latimes--2020-01-21--Stanford student found dead was the son of two university staffers

Stanford University officials announced Monday that an undergraduate student who recently died inside a fraternity house was the son of two Stanford staffers .
Eitan Michael Weiner , 19 , a sophomore planning to major in history , died Friday at the Theta Delta Chi fraternity house where he lived .
According to a letter that Vice Provost for Student Affairs Susie Brubaker-Cole sent to students and faculty on Monday , Weiner ’ s father , Amir , is an associate professor of history , and his mother , Julia , is an associate vice president for medical center development @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the university , and his younger sister attended a nearby school .
Weiner was discovered unresponsive Friday morning at his residence and pronounced dead at 10:21 a.m .
The Santa Clara County Sheriff ’ s Department , Palo Alto Fire Department and Stanford ’ s Department of Public Safety responded to the scene .
According to the Santa Clara County Sheriff ’ s Department , “ the preliminary investigation shows no signs of foul play.
” The circumstances surrounding Weiner ’ s death are under investigation .
“ When someone passes away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans , I know we all wonder how this could happen .
It may be some time before the coroner can definitively establish the cause of death .
At this point , we believe Eitan had every intention to be with us for many years to come , and we will focus our thoughts on his loving memory , ” Brubaker-Cole said .
In speaking with family and friends of Weiner , Brubaker-Cole described him as a person deeply interested in history and politics , and who had a passion for rap and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ held Wednesday followed by a public memorial service .
Brubaker-Cole directed students to the university resource center for additional support .

Stanford University officials announced Monday that an undergraduate student who recently died inside a fraternity house was the son of two Stanford staffers.
Eitan Michael Weiner, 19, a sophomore planning to major in history, died Friday at the Theta Delta Chi fraternity house where he lived. According to a letter that Vice Provost for Student Affairs Susie Brubaker-Cole sent to students and faculty on Monday, Weiner’s father, Amir, is an associate professor of history, and his mother, Julia, is an associate vice president for medical center development. His older sister was an alumna of the university, and his younger sister attended a nearby school.
Weiner was discovered unresponsive Friday morning at his residence and pronounced dead at 10:21 a.m. The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department, Palo Alto Fire Department and Stanford’s Department of Public Safety responded to the scene. According to the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department, “the preliminary investigation shows no signs of foul play.”
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The circumstances surrounding Weiner’s death are under investigation.
“When someone passes away so young and full of potential and plans, I know we all wonder how this could happen. It may be some time before the coroner can definitively establish the cause of death. At this point, we believe Eitan had every intention to be with us for many years to come, and we will focus our thoughts on his loving memory,” Brubaker-Cole said.
In speaking with family and friends of Weiner, Brubaker-Cole described him as a person deeply interested in history and politics, and who had a passion for rap and soccer.
A private funeral will be held Wednesday followed by a public memorial service. Brubaker-Cole directed students to the university resource center for additional support.


latimes--2020-01-21--1 killed and 2 injured in stabbing near Bakersfield high school

One person was killed and two others were injured Tuesday in a stabbing near a Bakersfield high school .
According @ @ @ @ @ incident occurred about 2:40 p.m. near Foothill Road and Morning Drive .
Foothill High School @ @ @ @ @ .
A person of interest has been detained , and authorities said they might have @ @ @ @ @ the attack .
“ This is a very active scene , ” the Kern County @ @ @ @ @ Office said in a statement .
“ We ask the public to avoid the area.
@ @ @ @ @ Office initially reported there were four victims but later corrected the number .
This is @ @ @ @ @ will be updated as information becomes available .

Approximate location of a stabbing that left one person dead and two others injured Tuesday.
One person was killed and two others were injured Tuesday in a stabbing near a Bakersfield high school.
According to preliminary information, the incident occurred about 2:40 p.m. near Foothill Road and Morning Drive. Foothill High School was reportedly placed on lockdown.
A person of interest has been detained, and authorities said they might have recovered the weapon used in the attack.
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“This is a very active scene,” the Kern County’s Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. “We ask the public to avoid the area.”
The Sheriff’s Office initially reported there were four victims but later corrected the number.


latimes--2020-01-21--Cal State delays vote on raising math requirement

In the wake of intense controversy , Chancellor Timothy White has delayed a vote on his proposal to require a fourth year of high school math for admission to the Cal State universities , and will instead ask trustees this month to approve a year-long study of the initiative .
The Cal State Board of Trustees had been expected to decide the issue at their Jan. 29 meeting .
But the proposal to raise the requirement has faced opposition from school districts , including Los Angeles Unified , and many community advocates , who say it would hurt black and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of disparities in access to math and quantitative reasoning classes and the lack of qualified teachers .
White ’ s plan calls for a fourth year of math , science or other quantitative high school coursework for admission .
The requirement would have been in place for students entering the university in fall 2027 .
White ’ s new strategy involves a “ phased implementation ” that calls for a third-party evaluation before a final vote in spring 2022 .
In the meantime , White will update the board on the study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capacity through January 2022 .
A steering committee — to include the head of the board of trustees ’ education policy committee , the state superintendent of education , a Cal State student and a public school district superintendent , among others — would meet twice a year to monitor the “ impact and effectiveness of the requirement.
” White and others within the university system , including the CSU ’ s academic senate and Assistant Vice Chancellor James T. Minor , supported the initiative to raise standards and academic preparation for all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and to help close the racial gap in STEM majors and careers .
Yet this objective has become mired in a debate about disparities in educational access and quality .
Some , including advocates for underserved students and large school district leaders , feared that these students ’ access to Cal State will diminish if the proposal was adopted .
White still wants the proposed admissions change to take effect in 2027 .
Students would be automatically exempt if their school did not offer enough courses to meet the new requirement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ system will continue partnering with high schools to increase course offerings , and amp up their own math and science teacher training to meet the needs , White said .
“ Even if this would never go into effect , we ’ re still going to ... reach out to our high schools to encourage students to do this , to prepare more STEM teachers , to do more outreach about why quantitative analytical thinking is important for students ’ success , ” White said .
Across all subjects , incoming students on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the minimum required to gain admission , White said .
“ We ’ re just asking them to make sure that in those six courses they take beyond the minimum number , that one of those courses qualifies under the quantitative reasoning rubric , whether it ’ s science or personal finance or math or computer science ” or one of the other options , White said .
An independent analysis is a positive step and should include high school students ’ eligibility , application rates and admission rates to the university @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region and income , said Elisha Smith Arrillaga , executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group Education Trust-West .
The group has opposed adding the fourth-year requirement in part because of the lack of data backing it .
“ There ’ s still no evidence that the change is needed in the first place , just that they intend to be more thoughtful moving forward , ” Smith Arrillaga said .
The university should also make clearer what would trigger a reversal to the old policy , she added .
The Cal State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is scheduled to vote on the new proposal at the Jan. 29 meeting , and if it passes the full board would consider the item later that day .

In the wake of intense controversy, Chancellor Timothy White has delayed a vote on his proposal to require a fourth year of high school math for admission to the Cal State universities, and will instead ask trustees this month to approve a year-long study of the initiative.
The Cal State Board of Trustees had been expected to decide the issue at their Jan. 29 meeting. But the proposal to raise the requirement has faced opposition from school districts, including Los Angeles Unified, and many community advocates, who say it would hurt black and Latino students and those from low-income families because of disparities in access to math and quantitative reasoning classes and the lack of qualified teachers.
White’s plan calls for a fourth year of math, science or other quantitative high school coursework for admission. The requirement would have been in place for students entering the university in fall 2027.
White’s new strategy involves a “phased implementation” that calls for a third-party evaluation before a final vote in spring 2022. In the meantime, White will update the board on the study and progress on building teacher and course capacity through January 2022.
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A steering committee — to include the head of the board of trustees’ education policy committee, the state superintendent of education, a Cal State student and a public school district superintendent, among others — would meet twice a year to monitor the “impact and effectiveness of the requirement.”
White and others within the university system, including the CSU’s academic senate and Assistant Vice Chancellor James T. Minor, supported the initiative to raise standards and academic preparation for all high school students, especially in math, and to help close the racial gap in STEM majors and careers. Yet this objective has become mired in a debate about disparities in educational access and quality. Some, including advocates for underserved students and large school district leaders, feared that these students’ access to Cal State will diminish if the proposal was adopted.
White still wants the proposed admissions change to take effect in 2027. Students would be automatically exempt if their school did not offer enough courses to meet the new requirement. Between now and then, the CSU system will continue partnering with high schools to increase course offerings, and amp up their own math and science teacher training to meet the needs, White said.
“Even if this would never go into effect, we’re still going to ... reach out to our high schools to encourage students to do this, to prepare more STEM teachers, to do more outreach about why quantitative analytical thinking is important for students’ success,” White said.
Across all subjects, incoming students on average already take about six classes more than the minimum required to gain admission, White said.
“We’re just asking them to make sure that in those six courses they take beyond the minimum number, that one of those courses qualifies under the quantitative reasoning rubric, whether it’s science or personal finance or math or computer science” or one of the other options, White said.
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An independent analysis is a positive step and should include high school students’ eligibility, application rates and admission rates to the university system, broken out by race, region and income, said Elisha Smith Arrillaga, executive director of the nonprofit advocacy group Education Trust-West. The group has opposed adding the fourth-year requirement in part because of the lack of data backing it.
“There’s still no evidence that the change is needed in the first place, just that they intend to be more thoughtful moving forward,” Smith Arrillaga said. The university should also make clearer what would trigger a reversal to the old policy, she added.
The Cal State Board of Trustees’ educational policy committee is scheduled to vote on the new proposal at the Jan. 29 meeting, and if it passes the full board would consider the item later that day.
Times staff writer Nina Agrawal contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-01-23--On top of the world at Mt. Baldy, a winter wonderland 80 minutes from L.A.

Mt .
Baldy is where clouds go to relax .
To reduce stress , you can do a lot of constructive things : drink to excess , canoodle , overeat .
But none is as perfectly overindulgent as a day on this ski hill wedged between heaven and earth , 80 easy minutes from downtown Los Angeles .
Mt .
Baldy is not just a ski hill ; it ’ s an Austrian waltz .
It ’ s all high-country hardscapes and concertos in the wind .
It ’ s both alluring and harsh .
The hiking is famously world-class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you ’ re not careful , and sometimes even when you are .
The skiing is less intense yet still intense .
There were times when , had my ski caught an icy edge , I ’ d have launched all the way to the little college town of Claremont a dozen miles away .
Probably would ’ ve landed in some lit class I never finished .
Such prospects will keep you on your toes , all right .
You can ’ t fall in lust with the views up here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But best keep your wits about you — head on a swivel , knees loose , skis together , mind clear .
What you ’ ll notice about this little ski village is that there is nothing the least bit fussy about it .
Honestly , I don ’ t think a can of paint has been spent on the whole operation , and that includes the 100-year-old lodge .
The magical Mt .
Baldy Lodge , which greets you on arrival , seems cemented together with pine sap and cobwebs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ For $ 125 , you can rent a tidy cabin here and a trip back in time .
Or just nurse a hot chocolate and a shot of Jameson by the fire .
The onion rings are memorable too , at least as ski country grub goes .
So , naturally , the ski snobs sneer at Mt .
Baldy , dinging it for its ma-and-pa amenities and modest number of runs , treating its easy access and affordability as some sort of character flaws .
Shame on the snobs .
Because this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best ski deal in California .
Which means you can get out of here without having to donate a kidney .
I ’ m not calling this the best ma-and-pa ski resort in America , because I still have a few more to try — a couple in Vermont , one in Alaska .
But I ’ ll call it the best little resort a heartbeat away from Los Angeles .
You can zoom here at dawn from Redondo Beach and be home in time for your kid ’ s soccer game .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Friday , be in your boots by noon , and get in a hearty four hours .
If the lift lines are five deep , people look around in surprise , for usually you glide right on .
It ’ s so simple .
Chair 1 whisks you from the parking lot to the main lodge , the apex of the operation .
Chair 2 is your warmup run and takes you down to Chair 3 , which is the heart of the hill , with dozens of trails from intermediate to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll be the only soul — watch those edges .
You can dart through trees and chatter over the moguls , or take creamy heart-thumping black diamond runs .
This time of year , the snow is bridal-gown gorgeous .
Most trails are groomed .
Baldy is open seven days a week , and if you go on a Tuesday , you ’ ll pretty much have the place to yourself .
The snow is good right now , still plentiful after an epic December , which is critical for a resort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bottleneck Chair 1 can create at closing time , Baldy sells out at just 2,000 customers , which is about how many folks are in line for the loo on a typical day at Mammoth .
Thoreau had his ponds .
Sinatra had Vegas .
What ’ s left for chumps like you and me ?
Sweet Baldy , where you can snag a lift ticket for as little as 15 bucks online , a cold beer for $ 9 .
Mt .
Baldy , as one friend put it , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the muscles in my legs are roughly the same temperature at which bacon burns .
Indeed , God had a good day here .
The lodge went up in 1914 , and the ski hill opened in 1952 .
It fell on hard times in the late ’ 60s .
In the ’ 70s , Ron Ellingson rescued the resort and the lodge and still owns them both .
Some elbow grease here , some WD-40 there , didn ’ t ruin the place with overzealous ski town gentrification .
No Starbucks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t even a gas pump .
It ’ s kind of an elegant old piano , and you don ’ t hang hipster artwork and Edison lights all over something like that .
Ellingson ’ s son , Robby , now runs the place and has grown the full-time staff from four to 30-plus in his 10-year reign .
In summer , the resort hosts concerts and moonlight hikes , to help keep the lights on .
But Baldy is at its most glorious now , a big bowl of frosted flakes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change quickly .
A sunny morning can morph into a dark and icy afternoon .
Though it requires little mountain driving , some of the S-turns would give a bobsledder the chills .
“ When the mountains are white , people come up , ” Robby Ellingson said .
“ This is the best start in my 10 years.
” Are there plans to expand it ?
Aren ’ t there always ?
A proposal to add two lifts dates to the early ’ 90s , so don ’ t hold your breath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ modest ski hill for what it is — a snow-dusted curio in a world of mega-resorts that gobble each other up at every opportunity .
Ski monoliths have become the corporate farms of the American West .
That sounds so judgmental , but did a giant corporation ever make anything better ?
Note that you don ’ t have to be a skier to have a good time here .
Sightseers are welcome aboard the easy-to-use two-person chair — no ski skills required — from the parking lot to the Top of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ride up through the lodgepole pines past the biggest pine cones ever , to the top where a memorable chunk of backcountry wilderness awaits at 7,800 feet .
Yep , even the clouds come here to recuperate .
Shouldn ’ t you ?
Directions : Mt .
Baldy is 20 minutes off the 210 Freeway near Claremont .
From L.A. , take the Baseline exit , then a left at the light to Padua Avenue .
Take a right on Padua and go 1.5 miles to Mt .
Baldy Road , then right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away ; the resort is five miles further .
Prices : Lift tickets $ 79- $ 99 but can be found online for as little as $ 15 .
Ski/rental/lesson combo packages run $ 60 .
Sightseeing tickets cost $ 24 .

The view from Mt. Baldy, where you can ski, snowboard or just take in the top of the clouds.
Mt. Baldy is where clouds go to relax.
To reduce stress, you can do a lot of constructive things: drink to excess, canoodle, overeat. But none is as perfectly overindulgent as a day on this ski hill wedged between heaven and earth, 80 easy minutes from downtown Los Angeles.
Mt. Baldy is not just a ski hill; it’s an Austrian waltz. It’s all high-country hardscapes and concertos in the wind. It’s both alluring and harsh. The hiking is famously world-class, though this mountain will kill you if you’re not careful, and sometimes even when you are.
The skiing is less intense yet still intense. There were times when, had my ski caught an icy edge, I’d have launched all the way to the little college town of Claremont a dozen miles away. Probably would’ve landed in some lit class I never finished.
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Such prospects will keep you on your toes, all right. You can’t fall in lust with the views up here. Oh, you probably will anyway. But best keep your wits about you — head on a swivel, knees loose, skis together, mind clear.
Huntington Beach resident Alex Soto, 33, gets some air at Mt. Baldy, where on a weekday you may have the place to yourself. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
What you’ll notice about this little ski village is that there is nothing the least bit fussy about it. Honestly, I don’t think a can of paint has been spent on the whole operation, and that includes the 100-year-old lodge.
The magical Mt. Baldy Lodge, which greets you on arrival, seems cemented together with pine sap and cobwebs. Wear-and-tear seems to fit the place. For $125, you can rent a tidy cabin here and a trip back in time. Or just nurse a hot chocolate and a shot of Jameson by the fire. The onion rings are memorable too, at least as ski country grub goes.
So, naturally, the ski snobs sneer at Mt. Baldy, dinging it for its ma-and-pa amenities and modest number of runs, treating its easy access and affordability as some sort of character flaws.
Shame on the snobs. Because this year in particular, Baldy is the best ski deal in California. Which means you can get out of here without having to donate a kidney.
I’m not calling this the best ma-and-pa ski resort in America, because I still have a few more to try — a couple in Vermont, one in Alaska. But I’ll call it the best little resort a heartbeat away from Los Angeles. You can zoom here at dawn from Redondo Beach and be home in time for your kid’s soccer game.
If the lift lines are five deep, skiers look around in wonder. Usually, you can glide right onto a two-person chair. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
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Or you can leave work early on a Friday, be in your boots by noon, and get in a hearty four hours. If the lift lines are five deep, people look around in surprise, for usually you glide right on.
It’s so simple. Chair 1 whisks you from the parking lot to the main lodge, the apex of the operation. Chair 2 is your warmup run and takes you down to Chair 3, which is the heart of the hill, with dozens of trails from intermediate to tragic.
On many trails, you’ll be the only soul — watch those edges. You can dart through trees and chatter over the moguls, or take creamy heart-thumping black diamond runs. This time of year, the snow is bridal-gown gorgeous. Most trails are groomed.
Baldy is open seven days a week, and if you go on a Tuesday, you’ll pretty much have the place to yourself. The snow is good right now, still plentiful after an epic December, which is critical for a resort with limited snow-making ability. Because of the bottleneck Chair 1 can create at closing time, Baldy sells out at just 2,000 customers, which is about how many folks are in line for the loo on a typical day at Mammoth.
Thoreau had his ponds. Sinatra had Vegas. What’s left for chumps like you and me? Sweet Baldy, where you can snag a lift ticket for as little as 15 bucks online, a cold beer for $9. Mt. Baldy, as one friend put it, “is an accomplishment.”
An hour in, the muscles in my legs are roughly the same temperature at which bacon burns.
Indeed, God had a good day here. The lodge went up in 1914, and the ski hill opened in 1952. It fell on hard times in the late ’60s. In the ’70s, Ron Ellingson rescued the resort and the lodge and still owns them both. Some elbow grease here, some WD-40 there, didn’t ruin the place with overzealous ski town gentrification. No Starbucks in sight. Heck, there isn’t even a gas pump.
Sightseers are welcome at Mt. Baldy. Here, visitors enjoy the scenic overlook near the restaurant at the top. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
It’s kind of an elegant old piano, and you don’t hang hipster artwork and Edison lights all over something like that. Ellingson’s son, Robby, now runs the place and has grown the full-time staff from four to 30-plus in his 10-year reign.
In summer, the resort hosts concerts and moonlight hikes, to help keep the lights on.
But Baldy is at its most glorious now, a big bowl of frosted flakes. Bring tire chains, because conditions change quickly. A sunny morning can morph into a dark and icy afternoon. Though it requires little mountain driving, some of the S-turns would give a bobsledder the chills.
“When the mountains are white, people come up,” Robby Ellingson said. “This is the best start in my 10 years.”
Are there plans to expand it? Aren’t there always? A proposal to add two lifts dates to the early ’90s, so don’t hold your breath on that.
Instead, relish this modest ski hill for what it is — a snow-dusted curio in a world of mega-resorts that gobble each other up at every opportunity. Ski monoliths have become the corporate farms of the American West. That sounds so judgmental, but did a giant corporation ever make anything better?
Note that you don’t have to be a skier to have a good time here. Sightseers are welcome aboard the easy-to-use two-person chair — no ski skills required — from the parking lot to the Top of the Notch cafe.
Just climb on, ride up through the lodgepole pines past the biggest pine cones ever, to the top where a memorable chunk of backcountry wilderness awaits at 7,800 feet.
Yep, even the clouds come here to recuperate. Shouldn’t you?
The landmark Mt. Baldy Lodge, where quaint and cozy cabins start at $125. It’s in the village just as you enter town. (Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times)
Essentials
Directions: Mt. Baldy is 20 minutes off the 210 Freeway near Claremont. From L.A., take the Baseline exit, then a left at the light to Padua Avenue. Take a right on Padua and go 1.5 miles to Mt. Baldy Road, then right again. The village is eight miles away; the resort is five miles further.
Prices: Lift tickets $79-$99 but can be found online for as little as $15. Ski/rental/lesson combo packages run $60. Sightseeing tickets cost $24.
Info: winter.mtbaldyresort.com


latimes--2020-01-23--New opposition leaves future of controversial housing bill SB 50 up in the air — again

With less than 10 days until a key deadline , major legislation that aims to increase housing growth in California is facing new opposition .
State Sen. Holly Mitchell ( D-Los Angeles ) and a coalition of groups representing low-income communities are now opposed to Senate Bill 50 , a bill that would allow mid-rise apartment complexes near transit stops and job centers and fourplexes in most single-family neighborhoods across the state .
Mitchell , a powerful lawmaker who is running for L.A. County supervisor and leads the Senate ’ s budget committee , told constituents at town halls over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bill .
The groups , including the Alliance for Community Transit — Los Angeles and the Western Center on Law and Poverty , announced their position against SB 50 on Wednesday .
The bill “ fails to address our most serious concerns and will exacerbate the housing challenges experienced by low-income people , people of color and other vulnerable people , the very populations being hit hardest by California ’ s affordability crisis , ” the groups wrote in a letter to state Sen. Scott Wiener ( D-San Francisco ) , SB 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to meet these communities ’ housing affordability needs and has the potential to create new pressure and incentives for displacement.
” Separately , a group of tenant organizations from across the state sent a similar letter to Wiener on Wednesday .
The news is a blow to his efforts to advance SB 50 before the Jan. 31 deadline for it to pass the Senate .
Wiener has argued that boosting growth in already developed communities is essential to addressing the state ’ s housing affordability challenges and to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with SB 50 for more than a year .
The legislation has become a hot-button issue in her race for the 2nd District seat on the Board of Supervisors amid concerns it could fuel more gentrification in South Los Angeles .
In August , she told The Times that she ’ d received more community feedback about SB 50 than for any other bill during the decade she ’ s served in the Legislature .
She said Los Angeles County needed to speed housing production and that residents should accept that their neighborhoods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t expect that we in L.A. County are going to be able to house and find housing for the 56,000 homeless people without our own neighborhoods beginning to look different , ” Mitchell said then .
( The number is actually closer to 59,000 . )
Mitchell was unavailable for an interview Wednesday , but at a candidate forum in South Los Angeles on Saturday , she said debate surrounding the bill had become too difficult to reach consensus .
“ I think fundamentally the bill number itself is too hot [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
This is the third year in a row that Wiener has tried to advance the legislation to boost growth around transit .
Following the bill ’ s failure in 2018 , the Bay Area senator began negotiating with the coalition of groups representing low-income communities and has made a number of changes to address their worries about gentrification and displacement .
As it stands now , SB 50 would require housing projects larger than 10 units to contribute funding or space for low-income housing .
Developers who hope to take advantage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from demolishing homes on properties where tenants have lived for at least seven years .
It also gives low-income residents living in neighborhoods near developments built under SB 50 a preference in moving into the new units .
In addition , communities at risk of gentrification would have five years to create their own blueprints for growth — compared to a two-year delay everywhere else .
Earlier this month , Wiener told The Times that he was optimistic about conversations with the coalition of groups representing low-income communities that would address the amount @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and defining the areas that would have more time to develop alternatives to SB 50 .
“ I actually think we ’ re close , ” Wiener said .
In a statement Wednesday , he said he had made progress with the coalition on promoting more affordable housing as recently as last week and noted that not all of the groups involved had signed Wednesday ’ s letter .
“ Opposing legislation while active negotiations are progressing — and with a full nine months left in the legislative process —isn ’ t helpful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a large number of organizations that advocate for affordable housing are supporting SB 50 or continue to be neutral while negotiating in good faith with my office.
” Wiener said he planned to continue discussions with the coalition , including the groups that announced their opposition .
Both Mitchell and the groups that sent Wednesday ’ s letter said they would consider changing their positions if the bill was amended .
But there ’ s not much time for that to happen prior to next week ’ s deadline for the bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins ( D-San Diego ) cleared the way for negotiations to continue when she removed it last Friday from a committee led by an opponent of the bill .
“ While many communities still have clear concerns about SB 50 , our affordable housing crisis demands we make every attempt to reach agreement on potential solutions , ” Atkins said in a statement .
“ I hope the additional time afforded by this action contributes to the ongoing efforts being made by Sen. Wiener , housing advocates , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter-approved constitutional amendment that requires bills to be publicly available for 72 hours before they ’ re passed , any more changes to SB 50 would likely need to occur by Monday so senators could vote on the updated bill by their scheduled adjournment .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom has not endorsed SB 50 , but has encouraged continued negotiations as part of efforts to increase housing production statewide .
He told reporters on Wednesday his office was helping Wiener round up votes .
The governor said his staff met with the senator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confident we ’ ll get something big done , ” Newsom told reporters in San Francisco .

State Sen. Holly Mitchell, who is running for the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, has come out against Senate Bill 50.
With less than 10 days until a key deadline, major legislation that aims to increase housing growth in California is facing new opposition.
State Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) and a coalition of groups representing low-income communities are now opposed to Senate Bill 50, a bill that would allow mid-rise apartment complexes near transit stops and job centers and fourplexes in most single-family neighborhoods across the state.
Mitchell, a powerful lawmaker who is running for L.A. County supervisor and leads the Senate’s budget committee, told constituents at town halls over the weekend that she was against the bill. The groups, including the Alliance for Community Transit — Los Angeles and the Western Center on Law and Poverty, announced their position against SB 50 on Wednesday.
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The bill “fails to address our most serious concerns and will exacerbate the housing challenges experienced by low-income people, people of color and other vulnerable people, the very populations being hit hardest by California’s affordability crisis,” the groups wrote in a letter to state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), SB 50’s author. “It fails to meet these communities’ housing affordability needs and has the potential to create new pressure and incentives for displacement.”
Separately, a group of tenant organizations from across the state sent a similar letter to Wiener on Wednesday.
The news is a blow to his efforts to advance SB 50 before the Jan. 31 deadline for it to pass the Senate. Wiener has argued that boosting growth in already developed communities is essential to addressing the state’s housing affordability challenges and to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from cars.
Mitchell had been publicly wrestling with SB 50 for more than a year. The legislation has become a hot-button issue in her race for the 2nd District seat on the Board of Supervisors amid concerns it could fuel more gentrification in South Los Angeles.
In August, she told The Times that she’d received more community feedback about SB 50 than for any other bill during the decade she’s served in the Legislature. She said Los Angeles County needed to speed housing production and that residents should accept that their neighborhoods needed to change.
“You can’t expect that we in L.A. County are going to be able to house and find housing for the 56,000 homeless people without our own neighborhoods beginning to look different,” Mitchell said then. (The number is actually closer to 59,000.)
Mitchell was unavailable for an interview Wednesday, but at a candidate forum in South Los Angeles on Saturday, she said debate surrounding the bill had become too difficult to reach consensus.
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“I think fundamentally the bill number itself is too hot [of] a potato,” Mitchell said.
This is the third year in a row that Wiener has tried to advance the legislation to boost growth around transit. Following the bill’s failure in 2018, the Bay Area senator began negotiating with the coalition of groups representing low-income communities and has made a number of changes to address their worries about gentrification and displacement.
As it stands now, SB 50 would require housing projects larger than 10 units to contribute funding or space for low-income housing. Developers who hope to take advantage of SB 50 also would be prohibited from demolishing homes on properties where tenants have lived for at least seven years. It also gives low-income residents living in neighborhoods near developments built under SB 50 a preference in moving into the new units. In addition, communities at risk of gentrification would have five years to create their own blueprints for growth — compared to a two-year delay everywhere else.
Earlier this month, Wiener told The Times that he was optimistic about conversations with the coalition of groups representing low-income communities that would address the amount of low-income housing required by the bill and defining the areas that would have more time to develop alternatives to SB 50.
“I actually think we’re close,” Wiener said.
In a statement Wednesday, he said he had made progress with the coalition on promoting more affordable housing as recently as last week and noted that not all of the groups involved had signed Wednesday’s letter.
“Opposing legislation while active negotiations are progressing — and with a full nine months left in the legislative process —isn’t helpful,” Wiener said. “Fortunately, a large number of organizations that advocate for affordable housing are supporting SB 50 or continue to be neutral while negotiating in good faith with my office.”
Wiener said he planned to continue discussions with the coalition, including the groups that announced their opposition.
Both Mitchell and the groups that sent Wednesday’s letter said they would consider changing their positions if the bill was amended. But there’s not much time for that to happen prior to next week’s deadline for the bill to advance out of the Senate.
Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) cleared the way for negotiations to continue when she removed it last Friday from a committee led by an opponent of the bill.
“While many communities still have clear concerns about SB 50, our affordable housing crisis demands we make every attempt to reach agreement on potential solutions,” Atkins said in a statement. “I hope the additional time afforded by this action contributes to the ongoing efforts being made by Sen. Wiener, housing advocates, and community leaders.”
According to a voter-approved constitutional amendment that requires bills to be publicly available for 72 hours before they’re passed, any more changes to SB 50 would likely need to occur by Monday so senators could vote on the updated bill by their scheduled adjournment.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has not endorsed SB 50, but has encouraged continued negotiations as part of efforts to increase housing production statewide. He told reporters on Wednesday his office was helping Wiener round up votes. The governor said his staff met with the senator Tuesday night.
“I’m confident we’ll get something big done,” Newsom told reporters in San Francisco.
Times staff writer Phil Willon contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-01-23--Harvey Weinstein trial begins in dramatic fashion with graphic descriptions of alleged attacks

More than two years after a torrent of allegations against Harvey Weinstein helped launch a cultural reckoning on sexual misconduct , the fallen Hollywood mogul sat in a New York courtroom Wednesday and listened as a prosecutor laid out the case against him in graphic terms .
For 90 minutes , Manhattan Assistant Dist .
Atty .
Meghan Hast used at times cringe-inducing language to describe the experiences six women say they suffered at Weinstein ’ s hands .
While the specifics of many of the accusations had been made public before , having them laid out in such stark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment in the # MeToo era and a dramatic start to a trial with far-reaching consequences .
With the typing of dozens of reporters acting as something of a metronome , Hast told jurors that prosecutors will prove Weinstein groomed young aspiring actresses into targets for his sexual advances , exploiting his former physical prowess to prey on them in hotel rooms if they refused , then using his status as a Hollywood kingmaker to assure their silence .
“ You will come to see that the defendant kept his rape victims close @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make sure that they wouldn ’ t report , ” Hast said .
He would “ assault and then immediately reach out to make sure that his calculations were right … that he had gotten away with it.
” As blunt as Hast was in establishing the basis of a criminal case that could send Weinstein to prison for the rest of his life , the mogul ’ s attorneys were just as direct in trying to undercut those accusations .
Damon Cheronis spent more than an hour displaying text messages , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weinstein and some of his accusers that highlighted a playful , almost loving , rapport with some of the women who say the mogul raped them .
“ You don ’ t call Harvey Weinstein a predator in 2020 when you wanted to introduce him to your mother in 2008 , ” Cheronis said .
“ You don ’ t tell him that you love him in 2016 , that you ’ re tired of being a booty call in 2017 , and call him a predator in 2020.
” For all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a room full of international media and powerful attorneys , it appears Weinstein ’ s fate could come down to how 12 New Yorkers interpret his accusers ’ behavior after their alleged assaults .
Hast sought to preempt the defense ’ s attacks on the correspondence between the women and Weinstein , telling jurors they should not make assumptions about how rape victims are supposed to act after an assault .
Given Weinstein ’ s status in Hollywood , many of the women probably feared that challenging him would be the death of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take the stand during this trial and tell you about … their relationships with the defendant and the night that he violently sexually assaulted them , keep in mind who Harvey Weinstein was in the world these women work [ in ] , ” Hast said .
Weinstein , 67 , is charged in New York with first-degree rape , two counts of predatory sexual assault , one count of first-degree sexual assault and one count of third-degree rape .
The charges stem from an alleged 2006 attack on Mimi Haleyi , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company , and a 2013 assault allegation levied by another woman , described Wednesday as an aspiring actress from Washington state .
Several other women are expected to testify about alleged attacks by Weinstein over the past decades , including Annabella Sciorra , a Brooklyn actress whose case is too old to prosecute .
Dawn Dunning , who previously made claims against Weinstein in a 2017 interview with CNN , also was identified in court Wednesday as someone who will describe another alleged attack that was outside the statute of limitations .
Two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whose allegation is part of the basis of criminal charges Weinstein faces in Los Angeles , will also testify .
They were identified in open court Wednesday , but The Times is not naming them because they have not come forward publicly like the other accusers .
Hast went through each woman ’ s accusations in harrowing detail , laying out the arc of each one ’ s relationship with Weinstein — from meeting him with hopes of getting a big break in film or TV to living in fear of a man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with some of the country ’ s most influential people , including former President Clinton .
Twice , Hast described women as surrendering to Weinstein when he forced them onto a bed , lying “ like dead fish ” just hoping the attack would end .
Another woman , whose identity had not been made public before Wednesday , told prosecutors that Weinstein dragged her across a room screaming as he claimed she “ owed him one more time ” before raping her after she told the mogul she was in love with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was quick to contend that the women ’ s descriptions had gone largely unchallenged and told the jury that the defense planned to scrutinize their tales in a respectful manner , pushing back on criticisms that the mogul ’ s counterarguments will consist of “ victim shaming.
” “ We are not victim shaming , ” he said .
“ ‘ Victim ’ is a conclusion that is only made after a trial.
” As clearly as Hast laid out each woman ’ s story , Cheronis attempted to find holes in each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had consensual sex with Weinstein after the date of the alleged rape .
In the case of the woman accusing the mogul of assault in New York in 2013 , Cheronis pointed to a number of “ notes ” she had written on her cellphone describing Weinstein as a “ casual boyfriend.
” Cheronis also said he had proof the woman attended several movie premieres as Weinstein ’ s guest after the alleged assault .
“ You can lie to the state .
You can lie to the police .
You can lie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t lie to yourself , ” he said of her notes .
The allegations were detailed in a Manhattan courtroom packed with dozens of reporters from across the globe and powerful figures like Manhattan Dist .
Atty .
Cyrus R. Vance Jr. — whose office has faced criticism for failing previously to prosecute Weinstein — and attorney Gloria Allred .
Reporters and members of the public lined up as early as 4 a.m. in below-freezing temperatures outside the courthouse ’ s Centre Street entrance hoping to guarantee access to the hearing .
Those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ queue outside Judge James M. Burke ’ s 15th-floor courtroom , hoping to snag a seat if someone surrendered theirs or violated rules on cellphone use .
At least one woman in a press row earned herself a trial-long ban when she was evicted by court officers for stealing a glance at her screen Wednesday afternoon .
The defense closed the day by offering two long-shot motions for a mistrial that were dismissed without discussion by Burke .
Testimony will continue Thursday .
While it remains uncertain when Weinstein ’ s accusers will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the trial will serve as a chance for them to finally raise their voices louder than their alleged rapist ’ s .
“ Although strangers to one another , they will each describe to you their fear , their shame and their humiliation , that they each wrestled with following their violent encounters , ” Hast said .
“ Each feeling small and insignificant , no match for the power broker in Hollywood .
”

Harvey Weinstein arrives at the Manhattan Criminal Court for opening statements in his rape and sexual assault trial in New York City.
More than two years after a torrent of allegations against Harvey Weinstein helped launch a cultural reckoning on sexual misconduct, the fallen Hollywood mogul sat in a New York courtroom Wednesday and listened as a prosecutor laid out the case against him in graphic terms.
For 90 minutes, Manhattan Assistant Dist. Atty. Meghan Hast used at times cringe-inducing language to describe the experiences six women say they suffered at Weinstein’s hands.
For the record: An earlier version of this article indicated the trial for Harvey Weinstein began Monday. It began Wednesday.
While the specifics of many of the accusations had been made public before, having them laid out in such stark detail in open court marked a historic moment in the #MeToo era and a dramatic start to a trial with far-reaching consequences.
With the typing of dozens of reporters acting as something of a metronome, Hast told jurors that prosecutors will prove Weinstein groomed young aspiring actresses into targets for his sexual advances, exploiting his former physical prowess to prey on them in hotel rooms if they refused, then using his status as a Hollywood kingmaker to assure their silence.
“You will come to see that the defendant kept his rape victims close, as close as he could, to make sure that they wouldn’t report,” Hast said. He would “assault and then immediately reach out to make sure that his calculations were right … that he had gotten away with it.”
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As blunt as Hast was in establishing the basis of a criminal case that could send Weinstein to prison for the rest of his life, the mogul’s attorneys were just as direct in trying to undercut those accusations.
Damon Cheronis spent more than an hour displaying text messages, emails and other snippets of conversations between Weinstein and some of his accusers that highlighted a playful, almost loving, rapport with some of the women who say the mogul raped them.
“You don’t call Harvey Weinstein a predator in 2020 when you wanted to introduce him to your mother in 2008,” Cheronis said. “You don’t tell him that you love him in 2016, that you’re tired of being a booty call in 2017, and call him a predator in 2020.”
California In Harvey Weinstein trial — a #MeToo milestone — accusers’ credibility will be key Former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein’s trial on sex crime charges is set to begin in New York in a case that rests on the credibility of his accusers.
For all the evidence previewed during daylong opening statements in a room full of international media and powerful attorneys, it appears Weinstein’s fate could come down to how 12 New Yorkers interpret his accusers’ behavior after their alleged assaults.
Hast sought to preempt the defense’s attacks on the correspondence between the women and Weinstein, telling jurors they should not make assumptions about how rape victims are supposed to act after an assault. Given Weinstein’s status in Hollywood, many of the women probably feared that challenging him would be the death of their careers.
“When these women take the stand during this trial and tell you about … their relationships with the defendant and the night that he violently sexually assaulted them, keep in mind who Harvey Weinstein was in the world these women work [in],” Hast said.
Weinstein, 67, is charged in New York with first-degree rape, two counts of predatory sexual assault, one count of first-degree sexual assault and one count of third-degree rape. The charges stem from an alleged 2006 attack on Mimi Haleyi, a former employee of Weinstein’s production company, and a 2013 assault allegation levied by another woman, described Wednesday as an aspiring actress from Washington state.
Several other women are expected to testify about alleged attacks by Weinstein over the past decades, including Annabella Sciorra, a Brooklyn actress whose case is too old to prosecute. Dawn Dunning, who previously made claims against Weinstein in a 2017 interview with CNN, also was identified in court Wednesday as someone who will describe another alleged attack that was outside the statute of limitations.
Two other women, including a Pennsylvania native whose allegation is part of the basis of criminal charges Weinstein faces in Los Angeles, will also testify. They were identified in open court Wednesday, but The Times is not naming them because they have not come forward publicly like the other accusers.
Hast went through each woman’s accusations in harrowing detail, laying out the arc of each one’s relationship with Weinstein — from meeting him with hopes of getting a big break in film or TV to living in fear of a man who boasted of his status and relationships with some of the country’s most influential people, including former President Clinton.
Twice, Hast described women as surrendering to Weinstein when he forced them onto a bed, lying “like dead fish” just hoping the attack would end. Another woman, whose identity had not been made public before Wednesday, told prosecutors that Weinstein dragged her across a room screaming as he claimed she “owed him one more time” before raping her after she told the mogul she was in love with her boyfriend, Hast said.
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Cheronis was quick to contend that the women’s descriptions had gone largely unchallenged and told the jury that the defense planned to scrutinize their tales in a respectful manner, pushing back on criticisms that the mogul’s counterarguments will consist of “victim shaming.”
“We are not victim shaming,” he said. “‘Victim’ is a conclusion that is only made after a trial.”
California Weinstein trial is a milestone for #MeToo and a moment of wrenching truth for survivors The allegations against Harvey Weinstein are now set to culminate in a trial that is undoubtedly a landmark case for women’s rights. But despite the potential for a life sentence, advocates contend that the trial is just one milestone in a long crusade for systemic, lasting change.
As clearly as Hast laid out each woman’s story, Cheronis attempted to find holes in each narrative.
Haleyi, he said, had consensual sex with Weinstein after the date of the alleged rape. In the case of the woman accusing the mogul of assault in New York in 2013, Cheronis pointed to a number of “notes” she had written on her cellphone describing Weinstein as a “casual boyfriend.”
Cheronis also said he had proof the woman attended several movie premieres as Weinstein’s guest after the alleged assault.
“You can lie to the state. You can lie to the police. You can lie to anybody. But you can’t lie to yourself,” he said of her notes.
The allegations were detailed in a Manhattan courtroom packed with dozens of reporters from across the globe and powerful figures like Manhattan Dist. Atty. Cyrus R. Vance Jr. — whose office has faced criticism for failing previously to prosecute Weinstein — and attorney Gloria Allred. Reporters and members of the public lined up as early as 4 a.m. in below-freezing temperatures outside the courthouse’s Centre Street entrance hoping to guarantee access to the hearing.
Those who came late spent hours in a queue outside Judge James M. Burke’s 15th-floor courtroom, hoping to snag a seat if someone surrendered theirs or violated rules on cellphone use. At least one woman in a press row earned herself a trial-long ban when she was evicted by court officers for stealing a glance at her screen Wednesday afternoon.
The defense closed the day by offering two long-shot motions for a mistrial that were dismissed without discussion by Burke. Testimony will continue Thursday. While it remains uncertain when Weinstein’s accusers will take the stand, Hast made clear that the trial will serve as a chance for them to finally raise their voices louder than their alleged rapist’s.
“Although strangers to one another, they will each describe to you their fear, their shame and their humiliation, that they each wrestled with following their violent encounters,” Hast said. “Each feeling small and insignificant, no match for the power broker in Hollywood.”


latimes--2020-01-23--Paroled from Angola prison, he searched for his son among L.A.'s homeless

I stood at the front of the classroom in early October and made my pitch to the 25 students who had been accepted into Careers for a Cause , an inaugural training program in homeless services offered at Los Angeles Southwest College .
The homeless crisis in Los Angeles , I said , is rewriting the city ’ s history , and you are part of the story .
May I join your class and talk to you individually about your backgrounds and what you ’ ll be learning in the weeks ahead ?
I was interested in discovering what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look like .
I had heard that agencies throughout the county were on a hiring spree for outreach workers , administrators , counselors .
By one estimate , there were nearly 1,200 openings .
After taking a few questions , I stepped into the hallway so the students could make their decision in private .
When they said yes , I began visiting the class each week as instructors discussed communication skills and resume writing and experts addressed the riddle of homelessness , mental health and trauma .
By then , a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was Earl Williams , and there was Patrick Coston .
What Coston said to me was especially memorable : He had just finished serving 24 years in Louisiana ’ s Angola prison and was in Los Angeles searching for his son , Ian , lost on the streets , homeless and mentally ill. Coston impressed me as a man who wanted to make up for lost time and reconnect with his family .
He died on Dec. 1 .
He was 56 .
His death came from natural causes ; he was an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stunned .
They had been drawn to his sincerity and kindness .
“ His life is an inspiration to me and to many others , ” said Francisco Villarruel .
He and Coston had sat next to one another .
Villarruel was younger .
Almost 20 years separated them , but they had prison in common .
“ His words pushed me to work harder , ” Villarruel said .
“ Spending most of your life behind bars , life passes you by , and Patrick knew this.
” I visited Coston shortly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with his ex-wife , Robin Antoine , in Inglewood .
Paroled from Angola on April 23 , he had arrived in Los Angeles two days later , and Antoine put him up on a daybed in the dining room of her small apartment .
I wanted to learn more about his missing son , a common tragedy nowadays in Los Angeles made more poignant by the years the two had been separated .
Coston remembered well the day in the courtroom , in October 1996 , when a judge sentenced him to 247-and-a-half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including armed robbery and attempted armed robbery .
In the years before , he said , he had been doing seasonal work as a pipe fitter , then was laid off .
He and Robin were married at the time , with three children .
They had no money .
One day , he said , he robbed a patron of Harrah ’ s Casino in New Orleans at gunpoint .
A second attempt — and second arrest — resulted in the life sentence .
“ I was broken , and I needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ My deviant behavior came from my childhood .
I didn ’ t like what I saw in the mirror .
I am thankful that I didn ’ t kill anyone .
Those robberies ?
They were a cowardly act.
” During his trial , Antoine moved to Los Angeles with the children — Ian was 3 at the time — but she didn ’ t divorce Coston until 2009 , “ because I didn ’ t want this to be a hopeless situation for him , ” she said .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , he had been under a lot of pressure to support the family .
Surviving Angola took skills that Coston quickly learned .
He mastered hierarchies in a prison population spread over 18,000 acres .
Angola was known as the “ last state plantation ” by its inmates , most of whom were black .
However , in one instance , his instincts failed him .
After “ an aggravated fight ” with another inmate , he said , and a further altercation with guards , he was placed in lock-down in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , for 10 years allowed outside for only one hour , three times a week .
In 2008 , his mother died , and Coston began applying for parole , inspired partly by his daughter , Talia , who wanted to connect to her father and talk about her brother .
Not long after graduating from high school , Ian had begun showing signs of mental illness , made worse by drug use , Coston said .
After spending a year at Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino for vagrancy and assault @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the care of his mother .
But a few days after Thanksgiving in 2017 , with symptoms increasing he walked out of her apartment and did not return .
Antoine and Talia began to look for him .
On Mother ’ s Day in 2018 , they saw him in Torrance , his clothes torn , his shoes “ flipping and flopping ” on his feet .
They tried to persuade him to come home , but he ignored them .
He was “ all soiled , ” Antoine said , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dirt.
” Coston redoubled his efforts to be released .
Two hunger strikes led to negotiations and eventual reintegration with the general population — and the possibility of parole .
“ I have now connected to God and to my family , ” he said during his fourth parole hearing , “ and I am in pursuit of my son.
” When he was finally released , he was shocked by what he saw on the streets of Los Angeles .
The homeless crisis , he said , was “ mind-boggling , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this program at Southwest College .
“ I want to learn to be efficient and effective and bring resources to the unheard , ” he said .
“ I want to help those who want to be helped .
It ’ s my way of connecting to my son.
” He took buses to school , always on the lookout for Ian .
Occasionally he and Antoine would get into her Prius and visit skid row .
They spent hours at homeless encampments and showing residents a photo of Ian , his cap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thick eyebrows and his mother ’ s nose .
Antoine grew discouraged — “ all the young men looked like Ian , ” she said — but Coston said they had no choice : They had to keep searching .
The next time they went out , he told me , I could join them .
The week before his death , Coston put on a charcoal suit and alligator shoes — picked up at a clothing donation center downtown — and interviewed with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority for a job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was asked about his past , he told the truth .
“ It was a negative experience with a positive outcome , ” he said , citing his hopes for the future .
He died before I could help him search for Ian .
A GoFundMe page , titled Honoring Patrick , has been established by Antoine ’ s sister , Heidi Antoine , to help pay for his funeral .

Patrick Coston, 56, holds out his phone with a photo of his son Ian.
I stood at the front of the classroom in early October and made my pitch to the 25 students who had been accepted into Careers for a Cause, an inaugural training program in homeless services offered at Los Angeles Southwest College.
The homeless crisis in Los Angeles, I said, is rewriting the city’s history, and you are part of the story. May I join your class and talk to you individually about your backgrounds and what you’ll be learning in the weeks ahead?
I was interested in discovering what a curriculum in this job sector might look like. I had heard that agencies throughout the county were on a hiring spree for outreach workers, administrators, counselors. By one estimate, there were nearly 1,200 openings.
Advertisement
After taking a few questions, I stepped into the hallway so the students could make their decision in private. When they said yes, I began visiting the class each week as instructors discussed communication skills and resume writing and experts addressed the riddle of homelessness, mental health and trauma.
By then, a few students had approached me individually. There was Earl Williams, and there was Patrick Coston.
What Coston said to me was especially memorable: He had just finished serving 24 years in Louisiana’s Angola prison and was in Los Angeles searching for his son, Ian, lost on the streets, homeless and mentally ill. Coston impressed me as a man who wanted to make up for lost time and reconnect with his family.
Sadly, his dream was cut short.
He died on Dec. 1. He was 56. His death came from natural causes; he was an insulin-dependent diabetic. But his classmates were stunned. They had been drawn to his sincerity and kindness.
“His life is an inspiration to me and to many others,” said Francisco Villarruel. He and Coston had sat next to one another. Villarruel was younger. Almost 20 years separated them, but they had prison in common.
“His words pushed me to work harder,” Villarruel said. “Spending most of your life behind bars, life passes you by, and Patrick knew this.”
Advertisement
Francisco Villarruel, left, listens to Patrick Coston during the Careers for a Cause program at Los Angeles Southwest College. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
I visited Coston shortly before he died. He was living with his ex-wife, Robin Antoine, in Inglewood. Paroled from Angola on April 23, he had arrived in Los Angeles two days later, and Antoine put him up on a daybed in the dining room of her small apartment.
I wanted to learn more about his missing son, a common tragedy nowadays in Los Angeles made more poignant by the years the two had been separated.
Coston remembered well the day in the courtroom, in October 1996, when a judge sentenced him to 247-and-a-half years in prison for multiple offenses, including armed robbery and attempted armed robbery.
In the years before, he said, he had been doing seasonal work as a pipe fitter, then was laid off.
He and Robin were married at the time, with three children. They had no money. One day, he said, he robbed a patron of Harrah’s Casino in New Orleans at gunpoint. A second attempt — and second arrest — resulted in the life sentence.
“I was broken, and I needed help,” he told me. “My deviant behavior came from my childhood. I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror. I am thankful that I didn’t kill anyone. Those robberies? They were a cowardly act.”
‘His words pushed me to work harder. Spending most of your life behind bars, life passes you by, and Patrick knew this.’ — Classmate Francisco Villarruel
During his trial, Antoine moved to Los Angeles with the children — Ian was 3 at the time — but she didn’t divorce Coston until 2009, “because I didn’t want this to be a hopeless situation for him,” she said. “I still loved him.”
Besides, she said, he had been under a lot of pressure to support the family.
Surviving Angola took skills that Coston quickly learned. He mastered hierarchies in a prison population spread over 18,000 acres. Angola was known as the “last state plantation” by its inmates, most of whom were black.
However, in one instance, his instincts failed him. After “an aggravated fight” with another inmate, he said, and a further altercation with guards, he was placed in lock-down in a small cell, as he described it, for 10 years allowed outside for only one hour, three times a week.
In 2008, his mother died, and Coston began applying for parole, inspired partly by his daughter, Talia, who wanted to connect to her father and talk about her brother.
Not long after graduating from high school, Ian had begun showing signs of mental illness, made worse by drug use, Coston said. After spending a year at Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino for vagrancy and assault, he said, Ian was released into the care of his mother.
But a few days after Thanksgiving in 2017, with symptoms increasing he walked out of her apartment and did not return.
Antoine and Talia began to look for him. On Mother’s Day in 2018, they saw him in Torrance, his clothes torn, his shoes “flipping and flopping” on his feet. They tried to persuade him to come home, but he ignored them.
He was “all soiled,” Antoine said, “like he had been sleeping in the dirt.”
Coston redoubled his efforts to be released. Two hunger strikes led to negotiations and eventual reintegration with the general population — and the possibility of parole.
“I have now connected to God and to my family,” he said during his fourth parole hearing, “and I am in pursuit of my son.”
When he was finally released, he was shocked by what he saw on the streets of Los Angeles. The homeless crisis, he said, was “mind-boggling,” which was why he had applied to this program at Southwest College.
“I want to learn to be efficient and effective and bring resources to the unheard,” he said. “I want to help those who want to be helped. It’s my way of connecting to my son.”
He took buses to school, always on the lookout for Ian. Occasionally he and Antoine would get into her Prius and visit skid row. They spent hours at homeless encampments and showing residents a photo of Ian, his cap turned backwards, a wispy beard, thick eyebrows and his mother’s nose.
Antoine grew discouraged — “all the young men looked like Ian,” she said — but Coston said they had no choice: They had to keep searching.
The next time they went out, he told me, I could join them.
The week before his death, Coston put on a charcoal suit and alligator shoes — picked up at a clothing donation center downtown — and interviewed with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority for a job. He was optimistic. When he was asked about his past, he told the truth.
“It was a negative experience with a positive outcome,” he said, citing his hopes for the future.
He died before I could help him search for Ian.
A GoFundMe page, titled Honoring Patrick, has been established by Antoine’s sister, Heidi Antoine, to help pay for his funeral.


latimes--2020-01-23--Owning their pasts, students look to a future in homelessness services

Lying in bed at night , Earl Williams wondered what his future would be .
From his top bunk , No .
133A , in the men ’ s shelter on 38th Street in South Los Angeles , he stared up at the white rafters .
With the world out of sight , anything seemed possible — until his fears kicked in .
He prayed .
He thought of his new friends .
He repeated words of encouragement that had come his way , but they were sometimes hard to believe .
The men around him snored , they moaned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creaked , and the smells of weed , even meth , reached him like the tentacles from his former life .
At 48 , Williams felt like a football team that never won .
He curled onto his side .
He adjusted his day pack , which was his pillow .
It held his tablet , a change of clothes , papers .
They were his most prized possessions , always nearby in case he got arrested , kicked out — or there was a fire .
The lights came on at 4:30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a shower , breakfast , a morning smoke , his daily Facebook post , and then he took a bus to college .
During the day , he liked to put distance between himself and the shelter , which reminded him of a prison yard , so many men milling about , just killing time .
Since coming back to Los Angeles in July , Williams had lived with the hope that the world wasn ’ t through with him , that the crimes of his past , his years of addiction , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by helping others .
This morning he believed it just might be possible .
He had been accepted into a pilot program at Los Angeles Southwest College designed to provide him with skills to work in one of the city ’ s fastest growing job sectors : homeless services .
Flush with Measure H funding , a sales-tax assessment passed by county voters in 2017 , agencies are on a hiring spree .
With need growing and new hires changing their minds about working on the street , managers are relaxing requirements for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 17 an hour .
Degrees and advanced training are not always needed , nor in some cases , a car or driver ’ s license .
The pilot program , Careers for a Cause , was proposed in 2018 .
County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas ’ staff had recognized that the homelessness crisis offered employment opportunities for the residents of South Los Angeles .
The staff enlisted the county ’ s workforce development agency , and with $ 100,000 from Ridley-Thomas ’ discretionary fund , created an eight-week social service training program on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applied for the 25 openings .
From late October through mid-December , Mondays through Thursdays , five hours a day , Williams and his fellow students gathered to hear about life on the street from outreach workers , mental health experts and case managers .
But to find their futures , they had to face down their pasts .
“ Each day , I wake up saying , ‘ God , let me just make it , ’ ” Williams said during an afternoon break .
He had stepped outside and was sitting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up at a food truck .
“ You see , you have to fight the belief , the expectation that you ’ re going to fail , ” he said .
“ You have to fight the feeling that whatever good that ’ s coming your way , something is going to ruin it.
” His voice was soft but confident .
He had just quit a nighttime janitorial job that left him exhausted .
Soon after enrolling in the class , he collapsed on the street and landed in the hospital .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ dropping out .
Each day , when he walked to the bus , he passed the ragged tents of a homeless encampment on Broadway Place .
He stepped around the debris .
That once was his life , and he understood it : You can fail on the streets , and no one notices .
You can be a hero on the streets — just offer a cigarette to someone asking — and everyone looks up to you .
I ’ m having serious challenges to getting to class .
I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing I want .
A half an hour later , she replied with an offer of help .
Persevere , Earl .
We are here to support you .
He hadn ’ t expected her to care , and that evening he wrote back , trying to explain himself .
The benefit of being out there [ on the street ] is that you become resilient .
Some people say hard , but underneath that hardness , is you .
A soft core that you never let out because it hurts .
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You try to do everything yourself , and you still fail .
The next day , he slid his tall frame into a desk at the back of the room .
Some students reached out to him .
They brought him menudo and bottles of water .
Slowly he grew comfortable and learned that he wasn ’ t alone .
His classmates included Francisco Villarruel , who sat in the front row .
On his left cheek was a tattoo he got when he ran with a gang in La Puente .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he did 15 years in prison .
Now he was 35 and lived in a transitional housing facility .
Each day he woke at 3:30 a.m. , was at a gym by 4:30 , at Los Angeles Trade Tech College by 7 , and Southwest College by 10 .
Nearby sat Kimberly Brown , who had lost her apartment in October .
She said she and her husband now live in her truck .
She was 38 .
She worked the graveyard shift as a manager for an interim housing site near @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to male .
Identifying as trans and non-binary , he said he lived with his partner as a gay man and was in the process of changing the name and gender on his identification .
He was 29 .
To attend class , he had to juggle the timing for blood tests that monitored his hormones .
One afternoon , Reba Stevens , a member of the county ’ s mental health commission , gave the students a pep talk .
“ I just celebrated 23 years of being sheltered , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been homeless ?
” A flurry of hands went up .
“ How many have struggled with drugs and alcohol ?
” Some hands stayed up ; others were raised .
“ How many had problems with the criminal justice system ?
” “ I am proud to be in your company , ” she said .
“ All the policymakers in City Hall , they don ’ t have what we have.
” Earl Williams grew up at 93rd and Central in South Los Angeles .
He was a teenager in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Operation Hammer , which tore into South L.A. , locking up thousands of suspected gang members and drug dealers .
Crack cocaine had become an epidemic , and the world around him was crumbling .
His father died when he was 16 , and by then , he said , the line between right and wrong was defined by what he could get away with .
He dropped out of high school , and tried to keep his father ’ s businesses — a restaurant , a nightclub — going .
But running @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Frontier Hotel downtown , then drove to San Francisco , where he lived in the Tenderloin , under bridges , on the streets and in halfway houses .
He said he became addicted to crack , a habit that led to robbing banks .
He never used a gun , he said , just slipped a note to tellers or asked them for the money .
One teller , he recalled , said no .
Another broke into tears .
Two arrests and two convictions followed , for a total of nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his count , from age 14 to 48 he lived in a place he could call his own just three times , for less than a total of nine months .
He spent the rest of his time in mental hospitals , jails and on the streets .
He was assaulted and robbed .
He was diagnosed with “ anti-social personality disorder , ” he said , and still remembers the language of the report : “ Mr .
Williams ’ prognosis for recovery is poor .
His element has never been successfully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he and the other students straggled into their classroom at 11:30 a.m. Spiral notebooks and McDonald ’ s bags covered their desks .
Over the weeks , they studied computer skills , discussed the importance of cover letters and practiced how to talk to employers about gaps in their resumes .
They tried to keep their expectations in check .
“ Is everyone familiar with Measure H ?
” asked Alison Korte , a manager with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority .
“ We had a structure like toothpicks , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Korte said , describing the additional $ 355 million a year .
“ Organizations like ours are struggling the most with hiring .
We have 1,200 vacant positions in L.A. County , and the turnover is continuous.
” With so many openings , agencies are looking beyond degreed social workers and turning to those whose experiences are more closely aligned with the people they would be helping .
The agencies call it “ lived experience , ” and it often accounts for the gaps in resumes that most employers might shy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ substance abuse , mental illness .
“ What are you looking for when we put our resumes together ?
” one student asked .
Korte replied : “ We want people who are interested in the work , who know the population and geography .
Candidates will know where to go where people are struggling and will know how to engage with them .
The hardest skill set is how to engage and work with people with empathy.
” But empathy came with a cautionary note , the students learned , if it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during sessions on trauma that led to personal discussions about domestic violence , childhood abuse , violent death .
Outreach work would expose the students to stories like their own , and teachers emphasized the need for professional boundaries .
“ Our job is to listen , ” instructor Courtney Pierce told them .
“ Someone might not want to hear about our suffering .
And so be aware : If you say to them , ‘ I know what you ’ re going through , ’ well , maybe you don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manager , Guro Slettner , sat in the back of the class , ready to answer impromptu questions and any concerns .
In Slettner ’ s mind , the world was divided into those who were privileged and born into opportunity and those who were resilient , able to survive in situations where others would struggle .
She had a clear read on the opportunities and struggles that had shaped the lives of the students and the risks they were taking to change the odds .
I think there ’ s something devastating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if it ’ s persistent and becomes a lifestyle .
You lose your keys one time , and it ’ s an annoyance .
At worst you take the bus or break a window .
You lose your keys forever , and you never drive .
You never go anywhere , and you run out of friends to talk to to get what you need .
Sometimes I ’ m scared of the future .
That it won ’ t work out the way that I hope .
I won ’ t get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ won ’ t become the normal citizen that I ’ ve always desired to be .
One Friday morning , a dozen of the students met at a youth center at Vermont Avenue and 50th Street .
In khakis and a plaid shirt , Williams listened to a description of the center , which served nearly 250 people ages 16 to 25 .
After a tour through a lounge with sofas , bean-bag chairs , air hockey , Foosball and Montel on the television , Williams broke away to talk with Gerald Franklin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no idea this sort of thing was going on , ” Williams said .
“ I get jealous , and it makes me feel irresponsible and grateful for what ’ s here .
But this wasn ’ t here when I grew up.
” Franklin understood .
“ When we was coming up , ” he said , “ none of this was around.
” For Williams , the expectation had been jail , and strangely that was comforting .
In jail , you could get away from the hustle , the dope @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up .
Now his mind was spinning with what might have been .
He remembered being in Leavenworth on the November day that Barack Obama was elected president .
The warden had locked down the prison , afraid of a riot if Obama didn ’ t win .
When Obama did win , white gangs shouted and jeered .
“ All the blacks , though , got quiet and went to their bunks , ” Williams recalled .
“ My first emotion was anger .
Obama broke every belief I had .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But to see Obama be president forced me to admit that I was wrong .
That I could be president .
I didn ’ t have to go that other route , and I was angry.
” On a sunny December morning , the students gathered at Southwest College for graduation .
Eight weeks of classes weren ’ t many , but for most they encompassed a lifetime .
The small auditorium was nearly full .
Balloons floated near the lectern .
Williams ’ mother sat in the second row .
Cherylynn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pilot program that will be offered as part of the regular curriculum at the college in the spring , greeted the students , family and guests .
She had helped start Careers for a Cause , working with Ridley-Thomas ’ staff , the college and the South Los Angeles Transit Empowerment Zone .
“ This program is about so much more than employment , ” Hoff said .
“ This is about self-sufficiency and being successful in your community .
When we talk about trauma and how much trauma is in this community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to break that cycle , for yourselves , your families , for our communities.
” Four students had been asked to speak .
Williams was the last , and he surprised everyone .
His soft voice filled the room .
As he built to a crescendo — his words punctuated by students calling out and applauding — he paced the room and described his moments of doubt and the help he had received .
“ I … wanted … to … complete … this … program , ” he shouted , striking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roared with encouragement .
They had grown accustomed to the highs and lows of life that he described each morning in his Facebook posts .
“ Now we ’ re moving on , ” he said .
“ We ’ re moving on with this need .
This need to love .
This need to say this person is hurting , I know what they ’ re going through .
I ’ m going to help them , but I can ’ t do it alone .
So now we ’ re connected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benevolence is.
” “ We are at war .
We are losing the war .
Did I say that ?
We are losing the war !
But the beautiful thing about today is we are winning the battle.
” “ You see there is something good here , deep down , trying to get out , ” he said , crossing his chest with his arms .
“ You can ’ t knock out goodness .
You can ’ t knock out hope .
All you can do is provide a means to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and I thank you for it.
” Afterward , the class celebrated at a hotel near the airport , where Williams spent the night .
When he climbed into bed , he stared up at the ceiling .
Tomorrow he would start making some phone calls and look for a job , but for now , he reveled in the battle he had won .

Lying in bed at night, Earl Williams wondered what his future would be. From his top bunk, No. 133A, in the men’s shelter on 38th Street in South Los Angeles, he stared up at the white rafters.
With the world out of sight, anything seemed possible — until his fears kicked in.
He prayed. He thought of his new friends. He repeated words of encouragement that had come his way, but they were sometimes hard to believe.
The men around him snored, they moaned, they whispered among themselves. Beds creaked, and the smells of weed, even meth, reached him like the tentacles from his former life. At 48, Williams felt like a football team that never won.
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He curled onto his side. He adjusted his day pack, which was his pillow. It held his tablet, a change of clothes, papers. They were his most prized possessions, always nearby in case he got arrested, kicked out — or there was a fire.
The lights came on at 4:30 a.m., and the day began: a shower, breakfast, a morning smoke, his daily Facebook post, and then he took a bus to college. During the day, he liked to put distance between himself and the shelter, which reminded him of a prison yard, so many men milling about, just killing time.
× Los Angeles Southwest College launched Careers for a Cause, a pilot program aimed at providing participants with the skills to work in homelessness services. We spoke with some program graduates about why they wanted to work in social services.
Since coming back to Los Angeles in July, Williams had lived with the hope that the world wasn’t through with him, that the crimes of his past, his years of addiction, homelessness and incarceration, might be forgiven by helping others.
This morning he believed it just might be possible.
He had been accepted into a pilot program at Los Angeles Southwest College designed to provide him with skills to work in one of the city’s fastest growing job sectors: homeless services.
California Paroled from Angola prison, he searched for his son among L.A.’s homeless I stood at the front of the classroom and made my pitch to the 25 students who had been accepted into Careers for a Cause, an inaugural training program in homeless services offered at Los Angeles Southwest College.
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Flush with Measure H funding, a sales-tax assessment passed by county voters in 2017, agencies are on a hiring spree.
With need growing and new hires changing their minds about working on the street, managers are relaxing requirements for jobs whose wages start at about $17 an hour. Degrees and advanced training are not always needed, nor in some cases, a car or driver’s license.
The pilot program, Careers for a Cause, was proposed in 2018. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas’ staff had recognized that the homelessness crisis offered employment opportunities for the residents of South Los Angeles.
The staff enlisted the county’s workforce development agency, and with $100,000 from Ridley-Thomas’ discretionary fund, created an eight-week social service training program on the community college campus. Nearly 80 candidates applied for the 25 openings.
From late October through mid-December, Mondays through Thursdays, five hours a day, Williams and his fellow students gathered to hear about life on the street from outreach workers, mental health experts and case managers.
But to find their futures, they had to face down their pasts.
Nathanial Jones Jr., center, takes a class in the Careers for a Cause program. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
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::
“Each day, I wake up saying, ‘God, let me just make it,’” Williams said during an afternoon break. He had stepped outside and was sitting in the sun. Students were queuing up at a food truck.
“You see, you have to fight the belief, the expectation that you’re going to fail,” he said. “You have to fight the feeling that whatever good that’s coming your way, something is going to ruin it.”
His voice was soft but confident.
Column One A showcase for compelling storytelling from the Los Angeles Times. Read more stories
He had just quit a nighttime janitorial job that left him exhausted. Soon after enrolling in the class, he collapsed on the street and landed in the hospital.
More than once, he thought about dropping out.
Each day, when he walked to the bus, he passed the ragged tents of a homeless encampment on Broadway Place. He stepped around the debris. That once was his life, and he understood it: You can fail on the streets, and no one notices. You can be a hero on the streets — just offer a cigarette to someone asking — and everyone looks up to you.
He emailed the program director.
I’m having serious challenges to getting to class. I’m even considering leaving which is the last thing I want.
A half an hour later, she replied with an offer of help.
Persevere, Earl. We are here to support you.
He hadn’t expected her to care, and that evening he wrote back, trying to explain himself.
The benefit of being out there [on the street] is that you become resilient. Some people say hard, but underneath that hardness, is you.
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A soft core that you never let out because it hurts. So you don’t ask for help. You try to do everything yourself, and you still fail.
‘Each day, I wake up saying, “God, let me just make it.”’ — Earl Williams
The next day, he slid his tall frame into a desk at the back of the room. Some students reached out to him. They brought him menudo and bottles of water.
Slowly he grew comfortable and learned that he wasn’t alone.
His classmates included Francisco Villarruel, who sat in the front row. On his left cheek was a tattoo he got when he ran with a gang in La Puente. Convicted of kidnapping, carjacking and robbery, he did 15 years in prison. Now he was 35 and lived in a transitional housing facility. Each day he woke at 3:30 a.m., was at a gym by 4:30, at Los Angeles Trade Tech College by 7, and Southwest College by 10.
Nearby sat Kimberly Brown, who had lost her apartment in October. She said she and her husband now live in her truck. She was 38. She worked the graveyard shift as a manager for an interim housing site near MacArthur Park.
Sterling McElrath was transitioning to male. Identifying as trans and non-binary, he said he lived with his partner as a gay man and was in the process of changing the name and gender on his identification. He was 29. To attend class, he had to juggle the timing for blood tests that monitored his hormones.
One afternoon, Reba Stevens, a member of the county’s mental health commission, gave the students a pep talk.
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“I just celebrated 23 years of being sheltered,” she said. “How many of you have been homeless?”
A flurry of hands went up.
“How many have struggled with drugs and alcohol?”
Some hands stayed up; others were raised.
“How many had problems with the criminal justice system?”
Some groups overlapped.
“I am proud to be in your company,” she said. “All the policymakers in City Hall, they don’t have what we have.”
::
Earl Williams next to his bunk at the Volunteers of America men’s shelter. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Earl Williams grew up at 93rd and Central in South Los Angeles.
He was a teenager in 1987 when LAPD Chief Daryl Gates launched Operation Hammer, which tore into South L.A., locking up thousands of suspected gang members and drug dealers.
Crack cocaine had become an epidemic, and the world around him was crumbling.
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His father died when he was 16, and by then, he said, the line between right and wrong was defined by what he could get away with.
He dropped out of high school, and tried to keep his father’s businesses — a restaurant, a nightclub — going. But running away was easier. He stayed at the Frontier Hotel downtown, then drove to San Francisco, where he lived in the Tenderloin, under bridges, on the streets and in halfway houses.
He said he became addicted to crack, a habit that led to robbing banks. He never used a gun, he said, just slipped a note to tellers or asked them for the money. One teller, he recalled, said no. Another broke into tears.
Two arrests and two convictions followed, for a total of nearly 12 years in federal prisons.
By his count, from age 14 to 48 he lived in a place he could call his own just three times, for less than a total of nine months. He spent the rest of his time in mental hospitals, jails and on the streets. He was assaulted and robbed.
He was diagnosed with “anti-social personality disorder,” he said, and still remembers the language of the report: “Mr. Williams’ prognosis for recovery is poor. His element has never been successfully treated.”
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::
Now, day after day, he and the other students straggled into their classroom at 11:30 a.m. Spiral notebooks and McDonald’s bags covered their desks.
Patrick Coston, 56, left, talks with Francisco Villarruel, right, at the Careers for a Cause program. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)
Over the weeks, they studied computer skills, discussed the importance of cover letters and practiced how to talk to employers about gaps in their resumes.
They tried to keep their expectations in check.
“Is everyone familiar with Measure H?” asked Alison Korte, a manager with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
“We had a structure like toothpicks, and they dumped all this money on it,” Korte said, describing the additional $355 million a year.
“Organizations like ours are struggling the most with hiring. We have 1,200 vacant positions in L.A. County, and the turnover is continuous.”
With so many openings, agencies are looking beyond degreed social workers and turning to those whose experiences are more closely aligned with the people they would be helping.
Advertisement
The agencies call it “lived experience,” and it often accounts for the gaps in resumes that most employers might shy away from: bouts of homelessness, substance abuse, mental illness.
“What are you looking for when we put our resumes together?” one student asked.
Korte replied: “We want people who are interested in the work, who know the population and geography. Candidates will know where to go where people are struggling and will know how to engage with them. The hardest skill set is how to engage and work with people with empathy.”
Nikiya Richard, 41, completed Careers for a Cause and says she is starting a new job in February. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
But empathy came with a cautionary note, the students learned, if it reopened old wounds. This was evident during sessions on trauma that led to personal discussions about domestic violence, childhood abuse, violent death.
Outreach work would expose the students to stories like their own, and teachers emphasized the need for professional boundaries.
Advertisement
“Our job is to listen,” instructor Courtney Pierce told them. “Someone might not want to hear about our suffering. And so be aware: If you say to them, ‘I know what you’re going through,’ well, maybe you don’t.”
The program’s case manager, Guro Slettner, sat in the back of the class, ready to answer impromptu questions and any concerns.
In Slettner’s mind, the world was divided into those who were privileged and born into opportunity and those who were resilient, able to survive in situations where others would struggle.
She had a clear read on the opportunities and struggles that had shaped the lives of the students and the risks they were taking to change the odds.
In his notebook, Williams wrote:
I think there’s something devastating about suffering loss in life, especially if it’s persistent and becomes a lifestyle. You lose your keys one time, and it’s an annoyance. At worst you take the bus or break a window. You lose your keys forever, and you never drive. You never go anywhere, and you run out of friends to talk to to get what you need.
You stop asking.
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Sometimes I’m scared of the future. That it won’t work out the way that I hope. I won’t get what I need or want. I won’t become the normal citizen that I’ve always desired to be.
::
One Friday morning, a dozen of the students met at a youth center at Vermont Avenue and 50th Street. In khakis and a plaid shirt, Williams listened to a description of the center, which served nearly 250 people ages 16 to 25.
After a tour through a lounge with sofas, bean-bag chairs, air hockey, Foosball and Montel on the television, Williams broke away to talk with Gerald Franklin, a counselor.
“I had no idea this sort of thing was going on,” Williams said. “I get jealous, and it makes me feel irresponsible and grateful for what’s here. But this wasn’t here when I grew up.”
‘I get jealous, and it makes me feel irresponsible and grateful for what’s here. But this wasn’t here when I grew up.’ — Earl Williams
Franklin understood. “When we was coming up,” he said, “none of this was around.”
For Williams, the expectation had been jail, and strangely that was comforting. In jail, you could get away from the hustle, the dope, the responsibilities — just by giving up.
Advertisement
Now his mind was spinning with what might have been.
He remembered being in Leavenworth on the November day that Barack Obama was elected president.
The warden had locked down the prison, afraid of a riot if Obama didn’t win.
When Obama did win, white gangs shouted and jeered.
“All the blacks, though, got quiet and went to their bunks,” Williams recalled. “My first emotion was anger. Obama broke every belief I had. I had believed that everything was against me. But to see Obama be president forced me to admit that I was wrong. That I could be president. I didn’t have to go that other route, and I was angry.”
::
On a sunny December morning, the students gathered at Southwest College for graduation.
Eight weeks of classes weren’t many, but for most they encompassed a lifetime. The small auditorium was nearly full. Balloons floated near the lectern.
Cherylynn Hoff, left, the acting director for the pilot program, hugs Nikiya Richard at her graduation last month. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
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Williams’ mother sat in the second row.
Cherylynn Hoff, the acting director for the pilot program that will be offered as part of the regular curriculum at the college in the spring, greeted the students, family and guests. She had helped start Careers for a Cause, working with Ridley-Thomas’ staff, the college and the South Los Angeles Transit Empowerment Zone.
“This program is about so much more than employment,” Hoff said. “This is about self-sufficiency and being successful in your community. When we talk about trauma and how much trauma is in this community, each one of you is working to break that cycle, for yourselves, your families, for our communities.”
Four students had been asked to speak.
Williams was the last, and he surprised everyone. His soft voice filled the room.
As he built to a crescendo — his words punctuated by students calling out and applauding — he paced the room and described his moments of doubt and the help he had received.
“I … wanted … to … complete … this … program,” he shouted, striking the lectern after each word.
The class roared with encouragement. They had grown accustomed to the highs and lows of life that he described each morning in his Facebook posts.
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Earl Williams speaks at his graduation. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
“Now we’re moving on,” he said. “We’re moving on with this need. This need to love. This need to say this person is hurting, I know what they’re going through. I’m going to help them, but I can’t do it alone. So now we’re connected as a team. This is what benevolence is.”
He caught his breath.
“We are at war. We are losing the war. Did I say that? We are losing the war! But the beautiful thing about today is we are winning the battle.”
His mother beamed with pride.
“You see there is something good here, deep down, trying to get out,” he said, crossing his chest with his arms.
“You can’t knock out goodness. You can’t knock out hope. All you can do is provide a means to share it. This is the means, and I thank you for it.”
Everyone cheered.
Afterward, the class celebrated at a hotel near the airport, where Williams spent the night.
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When he climbed into bed, he stared up at the ceiling.
Tomorrow he would start making some phone calls and look for a job, but for now, he reveled in the battle he had won.