latimes--2020-02-16--Controversial Del Mar gun show approved for March

The board that oversees the Del Mar Fairgrounds has approved the return of the Crossroads of the West Gun Show in March , despite new concerns raised by firearms safety advocates .
NeverAgainCA founders Ira and Rose Ann Sharp of Del Mar told the fair board at its meeting last week that an increasing number of sales at the show are “ ghost gun ” kits that can be purchased and taken home the same day .
The kits are not considered firearms for legal purposes because they are incomplete and require assembly , so most California firearms laws don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the weapons don ’ t have a serial number , which can be used to track sales .
“ Crossroads sells Saturday night specials on steroids , ” Ira Sharp told the board , and he asked the board not to renew the Crossroads contract .
However , the board approved the show without comment along with dozens of other events planned for March at the Del Mar Fairgrounds .
Crossroads President Tracy Olcott defended sales of the kits in a phone call Thursday .
“ They are 100 % legal to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ If you are into firearms , the kits are fun to assemble .
It ’ s a craft , a project.
” Assembling the kits usually requires some drilling and machining of plastic or metal , so there ’ s a certain level of skill involved , and sometimes the weapons can be customized by the builder .
Sales of the so-called ghost guns are increasing because they are less regulated than regular firearms , Olcott said .
California has a mandatory background check and 10-day waiting period to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those rules don ’ t apply to the kits .
Modern technology has contributed to the proliferation of ghost guns , which also can be made with 3-D printers .
“ These guns pose a grave threat to public safety , and people who are legally prohibited from owning firearms are able to create them without consequences in most states , ” according to information posted by the San Francisco-based Giffords Law Center on its website .
A California law passed in 2016 and effective in 2018 requires the owner of a self-assembled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the state Department of Justice and affix the number to the weapon on a piece of metal large enough to be detected by a metal detector .
The number and the owner ’ s identity must be reported to the Department of Justice as soon as the gun is assembled .
A 16-year-old boy used a .45-caliber pistol made from a kit in a Nov. 14 shooting that killed two classmates and injured three others before killing himself at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita , north of Los Angeles .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s father .
Sharp displayed for the fair board a handgun , similar to a Glock 9mm , that a NeverAgainCA shopper bought for $ 400 cash and took home the same day at a recent Crossroads show elsewhere in Southern California .
The gun is mostly plastic , with two halves that can be screwed together , a metal barrel and a few other small metal parts .
Cash purchases make sales more difficult to trace and can lead to tax violations , the Sharps said .
Also , the vendor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sale .
They declined to reveal the name of the shopper , who they said has visited a number of Crossroads shows and prefers to remain anonymous .
The Sharps also presented to the fair board court documents to show that one of the Crossroads vendors , Shawn Nealon , pleaded guilty in 2010 to federal firearms violations and that as a result Nealon is not allowed to sell firearms .
He was fined $ 10,000 plus a $ 100 assessment for selling four rifles to an out-of-state resident .
Nealon continues to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not sell firearms , Olcott said .
His company , the Tactical Medic , sells a variety of first aid and trauma kits , medical supplies , flashlights and survival gear .
“ He ’ s just a dude trying to make a living , ” Olcott said .
Cash purchases are acceptable at the gun shows , as they would be almost anywhere else , but the buyer should get a receipt , she added .
Crossroads has about 200 vendors at the Del Mar show and about 10 % of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the vendors have returned for many years , but every show includes a few new ones .
NeverAgainCA formed after the mass shooting that killed 17 people two years ago at a Parkland , Fla. , high school .
The group has consistently pushed for gun safety and to end the sales of firearms and ammunition at the Del Mar Fairgrounds and other state-owned properties .
Activities at the state-owned fairgrounds are overseen by the 22nd District Agricultural Assn .
and its board of nine members appointed by the governor .
Crossroads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fairgrounds five weekends annually for more than 30 years .
The company has been in business 44 years and holds dozens of shows annually in four Western states .
The fair board voted in September 2018 to suspend the shows in 2019 until a policy could be written to end the sales of guns and ammunition at the fairgrounds , which would essentially ban the shows there .
However , Crossroads and its family-run owner B & L Productions sued , and a federal judge issued an injunction that orders the shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meanwhile , state legislation by Assemblyman Todd Gloria ( D-San Diego ) was passed to ban firearm sales at the fairgrounds beginning in 2021 .

People line up to enter a Crossroads West Gun Show in 2018 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
The board that oversees the Del Mar Fairgrounds has approved the return of the Crossroads of the West Gun Show in March, despite new concerns raised by firearms safety advocates.
NeverAgainCA founders Ira and Rose Ann Sharp of Del Mar told the fair board at its meeting last week that an increasing number of sales at the show are “ghost gun” kits that can be purchased and taken home the same day.
The kits are not considered firearms for legal purposes because they are incomplete and require assembly, so most California firearms laws don’t apply to them. Also, the weapons don’t have a serial number, which can be used to track sales.
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“Crossroads sells Saturday night specials on steroids,” Ira Sharp told the board, and he asked the board not to renew the Crossroads contract. However, the board approved the show without comment along with dozens of other events planned for March at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
Crossroads President Tracy Olcott defended sales of the kits in a phone call Thursday.
“They are 100% legal to buy and to own,” she said. “If you are into firearms, the kits are fun to assemble. It’s a craft, a project.”
Assembling the kits usually requires some drilling and machining of plastic or metal, so there’s a certain level of skill involved, and sometimes the weapons can be customized by the builder.
Sales of the so-called ghost guns are increasing because they are less regulated than regular firearms, Olcott said. California has a mandatory background check and 10-day waiting period to take home a newly purchased firearm, but those rules don’t apply to the kits.
Modern technology has contributed to the proliferation of ghost guns, which also can be made with 3-D printers.
Advertisement
“These guns pose a grave threat to public safety, and people who are legally prohibited from owning firearms are able to create them without consequences in most states,” according to information posted by the San Francisco-based Giffords Law Center on its website.
A California law passed in 2016 and effective in 2018 requires the owner of a self-assembled firearm to obtain a unique serial number from the state Department of Justice and affix the number to the weapon on a piece of metal large enough to be detected by a metal detector. The number and the owner’s identity must be reported to the Department of Justice as soon as the gun is assembled.
A 16-year-old boy used a .45-caliber pistol made from a kit in a Nov. 14 shooting that killed two classmates and injured three others before killing himself at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, north of Los Angeles. The gun may have belonged to the boy’s father.
Sharp displayed for the fair board a handgun, similar to a Glock 9mm, that a NeverAgainCA shopper bought for $400 cash and took home the same day at a recent Crossroads show elsewhere in Southern California. The gun is mostly plastic, with two halves that can be screwed together, a metal barrel and a few other small metal parts.
Cash purchases make sales more difficult to trace and can lead to tax violations, the Sharps said. Also, the vendor declined to provide a receipt for the sale.
They declined to reveal the name of the shopper, who they said has visited a number of Crossroads shows and prefers to remain anonymous.
The Sharps also presented to the fair board court documents to show that one of the Crossroads vendors, Shawn Nealon, pleaded guilty in 2010 to federal firearms violations and that as a result Nealon is not allowed to sell firearms. He was fined $10,000 plus a $100 assessment for selling four rifles to an out-of-state resident.
Nealon continues to work at Crossroads shows, but does not sell firearms, Olcott said. His company, the Tactical Medic, sells a variety of first aid and trauma kits, medical supplies, flashlights and survival gear.
“He’s just a dude trying to make a living,” Olcott said.
Cash purchases are acceptable at the gun shows, as they would be almost anywhere else, but the buyer should get a receipt, she added.
Crossroads has about 200 vendors at the Del Mar show and about 10% of them sell firearms, Olcott said. Some of the vendors have returned for many years, but every show includes a few new ones.
NeverAgainCA formed after the mass shooting that killed 17 people two years ago at a Parkland, Fla., high school. The group has consistently pushed for gun safety and to end the sales of firearms and ammunition at the Del Mar Fairgrounds and other state-owned properties.
Activities at the state-owned fairgrounds are overseen by the 22nd District Agricultural Assn. and its board of nine members appointed by the governor.
Crossroads has held the weekend firearms festivals at the fairgrounds five weekends annually for more than 30 years. The company has been in business 44 years and holds dozens of shows annually in four Western states.
The fair board voted in September 2018 to suspend the shows in 2019 until a policy could be written to end the sales of guns and ammunition at the fairgrounds, which would essentially ban the shows there. However, Crossroads and its family-run owner B&L Productions sued, and a federal judge issued an injunction that orders the shows be allowed to resume last fall.
Meanwhile, state legislation by Assemblyman Todd Gloria (D-San Diego) was passed to ban firearm sales at the fairgrounds beginning in 2021.
Diehl writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.


latimes--2020-02-16--Coronavirus cruise ship passengers head to California military base for quarantine

American passengers evacuated from a cruise ship in which 355 people have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus were expected to be flown on a chartered flight to a California military base on Sunday .
The State Department chartered flights to transport U.S. citizens from the Diamond Princess , which has been docked off Yokohama since Feb. 3 , to Travis Air Force Base in Solano County , officials announced Saturday .
There are about 400 U.S. citizens aboard the ship , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said , but it ’ s not yet known whether all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The flights were expected to arrive in Japan on Sunday to pick up the passengers before departing for California .
Some of them will stay at Travis Air Force Base , joining the 234 people already quarantined there after arriving on previous evacuation flights that landed Feb. 5 and Feb. 7 , officials said .
Other passengers will continue to Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas , the CDC said in a news release .
The Diamond Princess set sail Jan. 20 and was placed under quarantine by Japanese officials on Feb. 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ship in Hong Kong tested positive for the coronavirus .
That quarantine was set to continue through Feb. 19 .
But cruise ship evacuees who arrive at both of the U.S. military bases will be required to undergo a second 14-day quarantine overseen by the CDC , officials said .
They will be screened for symptoms before leaving the ship and before boarding the flights .
No passengers showing symptoms will be permitted to board the flights , the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo said .
They ’ ll also be screened upon arrival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ separately from the people already undergoing quarantine at the bases , officials said .
“ We understand this is frustrating and an adjustment , but these measures are consistent with the careful policies we have instituted to limit the potential spread of the disease , ” the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo said in a letter sent to cruise ship passengers Saturday .
So far , no positive coronavirus results have been reported among those quarantined at Travis ; one case has been reported among those quarantined at Lackland .
The virus has killed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 71,000 since it was discovered in Wuhan , China , in late December .
Travis is one of three military bases in California that the Defense Department has designated as a site to house returning coronavirus evacuees .
The others are Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego County , where 232 people are currently quarantined , and March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County .
About 195 people were permitted to leave from there on Tuesday after finishing a 14-day quarantine , but two other people who arrived later were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least Sunday .
The move to transport the American cruise ship passengers came as the number of coronavirus cases aboard the Diamond Princess continued to grow over the weekend , with 67 new diagnoses on Saturday , and the U.S. government issued a recommendation that all American passengers and crew members leave .
“ We are deeply grateful to the cruise line and government of Japan for working diligently to contain and control the spread of the illness , ” the letter from the U.S. Embassy said .
“ However , to fulfill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens under our rules and practices , as well as to reduce the burden on the Japanese healthcare system , the U.S. government recommends , out of an abundance of caution , that U.S. citizens disembark and return to the United States for further monitoring.
” The 3,700 passengers and crew members aboard the Diamond Princess include two Santa Clarita residents , Carl Goldman and his wife , Jeri Seratti-Goldman .
The couple own the radio station KHTS and have been documenting their experiences in a diary on the station ’ s website @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lighthearted , but on Saturday , Carl Goldman wrote that one of their traveling companions had been diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus .
The woman , Jerri Jorgenson , and her husband , Mark , were confined to the cabin adjoining the Goldmans ’ , and the two couples had unlocked a partition separating their balconies so they could move freely back and forth between the units during the quarantine , Carl Goldman wrote .
“ Last night , after watching a movie , all four of us took our temperatures .
Jerri @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ In the morning , she still had a fever .
As Mark and Jerri were getting ready to call the ship ’ s hospital , Japanese health officials knocked on their door .
They were dressed in hazmat suits.
” He said that they handed Mark Jorgenson a letter saying that his wife had tested positive for the virus and said she had one hour to pack a small bag .
She was taken by ambulance to a hospital about four hours away in Fukushima , where her husband was not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Goldman , his wife and Mark Jorgenson plan to fly back to the U.S. on one of the evacuation flights and undergo a second quarantine at one of the military bases , Goldman wrote .
“ We are unclear what tomorrow will bring , ” he wrote .
“ We are shaken and devastated that we have been removed from our friend.
” Health officials say that the COVID-19 virus continues to pose a low risk to the general American public .
Just 15 cases have been diagnosed in the U.S. : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and one each in Arizona , Massachusetts , Texas , Washington and Wisconsin .
All of the patients had either recently traveled to mainland China or , in two cases , had close contact with someone who did .
At least three of the cases were among people who had recently arrived on an evacuation flight from Wuhan .

U.S. officials said early Monday that 14 Americans evacuated from the Diamond Princess in Japan had contracted the new coronavirus.
U.S. officials said early Monday that 14 American passengers evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan had tested positive for the new coronavirus, but were allowed on flights to military bases in California and Texas.
The State Department chartered the flights to transport more than 300 U.S. citizens from the ship, which had been docked off Yokohama since Feb. 3. The passengers landed Monday at Travis Air Force Base in Solano County, although some will continue on to Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. All will face a 14-day quarantine on the bases.
The 14 infected passengers had been tested two to three days before the evacuation but officials received notice of the positive results after they had left the ship for the airport, the U.S. Departments of State and Health and Human Services said in a joint statement.
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The passengers did not display symptoms, the statement added. They were isolated in a specialized containment area on the aircraft. All passengers were to be closely monitored by medical personnel during the flights and moved to the containment area if they showed symptoms, officials said.
Those who stay at Travis Air Force Base will be housed separately from the 234 people already quarantined there after arriving on previous evacuation flights that landed Feb. 5 and Feb. 7, officials said.
California Amid coronavirus threat, study abroad programs in China canceled Students, faculty and program staff across the U.S. have scrambled to find study alternatives at the last minute amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The Diamond Princess set sail Jan. 20 and was placed under quarantine by Japanese officials on Feb. 5 after a passenger who departed the cruise ship in Hong Kong tested positive for the coronavirus.
“We understand this is frustrating and an adjustment, but these measures are consistent with the careful policies we have instituted to limit the potential spread of the disease,” the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo said in a letter sent to cruise ship passengers Saturday.
So far, no positive coronavirus results have been reported among those quarantined earlier at Travis; one case has been reported among those quarantined at Lackland. The virus has killed more than 1,800 people and infected more than 73,000 since it was discovered in Wuhan, China, in late December.
Travis is one of three military bases in California that the Defense Department has designated as a site to house returning coronavirus evacuees. The others are Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego County, where 232 people are currently quarantined, and March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County. About 195 people were permitted to leave from there on Tuesday after completing a 14-day quarantine.
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The move to transport the American cruise ship passengers came as the number of coronavirus cases aboard the Diamond Princess continued to grow over the weekend, with 67 new diagnoses on Saturday, and the U.S. government issued a recommendation that all American passengers and crew members leave.
“We are deeply grateful to the cruise line and government of Japan for working diligently to contain and control the spread of the illness,” the letter from the U.S. Embassy said. “However, to fulfill our government’s responsibilities to U.S. citizens under our rules and practices, as well as to reduce the burden on the Japanese healthcare system, the U.S. government recommends, out of an abundance of caution, that U.S. citizens disembark and return to the United States for further monitoring.”
The 3,700 passengers and crew members aboard the Diamond Princess include two Santa Clarita residents, Carl Goldman and his wife, Jeri Seratti Goldman. The couple own the radio station KHTS and have been documenting their experiences in a diary on the station’s website.
Many of the posts have been lighthearted, but on Saturday, Carl Goldman wrote that one of their traveling companions had been diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus.
“It’s a sad day aboard the Diamond Princess,” he wrote. “No joking today.”
The woman, Jerri Jorgenson, and her husband, Mark, were confined to the cabin adjoining the Goldmans’, and the two couples had unlocked a partition separating their balconies so they could move freely back and forth between the units during the quarantine, Carl Goldman wrote.
“Last night, after watching a movie, all four of us took our temperatures. Jerri had a fever,” he wrote. “In the morning, she still had a fever. As Mark and Jerri were getting ready to call the ship’s hospital, Japanese health officials knocked on their door. They were dressed in hazmat suits.”
He said that they handed Mark Jorgenson a letter saying that his wife had tested positive for the virus and said she had one hour to pack a small bag. She was taken by ambulance to a hospital about four hours away in Fukushima, where her husband was not permitted to join her, Goldman wrote.
Goldman, his wife and Mark Jorgenson were planning to fly back to the U.S. on one of the evacuation flights and undergo a second quarantine at one of the military bases, Goldman wrote.
“We are unclear what tomorrow will bring,” he wrote. “We are shaken and devastated that we have been removed from our friend.”
Health officials say that the COVID-19 virus continues to pose a low risk to the general American public. Just 15 cases had been diagnosed in the U.S.: eight in California, two in Illinois, and one each in Arizona, Massachusetts, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. All of the patients had either recently traveled to mainland China or, in two cases, had close contact with someone who did. At least three of the cases were among people who had recently arrived on an evacuation flight from Wuhan.


latimes--2020-02-16--Should cars be banned on Broadway in downtown L.A.?

Banning cars from downtown streets is beginning to catch on in major U.S. cities , with New York and San Francisco moving to free up space for transit vehicles , pedestrians and cyclists .
But the trend hasn ’ t come to Los Angeles — yet .
A proposal introduced by Los Angeles Councilman Jose Huizar could change that .
The councilman asked city officials last week to study the feasibility of a ban on driving and parking along a 1.5-mile stretch of Broadway between 1st and 12th streets .
Broadway is “ an ideal street to go car-free , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and expanded space for pedestrians have already begun to transform the iconic corridor .
Eliminating private cars could make the street safer and more efficient for a streetcar that the city plans to build , officials said .
If approved , the ban would be the biggest transportation change along Broadway since the region ’ s streetcars were ripped out after World War II and the Metro subway opened in 1993 .
Broadway would be the first major street in Los Angeles to go car free .
Last month , Councilman Mitch O @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dramatic overhaul of Hollywood Boulevard along the Walk of Fame that could include far less space for private cars .
Business owners , residents and tourists along Broadway said the proposal intrigued them but was short on details .
To succeed , they said , the car ban would need buy-in from residents , theater operators , hotels , restaurateurs and small businesses trying to hang on as rents rise .
“ Some ideas are great and can still have unintended consequences , ” said Blair Besten , the executive director of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said she was intrigued by the proposal .
“ We will need to reflect on how it will impact a major urban center.
” The study will include an analysis of how the city could ensure access to residential parking garages and commercial loading zones for bars , restaurants and retail stores .
Numbered cross streets would not be closed to traffic at Broadway , so cars , trucks and other vehicles could still cross Broadway at intersections with traffic signals , Huizar ’ s motion said .
Fire trucks , police cars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It will take time to collect feedback from city departments and from the community , so “ it is premature at this point to offer a specific timetable , what the final recommendations will be or what is expected to be the final cost , ” Huizar spokeswoman Laura McKinney said in an email .
Huizar , first elected to the City Council in 2005 , must step down in November because of term limits .
He hopes that his successor “ will take up the baton after his term ends , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of pre-World War II Los Angeles , and later became the region ’ s premier shopping destination for Latino families before falling into disrepair at the end of the 20th century .
If the changes were approved , city planners face the challenge of redesigning a street long oriented toward the automobile , while still retaining the energy that families remember , said James Rojas , an urban planner who worked at the May Co. department store on Broadway in high school .
“ Broadway is part of the cultural DNA for people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Rojas said .
“ You have to find a way to make this major change and still keep the vibrancy , the interest , the activity.
” Some workers spilling out into the sunshine for their lunch hour said they feared that a car ban on Broadway , one of downtown ’ s few two-way streets , could send traffic spilling onto parallel routes , like Main and Spring streets .
Car lanes there have been reduced to make space for protected bike lanes .
“ Traffic is already really bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he and two other construction workers split a tray of sopes at a sidewalk table near the Orpheum Theatre .
The changes could be nice for tourists , he said , but many workers who need trucks and tools “ can ’ t just stop driving.
” Broadway is one of the busiest downtown streets for pedestrians , which means good business at lunchtime , said Cristy Alvarez .
The food truck operator did a brisk business selling hot dogs , Fritos and soda to office workers and sweaty tourists near the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ watched with alarm as mom-and-pop businesses at the Grand Central Market closed down .
Many were replaced by their pricier , hipster counterparts : Cold-pressed juice instead of aguas frescas ; hand-scooped $ 1 ice cream edged out by a Santa Barbara creamery .
Perhaps , she said , the city could carve out space for a few loncheras in the pedestrian-only zone .
Food trucks , she said , are “ here to make food , not traffic.
” Outside the Grand Central Market , tourist Anna Roy said Denver has seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ success .
The 16th Street Mall , which allows buses and pedestrians , has streets and sidewalks designed by I. M. Pei and has been closed to car traffic since 1982 .
Roy and her boyfriend had taken a “ very hairy ” scooter ride from their Airbnb in South Park that morning , unsure whether the sidewalk or the street was safer , she said .
“ It would be a lot more relaxing if cars weren ’ t part of the equation , ” said Roy , 32 , as she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the breakfast restaurant Eggslut .
And , she said , as drivers honked in the background , it would be quieter .
On a sell-out night at the historic Orpheum a decade ago , the parking lots nearby would be full , said Steve Needleman of Anjac Fashion Buildings , a real estate firm that owns the theater , as well as office space , residential buildings and parking lots downtown .
Today , at least half of the audience arrives by Uber , Lyft or subway , Needleman said .
That change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of people walking and shopping at night , opened his mind to the idea of closing Broadway to cars after years of being “ adamantly against it , ” he said .
The plan has downsides , Needleman said , including the possibility of parking lot operators losing business .
“ But looking at what is best for Broadway , we have to give it a shot , ” he said .
Needleman is also the chairman of Los Angeles Streetcar Inc. , the nonprofit that plans to build a trolley line between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Earlier plans for the streetcar did not include a separate lane , meaning the vehicles would have been at the mercy of traffic congestion , accidents and idling vehicles .
The average estimated speed was 6 mph .
Without private cars , the line would operate more efficiently , Needleman said .
The streetcar is slated to receive $ 200 million through the sales tax Measure M in 2053 .
The city “ is in discussions with Metro to expedite this funding , ” McKinney said , and Needleman said Los Angeles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a federal grant to build the project more quickly .

Councilman Jose Huizar has asked the city to study a ban on private cars along Broadway between 1st and 12th streets in downtown L.A.
Banning cars from downtown streets is beginning to catch on in major U.S. cities, with New York and San Francisco moving to free up space for transit vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.
But the trend hasn’t come to Los Angeles — yet.
A proposal introduced by Los Angeles Councilman Jose Huizar could change that. The councilman asked city officials last week to study the feasibility of a ban on driving and parking along a 1.5-mile stretch of Broadway between 1st and 12th streets.
Broadway is “an ideal street to go car-free,” Huizar said, because narrower roadways and expanded space for pedestrians have already begun to transform the iconic corridor. Eliminating private cars could make the street safer and more efficient for a streetcar that the city plans to build, officials said.
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If approved, the ban would be the biggest transportation change along Broadway since the region’s streetcars were ripped out after World War II and the Metro subway opened in 1993.
Broadway would be the first major street in Los Angeles to go car free. Last month, Councilman Mitch O’Farrell’s office proposed a dramatic overhaul of Hollywood Boulevard along the Walk of Fame that could include far less space for private cars.
Business owners, residents and tourists along Broadway said the proposal intrigued them but was short on details. To succeed, they said, the car ban would need buy-in from residents, theater operators, hotels, restaurateurs and small businesses trying to hang on as rents rise.
“Some ideas are great and can still have unintended consequences,” said Blair Besten, the executive director of the Historic Core business improvement district, who said she was intrigued by the proposal. “We will need to reflect on how it will impact a major urban center.”
The study will include an analysis of how the city could ensure access to residential parking garages and commercial loading zones for bars, restaurants and retail stores.
Numbered cross streets would not be closed to traffic at Broadway, so cars, trucks and other vehicles could still cross Broadway at intersections with traffic signals, Huizar’s motion said. Fire trucks, police cars and buses would still be allowed.
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It will take time to collect feedback from city departments and from the community, so “it is premature at this point to offer a specific timetable, what the final recommendations will be or what is expected to be the final cost,” Huizar spokeswoman Laura McKinney said in an email.
Huizar, first elected to the City Council in 2005, must step down in November because of term limits. He hopes that his successor “will take up the baton after his term ends,” McKinney said.
Broadway was the heart of pre-World War II Los Angeles, and later became the region’s premier shopping destination for Latino families before falling into disrepair at the end of the 20th century.
If the changes were approved, city planners face the challenge of redesigning a street long oriented toward the automobile, while still retaining the energy that families remember, said James Rojas, an urban planner who worked at the May Co. department store on Broadway in high school.
“Broadway is part of the cultural DNA for people whose families have been here for generations,” Rojas said. “You have to find a way to make this major change and still keep the vibrancy, the interest, the activity.”
Some workers spilling out into the sunshine for their lunch hour said they feared that a car ban on Broadway, one of downtown’s few two-way streets, could send traffic spilling onto parallel routes, like Main and Spring streets. Car lanes there have been reduced to make space for protected bike lanes.
“Traffic is already really bad,” said Jorge Rivera of Montebello as he and two other construction workers split a tray of sopes at a sidewalk table near the Orpheum Theatre. The changes could be nice for tourists, he said, but many workers who need trucks and tools “can’t just stop driving.”
Broadway is one of the busiest downtown streets for pedestrians, which means good business at lunchtime, said Cristy Alvarez. The food truck operator did a brisk business selling hot dogs, Fritos and soda to office workers and sweaty tourists near the Globe Theatre.
Alvarez said she had watched with alarm as mom-and-pop businesses at the Grand Central Market closed down. Many were replaced by their pricier, hipster counterparts: Cold-pressed juice instead of aguas frescas; hand-scooped $1 ice cream edged out by a Santa Barbara creamery.
Perhaps, she said, the city could carve out space for a few loncheras in the pedestrian-only zone. Food trucks, she said, are “here to make food, not traffic.”
Outside the Grand Central Market, tourist Anna Roy said Denver has seen that a pedestrianized street can be a success. The 16th Street Mall, which allows buses and pedestrians, has streets and sidewalks designed by I. M. Pei and has been closed to car traffic since 1982.
Roy and her boyfriend had taken a “very hairy” scooter ride from their Airbnb in South Park that morning, unsure whether the sidewalk or the street was safer, she said.
“It would be a lot more relaxing if cars weren’t part of the equation,” said Roy, 32, as she ate a coddled egg on toast from the breakfast restaurant Eggslut. And, she said, as drivers honked in the background, it would be quieter.
On a sell-out night at the historic Orpheum a decade ago, the parking lots nearby would be full, said Steve Needleman of Anjac Fashion Buildings, a real estate firm that owns the theater, as well as office space, residential buildings and parking lots downtown.
Today, at least half of the audience arrives by Uber, Lyft or subway, Needleman said. That change in consumer habits, plus the surge of people walking and shopping at night, opened his mind to the idea of closing Broadway to cars after years of being “adamantly against it,” he said.
The plan has downsides, Needleman said, including the possibility of parking lot operators losing business. “But looking at what is best for Broadway, we have to give it a shot,” he said.
Needleman is also the chairman of Los Angeles Streetcar Inc., the nonprofit that plans to build a trolley line between the Civic Center and the Staples Center.
Earlier plans for the streetcar did not include a separate lane, meaning the vehicles would have been at the mercy of traffic congestion, accidents and idling vehicles. The average estimated speed was 6 mph. Without private cars, the line would operate more efficiently, Needleman said.
The streetcar is slated to receive $200 million through the sales tax Measure M in 2053. The city “is in discussions with Metro to expedite this funding,” McKinney said, and Needleman said Los Angeles Streetcar Inc. is pursuing a private partnership and a federal grant to build the project more quickly.


latimes--2020-02-16--Finding patients where they live: Street medicine grows, along with homeless population

The white van navigated streets lined by tents in downtown Los Angeles .
From the back seat , Brett Feldman peered at the encampment ’ s residents scattered along the sidewalk .
Feldman is a physician ’ s assistant here to treat someone who is sick .
But before he can administer tests or medicines , he must perform a far more unusual task among medical providers : finding the patient .
The four-person medical team Feldman leads offers care to some of the sickest people in L.A. by meeting them where they live , on the street .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appointments , find transportation to the clinic , pick up prescriptions or pay for their treatment — barriers that make homeless people much sicker and more likely to die young than others .
Feldman spotted his patient , Tracy , curled up in a wheelchair on the sidewalk .
The team emerged from the van wearing backpacks bulging with medicines and ointments .
A nurse gingerly unwrapped a bandage on Tracy ’ s ring finger .
The white gauze had darkened from dust .
Tracy grimaced .
For years she wore a metal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cloth , her skin had become so eroded that there was none left where the ring once rested .
A strip of white bone bisected her finger .
Just trying to survive on the street can cause people to neglect serious health conditions such as HIV and heart and lung problems .
Other issues that start out small , like Tracy ’ s finger , can become dangerous or even life-threatening because of the rough living conditions .
Feldman told Tracy that the wound wasn ’ t healing with medicines alone because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go to the hospital , possibly to get a skin graft , he said .
“ I ’ m so tired , ” she said , resistant .
“ When you get to the hospital , you ’ ll be able to sleep safely , ” Feldman said .
“ I know what you go through out here.
” Tracy agreed .
He called an Uber to take her in for treatment .
Funded by USC , Feldman ’ s team is one of several providing medical care on the street for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There are about 59,000 people in the county living in streets , shelters or vehicles .
These so-called street medicine teams are multiplying nationwide as well , with more than 90 across the country and some doctors weighing whether the practice should be taught in medical schools .
The shift acknowledges not just the humanity of homeless people but also a nationwide failure to house them and provide healthcare to everyone who needs it .
Each weekday morning at 8 , the USC team heads out in its van , the trunk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and socks .
Feldman first identifies patients by connecting with homeless people already admitted to USC ’ s county hospital .
After the patients are discharged , the team follows up with them wherever they live , a twist on a doctor house call .
Often these patients will point them to other people nearby who are even more ill. “ We get referrals from one bridge to the next , ” Feldman said .
In total , the team has more than 70 patients that they visit regularly , sometimes multiple times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tracy ’ s wheelchair and cleaned cuts on her feet .
This “ servant ’ s position , ” which requires him to gaze up at her , makes the team members less intimidating , he said .
Patients are often suspicious of the team at first .
Living on the street has accustomed them to everything .
including people averting their gazes when they walk by and frequent threats of theft or violence .
Feldman approaches patients cautiously , as though they may spook , and smiles gently .
The Uber arrived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but she would not get in .
Feldman warned her that if she didn ’ t receive treatment for her finger , it could require amputation .
She still refused .
Feldman told the Uber driver to leave without her .
The team climbed back in the van .
Though disappointed , Feldman accepted Tracy ’ s reluctance as normal .
Many homeless people are distrustful of the medical system , and healing that relationship takes time , he said .
When you ask people why they ’ re homeless , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hear is lack of affordable housing , gentrification , minimum wage.
” “ The cause is emotional poverty , spiritual poverty , ” he said .
“ They feel discarded by society.
” Feldman , 38 , has a long history providing medical care to the homeless .
Before launching this program last year , he treated patients in shelters and on the street in and around Allentown , Penn.
, where he lived , for more than a decade .
Now vice president of the Street Medicine Institute , he has helped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ globe .
He was drawn to L.A. because of the need , he said .
The region has an unusually high proportion of people living on the streets each night .
In New York City , due to the availability of shelters , only 4 % of the homeless population lives on the street , compared with 75 % in L.A. County .
Since homeless tend to access health services through shelters , L.A. 's homeless are likely obtain much less medical care , he said .
“ Our vision is that all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Feldman said .
The scenes that Feldman and other providers witness on the street are heart-wrenching : people drinking water dribbling from fire hydrants .
Children returning from school to the tents where they sleep .
Patients developing frostbite .
Joseph Becerra , 47 , was homeless for 15 years in L.A.. Now he works as the USC team ’ s community health worker , guiding the others through the world he once inhabited .
Becerra said that even if someone becomes homeless because they lost their job or couldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ street then pushes them to steal to survive , turn to drugs to numb and stay awake all night to guard their belongings .
Sleeplessness combined with scarce water and food can disconnect people from reality and make it harder to escape poverty , he said .
Becerra drives the team ’ s van and keeps track of patients ’ whereabouts by learning what stores they frequent , who their friends are and where they go when their streets are cleared by city workers .
He judges whether an encampment is safe to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responding to the team when they are there .
Street medicine teams in other cities make the rounds at night , but Becerra insists they work in the mornings .
“ We ’ ve had weapons pulled on us , ” Becerra said .
“ It ’ s just the nature of the beast.
” A few days after visiting Tracy , Becerra parked the van next to a tent under a freeway overpass about a mile from skid row .
Their patient , Dianna Hill , pushed her wheelchair to a patch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team encircled her .
“ My brain ain ’ t working right now , ” said Hill , 61 .
“ It was so cold — I couldn ’ t sleep.
” When Hill became the team ’ s patient two months prior , her blood pressure was high , Feldman said .
Since hypertension has no symptoms , getting patients to pay attention to that number can signal a mindset shift , he said .
“ The only reason you would care about it is if you care about your future , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blood pressure cuff around Hill ’ s arm .
She cracked a joke about her boyfriend keeping her warm the previous night during chilly Santa Ana winds .
She thanked Becerra for a new pair of socks , winking at him and kicking her knee-highs into the air .
Her blood pressure reading was normal , Feldman told her .
Hill pumped her fists , beaming .
Half an hour later , the team arrived at an empty lot next to a freeway on-ramp in central L.A. littered with grocery carts and piles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alfred Mills , 62 , wore a sheepish grin and a purple beanie stretched over his white curly hair as the team approached him .
Mills had lived here for years , in a narrow space between two chain link fences .
He was born in Compton and became estranged from his family over the past decade .
For seven years in his youth he worked as a bodyguard for the singer Little Richard , he said .
Late last year , the team ’ s nurse , Gabrielle Johnson , helped Mills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them via Facebook and arranged for them to video chat .
This morning , Johnson scrolled through photos of that first video chat on her phone .
Mills hadn ’ t spoken to his mother in more than a decade .
He thought she was dead .
She thought he was dead .
“ That ’ s my mom , ” Mills said , nodding to Johnson ’ s phone .
Another big change was underway for Mills on this day .
He had begun packing up his belongings on this day because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into an apartment .
The USC team can help people move into housing and expedite the process by signing paperwork saying there ’ s an urgent medical need for them to get into assisted living .
Feldman told Mills they will come visit him once he is settled .
Mills said he was a little nervous .
“ I haven ’ t had a place of my own in a long time , ” Mills said .

The white van navigated streets lined by tents in downtown Los Angeles. From the back seat, Brett Feldman peered at the encampment’s residents scattered along the sidewalk.
Feldman is a physician assistant here to treat someone who is sick. But before he can administer tests or medicines, he must perform a far more unusual task among medical providers: finding the patient.
The four-person medical team Feldman leads offers care to some of the sickest people in L.A. by meeting them where they live, on the street. The patients don’t have to schedule appointments, find transportation to the clinic, pick up prescriptions or pay for their treatment — barriers that make homeless people much sicker and more likely to die young than others.
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USC Director of Street Medicine Brett Feldman, right, checks on the health of Leon Gillis, who said he was feeling sick. Gillis lives in a homeless encampment next to the 10 Freeway in L.A. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Feldman spotted his patient, Tracy, curled up in a wheelchair on the sidewalk. The team emerged from the van wearing backpacks bulging with medicines and ointments.
A nurse gingerly unwrapped a bandage on Tracy’s ring finger. The white gauze had darkened from dust. Tracy grimaced.
For years she wore a metal ring that damaged her skin. Underneath the cloth, her skin had become so eroded that there was none left where the ring once rested. A strip of white bone bisected her finger.
Just trying to survive on the street can cause people to neglect serious health conditions such as HIV and heart and lung problems. Other issues that start out small, like Tracy’s finger, can become dangerous or even life-threatening because of the rough living conditions.
Dr. Michael Stefanowicz checks the wounds and possible broken finger on the hand of Clyde Hardy, 23, who has been homeless for two years. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
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Feldman told Tracy that the wound wasn’t healing with medicines alone because it was too deep. She needed to go to the hospital, possibly to get a skin graft, he said.
“I’m so tired,” she said, resistant.
“When you get to the hospital, you’ll be able to sleep safely,” Feldman said. “I know what you go through out here.”
Tracy agreed. He called an Uber to take her in for treatment.
Funded by USC, Feldman’s team is one of several providing medical care on the street for L.A. County’s growing homeless population. There are about 59,000 people in the county living in streets, shelters or vehicles.
These so-called street medicine teams are multiplying nationwide as well, with more than 90 across the country and some doctors weighing whether the practice should be taught in medical schools. The shift acknowledges not just the humanity of homeless people but also a nationwide failure to house them and provide healthcare to everyone who needs it.
Each weekday morning at 8, the USC team heads out in its van, the trunk piled with blankets, tents, mattresses and socks.
Feldman first identifies patients by connecting with homeless people already admitted to USC’s county hospital. After the patients are discharged, the team follows up with them wherever they live, a twist on a doctor house call.
Often these patients will point them to other people nearby who are even more ill.
“We get referrals from one bridge to the next,” Feldman said.
In total, the team has more than 70 patients that they visit regularly, sometimes multiple times a week.
Brett Feldman treats the open wounds on the leg of homeless patient Alfred Mills, 62, at his encampment next to the 10 Freeway. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Feldman squatted next to Tracy’s wheelchair and cleaned cuts on her feet. This “servant’s position,” which requires him to gaze up at her, makes the team members less intimidating, he said.
Patients are often suspicious of the team at first. Living on the street has accustomed them to everything. including people averting their gazes when they walk by and frequent threats of theft or violence.
Feldman approaches patients cautiously, as though they may spook, and smiles gently.
The Uber arrived to take Tracy to the hospital, but she would not get in. Feldman warned her that if she didn’t receive treatment for her finger, it could require amputation. She still refused.
Feldman told the Uber driver to leave without her. The team climbed back in the van.
Though disappointed, Feldman accepted Tracy’s reluctance as normal. Many homeless people are distrustful of the medical system, and healing that relationship takes time, he said.
When you ask people why they’re homeless, he said, “what you don’t hear is lack of affordable housing, gentrification, minimum wage.”
“The cause is emotional poverty, spiritual poverty,” he said. “They feel discarded by society.”
Feldman, 38, has a long history providing medical care to the homeless. Before launching this program last year, he treated patients in shelters and on the street in and around Allentown, Penn., where he lived, for more than a decade.
Now vice president of the Street Medicine Institute, he has helped 40 other similar programs launch around the globe.
He was drawn to L.A. because of the need, he said. The region has an unusually high proportion of people living on the streets each night.
In New York City, due to the availability of shelters, only 4% of the homeless population lives on the street, compared with 75% in L.A. County. Since homeless tend to access health services through shelters, L.A.’s homeless are likely obtain much less medical care, he said.
Dr. Michael Stefanowicz, right, greets formerly homeless patient David Garcia, who has methamphetamine-induced congestive heart failure at a board and care center. The USC team got Garcia admitted the center after he spent a decade on the streets, surviving stabbings and being hit in the face with a baseball bat while sleeping. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
“Our vision is that all unsheltered have access to basic healthcare,” Feldman said.
The scenes that Feldman and other providers witness on the street are heart-wrenching: people drinking water dribbling from fire hydrants. Children returning from school to the tents where they sleep. Patients developing frostbite.
Joseph Becerra, 47, was homeless for 15 years in L.A.. Now he works as the USC team’s community health worker, guiding the others through the world he once inhabited.
Becerra said that even if someone becomes homeless because they lost their job or couldn’t afford their rent, living on the street then pushes them to steal to survive, turn to drugs to numb and stay awake all night to guard their belongings. Sleeplessness combined with scarce water and food can disconnect people from reality and make it harder to escape poverty, he said.
Becerra drives the team’s van and keeps track of patients’ whereabouts by learning what stores they frequent, who their friends are and where they go when their streets are cleared by city workers. He judges whether an encampment is safe to enter and monitors how other residents are responding to the team when they are there. Street medicine teams in other cities make the rounds at night, but Becerra insists they work in the mornings.
“We’ve had weapons pulled on us,” Becerra said. “It’s just the nature of the beast.”
A few days after visiting Tracy, Becerra parked the van next to a tent under a freeway overpass about a mile from skid row.
Their patient, Dianna Hill, pushed her wheelchair to a patch of sunlight on the sidewalk as the team encircled her.
“My brain ain’t working right now,” said Hill, 61. “It was so cold — I couldn’t sleep.”
When Hill became the team’s patient two months prior, her blood pressure was high, Feldman said. Since hypertension has no symptoms, getting patients to pay attention to that number can signal a mindset shift, he said.
“The only reason you would care about it is if you care about your future,” Feldman said.
Feldman slipped a blood pressure cuff around Hill’s arm. She cracked a joke about her boyfriend keeping her warm the previous night during chilly Santa Ana winds. She thanked Becerra for a new pair of socks, winking at him and kicking her knee-highs into the air.
Her blood pressure reading was normal, Feldman told her. Hill pumped her fists, beaming.
USC nurse Gabrielle Johnson, right, hugs and holds homeless patient Alfred Mills, 62, who used to be Little Richard’s bodyguard and has been homeless for 12 years. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Half an hour later, the team arrived at an empty lot next to a freeway on-ramp in central L.A. littered with grocery carts and piles of discarded clothes.
The patient, Alfred Mills, 62, wore a sheepish grin and a purple beanie stretched over his white curly hair as the team approached him.
Mills had lived here for years, in a narrow space between two chain link fences.
He was born in Compton and became estranged from his family over the past decade. For seven years in his youth he worked as a bodyguard for the singer Little Richard, he said.
Late last year, the team’s nurse, Gabrielle Johnson, helped Mills reconnect with his family. She contacted them via Facebook and arranged for them to video chat.
This morning, Johnson scrolled through photos of that first video chat on her phone. Mills hadn’t spoken to his mother in more than a decade. He thought she was dead. She thought he was dead.
“That’s my mom,” Mills said, nodding to Johnson’s phone.
Another big change was underway for Mills on this day. He had begun packing up his belongings on this day because the next, he would be moving into an apartment.
The USC team can help people move into housing and expedite the process by signing paperwork saying there’s an urgent medical need for them to get into assisted living.
Feldman told Mills they will come visit him once he is settled. Mills said he was a little nervous.
“I haven’t had a place of my own in a long time,” Mills said.


latimes--2020-02-16--Search continues for missing Malibu woman with bipolar disorder

The search continued Saturday for a 53-year-old Malibu woman who vanished a week ago .
Julia Christine Snyder , who suffers from bipolar disorder and does not have her medications , was last seen near her home in the 4300 block of Ocean View Drive on the evening of Feb. 8 , the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’ s Department said in a statement .
Snyder is described as 5 feet and 7 inches tall , 140 pounds with long straight blond hair and blue eyes .
She was last seen wearing a white shirt and flannel pajamas .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard from her , ” authorities said .
“ They are very concerned and asking the public ’ s help in locating her.
” On Saturday , a search and rescue crew combed the Malibu hillside by her home from 7 a.m. to sundown , authorities said .
Dozens of people joined in the search with rescuers employing canines and drones .
Authorities worry about the rugged mountain conditions .
The temperature in the area can drop as low as the 40s at night .
Anyone with information is asked to call the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Missing Persons Unit at ( 323 ) 890-5500 .

The search continued Saturday for a 53-year-old Malibu woman who vanished a week ago.
Julia Christine Snyder, who suffers from bipolar disorder and does not have her medications, was last seen near her home in the 4300 block of Ocean View Drive on the evening of Feb. 8, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.
Snyder is described as 5 feet and 7 inches tall, 140 pounds with long straight blond hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a white shirt and flannel pajamas.
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“Her loved ones have not seen or heard from her,” authorities said. “They are very concerned and asking the public’s help in locating her.”
On Saturday, a search and rescue crew combed the Malibu hillside by her home from 7 a.m. to sundown, authorities said. Dozens of people joined in the search with rescuers employing canines and drones.
Authorities worry about the rugged mountain conditions. The temperature in the area can drop as low as the 40s at night.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Missing Persons Unit at (323) 890-5500.


latimes--2020-02-15--New bullet train plan paints optimistic picture, but opposition continues to grow

Every other year , the California bullet train authority issues a business plan to support its cause , and this year ’ s 168-page document came out last week with words that are obvious by now : “ Building the nation ’ s first truly high-speed rail system is certainly not easy , ” Chief Executive Brian Kelly said in the first sentence of the report .
Kelly goes on to say it is nevertheless worth the trouble for all the reasons that have been restated over time : It would represent California ’ s “ leadership ” in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of dollars in future growth .
Not many California legislators would differ with either idea , but that ’ s where their agreement with Kelly starts to disintegrate .
The 2020 blueprint for building the Los-Angeles-to-San-Francisco bullet train has generated more hesitation and open opposition than any other biennial plan since voters approved a $ 9-billion bond for the effort in 2008 .
It reflects growing cost , lengthening schedule and disproportionate benefits of the project in the coming decade .
“ Once again , it seems the High-Speed Rail Authority has released @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposal for its future that it can ’ t afford and that won ’ t deliver what is promised , ” said Assembly Transportation Committee Chairman Jim Frazier ( D-Fairfield ) , sharply escalating his negative assessment of the project .
“ Every version of the Business Plan has increased costs and reduced scope and no longer resembles the vision promised in the 2008 ballot measure.
” Frazier was reacting to a plan that would sink all of the state ’ s remaining money for high-speed rail — about $ 20.5 billion through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ running from Burbank to Merced that is supposed to fuel public support for more investment .
The argument against the rail authority plan began in Southern California last year and now includes a broader swath of legislators .
The Los Angeles caucus , which includes Assembly members and senators from the county , wrote to Gov .
Gavin Newsom just before the business plan was issued asking for a more substantive discussion about the project ’ s future , implicitly rejecting the existing plan .
After the business plan was issued last Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members from Los Angeles and Orange counties issued statements and signed letters expressing reservations or opposition to the intent of the plan , which would pour all of the remaining funding through 2030 into the Central Valley .
“ We ’ re disappointed that the High-Speed Rail Authority is moving forward with the alternative outlined in the draft 2020 Business Plan , ” wrote five key legislators from Los Angeles and Orange counties , led by Speaker Anthony Rendon ( D-Lakewood ) .
“ Specifically , we are concerned that the Authority continues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefits for the success of high-speed rail , and more importantly , for California riders.
” In an interview Saturday , Assemblywoman Laura Friedman ( D-Glendale ) said there are more skeptical legislators who didn ’ t sign the letter , including those from Central and Northern California .
Rendon has thrown his weight behind a plan to divert about $ 5 billion of $ 20.5 billion that Gov .
Gavin Newsom wants to sink into the Central Valley and invest it in passenger rail segments in Southern and Northern California .
Those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rail , so it would not be a diversion of money from the project but a reordering of the construction schedule , Rendon has asserted .
A Metrolink report last year estimated such an investment would double rail ridership between Anaheim and Los Angeles , relieving congestion on the 5 Freeway .
But the business plan argues that keeping the money in the Central Valley yields a larger ridership increase and greater air quality improvements .
Those estimates are not in the main report , but a supporting technical document asserts that ridership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in connecting routes to the Bay Area from the existing rail service .
If the rail authority wasn ’ t having so many problems in executing the project it might not be facing so much second-guessing .
The new business plan puts the total future cost of the Los-Angeles-to-San-Francisco system at $ 80.3 billion , which it asserts is only a $ 1.3-billion increase .
But that jump is only from last summer .
The 2018 business plan had a cost of $ 77.3 billion , making it a $ 3-billion increase from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 .
When voters approved the rail bond in 2008 , they were told the entire system would be operating this year , though the date is now projected at 2033 .
Construction in the Central Valley bogged down almost as soon as the first contract was issued and remains far slower than needed to meet upcoming deadlines .
The business plan notes that its construction rate improved , hitting average spending of $ 46 million per month in the fourth quarter of 2019 .
But over the next 1,054 days through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be spending at a rate of about $ 70 million per month to complete the project on time , chief financial officer Brian Annis said Sunday .
“ We need to see higher expenditures in the future , ” Annis said .
“ But we are seeing that growth that we need over the last year.
” The project must build 48 structures in Kings County , for example , but has started only 12 of them , according to its most recent progress report .
Getting the construction rate up faces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parcels that still have not been acquired along the route .
“ Despite efforts by myself and some of my colleagues , the Authority continues to propose electrifying a segment of a train line in the Central Valley that will add billions of dollars to the project and provide little or no benefit , ” Frazier said .
He called for an “ honest evaluation ” that the rail authority has never provided .
“ Every iteration of the business plan comes with new promises without results .
”

Every other year, the California bullet train authority issues a business plan to support its cause, and this year’s 168-page document came out last week with words that are obvious by now:
“Building the nation’s first truly high-speed rail system is certainly not easy,” Chief Executive Brian Kelly said in the first sentence of the report.
Kelly goes on to say it is nevertheless worth the trouble for all the reasons that have been restated over time: It would represent California’s “leadership” in an environmental and economic construct, creating billions of dollars in future growth.
Not many California legislators would differ with either idea, but that’s where their agreement with Kelly starts to disintegrate.
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The 2020 blueprint for building the Los-Angeles-to-San-Francisco bullet train has generated more hesitation and open opposition than any other biennial plan since voters approved a $9-billion bond for the effort in 2008. It reflects growing cost, lengthening schedule and disproportionate benefits of the project in the coming decade.
“Once again, it seems the High-Speed Rail Authority has released in the 2020 draft business plan a proposal for its future that it can’t afford and that won’t deliver what is promised,” said Assembly Transportation Committee Chairman Jim Frazier (D-Fairfield), sharply escalating his negative assessment of the project. “Every version of the Business Plan has increased costs and reduced scope and no longer resembles the vision promised in the 2008 ballot measure.”
Frazier was reacting to a plan that would sink all of the state’s remaining money for high-speed rail — about $20.5 billion through 2030 — into a partial operating system running from Burbank to Merced that is supposed to fuel public support for more investment.
The argument against the rail authority plan began in Southern California last year and now includes a broader swath of legislators. The Los Angeles caucus, which includes Assembly members and senators from the county, wrote to Gov. Gavin Newsom just before the business plan was issued asking for a more substantive discussion about the project’s future, implicitly rejecting the existing plan.
After the business plan was issued last Wednesday, more than half a dozen Assembly members from Los Angeles and Orange counties issued statements and signed letters expressing reservations or opposition to the intent of the plan, which would pour all of the remaining funding through 2030 into the Central Valley.
“We’re disappointed that the High-Speed Rail Authority is moving forward with the alternative outlined in the draft 2020 Business Plan,” wrote five key legislators from Los Angeles and Orange counties, led by Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood). “Specifically, we are concerned that the Authority continues to ignore options that will create long-term benefits for the success of high-speed rail, and more importantly, for California riders.”
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In an interview Saturday, Assemblywoman Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) said there are more skeptical legislators who didn’t sign the letter, including those from Central and Northern California.
Rendon has thrown his weight behind a plan to divert about $5 billion of $20.5 billion that Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to sink into the Central Valley and invest it in passenger rail segments in Southern and Northern California. Those segments would eventually be used for high-speed rail, so it would not be a diversion of money from the project but a reordering of the construction schedule, Rendon has asserted. A Metrolink report last year estimated such an investment would double rail ridership between Anaheim and Los Angeles, relieving congestion on the 5 Freeway.
But the business plan argues that keeping the money in the Central Valley yields a larger ridership increase and greater air quality improvements. Those estimates are not in the main report, but a supporting technical document asserts that ridership would triple in the Central Valley and in connecting routes to the Bay Area from the existing rail service.
If the rail authority wasn’t having so many problems in executing the project it might not be facing so much second-guessing.
The new business plan puts the total future cost of the Los-Angeles-to-San-Francisco system at $80.3 billion, which it asserts is only a $1.3-billion increase. But that jump is only from last summer. The 2018 business plan had a cost of $77.3 billion, making it a $3-billion increase from 2018 and a $16-billion leap from 2016.
When voters approved the rail bond in 2008, they were told the entire system would be operating this year, though the date is now projected at 2033. Construction in the Central Valley bogged down almost as soon as the first contract was issued and remains far slower than needed to meet upcoming deadlines.
The business plan notes that its construction rate improved, hitting average spending of $46 million per month in the fourth quarter of 2019. But over the next 1,054 days through the end of 2022, the authority needs to be spending at a rate of about $70 million per month to complete the project on time, chief financial officer Brian Annis said Sunday.
“We need to see higher expenditures in the future,” Annis said. “But we are seeing that growth that we need over the last year.”
The project must build 48 structures in Kings County, for example, but has started only 12 of them, according to its most recent progress report. Getting the construction rate up faces many challenges, including hundreds of land parcels that still have not been acquired along the route.
“Despite efforts by myself and some of my colleagues, the Authority continues to propose electrifying a segment of a train line in the Central Valley that will add billions of dollars to the project and provide little or no benefit,” Frazier said.
He called for an “honest evaluation” that the rail authority has never provided. “Every iteration of the business plan comes with new promises without results.”


latimes--2020-02-15--Is California headed back into drought, or did we never really leave one?

The most recent U.S. Drought Monitor , issued on Thursday , shows an oval-shaped patch of Central California slipping back into moderate drought .
This is after a couple months where the Drought Monitor showed the state to be almost drought-free .
The 2018-19 water year that came to a close last June was good — above average in many places in the state — but not great .
The 2019-20 water year got off to a fast start with a couple of potent storms , and Southern California was above seasonal norms even as Northern California lagged .
Then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state ’ s wettest months — turned bone dry .
And February looks unlikely to overcome its arid habits before the month ends , even though the calendar has given it an extra day this year in which to try .
A persistent ridge of high pressure has taken up residence in the eastern Pacific , and it shows no sign of budging .
It is diverting storms into the Pacific Northwest region , which means more dry weather for California .
But did the drought in California ever really end ?
Climatologist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California continues to be mired in a two-decade drought , and he uses rainfall figures for downtown Los Angeles to illustrate his point .
Over a period of 143 years , the average annual rainfall recorded in downtown Los Angeles has been 14.93 inches .
Rainfall figures for downtown Los Angeles from 1999 to 2019 show many more disappointingly dry years than robustly wet ones .
During the 21 years ending with the 2019 season , 14 years have been below average , and only seven have been above , according to Patzert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Jet Propulsion Laboratory .
In fact , three of the driest years since 1878 occurred during this period : 2002 , 2007 and 2018 .
The period from 2012 to 2016 accounted for the five driest consecutive years on record , when the average rainfall each year was only 7.74 inches , or 50 % of normal .
Between 1999 and 2019 , downtown Los Angeles was a total of almost 52 inches below average , Patzert points out .
“ That ’ s like losing 3½ average years of rainfall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lower rainfall brought the average for those years down to 12.47 inches per year — 2.47 inches short of normal each year , on average .
“ That ’ s mucho groundwater , irrigation for crops , lots of dead lawns and mass mortality in the great forests of California , ” said Patzert .
“ This drought did not simply come and go every other year , it has continued to deepen for two decades , ” Patzert explained .
“ And the impacts have been long-lasting for urban dwellers , farmers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The effects of persistent drought last a long time .
For example , Lake Mead , a key reservoir formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River , supplies water to millions of people in Arizona , California and Nevada , including Los Angeles .
In 1999 , its level was 1,212 feet above sea level .
Now it ’ s at 1,094 feet — 118 feet lower — which represents a 50 % drop in the volume of the lake .
It will take decades for the reservoir to recover , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ominous because the population served by water from the Colorado River has exploded since the 1950s , ” said Patzert .
“ Lake Mead is our drought monitor for the American Southwest.
” Patzert emphasizes that although one or two dry years can be punishing , a slowly building , large-scale drought is much more damaging .
Long , major droughts are not zero or 50 % below-normal rain .
Droughts are when you drop from an average of 14.93 inches of rain per year to 12.47 inches — a subtle 16 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he explained .
The two-decade drop in the level of Lake Mead is the result .
“ History and science show us that droughts are large , long-lasting , and they wax and wane , ” said Patzert .
“ This is especially true in the American West .
The great Dust Bowl started in 1930 and lasted for almost a decade .
California experienced on-again , off-again drought from the mid-1940s through the late 1970s .
During these prolonged dry spells , a single wet year or two can provide temporary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drought .
“ Droughts build incrementally , and recovery happens in slow motion , not with one wet year , ” he said .
“ Droughts fool you .
You think you ’ re out , and they pull you back in .
”

Rancher Jon Pedotti walks on a parched lake bed near Cambria in 2014. The years 2012 to 2016 were the five driest consecutive years on record in downtown L.A.
The most recent U.S. Drought Monitor, issued on Thursday, shows an oval-shaped patch of Central California slipping back into moderate drought. This is after a couple months where the Drought Monitor showed the state to be almost drought-free.
(Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
The 2018-19 water year that came to a close last June was good — above average in many places in the state — but not great. The 2019-20 water year got off to a fast start with a couple of potent storms, and Southern California was above seasonal norms even as Northern California lagged. Then January and February — two of the state’s wettest months — turned bone dry. And February looks unlikely to overcome its arid habits before the month ends, even though the calendar has given it an extra day this year in which to try.
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A persistent ridge of high pressure has taken up residence in the eastern Pacific, and it shows no sign of budging. It is diverting storms into the Pacific Northwest region, which means more dry weather for California.
But did the drought in California ever really end? Climatologist and weather expert Bill Patzert thinks Southern California continues to be mired in a two-decade drought, and he uses rainfall figures for downtown Los Angeles to illustrate his point.
Over a period of 143 years, the average annual rainfall recorded in downtown Los Angeles has been 14.93 inches. Rainfall figures for downtown Los Angeles from 1999 to 2019 show many more disappointingly dry years than robustly wet ones.
(Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
During the 21 years ending with the 2019 season, 14 years have been below average, and only seven have been above, according to Patzert, who until recently was with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In fact, three of the driest years since 1878 occurred during this period: 2002, 2007 and 2018. The period from 2012 to 2016 accounted for the five driest consecutive years on record, when the average rainfall each year was only 7.74 inches, or 50% of normal.
Between 1999 and 2019, downtown Los Angeles was a total of almost 52 inches below average, Patzert points out. “That’s like losing 3½ average years of rainfall over the last 21 years.”
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The lower rainfall brought the average for those years down to 12.47 inches per year — 2.47 inches short of normal each year, on average. “That’s mucho groundwater, irrigation for crops, lots of dead lawns and mass mortality in the great forests of California,” said Patzert.
“This drought did not simply come and go every other year, it has continued to deepen for two decades,” Patzert explained. “And the impacts have been long-lasting for urban dwellers, farmers, water managers and especially firefighters.”
The effects of persistent drought last a long time. For example, Lake Mead, a key reservoir formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, supplies water to millions of people in Arizona, California and Nevada, including Los Angeles. In 1999, its level was 1,212 feet above sea level. Now it’s at 1,094 feet — 118 feet lower — which represents a 50% drop in the volume of the lake. It will take decades for the reservoir to recover, Patzert warns.
“That’s ominous because the population served by water from the Colorado River has exploded since the 1950s,” said Patzert. “Lake Mead is our drought monitor for the American Southwest.”
Patzert emphasizes that although one or two dry years can be punishing, a slowly building, large-scale drought is much more damaging. Long, major droughts are not zero or 50% below-normal rain. Droughts are when you drop from an average of 14.93 inches of rain per year to 12.47 inches — a subtle 16% decrease in average rain for 21 years, he explained. The two-decade drop in the level of Lake Mead is the result.
“History and science show us that droughts are large, long-lasting, and they wax and wane,” said Patzert. “This is especially true in the American West. The great Dust Bowl started in 1930 and lasted for almost a decade. California experienced on-again, off-again drought from the mid-1940s through the late 1970s. During these prolonged dry spells, a single wet year or two can provide temporary relief but will not break a multiyear drought.
“Droughts build incrementally, and recovery happens in slow motion, not with one wet year,” he said. “Droughts fool you. You think you’re out, and they pull you back in.”


latimes--2020-02-15--Teen killed, two hurt in shooting at Arleta house party

A teenager was killed and two other people were hurt when someone opened fire at a house party in Arleta on Friday night , police said .
Officers responded to a report of a shooting in the 13400 block of Rangoon Street about 10:45 p.m. and found the male teen lying in the rear driveway area , Los Angeles police said in statement .
He had been shot multiple times in his upper torso .
Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene , police said .
Two other people were struck by gunfire and taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been released from the hospital by Saturday afternoon .
Witnesses said the teen who died was attending a party at the home when he became involved in an argument with a man , who pulled out a gun and shot him multiple times , according to police .
The suspect fled in a dark-colored vehicle with two other people , one female and one male , police said .
Authorities said the victim was a resident of Sun Valley .
His name was not released pending notification of family members .
Anyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to contact Valley Bureau Homicide Det .
Steve Castro at ( 818 ) 374-1925 , or to call ( 877 ) 527-3247 .

A teenager was killed and two other people were hurt when someone opened fire at a house party in Arleta on Friday night, police said.
Officers responded to a report of a shooting in the 13400 block of Rangoon Street about 10:45 p.m. and found the male teen lying in the rear driveway area, Los Angeles police said in statement. He had been shot multiple times in his upper torso. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene, police said.
Two other people were struck by gunfire and taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to investigators. Both had been released from the hospital by Saturday afternoon.
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Witnesses said the teen who died was attending a party at the home when he became involved in an argument with a man, who pulled out a gun and shot him multiple times, according to police. The suspect fled in a dark-colored vehicle with two other people, one female and one male, police said.
Authorities said the victim was a resident of Sun Valley. His name was not released pending notification of family members.
Anyone with information about the shooting was asked to contact Valley Bureau Homicide Det. Steve Castro at (818) 374-1925, or to call (877) 527-3247.


latimes--2020-02-15--Attorney for 3 women who accused Newport Beach doctor of rapes requests special prosecutor

An attorney for three accusers of a Newport Beach doctor and his girlfriend , who have been charged with drugging and raping multiple women , filed a motion Friday suggesting the case be turned over to a special prosecutor or the state attorney general ’ s office instead of being dismissed .
Matthew Murphy , a retired prosecutor in the district attorney ’ s office , now represents three women who say they were victimized by Dr. Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend , Cerissa Riley .
Murphy represented another woman in the case but withdrew as her attorney in November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least eight and as many as 18 women who have provided substantially similar accounts of being sexually assaulted ” by the defendants .
“ None of these women know each other , ” he added .
Robicheaux and Riley were charged in September 2018 with drugging and sexually assaulting multiple victims they met at social gatherings .
Robicheaux is accused of 17 charges , including five counts of rape , and Riley faces 13 charges , including three counts of rape .
Both have pleaded not guilty and denied all allegations of nonconsensual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spitzer argued in court Feb. 7 that the charges against Robicheaux and Riley should be dismissed because prosecutors can not prove the case .
Orange County Superior Court Judge Gregory Jones delayed a decision on dismissing the charges and said he would return with a ruling April 3 .
Murphy said there is enough evidence to pursue the case .
“ We respectfully submit there is substantial evidence of a concerted conspiracy between the defendants to meet , drug and rape vulnerable women , ” Murphy said , adding that investigators recovered 119 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a date rape drug , from Robicheaux ’ s home .
Spitzer outlined in a news conference Feb. 4 how his office , after an exhaustive review of the evidence , couldn ’ t find any videos showing the defendants attacking the women .
That was a stark contrast from his predecessor , Tony Rackauckas , who had said investigators had “ thousands of videos ” in evidence that showed there could be “ hundreds ” or “ more than a thousand ” victims .
Spitzer earlier asked the attorney general ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DA ’ s office had a conflict due to a political battle he had with Rackauckas , who brought the charges .
Spitzer said Rackauckas was motivated to embellish the case in his unsuccessful reelection campaign against Spitzer in 2018 .
The attorney general ’ s office declined to take the case .
The alleged victims “ have found themselves pawns in a political battle between two district attorneys they have never met , ” Murphy said in his motion .
Murphy also accused defense attorneys of using a civil suit filed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others .
Murphy noted that one of the attorneys involved in the lawsuit served a subpoena on a friend of one of the alleged victims , demanding any correspondence between the two .
In a motion filed Feb. 7 , the attorneys mistakenly argued there were no more victims in the case because charges had been dropped .
The attorneys in the civil suit argued that the plaintiff is an “ opportunist seeking to cash in on the notoriety of the criminal prosecution ” and that she would use the claims from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damages .
Murphy ’ s motion called the claim of no more victims a “ stunning display of procedural hubris ” and said it indicated that the defense attorneys would “ continue harassing the victims if the case is dismissed.
” Attorneys representing the defendants did not respond to a request for comment .
Murphy argued there is enough evidence to proceed with the criminal case and said Jones has the latitude to assign a special prosecutor or turn over the case to the attorney general ’ s office .
He also could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to continue with the case , Murphy said .
Kimberly Edds , a spokeswoman for the DA ’ s office , said : “ Mr .
Murphy did not give us the courtesy of providing ... a copy of his motion before he leaked it to the press .
As such , we are unable to comment on his argument at this time .
The court made it clear that he wanted any motions on this case filed under seal because it is presently under submission with the court .
Mr. Murphy was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made by the judge.
” Murphy said his motion was not ordered sealed and noted that Spitzer gave him only a few minutes ’ notice before his news conference explaining why he wanted to drop the charges .
“ I simply extended them the same courtesy they extended my client , ” Murphy said .
The Daily Pilot staff contributed to this report .

Dr. Grant Robicheaux and girlfriend Cerissa Riley have pleaded not guilty to a slew of felony charges involving the sexual assault of multiple victims.
An attorney for three accusers of a Newport Beach doctor and his girlfriend, who have been charged with drugging and raping multiple women, filed a motion Friday suggesting the case be turned over to a special prosecutor or the state attorney general’s office instead of being dismissed.
Matthew Murphy, a retired prosecutor in the district attorney’s office, now represents three women who say they were victimized by Dr. Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley. Murphy represented another woman in the case but withdrew as her attorney in November.
Murphy argued there are “at least eight and as many as 18 women who have provided substantially similar accounts of being sexually assaulted” by the defendants. “None of these women know each other,” he added.
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Robicheaux and Riley were charged in September 2018 with drugging and sexually assaulting multiple victims they met at social gatherings. Robicheaux is accused of 17 charges, including five counts of rape, and Riley faces 13 charges, including three counts of rape. Both have pleaded not guilty and denied all allegations of nonconsensual sex.
Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer argued in court Feb. 7 that the charges against Robicheaux and Riley should be dismissed because prosecutors cannot prove the case. Orange County Superior Court Judge Gregory Jones delayed a decision on dismissing the charges and said he would return with a ruling April 3.
Murphy said there is enough evidence to pursue the case.
“We respectfully submit there is substantial evidence of a concerted conspiracy between the defendants to meet, drug and rape vulnerable women,” Murphy said, adding that investigators recovered 119 grams of GHB, commonly known as a date rape drug, from Robicheaux’s home.
Spitzer outlined in a news conference Feb. 4 how his office, after an exhaustive review of the evidence, couldn’t find any videos showing the defendants attacking the women. That was a stark contrast from his predecessor, Tony Rackauckas, who had said investigators had “thousands of videos” in evidence that showed there could be “hundreds” or “more than a thousand” victims.
Spitzer earlier asked the attorney general’s office to review whether the Orange County DA’s office had a conflict due to a political battle he had with Rackauckas, who brought the charges. Spitzer said Rackauckas was motivated to embellish the case in his unsuccessful reelection campaign against Spitzer in 2018. The attorney general’s office declined to take the case.
The alleged victims “have found themselves pawns in a political battle between two district attorneys they have never met,” Murphy said in his motion.
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Murphy also accused defense attorneys of using a civil suit filed by one of the women to harass the others.
Murphy noted that one of the attorneys involved in the lawsuit served a subpoena on a friend of one of the alleged victims, demanding any correspondence between the two.
In a motion filed Feb. 7, the attorneys mistakenly argued there were no more victims in the case because charges had been dropped.
The attorneys in the civil suit argued that the plaintiff is an “opportunist seeking to cash in on the notoriety of the criminal prosecution” and that she would use the claims from the other women to amplify her argument for damages.
Murphy’s motion called the claim of no more victims a “stunning display of procedural hubris” and said it indicated that the defense attorneys would “continue harassing the victims if the case is dismissed.”
Attorneys representing the defendants did not respond to a request for comment.
Murphy argued there is enough evidence to proceed with the criminal case and said Jones has the latitude to assign a special prosecutor or turn over the case to the attorney general’s office. He also could direct the district attorney’s office to continue with the case, Murphy said.
Kimberly Edds, a spokeswoman for the DA’s office, said: “Mr. Murphy did not give us the courtesy of providing ... a copy of his motion before he leaked it to the press. As such, we are unable to comment on his argument at this time. The court made it clear that he wanted any motions on this case filed under seal because it is presently under submission with the court. Mr. Murphy was present in court when that order was made by the judge.”
Murphy said his motion was not ordered sealed and noted that Spitzer gave him only a few minutes’ notice before his news conference explaining why he wanted to drop the charges.
“I simply extended them the same courtesy they extended my client,” Murphy said.
The Daily Pilot staff contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-02-15--Activists marking Torrance refinery explosion anniversary call for investigation

A group of activists on Saturday marked the fifth anniversary of an explosion at the Exxon Mobil refinery in Torrance that injured four workers and prompted continuing concerns about the potential for an even more catastrophic incident and the release of toxic chemicals and fumes into local communities .
The explosion on Feb. 18 , 2015 , was described by federal regulators as “ a serious near miss.
” The investigation of the Torrance explosion by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board revealed that a piece of equipment nearly crashed into a tank holding tens of thousands of pounds of modified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used to make high-octane gasoline .
When released , the chemical can form a deadly , ground-hugging cloud that , in the event of a major leak , could have caused “ serious injury or death to many community members , ” according to the agency .
On Saturday , the Torrance Refinery Action Alliance announced a campaign urging Gov .
Gavin Newsom to call for an investigation into the use of modified hydrofluoric acid at the facility , now operated by Torrance Refining Co. , as well as by Valero ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only two in the state that use the substance .
The Torrance Refinery Action Alliance plans on Tuesday to deliver a letter from its science advisory panel to Newsom ’ s office urging him to request that Atty .
Gen. Xavier Becerra ’ s office investigate how the Torrance and Wilmington refineries are able to legally operate using hydrofluoric acid .
The new campaign comes several months after air quality regulators killed a years-long push for stronger regulation of hydrofluoric acid at the two refineries .
In September , the South Coast Air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to accept a voluntary oil industry pledge to enhance safety measures .
The decision by the board came one week after the two refineries sent letters offering to install improved safety systems in the coming years if regulators ended their pursuit of new rules for the chemical .

A group of activists on Saturday marked the fifth anniversary of an explosion at the Exxon Mobil refinery in Torrance that injured four workers and prompted continuing concerns about the potential for an even more catastrophic incident and the release of toxic chemicals and fumes into local communities.
The explosion on Feb. 18, 2015, was described by federal regulators as “a serious near miss.”
The investigation of the Torrance explosion by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board revealed that a piece of equipment nearly crashed into a tank holding tens of thousands of pounds of modified hydrofluoric acid — a highly toxic chemical used to make high-octane gasoline.
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When released, the chemical can form a deadly, ground-hugging cloud that, in the event of a major leak, could have caused “serious injury or death to many community members,” according to the agency.
On Saturday, the Torrance Refinery Action Alliance announced a campaign urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to call for an investigation into the use of modified hydrofluoric acid at the facility, now operated by Torrance Refining Co., as well as by Valero’s Wilmington refinery. The refineries are the only two in the state that use the substance.
The Torrance Refinery Action Alliance plans on Tuesday to deliver a letter from its science advisory panel to Newsom’s office urging him to request that Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra’s office investigate how the Torrance and Wilmington refineries are able to legally operate using hydrofluoric acid.
The new campaign comes several months after air quality regulators killed a years-long push for stronger regulation of hydrofluoric acid at the two refineries.
In September, the South Coast Air Quality Management District governing board voted instead to accept a voluntary oil industry pledge to enhance safety measures. The decision by the board came one week after the two refineries sent letters offering to install improved safety systems in the coming years if regulators ended their pursuit of new rules for the chemical.
Times staff writer Tony Barboza contributed to this report.