latimes--2020-08-25--Lobbyist agrees to plea deal in L.A. City Hall corruption case

Longtime lobbyist and former Los Angeles City Hall official Morrie Goldman on Tuesday became the latest figure to fall in an ongoing pay-to-play investigation , agreeing to plead guilty to a charge that he conspired with Councilman Jose Huizar in a bribery scheme .
Federal prosecutors say that Goldman , 57 , was part of a ploy in which one of his clients , a real estate developer seeking city approval for an Arts District complex , agreed to give tens of thousands of dollars to a political action committee in exchange for Huizar taking steps to help the project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Arts District tower as an example of the effect of the alleged bribery scheme : Huizar backed recommendations for that project to have a smaller share of affordable units than a city commission wanted , which provided an estimated $ 14 million in savings for the developer , according to the charging documents .
The U.S. attorney ’ s office announced that Goldman had agreed to surrender in the case and make his first court appearance Sept. 23 .
He has agreed to plead guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The felony charge could lead to a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison .
Huizar was arrested and charged in June , leading to his suspension from the City Council .
He has since pleaded not guilty to dozens of charges including bribery , money laundering and mail fraud .
Steve Meister , an attorney representing Goldman , called the case “ a cautionary tale , ” describing the longtime lobbyist as “ a person of integrity with a previously unblemished record.
” “ He allowed himself to become part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and he ended up participating in things that he never would have imagined doing , ” Meister said .
“ But he is reclaiming the moral ground that he ceded to Jose Huizar.
” Meister said Goldman would continue to cooperate in the investigation and “ is going to do everything that he lawfully can , for as long as it takes , to make things right.
” Under the terms of the plea deal , if prosecutors determine Goldman has provided significant help , they will ask the judge for added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filed Tuesday by prosecutors indicated that Goldman had entered into an earlier agreement with them Nov. 15 , 2018 — roughly a week after the FBI raids targeting Huizar .
In the charging documents the government filed against Goldman , prosecutors detailed what they allege were years of careful plotting by Goldman and Huizar to pressure real estate developers to contribute to a political action committee that Huizar would use to help get his wife elected to his council seat as he neared term limits .
Richelle Huizar , the wife of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the FBI raided the Huizars ’ home and the councilman ’ s offices in 2018 .
Goldman is listed in state records as a principal officer with Families for a Better Los Angeles , a committee that was described to donors as a way to support Richelle Huizar in her planned 2020 run for council .
Prosecutors alleged that in a May 2017 call between Goldman and Huizar aide George Esparza , Goldman spelled out the plan to create a political fund that on paper would be independent from Huizar and would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but in reality would be used chiefly to assist Richelle Huizar as she ran for the council seat .
“ You and I can run [ the PAC ] .
But we need someone who can be the face of it , ” to conceal Huizar ’ s involvement , Goldman told Esparza , according to the charging documents filed by prosecutors .
As plans for the fund progressed , Goldman continued to press Huizar to find someone loyal to him to be the nominal head of the fund , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dissuaded the councilman from letting Justin Kim , a political fundraiser who has since pleaded guilty in the corruption case , find someone to front the fund .
Huizar said he initially thought it would be “ cool ” because it would appear that the committee was more distant from him if the frontman were “ some random Korean , ” but agreed it would be too risky , reasoning that if he had a “ falling out ” with Kim , he ’ d be powerless to wrest control of the money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Goldman replied , “ I mean , in an ideal world , I mean , we ’ re all friends , we ’ re all loyal , but you know , things happen .
I just want to make sure you ’ re protected.
” As they worked out the plans for the political committee , Goldman also kept an eye on the needs of his lobbying clients , according to the charging documents .
During one phone call about political donations , Goldman told Esparza he needed the city to help with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of his developer clients , prosecutors wrote .
“ I like this client .
They pay me a lot of money , ” Goldman said , according to the charging documents .
Huizar , Goldman and a Huizar associate who has not been named by prosecutors soon began meeting every other week to discuss their progress wrangling donations for the committee , the charging documents state .
The councilman provided a “ fundraising plan ” that listed potential donors and who was responsible for landing them , prosecutors allege .
Goldman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential donors — including developers with projects pending at City Hall — to bring in $ 275,000 , according to the court filings .
Huizar was responsible for a dozen targets that could bring in $ 680,000 .
Prosecutors zeroed in specifically on donations from one company that retained Goldman as a lobbyist .
Its Arts District project has not been identified by name in court , but details in the criminal complaint against Huizar make clear that it is 520 Mateo , a 35-story tower pursued by Carmel Partners .
Huizar supported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups and neighbors who lodged appeals .
The councilman told Goldman that opposing a labor union could hurt the upcoming campaign for his wife , so the developer “ would have to make it worthwhile , ” according to the charging documents filed by prosecutors .
The U.S. attorney ’ s office said Tuesday that over the course of roughly two years , the developer agreed to $ 150,000 in political donations to committees favored by Huizar , but ended up providing only $ 75,000 after the final payments were derailed by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and offices .
The pledged money included a $ 50,000 commitment to the committee supporting Richelle Huizar , which the councilman agreed to in exchange for approving the project over union objections , prosecutors said in the charging documents .
Carmel Partners did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment .
In a previous statement , the San Francisco company said that members of its executive and management committees did not knowingly participate in any pay-to-play scheme .
The company also said that its political donations were legal and argued that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was approved .
At the time , Carmel Partners also announced it had put one of its executives on leave and said it was exploring legal action against the lobbyist it relied on for the Arts District project , stating that the criminal complaint against Huizar revealed the unnamed lobbyist was “ deceptive ” in his advice .
Goldman is the sixth defendant to be charged in the ongoing investigation , which has also netted guilty pleas from Esparza , former Councilman Mitchell Englander , and other figures active in real estate and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firm in 2004 , Goldman worked as a high-level aide to former Los Angeles City Councilmen Mike Hernandez and Hal Bernson .
As a lobbyist , Goldman has represented companies developing some of the biggest projects in Huizar ’ s district , including the $ 1-billion Grand Avenue complex across from Walt Disney Concert Hall and the 6 AM project , which seeks to bring two 58-story skyscrapers to 6th and Alameda streets .
His firm has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for city politicians .

Longtime lobbyist and former Los Angeles City Hall official Morrie Goldman has agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to commit bribery and honest services mail fraud.
Longtime lobbyist and former Los Angeles City Hall official Morrie Goldman on Tuesday became the latest figure to fall in an ongoing pay-to-play investigation, agreeing to plead guilty to a charge that he conspired with Councilman Jose Huizar in a bribery scheme.
Federal prosecutors say that Goldman, 57, was part of a ploy in which one of his clients, a real estate developer seeking city approval for an Arts District complex, agreed to give tens of thousands of dollars to a political action committee in exchange for Huizar taking steps to help the project.
Prosecutors in the case have described the Arts District tower as an example of the effect of the alleged bribery scheme: Huizar backed recommendations for that project to have a smaller share of affordable units than a city commission wanted, which provided an estimated $14 million in savings for the developer, according to the charging documents.
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The U.S. attorney’s office announced that Goldman had agreed to surrender in the case and make his first court appearance Sept. 23. He has agreed to plead guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit bribery and honest services mail fraud. The felony charge could lead to a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
Huizar was arrested and charged in June, leading to his suspension from the City Council. He has since pleaded not guilty to dozens of charges including bribery, money laundering and mail fraud.
Allegations against Morrie Goldman Allegations filed by U.S. Attorney regarding Morrie Goldman
Steve Meister, an attorney representing Goldman, called the case “a cautionary tale,” describing the longtime lobbyist as “a person of integrity with a previously unblemished record.”
“He allowed himself to become part of the orbit of a very corrupt man, and he ended up participating in things that he never would have imagined doing,” Meister said. “But he is reclaiming the moral ground that he ceded to Jose Huizar.”
Meister said Goldman would continue to cooperate in the investigation and “is going to do everything that he lawfully can, for as long as it takes, to make things right.”
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Under the terms of the plea deal, if prosecutors determine Goldman has provided significant help, they will ask the judge for added leniency during sentencing. The plea agreement filed Tuesday by prosecutors indicated that Goldman had entered into an earlier agreement with them Nov. 15, 2018 — roughly a week after the FBI raids targeting Huizar.
In the charging documents the government filed against Goldman, prosecutors detailed what they allege were years of careful plotting by Goldman and Huizar to pressure real estate developers to contribute to a political action committee that Huizar would use to help get his wife elected to his council seat as he neared term limits.
Richelle Huizar, the wife of the councilman, ran briefly for his seat before the FBI raided the Huizars’ home and the councilman’s offices in 2018. Goldman is listed in state records as a principal officer with Families for a Better Los Angeles, a committee that was described to donors as a way to support Richelle Huizar in her planned 2020 run for council.
Prosecutors alleged that in a May 2017 call between Goldman and Huizar aide George Esparza, Goldman spelled out the plan to create a political fund that on paper would be independent from Huizar and would raise money for a variety of issues, but in reality would be used chiefly to assist Richelle Huizar as she ran for the council seat.
“You and I can run [the PAC]. But we need someone who can be the face of it,” to conceal Huizar’s involvement, Goldman told Esparza, according to the charging documents filed by prosecutors.
Morrie Goldman Plea Agreement Morrie Goldman Plea Agreement
As plans for the fund progressed, Goldman continued to press Huizar to find someone loyal to him to be the nominal head of the fund, according to prosecutors. At one point, Goldman dissuaded the councilman from letting Justin Kim, a political fundraiser who has since pleaded guilty in the corruption case, find someone to front the fund.
Huizar said he initially thought it would be “cool” because it would appear that the committee was more distant from him if the frontman were “some random Korean,” but agreed it would be too risky, reasoning that if he had a “falling out” with Kim, he’d be powerless to wrest control of the money, according to the charging documents.
Goldman replied, “I mean, in an ideal world, I mean, we’re all friends, we’re all loyal, but you know, things happen. I just want to make sure you’re protected.”
As they worked out the plans for the political committee, Goldman also kept an eye on the needs of his lobbying clients, according to the charging documents. During one phone call about political donations, Goldman told Esparza he needed the city to help with a digital billboard ordinance that would affect one of his developer clients, prosecutors wrote.
“I like this client. They pay me a lot of money,” Goldman said, according to the charging documents.
Huizar, Goldman and a Huizar associate who has not been named by prosecutors soon began meeting every other week to discuss their progress wrangling donations for the committee, the charging documents state. The councilman provided a “fundraising plan” that listed potential donors and who was responsible for landing them, prosecutors allege.
Goldman, for example, was assigned to eight potential donors — including developers with projects pending at City Hall — to bring in $275,000, according to the court filings. Huizar was responsible for a dozen targets that could bring in $680,000.
Prosecutors zeroed in specifically on donations from one company that retained Goldman as a lobbyist. Its Arts District project has not been identified by name in court, but details in the criminal complaint against Huizar make clear that it is 520 Mateo, a 35-story tower pursued by Carmel Partners.
Huizar supported the development over the objections of labor groups and neighbors who lodged appeals. The councilman told Goldman that opposing a labor union could hurt the upcoming campaign for his wife, so the developer “would have to make it worthwhile,” according to the charging documents filed by prosecutors.
The U.S. attorney’s office said Tuesday that over the course of roughly two years, the developer agreed to $150,000 in political donations to committees favored by Huizar, but ended up providing only $75,000 after the final payments were derailed by the FBI raids on Huizar’s home and offices.
The pledged money included a $50,000 commitment to the committee supporting Richelle Huizar, which the councilman agreed to in exchange for approving the project over union objections, prosecutors said in the charging documents.
Carmel Partners did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment. In a previous statement, the San Francisco company said that members of its executive and management committees did not knowingly participate in any pay-to-play scheme. The company also said that its political donations were legal and argued that they were not the reason the project was approved.
At the time, Carmel Partners also announced it had put one of its executives on leave and said it was exploring legal action against the lobbyist it relied on for the Arts District project, stating that the criminal complaint against Huizar revealed the unnamed lobbyist was “deceptive” in his advice.
Goldman is the sixth defendant to be charged in the ongoing investigation, which has also netted guilty pleas from Esparza, former Councilman Mitchell Englander, and other figures active in real estate and city politics.
Before opening his lobbying firm in 2004, Goldman worked as a high-level aide to former Los Angeles City Councilmen Mike Hernandez and Hal Bernson.
As a lobbyist, Goldman has represented companies developing some of the biggest projects in Huizar’s district, including the $1-billion Grand Avenue complex across from Walt Disney Concert Hall and the 6 AM project, which seeks to bring two 58-story skyscrapers to 6th and Alameda streets. His firm has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for city politicians.


latimes--2020-08-25--'Significant progress' as weather helps in battle against historic Northern California wildfires

Favorable weather conditions gave crews on the front lines of the historic firestorm in Northern California a boost , as officials reported scant overnight growth on two of the largest blazes the state has seen .
Although the progress is encouraging , the widespread wildfires continue to take a dramatic toll , and not just in terms of acres burned .
More than 136,000 people across the state have been evacuated from their homes , officials said Tuesday .
The fatalities among the fires stand at seven , including five who perished as a result of the LNU Lightning Complex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two in Solano County — and one in the CZU Lightning Complex fire burning in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties .
A pilot also died in Fresno County while on a water-dropping mission for the Hills fire .
Seven people also have been reported missing in the area of the CZU Lightning Complex , according to Santa Cruz County Sheriff ’ s Chief Deputy Chris Clark .
The SCU Lightning Complex Fire — which ranks the second-largest in California history — was 20 % contained as of Tuesday evening .
“ A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last 24 hours , ” said Cal Fire Operations Section Chief Tim Ernst .
“ We no longer see a threat of forward movement of the fire.
” About 1.25 million acres have burned in the last 10 days .
More than 1,400 structures have been destroyed in the recent firestorm , and “ our preliminary assessments indicate that number could rise in total to over 3,000 , ” according to Daniel Berlant , an information officer for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection .
“ There is nothing more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or not their home was able to survive the wildfire , and we ’ re trying to provide that information as quickly as possible , ” he said in a video briefing Tuesday .
Although not as large as some of the other blazes burning in the northern part of the state , the CZU Lightning Complex fire has been a major contributor to that destruction .
Officials said Tuesday that the fire had destroyed 443 structures , the majority in Santa Cruz County .
About 77,000 people have been evacuated .
Officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made great strides .
Containment of the more than 79,000-acre blaze is now at 18 % .
Authorities on Tuesday afternoon also lifted all remaining evacuation warnings in Santa Clara County and in an evening media briefing officials described the situation as looking much more positive than last week .
“ The past couple of days , we ’ ve seen significant progress in our firefight on this incident , ” Cal Fire Operations Chief Mark Brunton said during a briefing earlier in the day .
“ The weather has really cooperated with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a trickle of resources in .
As soon as we ’ re getting those resources , we ’ re putting them to work.
” Forecasters had expressed concern Sunday about a weather system , which was off Central California and moving toward the Monterey area , that had the potential to generate thunderstorms .
Bay Area forecasters said Monday , though , that most of the moisture had moved north , spurring the early cancellation of a red-flag warning there as well as along the northern Central Coast .
Red-flag warnings — which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected — had been lifted for all but the northeastern corner of the state as of Tuesday morning .
The city of Santa Cruz and the campus of UC Santa Cruz are also “ looking very well-protected , ” Brunton added , “ and with our expected weather , we ’ re not very concerned with any further push there.
” Authorities ordered the campus to evacuate last week as the fire danger grew .
“ There is no fire activity on campus or in the city of Santa Cruz , and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been taken in an abundance of caution , ” university officials wrote in an update Tuesday morning .
“ We have never seen fire like this in the recent history that we have any records for , ” he said Tuesday .
“ This fuel is very receptive due to drought conditions , so any changes in the weather , though we have good predicted weather for the future , could change that environment.
” Crews also reported progress in containment of the LNU Lightning Complex fire , which at more than 356,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history .
Officials reported that only about 1,100 additional acres had burned from Monday night to Tuesday morning , and the fire is now 27 % contained .
The blaze , burning in Napa , Sonoma , Lake , Solano , Yolo and Colusa counties , had destroyed 937 homes and other buildings as of Tuesday morning .
In a sign of the progress firefighters have made recently , the Sonoma County Sheriff ’ s Office on Tuesday lifted a number of evacuation orders and warnings on the Sonoma Coast , east of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ River , as well as in Windsor and the city of Healdsburg .
Some evacuation orders that had been issued in Napa County also were downgraded to warnings .
While trending in the right direction , Cal Fire Unit Chief Shana Jones said the incident remains “ very dynamic , ” with active fire in some areas and others that “ are in mop-up and control.
” She also cautioned that “ once this fire is done , we still have a very long time to go.
” “ We are in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means that you need to have a plan ; you need to be prepared , ” she said during a briefing Tuesday .
Firefighters also saw relatively modest growth overnight of the 365,772-acre SCU Lightning Complex fire , with about 3,700 additional acres burned .
“ We are essentially living in a mega-fire era , ” Jake Hess , a Cal Fire unit chief , said at a news conference Monday .
“ We have folks who have been working for Cal Fire for the last five years , and that is all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they started.
” The SCU Lightning Complex , which spans seven counties , began as a collection of about 20 blazes in areas of Contra Costa , Alameda , Santa Clara , Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties and by Sunday had merged into two conflagrations .
Eighteen structures have been destroyed .
On Tuesday evening , officials had reduced several evacuation orders in Alameda and Santa Clara counties to warnings , and lifted some warnings .
“ We will roll back the orders and the warnings as soon as we know that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repopulate , ” he said .
As of Monday , crews were battling 625 fires statewide , according to Gov .
Gavin Newsom .
Many of those are the result of what officials have described as a “ lightning siege ” that began Aug. 15 .
There have been more than 13,000 lightning strikes statewide since that date , according to Cal Fire .
So far this year , firefighters have responded to 7,002 fires that have scorched a combined 1.4 million acres , he said .
That ’ s more than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
By comparison , at this time last year there had been 4,292 fires that had consumed about 56,000 acres .
Newsom called this week critical “ as it relates to addressing and suppressing these wildfires ” and said the state was “ deploying every resource at our disposal.
” The sudden rash of wildfires sparked during the lightning siege stretched resources .
However , California has since augmented its arsenal , thanks to pledges of equipment and personnel from other agencies — including 91 fire engines from Arizona , Idaho , New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Washington .
Additional resources also can be freed up as crews get a better handle on some of the state ’ s longer-burning blazes .
Officials on Tuesday lifted all remaining evacuations that were implemented because of the Lake fire , which ignited in Los Angeles County near Lake Hughes on Aug. 12 .
That fire has burned 31,089 acres and is now 70 % contained .
Containment also has increased for two fires south of Salinas in Monterey County .
The River fire , which has burned 48,424 acres , was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; while the 6,695-acre Carmel fire was 40 % contained .
But a number of other sizable fires continue to chew up parts of California .
Among those are the W-5 Cold Springs fire in Lassen County , which was 65,000 acres and 15 % contained as of Tuesday evening .
The Sheep fire has burned 27,411 acres southwest of Susanville in Plumas County , with 3 % containment .
Times staff writers Rong-Gong Lin II , Maura Dolan and Susanne Rust contributed to this report .

The phrase “Vaca Strong” is seen on a burnt out hillside along Pleasants Valley Road where the LNU Lightning complex fire tore through in Vacaville.
Favorable weather conditions gave crews on the front lines of the historic firestorm in Northern California a boost, as officials reported scant overnight growth on two of the largest blazes the state has seen.
Although the progress is encouraging, the widespread wildfires continue to take a dramatic toll, and not just in terms of acres burned.
More than 136,000 people across the state have been evacuated from their homes, officials said Tuesday.
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The fatalities among the fires stand at seven, including five who perished as a result of the LNU Lightning Complex fire — three in Napa County and two in Solano County — and one in the CZU Lightning Complex fire burning in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties. A pilot also died in a helicopter crash in Fresno County while on a water-dropping mission for the Hills fire.
Seven people also have been reported missing in the area of the CZU Lightning Complex, according to Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Chris Clark.
The SCU Lightning Complex Fire — which ranks the second-largest in California history — was 20% contained as of Tuesday evening.
“A lot of good work has happened in the last 24 hours,” said Cal Fire Operations Section Chief Tim Ernst. “We no longer see a threat of forward movement of the fire.”
About 1.25 million acres have burned in the last 10 days. More than 1,400 structures have been destroyed in the recent firestorm, and “our preliminary assessments indicate that number could rise in total to over 3,000,” according to Daniel Berlant, an information officer for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
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“There is nothing more stressful for evacuees than to know whether or not their home was able to survive the wildfire, and we’re trying to provide that information as quickly as possible,” he said in a video briefing Tuesday.
Although not as large as some of the other blazes burning in the northern part of the state, the CZU Lightning Complex fire has been a major contributor to that destruction. Officials said Tuesday that the fire had destroyed 443 structures, the majority in Santa Cruz County. About 77,000 people have been evacuated.
Officials noted, however, they’d made great strides. Containment of the more than 79,000-acre blaze is now at 18%. Authorities on Tuesday afternoon also lifted all remaining evacuation warnings in Santa Clara County and in an evening media briefing officials described the situation as looking much more positive than last week.
“The past couple of days, we’ve seen significant progress in our firefight on this incident,” Cal Fire Operations Chief Mark Brunton said during a briefing earlier in the day. “The weather has really cooperated with us. We’re steadily getting a trickle of resources in. As soon as we’re getting those resources, we’re putting them to work.”
Forecasters had expressed concern Sunday about a weather system, which was off Central California and moving toward the Monterey area, that had the potential to generate thunderstorms. Bay Area forecasters said Monday, though, that most of the moisture had moved north, spurring the early cancellation of a red-flag warning there as well as along the northern Central Coast.
Red-flag warnings — which indicate that dangerous fire weather conditions are expected — had been lifted for all but the northeastern corner of the state as of Tuesday morning.
The city of Santa Cruz and the campus of UC Santa Cruz are also “looking very well-protected,” Brunton added, “and with our expected weather, we’re not very concerned with any further push there.”
Authorities ordered the campus to evacuate last week as the fire danger grew.
“There is no fire activity on campus or in the city of Santa Cruz, and we hope that all the campus actions have been taken in an abundance of caution,” university officials wrote in an update Tuesday morning.
Ian Larkin, unit chief for Cal Fire’s San Mateo Santa Cruz Unit, called the fire a “historic event.”
“We have never seen fire like this in the recent history that we have any records for,” he said Tuesday. “This fuel is very receptive due to drought conditions, so any changes in the weather, though we have good predicted weather for the future, could change that environment.”
Crews also reported progress in containment of the LNU Lightning Complex fire, which at more than 356,000 acres is the third-largest blaze in California history. Officials reported that only about 1,100 additional acres had burned from Monday night to Tuesday morning, and the fire is now 27% contained.
The blaze, burning in Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Solano, Yolo and Colusa counties, had destroyed 937 homes and other buildings as of Tuesday morning.
In a sign of the progress firefighters have made recently, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday lifted a number of evacuation orders and warnings on the Sonoma Coast, east of Dry Creek and south of the Russian River, as well as in Windsor and the city of Healdsburg.
Some evacuation orders that had been issued in Napa County also were downgraded to warnings.
While trending in the right direction, Cal Fire Unit Chief Shana Jones said the incident remains “very dynamic,” with active fire in some areas and others that “are in mop-up and control.”
She also cautioned that “once this fire is done, we still have a very long time to go.”
“We are in the middle of peak fire season. That means that you need to have a plan; you need to be prepared,” she said during a briefing Tuesday.
Firefighters also saw relatively modest growth overnight of the 365,772-acre SCU Lightning Complex fire, with about 3,700 additional acres burned.
“We are essentially living in a mega-fire era,” Jake Hess, a Cal Fire unit chief, said at a news conference Monday. “We have folks who have been working for Cal Fire for the last five years, and that is all they understand, mega fires, since they started.”
The SCU Lightning Complex, which spans seven counties, began as a collection of about 20 blazes in areas of Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties and by Sunday had merged into two conflagrations.
Eighteen structures have been destroyed. On Tuesday evening, officials had reduced several evacuation orders in Alameda and Santa Clara counties to warnings, and lifted some warnings.
Fremont Fire Chief Curtis Jacobson asked residents to be patient.
“We will roll back the orders and the warnings as soon as we know that it’s safe for you guys to repopulate,” he said.
As of Monday, crews were battling 625 fires statewide, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Many of those are the result of what officials have described as a “lightning siege” that began Aug. 15. There have been more than 13,000 lightning strikes statewide since that date, according to Cal Fire.
So far this year, firefighters have responded to 7,002 fires that have scorched a combined 1.4 million acres, he said. That’s more than the land area of the state of Delaware.
By comparison, at this time last year there had been 4,292 fires that had consumed about 56,000 acres.
Newsom called this week critical “as it relates to addressing and suppressing these wildfires” and said the state was “deploying every resource at our disposal.”
Statewide fire map for Tuesday, August 25. We are grateful for the tireless work being done throughout California to try to suppress these fires. pic.twitter.com/x6fHmLXZyz — Cal OES (@Cal_OES) August 25, 2020
The sudden rash of wildfires sparked during the lightning siege stretched resources. However, California has since augmented its arsenal, thanks to pledges of equipment and personnel from other agencies — including 91 fire engines from Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, Texas, Oregon, Utah and Washington.
Additional resources also can be freed up as crews get a better handle on some of the state’s longer-burning blazes.
Officials on Tuesday lifted all remaining evacuations that were implemented because of the Lake fire, which ignited in Los Angeles County near Lake Hughes on Aug. 12. That fire has burned 31,089 acres and is now 70% contained.
Containment also has increased for two fires south of Salinas in Monterey County. The River fire, which has burned 48,424 acres, was 43% contained as of Tuesday evening; while the 6,695-acre Carmel fire was 40% contained.
But a number of other sizable fires continue to chew up parts of California.
Among those are the W-5 Cold Springs fire in Lassen County, which was 65,000 acres and 15% contained as of Tuesday evening.
The Sheep fire has burned 27,411 acres southwest of Susanville in Plumas County, with 3% containment.
Times staff writers Rong-Gong Lin II, Maura Dolan and Susanne Rust contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-08-25--Island Express sues air traffic controllers in Kobe Bryant crash

The embattled charter company that operated a helicopter that crashed in January , killing Kobe Bryant , his daughter Gianna and seven others , has blamed two air traffic controllers for the accident .
In a cross-complaint filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court last week , Island Express Helicopters and Island Express Holding Corp. alleged that “ a series of erroneous acts and/or omissions ” by the controllers resulted in the crash .
The controllers work for the Federal Aviation Administration ’ s Southern California TRACON , which handles flights in the region .
“ Had [ the controllers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acts and/or omissions stated herein , then the Pilot [ Ara Zobayan ] would not have been forced to respond to multiple [ air traffic control ] requests and commands during the most critical phase of the flight , ” the cross-complaint said .
An FAA spokesman said Tuesday the agency doesn ’ t comment on pending litigation .
The Sikorsky S-76B slammed into a fog-shrouded hillside in Calabasas on Jan. 26 en route to a youth basketball game .
According to a transcript of Zobayan ’ s communication with air traffic controllers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in June , the pilot said at 9:44 a.m. he planned to climb above the layer of clouds west of Van Nuys .
“ Uh , we climbing to 4,000 , ” Zobayan said .
“ And then what are you gon na do when you get to altitude ?
” the controller asked .
There wasn ’ t any response .
Though Zobayan said the helicopter was climbing , the NTSB ’ s aircraft performance study said it was actually descending .
The pilot “ could have misperceived both pitch and roll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spatial disorientation.
” The NTSB ’ s investigation of the crash is ongoing .
The agency hasn ’ t released “ probable cause determinations ” or similar findings .
Four wrongful death lawsuits have been filed against Island Express in connection with the crash , including by Kobe ’ s widow , Vanessa Bryant .
Her lead attorney didn ’ t immediately respond to a request for comment .
The cross-complaint by Island Express accuses one of the controllers of not properly terminating radar services , leading the pilot to believe “ he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flight following ” and that air traffic controllers “ would have warned him of unsafe proximity to terrain.
” The filing singles out air traffic control communication with Zobayan during the final minutes of the flight .
“ These errors were compounded by [ one of the controllers ] monopolizing the Pilot ’ s attention during the critical phase of the flight by making multiple radio calls , requiring transponder ident , and requesting the Pilot to state where he was and what his intentions were , ” the cross-complaint said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and distraction significantly impacted the Pilot ’ s ability to fly the aircraft.
” The cross-complaint speculates that Zobayan experienced “ an illusion that is created when a pilot has been in a turn long enough for the fluid in the ear canal to move at the same speed as the canal … creating the illusion of turning or accelerating on an entirely different axis.
” “ The disoriented pilot may maneuver the aircraft into a dangerous altitude to correct the aircraft ’ s perceived altitude , ” the cross-complaint said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a declaration that the cross-defendants are “ obligated to defend and indemnify ” Island Express .
Attorneys for Zobayan ’ s estate , which is a defendant in Vanessa Bryant ’ s suit , previously blamed the helicopter ’ s passengers for the accident in a court filing .
“ Any injuries or damages to plaintiffs and/or their decedent were directly caused in full or in part by the negligence or fault of plaintiffs and/or their decedent , including their knowing and voluntary encounter with the risks involved , and that this negligence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purported damages , for which this answering defendant bears no responsibility , ” the estate ’ s answer to Bryant ’ s lawsuit said .

Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among nine people on board who died when this Sikorsky, shown in 2019, crashed in a Calabasas mountain area Jan. 26.
The embattled charter company that operated a helicopter that crashed in January, killing Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others, has blamed two air traffic controllers for the accident.
In a cross-complaint filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court last week, Island Express Helicopters and Island Express Holding Corp. alleged that “a series of erroneous acts and/or omissions” by the controllers resulted in the crash.
The controllers work for the Federal Aviation Administration’s Southern California TRACON, which handles flights in the region.
“Had [the controllers] not engaged in the numerous negligent acts and/or omissions stated herein, then the Pilot [Ara Zobayan] would not have been forced to respond to multiple [air traffic control] requests and commands during the most critical phase of the flight,” the cross-complaint said.
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An FAA spokesman said Tuesday the agency doesn’t comment on pending litigation.
The Sikorsky S-76B slammed into a fog-shrouded hillside in Calabasas on Jan. 26 en route to a youth basketball game.
According to a transcript of Zobayan’s communication with air traffic controllers released by the National Transportation Safety Board in June, the pilot said at 9:44 a.m. he planned to climb above the layer of clouds west of Van Nuys.
“Uh, we climbing to 4,000,” Zobayan said.
“And then what are you gonna do when you get to altitude?” the controller asked.
There wasn’t any response.
Though Zobayan said the helicopter was climbing, the NTSB’s aircraft performance study said it was actually descending. The pilot “could have misperceived both pitch and roll angles” and been suffering from “spatial disorientation.”
The NTSB’s investigation of the crash is ongoing. The agency hasn’t released “probable cause determinations” or similar findings.
Four wrongful death lawsuits have been filed against Island Express in connection with the crash, including by Kobe’s widow, Vanessa Bryant. Her lead attorney didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
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The cross-complaint by Island Express accuses one of the controllers of not properly terminating radar services, leading the pilot to believe “he was still being surveilled and being provided flight following” and that air traffic controllers “would have warned him of unsafe proximity to terrain.”
The filing singles out air traffic control communication with Zobayan during the final minutes of the flight.
“These errors were compounded by [one of the controllers] monopolizing the Pilot’s attention during the critical phase of the flight by making multiple radio calls, requiring transponder ident, and requesting the Pilot to state where he was and what his intentions were,” the cross-complaint said. “The combination of increased stress, workload, and distraction significantly impacted the Pilot’s ability to fly the aircraft.”
The cross-complaint speculates that Zobayan experienced “an illusion that is created when a pilot has been in a turn long enough for the fluid in the ear canal to move at the same speed as the canal … creating the illusion of turning or accelerating on an entirely different axis.”
Sports Remembering Kobe Bryant on his birthday The Lakers, Dodgers and Sparks were among the teams, players and others to honor former Lakers star Kobe Bryant on what would have been his 42nd birthday.
“The disoriented pilot may maneuver the aircraft into a dangerous altitude to correct the aircraft’s perceived altitude,” the cross-complaint said.
Among other items, the filing seeks a declaration that the cross-defendants are “obligated to defend and indemnify” Island Express.
Attorneys for Zobayan’s estate, which is a defendant in Vanessa Bryant’s suit, previously blamed the helicopter’s passengers for the accident in a court filing.
“Any injuries or damages to plaintiffs and/or their decedent were directly caused in full or in part by the negligence or fault of plaintiffs and/or their decedent, including their knowing and voluntary encounter with the risks involved, and that this negligence was a substantial factor in causing their purported damages, for which this answering defendant bears no responsibility,” the estate’s answer to Bryant’s lawsuit said.


latimes--2020-08-25--Squaw Valley ski resort to drop 'squaw' from name

Calling it a derogatory and offensive term , the Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows ski resort near Lake Tahoe announced Tuesday that it planned to drop the word “ squaw ” from its name and adopt a different title next year .
The decision comes about a month after the Washington NFL franchise announced plans to drop its “ Redskins ” name and logo , the head of a Native American , after some pressure from major advertisers and decades of censure by tribal and civil rights groups .
The operators of the California ski resort said the decision to drop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research into the etymology and history of the term , ” along with discussions with Native American groups , including the local Washoe tribe .
Linguists and other experts on Native American languages describe “ squaw ” as a disparaging word for “ woman ” or “ wife.
” An official representative of the Washoe tribe could not be reached for comment Tuesday , but tribal member Helen Fillmore told local public radio station KUNR-FM ( 88.7 ) in July that the term makes her feel “ disrespected ” and “ terrible.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , what Fillmore hears is a barrage of slurs , she said .
“ All of a sudden people are asking if you ski and telling you about how they ’ re going to go ski , racial slur .
‘ Let ’ s go ski , racial slur , ’ ” she said .
“ People don ’ t even think twice about how that word is impacting the person they ’ re talking to.
” A wildlife refuge , a lake and several other outdoor features whose names once included the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , and the resort plans to add itself to the list .
“ While we love our local history and the memories we all associate with this place as it has been named for so long , we are confronted with the overwhelming evidence that the term ‘ squaw ’ is considered offensive , ” Ron Cohen , the resort ’ s president and chief operating officer , said in a statement .
“ We will find a new name that reflects our core values , storied past , and respect for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The resort said it will announce a new name in 2021 and begin to use it after the end of the next winter season .
Squaw Valley , which opened in 1949 , and nearby Alpine Meadows combined in 2011 under the parent company KSL Capital Partnersand the management company Squaw Valley Ski Holdings .
The resort , which hosted the Winter Olympics in 1960 , has also been known as Olympic Valley .

The operators of the California ski resort said the decision to drop “squaw” came after “extensive research into the etymology and history of the term,” along with discussions with Native American groups. Above, the Olympic rings at the Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows ski resort.
Calling it a derogatory and offensive term, the Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows ski resort near Lake Tahoe announced Tuesday that it planned to drop the word “squaw” from its name and adopt a different title next year.
The decision comes about a month after the Washington NFL franchise announced plans to drop its “Redskins” name and logo, the head of a Native American, after some pressure from major advertisers and decades of censure by tribal and civil rights groups.
The operators of the California ski resort said the decision to drop “squaw” came after “extensive research into the etymology and history of the term,” along with discussions with Native American groups, including the local Washoe tribe.
Linguists and other experts on Native American languages describe “squaw” as a disparaging word for “woman” or “wife.”
An official representative of the Washoe tribe could not be reached for comment Tuesday, but tribal member Helen Fillmore told local public radio station KUNR-FM (88.7) in July that the term makes her feel “disrespected” and “terrible.”
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When the resort is named in conversation, what Fillmore hears is a barrage of slurs, she said. “All of a sudden people are asking if you ski and telling you about how they’re going to go ski, racial slur. ‘Let’s go ski, racial slur,’” she said. “People don’t even think twice about how that word is impacting the person they’re talking to.”
A wildlife refuge, a lake and several other outdoor features whose names once included the word have received new monikers over the years, and the resort plans to add itself to the list.
“While we love our local history and the memories we all associate with this place as it has been named for so long, we are confronted with the overwhelming evidence that the term ‘squaw’ is considered offensive,” Ron Cohen, the resort’s president and chief operating officer, said in a statement. “We will find a new name that reflects our core values, storied past, and respect for all those who have enjoyed this land.”
The resort said it will announce a new name in 2021 and begin to use it after the end of the next winter season.
Squaw Valley, which opened in 1949, and nearby Alpine Meadows combined in 2011 under the parent company KSL Capital Partnersand the management company Squaw Valley Ski Holdings.
The resort, which hosted the Winter Olympics in 1960, has also been known as Olympic Valley.


latimes--2020-08-25--FBI assisting in search for L.A. firefighter missing in Mexico

The FBI is assisting Mexican authorities in the search for a Los Angeles firefighter who was reported by his family to have gone missing in Baja California last week under suspicious circumstances .
Francisco Aguilar , a 20-year veteran of the Los Angeles Fire Department , disappeared from his condo in Rosarito , according to family members who filed a missing persons report with Mexican authorities .
They said they went to check on him after he stopped communicating with them Friday and found his vehicle missing and the condo ransacked , KCAL-TV Channel 9 reported .
During a vigil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Montebello on Monday evening , family members said Aguilar , 48 , frequently visited his condo in the town south of Tijuana , the TV station reported .
“ We were on FaceTime the other day , and he was on the beach and just talking ... about how it was so much fun and this was a little taste of what retirement would be like for him , ” his daughter Amaris told the station .
“ I just pray with every fiber in my being that my father returns to us.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency has offered assistance but is not leading the investigation .
“ That ’ s their jurisdiction , ” Eimiller said Tuesday .
“ We have to defer to Mexican authorities.
” LAFD spokesman Peter Sanders said the department is also cooperating in the search for Aguilar , who was assigned to Station 44 in Cypress Park .

Family members gather for a vigil to pray for the safe return of Francisco Aguilar, a Los Angeles firefighter and Army veteran who disappeared last week in Mexico.
The FBI is assisting Mexican authorities in the search for a Los Angeles firefighter who was reported by his family to have gone missing in Baja California last week under suspicious circumstances.
Francisco Aguilar, a 20-year veteran of the Los Angeles Fire Department, disappeared from his condo in Rosarito, according to family members who filed a missing persons report with Mexican authorities. They said they went to check on him after he stopped communicating with them Friday and found his vehicle missing and the condo ransacked, KCAL-TV Channel 9 reported.
During a vigil at the family’s home in Montebello on Monday evening, family members said Aguilar, 48, frequently visited his condo in the town south of Tijuana, the TV station reported.
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“We were on FaceTime the other day, and he was on the beach and just talking ... about how it was so much fun and this was a little taste of what retirement would be like for him,” his daughter Amaris told the station. “I just pray with every fiber in my being that my father returns to us.”
FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said the agency has offered assistance but is not leading the investigation.
“That’s their jurisdiction,” Eimiller said Tuesday. “We have to defer to Mexican authorities.”
LAFD spokesman Peter Sanders said the department is also cooperating in the search for Aguilar, who was assigned to Station 44 in Cypress Park.


latimes--2020-08-25--The coronavirus gave them jobs — and a new lease on life

After 52 weeks of anger management , Mia Rogers found maintaining her inner peace easier than finding a job .
Her two-year probation had ended in February .
With her felony assault conviction reduced to a misdemeanor , the 23-year-old was just getting into the groove when the coronavirus shut everything down .
“ I had nowhere to look for work , ” she said .
After a couple of months living on the edge of homelessness , Rogers found her way to Chrysalis , the downtown nonprofit that prepares the hard-to-employ for work and finds them jobs .
Today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outgoing personality and has her thinking positively about the future .
By an odd twist , she owes it to the coronavirus .
Rogers is one of dozens of Chrysalis employees working at hotels and motels on lease to Los Angeles County to shelter homeless people who are at risk of complications from COVID-19 because of their age or medical conditions .
As the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority built staffs to run the 38 hotels that are now leased through Project Roomkey , it needed to fill a variety of jobs not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , case managers , nurses and dozens of people to tend to the guests ’ needs .
Their duties include going door-to-door to deliver three pre-packaged meals and two snacks daily , sanitizing , record-keeping , making sure guests wear masks and keep their distance and , importantly , maintaining a positive environment for fragile people who are isolated in their rooms for long hours every day .
Those assignments are mostly filled by Los Angeles city and county workers displaced from their regular jobs .
The city hired Chrysalis to supplement its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was a good fit for Chrysalis ’ transitional jobs program .
While preparing for permanent jobs , about 450 clients work for the agency .
They make a little above minimum wage and get job experience and something to put on their resumes .
Most are contracted to business improvement districts , which assess property owners in an area to supplement city services .
Easily identifiable in yellow , green and purple T-shirts that signify their district , they push brooms and trash cans picking up downtown ’ s detritus .
Others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , work with freeway road crews or tend the city ’ s homeless storage facilities .
Since Project Roomkey began , about 120 of Chrysalis ’ transitional workers have gone to work in hotels , and about 55 are currently on the job .
Rogers is one of 12 Chrysalis workers assigned to a 94-room hotel in the Fairfax district .
It ’ s the only one of the 38 Project Roomkey hotels that has a beefed-up nursing staff to function as a recuperative center for people who have active medical conditions that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipped for quarantine , so guests who test positive for COVID-19 are moved to other sites for isolation .
( The Times is withholding the identity of the hotel to protect the privacy of its guests . )
She arrives for her morning shift at 7 , after a 45-minute bus ride from South L.A. Part of her day is in the lobby , converted to an office .
Working with homeless people has been a revelation for Rogers .
“ Where I come from , South-Central , you would think homeless people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ You wouldn ’ t really look into their stories , learning it ’ s from mental illness , some people just down on their luck .
It ’ s been really touching here .
Really touching.
” About half the Chrysalis ’ workers , like Rogers , have criminal convictions that limit their job potential .
For one of them , a colleague on the morning shift , the chance to work with the nursing staff could be a boost for her chosen career .
But for now , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Dwona Beroit , who said she spent 32 months in prison for carrying a firearm .
“ Probably later in life after I get it expunged , ” she said of her hopes for a credential .
After prison , Beroit entered a state-funded residential treatment program in El Monte .
From there she was referred to Chrysalis .
Project Roomkey is giving her work and — a key goal of the transitional job program — a resume in line with her goals .
Her plan is to return to school this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s assistant .
“ I think I found my niche , ” she said .
“ I can always help people.
” Filling out the morning shift are Jonas McClanahan , an Army veteran recently released after four years in Ironwood prison , in Blythe , for burglary , and Jon Crosby , an Ohio transplant who found himself on the street when his job at Chipotle evaporated .
McClanahan , 37 , had lived at a recovery program in Venice for several weeks when the stay-at-home order forced him to make a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t want residents coming and going every day , he said .
“ I had to choose between staying there and sitting around or going to work and get my life back together , ” he said .
He chose Chrysalis and Project Roomkey .
He lived on the streets until he found a room for rent in a house .
He ’ s about to move into his own apartment .
He thinks he can make it on his $ 17-an-hour salary .
“ I don ’ t eat out , can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
Divorced by the mother of two of his children , he looks forward to reuniting with a son whose mother has died and is living with grandparents .
Beyond that , he has only a hazy view of what happens after Project Roomkey comes to an end .
“ I feel lucky to be working , ” he said .
“ I ’ ve got a lot of applications out there.
” Crosby , 27 , landed on skid row shortly after his 2018 move to Los Angeles .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who let him stay with them and was renting a guest house in Burbank when he lost his job and couldn ’ t pay his rent .
He went back to what he knew , skid row .
On a tip , he walked into Chrysalis .
“ Within a week I got a job , ” he said .
For now he lives in a house in Hollywood converted by its owner to congregate living with five beds in each of its three bedrooms .
“ Just a place to live , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get off the street.
” Just before noon the four workers loaded carts in the food storage room and rolled them to their floors .
Accompanied by a caseworker and registered nurse , each began knocking on doors .
“ Going to get your temperature , ” the nurse said , aiming a device at her forehead .
“ Do you have any questions , concerns , anything I should know about ?
” the caseworker asked .
“ You want a chicken wrap ?
” Rogers asked .
“ How many waters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ woman took the offering and returned to her room .
The team moved on to the next door .
“ You got ta know what they like , ” Rogers said .
“ I have to convince people that say , ‘ I just want cookies and snacks.
’ I say , ‘ This tastes just like cookies and snacks .
’ ”

Guest services associate Mia Rogers, 23, left, gives Project Roomkey guest Stanley Monk, 58, his lunch under the watchful eye of nurse Richard F. at a Project Roomkey hotel in Los Angeles.
After 52 weeks of anger management, Mia Rogers found maintaining her inner peace easier than finding a job.
Her two-year probation had ended in February. With her felony assault conviction reduced to a misdemeanor, the 23-year-old was just getting into the groove when the coronavirus shut everything down.
“I had nowhere to look for work,” she said.
After a couple of months living on the edge of homelessness, Rogers found her way to Chrysalis, the downtown nonprofit that prepares the hard-to-employ for work and finds them jobs.
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Guest services associates Mia Rogers, 23, left, and Jon Crosby, 27, collect lunches for guests at a Project Roomkey hotel in Los Angeles on July 22. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Today she has a job that fits her outgoing personality and has her thinking positively about the future. By an odd twist, she owes it to the coronavirus.
Rogers is one of dozens of Chrysalis employees working at hotels and motels on lease to Los Angeles County to shelter homeless people who are at risk of complications from COVID-19 because of their age or medical conditions.
As the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority built staffs to run the 38 hotels that are now leased through Project Roomkey, it needed to fill a variety of jobs not usually associated with hospitality — security guards, case managers, nurses and dozens of people to tend to the guests’ needs.
Their duties include going door-to-door to deliver three pre-packaged meals and two snacks daily, sanitizing, record-keeping, making sure guests wear masks and keep their distance and, importantly, maintaining a positive environment for fragile people who are isolated in their rooms for long hours every day.
Guest services associate Mia Rogers, 23, left, listens to Fire Wilson, 66, remember to social distance while they conversed at a Project Roomkey hotel in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Those assignments are mostly filled by Los Angeles city and county workers displaced from their regular jobs. The city hired Chrysalis to supplement its workers in 15 of the hotels.
It was a good fit for Chrysalis’ transitional jobs program. While preparing for permanent jobs, about 450 clients work for the agency. They make a little above minimum wage and get job experience and something to put on their resumes.
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Most are contracted to business improvement districts, which assess property owners in an area to supplement city services. Easily identifiable in yellow, green and purple T-shirts that signify their district, they push brooms and trash cans picking up downtown’s detritus. Others are janitors at a homeless services agency, work with freeway road crews or tend the city’s homeless storage facilities.
Since Project Roomkey began, about 120 of Chrysalis’ transitional workers have gone to work in hotels, and about 55 are currently on the job.
Rogers is one of 12 Chrysalis workers assigned to a 94-room hotel in the Fairfax district. It’s the only one of the 38 Project Roomkey hotels that has a beefed-up nursing staff to function as a recuperative center for people who have active medical conditions that require attention. It’s not equipped for quarantine, so guests who test positive for COVID-19 are moved to other sites for isolation. (The Times is withholding the identity of the hotel to protect the privacy of its guests.)
She arrives for her morning shift at 7, after a 45-minute bus ride from South L.A. Part of her day is in the lobby, converted to an office. Working with homeless people has been a revelation for Rogers.
Nurse Qiana Parhm of the National Health Foundation, right, consults with Project Roomkey guest David William, 63, at a Project Roomkey hotel in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
“Where I come from, South-Central, you would think homeless people is just drug addicts,” she said. “You wouldn’t really look into their stories, learning it’s from mental illness, some people just down on their luck. It’s been really touching here. Really touching.”
About half the Chrysalis’ workers, like Rogers, have criminal convictions that limit their job potential.
For one of them, a colleague on the morning shift, the chance to work with the nursing staff could be a boost for her chosen career.
But for now, a nursing license is out of the question for Dwona Beroit, who said she spent 32 months in prison for carrying a firearm.
“Probably later in life after I get it expunged,” she said of her hopes for a credential.
After prison, Beroit entered a state-funded residential treatment program in El Monte. From there she was referred to Chrysalis. Project Roomkey is giving her work and — a key goal of the transitional job program — a resume in line with her goals.
Guest services associate Dwona Beroit, left, talks with Project Roomkey guest Fire Wilson, 66, at a Project Roomkey hotel in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Her plan is to return to school this fall to become a certified nurse’s assistant.
“I think I found my niche,” she said. “I can always help people.”
Filling out the morning shift are Jonas McClanahan, an Army veteran recently released after four years in Ironwood prison, in Blythe, for burglary, and Jon Crosby, an Ohio transplant who found himself on the street when his job at Chipotle evaporated.
McClanahan, 37, had lived at a recovery program in Venice for several weeks when the stay-at-home order forced him to make a tough choice. The home didn’t want residents coming and going every day, he said.
“I had to choose between staying there and sitting around or going to work and get my life back together,” he said.
He chose Chrysalis and Project Roomkey. He lived on the streets until he found a room for rent in a house. He’s about to move into his own apartment. He thinks he can make it on his $17-an-hour salary.
“I don’t eat out, can’t go to movies,” he said.
Divorced by the mother of two of his children, he looks forward to reuniting with a son whose mother has died and is living with grandparents. Beyond that, he has only a hazy view of what happens after Project Roomkey comes to an end.
“I feel lucky to be working,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of applications out there.”
Guest services associate Jon Crosby, 27, carries a tray of lunches for guests at a Project Roomkey hotel in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Crosby, 27, landed on skid row shortly after his 2018 move to Los Angeles. He got away with the help of friends who let him stay with them and was renting a guest house in Burbank when he lost his job and couldn’t pay his rent. He went back to what he knew, skid row.
On a tip, he walked into Chrysalis.
“Within a week I got a job,” he said.
For now he lives in a house in Hollywood converted by its owner to congregate living with five beds in each of its three bedrooms.
“Just a place to live,” he said. “Helping people get off the street.”
Just before noon the four workers loaded carts in the food storage room and rolled them to their floors.
Accompanied by a caseworker and registered nurse, each began knocking on doors.
Mia Rogers, 23, left, gives Project Roomkey guest Larita Garner, 61, her lunch at a Project Roomkey hotel in Los Angeles. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
“Elizabeth. Lunch time,” Rogers shouted outside a door.
A frail woman opened the door.
“Going to get your temperature,” the nurse said, aiming a device at her forehead.
“Do you have any questions, concerns, anything I should know about?” the caseworker asked.
She didn’t.
“You want a chicken wrap?” Rogers asked. “How many waters, one or two?”
The woman took the offering and returned to her room. The team moved on to the next door.
“You gotta know what they like,” Rogers said. “I have to convince people that say, ‘I just want cookies and snacks.’ I say, ‘This tastes just like cookies and snacks.’ ”


latimes--2020-08-25--Hope takes flight: L.A.'s Natural History Museum will reopen its Butterfly Pavilion & gardens

One can only hope that an exhibition of fluttering butterflies — a mess of gold-speckled , zebra-striped and shimmering silver wings swooping through the garden air — brings a resurgence of levity and hope to Angelenos more than five months into a pandemic .
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County announced Monday that it will open its Butterfly Pavilion and parts of its nature gardens starting on Sept. 11 for three days each week , Friday to Sunday .
Previews for members will take place this weekend , Aug. 28-30 , and over Labor Day weekend , Sept. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exhibition flow per guidelines from state and L.A. County public health officials as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
That means a limit of 10 people in the netted pavilion at any one time as well as social distancing markers and the mandatory wearing of masks .
There will also be a one-way path through the museum ’ s 3.5-acre nature gardens .
Parking ( $ 6 , free for members ) and timed tickets ( $ 6 , free for members ) must be reserved online in advance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ joy and wonder that experiencing different species of butterflies up close can bring visitors of all ages , ” NHM president and director , Dr. Lori Bettison-Varga , said in an interview .
“ This is the first phase of our reopening and we ’ re excited to share who we are — living nature — with the public .
There ’ s a lot we can do digitally ; but there ’ s nothing like experiencing nature in person and we ’ re really looking forward to welcoming people back.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ History Museum ’ s most popular exhibits each year , was set to open March 14 , but the museum closed because of the pandemic a day earlier and has stayed shuttered since .
The museum said it hopes to increase the number of days the exhibit is open each week , as it assesses how reopening goes and what the demand is from the public .
The exhibit will close on Oct. 4 .
The indoor areas of the museum remain closed until further notice .
The museum ’ s Spider Pavilion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same spot where the butterflies were on view , through Dec. 6 .
“ During this difficult time , encounters with nature can provide calm and inspiration , ” Bettison-Varga said .
“ While our indoor museums remain closed , we will continue sharing our research and collections with the public through digital initiatives , virtual events and expanded resources for educators and families .
It ’ s all part of our mission to inspire wonder , discovery and responsibility for our natural and cultural worlds , here in L.A. and beyond.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made at nhm.org .

One can only hope that an exhibition of fluttering butterflies — a mess of gold-speckled, zebra-striped and shimmering silver wings swooping through the garden air — brings a resurgence of levity and hope to Angelenos more than five months into a pandemic.
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County announced Monday that it will open its Butterfly Pavilion and parts of its nature gardens starting on Sept. 11 for three days each week, Friday to Sunday. Previews for members will take place this weekend, Aug. 28-30, and over Labor Day weekend, Sept. 4-7.
The museum has revamped the exhibition flow per guidelines from state and L.A. County public health officials as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That means a limit of 10 people in the netted pavilion at any one time as well as social distancing markers and the mandatory wearing of masks. There will also be a one-way path through the museum’s 3.5-acre nature gardens. Parking ($6, free for members) and timed tickets ($6, free for members) must be reserved online in advance.
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“We’ve seen the joy and wonder that experiencing different species of butterflies up close can bring visitors of all ages,” NHM president and director, Dr. Lori Bettison-Varga, said in an interview. “This is the first phase of our reopening and we’re excited to share who we are — living nature — with the public. There’s a lot we can do digitally; but there’s nothing like experiencing nature in person and we’re really looking forward to welcoming people back.”
The Butterfly Pavilion, one of the Natural History Museum’s most popular exhibits each year, was set to open March 14, but the museum closed because of the pandemic a day earlier and has stayed shuttered since. The museum said it hopes to increase the number of days the exhibit is open each week, as it assesses how reopening goes and what the demand is from the public. The exhibit will close on Oct. 4. The indoor areas of the museum remain closed until further notice.
The museum’s Spider Pavilion will open Oct. 18, in the same spot where the butterflies were on view, through Dec. 6.
“During this difficult time, encounters with nature can provide calm and inspiration,” Bettison-Varga said. “While our indoor museums remain closed, we will continue sharing our research and collections with the public through digital initiatives, virtual events and expanded resources for educators and families. It’s all part of our mission to inspire wonder, discovery and responsibility for our natural and cultural worlds, here in L.A. and beyond.”
Reservations for the Butterfly Pavilion can be made at nhm.org.


latimes--2020-08-25--As fires raged, county officials struggled with 'confusing' emergency alert systems

In Napa County , a wildfire alert meant for cellphones would not connect because of a coding error .
In Sonoma County , similar alerts were sent to areas that required no evacuation and linked to an evacuation map that was a year old .
And in Solano County ’ s Vacaville , a city emergency operations employee missed a call to report to work because their phone was set to vibrate .
As fire crews battle a massive system of wildfires sparked by freak lightning storms , emergency officials are learning once again of the technological shortcomings of localized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the emergency management guidance dispensed in the last year from Sacramento , counties dealing with the LNU Lightning Complex fire burning in Northern California have nonetheless encountered difficulties .
When the LNU Lightning Complex fire exploded over 36 hours between Tuesday and Wednesday last week , expanding from three burns across 12,000 acres to more than a half-dozen fires scorching more than 120,000 acres , some parts of the Bay Area were knocked back on their heels .
In Vacaville , where police , firefighters and Solano County sheriff ’ s deputies were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ middle of the night , someone had to go to the home of an Emergency Operations Center worker and wake him up because his cellphone had been set to vibrate , officials said .
In Napa County , emergency managers considered sending out a targeted Amber Alert-style message to cellphones telling residents to stay vigilant in case they needed to evacuate , but ultimately had to use other means that potentially reach fewer people .
“ During the construction of the message content , it was discovered that the [ alert ] vendor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so we instead issued our message utilizing the NIXLE alert tool , ” said Janet Upton , a county spokeswoman .
And then there is Sonoma County , where , unlike three years ago when the previous emergency management director failed to alert some residents of a fire at all , the department ’ s current leader is concerned with having alerted too many .
“ Using this system is like doing your taxes every time , ” Chris Godley , Sonoma County ’ s director of emergency management , said of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very challenging , technical process each time you do this , even though we ’ re relatively well-versed.
” Though the LNU Lightning Complex fire began as a pair of fires on Aug. 17 , it didn ’ t really take off until the next day , when a vast heat wave stoked life into those and several other blazes that had been quietly smoldering after a weekend lightning storm .
“ We didn ’ t expect the fire to come into our county the way it did , ” said Solano @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ron Cummings .
Indeed , on the Vacaville Police Department Facebook page , the department told residents at 10:40 p.m. Aug. 18 that “ there is currently no danger or evacuation orders to the residents of Vacaville .
If for some reason this changes , we will work nonstop to notify our community via social media , phone or in person.
” Less than an hour later , evacuations were underway .
The county blasted out messages through its Alert Solano program and posted them on social media and shared them with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work when a person is tuned out and logged off .
So the city also sent out people like Vacaville firefighter Joe Scarrott and his crew , who went into the Vacaville foothills , darkened without power , to go door to door to tell residents to get out now .
“ Both sides of the road are on fire , look up the road , it ’ s on fire , trees are on fire , everything is on fire , ” Scarrott said .
“ It was a wild night.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home on the edge of the wildland that would be among the fire ’ s first potential victims .
No one answered the front door , but he had a feeling someone was there , so he opened the front door — this was the kind of neighborhood where people don ’ t lock their doors at night , he said .
An elderly woman was in the darkened entryway , startled by Scarrott and his headlamp .
Scarrott told them there was a fire and they needed to go .
The woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying , but the power was out , and they couldn ’ t open their garage door to drive away .
The firefighter lifted it up and propped it open with a broomstick so they could drive out .
Scarrott then moved on to the next house .
“ The fire was nipping on backyards probably 20 minutes after we finished , ” he said .
One person has died from the fire in Solano County , but the individual ’ s identity and the circumstances of the death were not available .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Napa and Sonoma counties were dealing with kinks in their emergency software .
After a scathing report in 2018 faulted the response to disasters in the previous 12 months , in particular in Sonoma County , agencies in the region worked to improve how they would notify the public before the next wind-driven fire .
Napa , Sonoma and Solano counties , among others , introduced high-low sirens , modeled after the European siren sound , intended to alert the public of an imminent disaster .
All three also boosted public enrollment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possibly the most noticeable change was the use of the federal Integrated Public Warning and Alert System ( IPAWS ) and its Amber Alert-style warning , called Wireless Emergency Alert .
For years the technology was notoriously avoided by emergency managers because its messages were considered too short to be helpful while often reaching too far .
In Sonoma County in 2017 , the county ’ s then-emergency management director declined to use the technology , despite its ability to reach virtually all cellphones in a given area , because he was unfamiliar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t trust it .
The result left homeowners in the dark as wind-driven fires raced in , and two dozen people died .
But under its current leadership , during the current spate of monstrous fires , not only has Sonoma County blasted out messages on social media and in the news , it has also sent out 20 of those cellphone alerts , each targeted to a specific part of the community for evacuation , Godley said .
The only problem is , two of them have had errors .
“ One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than intended .
It ’ s over-warning , but it ’ s not a horrible mistake , given the nature of this fire , ” Godley said .
The second erroneous message included a hyperlink to an evacuation map for last year ’ s Kincade fire , which was the largest evacuation ever in Sonoma County , rather than the current fire .
The error was caused by coding in the website itself and was fixed after it was discovered , he said .
In addition , when Godley used the technology last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discovered that the messages got backed up when cellphone towers lost power .
When the power came back , the messages were finally sent , sometimes days after the evacuations had been ordered .
“ It ’ s beyond confusing , ” Godley said .
“ In Sonoma County , we ’ ve been under trauma for several years , and those calls can retrigger that trauma.
” Despite the system ’ s glitches , Sonoma County will continue to use it , Godley said .
But making it more accurate would serve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s why Napa County sought to use it too .
“ It ’ s extremely helpful where you may not get tourists signed up for your local [ program ] , ” said Henry Wofford , Napa County sheriff ’ s spokesman .
“ Our whole purpose is to get it in their hands on their cellphones , in case they ’ re not at home , in case they ’ re in their backyard watering their lawns.
” But in Napa County ’ s case , where three people have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it wasn ’ t an issue with the federal alert system that was causing problems , it was a coding error with their software vendor , Everbridge , officials said .
“ We take every action necessary to ensure our customers receive reliable , uninterrupted service , ” Everbridge told The Times in an email .
“ While we do not comment on particular incidents , when a California county contacted our support staff for assistance , we quickly worked with the county to ensure they were successful in sending out their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the county was also using social and traditional media channels along with its subscription-based software to communicate with the public as state guidelines recommend , officials said .
The LNU Complex fire has burned 352,913 acres and is 27 % contained .

In Napa County, a wildfire alert meant for cellphones would not connect because of a coding error.
In Sonoma County, similar alerts were sent to areas that required no evacuation and linked to an evacuation map that was a year old.
And in Solano County’s Vacaville, a city emergency operations employee missed a call to report to work because their phone was set to vibrate.
Advertisement
As fire crews battle a massive system of wildfires sparked by freak lightning storms, emergency officials are learning once again of the technological shortcomings of localized alert systems.
Despite heeding much of the emergency management guidance dispensed in the last year from Sacramento, counties dealing with the LNU Lightning Complex fire burning in Northern California have nonetheless encountered difficulties.
When the LNU Lightning Complex fire exploded over 36 hours between Tuesday and Wednesday last week, expanding from three burns across 12,000 acres to more than a half-dozen fires scorching more than 120,000 acres, some parts of the Bay Area were knocked back on their heels.
In Vacaville, where police, firefighters and Solano County sheriff’s deputies were evacuating people door to door in the middle of the night, someone had to go to the home of an Emergency Operations Center worker and wake him up because his cellphone had been set to vibrate, officials said.
In Napa County, emergency managers considered sending out a targeted Amber Alert-style message to cellphones telling residents to stay vigilant in case they needed to evacuate, but ultimately had to use other means that potentially reach fewer people.
“During the construction of the message content, it was discovered that the [alert] vendor’s software contained an error, so we instead issued our message utilizing the NIXLE alert tool,” said Janet Upton, a county spokeswoman.
And then there is Sonoma County, where, unlike three years ago when the previous emergency management director failed to alert some residents of a fire at all, the department’s current leader is concerned with having alerted too many.
“Using this system is like doing your taxes every time,” Chris Godley, Sonoma County’s director of emergency management, said of their alert software. “It’s a very challenging, technical process each time you do this, even though we’re relatively well-versed.”
Advertisement
Though the LNU Lightning Complex fire began as a pair of fires on Aug. 17, it didn’t really take off until the next day, when a vast heat wave stoked life into those and several other blazes that had been quietly smoldering after a weekend lightning storm.
“We didn’t expect the fire to come into our county the way it did,” said Solano County Sheriff’s Deputy Le’Ron Cummings.
Indeed, on the Vacaville Police Department Facebook page, the department told residents at 10:40 p.m. Aug. 18 that “there is currently no danger or evacuation orders to the residents of Vacaville. If for some reason this changes, we will work nonstop to notify our community via social media, phone or in person.”
Less than an hour later, evacuations were underway. The county blasted out messages through its Alert Solano program and posted them on social media and shared them with the media, but none of those approaches work when a person is tuned out and logged off.
So the city also sent out people like Vacaville firefighter Joe Scarrott and his crew, who went into the Vacaville foothills, darkened without power, to go door to door to tell residents to get out now.
“Both sides of the road are on fire, look up the road, it’s on fire, trees are on fire, everything is on fire,” Scarrott said. “It was a wild night.”
At one point, Scarrott tried a home on the edge of the wildland that would be among the fire’s first potential victims. No one answered the front door, but he had a feeling someone was there, so he opened the front door — this was the kind of neighborhood where people don’t lock their doors at night, he said.
An elderly woman was in the darkened entryway, startled by Scarrott and his headlamp. Scarrott told them there was a fire and they needed to go. The woman’s husband told Scarrott they were trying, but the power was out, and they couldn’t open their garage door to drive away.
The firefighter lifted it up and propped it open with a broomstick so they could drive out. Scarrott then moved on to the next house.
“The fire was nipping on backyards probably 20 minutes after we finished,” he said.
One person has died from the fire in Solano County, but the individual’s identity and the circumstances of the death were not available.
On the other side of the fire, Napa and Sonoma counties were dealing with kinks in their emergency software.
After a scathing report in 2018 faulted the response to disasters in the previous 12 months, in particular in Sonoma County, agencies in the region worked to improve how they would notify the public before the next wind-driven fire.
Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties, among others, introduced high-low sirens, modeled after the European siren sound, intended to alert the public of an imminent disaster. All three also boosted public enrollment in their subscription-based alert system.
But possibly the most noticeable change was the use of the federal Integrated Public Warning and Alert System (IPAWS) and its Amber Alert-style warning, called Wireless Emergency Alert. For years the technology was notoriously avoided by emergency managers because its messages were considered too short to be helpful while often reaching too far.
In Sonoma County in 2017, the county’s then-emergency management director declined to use the technology, despite its ability to reach virtually all cellphones in a given area, because he was unfamiliar with its recent improvements and didn’t trust it. The result left homeowners in the dark as wind-driven fires raced in, and two dozen people died.
But under its current leadership, during the current spate of monstrous fires, not only has Sonoma County blasted out messages on social media and in the news, it has also sent out 20 of those cellphone alerts, each targeted to a specific part of the community for evacuation, Godley said. The only problem is, two of them have had errors.
“One was set to call a larger area than intended. It’s over-warning, but it’s not a horrible mistake, given the nature of this fire,” Godley said.
The second erroneous message included a hyperlink to an evacuation map for last year’s Kincade fire, which was the largest evacuation ever in Sonoma County, rather than the current fire. The error was caused by coding in the website itself and was fixed after it was discovered, he said. In addition, when Godley used the technology last year during the Kincade fire, he discovered that the messages got backed up when cellphone towers lost power. When the power came back, the messages were finally sent, sometimes days after the evacuations had been ordered.
“It’s beyond confusing,” Godley said. “In Sonoma County, we’ve been under trauma for several years, and those calls can retrigger that trauma.”
Despite the system’s glitches, Sonoma County will continue to use it, Godley said. But making it more accurate would serve people in the long run. That’s why Napa County sought to use it too.
“It’s extremely helpful where you may not get tourists signed up for your local [program],” said Henry Wofford, Napa County sheriff’s spokesman. “Our whole purpose is to get it in their hands on their cellphones, in case they’re not at home, in case they’re in their backyard watering their lawns.”
But in Napa County’s case, where three people have been found dead related to the latest fires, it wasn’t an issue with the federal alert system that was causing problems, it was a coding error with their software vendor, Everbridge, officials said.
“We take every action necessary to ensure our customers receive reliable, uninterrupted service,” Everbridge told The Times in an email. “While we do not comment on particular incidents, when a California county contacted our support staff for assistance, we quickly worked with the county to ensure they were successful in sending out their alert.”
Apart from the cellphone alerts, the county was also using social and traditional media channels along with its subscription-based software to communicate with the public as state guidelines recommend, officials said.
The LNU Complex fire has burned 352,913 acres and is 27% contained.


latimes--2020-08-25--Only 3% of UC Irvine students are Black. The 'Black Thriving Initiative' aims to change that

Calling anti-Blackness an “ existential threat ” to its mission , UC Irvine unveiled an ambitious plan Monday to intensify recruitment of Black students , faculty members and senior leaders and create a campus climate that supports their success .
A new Black Thriving Initiative , inspired by the surging demands for racial justice after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer , will expand research and teaching about the Black experience with 10 new faculty hires and a new program offering $ 30,000 research grants .
The campus aims to increase its Black undergraduate student population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was among the lowest in the 10-campus UC system , and also boost the number of those seeking graduate degrees .
UC Irvine is also launching an extensive review of its policing practices and classes about anti-Blackness .
To hold itself accountable , the university will issue a biannual “ scorecard ” analyzing survey responses about the campus climate , progress in increasing Black representation and completion of anti-bias training .
A new website offers resources to combat anti-Blackness and a robust new community engagement effort is planned .
“ Anti-Blackness is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a place where all people can teach and learn and thrive , ” said Douglas M. Haynes , vice chancellor for equity , diversity and inclusion .
“ We are committed to creating a national model for institutional transformation.
” The effort comes as campuses across the nation answer calls to reckon with racist legacies in society and their own institutions .
In recent months , UCLA approved a Black Resource Center , which students have demanded for years .
USC has announced an examination of its police force , more spaces for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a chief diversity officer .
UC Berkeley , whose campuswide diversity initiative launched in 2018 resulted this year in the most Black and Latino students admitted in 30 years , will devote this academic year to an examination of social justice , racism and anti-Blackness .
For UC Irvine student Iyanna Blackburn , the efforts are long overdue .
Blackburn , a rising senior double majoring in film and media and African American studies , said the campus is “ perfect ” except for the stark underrepresentation of Black students and faculty .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , UC Irvine has the second-smallest proportion of Black students after UC San Diego .
Despite those small numbers , 57 % of Black UC Irvine students who responded to a 2018 UC undergraduate survey said they felt their race was respected on campus .
That is higher than at UCLA , UC Berkeley and UC San Diego .
Blackburn , who was raised in diverse Carson , said it was jolting to arrive at Irvine , where she was the only Black student in her dorm .
She did not experience overt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encounters that made her uncomfortable : non-Black students using the N-word when they listened to music and making assumptions that she would speak in Black vernacular or know the latest in rap and hip-hop ; being the only Black student in classes where she was expected to be the voice of an entire community .
The experiences drove her to make a short film giving voice to UC Irvine Black students about their campus experiences .
Students described being one of the few Black persons in their classes , witnessing other Black students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ listening to non-Black students talk about whether they like to date Black people , being racially profiled in the surrounding community by a store security guard .
Jaylenne Thach , a student in philosophy and earth system science , said her non-Black sorority sisters asked her to straighten her hair for a formal so they would have the same look .
“ That hurt me , ” she told Blackburn .
“ As a black woman , it takes a long time for us to just accept our hair ... to love our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they found community and support in campus spaces for Black students — a Rosa Parks residential house , a living and learning community known as Black Scholars Hall , a resource center offering academic advising , career and professional development , health programs , financial aid assistance and other services .
“ The spaces are therapeutic for us , ” Blackburn said .
“ It feels like home .
You don ’ t feel like you ’ re walking on eggshells.
” UC Irvine created the Black Scholars Hall and resource center as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Black Student Union in 2015 .
Now , Haynes said , the university is poised to take the next major step by focusing on academic concerns .
The campus already has made progress .
This fall , 13 new Black faculty members — spanning fields of engineering , biological sciences , economics , history , English and dance — will join the campus as the largest such group ever hired in a single year .
Other recent milestones include the appointments of UC Irvine ’ s first Black deans of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Orange County location , where Black residents make up just 2 % of the population , UC Irvine is drawing more California Black applicants .
While the Black student population was at 3.3 % last year , the campus received the second-highest number of California Black freshman applicants after only UCLA .
Also , the gap in first-year retention and graduation rates between Black students and all undergraduates is smaller than most of UC ’ s other top-tier research universities .
The Black student first-year retention rate is 92.1 % , compared with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the six-year graduation rate is 81.7 % , compared with 85 % overall .
But that ’ s not good enough , Haynes said .
The campus is planning to reevaluate its entire philosophy about how to teach and evaluate today ’ s students — questioning , for instance , whether the lecture format or grading on curves is still appropriate .
“ As a campus , as much as we feel we have momentum in improving the experience of our Black students , faculty and staff , we can ’ t do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ This is a national imperative that requires an equivalent response .
”

A decade ago, UC Irvine students and faculty rallied to celebrate the life and legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Now the the university is launching a comprehensive effort to transform itself into a thriving campus for Black students, faculty and staff.
Calling anti-Blackness an “existential threat” to its mission, UC Irvine unveiled an ambitious plan Monday to intensify recruitment of Black students, faculty members and senior leaders and create a campus climate that supports their success.
A new Black Thriving Initiative, inspired by the surging demands for racial justice after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, will expand research and teaching about the Black experience with 10 new faculty hires and a new program offering $30,000 research grants. The campus aims to increase its Black undergraduate student population, which at 3.3% last year was among the lowest in the 10-campus UC system, and also boost the number of those seeking graduate degrees.
UC Irvine is also launching an extensive review of its policing practices and classes about anti-Blackness. To hold itself accountable, the university will issue a biannual “scorecard” analyzing survey responses about the campus climate, progress in increasing Black representation and completion of anti-bias training. A new website offers resources to combat anti-Blackness and a robust new community engagement effort is planned.
Advertisement
“Anti-Blackness is an existential threat to our mission to be a place where all people can teach and learn and thrive,” said Douglas M. Haynes, vice chancellor for equity, diversity and inclusion. “We are committed to creating a national model for institutional transformation.”
The effort comes as campuses across the nation answer calls to reckon with racist legacies in society and their own institutions. In recent months, UCLA approved a Black Resource Center, which students have demanded for years. USC has announced an examination of its police force, more spaces for students of color and the hiring of a chief diversity officer. UC Berkeley, whose campuswide diversity initiative launched in 2018 resulted this year in the most Black and Latino students admitted in 30 years, will devote this academic year to an examination of social justice, racism and anti-Blackness.
For UC Irvine student Iyanna Blackburn, the efforts are long overdue. Blackburn, a rising senior double majoring in film and media and African American studies, said the campus is “perfect” except for the stark underrepresentation of Black students and faculty. Among UC’s nine undergraduate campuses, UC Irvine has the second-smallest proportion of Black students after UC San Diego.
Despite those small numbers, 57% of Black UC Irvine students who responded to a 2018 UC undergraduate survey said they felt their race was respected on campus. That is higher than at UCLA, UC Berkeley and UC San Diego.
Blackburn, who was raised in diverse Carson, said it was jolting to arrive at Irvine, where she was the only Black student in her dorm. She did not experience overt racism, she said, but had encounters that made her uncomfortable: non-Black students using the N-word when they listened to music and making assumptions that she would speak in Black vernacular or know the latest in rap and hip-hop; being the only Black student in classes where she was expected to be the voice of an entire community.
The experiences drove her to make a short film giving voice to UC Irvine Black students about their campus experiences. Students described being one of the few Black persons in their classes, witnessing other Black students being singled out by bad jokes, listening to non-Black students talk about whether they like to date Black people, being racially profiled in the surrounding community by a store security guard.
Advertisement
Jaylenne Thach, a student in philosophy and earth system science, said her non-Black sorority sisters asked her to straighten her hair for a formal so they would have the same look.
“That hurt me,” she told Blackburn. “As a black woman, it takes a long time for us to just accept our hair...to love our curls.”
Blackburn and other students said they found community and support in campus spaces for Black students — a Rosa Parks residential house, a living and learning community known as Black Scholars Hall, a resource center offering academic advising, career and professional development, health programs, financial aid assistance and other services.
“The spaces are therapeutic for us,” Blackburn said. “It feels like home. You don’t feel like you’re walking on eggshells.”
UC Irvine created the Black Scholars Hall and resource center as part of the campus response to demands by the Black Student Union in 2015. Now, Haynes said, the university is poised to take the next major step by focusing on academic concerns.
The campus already has made progress. This fall, 13 new Black faculty members — spanning fields of engineering, biological sciences, economics, history, English and dance — will join the campus as the largest such group ever hired in a single year. Other recent milestones include the appointments of UC Irvine’s first Black deans of the business and law schools.
Despite its Orange County location, where Black residents make up just 2% of the population, UC Irvine is drawing more California Black applicants. While the Black student population was at 3.3% last year, the campus received the second-highest number of California Black freshman applicants after only UCLA.
Also, the gap in first-year retention and graduation rates between Black students and all undergraduates is smaller than most of UC’s other top-tier research universities. The Black student first-year retention rate is 92.1%, compared with 93.9% for all students, while the six-year graduation rate is 81.7%, compared with 85% overall.
But that’s not good enough, Haynes said. The campus is planning to reevaluate its entire philosophy about how to teach and evaluate today’s students — questioning, for instance, whether the lecture format or grading on curves is still appropriate.
“As a campus, as much as we feel we have momentum in improving the experience of our Black students, faculty and staff, we can’t do this piecemeal,” Haynes said. “This is a national imperative that requires an equivalent response.”