything a Bronze Star should be , ” Nicholson said .
“ A wonderful man .
Great intellect .
A great inspiration to our family .
”

World War II veteran Eldon Knuth, 95, poses for photographs after a ceremony where Army Maj. Gen. Laura Yeager presented him with the Bronze Star for his service in France during World War II.
Eldon Knuth was trapped.
It was November 1944, and U.S. forces were fighting to liberate the heavily fortified French city of Metz from the Nazis.
When Knuth’s battalion attacked the German-held Fort Jeanne d’Arc, he and about 30 other soldiers with the Army’s 95th Infantry Division got stuck behind enemy lines, in the bitter cold, with meager supplies.
For five days, Pfc. Knuth, a 19-year-old Iowa farm boy, survived on military-issued chocolate bars called D-rations. His wet feet swelled as the trench foot that would trouble him for the rest of his life set in.
For their bravery, Knut and his fellow soldiers would come to be known as the Iron Men of Metz.
But on a warm afternoon this week, as the 95-year-old World War II veteran was awarded one of the U.S. Army’s highest honors, he was treated as delicately as an ancient vase. Organizers of the ceremony at his Thousand Oaks retirement village, where Knuth received a Bronze Star, mounted a defense against an invisible but deadly new enemy: COVID-19.
“It was utter chaos,” Knuth recalled of the Metz standoff. “Not very many men ... made it to the fort. Some were injured. Some died. Some just turned around because the fire from the Germans was so intense.”
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Only a handful of people were allowed at the retirement facility’s first in-person gathering since the pandemic began. Everyone wore masks. People stood far from Knuth to pay their respects, and there were no congratulatory handshakes. Residents were encouraged to watch from their rooms on an internal television channel.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Normally, this would be standing-room only,” said Dmitry Estrin, executive director of University Village, as he stood near the few dramatically spaced out chairs in a large event hall.
In accepting his Bronze Star, World War II veteran Eldon Knuth, 95, thanked his wife, Margaret, “my best friend.” (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
For older people like Knuth, a slight man with bright blue eyes and thin white hair who leans heavily on a walker, the coronavirus has been especially devastating.
That Knuth could have an in-person celebration at University Village, where he and his 94-year-old wife, Margaret, live with nearly 500 other retirees, meant a lot. He got the Bronze Star, which recognizes meritorious service in a combat zone, in the mail a month ago and figured that would be the end of it.
Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Robert Johnson, who volunteers working with older veterans, said Knuth had long qualified for the Bronze Star but that it had been overlooked, as was common with World War II veterans.
Johnson helped Knuth apply to receive his long-overdue award, which took more than a year to arrive, and arranged the University Village event.
“This ceremony is very special,” Knuth said, wearing a black suit jacket adorned with military service medals. His voice was muffled by a black cloth mask with a University Village logo and the words, “I Wear This Mask to Protect You.”
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Over the last six months, life has changed a lot for the Knuths.
He was an avid swimmer who hit the pool five times a week to maintain circulation in legs badly damaged by the cold, wet weather during the Battle of Metz. He was devastated when the pandemic closed both the University Village pool and gym for several weeks, and he now has to make appointments to exercise.
He and Margaret don’t socialize much, eating in their villa instead of in the dining hall with friends. They don’t see their six children as often. And they worry about catching COVID-19 during doctors’ appointments.
“It’s stressful,” Knuth said. “If you go out, you have to worry about, ‘Am I going to come back with the virus?’”
There have been a few cases of COVID-19 among residents on the sprawling campus, which includes an adjacent skilled nursing facility called OakView Health Center, Estrin said. But residents have been “great partners” with the safety protocols and have been successful at avoiding outbreaks, he said.
Tuesday’s Bronze Star ceremony was a ray of hope after so many stressful months. Attendees said it was important to honor World War II veterans, whose numbers are dwindling.
At the 70th reunion of the Iron Men of Metz at Ft. Sill, Okla., last year — where Knuth was awarded the French National Legion of Honor Medal — there were only seven veterans. Fewer show up for each gathering, Knuth said.
“Our World War II veterans are becoming a rare sighting,” Col. Gilbert Roldan, chief of staff of the California National Guard’s 40th Infantry Division, said Tuesday. “It’s a generation we’re not going to be privileged to see anymore.”
Roldan knows only three World War II veterans. During the pandemic, he said, he has been able to speak to them only by phone, so it was especially meaningful to attend Knuth’s ceremony in person.
Maj. Gen. Laura L. Yeager, commander of the 40th Infantry Division and the first woman to lead an Army infantry division, said she “jumped at the opportunity” to present Knuth his Bronze Star. Coming three quarters of a century after his wartime service, she said, the award was “obviously overdue.”
“With all we’re dealing with in this country right now, this is a nice break,” she said.
Eldon Knuth, wearing his Bronze Star and other medals, waves to friends after he was presented the Bronze Star Medal. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
Wearing a mask as he sat at the front of the event hall, Knuth smiled as speakers — who cleaned the microphone between each speech — praised his valor and the full life he lived after the war. He was an engineering professor who taught for 35 years at UCLA, wrote more than 100 scientific papers and traveled the world with Margaret.
“We think we’re living in trying times,” Yeager told the audience. “And certainly the combined effects of pandemic, wildland fires, economic uncertainty, racial disparities and all the tensions that we face today are definitely rocking the state and the nation. But with reflection, we know that we have been through much worse.”
Citing the old adage that when the going gets tough, the tough get going, she said Knuth “never stopped making the world a better place.”
“Professor Knuth, you are tough,” she said. “You are wicked smart. You are a lifelong learner, an adventurous traveler, accomplished genealogist, recognized researcher, prize-winning author, professor emeritus, mentor to others, dad, husband. You are an American hero.”
Knuth pulled down his mask to smile as Yeager, still wearing hers, pinned the medal to his jacket. She took hers off for a few seconds to take a photograph, but not without first stepping away to keep a safe distance.
Handed a carefully wiped microphone, Knuth thanked Margaret, “my best friend.”
Knuth’s daughter-in-law, Carolyn Nicholson, 69, said she was delighted to celebrate him in person. They haven’t seen each other much during the pandemic, and she drove more than two hours from Yucca Valley to attend.
“He’s everything a Bronze Star should be,” Nicholson said. “A wonderful man. Great intellect. A great inspiration to our family.”


latimes--2020-10-01--Disneyland's push to reopen sets up critical moment in California's coronavirus fight

A growing chorus of businesses small and large has been desperately lobbying California officials to reopen this fall as they struggle to survive after months of coronavirus shutdowns .
This week , they got an ally with undeniable star power .
The Walt Disney Co. , one of the world ’ s largest entertainment companies , partially blamed California ’ s strict reopening rules for massive layoffs in its theme park division after trying unsuccessfully to get officials to allow the gates of Disneyland to swing open again .
Disney ’ s blunt criticism is putting more pressure on Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a critical moment .
The state ’ s first attempt at reopening led to a major surge in COVID-19 , and Newsom has vowed to move more cautiously this time and listen only to the science .
His reopening plan omits theme parks altogether , though officials said guidelines will be released this week .
Bradley Pollock , chairman of the Department of Public Health Sciences at UC Davis , said waiting on the state for guidance is undoubtedly frustrating for theme park operators , but that Newsom and his staff are confronting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ size and pace of reopenings .
Keeping businesses closed deals a major blow to the economy and to large swaths of society that may lose their livelihoods , he said .
But any reopenings will increase interactions between people , lead to more cases of the coronavirus , and more deaths , he said .
“ It ’ s not a question of if , but rather , how much ?
” he said .
“ The virus hasn ’ t changed .
...
When you have people who can gather physically closer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Is it worth it ?
” Complicating matters is that some states are beginning to see a new surge in coronavirus cases that experts fear could eventually arrive in California .
That would come at the same time as a flu season already expected to make COVID-19 more difficult to manage .
In some parts of the state , including San Francisco and other , more rural , areas , businesses are beginning to reopen as cases plummet .
But it ’ s been slower going in Southern California , frustrating business owners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County announced Wednesday that shopping centers and nail salons will be allowed to resume indoor operations with limited capacity over the next 10 days .
But there has been much debate about whether the region is reopening too quickly given the health risks , or not quickly enough given the economic woes .
Disney announced that it would lay off 28,000 staff members across its parks , cruises and retail stores because of the pandemic .
Though the cuts affect employees across the U.S. , executives cited in their decision California ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow Disneyland to reopen.
” The pushback from the corporation is part of a much larger , growing pressure that communities around California are facing as businesses grapple with a make-or-break fall after months of slashed revenue .
Jocelyn Campos said her family ’ s restaurant , a mile from Disneyland and typically a popular spot with park visitors , can probably survive only six more months with business down by 40 % since the shutdown .
“ We ’ re going to do everything in our power , but all we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customers return , ” Campos said .
Disney , one of the largest employers in the state , has been severely hobbled by the coronavirus health crisis .
In April , the company said it was furloughing more than 100,000 workers after the pandemic forced the company to shut down its theme parks .
Disney also cut expenses , slashed executive pay and suspended major projects to save money .
In June , Disneyland announced plans to reopen but Newsom and his advisors persuaded park officials to hold off .
Disney Executive Chairman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Newsom throughout the outbreak and is a key member of Newsom ’ s Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery , which was created in April to guide the state ’ s financial recovery and create jobs .
However , the prolonged shutdown became financially unsustainable for Disney , said Josh D ’ Amaro , chairman of Disney ’ s parks , experiences and products segment , in a memo to staff on Tuesday .
“ As heartbreaking as it is to take this action , this is the only feasible option @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact of COVID-19 on our business , ” D ’ Amaro said .
Dr. Mark Ghaly , California ’ s Health and Human Services secretary , said the Newsom administration expects to release guidance this week for the reopening of theme parks across the state .
The extent of reopenings may depend on the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic in the counties where they are located .
State public health officials have been meeting with amusement park representatives since the outbreak first began , with recent talks focused on the complex natures of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of visitors annually .
Ghaly noted that initially , Disneyland and other parks were not expected to open until the final stage of the pandemic recovery , when herd immunity was established .
“ When you think about an amusement park , there ’ s components that are indoor and outdoor and there ’ s different things , like there ’ s water rides , ” Ghaly said Wednesday .
“ People usually come to the parks for weekends or weeks .
It ’ s a family event .
You ’ re in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your guard up while you ’ re in the park , you may take your guard down when it comes to transmission in all these related activities.
” Ghaly said the announced layoffs at the Walt Disney Co. , as well as the economic toll on other businesses across the state , have weighed heavily on every decision made by both the Newsom administration and local public health officials .
“ Nobody has a playbook on this , ” Ghaly said .
“ Ideally , the way that we look at this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in fact , helping us set up for more success moving our economy forward.
” But not everyone is treating theme parks this way .
In July , Walt Disney World in Orlando , Fla. , was allowed to reopen .
However , that Florida allowed Disney World to reopen should not be taken as a sign that Newsom should charge forward , Pollock said .
“ They seem to have more tolerance for outbreaks , ” Pollock said of Florida .
“ Do I blame the governor here for being more conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that the opening of Disney World serves as a “ natural experiment ” testing whether the theme park will become a hotbed for cases .
So far , that hasn ’ t appeared to be the case , he said .
“ Nothing helps explain risk like history and the facts .
So they opened up their theme parks , they did it under very carefully controlled conditions , and there hasn ’ t been a spike , ” he said .
“ So I think that theoretically , they may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shevlin , who has worked at the Disneyland Resort for 32 years , said she felt shocked by news of the layoffs .
Her union , Unite Here Local 11 , expects 950 of its 3,000 members who work at the resort to be laid off on Nov. 1 .
“ I ’ m in limbo right now , ” she said .
“ Of course we want to reopen and work , but it has to be done safely.
” The closure of Disneyland has had ripple effects throughout the city of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employer .
Unemployment in the city is at 12 % , the same as during the Great Recession , according to Mayor Harry Sidhu .
“ This is not a choice between public health and the economy , ” he said in a statement .
“ There is a safe , responsible middle path ... We need to begin restoring our economy in a way that protects public health and also allows people to support their families.
” Before the shutdown , the Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Anaheim at Disneyland Park @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enjoying the theme park .
Now , the hotel is at only about 20 % occupancy , said general manager Ziaul Islam Syed .
Syed helped manage the front desk on Wednesday , a change due to shifting roles during the pandemic .
The hotel used to be often fully booked , but now they are barely scraping by , he said .
“ We ’ re cancelling more bookings than we ’ re getting , ” Syed said .
Karlamangla reported from Los Angeles , Willon from Sacramento and Lai from Anaheim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to this report .

Soumya Karlamangla, Phil Willon, Stephanie Lai

The entrance to Disneyland on Wednesday, a day after company officials announced layoffs resulting from the coronavirus-induced closure of the theme park.
A growing chorus of businesses small and large has been desperately lobbying California officials to reopen this fall as they struggle to survive after months of coronavirus shutdowns.
This week, they got an ally with undeniable star power.
The Walt Disney Co., one of the world’s largest entertainment companies, partially blamed California’s strict reopening rules for massive layoffs in its theme park division after trying unsuccessfully to get officials to allow the gates of Disneyland to swing open again.
Disney’s blunt criticism is putting more pressure on Gov. Gavin Newsom and health officials at a critical moment.
The state’s first attempt at reopening led to a major surge in COVID-19, and Newsom has vowed to move more cautiously this time and listen only to the science. His reopening plan omits theme parks altogether, though officials said guidelines will be released this week.
Advertisement
Bradley Pollock, chairman of the Department of Public Health Sciences at UC Davis, said waiting on the state for guidance is undoubtedly frustrating for theme park operators, but that Newsom and his staff are confronting an extremely difficult calculus in determining the size and pace of reopenings.
Keeping businesses closed deals a major blow to the economy and to large swaths of society that may lose their livelihoods, he said. But any reopenings will increase interactions between people, lead to more cases of the coronavirus, and more deaths, he said.
“It’s not a question of if, but rather, how much?” he said. “The virus hasn’t changed. ... When you have people who can gather physically closer together, you increase the risk. Is it worth it?”
Complicating matters is that some states are beginning to see a new surge in coronavirus cases that experts fear could eventually arrive in California. That would come at the same time as a flu season already expected to make COVID-19 more difficult to manage.
In some parts of the state, including San Francisco and other, more rural, areas, businesses are beginning to reopen as cases plummet. But it’s been slower going in Southern California, frustrating business owners and some local officials.
Advertisement
Los Angeles County announced Wednesday that shopping centers and nail salons will be allowed to resume indoor operations with limited capacity over the next 10 days. But there has been much debate about whether the region is reopening too quickly given the health risks, or not quickly enough given the economic woes.
Disney announced that it would lay off 28,000 staff members across its parks, cruises and retail stores because of the pandemic. Though the cuts affect employees across the U.S., executives cited in their decision California’s “unwillingness to lift restrictions that would allow Disneyland to reopen.”
Jocelyn Campos makes pizza at her family’s restaurant, which has lost business since Disneyland has been closed. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The pushback from the corporation is part of a much larger, growing pressure that communities around California are facing as businesses grapple with a make-or-break fall after months of slashed revenue.
Jocelyn Campos said her family’s restaurant, a mile from Disneyland and typically a popular spot with park visitors, can probably survive only six more months with business down by 40% since the shutdown.
“We’re going to do everything in our power, but all we can do is cross our fingers that the customers return,” Campos said.
Disney, one of the largest employers in the state, has been severely hobbled by the coronavirus health crisis. In April, the company said it was furloughing more than 100,000 workers after the pandemic forced the company to shut down its theme parks. Disney also cut expenses, slashed executive pay and suspended major projects to save money.
In June, Disneyland announced plans to reopen but Newsom and his advisors persuaded park officials to hold off.
Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger has been in direct contact with Newsom throughout the outbreak and is a key member of Newsom’s Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery, which was created in April to guide the state’s financial recovery and create jobs.
However, the prolonged shutdown became financially unsustainable for Disney, said Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney’s parks, experiences and products segment, in a memo to staff on Tuesday.
“As heartbreaking as it is to take this action, this is the only feasible option we have in light of the prolonged impact of COVID-19 on our business,” D’Amaro said.
Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s Health and Human Services secretary, said the Newsom administration expects to release guidance this week for the reopening of theme parks across the state. The extent of reopenings may depend on the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic in the counties where they are located.
State public health officials have been meeting with amusement park representatives since the outbreak first began, with recent talks focused on the complex natures of those attractions, which have drawn millions of visitors annually.
Ghaly noted that initially, Disneyland and other parks were not expected to open until the final stage of the pandemic recovery, when herd immunity was established.
“When you think about an amusement park, there’s components that are indoor and outdoor and there’s different things, like there’s water rides,” Ghaly said Wednesday. “People usually come to the parks for weekends or weeks. It’s a family event. You’re in hotels and restaurants. If you keep your guard up while you’re in the park, you may take your guard down when it comes to transmission in all these related activities.”
Ghaly said the announced layoffs at the Walt Disney Co., as well as the economic toll on other businesses across the state, have weighed heavily on every decision made by both the Newsom administration and local public health officials.
“Nobody has a playbook on this,” Ghaly said. “Ideally, the way that we look at this is that our choices around controlling transmission are in fact, helping us set up for more success moving our economy forward.”
But not everyone is treating theme parks this way. In July, Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., was allowed to reopen. However, that Florida allowed Disney World to reopen should not be taken as a sign that Newsom should charge forward, Pollock said.
“They seem to have more tolerance for outbreaks,” Pollock said of Florida. “Do I blame the governor here for being more conservative? No.”
California How to help young children get the most out of online school Experts say many students in kindergarten through third grade will struggle with online school. Here are some ideas to help make virtual learning work as well as you can.
He added, however, that the opening of Disney World serves as a “natural experiment” testing whether the theme park will become a hotbed for cases. So far, that hasn’t appeared to be the case, he said.
“Nothing helps explain risk like history and the facts. So they opened up their theme parks, they did it under very carefully controlled conditions, and there hasn’t been a spike,” he said. “So I think that theoretically, they may be able to reopen safely here.”
Glynndana Shevlin, who has worked at the Disneyland Resort for 32 years, said she felt shocked by news of the layoffs. Her union, Unite Here Local 11, expects 950 of its 3,000 members who work at the resort to be laid off on Nov. 1.
“I’m in limbo right now,” she said. “Of course we want to reopen and work, but it has to be done safely.”
Ziaul Islam Syed, general manager at Days Inn & Suites, looks out the window from his empty hotel lobby. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The closure of Disneyland has had ripple effects throughout the city of Anaheim, where it is the largest employer. Unemployment in the city is at 12%, the same as during the Great Recession, according to Mayor Harry Sidhu.
“This is not a choice between public health and the economy,” he said in a statement. “There is a safe, responsible middle path ... We need to begin restoring our economy in a way that protects public health and also allows people to support their families.”
Before the shutdown, the Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Anaheim at Disneyland Park was often booked, full of families enjoying the theme park. Now, the hotel is at only about 20% occupancy, said general manager Ziaul Islam Syed.
Syed helped manage the front desk on Wednesday, a change due to shifting roles during the pandemic. The hotel used to be often fully booked, but now they are barely scraping by, he said.
“We’re cancelling more bookings than we’re getting,” Syed said.
Karlamangla reported from Los Angeles, Willon from Sacramento and Lai from Anaheim. Times staff writer Taryn Luna contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-10-01--The fire retardant dropped out of planes? It's sticky, gooey and made in the Southland

It ’ s a sight now synonymous with California ’ s fire season : A tanker aircraft flies over vegetation and drops a stream of red .
But what exactly is that stuff ?
It ’ s fire retardant , used in preemptive strikes to keep flames from spreading .
Phos-Chek is by far the dominant brand and is used around homes and under fireworks displays as well as in fighting wildfires .
It ’ s bright red for a reason , and although it ’ s not especially toxic , you really don ’ t want a plane to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on you .
And it ’ s made in Southern California : in a 100,000-square-foot plant in Rancho Cucamonga , where 30 to 40 people work to produce it .
First commercialized in 1963 , the powder mixture was developed by Monsanto and later approved by the U.S. Forest Service .
The brand name Phos-Chek stems from its active ingredient , ammonium phosphate , and its job to check — that is , stop — fires .
Unlike water or firefighting foam , the long-term fire retardant is not meant to be applied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rather , it ’ s used to create a chemical fire break : Once the red slurry douses vegetation , those plants won ’ t catch fire .
“ It just deprives the fire of fuel , ” said Edward Goldberg , chief executive of Phos-Chek maker Perimeter Solutions .
That vegetation remains nonflammable until a heavy rain washes off the mixture .
The fire retardant is generally safe — the Forest Service has said its risk of chemical toxicity is minor for most animals , and it predicted no risk for people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sheer volume that comes out of a plane is very heavy .
“ Getting hit by a 500-gallon water balloon ... that ’ s what it would be like to get hit by a direct drop , ” said Dan Turner , executive director of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo ’ s Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Institute and a retired chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection , known as Cal Fire .
“ It ’ s a dangerous place to be.
” The fire retardant is gooey — sticky , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly four decades at Cal Fire he got doused hundreds of times .
He wasn ’ t ever hit by that 500-gallon water balloon , but splashes did paint him and his clothes bright red .
On plants , the mixture ’ s red color is temporary : It disappears after a few weeks ’ exposure to sunlight .
But it ’ s important while it lasts .
Pilots need to know where the retardant has landed , to make sure they form a continuous barrier .
“ We ’ ve tried yellow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ color you can think of , and red is about the only thing you can see , ” Goldberg said .
“ Everything else just blends in.
” Phos-Chek is actually a brand of multiple fire chemical products , including firefighting foams , gels and uncolored fire retardant designed for home use .
But the name Phos-Chek is now so associated with the red , long-term fire retardant that ’ s dropped out of planes that in California , it ’ s used almost as a common noun , Goldberg said .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but maybe it ’ s getting there .
The fire retardant had its biggest year in 2017 , when Perimeter Solutions made about 50 million pounds of powder , which , when mixed with water , became 50 million gallons .
That was the year severe fires burned through Napa and Sonoma counties .
Goldberg said production this year may be close to that 2017 level .
The amount used in a year is not necessarily based on how big the fires are , but rather on how much the firefighting agencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their strategy .
For example , firefighting agencies have increased their use of air tankers this year to minimize the number of firefighters on the ground so as to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission , Goldberg said .
The Forest Service said fire retardant is an “ important tool ” because it reduces the intensity and rate of a fire ’ s spread , enabling firefighters to access the area and start containment .
Choosing when to use planes full of Phos-Chek instead of only ground crews is “ not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
The Forest Service is the biggest buyer of Phos-Chek fire retardant , Goldberg said .
Cal Fire is also a major customer .
Over the last 10 years , the Forest Service alone has dropped about 28 million gallons of fire retardant near wildfires nationwide to stem the spread of the fires , the agency said in an email .
Fire retardant is used in only about 5 % of wildfires , it said .
To make the retardant , Perimeter Solutions buys raw materials in powder form , including red @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corrosive inhibitor that prevents the planes that drop it from getting rusty ; and a thickener — similar to the one used in ice cream — that holds the fire retardant together so it doesn ’ t get dispersed by winds when it ’ s dropped from up high .
The ingredients are blended together , then milled into finer particles before they ’ re packaged for use at the tanker bases .
One of the packaging options is a bulk bag weighing 2,000 pounds .
The powder is mixed with water at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and then loaded into tankers for airdrops .
A Grumman S-2 , one of the smaller tankers used by Cal Fire , can carry up to 1,200 gallons of fire retardant , the agency said .
On the other end of the spectrum , its 747 Supertanker can carry 18,000 gallons .
Citing its status as a private company , St. Louis-based Perimeter Solutions declined to comment on its annual sales of Phos-Chek fire retardant .
But it ’ s got a lock on the market .
The Forest Service and Cal Fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Last year the Forest Service spent about $ 23 million on fire retardant for federal lands .
In 2017 , Phos-Chek ’ s biggest year , it spent about $ 59 million .
On average , it costs about $ 2.50 per gallon , the Forest Service said .
( That price does not include the cost of the aircraft used to drop it . )
And it ’ s not just used for wildfires .
Each year , Pasadena uses eight tons of an uncolored version of Phos-Chek fire retardant to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rose Bowl and the Arroyo Seco during its annual Fourth of July fireworks show .
Instead of being dropped from air tankers , the water and powder mixture is sprayed through a nozzle that ’ s connected to a water tender truck .
And it works — over the last 20 years or so , “ a few fires ” have been kept in check by Phos-Chek , said Lisa Derderian , spokeswoman for Pasadena .
Homeowners can also get that uncolored Phos-Chek fire retardant sprayed on their property by third-party businesses such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been offering the service for about seven years .
Before the 2018 Woolsey fire , All Risk Shield sprayed Phos-Chek fire retardant on about a dozen customers ’ properties in Malibu .
All of those properties survived the fire , said Joe Torres , the Santa Monica company ’ s chief executive .
Now about three-quarters of the company ’ s business is Phos-Chek application , which costs about $ 500 per property and lasts six to eight months , he said .
“ It ’ s really creating that defensible space , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the home , ” said Chaz Castelo , co-owner of UrbnTek , a San Diego company that also offers Phos-Chek spraying services and is a partner with All Risk Shield .
“ It gives people the peace of mind that they ’ re doing something .
”

It’s a sight now synonymous with California’s fire season: A tanker aircraft flies over vegetation and drops a stream of red.
But what exactly is that stuff?
It’s fire retardant, used in preemptive strikes to keep flames from spreading. Phos-Chek is by far the dominant brand and is used around homes and under fireworks displays as well as in fighting wildfires. It’s bright red for a reason, and although it’s not especially toxic, you really don’t want a plane to dump hundreds of gallons of it directly on you.
And it’s made in Southern California: in a 100,000-square-foot plant in Rancho Cucamonga, where 30 to 40 people work to produce it.
First commercialized in 1963, the powder mixture was developed by Monsanto and later approved by the U.S. Forest Service. The brand name Phos-Chek stems from its active ingredient, ammonium phosphate, and its job to check — that is, stop — fires.
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Unlike water or firefighting foam, the long-term fire retardant is not meant to be applied to things that are already burning. Rather, it’s used to create a chemical fire break: Once the red slurry douses vegetation, those plants won’t catch fire.
“It just deprives the fire of fuel,” said Edward Goldberg, chief executive of Phos-Chek maker Perimeter Solutions.
That vegetation remains nonflammable until a heavy rain washes off the mixture.
The fire retardant is generally safe — the Forest Service has said its risk of chemical toxicity is minor for most animals, and it predicted no risk for people who are accidentally splashed — but the sheer volume that comes out of a plane is very heavy.
“Getting hit by a 500-gallon water balloon ... that’s what it would be like to get hit by a direct drop,” said Dan Turner, executive director of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Institute and a retired chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire. “It’s a dangerous place to be.”
The fire retardant is gooey — sticky, even, Turner said. In his nearly four decades at Cal Fire he got doused hundreds of times. He wasn’t ever hit by that 500-gallon water balloon, but splashes did paint him and his clothes bright red.
On plants, the mixture’s red color is temporary: It disappears after a few weeks’ exposure to sunlight. But it’s important while it lasts. Pilots need to know where the retardant has landed, to make sure they form a continuous barrier.
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“We’ve tried yellow, white, blue, every other color you can think of, and red is about the only thing you can see,” Goldberg said. “Everything else just blends in.”
Phos-Chek is actually a brand of multiple fire chemical products, including firefighting foams, gels and uncolored fire retardant designed for home use. But the name Phos-Chek is now so associated with the red, long-term fire retardant that’s dropped out of planes that in California, it’s used almost as a common noun, Goldberg said. It might not quite be at Kleenex level, but maybe it’s getting there.
The fire retardant had its biggest year in 2017, when Perimeter Solutions made about 50 million pounds of powder, which, when mixed with water, became 50 million gallons. That was the year severe fires burned through Napa and Sonoma counties.
Goldberg said production this year may be close to that 2017 level.
The amount used in a year is not necessarily based on how big the fires are, but rather on how much the firefighting agencies decide to rely on airdrops as part of their strategy. For example, firefighting agencies have increased their use of air tankers this year to minimize the number of firefighters on the ground so as to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, Goldberg said.
The Forest Service said fire retardant is an “important tool” because it reduces the intensity and rate of a fire’s spread, enabling firefighters to access the area and start containment. Choosing when to use planes full of Phos-Chek instead of only ground crews is “not a budgetary decision,” the Forest Service said.
The Forest Service is the biggest buyer of Phos-Chek fire retardant, Goldberg said. Cal Fire is also a major customer.
Over the last 10 years, the Forest Service alone has dropped about 28 million gallons of fire retardant near wildfires nationwide to stem the spread of the fires, the agency said in an email. Fire retardant is used in only about 5% of wildfires, it said.
To make the retardant, Perimeter Solutions buys raw materials in powder form, including red coloring from a pigment company; a corrosive inhibitor that prevents the planes that drop it from getting rusty; and a thickener — similar to the one used in ice cream — that holds the fire retardant together so it doesn’t get dispersed by winds when it’s dropped from up high.
The ingredients are blended together, then milled into finer particles before they’re packaged for use at the tanker bases. One of the packaging options is a bulk bag weighing 2,000 pounds.
The powder is mixed with water at the bases to create a slurry, and then loaded into tankers for airdrops.
A Grumman S-2, one of the smaller tankers used by Cal Fire, can carry up to 1,200 gallons of fire retardant, the agency said. On the other end of the spectrum, its 747 Supertanker can carry 18,000 gallons.
Citing its status as a private company, St. Louis-based Perimeter Solutions declined to comment on its annual sales of Phos-Chek fire retardant.
But it’s got a lock on the market. The Forest Service and Cal Fire don’t use any other brand.
Last year the Forest Service spent about $23 million on fire retardant for federal lands. In 2017, Phos-Chek’s biggest year, it spent about $59 million. On average, it costs about $2.50 per gallon, the Forest Service said. (That price does not include the cost of the aircraft used to drop it.)
And it’s not just used for wildfires. Each year, Pasadena uses eight tons of an uncolored version of Phos-Chek fire retardant to protect areas with heavy vegetation around the Rose Bowl and the Arroyo Seco during its annual Fourth of July fireworks show.
Instead of being dropped from air tankers, the water and powder mixture is sprayed through a nozzle that’s connected to a water tender truck. And it works — over the last 20 years or so, “a few fires” have been kept in check by Phos-Chek, said Lisa Derderian, spokeswoman for Pasadena.
Homeowners can also get that uncolored Phos-Chek fire retardant sprayed on their property by third-party businesses such as All Risk Shield, which has been offering the service for about seven years.
Before the 2018 Woolsey fire, All Risk Shield sprayed Phos-Chek fire retardant on about a dozen customers’ properties in Malibu. All of those properties survived the fire, said Joe Torres, the Santa Monica company’s chief executive. Now about three-quarters of the company’s business is Phos-Chek application, which costs about $500 per property and lasts six to eight months, he said.
“It’s really creating that defensible space, kind of like an invisible force shield around the home,” said Chaz Castelo, co-owner of UrbnTek, a San Diego company that also offers Phos-Chek spraying services and is a partner with All Risk Shield. “It gives people the peace of mind that they’re doing something.”


latimes--2020-10-01--Column:  I've been wrong for two decades. Candidates for president and governor must release their t

Column:  I've been wrong for two decades. Candidates for president and governor must release their taxes

OK , I ’ ve been wrong .
President Trump convinced me even before his disgraceful debate performance .
Everyone seeking to lead our country should publicly release their tax returns .
Trump ’ s stunning case cries out for full tax disclosure by any presidential nominee of a major party .
And my flip-flop was validated in Tuesday ’ s dark debate that was so painful to watch .
For two decades , I ’ ve argued that pressuring presidential and gubernatorial wannabes to show voters their income tax returns amounted to an unjustified invasion of privacy .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which charities a candidate donated to and how much was given .
For that matter , they didn ’ t need to know how much money the candidate made .
Candidates for federal and state office already must fill out statements of economic interest that purport to show their investments .
But these reports are so vague they ’ re essentially useless .
They should be greatly strengthened , both in Washington and Sacramento .
Politicians are very unlikely to do that , however .
Trump ’ s tax avoidance is so egregious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong advocate of presidential and gubernatorial candidates releasing their returns .
Trump is the first president since Watergate who has refused to make public his income tax data .
Now we know why , thanks to an investigation by New York Times reporters .
He would have looked like a tax evader — maybe even a cheat — and tarnished his image as a highly successful , deal-making business tycoon .
When voters elected Trump in 2016 , they should have known that in 10 of the previous 15 years the self-proclaimed billionaire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ income taxes because of declared business losses , according to the Times , which cited leaked returns .
For 2016 and 2017 , when he ran for president and first occupied the Oval Office , Trump paid only $ 750 in federal income taxes each year , the Times reported .
For context , the Internal Revenue Service figures the average tax filer paid about $ 12,200 in 2017 .
You may recall that in 2017 , Trump and the Republican-led Congress enacted legislation particularly harmful to salaried homeowners in high-tax states such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on state and local taxes — such as property and income — at $ 10,000 .
Trump and Congress also eliminated deductions for salaried workers ’ job expenses not reimbursed by employers .
Some of these expenses — such as home office costs — are now particularly necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic .
But the same legislation preserved the tax loopholes Trump used to avoid income taxes and added some extras .
Americans also should have learned from Trump that in his first two years as president , he received $ 73 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest .
Voters likewise could have used this information : Trump received federal income tax refunds totaling $ 72.9 million , which the IRS is auditing .
And he ’ s carrying $ 421 million in loans and debt .
Who has him on the hook ?
We don ’ t know , but there ’ s an odor .
And here ’ s this tidbit many voters would have enjoyed : He deducted $ 70,000 to style his hair for the TV show “ The Apprentice.
” But Trump aside , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confidence that an office seeker believes there ’ s nothing to hide .
It may show the candidate is squeaky clean on taxes and a good risk for public office .
If the tax history looks shady , voters wouldn ’ t be blindsided if an elected official turned out to be a tax cheat .
Trump lied about his tax history in the debate , based on the Times ’ reporting .
Case closed .
As his Democratic opponent Joe Biden said , “ Everyone knows he ’ s a liar.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but didn ’ t .
He finally mentioned it briefly : “ This guy paid a total of $ 750 in taxes….
” “ That ’ s wrong .
Many millions , ” Trump interrupted for the zillionth time .
Moderator Chris Wallace asked Trump whether the $ 750 figure was correct for each of the two tax years .
Trump : “ I paid millions of dollars in taxes , millions of dollars of income taxes.… ” Trump : “ You ’ ll see it as soon as it ’ s finished.… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ audited .
But he could legally show voters the returns anytime .
He has been falsely promising to for years .
Wallace : “ Will you tell us how much you paid in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017 ?
” Biden ended the discussion by asserting that Trump “ pays less taxes than a schoolteacher.
” “ He says he ’ s smart because he can take advantage of the tax code , ” Biden said .
“ That ’ s why I ’ m going to eliminate the Trump tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporations and the rich that raised taxes for middle-class homeowners .
In the future , we should know how much a presidential or gubernatorial candidate is gaming the tax code before voting .
Starting in 2022 , candidates for California governor will be required to unveil their taxes as a price for getting on the ballot .
I ’ d rather have continued to make that voluntary rather than law .
In a petty bill , Gov .
Gavin Newsom and fellow Democrats in the Legislature also tried to force Trump to release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California .
Courts found that to be blatantly unconstitutional .
But there should be strong voter pressure on presidential candidates to open up their tax files and bad consequences if they refuse — such as being compared to Trump .

President Trump at the first presidential debate on Tuesday in Cleveland.
OK, I’ve been wrong. President Trump convinced me even before his disgraceful debate performance. Everyone seeking to lead our country should publicly release their tax returns.
Trump’s stunning case cries out for full tax disclosure by any presidential nominee of a major party. And my flip-flop was validated in Tuesday’s dark debate that was so painful to watch.
For two decades, I’ve argued that pressuring presidential and gubernatorial wannabes to show voters their income tax returns amounted to an unjustified invasion of privacy.
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The needlessly nosy had no business peeping at which charities a candidate donated to and how much was given. For that matter, they didn’t need to know how much money the candidate made.
Candidates for federal and state office already must fill out statements of economic interest that purport to show their investments. But these reports are so vague they’re essentially useless. They should be greatly strengthened, both in Washington and Sacramento.
Politicians are very unlikely to do that, however.
Trump’s tax avoidance is so egregious that it has turned me into a strong advocate of presidential and gubernatorial candidates releasing their returns.
Trump is the first president since Watergate who has refused to make public his income tax data. Now we know why, thanks to an investigation by New York Times reporters. He would have looked like a tax evader — maybe even a cheat — and tarnished his image as a highly successful, deal-making business tycoon.
When voters elected Trump in 2016, they should have known that in 10 of the previous 15 years the self-proclaimed billionaire and real estate mogul paid no federal income taxes because of declared business losses, according to the Times, which cited leaked returns.
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For 2016 and 2017, when he ran for president and first occupied the Oval Office, Trump paid only $750 in federal income taxes each year, the Times reported. For context, the Internal Revenue Service figures the average tax filer paid about $12,200 in 2017.
You may recall that in 2017, Trump and the Republican-led Congress enacted legislation particularly harmful to salaried homeowners in high-tax states such as California. They capped federal deductions on state and local taxes — such as property and income — at $10,000.
Trump and Congress also eliminated deductions for salaried workers’ job expenses not reimbursed by employers. Some of these expenses — such as home office costs — are now particularly necessary during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the same legislation preserved the tax loopholes Trump used to avoid income taxes and added some extras.
Americans also should have learned from Trump that in his first two years as president, he received $73 million from foreign operations — potential conflicts of interest.
Voters likewise could have used this information: Trump received federal income tax refunds totaling $72.9 million, which the IRS is auditing. And he’s carrying $421 million in loans and debt. Who has him on the hook? We don’t know, but there’s an odor.
California California Democrats handed the GOP a win with law to force Trump to release tax returns Democratic legislators passed and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a “gotcha” bill in August intended to force Trump — and any presidential candidate — to publicly release their income tax returns. A candidate who refused would be barred from the California presidential primary ballot. Not so fast, said the state’s highest court.
And here’s this tidbit many voters would have enjoyed: He deducted $70,000 to style his hair for the TV show “The Apprentice.”
But Trump aside, the disclosure of tax data gives voters some confidence that an office seeker believes there’s nothing to hide. It may show the candidate is squeaky clean on taxes and a good risk for public office.
If the tax history looks shady, voters wouldn’t be blindsided if an elected official turned out to be a tax cheat.
Trump lied about his tax history in the debate, based on the Times’ reporting. Case closed. As his Democratic opponent Joe Biden said, “Everyone knows he’s a liar.”
Biden should have pounded Trump on taxes but didn’t. He finally mentioned it briefly: “This guy paid a total of $750 in taxes….”
“That’s wrong. Many millions,” Trump interrupted for the zillionth time.
Moderator Chris Wallace asked Trump whether the $750 figure was correct for each of the two tax years.
Trump: “I paid millions of dollars in taxes, millions of dollars of income taxes.…”
Biden: “Show us your tax returns.”
Trump: “You’ll see it as soon as it’s finished.…”
Presumably the president meant finished being audited. But he could legally show voters the returns anytime. He has been falsely promising to for years.
Wallace: “Will you tell us how much you paid in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017?”
Trump: “Millions of dollars….”
Biden ended the discussion by asserting that Trump “pays less taxes than a schoolteacher.”
“He says he’s smart because he can take advantage of the tax code,” Biden said. “That’s why I’m going to eliminate the Trump tax cuts.”
Those were tax cuts for corporations and the rich that raised taxes for middle-class homeowners.
In the future, we should know how much a presidential or gubernatorial candidate is gaming the tax code before voting.
Starting in 2022, candidates for California governor will be required to unveil their taxes as a price for getting on the ballot. I’d rather have continued to make that voluntary rather than law.
In a petty bill, Gov. Gavin Newsom and fellow Democrats in the Legislature also tried to force Trump to release his taxes in order to run in California. Courts found that to be blatantly unconstitutional.
But there should be strong voter pressure on presidential candidates to open up their tax files and bad consequences if they refuse — such as being compared to Trump.


latimes--2020-10-01--Governor Newsom vetoes high school ethnic studies bill

A bid to make a one-semester ethnic studies course a high school graduation requirement was vetoed late Wednesday by Gov .
Gavin Newsom , who cited the ongoing controversy over the appropriate curriculum in his message on the legislation .
“ I value the role ethnic studies plays in helping students think critically about our history and understand the experience of marginalized communities in our state , ” Newsom wrote .
“ This academic discipline will help prepare our young adults to become civically engaged and participate fully in our democracy.
” For those reasons , Newsom said , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ethnic studies a graduation requirement for all 430,000 undergraduates in the California State University system .
But , Newsom said , the high school bill , authored by Assemblyman Jose Medina ( D-Riverside ) , would come “ at a time when there is much uncertainty ” about what content should be included in a K-12 ethnic studies course .
In a statement , Medina called the veto “ a missed opportunity ” and “ a disservice ” to students .
“ I am committed to making ethnic studies a reality for all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be re-introducing this legislation next year , ” he said .
California is currently in the process of developing a model curriculum for ethnic studies .
The process has been fraught with controversy .
An initial draft of the curriculum , released in the summer of 2019 , provoked widespread objection , particularly among Jewish groups who argued that it was anti-Semitic , purposely excluded Jews , and promoted the Boycott , Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel .
Others criticized the curriculum , which included a glossary of discipline-specific terms , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” as being too jargon-filled and politically correct .
Officials in July released a new version , which eliminated the glossary altogether , clearly noted anti-Semitism as a form of bigotry and removed mention of the Boycott , Divestment and Sanctions movement .
The Instructional Quality Commission under the California Department of Education accepted public comments on the latest version of the curriculum and is expected to forward a draft to the state Board of Education by the end of the year .
The board must adopt , modify or revise the curriculum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medina ’ s bill , taking a course based on the model curriculum would have been one way to satisfy the high school requirement .
At the request of Jewish legislators , the bill added caveats that instruction and materials for a course in ethnic studies “ be appropriate for use with pupils of all races , religions , genders , sexual orientations , and diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds , pupils with disabilities , and English learners ” ; “ not reflect or promote ... any bias , bigotry or discrimination against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; and “ not teach or promote religious doctrine.
” “ I appreciate the amendments the author accepted to ensure that any ethnic studies coursework is free of bias and discrimination , ” Newsom wrote in his memo .
“ I am also pleased that many more schools and districts have recently joined the hundreds of schools across our state that have adopted ethnic studies courses , and we intend to support these schools.
” But , Newsom said , he felt the initial draft of the model curriculum was “ insufficiently balanced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ draft “ still needs revision.
” Some Jewish groups immediately hailed the decision , with the American Jewish Committee commending Newsom .
“ The veto enables the Department of Education to reconsider its ill-conceived plan to produce a divisive program of ethnic studies , ” the American Jewish Committee said in a statement .
“ AJC urges the Superintendent of Education continue efforts to improve the Ethnic Studies Model curriculum before its final adoption .
”

Controversy over curriculum led the governor to veto a bill requiring ethnic studies in high school. Above, a student project at Camino Nuevo Charter Academy Miramar Campus.
A bid to make a one-semester ethnic studies course a high school graduation requirement was vetoed late Wednesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who cited the ongoing controversy over the appropriate curriculum in his message on the legislation.
“I value the role ethnic studies plays in helping students think critically about our history and understand the experience of marginalized communities in our state,” Newsom wrote. “This academic discipline will help prepare our young adults to become civically engaged and participate fully in our democracy.”
For those reasons, Newsom said, he signed a separate bill last month making ethnic studies a graduation requirement for all 430,000 undergraduates in the California State University system.
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But, Newsom said, the high school bill, authored by Assemblyman Jose Medina (D-Riverside), would come “at a time when there is much uncertainty” about what content should be included in a K-12 ethnic studies course.
In a statement, Medina called the veto “a missed opportunity” and “a disservice” to students.
“I am committed to making ethnic studies a reality for all of California’s students and will be re-introducing this legislation next year,” he said.
California is currently in the process of developing a model curriculum for ethnic studies. The process has been fraught with controversy.
An initial draft of the curriculum, released in the summer of 2019, provoked widespread objection, particularly among Jewish groups who argued that it was anti-Semitic, purposely excluded Jews, and promoted the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. Others criticized the curriculum, which included a glossary of discipline-specific terms, like “hxrstory” and “cisheteropatriarchy,” as being too jargon-filled and politically correct.
Officials in July released a new version, which eliminated the glossary altogether, clearly noted anti-Semitism as a form of bigotry and removed mention of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.
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The Instructional Quality Commission under the California Department of Education accepted public comments on the latest version of the curriculum and is expected to forward a draft to the state Board of Education by the end of the year. The board must adopt, modify or revise the curriculum by March 31, 2021.
Under Medina’s bill, taking a course based on the model curriculum would have been one way to satisfy the high school requirement.
At the request of Jewish legislators, the bill added caveats that instruction and materials for a course in ethnic studies “be appropriate for use with pupils of all races, religions, genders, sexual orientations, and diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, pupils with disabilities, and English learners”; “not reflect or promote ... any bias, bigotry or discrimination against any person or group of persons”; and “not teach or promote religious doctrine.”
“I appreciate the amendments the author accepted to ensure that any ethnic studies coursework is free of bias and discrimination,” Newsom wrote in his memo. “I am also pleased that many more schools and districts have recently joined the hundreds of schools across our state that have adopted ethnic studies courses, and we intend to support these schools.”
But, Newsom said, he felt the initial draft of the model curriculum was “insufficiently balanced and inclusive” and that the latest draft “still needs revision.”
Some Jewish groups immediately hailed the decision, with the American Jewish Committee commending Newsom.
“The veto enables the Department of Education to reconsider its ill-conceived plan to produce a divisive program of ethnic studies,” the American Jewish Committee said in a statement. “AJC urges the Superintendent of Education continue efforts to improve the Ethnic Studies Model curriculum before its final adoption.”


latimes--2020-09-30--Newsom vetoes bill to provide rehiring protections for workers laid off amid COVID-19 pandemic

Gov .
Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have provided sweeping new labor protections for workers laid off during the pandemic by requiring hotel , airport and janitorial employers to rehire based on seniority .
Assembly Bill 3216 by Assemblyman Ash Kalra ( D-San Jose ) called for employers in those industries to first rehire workers they laid off during a state of emergency , including in cases in which a new owner takes over a business .
The protections pushed by labor groups targeted businesses , including event centers and building maintenance , that have let go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result of COVID-19 .
Newsom said the bill was too prescriptive and threatened to hurt the already devastated hospitality industry .
“ I recognize the real problem this bill is trying to fix — to ensure that workers who have been laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic have certainty about their rehiring and job security , ” Newsom said in his veto message , adding that the bill would apply to layoffs unrelated to a state of emergency .
“ Tying the bill ’ s provisions to a state of emergency will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different counties at different times , ” Newsom ’ s message said .
Newsom ’ s veto was made public late Wednesday on the final day for the governor to take action on bills passed by the Legislature last month .
His veto message for the labor-backed bill was posted online without the governor ’ s office first announcing it .
“ This feels like a missed chance at a recovery for all , ” Kalra said Wednesday in a statement .
Kalra , Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez ( D-San Diego ) and Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called the bill a “ job saver ” in a letter to Newsom urging the governor to sign the bill .
Republicans and business groups opposed the bill , arguing that the “ right of recall ” provisions — which would require employers to extend offers of employment to laid-off workers — were unworkable and would hamper industries trying to reopen .
The California Chamber of Commerce included AB 3216 on its annual “ job killer ” list highlighting laws corporate interests say will hurt employment and the economy .
The chamber said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stringent process for specific employers to return employees to the workforce , which will delay rehiring and subject employers to litigation for any alleged mistakes.
” The National Federation of Independent Business , which represents small business interests , highlighted AB 3216 as an example of California making it harder for businesses to rebound from the pandemic .
“ Small employers need flexibility to hire or rehire during these terrible times on Main Street , ” said John Kabateck , the California state director at the National Federation of Independent Business , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AB 3216 places far too many rules and requirements on already fragile mom and pops , forcing them to adhere to unreasonable timelines and procedures or face the likelihood of frivolous lawsuits brought upon by scheming plaintiffs attorneys.
” With business interests pushing hard for Newsom to veto the bill , labor groups ramped up their own campaign to see it signed .
Nine labor leaders appointed to the Governor ’ s Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery sent a letter Sept. 13 urging Newsom to sign the bill , saying the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ fair and equitable recovery that will help some of those Californians most hard-hit by the pandemic and economic crisis — Latinos , immigrants and women workers.
” The labor leaders highlighted a story in The Los Angeles Times featuring Raquel Lezama , a minibar attendant laid off in March from the luxury hotel Mr. C Beverly Hills .
Lezama said that after she was laid off , she was told her termination was final and that if the hotel rehired in the future , she would have to reapply and start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thousands of workers share similar stories , wrote the labor leaders , including D. Taylor , president of Unite Here , Art Pulaski of the California Labor Federation , Mary Kay Henry , president of SEIU International and Ron Herrera , president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor .
“ The lack of recall or retention rights gives employers the ability to rehire workers at lower pay rates without any seniority , ” the letter to the governor reads .
“ They can hide discrimination against older workers or workplace activists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past.
” Right to recall protections have been adopted in several California cities , including in Santa Monica , the city and county of Los Angeles , Pasadena , Glendale and Long Beach , Hernandez said .
Santa Monica adopted a right to retention ordinance following the Sept. 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks , which left many too scared to travel “ and resulted in tremendous declines in tourism , ” said Santa Monica City Councilwoman Gleam Davis .
“ We got the same apocalyptic warnings that this will be bad for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economy to come back , ” Davis said .
“ That turned out not to be true .
Our economy came back stronger than ever , but the best thing about it was the workers who helped build the economy in the first place were able to participate in that recovery.
” Walter Almendarez , 43 , of Palmdale said the bill would have ensured he would get his job back and given him a peace of mind that he hasn ’ t felt in months .
Almendarez said he was fired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit in March from Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood , where he worked for 23 years and made $ 15.45 an hour as a bellman at the hotel .
He said beyond the likelihood that he will have to start over at minimum wage , he will also lose the more generous vacation benefits the hotel no longer offers new employees .
The hotel would have been required to rehire workers let go due to the pandemic under local ordinances , Almendarez said , but its owners have since announced that they plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though it will not be fully closed to the public .
AB 3216 applied the rehire protections to private clubs .
“ There are a lot of people who work in the hotel industry who are impacted , ” Almendarez said .
“ I ’ m still struggling with my bills and my mortgage .
Now , there are no jobs anywhere .
”

Courtney Banks, who has worked in events and catering at the Chateau Marmont, writes a message in support of hotel workers who lost their jobs.
Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have provided sweeping new labor protections for workers laid off during the pandemic by requiring hotel, airport and janitorial employers to rehire based on seniority.
Assembly Bill 3216 by Assemblyman Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) called for employers in those industries to first rehire workers they laid off during a state of emergency, including in cases in which a new owner takes over a business. The protections pushed by labor groups targeted businesses, including event centers and building maintenance, that have let go a third of their workforce as a result of COVID-19.
Newsom said the bill was too prescriptive and threatened to hurt the already devastated hospitality industry.
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“I recognize the real problem this bill is trying to fix — to ensure that workers who have been laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic have certainty about their rehiring and job security,” Newsom said in his veto message, adding that the bill would apply to layoffs unrelated to a state of emergency.
“Tying the bill’s provisions to a state of emergency will create a confusing patchwork of requirements in different counties at different times,” Newsom’s message said.
Newsom’s veto was made public late Wednesday on the final day for the governor to take action on bills passed by the Legislature last month. His veto message for the labor-backed bill was posted online without the governor’s office first announcing it.
Kalra called Newsom’s veto “devastating news.”
“This feels like a missed chance at a recovery for all,” Kalra said Wednesday in a statement.
Kalra, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) and Sen. Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles) called the bill a “job saver” in a letter to Newsom urging the governor to sign the bill.
Republicans and business groups opposed the bill, arguing that the “right of recall” provisions — which would require employers to extend offers of employment to laid-off workers — were unworkable and would hamper industries trying to reopen.
The California Chamber of Commerce included AB 3216 on its annual “job killer” list highlighting laws corporate interests say will hurt employment and the economy. The chamber said the bill “imposes an onerous and stringent process for specific employers to return employees to the workforce, which will delay rehiring and subject employers to litigation for any alleged mistakes.”
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The National Federation of Independent Business, which represents small business interests, highlighted AB 3216 as an example of California making it harder for businesses to rebound from the pandemic.
“Small employers need flexibility to hire or rehire during these terrible times on Main Street,” said John Kabateck, the California state director at the National Federation of Independent Business, which has 15,000 members in California. “AB 3216 places far too many rules and requirements on already fragile mom and pops, forcing them to adhere to unreasonable timelines and procedures or face the likelihood of frivolous lawsuits brought upon by scheming plaintiffs attorneys.”
With business interests pushing hard for Newsom to veto the bill, labor groups ramped up their own campaign to see it signed.
Nine labor leaders appointed to the Governor’s Task Force on Business and Jobs Recovery sent a letter Sept. 13 urging Newsom to sign the bill, saying the protections are needed to ensure there is a “fair and equitable recovery that will help some of those Californians most hard-hit by the pandemic and economic crisis — Latinos, immigrants and women workers.”
The labor leaders highlighted a story in The Los Angeles Times featuring Raquel Lezama, a minibar attendant laid off in March from the luxury hotel Mr. C Beverly Hills. Lezama said that after she was laid off, she was told her termination was final and that if the hotel rehired in the future, she would have to reapply and start at minimum wage with no seniority.
Thousands of workers share similar stories, wrote the labor leaders, including D. Taylor, president of Unite Here, Art Pulaski of the California Labor Federation, Mary Kay Henry, president of SEIU International and Ron Herrera, president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.
“The lack of recall or retention rights gives employers the ability to rehire workers at lower pay rates without any seniority,” the letter to the governor reads. “They can hide discrimination against older workers or workplace activists that may have raised issues in the past.”
Right to recall protections have been adopted in several California cities, including in Santa Monica, the city and county of Los Angeles, Pasadena, Glendale and Long Beach, Hernandez said. Santa Monica adopted a right to retention ordinance following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which left many too scared to travel “and resulted in tremendous declines in tourism,” said Santa Monica City Councilwoman Gleam Davis.
“We got the same apocalyptic warnings that this will be bad for business and would hurt the ability of the economy to come back,” Davis said. “That turned out not to be true. Our economy came back stronger than ever, but the best thing about it was the workers who helped build the economy in the first place were able to participate in that recovery.”
Walter Almendarez, 43, of Palmdale said the bill would have ensured he would get his job back and given him a peace of mind that he hasn’t felt in months. Almendarez said he was fired along with his coworkers as the pandemic hit in March from Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood, where he worked for 23 years and made $15.45 an hour as a bellman at the hotel. He said beyond the likelihood that he will have to start over at minimum wage, he will also lose the more generous vacation benefits the hotel no longer offers new employees.
The hotel would have been required to rehire workers let go due to the pandemic under local ordinances, Almendarez said, but its owners have since announced that they plan to reopen as a private club, though it will not be fully closed to the public. AB 3216 applied the rehire protections to private clubs.
“There are a lot of people who work in the hotel industry who are impacted,” Almendarez said. “I’m still struggling with my bills and my mortgage. Now, there are no jobs anywhere.”


latimes--2020-10-02--L.A. area finally has its own 'postcard' bridge — a $1.4-billion landmark in Long Beach

Fog hovers just above the new Gerald Desmond Bridge in Long Beach .
Workers are scattered over a job site cluttered with traffic cones , construction vehicles and a few small cranes , and Duane Kenagy is giving a tour .
Since signing on as executive director for the project in 2014 , Kenagy has grown accustomed to playing docent to an international cast of visiting politicians , students , bureaucrats and media .
Barring delays , the bridge will open Monday , and cars and trucks — by some estimates , 60,000 a day , now rattling across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — will sail over this gleaming new span connecting the 710 Freeway and downtown Long Beach to the nation ’ s busiest port complex .
“ We ’ re in a mad dash to get everything done , ” Kenagy said , even though with just 10 days to go he hardly seems hurried .
But then an engineer like Kenagy doesn ’ t manage a $ 1.47-billion project and coordinate the daily efforts of more 300 union workers over the course of six years without learning how to downplay stress .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feet off the roadway .
He maneuvers beside one of the bridge ’ s 80 white cables that rise to the top of the twin towers .
Up close , they look a little like the lines of a twirling skirt bundled at the waist .
Sponge in hand , he begins wiping the plastic sheathing that protects an intricate bundling of wire , the actual cables , inside .
The solution is to prevent the writing of taggers from staining the surface .
The new Gerald Desmond Bridge is one of three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ completed in Los Angeles County in the last five years .
Like the tallest building , the Wilshire Grand , and the newest sports and entertainment complex , SoFi Stadium , the bridge provides the region with a glimpse of a future beyond its present-day problems : struggles in the streets , a global pandemic , unemployment , homelessness .
Construction is also underway on the $ 2-billion Crenshaw Line , the $ 4.5-billion people mover at LAX , the $ 588-million Sixth Street Bridge downtown .
While the immediate goal may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Summer Olympics , these projects will help define life in Los Angeles for generations .
Kenagy , 67 , who came here in 1989 to work on the elevated roadway above the 110 Freeway and never left , summarizes such ambitions : “ We are an optimistic people living in an optimistic region.
” The bridge was conceived of a month after 9/11 and completed in a pandemic-occasioned recession .
Its 19-year journey from blueprints to opening took it from wind tunnels in China to engineering studios in Germany , from a steel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California .
Semyon Treyger was there from the start when the Port of Long Beach awarded his employer , the engineering firm HNTB , and Parsons Transportation Group the contract in 2001 to come up with a replacement for the existing bridge , which had opened in 1968 and was already obsolete .
Treyger , who was trained as a structural engineer in the Soviet Union and immigrated to the United States in 1979 , began working with Danish bridge architect Poul Ove Jensen to solve a problem .
Container ships — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ larger and unable to access terminals in the port ’ s back bay , except at low tide , because the existing bridge did not have the required clearance .
Before building a structure designed to last 100 years , Treyger and Jensen turned to the Danish Maritime Institute to find out how tall the tallest container ship would likely become .
The answer — 203 feet from the waterline — established the first requirement for their bridge .
They would give it a 205-foot clearance , 50 feet — or six stacked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bridge .
They also wanted to situate the primary supports for the bridge — its two towers — 1,000 feet apart , almost five times greater than the width of the channel below .
If the port wanted to expand that waterway , it could .
With these dimensions , they settled upon building what is known as a cable-stayed bridge , which gave them three advantages .
Unlike a suspension bridge — the Golden Gate , for example — a cable-stayed bridge does not require giant concrete anchors on the ground that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the top of the towers .
The real estate on either side of the towers could be used for other purposes .
The construction of a cable-stayed bridge does not require a temporary structure rising from the ground to support construction of the roadbed .
That would impede traffic under the bridge , and the business of the port needed to continue without interruption .
Lastly , the design would be elegant , “ a postcard bridge , ” Kenagy said .
“ The community had input in this planning , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Residents indicated that they wanted a bridge that would accentuate the skyline of Long Beach.
” The cable-stayed design answered the call , functionally and aesthetically .
Treyger is eager to reveal his bias .
Unlike engineers who design skyscrapers , only to have their calculations and support structures hidden behind a glass or granite façade , bridge engineers put their work on public display , and of all bridges , says Treyger , cable-stayed are the most beautiful .
“ Because they are so light , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look as if they are flying through the air , because the superstructure , what you ride on , is so thin.
” In 2010 , when the Port of Long Beach released an initial environmental report on the bridge , not everyone welcomed the plan .
Speaking to The Times that year , Jesse Marquez of Wilmington , founder of a citizen advocacy group called Coalition for a Safe Environment , opposed the project not just for its cost but also for increasing traffic along an already congested freight corridor .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , when the money should be spent on moving cargo with new technologies that don ’ t add to pollution and emissions , ” he said .
But by then , momentum for the project had gathered .
The shipyards , Navy facility and fishing fleets of Terminal Island were gone , and neglect had claimed the old bridge .
Netting was slung to catch pieces of falling concrete .
On the ground , crews began capping abandoned oil wells , demolishing buildings , rerouting utility lines .
They dug 350 holes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bridge , so deep that they had to be drained of seawater before being filled with rebar and concrete .
In early 2013 , officials convened for the groundbreaking , and nearly three years later , they started on the towers , pouring enough concrete at both bases to bury a tennis court 10 feet deep .
The concerns were earthquake faults to the north and south and the prospect of liquefaction turning Terminal Island into a quagmire and 15,000 tons of new bridge into rubble if the Big One struck .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ swing and sway and , if necessary , break at a few specific points , like a fuse that gives out to save an electrical circuit .
One of these fuses — a special seam in the roadway — will allow up to six feet of movement , up , down and sideways .
Each 515-foot tower is also equipped with an internal pendulum that will counter any unwanted movement in the towers .
In addition , nearly 75 seismic sensors have been placed throughout the structure , allowing scientists to read the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vibrations set off by any temblor , allowing them to pinpoint any damage .
The budget for this had been set for $ 950 million with an opening planned for 2017 .
But the oil fields beneath the bridge and consultants requiring the two towers be redesigned led to the overrun and delay , Kenagy said .
But for bridge engineers , budget and time are small considerations for any structure designed to inspire and impress .
“ They ’ re going to be there for an awfully long time , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2018 TED talk .
“ Nobody is going to remember the cost .
Nobody will remember whether it overran a few months .
But if it ’ s ugly or just dull , it will always be ugly or dull.
” What was planned as an open invitation on Friday to a block party on the bridge deck has been curtailed by the pandemic .
Now a virtual celebration with a fly-over , a boat parade and a procession of antique and zero-emission vehicles will be broadcast on the bridge ’ s website @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Treyger will watch and celebrate the accomplishment , a glass of single malt at his side .

Fog hovers just above the new Gerald Desmond Bridge in Long Beach. Workers are scattered over a job site cluttered with traffic cones, construction vehicles and a few small cranes, and Duane Kenagy is giving a tour.
Since signing on as executive director for the project in 2014, Kenagy has grown accustomed to playing docent to an international cast of visiting politicians, students, bureaucrats and media.
Barring delays, the bridge will open Monday, and cars and trucks — by some estimates, 60,000 a day, now rattling across the old bridge just a few feet away — will sail over this gleaming new span connecting the 710 Freeway and downtown Long Beach to the nation’s busiest port complex.
“We’re in a mad dash to get everything done,” Kenagy said, even though with just 10 days to go he hardly seems hurried.
But then an engineer like Kenagy doesn’t manage a $1.47-billion project and coordinate the daily efforts of more 300 union workers over the course of six years without learning how to downplay stress.
The new Gerald Desmond Bridge towers above the old Gerald Desmond Bridge in Long Beach. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
A worker in an aerial lift rises 30 feet off the roadway. He maneuvers beside one of the bridge’s 80 white cables that rise to the top of the twin towers. Up close, they look a little like the lines of a twirling skirt bundled at the waist.
Advertisement
Sponge in hand, he begins wiping the plastic sheathing that protects an intricate bundling of wire, the actual cables, inside. The solution is to prevent the writing of taggers from staining the surface.
The new Gerald Desmond Bridge is one of three construction projects with a billion-dollar-plus price tag completed in Los Angeles County in the last five years.
Like the tallest building, the Wilshire Grand, and the newest sports and entertainment complex, SoFi Stadium, the bridge provides the region with a glimpse of a future beyond its present-day problems: struggles in the streets, a global pandemic, unemployment, homelessness.
Construction Superintendent Mike Way, in blue helmet, and others finish up work on the new Gerald Desmond Bridge in Long Beach, scheduled to open in early October. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Construction is also underway on the $2-billion Crenshaw Line, the $4.5-billion people mover at LAX, the $588-million Sixth Street Bridge downtown.
While the immediate goal may be to showcase the region during the 2028 Summer Olympics, these projects will help define life in Los Angeles for generations.
Advertisement
Kenagy, 67, who came here in 1989 to work on the elevated roadway above the 110 Freeway and never left, summarizes such ambitions:
“We are an optimistic people living in an optimistic region.”
1 / 12 John Pope of the Port of Long Beach casts a shadow as he walks past a huge pile casing pipe, which will be used to create pylons for the construction of a new bridge from Terminal Island to Long Beach, replacing the Gerald Desmond bridge. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 12 The afternoon shadow of a giant crane runs along the path the new bridge will take, next to the Gerald Desmond bridge, at right. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 12 Dennis Wolcott of the Port of Long Beach makes his way along a rebar tube, which will be used to create pylons for construction of the new Gerald Desmond bridge. The old bridge can been seen at right. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 12 A Port of Long Beach crew member pressure-sprays an old pipe that the team extracted from an abandoned oil well, in preparation for construction. The old oil well pipe has to be removed before they can pour pylons to support the new bridge. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 12 Port of Long Beach crew members move cable into place as they use a giant crane to drill into the earth to retrieve old pipe from an abandoned oil well. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 12 About 23 abandoned oil wells lie in the path of the new Gerald Desmond bridge’s foundations, all of which the crew must remove before construction can move forward. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 12 A giant corkscrew digging machine is being used by Port of Long Beach crew members as they remove pipe from an old oil well in Long Beach. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 12 A giant carrier ship, left, begins to pass under the Gerald Desmond bridge, which runs between Terminal Island and Long Beach. Many ships have trouble navigating beneath the existing bridge. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 12 The Port of Long Beach crew uses this machine’s cutting teeth to bore into the ground to reach the oil wells. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 12 A tractor, lower left, runs along the course of the new Gerald Desmond bridge, between the old bridge and a power plant. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 12 A giant crane swings a hook to pick up metal plating in preparation for constructing the new bridge. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 12 Crew members prepare for the work day’s end after spending the day removing pipe from an abandoned oil well along the path of the new Gerald Desmond bridge. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
The bridge was conceived of a month after 9/11 and completed in a pandemic-occasioned recession. Its 19-year journey from blueprints to opening took it from wind tunnels in China to engineering studios in Germany, from a steel mill in Arizona to union halls in California.
Semyon Treyger was there from the start when the Port of Long Beach awarded his employer, the engineering firm HNTB, and Parsons Transportation Group the contract in 2001 to come up with a replacement for the existing bridge, which had opened in 1968 and was already obsolete.
Advertisement
Treyger, who was trained as a structural engineer in the Soviet Union and immigrated to the United States in 1979, began working with Danish bridge architect Poul Ove Jensen to solve a problem.
Container ships — the behemoths of modern commerce — were getting larger and unable to access terminals in the port’s back bay, except at low tide, because the existing bridge did not have the required clearance.
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia walks on the new Gerald Desmond Bridge on Sept. 24. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Before building a structure designed to last 100 years, Treyger and Jensen turned to the Danish Maritime Institute to find out how tall the tallest container ship would likely become. The answer — 203 feet from the waterline — established the first requirement for their bridge.
They would give it a 205-foot clearance, 50 feet — or six stacked shipping containers — taller than the old bridge.
They also wanted to situate the primary supports for the bridge — its two towers — 1,000 feet apart, almost five times greater than the width of the channel below. If the port wanted to expand that waterway, it could.
Advertisement
With these dimensions, they settled upon building what is known as a cable-stayed bridge, which gave them three advantages.
Unlike a suspension bridge — the Golden Gate, for example — a cable-stayed bridge does not require giant concrete anchors on the ground that support the two main cables slung over the top of the towers. The real estate on either side of the towers could be used for other purposes.
The construction of a cable-stayed bridge does not require a temporary structure rising from the ground to support construction of the roadbed. That would impede traffic under the bridge, and the business of the port needed to continue without interruption.
Lastly, the design would be elegant, “a postcard bridge,” Kenagy said.
“The community had input in this planning,” he said, describing early public forums. “Residents indicated that they wanted a bridge that would accentuate the skyline of Long Beach.”
The cable-stayed design answered the call, functionally and aesthetically.
Treyger is eager to reveal his bias.
Unlike engineers who design skyscrapers, only to have their calculations and support structures hidden behind a glass or granite façade, bridge engineers put their work on public display, and of all bridges, says Treyger, cable-stayed are the most beautiful.
Advertisement
“Because they are so light,” he said. “You look at them, and they look as if they are flying through the air, because the superstructure, what you ride on, is so thin.”
Cable-stayed bridges are the most beautiful, said engineer Semyon Treyger, “because they are so light. You look at them, and they look as if they are flying through the air.” (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
In 2010, when the Port of Long Beach released an initial environmental report on the bridge, not everyone welcomed the plan.
Speaking to The Times that year, Jesse Marquez of Wilmington, founder of a citizen advocacy group called Coalition for a Safe Environment, opposed the project not just for its cost but also for increasing traffic along an already congested freight corridor.
“The public will wind up paying for it, when the money should be spent on moving cargo with new technologies that don’t add to pollution and emissions,” he said.
But by then, momentum for the project had gathered. The shipyards, Navy facility and fishing fleets of Terminal Island were gone, and neglect had claimed the old bridge. Netting was slung to catch pieces of falling concrete.
On the ground, crews began capping abandoned oil wells, demolishing buildings, rerouting utility lines. They dug 350 holes in the ground for the foundation of the bridge, so deep that they had to be drained of seawater before being filled with rebar and concrete.
In early 2013, officials convened for the groundbreaking, and nearly three years later, they started on the towers, pouring enough concrete at both bases to bury a tennis court 10 feet deep.
Advertisement
Laborer Eric Gavin preps a stay cable with an anti-graffiti application while construction finishes up on the new Gerald Desmond Bridge in Long Beach. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
The concerns were earthquake faults to the north and south and the prospect of liquefaction turning Terminal Island into a quagmire and 15,000 tons of new bridge into rubble if the Big One struck.
Instead, the bridge was designed to swing and sway and, if necessary, break at a few specific points, like a fuse that gives out to save an electrical circuit. One of these fuses — a special seam in the roadway — will allow up to six feet of movement, up, down and sideways.
Each 515-foot tower is also equipped with an internal pendulum that will counter any unwanted movement in the towers.
In addition, nearly 75 seismic sensors have been placed throughout the structure, allowing scientists to read the bridge like piano tuners, sensitive to the vibrations set off by any temblor, allowing them to pinpoint any damage.
The budget for this had been set for $950 million with an opening planned for 2017.
Advertisement
But the oil fields beneath the bridge and consultants requiring the two towers be redesigned led to the overrun and delay, Kenagy said.
But for bridge engineers, budget and time are small considerations for any structure designed to inspire and impress.
“They’re going to be there for an awfully long time,” said bridge designer Ian Firth in a 2018 TED talk. “Nobody is going to remember the cost. Nobody will remember whether it overran a few months. But if it’s ugly or just dull, it will always be ugly or dull.”
::
What was planned as an open invitation on Friday to a block party on the bridge deck has been curtailed by the pandemic. Now a virtual celebration with a fly-over, a boat parade and a procession of antique and zero-emission vehicles will be broadcast on the bridge’s website.
From his home in Seattle, Treyger will watch and celebrate the accomplishment, a glass of single malt at his side.