latimes--2020-05-09--Column: One man's quest to document the Westside's homeless and hold officials accountable

Every morning in West Los Angeles , 73-year-old Don Wood circles his neighborhood in a Chevy Spark , checking out homeless encampments and taking an occasional photograph .
When he gets home , he sends a photo or two to local officials and to members of a Westside task force looking for solutions to homelessness .
“ Simultaneously beautiful and dangerous , ” Wood messaged one day , attaching a stark image in which he had turned nine separate shots into a panorama of tents under the 405 Freeway on Venice Boulevard .
I joined Wood on his 36th straight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up again with him last Thursday , Day 43 of the Don Patrol .
Why does he do this ?
At the start of the coronavirus pandemic , when he feared the disease would spread through homeless encampments and beyond , making it more critical than ever to get people safely indoors as soon as possible , he noticed that a lot of people on the streets weren ’ t social distancing or wearing masks .
“ I took the governor and mayor at their word when they said it was dangerous … @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , ” Wood said .
“ I started going around to watch that metamorphosis happen .
And it hasn ’ t. ” The first time I met up with Wood , we started on Sepulveda Boulevard under the 10 Freeway .
At 7 a.m. , a dozen or so tents lined the east side of Sepulveda , and Wood said the population had been constant for months , no more tents and no fewer tents .
I followed behind him in my car as we talked by phone about what he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second stop , under the freeway on Military Avenue , he reported good news .
“ That ’ s much cleaner , ” he said , spotting only three tents instead of the usual dozen or so .
“ They were in here cheek to jowl.
” But there was little change on the rest of his route , which takes him about 45 minutes each day and concludes with stops at the West Los Angeles VA and the Westwood Rec Center .
On Day 34 , he explained that more tents had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the VA and just inside the fence , with toilets available and case managers on site .
On Day 43 , roughly 25 trailers were parked at the Westwood Rec Center and homeless people were being moved into them .
But otherwise , Wood estimated , the population of people living in the encampments he checks on daily is virtually unchanged .
And that ’ s consistent with recent news about slow going on countywide efforts to move people indoors .
L.A. County officials set a goal of moving 15,000 of the county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into largely empty hotels and motels through local implementation of the state ’ s Project Roomkey .
That ’ s the rough number of homeless people 65 and older who have health conditions making them more likely to die if infected with the virus .
But as of last week , one month into the project , tracking by The Times found that fewer than 2,000 people had been moved inside .
The effort has been sabotaged by NIMBY resistance from some cities , lack of cooperation by many hotel managers even though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in working out contract , insurance and liability details .
Homeless advocates have been so ticked off that they ’ ve lashed out at local officials and waged protests threatening to seize hotels .
Heidi Marston , interim director of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority , acknowledged the complications but tried to put a positive spin on things .
She said that as of Thursday , 1,776 people had moved into hotels and motels ( a number that has climbed a bit since then ) , with hundreds more new leases being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been moved into rec centers — such as the Westwood Rec Center — and trailers .
“ It ’ s more than we could have dreamed of doing in 30 days , ” she said , “ but we have to keep going.
” Marston said that getting people indoors is just one goal .
Another is trying to connect them to long-term housing options before 90-day contracts with hotels run out at the end of June .
“ We can ’ t open the doors to the hotels and motels and say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ street and we ’ ll work with you later , ” Marston said .
With tens of thousands of empty hotel rooms in greater Los Angeles , it ’ s hard to imagine why more properties in more cities haven ’ t either stepped up voluntarily or been coerced or shamed into doing so .
Participating hotels are being compensated , they ’ re able to bring furloughed employees back to work , and they ’ re aiding some of the most vulnerable people in society while also helping limit the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ housing options ?
While talking to Marston , I noted that tens of thousands of dorm rooms are vacant now because college campuses have been shut down and might not reopen in the fall .
Why not recruit college leaders — especially those at taxpayer-funded public universities — to open their doors for temporary homeless housing ?
Marston said the idea has come up but hasn ’ t yet been pursued .
Wood , a Canadian who moved south 20 years ago , said he ’ s long been the kind of guy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Frustration , impatience and a refusal to accept that massive numbers of homeless encampments should exist in such a wealthy country motivated him to try to be a part of the solution .
He signed on early this year to a fledgling task force that was spun off from the Westside Neighborhood Council to work with local officials and possibly contract with a service provider .
He knows that some homeless people , due to mental illness or addiction , can be difficult to help .
But he hasn ’ t personally seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary , and he wonders about things such as why some encampments have bathrooms and hand-washing stations while others don ’ t .
Mary Williams , another member of the task force , said the West Side has its NIMBYs and its YIMBYs , and their group is trying to inject fact-based data into the conversation .
Wood has taken it upon himself to monitor and record developments on the streets .
On Day 43 , Wood stopped on Venice under the 405 , where about 100 people are living .
Lameisha Randall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and maintenance crew called Pit Stop , was scrubbing and setting up portable toilets and wash basins when I asked her about Wood ’ s daily visits .
“ I think he comes because he ’ s concerned and he ’ s trying to help the community , ” Randall said , adding that Wood sometimes delivers clothing or personal hygiene supplies .
At another encampment , Tim Walker , wearing a U.S. Marine shirt and repairing a bicycle outside his tent , said he ’ d been the recipient of breakfast sandwiches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social workers came by recently , asking if anyone had underlying health issues .
“ Pretty much everyone out here ’ s got underlying health issues , ” said Walker , who told me he has severe PTSD and multiple physical problems .
He added that he and others wouldn ’ t necessarily trust offers of temporary hotel rooms , or consider them any safer than their tents , although he ’ d be ready to talk about a more permanent housing solution .
I told Walker that several months ago , just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ d watched the coroner remove the body of a homeless man who died on the street .
“ I can ’ t even tell you how many dead bodies I ’ ve seen in sleeping bags over the years , ” Walker said .
Wood shudders to think , as do I , about whether the situation on the streets will get worse rather than better .
With so many people thrown out of work , and government service budgets sure to be severely slashed , there ’ s no telling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homeless .
Wood said he ’ d like to relax at home in the morning , but as long as neighbors all around him sleep on the pavement , he ’ ll keep up his daily rounds and continue to send out emails , whether anyone responds to them or not .
He said he lives by two philosophies .
“ One is do unto others , the golden rule , ” he said .
“ The other is that I ’ d rather be damned for doing than damned for not .
@

Every morning in West Los Angeles, 73-year-old Don Wood circles his neighborhood in a Chevy Spark, checking out homeless encampments and taking an occasional photograph. When he gets home, he sends a photo or two to local officials and to members of a Westside task force looking for solutions to homelessness.
“Simultaneously beautiful and dangerous,” Wood messaged one day, attaching a stark image in which he had turned nine separate shots into a panorama of tents under the 405 Freeway on Venice Boulevard.
I joined Wood on his 36th straight day of monitoring, and then hooked up again with him last Thursday, Day 43 of the Don Patrol.
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Why does he do this?
At the start of the coronavirus pandemic, when he feared the disease would spread through homeless encampments and beyond, making it more critical than ever to get people safely indoors as soon as possible, he noticed that a lot of people on the streets weren’t social distancing or wearing masks.
Don Wood, left, talks with Tim Walker, a veteran who is homeless, on his morning tour of homeless encampments on the Los Angeles Westside. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
“I took the governor and mayor at their word when they said it was dangerous … and we had to do something about it,” Wood said. “I started going around to watch that metamorphosis happen. And it hasn’t.”
The first time I met up with Wood, we started on Sepulveda Boulevard under the 10 Freeway. At 7 a.m., a dozen or so tents lined the east side of Sepulveda, and Wood said the population had been constant for months, no more tents and no fewer tents.
I followed behind him in my car as we talked by phone about what he was seeing. When we got to his second stop, under the freeway on Military Avenue, he reported good news.
“That’s much cleaner,” he said, spotting only three tents instead of the usual dozen or so. “They were in here cheek to jowl.”
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But there was little change on the rest of his route, which takes him about 45 minutes each day and concludes with stops at the West Los Angeles VA and the Westwood Rec Center.
Don Wood checks on a homeless encampment next to the 405 Freeway on his morning tour of Westside encampments. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
On Day 34, he explained that more tents had been set up on the fringe of the VA and just inside the fence, with toilets available and case managers on site. On Day 43, roughly 25 trailers were parked at the Westwood Rec Center and homeless people were being moved into them.
But otherwise, Wood estimated, the population of people living in the encampments he checks on daily is virtually unchanged. And that’s consistent with recent news about slow going on countywide efforts to move people indoors.
L.A. County officials set a goal of moving 15,000 of the county’s 60,000 or so homeless people into largely empty hotels and motels through local implementation of the state’s Project Roomkey. That’s the rough number of homeless people 65 and older who have health conditions making them more likely to die if infected with the virus.
But as of last week, one month into the project, tracking by The Times found that fewer than 2,000 people had been moved inside. The effort has been sabotaged by NIMBY resistance from some cities, lack of cooperation by many hotel managers even though their rooms are empty, and complications in working out contract, insurance and liability details. Homeless advocates have been so ticked off that they’ve lashed out at local officials and waged protests threatening to seize hotels.
Heidi Marston, interim director of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, acknowledged the complications but tried to put a positive spin on things. She said that as of Thursday, 1,776 people had moved into hotels and motels (a number that has climbed a bit since then), with hundreds more new leases being finalized, and roughly 1,000 more had been moved into rec centers — such as the Westwood Rec Center — and trailers.
Don Wood took nine photos of tents on Venice Boulevard under the 405 Freeway and put them together in a panorama.
(Don Woods)
“It’s more than we could have dreamed of doing in 30 days,” she said, “but we have to keep going.”
Marston said that getting people indoors is just one goal. Another is trying to connect them to long-term housing options before 90-day contracts with hotels run out at the end of June.
“We can’t open the doors to the hotels and motels and say OK, go back out on the street and we’ll work with you later,” Marston said.
With tens of thousands of empty hotel rooms in greater Los Angeles, it’s hard to imagine why more properties in more cities haven’t either stepped up voluntarily or been coerced or shamed into doing so. Participating hotels are being compensated, they’re able to bring furloughed employees back to work, and they’re aiding some of the most vulnerable people in society while also helping limit the spread of the virus.
And what about other housing options? While talking to Marston, I noted that tens of thousands of dorm rooms are vacant now because college campuses have been shut down and might not reopen in the fall. Why not recruit college leaders — especially those at taxpayer-funded public universities — to open their doors for temporary homeless housing?
Marston said the idea has come up but hasn’t yet been pursued.
Don Wood, right, talks with Lameisha Randall, who works for an L.A. service and maintenance crew that provides portable toilets and hand washing stations for homeless encampments. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Wood, a Canadian who moved south 20 years ago, said he’s long been the kind of guy who gets involved in civic causes. Frustration, impatience and a refusal to accept that massive numbers of homeless encampments should exist in such a wealthy country motivated him to try to be a part of the solution.
He signed on early this year to a fledgling task force that was spun off from the Westside Neighborhood Council to work with local officials and possibly contract with a service provider. He knows that some homeless people, due to mental illness or addiction, can be difficult to help. But he hasn’t personally seen the level of effort he thinks is necessary, and he wonders about things such as why some encampments have bathrooms and hand-washing stations while others don’t.
Mary Williams, another member of the task force, said the West Side has its NIMBYs and its YIMBYs, and their group is trying to inject fact-based data into the conversation. Wood has taken it upon himself to monitor and record developments on the streets.
On Day 43, Wood stopped on Venice under the 405, where about 100 people are living. Lameisha Randall, who works for an L.A. service and maintenance crew called Pit Stop, was scrubbing and setting up portable toilets and wash basins when I asked her about Wood’s daily visits.
“I think he comes because he’s concerned and he’s trying to help the community,” Randall said, adding that Wood sometimes delivers clothing or personal hygiene supplies.
At another encampment, Tim Walker, wearing a U.S. Marine shirt and repairing a bicycle outside his tent, said he’d been the recipient of breakfast sandwiches handed out by Wood. Walker said social workers came by recently, asking if anyone had underlying health issues.
“Pretty much everyone out here’s got underlying health issues,” said Walker, who told me he has severe PTSD and multiple physical problems. He added that he and others wouldn’t necessarily trust offers of temporary hotel rooms, or consider them any safer than their tents, although he’d be ready to talk about a more permanent housing solution.
I told Walker that several months ago, just around the corner from his tent, I’d watched the coroner remove the body of a homeless man who died on the street.
“I can’t even tell you how many dead bodies I’ve seen in sleeping bags over the years,” Walker said.
Wood shudders to think, as do I, about whether the situation on the streets will get worse rather than better. With so many people thrown out of work, and government service budgets sure to be severely slashed, there’s no telling how many more people will end up homeless.
Wood said he’d like to relax at home in the morning, but as long as neighbors all around him sleep on the pavement, he’ll keep up his daily rounds and continue to send out emails, whether anyone responds to them or not. He said he lives by two philosophies.
“One is do unto others, the golden rule,” he said. “The other is that I’d rather be damned for doing than damned for not.”
steve.lopez@latimes.com


latimes--2020-05-09--L.A. County coronavirus-related deaths top 1,500

Los Angeles County public health officials Saturday reported 1,011 new coronavirus cases and 44 related deaths , pushing the total number of virus-related deaths to more than 1,500 .
Long Beach , which has its own public health department , reported an additional 33 cases and three deaths , bringing the county ’ s total to 31,230 cases and 1,515 deaths .
“ Many people in our community are experiencing profound loss because their loved ones have passed away from COVID-19 , ” Barbara Ferrer , the county public health director , said in a statement .
“ We keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day.
” The rising numbers come as state and county officials have taken steps toward easing stay-at-home orders by reopening trails and golf courses and permitting some businesses to resume curbside pickup operations .
Still , officials say it ’ s crucial to continue practicing physical distancing and frequent handwashing , and that those who are older or have underlying health conditions should continue to stay home .
“ If you are out and about this weekend , please take every precaution since any one of us , even if we are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and capable of infecting others , ” Ferrer said .
That includes staying six feet away from others and wearing a face covering if others are near you , she said .
“ These actions are critically important as we begin the journey of recovery so that we don ’ t find ourselves with large increases in hospitalizations and deaths that would require us to reinstitute restrictions , ” Ferrer said .
As of Friday , there were 1,790 COVID-19 patients in L.A. County hospitals , with 29 % in intensive care and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate has remained relatively stable for the past week and a half , Ferrer said .

Hikers at El Scorpion Park take advantage of newly reopened trails on Saturday in West Hills.
Los Angeles County public health officials Saturday reported 1,011 new coronavirus cases and 44 related deaths, pushing the total number of virus-related deaths to more than 1,500.
Long Beach, which has its own public health department, reported an additional 33 cases and three deaths, bringing the county’s total to 31,230 cases and 1,515 deaths.
“Many people in our community are experiencing profound loss because their loved ones have passed away from COVID-19,” Barbara Ferrer, the county public health director, said in a statement. “We keep you in our thoughts and prayers every day.”
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The rising numbers come as state and county officials have taken steps toward easing stay-at-home orders by reopening trails and golf courses and permitting some businesses to resume curbside pickup operations.
Still, officials say it’s crucial to continue practicing physical distancing and frequent handwashing, and that those who are older or have underlying health conditions should continue to stay home.
“If you are out and about this weekend, please take every precaution since any one of us, even if we are not sick, could be infected with COVID-19 and capable of infecting others,” Ferrer said.
That includes staying six feet away from others and wearing a face covering if others are near you, she said.
“These actions are critically important as we begin the journey of recovery so that we don’t find ourselves with large increases in hospitalizations and deaths that would require us to reinstitute restrictions,” Ferrer said.
As of Friday, there were 1,790 COVID-19 patients in L.A. County hospitals, with 29% in intensive care and 16% on ventilators. The hospitalization rate has remained relatively stable for the past week and a half, Ferrer said.


latimes--2020-05-09--L.A. County judges and other staff required to wear face masks in courts due to coronavirus

All Los Angeles County Superior Court bench officers , which include judges , will be required to wear face coverings while on the bench or inside courthouse public areas , the court announced Saturday .
“ The Court is committed to protecting the health and safety of the public , attorneys , justice partners , judicial officers and employees , ” Presiding Judge Kevin C. Brazile said in a statement .
Each judicial officer has been provided with two face masks , as have court employees , who also are required to wear face coverings , the court said in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that bench officers wear face coverings , we will also decrease the chances of an asymptomatic Judge or Commissioner spreading the virus to others , ” Brazile said .
The court is exempt from the county ’ s order requiring people to wear face masks in public but has strongly encouraged their use , according to the news release .
Paper masks are provided at courthouse entrances for members of the public who don ’ t have one , the release said .
The effort is the latest aimed at slowing the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ balance the need to maintain essential court functions with the safety of attorneys , judges , prosecutors and defendants .
Last month , county courts launched a program to conduct arraignments via video in a bid to reduce courthouse traffic by cutting down on prisoner transfers .
In March , Brazile barred public access to the courts and delayed for 90 days all misdemeanor hearings for defendants who are out of custody .
Marquee trials , including the murder trial prosecution of New York real estate scion Robert Durst , have also been @ @

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Miguel Espinoza holds arraignments in his courtroom via video at Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center on April 21 in Los Angeles.
All Los Angeles County Superior Court bench officers, which include judges, will be required to wear face coverings while on the bench or inside courthouse public areas, the court announced Saturday.
“The Court is committed to protecting the health and safety of the public, attorneys, justice partners, judicial officers and employees,” Presiding Judge Kevin C. Brazile said in a statement.
Each judicial officer has been provided with two face masks, as have court employees, who also are required to wear face coverings, the court said in a news release.
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“By mandating that bench officers wear face coverings, we will also decrease the chances of an asymptomatic Judge or Commissioner spreading the virus to others,” Brazile said.
The court is exempt from the county’s order requiring people to wear face masks in public but has strongly encouraged their use, according to the news release. Paper masks are provided at courthouse entrances for members of the public who don’t have one, the release said.
The effort is the latest aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus as officials try to balance the need to maintain essential court functions with the safety of attorneys, judges, prosecutors and defendants.
Last month, county courts launched a program to conduct arraignments via video in a bid to reduce courthouse traffic by cutting down on prisoner transfers. In March, Brazile barred public access to the courts and delayed for 90 days all misdemeanor hearings for defendants who are out of custody. Marquee trials, including the murder trial prosecution of New York real estate scion Robert Durst, have also been delayed.
Times staff writer James Queally contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-05-09--Teen volunteers organize service to help most vulnerable during coronavirus outbreak

Christine Riel stared at the shopping list on her cellphone the same way Lewis and Clark might have once studied their maps , searching for a clear path forward while hoping to avoid any unnecessary backtracking .
To Riel , a high school junior , the wide aisles of an Albertson ’ s grocery store in Santa Clarita are nearly as daunting as the untamed Pacific Northwest must have seemed to the two explorers .
“ I do not know how to shop , ” Riel , 16 , said with a heavy sigh , recalling an earlier supermarket run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those trips , nor any of the frustration they brought , was for anyone she knows .
Instead , Riel , wearing a blue paper face mask and white rubber gloves , ventures out most days to shop for strangers who can ’ t leave home while the novel coronavirus preys on the old , infirm or those with otherwise fragile immune systems .
And she ’ s not alone .
Six Feet Supplies , a free student-led service that takes its name from the separation required by social distancing , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than $ 27,000 of food to 260 homes in targeted areas of Los Angeles County in the last six weeks .
Another group of teens developed a platform that allows neighbors to assist one another by requesting or donating hard-to-find goods and services .
At a time when many adults have been left feeling anxious and overwhelmed by the spread of COVID-19 and the disruption of normal life it has caused , students from six Santa Clarita Valley high schools have stepped into the void , offering critical help to many whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service serves Santa Clarita , the city of San Fernando and West Los Angeles .
“ A lot of parents just think we ’ re always on our phones or always playing games , ” said Avi Basnet , a 16-year-old Valencia High junior who wrote much of the coding for the Supply Neighbor website .
“ It ’ s really nice to prove them wrong .
That we actually can , like , make a difference in the world.
” The ideas for Six Feet Solutions started with Zoe Monterola and Eric @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who studied together at Global Prep Academy , an after-school program nestled beside a chiropractor ’ s office in a nondescript strip mall .
GPA ‘ s curriculum emphasizes community involvement , so days after Santa Clarita ’ s high schools were locked down in mid-March , students were already brainstorming volunteer opportunities when David Najar , the academy ’ s founder , related a story about a neighbor leaving a note asking him if he needed anything .
Monterola and Luo figured GPA could expand that idea community-wide and quickly developed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can go to the Six Feet Supplies website , provide their name , address , phone number and a shopping list , with requests that can be as simple as “ hamburger buns ” or exact enough to include the brand name , size and flavor .
Clients can also request goods from a specific market , with one recent trip requiring stops at three different stores .
Armed with that information , the group dispatches students to collect the goods , pay for them and deliver them to the client ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the receipt so they can be repaid online .
And though they have no physical contact with the clients , the students do get emails .
“ There are a lot of small interactions that make it worth it , ” said Riel , remembering the thank-you note a man undergoing cancer treatment left at his door .
“ You obviously don ’ t know your customer that well .
But when we understood that they really are people that you need to help , that ’ s what made it really fulfilling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the start.
” On a recent weekday afternoon Riel , with two shopping lists on an app in her cellphone , rendezvoused in a supermarket parking lot with Krysta Mendoza and Shaira Busnawi , classmates at West Ranch High in Stevenson Ranch .
Masked and gloved , the girls began in the produce section , tossing a head of lettuce , two tomatoes and an avocado into the cart when Riel ’ s phone pinged .
The client , a retired teacher named Randy Gilpin , wanted to add some strawberries to his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ texted Gilpin a photo for approval .
Most of the shopping trips are routine , with flowers often the most exotic item .
But Busnawi , who has charged nearly $ 2,000 worth of groceries to her debit card in 16 trips , said she was once asked to buy a case of wine .
“ I was like , ‘ I don ’ t know if you know this , but I ’ m still 16 , ’ ” said Busnawi , whose biggest order drained $ 438 from a bank account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ park .
The shopping trips , she says “ have opened a whole new world for me .
I was always living in my own little bubble .
I didn ’ t know how bad this pandemic was.
” Now , with school closed , she also volunteers with Riel at a local homeless shelter ; Mendoza , a cheerleader , is vice president of a group that works with special needs children at an elementary school .
“ We have a motto of relationship , rigor , relevance , ” said Mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Relationships always come first [ and ] volunteerism and giving back is forging a positive relationship with the people and community you are a part of .
“ I hope that is something we inspire at our school.
” Halfway into the Albertsons visit the girls huddle close enough to hear one another through their masks , with Riel dispatching Busnawi on a solo mission to find olive oil while Mendoza heads in the opposite direction in search of something else .
Santa Clarita , a wealthy bedroom community about 35 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best known for the Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park and its 100 miles of hiking trails and bike paths , so the residents that Six Feet Supplies serves are not poor ; they just can ’ t go shopping for themselves .
That ’ s an issue that strikes close to home for Mendoza , 17 , whose parents both have diabetes , leaving them with a greater risk of complication should they get COVID-19 .
“ I just decided I have all this free time .
Why not volunteer ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the day we ’ ll get a text message and they ’ ll tell us their story and it lifts you up .
You ’ re just like ‘ I want to do it again ’ .
” After an hour of shopping the girls have filled two orders , with Riel charging the $ 183.09 to her parents ’ credit card .
After packing the food into the trunk of Busnawi ’ s red Mercedes they make the short drive to Gilpin ’ s home , where they drop the plastic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from behind a closed door .
“ I ’ d love to just really shake their hands , ” Gilpin says as the girls leave .
He ’ s not alone .
Six Feet Supplies has proven so popular it is expanding to the San Fernando Valley and West Los Angeles and added six other volunteer programs to promote everything from physical health and aid to the homeless to a crisis line people can call if the quarantine has left them feeling depressed or lonely .
About an hour before Riel began her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Zoom chat from his bedroom about a mile away .
Days after classes were suspended at Valencia High , he and four junior classmates begin searching for their own way to help people cope with the pandemic , eventually designing a website where they meet , electronically , several times a week .
“ There ’ s like 30 million people who lost their jobs .
They ’ re living in fear and stress .
We felt the obligation to make something that can help them out , ” said Moy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he , like his classmates , ends every conversation with “ Have a nice day.
” Their solution , Supply Neighbor , was up and running in less than a month , and within two weeks it had grown to 550 users in three states .
The free website , which is designed to be self-run , is a public space for neighbors to request or offer goods and services ranging from groceries and toilet paper to surgical masks and even a plain bag of sugar without having to risk COVID-19 exposure by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more or less offering if you have a surplus and requesting if you have a need , ” said Hayden Lee , 17 .
For Valencia High teacher Jerry Ostrove , the website is proof that the five boys have learned more than computing skills in class .
“ The really inspirational piece to me is that , instead of spending their free time watching movies or playing video games , they decided to use their time , talent and effort to create something that helps others , ” he said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had extra and others that didn ’ t have enough .
How could they use their technical skills to make those people aware of each other and connect them ?
“ Instead of succumbing to a fear mentality , they collaboratively stepped up.
” The students police the site to weed out political commentary or anything that might pass as commercial activity and continue to tinker with improvements ; the next stage , they hope , will involve houses of worship and food banks .
But even without the additions the website ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will extend beyond the pandemic .
“ The quarantine won ’ t just end one day and then people won ’ t need anything help , ” said Fabio Nuñez Del Prado , 16 .
“ It ’ s going to take a lot of recovery time and our website is still going to be here , it ’ s still going to help people.
“

Christine Riel, 16, left, and Krysta Mendoza, 17, juniors at West Ranch High School in Santa Clarita, fill an online order at Albertson’s grocery store in Valencia this week. Both are volunteers with Six Feet Supplies, a free service started by local teenagers to help the most vulnerable during the coronavirus outbreak.
Christine Riel stared at the shopping list on her cellphone the same way Lewis and Clark might have once studied their maps, searching for a clear path forward while hoping to avoid any unnecessary backtracking.
To Riel, a high school junior, the wide aisles of an Albertson’s grocery store in Santa Clarita are nearly as daunting as the untamed Pacific Northwest must have seemed to the two explorers.
“I do not know how to shop,” Riel, 16, said with a heavy sigh, recalling an earlier supermarket run that lasted nearly three hours.
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Neither of those trips, nor any of the frustration they brought, was for anyone she knows. Instead, Riel, wearing a blue paper face mask and white rubber gloves, ventures out most days to shop for strangers who can’t leave home while the novel coronavirus preys on the old, infirm or those with otherwise fragile immune systems.
And she’s not alone. Six Feet Supplies, a free student-led service that takes its name from the separation required by social distancing, has used more than 100 volunteers to deliver more than $27,000 of food to 260 homes in targeted areas of Los Angeles County in the last six weeks. Another group of teens developed a platform that allows neighbors to assist one another by requesting or donating hard-to-find goods and services.
At a time when many adults have been left feeling anxious and overwhelmed by the spread of COVID-19 and the disruption of normal life it has caused, students from six Santa Clarita Valley high schools have stepped into the void, offering crucial help to many whose needs were going unmet. The delivery service serves Santa Clarita, the city of San Fernando and West Los Angeles.
“A lot of parents just think we’re always on our phones or always playing games,” said Avi Basnet, a 16-year-old Valencia High junior who wrote much of the coding for the Supply Neighbor website. “It’s really nice to prove them wrong. That we actually can, like, make a difference in the world.”
Sharia Busnawi, 16, from left, Christine Riel, 16, Krysta Mendoza, 17, juniors at West Ranch High School, deliver a grocery order to Randy Gilpin, 67, in Saugus on Tuesday for Six Feet Supplies, a volunteer service that shops for homebound people. (Genaro Molina / Genaro Molina)
The ideas for Six Feet Solutions started with Zoe Monterola and Eric Luo, juniors at rival high schools who studied together at Global Prep Academy, an after-school program nestled beside a chiropractor’s office in a nondescript strip mall. GPA‘s curriculum emphasizes community involvement, so days after Santa Clarita’s high schools were locked down in mid-March, students were already brainstorming volunteer opportunities when David Najar, the academy’s founder, relayed a story about a neighbor leaving a note asking him if he needed anything.
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Monterola and Luo figured GPA could expand that idea community-wide and quickly developed a program to make it happen. Clients can go to the Six Feet Supplies website, provide their name, address, phone number and a shopping list, with requests that can be as simple as “hamburger buns” or exact enough to include the brand name, size and flavor. Clients can also request goods from a specific market, with one recent trip requiring stops at three different stores.
Armed with that information, the group dispatches students to collect the goods, pay for them and deliver them to the client’s front door, texting a copy of the receipt so they can be repaid online. And though they have no physical contact with the clients, the students do get emails.
“There are a lot of small interactions that make it worth it,” said Riel, remembering the thank-you note a man undergoing cancer treatment left at his door. “You obviously don’t know your customer that well. But when we understood that they really are people that you need to help, that’s what made it really fulfilling.
“I was on board from the start.”
Sharia Busnawi, 16, left, and Krysta Mendoza, 17, juniors at West Ranch High School, shop for groceries at an Albertsons store in Valencia while volunteering for the Six Feet Supplies service. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
On a recent weekday afternoon Riel, with two shopping lists on an app in her cellphone, rendezvoused in a supermarket parking lot with Krysta Mendoza and Shaira Busnawi, classmates at West Ranch High in Stevenson Ranch.
Masked and gloved, the girls began in the produce section, tossing a head of lettuce, two tomatoes and an avocado into the cart when Riel’s phone pinged. The client, a retired teacher named Randy Gilpin, wanted to add some strawberries to his order so Riel grabbed a basket and texted Gilpin a photo for approval.
Most of the shopping trips are routine, with flowers often the most exotic item. But Busnawi, who has charged nearly $2,000 worth of groceries to her debit card in 16 trips, said she was once asked to buy a case of wine.
“I was like, ‘I don’t know if you know this, but I’m still 16,’” said Busnawi, whose biggest order drained $438 from a bank account she built giving tennis lessons in a park.
Sharia Busnawi, 16, right, places groceries in the trunk of her car, after she and Christine Riel, 16, left, and Krysta Mendoza, 17, filled an online grocery order for the site Six Feet Supplies, an organization of student volunteers, on Tuesday in Valencia. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
The shopping trips, she says “have opened a whole new world for me. I was always living in my own little bubble. I didn’t know how bad this pandemic was.”
Now, with school closed, she also volunteers with Riel at a local homeless shelter; Mendoza, a cheerleader, is vice president of a group that works with special-needs children at an elementary school.
“We have a motto of relationship, rigor, relevance,” said Mark Crawford, the principal at West Ranch. “Relationships always come first [and] volunteerism and giving back is forging a positive relationship with the people and community you are a part of.
“I hope that is something we inspire at our school.”
Krysta Mendoza, 17, left, and Christine Riel, 16, volunteers for the student-led Six Feet Supplies shopping service, deliver groceries to a client in Saugus on Tuesday. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Halfway into the Albertsons visit the girls huddle close enough to hear one another through their masks, with Riel dispatching Busnawi on a solo mission to find olive oil while Mendoza heads in the opposite direction in search of something else.
Santa Clarita, a wealthy bedroom community about 35 miles north of Los Angeles, is best known for the Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park and its 100 miles of hiking trails and bike paths. The residents that Six Feet Supplies serves are not poor; they just can’t go shopping for themselves. That’s an issue that strikes close to home for Mendoza, 17, whose parents both have diabetes, leaving them with a greater risk of complication should they get COVID-19.
“I just decided I have all this free time. Why not volunteer?” she said. “At the end of the day we’ll get a text message and they’ll tell us their story and it lifts you up. You’re just like, ‘I want to do it again.’”
After an hour of shopping the girls have filled two orders, with Riel charging the $183.09 to her parents’ credit card. After packing the food into the trunk of Busnawi’s red Mercedes they make the short drive to Gilpin’s home, where they drop the plastic bags on the doorstep as he watches from behind a closed door.
Sharia Busnawi, 16, from left, Christine Riel, 16, Krysta Mendoza, 17, deliver groceries to the home of Joanne Halcon in Santa Clarita on Tuesday for the student volunteer shopping service Six Feet Supplies. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
“I’d love to just really shake their hands,” Gilpin says as the girls leave. He’s not alone. Six Feet Supplies has proved so popular it is expanding to the San Fernando Valley and West Los Angeles and added six other volunteer programs to promote everything from physical health and aid to the homeless to a crisis line people can call if the quarantine has left them feeling depressed or lonely.
About an hour before Riel began her Albertsons trip, Nicholas Moy logged on to Zoom chat from his bedroom about a mile away. Days after classes were suspended at Valencia High, he and four junior classmates begin searching for their own way to help people cope with the pandemic, eventually designing a website where they meet, electronically, several times a week.
“There’s like 30 million people who lost their jobs. They’re living in fear and stress. We felt the obligation to make something that can help them out,” said Moy, a 16-year-old junior so unfailingly polite that he, like his classmates, ends every conversation with “Have a nice day.”
Their solution, Supply Neighbor, was up and running in less than a month, and within two weeks it had grown to 550 users in three states. The free website, which is designed to be self-run, is a public space for neighbors to request or offer goods and services ranging from groceries and toilet paper to surgical masks and even a plain bag of sugar without having to risk COVID-19 exposure by leaving home.
“It’s more or less offering if you have a surplus and requesting if you have a need,” said Hayden Lee, 17.
Sharia Busnawi, 16, left, a junior at West Ranch High School, waves to Joanne Halcon, who thanked the teen for delivering groceries to her home in Santa Clarita on Tuesday. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
For Valencia High teacher Jerry Ostrove, the website is proof that the five boys have learned more than computing skills in class.
“The really inspirational piece to me is that, instead of spending their free time watching movies or playing video games, they decided to use their time, talent and effort to create something that helps others,” he said. “They realized that there were people that had extra and others that didn’t have enough. How could they use their technical skills to make those people aware of each other and connect them?
“Instead of succumbing to a fear mentality, they collaboratively stepped up.”
The students police the site to weed out political commentary or anything that might pass as commercial activity and continue to tinker with improvements; the next stage, they hope, will involve houses of worship and food banks.
But even without the additions the website’s importance, the boys believe, will extend beyond the pandemic.
“The quarantine won’t just end one day and then people won’t need” help, said Fabio Nuñez Del Prado, 16. “It’s going to take a lot of recovery time and our website is still going to be here, it’s still going to help people.“


latimes--2020-05-09--Coronavirus case cluster tied to Pasadena party and 'selfish behavior,' officials say

The city of Pasadena is warning against Mother ’ s Day gatherings after its public health department recently traced a cluster of at least five coronavirus cases to a birthday party .
The party was held after the city issued stay-at-home orders March 19 and was attended by a large number of extended family members and friends who did not wear face coverings or stay six feet apart , the city said in a news release .
“ One person showed up to the party exhibiting symptoms and joking she may have the virus , ” Lisa Derderian , spokeswoman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an email .
“ The aftermath affected several others who became seriously ill because of one person ’ s negligent and selfish behavior.
” Through contact tracing , a Pasadena Public Health Department disease investigation team discovered more than five laboratory-confirmed coronavirus cases among attendees of the party “ and many more ill individuals , ” the city said .
The team identified the woman as the index case , or the first patient in the outbreak identified with the infection , officials said .
“ This is an example of how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and tell us more about the spread of disease in our community , ” Dr. Matthew Feaster , an epidemiologist with the Public Health Department , said in a statement .
City officials reminded residents that , even as some recreation areas are reopening and some businesses are resuming curbside pickup services , it ’ s still recommended that those who are 65 and older or have underlying health conditions stay home .
“ Pasadena residents who stay home keep themselves and their loved ones protected from COVID-19 , ” said Dr. Ying-Ying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Pasadena Public Health Department , in a statement .
She said that gatherings of people who don ’ t live in the same household remain prohibited .
That includes Mother ’ s Day parties .
“ The virus remains highly contagious , ” Goh said .
“ Social distancing , frequent hand washing , and wearing face coverings remain our best defenses against the further spread of COVID-19 in our community .
”

The city of Pasadena is warning against Mother’s Day gatherings after its public health department recently traced a cluster of at least five coronavirus cases to a birthday party. Pasadena City Hall is pictured.
The city of Pasadena is warning against Mother’s Day gatherings after its public health department recently traced a cluster of at least five coronavirus cases to a birthday party.
The party was held after the city issued stay-at-home orders March 19 and was attended by a large number of extended family members and friends who did not wear face coverings or stay six feet apart, the city said in a news release.
“One person showed up to the party exhibiting symptoms and joking she may have the virus,” Lisa Derderian, spokeswoman for the city of Pasadena, said in an email. “The aftermath affected several others who became seriously ill because of one person’s negligent and selfish behavior.”
Through contact tracing, a Pasadena Public Health Department disease investigation team discovered more than five laboratory-confirmed coronavirus cases among attendees of the party “and many more ill individuals,” the city said. The team identified the woman as the index case, or the first patient in the outbreak identified with the infection, officials said.
“This is an example of how good contact tracing can identify disease clusters and tell us more about the spread of disease in our community,” Dr. Matthew Feaster, an epidemiologist with the Public Health Department, said in a statement.
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City officials reminded residents that, even as some recreation areas are reopening and some businesses are resuming curbside pickup services, it’s still recommended that those who are 65 and older or have underlying health conditions stay home.
“Pasadena residents who stay home keep themselves and their loved ones protected from COVID-19,” said Dr. Ying-Ying Goh, director and health officer of the Pasadena Public Health Department, in a statement.
She said that gatherings of people who don’t live in the same household remain prohibited. That includes Mother’s Day parties.
“The virus remains highly contagious,” Goh said. “Social distancing, frequent hand washing, and wearing face coverings remain our best defenses against the further spread of COVID-19 in our community.”


latimes--2020-05-09--70% of inmates test positive for coronavirus at Lompoc federal prison

The number of inmates infected with the coronavirus at a federal prison in Lompoc , Calif. , shot up to 792 this week , making it the largest federal penitentiary outbreak in the nation , surpassing a facility on Terminal Island in San Pedro , where 644 inmates have contracted the virus .
Nearly 70 % of the inmates at Federal Correctional Institution Lompoc have tested positive , exploding by more than 300 in recent days , officials said Friday .
FCI Lompoc along with Terminal Island now account for about 47 % of all the federal inmates who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done widespread testing of hundred of inmates even without symptoms .
Eleven staff members are also infected at the Lompoc facility , which houses 1,162 low-security inmates .
A military mobile hospital has been built on the grounds to cope with the growing number of stricken patients .
At a neighboring medium-security prison on the same grounds , 31 inmates and 14 staff have become infected , officials said .
Two inmates have died after contracting the virus there .
Combined , the two federal prisons in Lompoc have had 823 infected inmates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prisons .
Santa Barbara County Supervisor Gregg Hart on Friday expressed dismay with the prison and said that the county ’ s public health department has no power over the federal prison complex .
“ We have been consistently rebuffed by prison authorities , ” he said .
So high are the numbers coming out of FCI Lompoc that of 311 new cases reported in Santa Barbara County on Friday , it accounted for all but one , Hart said .
Hart said the prison numbers are making it hard for the county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s new requirements for more widespread reopening around the state .
Hart said state legislators from the area are now talking to officials in the governor ’ s office .
Dr. Henning Ansorg , the county ’ s public health officer , said about 70 % of the inmates ’ tests at the Lompoc prison are coming back positive .
“ The vast majority of positive individuals report minor or no symptoms , ” Ansorg said .
The numbers are reflective of an institutional environment where people are housed in close quarters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ may actually be higher because there is a lag time in reporting .
While Ansorg said most of the inmates show few or no symptoms , some have been hospitalized .
Santa Barbara County has 1,032 cases with about 80 % being in the two federal prisons .
One man died within days of his release last month , officials said .
Efrem Stutson , 60 , was released from Lompoc on April 1 after serving 27 years for selling cocaine .
Within hours of getting off a bus in San Bernardino , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was dead after contracting COVID-19 .
His sister said he became sick as he was about to be released and was hardly able to walk off the bus .
At the Terminal Island facility , 644 inmates have been infected and six have died , officials said .
To keep the infection rate down , inmates have been spread out across the complex .
Federal correctional union leaders , however , cautioned that other federal prisons across the country likely have many infected inmates who have not been tested .
Since March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has implemented a strict policy of keeping inmates in their cells or assigned quarters for 14 days and barring transfers .
With about 150,000 people held in federal prisons and other facilities , 3,082 inmates and 248 staff overall have tested positive for the coronavirus .
More than 14,500 inmates in various prison facilities across the country have tested positive along with more than 4,000 staff , according to the Marshall Project prison tracker .
Forty-five inmates have died in federal prisons , according to the federal Bureau of Prisons .
In Chino @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four inmates have died and 332 have tested positive in the state prison system ‘ s worst documented outbreak as mass testing has been deployed .
Following the outbreak at Lompoc , Congressman Salud Carbajal ( D-Santa Barbara ) joined Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris in sending letters to director of the Bureau of Prisons Michael Carvajal emphasizing the need for speedy action .
Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan ( D-San Pedro ) said this week after speaking to the warden at Terminal Island that she was disappointed with the efforts to release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being considered and only five have been released at the low-security facility that houses roughly 1,000 medically vulnerable inmates .
She said she took her concerns to Dr. Anthony Fauci , the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and “ he seemed a little alarmed.
” BOP officials said they don ’ t comment on such matters .
The wife of one inmate , who asked not to be identified , said once her husband contracted the virus at Terminal Island , he was taken to a San Pedro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to find out where he was sent .
She said she didn ’ t learn how serious his condition was until she spoke with a hospital chaplain .
The woman said her husband survived the illness and is now back at the prison but is still struggling to recover .
“ He is very weak , ” she said .
“ He fell down in the shower .
”

The Federal Correctional Institution in Lompoc, which houses low- to medium-security inmates, is on the same grounds as the Lompoc Federal Prison Camp.
The number of inmates infected with the coronavirus at a federal prison in Lompoc, Calif., shot up to 792 this week, making it the largest federal penitentiary outbreak in the nation, surpassing a facility on Terminal Island in San Pedro, where 644 inmates have contracted the virus.
Nearly 70% of the inmates at Federal Correctional Institution Lompoc have tested positive, exploding by more than 300 in recent days, officials said Friday. FCI Lompoc along with Terminal Island now account for about 47% of all the federal inmates who have tested positive nationwide. Both prisons have done widespread testing of hundred of inmates even without symptoms.
Eleven staff members are also infected at the Lompoc facility, which houses 1,162 low-security inmates. A military mobile hospital has been built on the grounds to cope with the growing number of stricken patients.
At a neighboring medium-security prison on the same grounds, 31 inmates and 14 staff have become infected, officials said. Two inmates have died after contracting the virus there. Combined, the two federal prisons in Lompoc have had 823 infected inmates, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons.
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Santa Barbara County Supervisor Gregg Hart on Friday expressed dismay with the prison and said that the county’s public health department has no power over the federal prison complex. “We have been consistently rebuffed by prison authorities,” he said. So high are the numbers coming out of FCI Lompoc that of 311 new cases reported in Santa Barbara County on Friday, it accounted for all but one, Hart said.
Hart said the prison numbers are making it hard for the county to meet Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new requirements for more widespread reopening around the state. Hart said state legislators from the area are now talking to officials in the governor’s office.
Dr. Henning Ansorg, the county’s public health officer, said about 70% of the inmates’ tests at the Lompoc prison are coming back positive.
“The vast majority of positive individuals report minor or no symptoms,” Ansorg said. The numbers are reflective of an institutional environment where people are housed in close quarters. He said the numbers at the prison may actually be higher because there is a lag time in reporting.
While Ansorg said most of the inmates show few or no symptoms, some have been hospitalized. Santa Barbara County has 1,032 cases with about 80% being in the two federal prisons.
One man died within days of his release last month, officials said. Efrem Stutson, 60, was released from Lompoc on April 1 after serving 27 years for selling cocaine. Within hours of getting off a bus in San Bernardino, he was hospitalized. Five days later he was dead after contracting COVID-19. His sister said he became sick as he was about to be released and was hardly able to walk off the bus.
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At the Terminal Island facility, 644 inmates have been infected and six have died, officials said. To keep the infection rate down, inmates have been spread out across the complex. Federal correctional union leaders, however, cautioned that other federal prisons across the country likely have many infected inmates who have not been tested.
Since March 31, the federal Bureau of Prisons has implemented a strict policy of keeping inmates in their cells or assigned quarters for 14 days and barring transfers. With about 150,000 people held in federal prisons and other facilities, 3,082 inmates and 248 staff overall have tested positive for the coronavirus.
More than 14,500 inmates in various prison facilities across the country have tested positive along with more than 4,000 staff, according to the Marshall Project prison tracker. Forty-five inmates have died in federal prisons, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons.
At the California Institution for Men in Chino, a fifth inmate died Saturday from what appeared to be complications from COVID-19, according to the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The Chino prison has 304 inmates who have tested positive for the coronavirus, making it the state prison system‘s worst documented outbreak.
Following the outbreak at Lompoc, Congressman Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara) joined Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris in sending letters to director of the Bureau of Prisons Michael Carvajal emphasizing the need for speedy action.
Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan (D-San Pedro) said this week after speaking to the warden at Terminal Island that she was disappointed with the efforts to release inmates there. Only 46 prisoners are being considered and only five have been released at the low-security facility that houses roughly 1,000 medically vulnerable inmates.
She said she took her concerns to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and “he seemed a little alarmed.” BOP officials said they don’t comment on such matters.
The wife of one inmate, who asked not to be identified, said once her husband contracted the virus at Terminal Island, he was taken to a San Pedro hospital, but it took her days to find out where he was sent. She said she didn’t learn how serious his condition was until she spoke with a hospital chaplain.
The woman said her husband survived the illness and is now back at the prison but is still struggling to recover.
“He is very weak,” she said. “He fell down in the shower.”


latimes--2020-05-09--More Southern California beaches and trails reopened as coronavirus restrictions eased

With another hot weekend on tap , more Southern California beaches and other outdoor spaces are open this Saturday and Sunday than in previous weeks .
Many beaches in Orange , Ventura and San Diego counties are now open .
Gov .
Gavin Newsom closed Orange County beaches last week but most were reopened this week .
Many Orange County beaches are open for active recreation — think running , walking , biking , swimming and surfing — rather than sitting around and soaking up the sun .
Beachgoers also must maintain physical distancing and avoid gatherings with people they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when city-run beaches are open : • Dana Point — Dana Cove from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily , as is Doheny State Beach .
• Huntington Beach — Every day from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. • Laguna Beach — from 6 to 10 a.m. • Newport Beach — from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. • San Clemente — Seven days a week with no announced hours State-operated beaches in Orange County began reopening Wednesday , as well , “ with measures in place to protect public health , ” officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who oversees south Orange County cities such as Aliso Viejo , Dana Point , Laguna Beach , Lake Forest , Mission Viejo , Rancho Santa Margarita , San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano , said in a statement that she was pleased with the “ alternative to a complete shutdown.
” “ This phased approach allows us to reopen our beaches in a prudent , responsible manner that prioritizes public health and safety , while recognizing the importance of outdoor recreation , ” Bartlett said .
“ We want Orange County residents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beaches as safely and quickly as possible.
” Despite the easing of restrictions , protesters gathered in Huntington Beach on Saturday to demonstrate against the stay-at-home orders that remain in effect .
Video footage posted to social media showed many waving American flags and holding signs calling on officials to fully reopen the economy .
Police estimated the crowd numbered about 1,500 people .
No issues were reported , and no arrests were made , said Angela Bennett , public information officer for the Huntington Beach Police Department .
The town , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stay-at-home restrictions , is moving forward with a lawsuit against the state over Newsom ’ s temporary closure of county beaches last week .
Orange County reported 146 new coronavirus cases and three related deaths Saturday , bringing its total to 3,380 cases and 74 deaths .
A total of 218 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized , with 87 in intensive care .
L.A. County beaches are still closed .
But officials say they may reopen beaches as early as Wednesday morning with a range of restrictions , including closed parking lots , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be gradually lifted in phases , and details are still to be determined by county public health officials .
Los Angeles County officials reopened trails and golf courses with restrictions Saturday morning .
Face coverings are required in parking lots , trailheads and other crowded areas .
Hikers are required to wear face coverings on trails only if they ’ re unable to keep six feet apart from others .
At some locations , vest-wearing park monitors will keep an eye out for compliance .
City trails also reopened this weekend , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which remains closed .
The reopening of Griffith Park ’ s trails Saturday could not come soon enough for Hector Cervantes , a 35-year-old machinist and avid hiker , who said , “ after three months at home in lockdown , I was starting to feel like a slave in a prison run by dangerous germs.
” “ To finally be outdoors again , ” he added , trudging down a shady stretch of Vermont Avenue crowded with fellow hikers , “ is like being set free.
” Roads into Griffith Park remained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ O ’ Neil , 63 , an executive at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank , was enjoying a seven-mile hike that featured natural sights and sounds including two deer browsing grass in a glade of oak trees where acorn woodpeckers flitted among their gnarled branches .
“ Those deer were happy , beautiful and eating without a care in the world , ” she said .
“ And hikers were respectful .
Everyone oohed and aahed from a respectful distance .
Nobody rushed toward them with cameras .
It ’ s been that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peeler , 61 , a professional steel guitar player with a keen eye for detail , noticed that “ the trails , picnic areas and roads are more overgrown with vegetation than I ’ ve ever seen them.
” Waist-high chaparral and grass in certain areas transformed popular dirt trails and fire roads into almost unrecognizable narrow strips of dirt , which explains why Berhain Berlain , 34 , of Los Angeles , and his partner , Dora Esteban , 22 , “ got lost in the brush for a few hours.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climb than the last time I was here , ” he added sheepishly .
“ That might be because I haven ’ t been out of the house much lately.
” For wildlife , the throngs of visitors , many of them with dogs on leashes , suddenly flooding the park ’ s canyons and slopes Saturday marked an abrupt end to a historic respite from the usual tumult and clatter of humanity across the urban ecosystem that is home to skunks , coyotes , deer , bobcats and a lone mountain lion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hikers in ball caps , running shoes and face masks returned home with memories of seeing mountain quail , deer and snakes moving through the brush edging the park ’ s paved lanes , rugged trails and fire breaks .
As the stay-at-home restrictions are lifted in phases , however , the serenity will be replaced by a crush of cars , tour buses and helicopters hovering over the Hollywood sign .
“ The coronavirus lockdown has reminded us , ” Peeler said , “ that we ’ re tramping through the living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here first , before it was surrounded by one of largest cities on the planet.
” Across the county in Santa Clarita , cars entering the newly opened parking lot at Ed Davis Park in Towsley Canyon had to pass between a pair of neon-yellow signs reminding visitors to practice social distancing , wear face coverings at the trailhead and not to gather in groups .
Monica Elcott , who frequently hikes the trails with her husband Moody and three young children , didn ’ t think that would be a problem .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ parking lot , I think we ’ ll be able to maintain our distance , ” she said .
Nearly three dozen cars were lined up in the dirt lot near the park ’ s trailhead but Elcott said on many weekends there are twice as many .
The sparse late-morning crowd , she said , was probably due to the heat and the slow spread of news about the trail ’ s reopening .
The family had tried to hike last weekend , only to find the gates to the parking lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We try to get out with the kids .
We like to see nature and it keeps us sane , ” she said .
“ We don ’ t like to be in the house .
We ’ ve been quarantining ourselves .
We ’ re kind of like ‘ we need some air.
’ ” Christian Williams , a teenager from Santa Clarita , felt the same way .
“ It ’ s really nice to get outdoors , ” he said after a hike with his father .
“ Everyone out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The only thing to worry about are the snakes.
” Ed Davis Park is part of the Santa Clarita Woodlands Park , located on the north side of the Santa Susana Mountains .
Santa Clarita , in north L.A. County , has 80 miles of hiking trails , including the challenging 5.4-mile loop that climbs more than 1,000 feet through Towsley Canyon .
Amanda Ochoa , 60 , was not deterred .
A frequent hiker , she said she couldn ’ t wait for the park to reopen — but she had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trails were too crowded .
“ I told my daughter I ’ ll go and see .
If there is not that many people , I will stay , ” she said as she pulled on a cloth face mask and adjusted her walking stick .
“ This is not that many.
” Nearby , two weary hikers , one wearing a face mask and the other with a bandanna pulled down around his neck , stumbled off the trail with a pair of dogs who seemed especially excited the park had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who declined to give their names , it felt pretty much like a normal weekend again .
“ It ’ s just like a regular day except everyone is wearing a face mask , ” one said .
With 31,230 confirmed coronavirus cases and 1,515 deaths , L.A. County has been particularly hard-hit compared with the rest of the California .
The county accounts for nearly half of the state ’ s cases and more than half of its deaths .
As the options for outdoor activity multiply , temperatures are expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several degrees above normal in many areas , the National Weather Service said .
Air quality in the Santa Clarita and East San Gabriel valleys is forecast to be unhealthy for sensitive people Saturday , prompting a warning from the county health officer for people with heart disease , asthma or other respiratory diseases to minimize outdoor activities .
The gradual reopening of recreational areas comes as the state moves slowly into an economic recovery plan .
Some businesses were permitted to reopen for curbside pickup services Friday , the first step in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County moved Friday night to rescind some local health orders that were stricter than the statewide stay-at-home restrictions .
The county Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to direct the rollback of rules requiring people to wear face coverings and maintain six feet of social distancing in public .
The measures will continue to be strongly recommended whenever practical and within reason , the county said in a news release .
The board also voted to rescind limitations on short-term rentals and golf courses , as well as the locally ordered closure of higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order closing primary schools remains in place .
The county ’ s public health and emergency services director planned to sign the amended and rescinded orders Saturday .
Riverside County had reported 4,817 cases of the coronavirus and 204 deaths , as of Friday .
Still , many continue to preach caution amid the loosening rules , warning that local healthcare systems could easily be overwhelmed by a spike in cases if people don ’ t continue to take proper precautions and stay home as much as possible .

Luke Money, Alex Wigglesworth, Kevin Baxter, Louis Sahagun, Lilly Nguyen, Matt Szabo

Spencer Kelly of Huntington Beach dresses up as the Grim Reaper to urge people away from the Huntington Pier on Friday.
With another hot weekend on tap, more Southern California beaches and other outdoor spaces are open this Saturday and Sunday than in previous weeks.
But officials stressed social distancing rules still apply.
Many beaches in Orange, Ventura and San Diego counties are now open. Gov. Gavin Newsom closed Orange County beaches last week but most were reopened this week.
Many Orange County beaches are open for active recreation — think running, walking, biking, swimming and surfing — rather than sitting around and soaking up the sun. Beachgoers also must maintain physical distancing and avoid gatherings with people they do not live with.
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Here is when city-run beaches are open:
Dana Point — Dana Cove is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, as is Doheny State Beach.
from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, as is Doheny State Beach. Huntington Beach — Every day from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Laguna Beach — Weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m.
from 6 to 10 a.m. Newport Beach — Daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. San Clemente — Seven days a week with no announced hours
Seal Beach — Monday through Thursday during daylight hours
State-operated beaches in Orange County began reopening Wednesday, as well, “with measures in place to protect public health,” officials said.
Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett, who oversees south Orange County cities such as Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, said in a statement that she was pleased with the “alternative to a complete shutdown.”
Parking lots at beaches and public amenities remain closed.
“This phased approach allows us to reopen our beaches in a prudent, responsible manner that prioritizes public health and safety, while recognizing the importance of outdoor recreation,” Bartlett said. “We want Orange County residents to get back to fully enjoying their beaches as safely and quickly as possible.”
Despite the easing of restrictions, protesters gathered in Huntington Beach on Saturday to demonstrate against the stay-at-home orders that remain in effect. Video footage posted to social media showed many waving American flags and holding signs calling on officials to fully reopen the economy.
Police estimated the crowd numbered about 1,500 people. No issues were reported, and no arrests were made, said Angela Bennett, public information officer for the Huntington Beach Police Department.
The town, which has been a hotbed of dissent amid the stay-at-home restrictions, is moving forward with a lawsuit against the state over Newsom’s temporary closure of county beaches last week.
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Orange County reported 146 new coronavirus cases and three related deaths Saturday, bringing its total to 3,380 cases and 74 deaths. A total of 218 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized, with 87 in intensive care.
L.A. County beaches are still closed. But officials say they may reopen beaches as early as Wednesday morning with a range of restrictions, including closed parking lots, piers and boardwalks. Those limits are to be gradually lifted in phases, and details are still to be determined by county public health officials.
Los Angeles County officials reopened trails and golf courses with restrictions Saturday morning. Face coverings are required in parking lots, trailheads and other crowded areas. Hikers are required to wear face coverings on trails only if they’re unable to keep six feet apart from others. At some locations, vest-wearing park monitors will keep an eye out for compliance. City trails also reopened this weekend, with the exception of Runyon Canyon, which remains closed.
The reopening of Griffith Park’s trails Saturday could not come soon enough for Hector Cervantes, a 35-year-old machinist and avid hiker, who said, “after three months at home in lockdown, I was starting to feel like a slave in a prison run by dangerous germs.”
“To finally be outdoors again,” he added, trudging down a shady stretch of Vermont Avenue crowded with fellow hikers, “is like being set free.” Roads into Griffith Park remained closed to traffic.
Nearby, Porsche O’Neil, 63, an executive at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, was enjoying a seven-mile hike that featured natural sights and sounds including two deer browsing grass in a glade of oak trees where acorn woodpeckers flitted among their gnarled branches.
“Those deer were happy, beautiful and eating without a care in the world,” she said. “And hikers were respectful. Everyone oohed and aahed from a respectful distance. Nobody rushed toward them with cameras. It’s been that kind of a wonderful day.”
Ben Peeler, 61, a professional steel guitar player with a keen eye for detail, noticed that “the trails, picnic areas and roads are more overgrown with vegetation than I’ve ever seen them.”
Waist-high chaparral and grass in certain areas transformed popular dirt trails and fire roads into almost unrecognizable narrow strips of dirt, which explains why Berhain Berlain, 34, of Los Angeles, and his partner, Dora Esteban, 22, “got lost in the brush for a few hours.”
“The trails were also harder to climb than the last time I was here,” he added sheepishly. “That might be because I haven’t been out of the house much lately.”
For wildlife, the throngs of visitors, many of them with dogs on leashes, suddenly flooding the park’s canyons and slopes Saturday marked an abrupt end to a historic respite from the usual tumult and clatter of humanity across the urban ecosystem that is home to skunks, coyotes, deer, bobcats and a lone mountain lion known as P-22.
Many of the hikers in ball caps, running shoes and face masks returned home with memories of seeing mountain quail, deer and snakes moving through the brush edging the park’s paved lanes, rugged trails and fire breaks. As the stay-at-home restrictions are lifted in phases, however, the serenity will be replaced by a crush of cars, tour buses and helicopters hovering over the Hollywood sign.
“The coronavirus lockdown has reminded us,” Peeler said, “that we’re tramping through the living room of plants and animals that were here first, before it was surrounded by one of largest cities on the planet.”
Across the county in Santa Clarita, cars entering the newly opened parking lot at Ed Davis Park in Towsley Canyon had to pass between a pair of neon-yellow signs reminding visitors to practice social distancing, wear face coverings at the trailhead and not to gather in groups.
Monica Elcott, who frequently hikes the trails with her husband Moody and three young children, didn’t think that would be a problem.
“Judging by the looks of the parking lot, I think we’ll be able to maintain our distance,” she said.
Nearly three dozen cars were lined up in the dirt lot near the park’s trailhead but Elcott said on many weekends there are twice as many. The sparse late-morning crowd, she said, was probably due to the heat and the slow spread of news about the trail’s reopening.
The family had tried to hike last weekend, only to find the gates to the parking lot locked and the trail closed.
“We try to get out with the kids. We like to see nature and it keeps us sane,” she said. “We don’t like to be in the house. We’ve been quarantining ourselves. We’re kind of like ‘we need some air.’”
Christian Williams, a teenager from Santa Clarita, felt the same way.
“It’s really nice to get outdoors,” he said after a hike with his father. “Everyone out there is having a good time.
“The only thing to worry about are the snakes.”
Ed Davis Park is part of the Santa Clarita Woodlands Park, located on the north side of the Santa Susana Mountains. Santa Clarita, in north L.A. County, has 80 miles of hiking trails, including the challenging 5.4-mile loop that climbs more than 1,000 feet through Towsley Canyon.
Amanda Ochoa, 60, was not deterred. A frequent hiker, she said she couldn’t wait for the park to reopen — but she had no intention of risking her health in the trails were too crowded.
“I told my daughter I’ll go and see. If there is not that many people, I will stay,” she said as she pulled on a cloth face mask and adjusted her walking stick. “This is not that many.”
Nearby, two weary hikers, one wearing a face mask and the other with a bandanna pulled down around his neck, stumbled off the trail with a pair of dogs who seemed especially excited the park had reopened. For their human handlers, who declined to give their names, it felt pretty much like a normal weekend again.
“It’s just like a regular day except everyone is wearing a face mask,” one said.
With 31,230 confirmed coronavirus cases and 1,515 deaths, L.A. County has been particularly hard-hit compared with the rest of the California. The county accounts for nearly half of the state’s cases and more than half of its deaths.
As the options for outdoor activity multiply, temperatures are expected to be cooler than last weekend but remain several degrees above normal in many areas, the National Weather Service said.
Air quality in the Santa Clarita and East San Gabriel valleys is forecast to be unhealthy for sensitive people Saturday, prompting a warning from the county health officer for people with heart disease, asthma or other respiratory diseases to minimize outdoor activities.
The gradual reopening of recreational areas comes as the state moves slowly into an economic recovery plan. Some businesses were permitted to reopen for curbside pickup services Friday, the first step in easing stay-at-home restrictions.
Officials in Riverside County moved Friday night to rescind some local health orders that were stricter than the statewide stay-at-home restrictions.
The county Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to direct the rollback of rules requiring people to wear face coverings and maintain six feet of social distancing in public. The measures will continue to be strongly recommended whenever practical and within reason, the county said in a news release.
The board also voted to rescind limitations on short-term rentals and golf courses, as well as the locally ordered closure of higher education and vocational schools. A local order closing primary schools remains in place.
The county’s public health and emergency services director planned to sign the amended and rescinded orders Saturday.
Riverside County had reported 4,817 cases of the coronavirus and 204 deaths, as of Friday.
Still, many continue to preach caution amid the loosening rules, warning that local healthcare systems could easily be overwhelmed by a spike in cases if people don’t continue to take proper precautions and stay home as much as possible.


latimes--2020-05-09--California's tourism-dependent towns cautiously prepare new marketing for reopening

Patty Baird ticked off the changes she ’ ll be making at the Cedar House Sport Hotel when it reopens in Truckee , a town of more than 16,000 near Lake Tahoe that thrives off summer tourism .
Some things will go : No more self-serve coffee in the lobby , no more afternoon appetizer hour in which guests gather for cheeses and salty snacks .
Other things will be added : Amenity bags with hand sanitizer and masks .
Floor markings with six-foot intervals for social distancing .
Employee temperature checks .
In new welcome letters that she ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owns the 40-room boutique-style hotel with her husband , wants to market the experience as safe yet not bare .
“ Since I ’ m taking things away , how can I replace those so the guest feels like they ’ re a guest ?
” she said .
“ We ’ re now putting them into a very sterile environment , and I don ’ t want the experience to be sterile.
” California tourist destinations with economies devastated by the state ’ s coronavirus stay-at-home order are preparing to welcome visitors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many in the industry eagerly await the moment they can declare themselves open for business , the uncertainty of when tourism will re-commence , and if there will , in fact , be a surge in visitors , has kept marketing efforts in limbo .
Baird has received new bookings for late summer , but she has held back on actively promoting her hotel without a reopening date .
“ There ’ s still too much uncertainty , ” she said .
“ I kind of have plan A , B , C @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implement .
But I need just a little more information.
” Gov .
Gavin Newsom announced Monday that some retail stores across the state could reopen with modifications on Friday .
But individuals will still be asked to continue to avoid nonessential travel , a restriction the tourism industry has its eye on .
The governor ’ s plan expands decision-making at the local level , allowing some communities to move further ahead into the reopening process and open businesses — such as restaurant dining rooms — beyond those in the statewide policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at UC San Francisco , said that while vacation spots could quickly become tourist magnets , a gradual reopening with social distancing and other safety protocols could minimize outbreaks .
Of importance might be whether tourists come from cities where the virus is prevalent .
“ You ’ re balancing revenues with disease , ” he said .
“ You ’ re going to have pretty careful surveillance among the hotel staff and restaurants .
If people start to get sick , that ’ s a clue that something has gone sideways.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to gauge what a resurgence in tourism might look like .
Caroline Beteta , president of Visit California , the state ’ s nonprofit tourism agency , said that hesitance around traveling — especially long distances — might help mitigate against tourists overwhelming cities .
Marketing tourist hubs again , she said , will start with stay-cations and then move toward pulling people farther away from their homes .
“ Initially , we ’ ll see Californians driving California , ” she said .
“ We certainly see that as a good thing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .
It will really help reopen the economy.
” But visitor centers , hotels and vacation rental companies are wrestling with when they should commence re-imagined marketing campaigns .
According to the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority , last year the city of South Lake Tahoe and Stateline , Nev. , received more than 1.3 million overnight summer visitors .
Carol Chaplin , the organization ’ s president , said it is looking into expanding its marketing efforts to reach people who may drive from farther away to the Lake Tahoe region , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Marketing materials may include itineraries with stops drivers can make along the way .
Chaplin explained that the visitors authority needs to have various types of messaging ready , including for a scenario in which tourism opens up and then is restricted again .
“ Right now , it ’ s a moving target , ” Chaplin said .
“ We have five or six different scenarios .
It ’ s complicated .
It ’ s nerve-racking.
” Other preparations in anticipation of summer tourists have moved forward .
Truckee and North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have canceled Fourth of July fireworks .
Truckee Mayor Dave Polivy said that if counties don ’ t show consistency in permitting special events , crowds could overwhelm one area .
“ We ’ re a huge tourist destination .
As soon as it gets to be 90 or 100 degrees in Sacramento and the Central Valley , people tend to flock to the mountains for cooler air and cooler water , ” he said .
“ It ’ s incumbent on us to be prepared for it.
” Cindy Gustafson , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tahoe region is also working to coordinate messaging about social distancing and mask use at beaches , parks and trail heads .
The arrival of visitors , despite stay-at-home orders , has added urgency .
“ The reality is leisure travel is already occurring , ” she said .
“ There ’ s an awful lot of people using vacation homes and trying to do it under the radar.
” Adapting to new industry practices could take time .
Jeffrey Hentz , chief executive of the North Lake Tahoe Resort Assn.
, said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have met virtually to create safety protocols to present to county officials .
They ’ ve discussed the need for extra cleaning staff at hotels and whether vacation rentals should institute a buffer period between stays .
“ It ’ s going to be a combination of getting the right new inventory , getting the workforce trained , ” he said .
“ So many people are going to have new jobs added to their current job .
We ’ re going to need a window.
” Even with safety guidance , some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon .
Dr. Tom Boo , public health officer for the Eastern Sierra ’ s Mono County , said that while the county ’ s hospital system can take care of the approximately 8,000 residents of Mammoth Lakes , as well as the surrounding region , it would be overwhelmed by a surge triggered by tourists .
In late March , the county had the highest per capita rate of coronavirus cases in the state , and officials worked to keep visitors out .
“ Now , the pendulum is swinging the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The economic hardships are severe and much of the county depends on summer tourism .
There ’ s very significant political pressure and demands for reopening .
I feel like we ’ re caught between a rock and a hard place.
” Canceling popular events might prevent a rush of tourists .
The city of Solvang in Santa Barbara County , whose windmills and half-timbered architecture draw more than 1½ million visitors a year , canceled a May procession of 750 cowboys , called The Rancheros Visitadores , for the first time in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city has lost nearly 60 % of its general fund money , but it won ’ t encourage large numbers of guests until the time is right .
“ There ’ s always something going on in Solvang , but until we know we can run a larger event , all of those have been postponed , ” he said .
Back by Lake Tahoe , general manager Alex Mourelatos of the 32-room Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort in Tahoe Vista expects to lose 30 % to 50 % in revenue this year with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The beachside motel , normally close to full occupancy in July and August , will reopen with a series of changes .
Guests will check in on iPads that will be disinfected after each use .
To lessen direct contact with staff , they will be able to ask questions through a texting application .
Guests will also receive text message reminders of the resort ’ s social distancing rules .
“ If people don ’ t comply with social distancing measures , they ’ ll be asked to leave — that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Mourelatos said .
He ’ s had one pleasant surprise : July stays have increased as many return guests who booked their reservations months in advance have confirmed their visits .
“ Obviously , the consumers are betting that we ’ re going to be open by July , ” he said .
“ We are telling them we ’ re drafting memos for housekeeping and guest protocols .
And they ’ re not blinking .
”

Patty Baird ticked off the changes she’ll be making at the Cedar House Sport Hotel when it reopens in Truckee, a town of more than 16,000 near Lake Tahoe that thrives off summer tourism.
Some things will go: No more self-serve coffee in the lobby, no more afternoon appetizer hour in which guests gather for cheeses and salty snacks. Other things will be added: Amenity bags with hand sanitizer and masks. Floor markings with six-foot intervals for social distancing. Employee temperature checks.
In new welcome letters that she’s still shaping, Baird, who owns the 40-room boutique-style hotel with her husband, wants to market the experience as safe yet not bare.
“Since I’m taking things away, how can I replace those so the guest feels like they’re a guest?” she said. “We’re now putting them into a very sterile environment, and I don’t want the experience to be sterile.”
Advertisement
California tourist destinations with economies devastated by the state’s coronavirus stay-at-home order are preparing to welcome visitors once restrictions are lifted. But though many in the industry eagerly await the moment they can declare themselves open for business, the uncertainty of when tourism will re-commence, and if there will, in fact, be a surge in visitors, has kept marketing efforts in limbo.
Baird has received new bookings for late summer, but she has held back on actively promoting her hotel without a reopening date.
Employees Ana Quesada, left, and Silvia Tapia wash windows and do general cleaning in preparing rooms for future guests at the Cedar House Sport Hotel in Truckee. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
“There’s still too much uncertainty,” she said. “I kind of have plan A, B, C and D in my head ready to implement. But I need just a little more information.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that some retail stores across the state could reopen with modifications on Friday. But individuals will still be asked to continue to avoid nonessential travel, a restriction the tourism industry has its eye on.
The governor’s plan expands decision-making at the local level, allowing some communities to move further ahead into the reopening process and open businesses — such as restaurant dining rooms — beyond those in the statewide policy.
Advertisement
Dr. George Rutherford, an epidemiologist at UC San Francisco, said that while vacation spots could quickly become tourist magnets, a gradual reopening with social distancing and other safety protocols could minimize outbreaks. Of importance might be whether tourists come from cities where the virus is prevalent.
“You’re balancing revenues with disease,” he said. “You’re going to have pretty careful surveillance among the hotel staff and restaurants. If people start to get sick, that’s a clue that something has gone sideways.”
People enjoy the public beach in Tahoe Vista on the north shore of Lake Tahoe. Cities and counties that live off tourism are strategizing for how to prepare for an influx of out-of-towners when coronavirus restrictions are lifted. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Industry experts say it’s difficult to gauge what a resurgence in tourism might look like. Caroline Beteta, president of Visit California, the state’s nonprofit tourism agency, said that hesitance around traveling — especially long distances — might help mitigate against tourists overwhelming cities.
Marketing tourist hubs again, she said, will start with stay-cations and then move toward pulling people farther away from their homes.
“Initially, we’ll see Californians driving California,” she said. “We certainly see that as a good thing and will amplify that at the right time. It will really help reopen the economy.”
The family-owned Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort on the north shore of Lake Tahoe has been closed because of the coronavirus. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
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But visitor centers, hotels and vacation rental companies are wrestling with when they should commence re-imagined marketing campaigns.
According to the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, last year the city of South Lake Tahoe and Stateline, Nev., received more than 1.3 million overnight summer visitors.
Carol Chaplin, the organization’s president, said it is looking into expanding its marketing efforts to reach people who may drive from farther away to the Lake Tahoe region, such as from southern Nevada or Arizona. Marketing materials may include itineraries with stops drivers can make along the way.
Chaplin explained that the visitors authority needs to have various types of messaging ready, including for a scenario in which tourism opens up and then is restricted again.
“Right now, it’s a moving target,” Chaplin said. “We have five or six different scenarios. It’s complicated. It’s nerve-racking.”
Maintenance worker Livio Dancus sands the railing in preparation for guests at Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Other preparations in anticipation of summer tourists have moved forward. Truckee and North Lake Tahoe officials, for example, have canceled Fourth of July fireworks. Truckee Mayor Dave Polivy said that if counties don’t show consistency in permitting special events, crowds could overwhelm one area.
“We’re a huge tourist destination. As soon as it gets to be 90 or 100 degrees in Sacramento and the Central Valley, people tend to flock to the mountains for cooler air and cooler water,” he said. “It’s incumbent on us to be prepared for it.”
Cindy Gustafson, a Placer County supervisor, said the Lake Tahoe region is also working to coordinate messaging about social distancing and mask use at beaches, parks and trail heads. The arrival of visitors, despite stay-at-home orders, has added urgency.
Dusk settles into downtown Truckee along Donner Pass Road. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
“The reality is leisure travel is already occurring,” she said. “There’s an awful lot of people using vacation homes and trying to do it under the radar.”
Adapting to new industry practices could take time. Jeffrey Hentz, chief executive of the North Lake Tahoe Resort Assn., said lodging businesses, among other sectors, have met virtually to create safety protocols to present to county officials. They’ve discussed the need for extra cleaning staff at hotels and whether vacation rentals should institute a buffer period between stays.
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“It’s going to be a combination of getting the right new inventory, getting the workforce trained,” he said. “So many people are going to have new jobs added to their current job. We’re going to need a window.”
Even with safety guidance, some officials are concerned about encouraging tourism too soon. Dr. Tom Boo, public health officer for the Eastern Sierra’s Mono County, said that while the county’s hospital system can take care of the approximately 8,000 residents of Mammoth Lakes, as well as the surrounding region, it would be overwhelmed by a surge triggered by tourists.
In late March, the county had the highest per capita rate of coronavirus cases in the state, and officials worked to keep visitors out.
People take in the sun along an empty stretch of sand at Kings Beach on the north shore of Lake Tahoe. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
“Now, the pendulum is swinging the other way,” Boo said. “The economic hardships are severe and much of the county depends on summer tourism. There’s very significant political pressure and demands for reopening. I feel like we’re caught between a rock and a hard place.”
Canceling popular events might prevent a rush of tourists. The city of Solvang in Santa Barbara County, whose windmills and half-timbered architecture draw more than 1½ million visitors a year, canceled a May procession of 750 cowboys, called The Rancheros Visitadores, for the first time in 89 years.
Mayor Ryan Toussaint said the city has lost nearly 60% of its general fund money, but it won’t encourage large numbers of guests until the time is right.
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“There’s always something going on in Solvang, but until we know we can run a larger event, all of those have been postponed,” he said.
Alex Mourelatos is general manager of the Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort in Tahoe Vista on the north shore of Lake Tahoe. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Back by Lake Tahoe, general manager Alex Mourelatos of the 32-room Mourelatos Lakeshore Resort in Tahoe Vista expects to lose 30% to 50% in revenue this year with canceled fall events such as weddings.
The beachside motel, normally close to full occupancy in July and August, will reopen with a series of changes. Guests will check in on iPads that will be disinfected after each use. To lessen direct contact with staff, they will be able to ask questions through a texting application. Guests will also receive text message reminders of the resort’s social distancing rules.
“If people don’t comply with social distancing measures, they’ll be asked to leave — that’ll be in the confirmation letter email,” Mourelatos said.
He’s had one pleasant surprise: July stays have increased as many return guests who booked their reservations months in advance have confirmed their visits.
“Obviously, the consumers are betting that we’re going to be open by July,” he said. “We are telling them we’re drafting memos for housekeeping and guest protocols. And they’re not blinking.”