latimes--2020-01-25--Oakland families of homicide victims say police add to trauma

Lorraine Taylor was paralyzed by despair after her twin sons were fatally shot in an Oakland parking lot in 2000 .
But after burying her 22-year-old children , the mother of three set out on a mission to learn more about how they were killed as well as the investigation into their deaths .
Her questions were met with silence from Oakland police , she said .
“ I accused them , if there were animals killed , they would ’ ve found the killer , ” she said .
“ But what about this double homicide ?
” Taylor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more troubling trend : The needs of families of crime victims — especially minorities — are frequently not being met by law enforcement in a city where many violent crimes go unsolved , according to a study released last week by UC Berkeley ’ s International Human Rights Law Clinic .
In the last decade , about 76 % of Oakland ’ s homicide victims were black , according to the study .
During that same time , police made arrests in about 40 % of homicides involving black victims and about 80 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Police Department has more than 2,000 cold cases involving homicides on its books , according to data provided in the study .
Despite these statistics , the study does not detail why homicide cases remain unsolved and instead delves into how this impacts the lives of victims ’ families .
Research centers on the experiences of 15 Oakland families , most of whom are black and Latino .
“ What we found is that family members in Oakland , especially black families , bear the brunt of the phenomenon , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ author .
“ They don ’ t get access to necessary services to help them recover or help them along the road of recovery , and they ’ re left feeling stigma and alienation , like their loved one ’ s death means nothing to society.
” An Oakland Police Department spokesperson said the agency disagrees with the findings of the UC Berkeley report .
The department pointed to another study , conducted by the Giffords Law Center last year , that found the city has had a “ remarkable reduction in gun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violent crime and homicides create trauma in our community , and OPD is committed to reducing that impact , ” the department wrote in a prepared statement .
As part of the study , researchers interviewed a former detective from the police department ’ s homicide division , service providers in the district attorney ’ s office and about a dozen government victims service providers who work at the city , county and state level .
The Oakland Police Department declined to participate in the study , Altholtz said .
Victims ’ families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , often lacking compassion during the immediate notification of a death or neglecting to properly notify family members in the first place .
In addition , follow-up action to provide mental health resources or relocation for those who wanted to move wasn ’ t easily accessible , researchers found .
“ It ’ s almost like you ’ re crawling and walking on broken glass everyday and the pain is never going to get better , you just have to get used to it , ” said Richard Livingston Jr .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that his son , Richard Dejion Livingston III , was shot with his girlfriend , Alexis Randolph , while in the car outside an apartment in East Oakland .
Family members flooded his cell phone with calls and text messages while he was at work .
The longtime social worker said he envisioned officers ’ showing him detailed maps of the crime scene with information about the incident , listing people who were there when the shooting occurred and their attempts to contact them .
But he also struck out in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was shot .
Now , he ’ s trying to serve as the father figure to his 7-year-old grandson who is starting to ask more questions about what happened to his dad .
“ How do you wrap that around his little mind ?
” The Berkeley study also examines how the failure to prosecute anyone for the death of a loved one fractures relationships between family members and law enforcement .
After her sons ’ deaths , Taylor became so frustrated with the lack of answers that she barged into the police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fists on the counter and demanded to speak to the chief .
“ How can our government be sophisticated to send a man to the moon , walk on the moon [ and ] have all kinds of intelligence to defend our nation from other nations , how can they continue to allow our children to just die in our streets and nobody seems to care ?
” Taylor said .
According to a July 2019 report from the San Francisco Chronicle , homicides in Oakland increased by 28 % from the previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to establish a crime victims compensation program , something that all states now employ to assist family members of homicide victims .
But the study found that most individuals were unaware of the services they were entitled to or were ineligible from receiving financial assistance while on probation or involved in the criminal justice system .
“ The neighborhoods in East and West Oakland with the highest rates of violence are also neighborhoods where mass incarceration has taken its biggest toll , ” Altholz said .
Researchers made several recommendations for how Oakland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serve victims ’ families , including developing an official death notification protocol and expanding access to support services by conducting long-term and continuous outreach to families .
The report also suggests developing programs to help relocate family members of victims who feel unsafe in their homes .
“ Oakland isn ’ t war-torn Guatemala or Colombia , ” said Altholz , a human rights attorney whose clients have escaped the bloodshed in those countries .
But in all areas where violence occurs , Altholz said — including Oakland , where she ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she has witnessed the existence of “ communities that feel that the police perceive them as not worthy of protection and respect and dignity .
”

Lorrain Taylor was paralyzed by despair after her twin sons were fatally shot in an Oakland parking lot in 2000.
But after burying her 22-year-old children, the mother of three set out on a mission to learn more about how they were killed as well as the investigation into their deaths. Her questions were met with silence from Oakland police, she said.
For the record: A previous version of this article misspelled Roxanna Altholz’s name in a few instances as Altholtz. Also, a photo caption misspelled Lorrain Taylor’s first name as Lorraine.
“I accused them, if there were animals killed, they would’ve found the killer,” she said. “But what about this double homicide?”
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Taylor’s experience highlights a larger and more troubling trend: The needs of families of crime victims — especially minorities — are frequently not being met by law enforcement in a city where many violent crimes go unsolved, according to a study released last week by UC Berkeley’s International Human Rights Law Clinic.
In the last decade, about 76% of Oakland’s homicide victims were black, according to the study. During that same time, police made arrests in about 40% of homicides involving black victims and about 80% of homicides involving white victims. The Police Department has more than 2,000 cold cases involving homicides on its books, according to data provided in the study.
Despite these statistics, the study does not detail why homicide cases remain unsolved and instead delves into how this affects the lives of victims’ families. Research centers on the experiences of 15 Oakland families, most of which are black and Latino.
“What we found is that family members in Oakland, especially black families, bear the brunt of the phenomenon,” said Roxanna Altholz, the study’s author. “They don’t get access to necessary services to help them recover or help them along the road of recovery, and they’re left feeling stigma and alienation, like their loved one’s death means nothing to society.”
An Oakland Police Department spokesperson said the agency disagrees with the findings of the UC Berkeley report. The department pointed to another study, conducted by the Giffords Law Center last year, that found the city has had a “remarkable reduction in gun violence.”
“The department acknowledges that violent crime and homicides create trauma in our community, and OPD is committed to reducing that impact,” the department wrote in a prepared statement.
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As part of the study, researchers interviewed a former detective from the Police Department’s homicide division, service providers in the district attorney’s office and about a dozen government victims service providers who work at the city, county and state level. The Oakland Police Department declined to participate in the study, Altholz said.
Victims’ families accuse law enforcement of being indifferent to them, often lacking compassion during the immediate notification of a death or neglecting to properly notify family members in the first place. In addition, follow-up action to provide mental health resources or relocation for those who wanted to move wasn’t easily accessible, researchers found.
“It’s almost like you’re crawling and walking on broken glass every day and the pain is never going to get better, you just have to get used to it,” said Richard Livingston Jr.
In 2015, Livingston learned six hours after the fact that his son, Richard Dejion Livingston III, was shot with his girlfriend, Alexis Randolph, while in the car outside an apartment in East Oakland. Family members flooded his cellphone with calls and text messages while he was at work.
The longtime social worker said he envisioned officers’ showing him detailed maps of the crime scene with information about the incident, listing people who were there when the shooting occurred and their attempts to contact them. But he struck out in getting any answers about why his son was shot.
Now, he’s trying to serve as the father figure to his 7-year-old grandson, who is starting to ask more questions about what happened to his dad.
“How do you wrap that around his little mind?”
The Berkeley study also examines how the failure to prosecute anyone for the death of a loved one fractures relationships between family members and law enforcement.
After her sons’ deaths, Taylor became so frustrated with the lack of answers that she barged into the Police Department’s headquarters, banged her fists on the counter and demanded to speak to the chief.
“How can our government be sophisticated to send a man to the moon, walk on the moon [and] have all kinds of intelligence to defend our nation from other nations, how can they continue to allow our children to just die in our streets and nobody seems to care?” Taylor said.
According to a July 2019 report from the San Francisco Chronicle, homicides in Oakland increased by 28% from the previous year.
California was the first state to establish a crime victims compensation program, something that all states now employ to assist family members of homicide victims. But the study found that most individuals were unaware of the services they were entitled to or were ineligible to receive financial assistance while on probation or involved in the criminal justice system.
“The neighborhoods in East and West Oakland with the highest rates of violence are also neighborhoods where mass incarceration has taken its biggest toll,” Altholz said.
Researchers made several recommendations for how Oakland police could change their policies to better serve victims’ families, including developing an official death notification protocol and expanding access to support services by conducting long-term and continuous outreach to families.
The report also suggests developing programs to help relocate family members of victims who feel unsafe in their homes.
“Oakland isn’t war-torn Guatemala or Colombia,” said Altholz, a human rights attorney whose clients have escaped the bloodshed in those countries. But in all areas where violence occurs, Altholz said — including Oakland, where she’s lived for more than two decades — she has witnessed the existence of “communities that feel that the police perceive them as not worthy of protection and respect and dignity.”
Times staff writer Hannah Fry contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-01-25--Column: Cabbies hit by LAXit pickup squeeze are planning their own exit

Varuzhan Shahazizyan drives a Prius that ’ s painted such a bright shade of yellow , you ’ d think it was a taxi .
Until a couple of weeks ago , it was .
Shahazizyan , a cabbie for nearly 20 years , got tired of hustling more and earning less as ride-hailing companies began to dominate the market .
His dues to Yellow Cab were costing a steady $ 1,500 a month or so even as his weekly take-home dipped to about $ 500 a week .
And things got way worse , he said , when LAX @ @ @ @ @ @ @ location for cabs and ride-hailing services alike , which put more of a squeeze on the dying taxi industry ’ s holdout drivers .
So Shahazizyan quit driving for Yellow Cab of Los Angeles , removed all the firm ’ s markings from his car , and made the switch to a company he used to think of as the enemy .
Now there ’ s a Lyft sticker in his car window .
“ Yes , ” he said , he used to hate Lyft and Uber .
“ Yes , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their drivers too .
“ But I have to make a living , ” Shahazizyan said .
Not that it ’ s going so well .
Shahazizyan has only been at it a short time with Lyft , but estimates he ’ s driving at least twice as many miles and working 12-hour days to match the $ 500 a week or so he was clearing as a cabbie .
And that about sums up the takeaway here .
For customers with apps , getting a ride somewhere has never been cheaper or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter who they work for , earning a decent living ain ’ t so easy .
“ We have lost 12 to 15 drivers since October , ” said Jano Baghdanian , general manager of L.A. City Cab .
Ever since the ride-hailing companies came along and set prices artificially low while benefiting from fewer regulations than taxi companies , cab companies have lost hundreds of drivers in L.A. On Thursday , taxi drivers marched in protest once again at LAX .
It used to be that cabs picked up airport passengers at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ construction project , the airport in late October initiated the LAXit system , in which passengers awaiting pickup by cabs or ride-hailing companies are shuttled to a nearby lot .
Baghdanian said cabs used to have their own stands at baggage claim , but now they ’ re sandwiched by their competition .
Passengers get off the shuttles , see the Lyft and Uber pickup stations , and tap their apps .
And those fares have run way lower than cab fares , thanks to price regulation on taxis and other factors .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that passengers willing to pay more for Lyft and Uber ’ s premium services can avoid that inconvenient shuttle ride altogether and get picked up at baggage claim , but cabbies don ’ t have such a service .
“ Uber and Lyft are laughing all the way to the bank , ” said William Rouse , general manager of Yellow Cab .
He and other cab company executives have been trying to get the airport to let taxi drivers return to the old system or some modified version , at least on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall on deaf ears , said Rouse .
Becca Doten , a spokesperson for the airport , said the cab companies have been included in policy discussions since 2018 and the conversations continue .
She added that the airport supports taxi reform proposals drafted by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation , with features including a single phone number or app for passengers to hail a cab from any company and the replacement of fare meters with set fares the way Lyft and Uber have .
You want to go to Anaheim , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here ’ s the up-front price .
But it has been difficult getting cab companies and drivers on board .
The proposals “ haven ’ t met with universal support , ” said Eric Spiegelman , president of the L.A. Taxicab Commission .
Different taxi companies and their drivers have different perspectives , he said , and there have been “ voices pro and against ” the reform proposals .
No doubt , the taxi industry doesn ’ t have a history of great marketing and has been painfully slow to modernize .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take a cab , and millions of amateur drivers are content to make close to minimum wage driving for Uber and Lyft , the future for taxi drivers is bleak .
But the final chapter hasn ’ t been written .
Uber is now testing a system that allows drivers in some areas to increase their rates themselves , a move the ride company hopes could help it fight a new state law that reclassifies drivers as employees rather than independent contractors .
Uber , Lyft , Doordash , Postmates and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would repeal the new law but pay drivers a minimum of $ 21 an hour with potential benefits .
Yellow Cab driver Caesar Bravo , for one , is not optimistic that things will get much better for taxi drivers .
Ten years ago , he said , he was offered $ 100,000 for the seal that gives him an ownership stake in Yellow Cab .
He turned it down , he said , and now wouldn ’ t be able to sell it for a nickel .
“ Nobody wants to own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dying , ” said Bravo , 61 , who has driven for 40 years .
“ When I broke in , it was a middle class job .
But if you want to survive today , you have to be willing to drive more for lower pay , and you have to be willing to adapt.
” With his mini-van cab , he said , he ’ s able to make $ 1,000 a week transporting special students to and from a Van Nuys school under a contract .
But beyond that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was airport pickups , which aren ’ t what they used to be .
Bravo and his wife raised three kids and bought a house when he made good money .
Now , he said , they don ’ t go out to eat as much and they don ’ t take vacations .
Mekonen Alemayehu , who drives for L.A. City Cab , told me he had a retirement plan worked out .
He owns two cabs , leases one to another driver , and the plan was to sell both when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Now , the driver he ’ s leasing to is quitting , and neither cab has any value on the market .
Alemayehu thinks about quitting too , but doesn ’ t know what he ’ ll do for a living after 35 years as a driver .
Shahazizyan , at least , has a plan to make the most of his bright yellow Prius .
He ’ s waiting on clearance to drive for Uber , as well as Lyft .
Working 12 hours a day , seven days a week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when he plans to move to either Fresno or Las Vegas .
His two-bedroom , one-bath apartment in Glendale costs $ 1,625 a month , he said .
He figures he can save a bundle on housing once he leaves Los Angeles , and then he ’ ll look for work as a truck driver .
The people behind Uber and Lyft have made millions , Shahazizyan said , and for passengers , “ it ’ s good , it ’ s cheap.
” But for drivers , it ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s looking for an exit .

Varuzhan Shahazizyan quit driving for the Yellow Cab company, pulled the cab markings off his car and now drives his Prius for Lyft.
Varuzhan Shahazizyan drives a Prius that’s painted such a bright shade of yellow, you’d think it was a taxi.
Until a couple of weeks ago, it was.
Shahazizyan, a cabbie for nearly 20 years, got tired of hustling more and earning less as ride-hailing companies began to dominate the market. His dues to Yellow Cab were costing a steady $1,500 a month or so even as his weekly take-home dipped to about $500 a week.
And things got way worse, he said, when LAX switched last fall to a central pickup location for cabs and ride-hailing services alike, which put more of a squeeze on the dying taxi industry’s holdout drivers.
Advertisement
So Shahazizyan quit driving for Yellow Cab of Los Angeles, removed all the firm’s markings from his car, and made the switch to a company he used to think of as the enemy.
Now there’s a Lyft sticker in his car window.
“Yes,” he said, he used to hate Lyft and Uber.
“Yes,” he said, he used to hate their drivers too.
“But I have to make a living,” Shahazizyan said.
Not that it’s going so well. Shahazizyan has only been at it a short time with Lyft, but estimates he’s driving at least twice as many miles and working 12-hour days to match the $500 a week or so he was clearing as a cabbie.
And that about sums up the takeaway here.
For customers with apps, getting a ride somewhere has never been cheaper or more convenient.
For drivers, no matter who they work for, earning a decent living ain’t so easy.
“We have lost 12 to 15 drivers since October,” said Jano Baghdanian, general manager of L.A. City Cab.
Ever since the ride-hailing companies came along and set prices artificially low while benefiting from fewer regulations than taxi companies, cab companies have lost hundreds of drivers in L.A. On Thursday, taxi drivers marched in protest once again at LAX.
Advertisement
It used to be that cabs picked up airport passengers at baggage claim. But during a long-term construction project, the airport in late October initiated the LAXit system, in which passengers awaiting pickup by cabs or ride-hailing companies are shuttled to a nearby lot.
Baghdanian said cabs used to have their own stands at baggage claim, but now they’re sandwiched by their competition. Passengers get off the shuttles, see the Lyft and Uber pickup stations, and tap their apps. And those fares have run way lower than cab fares, thanks to price regulation on taxis and other factors.
The other disadvantage for cab drivers is that passengers willing to pay more for Lyft and Uber’s premium services can avoid that inconvenient shuttle ride altogether and get picked up at baggage claim, but cabbies don’t have such a service.
“Uber and Lyft are laughing all the way to the bank,” said William Rouse, general manager of Yellow Cab.
He and other cab company executives have been trying to get the airport to let taxi drivers return to the old system or some modified version, at least on a trial basis. But the arguments fall on deaf ears, said Rouse.
Becca Doten, a spokesperson for the airport, said the cab companies have been included in policy discussions since 2018 and the conversations continue. She added that the airport supports taxi reform proposals drafted by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, with features including a single phone number or app for passengers to hail a cab from any company and the replacement of fare meters with set fares the way Lyft and Uber have.
You want to go to Anaheim, say, or Woodland Hills? Then here’s the up-front price.
But it has been difficult getting cab companies and drivers on board. The proposals “haven’t met with universal support,” said Eric Spiegelman, president of the L.A. Taxicab Commission. Different taxi companies and their drivers have different perspectives, he said, and there have been “voices pro and against” the reform proposals.
No doubt, the taxi industry doesn’t have a history of great marketing and has been painfully slow to modernize. But as long as it costs more to take a cab, and millions of amateur drivers are content to make close to minimum wage driving for Uber and Lyft, the future for taxi drivers is bleak.
But the final chapter hasn’t been written. Uber is now testing a system that allows drivers in some areas to increase their rates themselves, a move the ride company hopes could help it fight a new state law that reclassifies drivers as employees rather than independent contractors. Uber, Lyft, Doordash, Postmates and other companies are pushing a ballot initiative that would repeal the new law but pay drivers a minimum of $21 an hour with potential benefits.
Yellow Cab driver Caesar Bravo, for one, is not optimistic that things will get much better for taxi drivers. Ten years ago, he said, he was offered $100,000 for the seal that gives him an ownership stake in Yellow Cab. He turned it down, he said, and now wouldn’t be able to sell it for a nickel.
“Nobody wants to own a share of a business that is dying,” said Bravo, 61, who has driven for 40 years.
“When I broke in, it was a middle class job. But if you want to survive today, you have to be willing to drive more for lower pay, and you have to be willing to adapt.”
With his mini-van cab, he said, he’s able to make $1,000 a week transporting special students to and from a Van Nuys school under a contract. But beyond that, the most lucrative part of his business was airport pickups, which aren’t what they used to be.
Bravo and his wife raised three kids and bought a house when he made good money. Now, he said, they don’t go out to eat as much and they don’t take vacations.
Mekonen Alemayehu, who drives for L.A. City Cab, told me he had a retirement plan worked out. He owns two cabs, leases one to another driver, and the plan was to sell both when he was ready to call it quits. Now, the driver he’s leasing to is quitting, and neither cab has any value on the market.
Alemayehu thinks about quitting too, but doesn’t know what he’ll do for a living after 35 years as a driver.
Shahazizyan, at least, has a plan to make the most of his bright yellow Prius. He’s waiting on clearance to drive for Uber, as well as Lyft. Working 12 hours a day, seven days a week, he hopes to last until summer, when he plans to move to either Fresno or Las Vegas.
His two-bedroom, one-bath apartment in Glendale costs $1,625 a month, he said. He figures he can save a bundle on housing once he leaves Los Angeles, and then he’ll look for work as a truck driver.
The people behind Uber and Lyft have made millions, Shahazizyan said, and for passengers, “it’s good, it’s cheap.”
But for drivers, it’s a race to the bottom, and he’s looking for an exit.
Steve.lopez@latimes.com


latimes--2020-01-25--In a small field, men reenact an oft-overlooked war that remade the U.S., Mexico and the border

The insult cut through the air about a minute past high noon on a grassy field where the Mexican and United States soldiers faced off .
Lobo ’ s verbal volley was aimed at the powder blue-uniformed U.S. Commodore Robert F. Stockton and his men .
Flanked by four of his own fighters , Lobo lined up a clunky and obsolete musket and fired upon one of two columns of American soldiers .
Stockton ’ s forces remained unscathed and countered with a barrage from superior rifles and pistols while a second group of men loaded a cannon .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his militia .
On a chilly Saturday , the skirmish was a reenactment of the Battle of Rio San Gabriel performed by members of the Montebello Historical Society .
The real event , a pivotal battle for control of California in the two-year U.S.-Mexican War , ended on Jan. 8 , 1847 , with an American victory .
The fighting happened on once Mexican land that now constitutes the cities of Pico Rivera , Montebello and Whittier .
The reenactment lasted only about 15 minutes ; most of the actors representing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The U.S. soldiers were almost entirely white .
Despite the subtext of an often-overlooked war that remade two countries and their fortunes , to a man , the faux combatants tried to steer clear of talk of one of the great conflicts of our time : Debates over U.S.-Mexico border , immigration and , of course , President Trump .
“ I ’ ve been confronted by conservatives who take the position the Mexicans provoked the war , which I don ’ t believe is true , ” said society President Chris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t a very popular war , but you don ’ t have to believe me.
” Steve Clugston , a former curator at the March Field Air Museum in Riverside who played Stockton , said : “ The times then , like now , are polarized but we try to represent both sides.
” In that sense , the facsimile of the battle , now in its fourth year at Montebello ’ s Juan Matias Sanchez Adobe , was a remarkably civil affair in a country where stepping into debates over borders can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American discourse .
In 2008 , some conservatives in the U.S. called for a boycott of Sweden ’ s Absolut Vodka after it ran an ad in Mexico depicting that country with its former borders and the line : “ In an Absolut world.
” For all that it did , the Mexican-American War is a relatively overlooked conflict in American history .
A little more than a year after its defeat , Mexico turned over massive territories including California , Arizona , New Mexico , Nevada , Colorado , Utah and Wyoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guadalupe Hidalgo on Feb. 2 , 1848 .
Mexico also surrendered any further claims to Texas , which had exerted its independence in 1836 .
In its wake , a nearly 2,000-mile , scraggly-lined border has fueled angry arguments over immigration ( legal and illegal ) , xenophobia , racism and American identity .
The war itself , which was opposed by then congressman Abraham Lincoln and future Civil War general Ulysses S. Grant — who in his 1885 autobiography called it “ one of the most unjust ever waged ” — comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that followed .
“ The Civil War was a dividing point in the nation and helps us understand our nation , ” said Rosina Lozano , associate professor of history at Princeton University .
“ It looms large in the national story but the U.S.-Mexican War has great implications in the U.S. Southwest and can explain the place of Mexican Americans in the nation.
” Lozano also said amendments passed during and immediately following the Civil War overshadowed what happened in the post U.S.-Mexican War .
The 13th , 14th and 15th amendments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ born or naturalized in the United States ” and protected voting rights , respectively .
Mexico had already abolished slavery in 1829 , well before the passage of the 13th Amendment in 1865 .
Newly conquered non-white Mexican citizens were offered U.S. citizenship in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 , ahead of passage of the 14th Amendment in 1866 .
Alex Jimenez , 16 , a junior at Montebello High School , said not much time is devoted to teaching the Mexican-American War .
At home , he opened a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history book titled , “ The American Pageant : 13th Edition ” that has been used at the school since 2007 .
“ We ’ re taught in school that this was a push by Easterners to go west and expand the United States to the Pacific Ocean , ” the teenager said .
“ It was the destiny of the country.
” Francisco Balderrama , emeritus professor of Chicano studies/history at Cal State L.A. , said the war ’ s effects have not been emphasized in schools for years .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bedrock of our society , dividing the border , creating the border that we have today and also the collision course between two nations and two people , ” he said .
Back at the Juan Matias Sanchez Adobe , participants in the reenactment were friendly , but not keen to talk about modern-day politics .
They stressed that the event , which attracted a crowd of about 150 people , was about education .
Two of the youngest reenactment observers were Montebello Unified elementary students Lourdes Rodriguez and Isaiah Roa .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ up and everything that was used to make it so real .
It was really cool , but it was also really loud , ” said Lourdes , a third-grader at Greenwood Elementary .
“ It was amazing to learn about the Californios and the 49ers.
” Isaiah , a fifth-grader at La Merced Elementary , said his favorite part was the cannon firing .
“ It was fun to learn a lot today , ” he said .
“ It was like watching an action movie , but it was real history.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Rio San Gabriel , there were booths on leather making , arts and crafts of the era and a demonstration of wool processing , including cleaning , spinning and weaving .
Meanwhile , keyboardists Bob Altman and flutist Cheryl Lopez played classic songs in and around Californio times , such as “ La Varsoviana ” and “ La Paloma.
” “ This is all local history and the battle took place less than a mile from here , ” said Vargas , a paralegal when he ’ s not donning 19th-century attire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a history that ’ s not spoken about and one that honestly isn ’ t taught in schools.
” The Battle of Rio San Gabriel was one of several during the Mexican-American War from 1846 to 1848 .
John Reed , the curator of the Sanchez Adobe Museum who organized the reenactment with Vargas , dressed in a navy blue jacket adorned with brass buttons and the wool pants of a dragoon soldier under the command of Gen. Stephen W. Kearny , who also led U.S. forces in the Battle of Rio San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here because not too many people do Mexican War reenactments , unfortunately , and because it happened here , ” Reed said .
“ There was a point where if the Californio forces had better ammunition and better arms , they could have won the battle of Rio San Gabriel and that could have really changed things.
” The imbalance in military might was reflected during the reenactment , which showed Californio solders struggling with muskets while a group of U.S. Marines loaded a 275-pound reproduction of a 1841 cast-iron mountain howitzer .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stunning visitors and setting off alarms from nearby cars .
The real Battle of Rio San Gabriel lasted for roughly 90 minutes .
Undermanned and outgunned Californios attacked U.S. troops as they forded the San Gabriel River .
Their weapons , though , caused little damage and the Americans were victorious .
Five days later , Californio representatives signed the Treaty of Cahuenga , near present-day Universal Studios , which acknowledged Mexican defeat in California .
Another reenactment occurred a day after the Battle of Rio San Gabriel as the Campo de Cahuenga @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the treaty ’ s signing .
Kathleen Rabago served as a narrator and tour guide during both events and has worked as a docent at Pio Pico State Historic Park in Whittier and at Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum in Compton .
“ Education is sharing , ” said Rabago , who portrayed Doña Maria Casilda Soto de Lobo , mother of Santiago Lobo .
Soto de Lobo , whose family is the namesake of iconic Soto Street in Boyle Heights , received a land grant in 1844 where the Juan Matias Sanchez Adobe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A lot of people , especially in the Mexican American community , they don ’ t know their own history , ” Rabago said .
The learning experience was one Rio San Gabriel actor Steve Mata said he lacked at El Monte Arroyo High School , where he graduated in 1981 .
“ I was kicked out of class , I want to say , in 1978 because I questioned my teacher , ” Mata said .
“ He gave a lesson on the history of California and didn ’ t mention anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I told the guy there was a battle about seven miles from here and he had no clue what I was talking about .
Man , I was a freshman and I knew more about real California history than my teacher.
” Mata dressed in the garb of a wealthier Californio .
It included an expensive olive green Spanish coat , red Sheridan-style floral silk vest with silver buttons , a bow tie , colorful sombrero , bandana and boots .
“ There ’ s so much history here nobody knows about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feel I should help the next generation learn about its past .
”

A reenactment of the Battle of Rio San Gabriel performed by members of the Montebello Historical Society.
The insult cut through the air about a minute past high noon on a grassy field where the Mexican and United States soldiers faced off.
“Go back to Boston, gringo!” bellowed Santiago Lobo, a Mexican militiaman and rancher.
Lobo’s verbal volley was aimed at the powder blue-uniformed U.S. Commodore Robert F. Stockton and his men.
Flanked by four of his own fighters, Lobo lined up a clunky and obsolete musket and fired upon one of two columns of American soldiers.
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Stockton’s forces remained unscathed and countered with a barrage from superior rifles and pistols while a second group of men loaded a cannon. The larger U.S. force charged and overwhelmed Lobo and his militia.
Mexican soldiers fire their muskets at American infantry during a reenactment of the Battle of Rio San Gabriel presented by the Montebello Historical Society on the grounds of the Juan Matias Sanchez Adobe Museum in Montebello. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
On a chilly Saturday, the skirmish was a reenactment of the Battle of Rio San Gabriel performed by members of the Montebello Historical Society. The real event, a pivotal battle for control of California in the two-year U.S.-Mexican War, ended on Jan. 8, 1847, with an American victory. The fighting happened on once Mexican land that now constitutes the cities of Pico Rivera, Montebello and Whittier.
The reenactment lasted only about 15 minutes; most of the actors representing the Californio soldiers traced their roots to Mexico. The U.S. soldiers were almost entirely white. Despite the subtext of an often-overlooked war that remade two countries and their fortunes, to a man, the faux combatants tried to steer clear of talk of one of the great conflicts of our time: Debates over U.S.-Mexico border, immigration and, of course, President Trump.
“I’ve been confronted by conservatives who take the position the Mexicans provoked the war, which I don’t believe is true,” said society President Chris Vargas. “The war wasn’t a very popular war, but you don’t have to believe me.”
Steve Clugston, a former curator at the March Field Air Museum in Riverside who played Stockton, said: “The times then, like now, are polarized but we try to represent both sides.”
In that sense, the facsimile of the battle, now in its fourth year at Montebello’s Juan Matias Sanchez Adobe, was a remarkably civil affair in a country where stepping into debates over borders can quickly devolve into the darkest depths of American discourse.
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A loud cannon goes off during the reenactment of the Battle of Rio San San Gabriel in 1847, presented by the Montebello Historical Society on the grounds of the Juan Matias Sanchez Adobe Museum in Montebello. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
In 2008, some conservatives in the U.S. called for a boycott of Sweden’s Absolut Vodka after it ran an ad in Mexico depicting that country with its former borders and the line: “In an Absolut world.”
For all that it did, the Mexican-American War is a relatively overlooked conflict in American history.
A little more than a year after its defeat, Mexico turned over massive territories including California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming in the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo on Feb. 2, 1848. Mexico also surrendered any further claims to Texas, which had exerted its independence in 1836.
In its wake, a nearly 2,000-mile, scraggly-lined border has fueled angry arguments over immigration (legal and illegal), xenophobia, racism and American identity. The war itself, which was opposed by then congressman Abraham Lincoln and future Civil War general Ulysses S. Grant — who in his 1885 autobiography called it “one of the most unjust ever waged” — comes up less than the next great conflict that followed.
“The Civil War was a dividing point in the nation and helps us understand our nation,” said Rosina Lozano, associate professor of history at Princeton University. “It looms large in the national story but the U.S.-Mexican War has great implications in the U.S. Southwest and can explain the place of Mexican Americans in the nation.”
Lozano also said amendments passed during and immediately following the Civil War overshadowed what happened in the post U.S.-Mexican War.
American infantry soldiers confront Mexican soldiers during a reenactment of the Battle of Rio San San Gabriel in Montebello. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The 13th, 14th and 15th amendments outlawed slavery, granted citizenship to people “born or naturalized in the United States” and protected voting rights, respectively. Mexico had already abolished slavery in 1829, well before the passage of the 13th Amendment in 1865. Newly conquered non-white Mexican citizens were offered U.S. citizenship in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, ahead of passage of the 14th Amendment in 1866.
Alex Jimenez, 16, a junior at Montebello High School, said not much time is devoted to teaching the Mexican-American War. At home, he opened a slightly torn and taped-together Advanced Placement U.S. history book titled, “The American Pageant: 13th Edition” that has been used at the school since 2007.
“We’re taught in school that this was a push by Easterners to go west and expand the United States to the Pacific Ocean,” the teenager said. “It was the destiny of the country.”
Francisco Balderrama, emeritus professor of Chicano studies/history at Cal State L.A., said the war’s effects have not been emphasized in schools for years.
“This war happened and it’s obviously the bedrock of our society, dividing the border, creating the border that we have today and also the collision course between two nations and two people.” — Francisco Balderrama, emeritus professor of Chicano Studies/History at Cal State Los Angeles
“This war happened and it’s obviously the bedrock of our society, dividing the border, creating the border that we have today and also the collision course between two nations and two people,” he said.
Back at the Juan Matias Sanchez Adobe, participants in the reenactment were friendly, but not keen to talk about modern-day politics. They stressed that the event, which attracted a crowd of about 150 people, was about education.
Two of the youngest reenactment observers were Montebello Unified elementary students Lourdes Rodriguez and Isaiah Roa.
“I really like how everyone dressed up and everything that was used to make it so real. It was really cool, but it was also really loud,” said Lourdes, a third-grader at Greenwood Elementary. “It was amazing to learn about the Californios and the 49ers.”
Isaiah, a fifth-grader at La Merced Elementary, said his favorite part was the cannon firing.
“It was fun to learn a lot today,” he said. “It was like watching an action movie, but it was real history.”
Besides the commemoration of the Battle of Rio San Gabriel, there were booths on leather making, arts and crafts of the era and a demonstration of wool processing, including cleaning, spinning and weaving. Meanwhile, keyboardists Bob Altman and flutist Cheryl Lopez played classic songs in and around Californio times, such as “La Varsoviana” and “La Paloma.”
“This is all local history and the battle took place less than a mile from here,” said Vargas, a paralegal when he’s not donning 19th-century attire. “This is our history, a history that’s not spoken about and one that honestly isn’t taught in schools.”
The Battle of Rio San Gabriel was one of several during the Mexican-American War from 1846 to 1848.
John Reed, the curator of the Sanchez Adobe Museum who organized the reenactment with Vargas, dressed in a navy blue jacket adorned with brass buttons and the wool pants of a dragoon soldier under the command of Gen. Stephen W. Kearny, who also led U.S. forces in the Battle of Rio San Gabriel.
“I’m out here because not too many people do Mexican War reenactments, unfortunately, and because it happened here,” Reed said. “There was a point where if the Californio forces had better ammunition and better arms, they could have won the battle of Rio San Gabriel and that could have really changed things.”
The imbalance in military might was reflected during the reenactment, which showed Californio solders struggling with muskets while a group of U.S. Marines loaded a 275-pound reproduction of a 1841 cast-iron mountain howitzer. One cannon blast shook the ground, stunning visitors and setting off alarms from nearby cars.
The real Battle of Rio San Gabriel lasted for roughly 90 minutes. Undermanned and outgunned Californios attacked U.S. troops as they forded the San Gabriel River. Their weapons, though, caused little damage and the Americans were victorious. Five days later, Californio representatives signed the Treaty of Cahuenga, near present-day Universal Studios, which acknowledged Mexican defeat in California.
Another reenactment occurred a day after the Battle of Rio San Gabriel as the Campo de Cahuenga Historical Assn. hosted a performance of the treaty’s signing.
Kathleen Rabago served as a narrator and tour guide during both events and has worked as a docent at Pio Pico State Historic Park in Whittier and at Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum in Compton.
“Education is sharing,” said Rabago, who portrayed Doña Maria Casilda Soto de Lobo, mother of Santiago Lobo. Soto de Lobo, whose family is the namesake of iconic Soto Street in Boyle Heights, received a land grant in 1844 where the Juan Matias Sanchez Adobe was built the following year. “A lot of people, especially in the Mexican American community, they don’t know their own history,” Rabago said.
The learning experience was one Rio San Gabriel actor Steve Mata said he lacked at El Monte Arroyo High School, where he graduated in 1981.
“I was kicked out of class, I want to say, in 1978 because I questioned my teacher,” Mata said. “He gave a lesson on the history of California and didn’t mention anything about the battles.”
Mata added, “I told the guy there was a battle about seven miles from here and he had no clue what I was talking about. Man, I was a freshman and I knew more about real California history than my teacher.”
Mata dressed in the garb of a wealthier Californio. It included an expensive olive green Spanish coat, red Sheridan-style floral silk vest with silver buttons, a bow tie, colorful sombrero, bandana
and boots.
“There’s so much history here nobody knows about,” Mata said. “I feel I should help the next generation learn about its past.”


latimes--2020-01-24--They were used after the Camp fire. Now these 30 trailers will go to homeless families in L.A.

Thirty trailers that once were used in the wake of the Camp fire are coming to Los Angeles over the next two weeks to be used as temporary homes for homeless families .
Many details remain unknown .
But the trailers , offered as part of Gov .
Gavin Newsom ’ s latest initiative to address homelessness , should arrive by Feb. 7 , a spokeswoman for L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said .
County officials were vetting three parking lots and a vacant parcel in South Los Angeles , each designated by the Board of Supervisors this week as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 10 trailers to be placed at each site .
Medical service tents also will be provided by the state .
Water and sewage service will be brought to the temporary homes , and the county will contract with a service provider to operate them .
HOPICS , a homeless services agency based in South L.A. , will select the families who will live in the trailers .
“ This is one of the many tools in the toolbox we are using to address the crisis head-on , ” Newsom said in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , co-chair of the governor ’ s statewide homelessness task force , said Newsom “ is demonstrating the ingenuity , resourcefulness and urgency needed to tackle this undeniable emergency.
” Although sheltering 30 families will make no noticeable difference in the county ’ s unsheltered homeless population l— about 44,000 people — state and county leaders see the plan as a demonstration of their resolve to take immediate and concrete measures to address homelessness .
It began when Newsom included an offer of 100 emergency trailers to cities and counties as part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homeless housing and add shelter beds across California .
Oakland received the first delivery of 15 trailers last week .
In a vote Tuesday , the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors requested 30 trailers and designated the four potential sites .
Newsom released a statement Wednesday approving the request .
County officials have begun vetting the sites to ensure they will be adequate .
The supervisors also directed county staff to continue looking for other sites as backups .
The sites under consideration are : • The parking lot that served the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Blvd .
in the city of Los Angeles .
• County-owned land at 1326 W. Imperial Highway in the unincorporated community of Athens , adjacent to where the “ Safe Landings ” Interim Housing and Clinical Services Project is expected to be built this year .
• A parking lot at 8509 S. Broadway in the city of Los Angeles , though it has already been leased to a homeless services provider .
• A parking lot at 1968 W. Adams Blvd .
in the city of Los Angeles .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interested in leasing the lot for interim housing .
The trailers are going primarily to South Los Angeles because it has the highest concentration of homeless families .
Also on Tuesday , the supervisors ordered the county ’ s chief executive to prepare a Comprehensive Crisis Response Strategy that would rapidly provide housing or shelter options for people living on the streets who are ready and willing to come indoors .
The county ’ s Homeless Initiative and Office of Emergency Management are to report back in 60 days on strategies to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all who are willing to move indoors .

L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, left, with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is sending 30 trailers to L.A. to serve as temporary homeless shelters.
Thirty trailers that once were used in the wake of the Camp fire are coming to Los Angeles over the next two weeks to be used as temporary homes for homeless families.
Many details remain unknown. But the trailers, offered as part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest initiative to address homelessness, should arrive by Feb. 7, a spokeswoman for L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said.
County officials were vetting three parking lots and a vacant parcel in South Los Angeles, each designated by the Board of Supervisors this week as potential sites for shelters. They expect about 10 trailers to be placed at each site.
Medical service tents also will be provided by the state. Water and sewage service will be brought to the temporary homes, and the county will contract with a service provider to operate them.
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HOPICS, a homeless services agency based in South L.A., will select the families who will live in the trailers.
“This is one of the many tools in the toolbox we are using to address the crisis head-on,” Newsom said in a statement Wednesday announcing the plan.
Ridley-Thomas, co-chair of the governor’s statewide homelessness task force, said Newsom “is demonstrating the ingenuity, resourcefulness and urgency needed to tackle this undeniable emergency.”
Although sheltering 30 families will make no noticeable difference in the county’s unsheltered homeless population — about 44,000 people — state and county leaders see the plan as a demonstration of their resolve to take immediate and concrete measures to address homelessness.
It began when Newsom included an offer of 100 emergency trailers to cities and counties as part of his Jan. 8 executive order to increase homeless housing and add shelter beds across California.
Oakland received the first delivery of 15 trailers last week.
In a vote Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors requested 30 trailers and designated the four potential sites. Newsom released a statement Wednesday approving the request.
County officials have begun vetting the sites to ensure they will be adequate. The supervisors also directed county staff to continue looking for other sites as backups.
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The sites under consideration are:
The parking lot that served the former Probation Department building at 3606 Exposition Blvd. in the city of Los Angeles.
County-owned land at 1326 W. Imperial Highway in the unincorporated community of Athens, adjacent to where the “Safe Landings” Interim Housing and Clinical Services Project is expected to be built this year.
A parking lot at 8509 S. Broadway in the city of Los Angeles, though it has already been leased to a homeless services provider.
A parking lot at 1968 W. Adams Blvd. in the city of Los Angeles. It’s owned by a faith organization that is interested in leasing the lot for interim housing.
The trailers are going primarily to South Los Angeles because it has the highest concentration of homeless families.
Also on Tuesday, the supervisors ordered the county’s chief executive to prepare a Comprehensive Crisis Response Strategy that would rapidly provide housing or shelter options for people living on the streets who are ready and willing to come indoors.
The county’s Homeless Initiative and Office of Emergency Management are to report back in 60 days on strategies to ensure that housing and services are available for all who are willing to move indoors.


latimes--2020-01-25--After freshman's death, San Diego State cracks down on fraternities and sororities

San Diego State University is cracking down on its fraternities and sororities in the wake of the death of a freshman pledge and years of problems involving hazing and alcohol abuse .
President Adela de la Torre announced online Friday that five fraternities will not be allowed to recruit new members when spring rush begins this week .
And she set new policies on how , when and where Greek organizations can recruit and socialize .
De la Torre adopted the recommendations made by a pair of task forces that she created on student safety and alcohol and substance abuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Dylan Hernandez .
Campus police said the 19-year-old freshman got heavily inebriated on Nov. 6 at an event hosted by Phi Gamma Delta , the house he was pledging .
He later fell out of the top bunk bed at his dorm , suffering a blow to his head that killed him .
At the time of his death , 10 San Diego State fraternities , including Phi Gamma , were under investigation or suspension for various infractions .
De le Torre responded Friday by creating a Good Samaritan Policy that encourages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the school and emergency personnel if a student has been “ impacted ” by alcohol or other drugs at a student activity .
The policy removes penalties for certain alcohol and drug violations .
De la Torre also tightened the rules under which fraternities and sororities are allowed to recruit members , limiting such activities to those that meet certain guidelines .
Chapter recruitment and education events must take place between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. , according to the new policy .
The curfew is in response to “ founded hazing violations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detailing the new rules .
The document doesn ’ t say what happened or who was involved , but it says it is aimed at the Interfraternity Council , or IFC for short , which represents 14 of the school ’ s fraternities .
The school said chapters also can not host recruiting or new member education sessions at satellite houses , and that an advisor — faculty , staff or alumnus — must be present .
The new regulations and policies come five days after the Union-Tribune reported that Hernandez ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation that campus police conducted into the student ’ s death .
According to the police report , Hernandez became inebriated during “ Big/Little Night , ” the moment a fraternity pledge learns who his mentor will be .
A fraternity member guided Hernandez back to his dorm about midnight .
He was led into his bunk bed but he fell out around 4:30 a.m. on Nov. 7 , suffering blunt force trauma to his head when he hit the floor , according to the county Medical Examiner ’ s Office .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Thursday , the medical examiner released an autopsy report showing Hernandez ’ s blood-alcohol content was 0.06 % .
But the police report estimates that his peak blood-alcohol level was about 0.23 % when he left the Phi Gamma Delta party .
That ’ s about three times the legal limit for operating a motor vehicle .
The autopsy also showed that Hernandez had marijuana in his system .
It wasn ’ t possible to determine when he used the drug because it is known to linger in the body for weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a copy of its initial investigation during the recent holidays .
The family later shared it with the Union-Tribune and said that it does not appear that investigators did a thorough job of examining what happened during and after the party .
The report suggests that campus police did not interview anybody from the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity , including about a dozen specific members who likely attended and had videos or images from the party .
Two videos appear to show hazing , including a young man being struck with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday , the report also indicates that the police department chose not to pursue search warrants to review cellphone records and social media records of students , despite possessing chat messages between suspected fraternity members instructing one another to delete possibly incriminating material and to stay quiet .
“ Remember silence is golden , ” one member wrote .
Campus police said in a follow-up statement that the report provided to the family was incomplete .
Investigators said they gave the family the document “ in an effort to be as supportive and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a difficult time for them as they are mourning the tragic loss of their loved one.
” The department added that details contained in the report were not meant to be shared with the public since that information could compromise the investigation and hinder witnesses from coming forward .
The department also said the report could contribute to “ inaccurate reporting and assumptions that erode the integrity and approach of the investigation ... ” Police said they have identified essential witnesses and are continuing to investigate and gather information .
The two task @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Student Activities and Safety and The Presidential Task Force on Alcohol and Substance Misuse — are expected to produce full reports on their recommendations and findings in April and July .
De la Torre said she was planning on having the task forces hold some public hearings , although so far the discussions have been held in private .
Robbins and Winkley write for the San Diego Union-Tribune

San Diego State University is cracking down on its fraternities and sororities in the wake of the death of a freshman pledge and years of problems involving hazing and alcohol abuse.
President Adela de la Torre announced online Friday that five fraternities will not be allowed to recruit new members when spring rush begins this week. And she set new policies on how, when and where Greek organizations can recruit and socialize.
De la Torre adopted the recommendations made by a pair of task forces that she created on student safety and alcohol and substance abuse less than a week after the death of Dylan Hernandez.
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Campus police said the 19-year-old freshman got heavily inebriated on Nov. 6 at an event hosted by Phi Gamma Delta, the house he was pledging. He later fell out of the top bunk bed at his dorm, suffering a blow to his head that killed him.
At the time of his death, 10 San Diego State fraternities, including Phi Gamma, were under investigation or suspension for various infractions.
De le Torre responded Friday by creating a Good Samaritan Policy that encourages student organizations and their members to notify the school and emergency personnel if a student has been “impacted” by alcohol or other drugs at a student activity.
The policy removes penalties for certain alcohol and drug violations.
De la Torre also tightened the rules under which fraternities and sororities are allowed to recruit members, limiting such activities to those that meet certain guidelines. Chapter recruitment and education events must take place between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., according to the new policy.
The curfew is in response to “founded hazing violations,” according to a university memo detailing the new rules. The document doesn’t say what happened or who was involved, but it says it is aimed at the Interfraternity Council, or IFC for short, which represents 14 of the school’s fraternities.
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The school said chapters also cannot host recruiting or new member education sessions at satellite houses, and that an advisor — faculty, staff or alumnus — must be present.
The new regulations and policies come five days after the Union-Tribune reported that Hernandez’s family is questioning the integrity of the investigation that campus police conducted into the student’s death.
According to the police report, Hernandez became inebriated during “Big/Little Night,” the moment a fraternity pledge learns who his mentor will be. A fraternity member guided Hernandez back to his dorm about midnight. He was led into his bunk bed but he fell out around 4:30 a.m. on Nov. 7, suffering blunt force trauma to his head when he hit the floor, according to the county Medical Examiner’s Office. He was pronounced dead the following day.
On Thursday, the medical examiner released an autopsy report showing Hernandez’s blood-alcohol content was 0.06%. But the police report estimates that his peak blood-alcohol level was about 0.23% when he left the Phi Gamma Delta party. That’s about three times the legal limit for operating a motor vehicle.
The autopsy also showed that Hernandez had marijuana in his system. It wasn’t possible to determine when he used the drug because it is known to linger in the body for weeks.
Campus police provided the Hernandez family with a copy of its initial investigation during the recent holidays. The family later shared it with the Union-Tribune and said that it does not appear that investigators did a thorough job of examining what happened during and after the party.
The report suggests that campus police did not interview anybody from the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, including about a dozen specific members who likely attended and had videos or images from the party. Two videos appear to show hazing, including a young man being struck with a paddle.
As the Union-Tribune reported last Sunday, the report also indicates that the police department chose not to pursue search warrants to review cellphone records and social media records of students, despite possessing chat messages between suspected fraternity members instructing one another to delete possibly incriminating material and to stay quiet. “Remember silence is golden,” one member wrote.
Campus police said in a follow-up statement that the report provided to the family was incomplete. Investigators said they gave the family the document “in an effort to be as supportive and transparent with the family as possible during a difficult time for them as they are mourning the tragic loss of their loved one.”
The department added that details contained in the report were not meant to be shared with the public since that information could compromise the investigation and hinder witnesses from coming forward. The department also said the report could contribute to “inaccurate reporting and assumptions that erode the integrity and approach of the investigation...”
Police said they have identified essential witnesses and are continuing to investigate and gather information.
The two task forces — The Presidential Task Force on Student Activities and Safety and The Presidential Task Force on Alcohol and Substance Misuse — are expected to produce full reports on their recommendations and findings in April and July.
De la Torre said she was planning on having the task forces hold some public hearings, although so far the discussions have been held in private.
Robbins and Winkley write for the San Diego Union-Tribune


latimes--2020-01-26--January will end on a dry note in Southern California as the jet stream locks into a zonal pattern

January will continue to be dry in Southern California as the jet stream settles into a stable or zonal pattern , which means it flows more directly from west to east with little fluctuation .
A wavy or undulating jet stream is the pattern that brings storms from the north Pacific into California .
“ When the winter jet stream calms down , Southern California stays dry , ” says Bill Patzert , former climatologist at NASA ’ s Jet Propulsion Laboratory .
When the jet stream is unstable , it meanders from north to south and back again .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ air is carried into higher latitudes .
A wavy jet stream can snag wet storms from the Gulf of Alaska and send them on a collision course with the California coast .
January ’ s rainfall has been unimpressive to date , and Jan Null , veteran meteorologist with Golden Gate Weather Services , agrees that the last week of the month looks relatively dry .
Seasonal precipitation totals for Northern and Central California continue to fall behind normal .
Of particular concern is the Northern Sierra 8-Station Index , which is at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Thursday .
The index is the average of eight precipitation measuring sites that provide a representative sample of the Northern Sierra ’ s major watersheds .
These watersheds include the Sacramento , Feather , Yuba and American rivers .
These rivers flow into some of California ’ s biggest reservoirs , providing a large portion of the state ’ s water supply .
Going farther south , as of Thursday the 5-station index for the Central Sierra is at 54 % of normal , and the 6-station index for the Tulare Basin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of normal , according to Golden Gate Weather Services .
The most recent Drought Monitor , released Thursday , continues to show just 3.6 % of the state as abnormally dry .
This has remained unchanged for weeks .
But does that mean the state is really out from under drought conditions ?
“ Drought is more than recent snowpack and rainfall , ” Patzert warns .
“ Groundwater levels are dangerously low in many areas .
Without more winter rain and snow , we could easily slip back into drought.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as far as rain is concerned .
“ Hopefully , we ’ ll have some excitement in February and March .
”

January will continue to be dry in Southern California as the jet stream settles into a stable or zonal pattern, which means it flows more directly from west to east with little fluctuation. A wavy or undulating jet stream is the pattern that brings storms from the north Pacific into California.
“When the winter jet stream calms down, Southern California stays dry,” says Bill Patzert, former climatologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
When the jet stream is unstable, it meanders from north to south and back again. Cold air sinks farther south and warm air is carried into higher latitudes. A wavy jet stream can snag wet storms from the Gulf of Alaska and send them on a collision course with the California coast.
January’s rainfall has been unimpressive to date, and Jan Null, veteran meteorologist with Golden Gate Weather Services, agrees that the last week of the month looks relatively dry. Seasonal precipitation totals for Northern and Central California continue to fall behind normal.
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Watersheds monitored by these stations are the source of a major portion of the water supply for the state. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
Of particular concern is the Northern Sierra 8-Station Index, which is at 67% of seasonal normal, as of Thursday. The index is the average of eight precipitation measuring sites that provide a representative sample of the Northern Sierra’s major watersheds. These watersheds include the Sacramento, Feather, Yuba and American rivers. These rivers flow into some of California’s biggest reservoirs, providing a large portion of the state’s water supply.
Going farther south, as of Thursday the 5-station index for the Central Sierra is at 54% of normal, and the 6-station index for the Tulare Basin and the Southern Sierra is at 58% of normal, according to Golden Gate Weather Services.
The Drought Monitor has remained unchanged for weeks. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)
The most recent Drought Monitor, released Thursday, continues to show just 3.6% of the state as abnormally dry. This has remained unchanged for weeks. But does that mean the state is really out from under drought conditions?
“Drought is more than recent snowpack and rainfall,” Patzert warns. “Groundwater levels are dangerously low in many areas. Without more winter rain and snow, we could easily slip back into drought.”
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Patzert says January has been a flop as far as rain is concerned. “Hopefully, we’ll have some excitement in February and March.”


latimes--2020-01-25--Mystery seller has JFK items up for bid. Ex-Gov. Jerry Brown wants to know who

Former California Gov .
Jerry Brown wants to know who is trying to sell his father ’ s memorabilia related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy .
Private letters and other items that had belonged to Pat Brown when he was governor are being offered by Sotheby ’ s auction house , which estimates the value at $ 20,000 to $ 30,000 .
Sotheby ’ s says the seller wants to remain anonymous .
The elder Brown , who died in 1996 , was California ’ s top elected official from 1959 to 1967 , and eight years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his record four terms as governor .
Jerry Brown was not consulted or informed of the sale and believes the items should reside at UC Berkeley .
“ I ’ d sure like to know why the seller is claiming anonymity and why these documents aren ’ t at the UC Berkeley archives with the rest of my father ’ s papers , ” Brown said in a statement to the Associated Press .
Sotheby ’ s touts Brown ’ s materials for sale as unique because “ it comes from a single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a country in mourning.
” The auction opens Monday .
Kalika Sands , who works in Sotheby ’ s Book & Manuscripts Department , didn ’ t disclose how the anonymous seller acquired the collection .
Among the items are a letter from Kennedy to Brown written days before the assassination .
In it Kennedy thanks Brown for supporting his tax-reform program .
There ’ s also a handwritten note from President Lyndon Johnson sent 10 days after he succeeded Kennedy .
Johnson wrote : “ Pat , I ’ m depending on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s also a copy of the first AP news bulletin sent after Kennedy was shot .
It reads : “ President Kennedy was shot today just as his motorcade left downtown Dallas .
Mrs. Kennedy jumped up and grabbed Mr. Kennedy .
She cried , ‘ Oh , no !
’ The motorcade sped on.
” Other items being sold include a letter from Kennedy ’ s widow , Jacqueline , sent two years after the assassination .
She expressed her “ deepest appreciation ” to Brown for contributing oral interviews to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were political allies as fellow Democrats , Brown and Kennedy were not particularly close personally , according to Ethan Rarick , who researched Brown for the biography “ California Rising.
” He suggested the items on auction may come from someone in Brown ’ s administration .
Peter Hanff , deputy director of UC-Berkeley ’ s Bancroft Library that houses Pat Brown ’ s archives , shared that sentiment .
“ I ’ m guessing that someone in Pat Brown ’ s administration probably just saved those pieces for autograph value , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have more use for it than a scholar .
“ There ’ s not as much value for research , ” he said .
The auction is part of Sotheby ’ s Americana collection sale , which includes a letter from John Hancock announcing the adoption of the Declaration of Independence , estimated to be worth up to $ 800,000 .
Dil writes for the Associated Press .

Former California Gov. Jerry Brown wants to know who is trying to sell his father’s memorabilia related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Private letters and other items that had belonged to Pat Brown when he was governor are being offered by Sotheby’s auction house, which estimates the value at $20,000 to $30,000. Sotheby’s says the seller wants to remain anonymous.
The elder Brown, who died in 1996, was California’s top elected official from 1959 to 1967, and eight years later his son started the first of his record four terms as governor. Jerry Brown was not consulted or informed of the sale and believes the items should reside at UC Berkeley.
“I’d sure like to know why the seller is claiming anonymity and why these documents aren’t at the UC Berkeley archives with the rest of my father’s papers,” Brown said in a statement to the Associated Press.
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Sotheby’s touts Brown’s materials for sale as unique because “it comes from a single source” and that it “chronicles a country in mourning.” The auction opens Monday.
Kalika Sands, who works in Sotheby’s Book & Manuscripts Department, didn’t disclose how the anonymous seller acquired the collection.
Among the items are a letter from Kennedy to Brown written days before the assassination. In it Kennedy thanks Brown for supporting his tax-reform program. There’s also a handwritten note from President Lyndon Johnson sent 10 days after he succeeded Kennedy. Johnson wrote: “Pat, I’m depending on you in the West.”
There’s also a copy of the first AP news bulletin sent after Kennedy was shot. It reads: “President Kennedy was shot today just as his motorcade left downtown Dallas. Mrs. Kennedy jumped up and grabbed Mr. Kennedy. She cried, ‘Oh, no!’ The motorcade sped on.”
Other items being sold include a letter from Kennedy’s widow, Jacqueline, sent two years after the assassination. She expressed her “deepest appreciation” to Brown for contributing oral interviews to the John F. Kennedy Library.
While they were political allies as fellow Democrats, Brown and Kennedy were not particularly close personally, according to Ethan Rarick, who researched Brown for the biography “California Rising.” He suggested the items on auction may come from someone in Brown’s administration.
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Peter Hanff, deputy director of UC Berkeley’s Bancroft Library that houses Pat Brown’s archives, shared that sentiment.
“I’m guessing that someone in Pat Brown’s administration probably just saved those pieces for autograph value,” Hanff said. He added a collector would have more use for it than a scholar.
“There’s not as much value for research,” he said.
The auction is part of Sotheby’s Americana collection sale, which includes a letter from John Hancock announcing the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, estimated to be worth up to $800,000.
Dil writes for the Associated Press.


latimes--2020-01-26--California's first case of new coronavirus strain is confirmed in Orange County

California has recorded its first confirmed case of the new strain of coronavirus , arriving in Orange County by a traveler who visited from the epicenter of the outbreak in Wuhan , China .
The Orange County Health Care Agency confirmed late Saturday night that the infected person ’ s virus was the same strain as the one that has spread to more than 2,000 people in 14 countries and territories and caused 56 deaths since it was discovered late last month in central China .
The patient is in good condition and is in isolation at a hospital , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities are following up with anyone who has had close contact with the patient , but also noted that people with casual contact — such as visiting the same grocery store or movie theater — “ are at minimal risk of developing infection.
” “ The risk of local transmission remains low , ” officials said .
While officials were waiting to hear lab confirmation of the virus , the patient was instructed on how to reduce exposing the virus to others .
Authorities also added there is no evidence that the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other Orange County residents .
The new strain of coronavirus , known as 2019-nCoV , can cause respiratory illness and pneumonia .
It was originally thought to be spreading from only animals to people in central China , but there are now indications it is also spreading among people .
In people who are young and healthy , the virus does not seem to cause severe illness , with symptoms including fever , coughing and shortness of breath .
Most of the dozens of deaths tied to the coronavirus to date have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of which Wuhan is the capital .
Most of the dead were at least 50 years old with underlying medical problems or weakened immune systems , Chinese officials said .
But a 36-year-old man succumbed to the virus last week , and a healthcare worker was also reported to be among the fatalities .
Health experts in the United States have said there ’ s no evidence to suggest the new coronavirus is any more virulent than the flu .
But because this strain of coronavirus is new , health officials are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have to start from square one in developing a vaccine , which will probably take years to develop .
Coronaviruses form a large variety of viruses , including the common cold and the ones that caused the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ( SARS ) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome ( MERS ) .
SARS and MERS sickened thousands of people around the world and caused hundreds of deaths .
As of Friday , 18 people between the ages 3 to 58 had been tested for the virus in California , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included a traveler who arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on a flight from Mexico City and was taken to a hospital early Thursday for an evaluation .
Dr. Sonia Angell , director of the California Department of Public Health , said in a video statement last week that the immediate health risk to the general public in California is low , based on current information , but that the department is carefully monitoring the virus and considers it “ a serious public health concern.
” Besides the Orange County case , only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus in the United States — a man in Washington state and a woman in Illinois .
Though the U.S. has not seen a major outbreak , the virus has spread widely across Asia in the last month , killing at least 56 people and sickening 2,000 more in China , according to officials there .
In China , the pneumonia-like illnesses from the newly identified coronavirus first appeared last month in Wuhan , an industrial and transportation hub in central China ’ s Hubei province .
Other cases have been reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Singapore , Vietnam and Hong Kong reported their first cases Thursday .
According to the Associated Press , the U.S. Consulate in Wuhan will evacuate its personnel and some private citizens aboard a charter flight Tuesday .
Wuhan has been under lockdown since Thursday , with trains , buses and airplane flights suspended .
Chinese travel agencies have been told to halt all group tours , the state-owned English-language China Daily newspaper reported , citing the China Assn .
of Travel Services .
Canada reported its first case Saturday in Toronto , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man is in his 50s and recently flew from Wuhan to Guangzhou , China , and then on to Toronto on Jan. 23 .
The first coronavirus cases in Europe have also been confirmed , with three patients being treated in French hospitals .
All three had recently traveled to China ; they were reportedly doing well , according to officials .
Last week , federal authorities announced that passengers flying from Wuhan into LAX , San Francisco International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York would be examined for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the new strain of coronavirus has affected California ’ s travel agencies at a time when they typically do a brisk business .
“ Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year , but no one is here to go back to China , ” Albert Eng , owner of Chosen Travel in Monterey Park , said Saturday morning .
“ Usually we are very busy , but this year , no way.
” He estimates business has been down about 95 % since fears over the virus hit .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d have at least 40 clients taking trips to China during the week preceding the Lunar New Year .
This week , he had five .
“ Right now , I ... think even if the tickets were free of charge , no one would take it , ” he said .
Times staff writers Emily Baumgaertner and Cindy Chang contributed to this report .
The AP was used in compiling this report .

Health officials have confirmed the first two cases of the new strain of coronavirus in Los Angeles and Orange counties, brought by travelers who came from the epicenter of the outbreak in Wuhan, China.
In both counties, the virus infecting the two individuals was the same strain as the one that has spread to more than 2,700 people in 14 countries and territories and caused 80 deaths since it was discovered late last month in central China. Three other cases have been diagnosed in the U.S., one each in Arizona, Washington state and Chicago.
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In L.A. County, the infected person was a returning traveler from Wuhan who is receiving medical treatment at a hospital, officials said.
The Orange County patient is in good condition and is in isolation at a hospital, health officials said. In both counties, health authorities are following up with anyone who has had close contact with the patients, but they noted that casual contact with an infected person — such as visiting the same grocery store or movie theater — carries only “minimal risk of developing infection.”
“The risk of local transmission remains low,” officials said.
The L.A. County patient is a Wuhan resident who was flying through Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday on his way back to China, L.A. County public health officials said during a news conference Sunday.
“The infected person presented themselves immediately for care at LAX airport once they noticed they weren’t feeling well,” said L.A. County public health director Dr. Barbara Ferrer. The patient was taken from LAX directly to a hospital, and no L.A. County residents were infected or at risk as of Sunday morning, Ferrer said.
The Arizona case, which was also announced Sunday, was a Maricopa County resident who health officials described as “a member of the Arizona State University community” but who did not live in university housing. The patient had recently returned from a trip to Wuhan, health officials said.
The patient was not severely ill and was being kept in isolation, the Arizona Department of Health Services and Maricopa County Department of Public Health said. Officials were working to identify and reach out to people who might have been exposed to the virus while the patient was contagious, officials said.
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The new strain of coronavirus, known as 2019-nCoV, can cause respiratory illness and pneumonia. It was originally thought to be spreading only from animals to people in central China, but there are now indications it is also spreading among people.
The virus can cause pneumonia-like symptoms, including fever, coughing and shortness of breath and, in extreme cases, can be fatal.
Most of the dead were at least 50 years old with underlying medical problems or weakened immune systems, Chinese officials said. But a 36-year-old man succumbed to the coronavirus last week, and a healthcare worker also was reported to be among the fatalities.
Health experts in the United States have said there’s no evidence to suggest the new coronavirus is any more virulent than the flu.
But because this strain of coronavirus is new, health officials are on high alert, and researchers will have to start from square one in creating a vaccine, which will probably take years to develop.
Coronaviruses include a large variety of viruses — the common cold as well as those that caused Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). SARS and MERS sickened thousands of people around the world and caused hundreds of deaths.
It is too soon to tell how the new strain compares to coronaviruses that fueled the previous epidemics, experts said.
“I think that there are important unanswered questions about this outbreak,” said Anne W. Rimoin, an epidemiologist at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and director of the UCLA Center for Global and Immigrant Health. “We don’t know how easily people transmit the virus or how ill it can make otherwise healthy people. We just don’t know the true risks posed by this new virus, and these are the questions that will need to be answered.”
As of Friday, 18 people between the ages of 3 and 58 had been tested for the virus in California, according to the state Department of Public Health. They included a traveler who arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on a flight from Mexico City and was taken to a hospital early Thursday for an evaluation.
L.A. County public health officials could not confirm whether the Mexico City traveler was the same one with the virus.
“We’re working very closely with LAX, we have staff stationed at the quarantine station,” said Dr. Sharon Balter, director of the L.A. County Public Health Department’s Acute Communicable Disease Control program. “All travelers who are arriving from China are being screened…. [LAX officials] call us immediately if they think anybody needs to be tested and then they work with our staff … to get them to a hospital that’s appropriate to test them, and everything went as one would expect in this case.”
Dr. Sonia Angell, director of the California Department of Public Health, said in a statement Sunday that the immediate health risk to the general public in California is low, but “the California Department of Public Health has been preparing for this situation by working closely with local health departments and health care providers.”
Healthcare workers who treat anyone with this kind of infectious disease should make sure they wash their hands after contact and consider wearing protective eye gear, officials said.
At Orange County Global Medical Center and Regional Trauma Center, patients who come in with respiratory symptoms are given masks, and an infectious disease specialist regularly consults with the staff to provide education about what to look for when performing triage, said Dr. Vu Huynh, medical director of emergency services.
If a patient is suspected to be infected with coronavirus, staffers have been instructed to quarantine them in an isolated room and contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention so a special series of tests can be performed, Huynh said. So far, the hospital has had one patient tested, and the results came back negative, he said.
Still, the staff is prepared to see more cases of the virus.
“There could have been a lot of cases that weren’t caught at the beginning, and maybe those patients traveled,” Huynh said. “With Southern California being a multicultural area, I think there’s more risk.”
Though the U.S. has not seen a major outbreak, the virus has spread widely across Asia in the last month.
China’s health minister said the country was entering a “crucial stage” as “it seems like the ability of the virus to spread is getting stronger.”
As the spread of the virus continued to accelerate and fears intensified, two of Hong Kong’s biggest attractions, Hong Kong Disneyland and Ocean Park, announced they were closing for the time being.
The Asian Football Confederation said it was moving an Olympic qualifying event scheduled to start Feb. 3 from Nanjing to Sydney, Australia, and the International Tennis Federation moved a regional Fed Cup qualifying event from Dongguan to Kazakhstan next month.
Beijing said it would delay the start of classes for all schools, from kindergarten to universities, until after the Lunar New Year holiday ends this week.
In the Hong Kong suburb of Fanling, protesters set fire to the lobby of a building in an unoccupied public housing complex where officials had proposed quarantining suspected coronavirus cases. The fire was extinguished, and no major damage was reported.
Also on Sunday, Chinese authorities announced a temporary ban on the trade of wild animals and warned the public against eating wild animal meat. No wildlife can be transported or sold in any markets or online, according to text of the announcement in state media, and officials said they will “severely investigate and punish” violators.
The pneumonia-like illnesses from the newly identified coronavirus first appeared last month in Wuhan, where most of the early victims said they had visited a large seafood and live animal market. Other cases have been reported in Japan, South Korea and Thailand. Singapore, Vietnam and Hong Kong reported their first cases Thursday.
The U.S. State Department announced Sunday morning that it will relocate personnel at the U.S. Consulate General in Wuhan to the U.S. via a single flight Tuesday from Wuhan to San Francisco. There is limited space for private American citizens on the flight, officials said. “Capacity is extremely limited; priority will be given to individuals at greater risk from coronavirus,” the State Department said in a news statement.
Canada reported its first case Saturday in Toronto. Officials said the man is in his 50s and recently flew from Wuhan to Guangzhou, China, and then on to Toronto on Thursday.
The first coronavirus cases in Europe have also been confirmed, with three patients being treated in French hospitals. All three had recently traveled to China; they were reportedly doing well, according to officials.
The CDC is screening passengers on direct and connecting flights from Wuhan at five major airports in Atlanta, Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Experts say that the U.S. is well equipped to deal with any possible outbreak and that it’s important to remain calm.
“Fear spreads a lot faster than the virus itself,” Rimoin said. “We need to make sure that people do not have undue worry. We have a good public health system in place, and we’ve been preparing for this.”
Times staff writers Emily Baumgaertner in Los Angeles and Cindy Chang in Beijing, contributed to this report. The Associated Press was used in compiling this report.


latimes--2020-01-26--Kobe Bryant mural becomes a shrine to fans mourning his death

Dozens of people stopped to stare up at a mural of Kobe Bryant on the side of the Shoe Palace on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles .
On the side of the mural were the words “ on 4.13 Kobe played his final game ... this tribute has 413 triangles.
” Since the news broke , visitors papered the purple wall with yellow post it notes that read , “ Kobe you were king of LA and legend of basketball R.I.P .
bro , ” “ thx Kobe for everything you are LA , ” and “ thank you mamba @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a champion.
” Daryl Vaskerville added a single red rose and three candles to the growing memorial for Bryant .
There was a bouquet of flowers , black and gold Nike shoes and people growing emotional in Bryant jerseys .
The Times is offering coverage of Kobe Bryant ’ s death for free today .
Please consider a subscription to support our journalism .
“ He described in depth what it meant to be a champion , ” Vaskerville said They came decked out in Lakers jackets , purple beanies and Lakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lay flowers at the mural of Kobe Bryant , mouth open wide and a basketball in his left hand , and lit candles that flickered in the breeze .
One of the candles had a gold “ 8 ” on it .
A Shoe Palace employee handed out Post-it notes and pens for people to fill out and stick to the wall .
Jaxon Brown , 17 , left a pair of gold and black Nikes he always has worn for volleyball practice .
“ I wanted to leave them here in honor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Kobe was like my hero growing up.
” Many people snapped photos either in front of the mural or from across the street , where some sat along the curb , their faces in their hands as they watched the crowd continue to grow .
They traveled from Sherman Oaks , or decided to use their 15-minute work break to walk over to the mural and pay their respects .
“ It don ’ t seem real , ” said Shon Benjamin , who grew up in Inglewood .
“ That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s many memories of him in my living room and his jersey on my body , ” he said .
“ He was the hero of L.A. ” The 44-year-old heard the news from his co-workers and thought it was fake .
He left work on his work break to come to the mural .
“ Everybody is taking their break to come over here , ” he said .
His 21-year-old son , he said , was at home “ in tears , in a puddle.
” “ That ’ s his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , ” he said .
Those gathered spoke in English , Spanish and a range of languages .
Benjamin gestured around the dozens standing beside him .
“ Look around you , look at all the different people , the different walks of life that he influenced , ” Benjamin said .
“ Man , man , ” he said , his voice trailing off .
“ Black Mamba forever , ” Benjamin said as he stared up at the mural .
Vaskerville said he came to pay his respects .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Season 1 , one of my favorite players , ” he said .
Vakserville heard about the mural and decided to join the throng of visitors .
He predicted that many more murals would spring up .
“ I ’ m pretty sure there ’ ll be more , ” he said .
“ This is not a small situation , this is a very big deal .
”

A man in a Lakers jersey pays tribute to Kobe Bryant at the Shoe Palace mural in Los Angeles.
Dozens of people stopped to stare up at a mural of Kobe Bryant on the side of the Shoe Palace on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.
On the side of the mural were the words “on 4.13 Kobe played his final game ... this tribute has 413 triangles.”
Since the news broke, visitors papered the purple wall with yellow post it notes that read, “Kobe you were king of LA and legend of basketball R.I.P. bro,” “thx Kobe for everything you are LA,” and “thank you mamba for showing us what it means to be a champion.”
Daryl Vaskerville added a single red rose and three candles to the growing memorial for Bryant. There was a bouquet of flowers, black and gold Nike shoes and people growing emotional in Bryant jerseys.
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“He described in depth what it meant to be a champion,” Vaskerville said
They came decked out in Lakers jackets, purple beanies and Lakers purple and gold pajama bottoms.
Angelenos lay flowers at the mural of Kobe Bryant, mouth open wide and a basketball in his left hand, and lit candles that flickered in the breeze. One of the candles had a gold “8” on it.
A Shoe Palace employee handed out Post-it notes and pens for people to fill out and stick to the wall.
Someone filled a Nike shoe with flowers.
Jaxon Brown, 17, left a pair of gold and black Nikes he always has worn for volleyball practice.
“I wanted to leave them here in honor of him,” he said. “Kobe was like my hero growing up.”
Many people snapped photos either in front of the mural or from across the street, where some sat along the curb, their faces in their hands as they watched the crowd continue to grow.
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They traveled from Sherman Oaks, or decided to use their 15-minute work break to walk over to the mural and pay their respects.
“Greatest Laker ever,” someone shouted out.
“It don’t seem real,” said Shon Benjamin, who grew up in Inglewood. “That’s our Michael Jordan. There’s many memories of him in my living room and his jersey on my body,” he said. “He was the hero of L.A.”
“Michael Jordan made it a business, Kobe made it a passion.”
The 44-year-old heard the news from his co-workers and thought it was fake. He left work on his work break to come to the mural.
“Everybody is taking their break to come over here,” he said.
His 21-year-old son, he said, was at home “in tears, in a puddle.”
“That’s his hero, his favorite player of all time,” he said.
Those gathered spoke in English, Spanish and a range of languages. Benjamin gestured around the dozens standing beside him.
“Look around you, look at all the different people, the different walks of life that he influenced,” Benjamin said.
“Man, man,” he said, his voice trailing off.
“Black Mamba forever,” Benjamin said as he stared up at the mural.
Vaskerville said he came to pay his respects.
“I’ve been watching him since Season 1, one of my favorite players,” he said. Vakserville heard about the mural and decided to join the throng of visitors.
He predicted that many more murals would spring up.
“I’m pretty sure there’ll be more,” he said.
“This is not a small situation, this is a very big deal.”