latimes--2020-10-30--Column: Will Latino ambivalence about affirmative action doom Prop. 16?

For my generation of Latinos , the mid-1990s felt like a series of gut punches delivered by the California electorate .
There was Prop .
187 , then 209 and finally 227 .
Make life miserable for undocumented immigrants , ban affirmative action , then end bilingual education .
Voters gladly passed them in 1994 , 1996 , and 1998 .
If you were a Latino coming of age during this era , it felt like a big chunk of the Golden State was telling us we weren ’ t welcome here .
That we were takers and contributed nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ propositions did not fool you : You could hear in them a common and long familiar prejudice .
A generation later , the past that 187 , 209 and 227 represented looks as imposing as a toppled Confederate monument .
Prop .
187 got vanquished in courts , and California declared itself a sanctuary state in 2017 .
Bilingual education is back .
Now , Proposition 16 on this year ’ s ballot seeks to drive a stake into the ‘ 90s Hispanic hate parade once and for all by bringing back affirmative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an Oct. 26 rally at Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights that at first looked like politics at its most pandering .
A mariachi played the jaunty song “ El Mariachi Loco ” as a who ’ s who of Eastside power introduced themselves — we ’ re talking people like Assemblyman Miguel Santiago , State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo and Rep. Jimmy Gomez .
They swayed and cheered as if a fiesta could conjure up affirmative action from the dead with days to go before election day .
They were college students and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Proposition 209 .
Now , as some of the most powerful politicos in California , they wanted revenge .
“ We lived the moment when they took [ Proposition 209 ] away , ” Los Angeles Councilmember and former State Senate pro tem Kevin De Leon said before the event .
“ We carry a sense of guilt .
[ Latinos ] have made progress , but we would ’ ve made so much more.
” “ 209 is part of the trifecta of hate legislation in the ‘ 90s that we get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , president of the nonprofit Campaign for College Education .
“ For voters who feel frustrated against racism from yesterday and today , voting yes on 16 is something they can do.
” California is a vastly different place in no small part because these propositions rallied angry Latinos to the polls .
Latinos are now the largest ethnic group in the state and make up a much larger portion of the electorate than in the ‘ 90s .
And yet ... the polls and pundits say Prop .
16 is doomed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ just a week before election day , showed only 38 % of California voters supported the measure .
Whites and Asians voters are overwhelmingly against its ; Black voters support it .
Latinos ?
Only 40 % of those surveyed sided with the pro-affirmative action measure .
That apathy was apparent at the Yes on 16 pachanga .
There were almost as many distinguished guests as there were attendees — and most of the audience seemed to be staffers .
Pedestrians ambled by .
A group of teens who had skateboarded around Mariachi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event disappeared once it started .
But supporters weren ’ t too worried .
At least that ’ s what they said .
“ We vote late as a community , ” said Los Angeles Community College District trustee Steven Veres .
“ That ’ s why things like this are important .
If you talk to people for just one minute about it , they get it without a doubt.
” “ We ’ re still in a pandemic , ” Christian Arana , director of policy for the Latino Community Foundation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Suffice to say , we as a community haven ’ t had the luxury to sit down and comb through what Prop .
16 could do.
” Their optimism has history behind it .
Only 42 % of Latino voters surveyed in a Los Angeles Times poll a week before the 1996 election opposed Prop .
209 — but 76 % of Latinos eventually voted against it .
The past 25 years , however , have seen Latinos advance in the state .
Our numbers are nowhere near where they should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , yet enough of us have made it so that affirmative action has become a general afterthought for many middle- and upper-class Latinos .
And surprisingly , some blue-collar Latinos can see affirmative action as an affront .
Latinos who might believe they are the hardest working people around , and who have achieved a measure of success in the U.S. despite many obstacles , might well question the need for it .
That ’ s how I felt when I first heard about Proposition 209 as a high-school senior in the fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents completed high school , yet they were able to buy a three-bedroom , two-bath , one swimming pool American dream home .
If they could do it , I thought , why couldn ’ t others ?
And why help those who couldn ’ t ?
That ’ s the philosophy of Rosa Paniagua , a personal trainer from Woodland Hills and the daughter of Mexican immigrants .
She and her friends , all Joe Biden supporters and mostly Latinas , were at a birthday party recently when a Yes on 16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ level the playing field in California.
” “ We hated it , ” said the 43-year-old mother of four .
“ It ’ s our culture to work hard and earn our living .
You see people at the exit of freeways , and there ’ s a homeless guy and an immigrant selling oranges .
I ’ m going to support the guy who sells oranges rather than give a dollar to the one with the sign.
” That rancho libertarianism mentality is a phenomenon that Prop .
209 author @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defeating Prop .
16 .
“ People who thought it would be a soft sell were engaging in their own worst kind of bigotry , ” said Connerly , a former UC regent .
“ It ’ s not surprising at all to me that once understood , Latinos will reject the call of affirmative action.
” Besides , Connerly argued , Latinos should reject the return of affirmative action in part because “ if known and practiced , it will only separate them from the declining white and rising Asian ” population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chaos.
” I doubt that .
Such doomsday rhetoric employed by Connerly and other opponents of affirmative action quickly made me change my mind on the matter as a youngster .
Arana said Latinos can find the term “ affirmative action ” nebulous , which is hurting Prop .
16 .
“ You have to walk them through what a ‘ Yes ’ is , ” he said .
But polling by the Latino Community Foundation shows that when Prop .
16 is explained explicitly — as a way to get more Latinos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ definition of equality — voter support shoots up to 76 % .
“ It ’ s this understanding that we don ’ t all start in the same place , and that it ’ s important to help out our future , ” he said .
That ’ s the message the Yes on 16 Mariachi Plaza people preached as they took their cause to the streets .
The mariachi played “ La Marcha de Zacatecas , ” a thundering instrumental that ’ s like a Bat Signal for Mexicans to stop whatever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Cars slowed down and honked .
Pedestrians gladly took fliers .
Javier and Angelica Maldonado stopped to record the parade .
“ Sixteen ?
You mean September 16 ?
” Javier cracked , referring to Mexican Independence Day .
Then he got serious .
“ Of course we ’ re going to vote for it , ” said the 56-year-old Guadalajara native .
“ Our son and his friends should have all the chances to succeed , ” added Angelica .
East L.A residents Bryant Orta and Eunice Juarez , both 32 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fina .
Both knew about Prop .
16 but were noncommittal about their vote .
“ We do need to close the gap with other groups , ” said Juarez , a psychotherapist .
“ But we also need to get more competitive and make sure students aren ’ t set up to fail , ” countered Orta , a music manager .
The sun was setting , and the Yes on 16 returned to their cars .
Too much , too little , too late ?
We ’ ll find out soon @ @

From left, Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo, L.A. Councilmember Kevin De Leon, L.A. Community College District trustee David Vela, and Rep. Jimmy Gomez at an Oct. 26 rally in Boyle Heights for Prop. 16
For my generation of Latinos, the mid-1990s felt like a series of gut punches delivered by the California electorate.
There was Prop. 187, then 209 and finally 227. Make life miserable for undocumented immigrants, ban affirmative action, then end bilingual education.
Voters gladly passed them in 1994, 1996, and 1998. If you were a Latino coming of age during this era, it felt like a big chunk of the Golden State was telling us we weren’t welcome here. That we were takers and contributed nothing. The coldly political language of the propositions did not fool you: You could hear in them a common and long familiar prejudice.
A generation later, the past that 187, 209 and 227 represented looks as imposing as a toppled Confederate monument.
Advertisement
Prop. 187 got vanquished in courts, and California declared itself a sanctuary state in 2017. Bilingual education is back. Now, Proposition 16 on this year’s ballot seeks to drive a stake into the ‘90s Hispanic hate parade once and for all by bringing back affirmative action.
This was the backdrop to an Oct. 26 rally at Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights that at first looked like politics at its most pandering.
A mariachi played the jaunty song “El Mariachi Loco” as a who’s who of Eastside power introduced themselves — we’re talking people like Assemblyman Miguel Santiago, State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo and Rep. Jimmy Gomez. They swayed and cheered as if a fiesta could conjure up affirmative action from the dead with days to go before election day.
Students rally at UCLA in support of Proposition 16 on Oct. 16. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
They were college students and activists in 1996 who unsuccessfully fought against Proposition 209. Now, as some of the most powerful politicos in California, they wanted revenge.
“We lived the moment when they took [Proposition 209] away,” Los Angeles Councilmember and former State Senate pro tem Kevin De Leon said before the event. “We carry a sense of guilt. [Latinos] have made progress, but we would’ve made so much more.”
Advertisement
“209 is part of the trifecta of hate legislation in the ‘90s that we get to dismantle,” said Michele Siqueiros, president of the nonprofit Campaign for College Education. “For voters who feel frustrated against racism from yesterday and today, voting yes on 16 is something they can do.”
California is a vastly different place in no small part because these propositions rallied angry Latinos to the polls. Latinos are now the largest ethnic group in the state and make up a much larger portion of the electorate than in the ‘90s.
And yet...the polls and pundits say Prop. 16 is doomed.
The latest Berkeley ISG polls, released just a week before election day, showed only 38% of California voters supported the measure. Whites and Asians voters are overwhelmingly against its; Black voters support it.
Latinos? Only 40% of those surveyed sided with the pro-affirmative action measure.
That apathy was apparent at the Yes on 16 pachanga.
There were almost as many distinguished guests as there were attendees — and most of the audience seemed to be staffers. Pedestrians ambled by. A group of teens who had skateboarded around Mariachi Plaza just before the Yes on 16 event disappeared once it started.
But supporters weren’t too worried. At least that’s what they said.
“We vote late as a community,” said Los Angeles Community College District trustee Steven Veres. “That’s why things like this are important. If you talk to people for just one minute about it, they get it without a doubt.”
“We’re still in a pandemic,” Christian Arana, director of policy for the Latino Community Foundation, told me in a phone interview. “Suffice to say, we as a community haven’t had the luxury to sit down and comb through what Prop. 16 could do.”
Their optimism has history behind it. Only 42% of Latino voters surveyed in a Los Angeles Times poll a week before the 1996 election opposed Prop. 209 — but 76% of Latinos eventually voted against it.
The past 25 years, however, have seen Latinos advance in the state. Our numbers are nowhere near where they should be in terms of wealth and education, yet enough of us have made it so that affirmative action has become a general afterthought for many middle- and upper-class Latinos.
And surprisingly, some blue-collar Latinos can see affirmative action as an affront. Latinos who might believe they are the hardest working people around, and who have achieved a measure of success in the U.S. despite many obstacles, might well question the need for it.
That’s how I felt when I first heard about Proposition 209 as a high-school senior in the fall of 1996. Neither of my immigrant parents completed high school, yet they were able to buy a three-bedroom, two-bath, one swimming pool American dream home.
If they could do it, I thought, why couldn’t others? And why help those who couldn’t?
That’s the philosophy of Rosa Paniagua, a personal trainer from Woodland Hills and the daughter of Mexican immigrants. She and her friends, all Joe Biden supporters and mostly Latinas, were at a birthday party recently when a Yes on 16 ad appeared on the television that promised to “level the playing field in California.”
“We hated it,” said the 43-year-old mother of four. “It’s our culture to work hard and earn our living. You see people at the exit of freeways, and there’s a homeless guy and an immigrant selling oranges. I’m going to support the guy who sells oranges rather than give a dollar to the one with the sign.”
That rancho libertarianism mentality is a phenomenon that Prop. 209 author Ward Connerly hopes will guide Latinos toward defeating Prop. 16.
“People who thought it would be a soft sell were engaging in their own worst kind of bigotry,” said Connerly, a former UC regent. “It’s not surprising at all to me that once understood, Latinos will reject the call of affirmative action.”
Besides, Connerly argued, Latinos should reject the return of affirmative action in part because “if known and practiced, it will only separate them from the declining white and rising Asian” population and leave a state “simmering in chaos.”
I doubt that. Such doomsday rhetoric employed by Connerly and other opponents of affirmative action quickly made me change my mind on the matter as a youngster.
Arana said Latinos can find the term “affirmative action” nebulous, which is hurting Prop. 16. “You have to walk them through what a ‘Yes’ is,” he said. But polling by the Latino Community Foundation shows that when Prop. 16 is explained explicitly — as a way to get more Latinos into higher education instead of a vague definition of equality — voter support shoots up to 76%.
“It’s this understanding that we don’t all start in the same place, and that it’s important to help out our future,” he said.
That’s the message the Yes on 16 Mariachi Plaza people preached as they took their cause to the streets.
The mariachi played “La Marcha de Zacatecas,” a thundering instrumental that’s like a Bat Signal for Mexicans to stop whatever they’re doing and pay attention.
Cars slowed down and honked. Pedestrians gladly took fliers. Javier and Angelica Maldonado stopped to record the parade.
“Sixteen? You mean September 16?” Javier cracked, referring to Mexican Independence Day. Then he got serious. “Of course we’re going to vote for it,” said the 56-year-old Guadalajara native.
“Our son and his friends should have all the chances to succeed,” added Angelica.
East L.A residents Bryant Orta and Eunice Juarez, both 32, finished an early dinner at Casa Fina. Both knew about Prop. 16 but were noncommittal about their vote. “We do need to close the gap with other groups,” said Juarez, a psychotherapist.
“But we also need to get more competitive and make sure students aren’t set up to fail,” countered Orta, a music manager.
The sun was setting, and the Yes on 16 returned to their cars. Too much, too little, too late? We’ll find out soon enough.


latimes--2020-10-30--Irvine provided a rare victory for firefighters during California's worst fire year

The conditions seemed ripe for disaster .
Gusting Santa Ana winds had grounded water-dumping aircraft for hours , and flames were spreading across a tinder-dry fuel bed .
Downwind sat a tangled maze of suburban streets where more than 80,000 people were ordered to evacuate .
Had this week ’ s Silverado fire began anywhere else , and at any other time , firefighters said it could have been the latest disaster in California ’ s busiest fire year on record — a time when firefighting resources have been stretched perilously thin .
But this latest fire started on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the roads are smooth and wide , communities were built under the state ’ s most recent fire code and the largest regional firefighting force in the world was at the ready and just a phone call away .
Despite 45-mph gusts launching embers into the suburban sprawl , where cars sat bumper to bumper trying to flee the oncoming flames , not a single home was lost or seriously damaged .
In the end , thanks to a semi-formal agreement among the region ’ s biggest fire departments and the first-ever use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fastest water-dropping helicopter at night , crews were able to stand their ground , keeping the flames largely north of Portola Parkway , a major road that divides the subdivisions of Irvine from the backcountry .
“ In some ways , we got a little bit lucky , ” said Orange County Fire Chief Brian Fennessy .
In a year when firefighters have lost so many battles — in part because the number of blazes has stretched firefighting resources — this firefight and a second battle that began hours later in Yorba Linda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When the Silverado fire began , about a third of Orange County ’ s firefighters were in their last hour of a two-day shift and were about to be replaced , in essence , putting twice as many firefighters at the ready than would typically be available , Fennessy said .
As the chief headed to department headquarters down Portola Parkway that morning , he managed to come across the fire the moment it jumped the road and moved toward the subdivisions , giving commanders on-the-ground intel of where the fire was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I just got off the phone with the [ operations ] chief , he ’ s telling me the fire is still high up on the hill and right in front of me the fire is coming up the road , ” Fennessy said .
“ Like so many of these fires , they show up so much faster than people think.
” Fennessy pulled into the neighborhood and , along with one Irvine police officer , began urging residents to flee , he said .
At one point the chief jumped out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire extinguisher and put out a spot fire burning next to a home , video on his cellphone shows .
As authorities cleared out the neighborhoods , a surge of crews were headed into the area thanks to a pact reached among Orange , Los Angeles and Ventura counties and the city of Los Angeles .
Fire chiefs in those districts had all agreed to help one another in dire situations , avoiding the state ’ s usual mutual aid system because it ’ s viewed as being slow to dispatch resources .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ within an hour of the call , had 25 engines racing to help .
More crews flowed into the county in the following days .
More than 2,200 firefighters arrived overall .
Had either of these fires erupted in August or September , when firefighters and equipment were busy battling record wildfires in the central and northern parts of the state , there ’ s no telling what could have happened , Fennessy said .
When the Blue Ridge fire broke out in the afternoon in Yorba Linda , commanders were able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Only one home was destroyed , while seven others were damaged .
“ All of us were stunned that there were only two fires , ” Fennessy said .
“ We dodged a bullet in Orange County.
” Battling a wind-driven fire on the ground , and head-on , is a dangerous proposition , so hotshot crews worked the rear and sides of the fire to limit its spread while other firefighters took up positions in neighborhoods to protect homes from an onslaught of firebrands .
Two hotshot crew members were critically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fire ’ s flank and remain hospitalized .
Though aircraft were grounded for several hours in the morning , winds died down by the afternoon , according to National Weather Service data , and the aerial assault on the fires went into full swing .
Air tankers caked the grass and shrub-covered hillsides with pink retardant while helicopters doused flare-ups with water — even at night .
“ Southern California is an oddity in the world , you guys have a true air force down there , ” said Mel Ceccanti , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coulson Aviation , a firefighting aviation company that holds contracts around the world and has crews stationed in Orange County for a three-month period this year .
Throughout the first night of the Silverado fire , Ceccanti operated the company ’ s retrofitted CH-47 Chinook , a beast of a helicopter used by the Army that can fly 200 mph and drop 3,000 gallons of water or retardant at once — a payload on par with some fixed-wing tankers .
With night skies relatively clear and plenty of lakes and reservoirs in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 47,000 gallons of water over four hours .
“ It ’ s safe to say we dropped more water in Orange County than Orange County has ever had dropped , ” Ceccanti said .
Though the fire burned through bone-dry vegetation , Orange County ’ s landscape is markedly different from the terrain in Northern California — a key advantage to firefighters .
There ’ s no timber-heavy forest to sustain fire for long periods of time , so while the light grass and shrubs can burn extremely hot and launch embers into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just as fast as they begin , Fennessy said .
“ It burns so frickin ’ quick , the ember cast can only last for so long , ” he said .
In retrospect , both Fennessy , who battled the 2007 firestorm in San Diego , and Ceccanti , who most recently flew over Australia ’ s massive bushfires , say the county caught a break this week .
Had the fire reached Trabuco Canyon , it could have raged out of control as winds pushed it deeper into rugged terrain .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were initially , aircraft wouldn ’ t have been able to help .
“ We support ground firefighters , no matter how much you put on that fire , someone has to come through with a hose to put that fire out , ” Ceccanti said .
“ If you bet the farm on aviation alone , you might catch yourself with your pants around your ankles.
” As of Thursday , the Silverado fire had burned 13,390 acres and was 51 % contained , and the Blue Ridge fire had burned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Most evacuations in the county were lifted in the afternoon .

A wind-driven blaze, dubbed the Silverado fire, sparked around 6:45 a.m. Monday morning and is spreading at a “moderate” speed in the area of Santiago Canyon and Silverado Canyon roads in Orange County. (KTLA)
A deer navigates through the smoke of the Silverado fire that broke out in Orange County on Monday morning. (OnScene.TV)
The Silverado fire broke out in Orange County on Monday morning, threatening communities and forcing residents from their homes. (OnScene.TV)
Orange County Fire Authority firefighters do structure protection for homes in the Orchard Hills neighborhood of Irvine as the Silverado fire continues to burn. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Orange County Fire Authority firefighters have to look away because of the gusty, hot wind, debris and approaching flames while defending homes from the Silverado fire in the Orchard Hills neighborhood of Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
A firefighter sustained second- and third-degree burns near Santiago Canyon Road and Limestone Spur fighting the Silverado fire and was transported to a nearby trauma center. (OnScene.TV)
An Orange County Fire Authority firefighter stands ready to defend a home as the Silverado fire approaches the Orchard Hills neighborhood of Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
A water truck operator is overcome after running through thick smoke from the advancing Silverado fire in Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
A water truck operator runs through the thick smoke of the advancing Silverado fire at the 241 Freeway and Portola Parkway in Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
A hot spot flares in the Silverado fire at the 241 Freeway and Portola Parkway in Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
A firefighter hoses down a home in Yorba Linda that was ablaze due to the Blue Ridge fire Monday. (OnScene.TV)
A bicyclist takes a look at fire activity on Via Lomas de Yorba amid the Blue Ridge fire in Yorba Linda. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Firefighter Raymond Vasquez fights the Silverado fire, fueled by Santa Ana winds, at the 241 Freeway and Portola Parkway in Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Yorba Linda residents gather around an Orange County Fire Authority vehicle at the intersection of Fairmont Boulevard and San Antonio Road, inquiring about the Blue Ridge fire that was burning close to their homes. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
A flare-up fills the sky with smoke from the Silverado fire burning in Irvine on Tuesday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
A firefighting helicopter makes a drop on the Silverado fire, which has been fanned by gusty Santa Ana winds for a second day in the Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park in Lake Forest. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The conditions seemed ripe for disaster.
Gusting Santa Ana winds had grounded water-dumping aircraft for hours, and flames were spreading across a tinder-dry fuel bed. Downwind sat a tangled maze of suburban streets where more than 80,000 people were ordered to evacuate.
Had this week’s Silverado fire began anywhere else, and at any other time, firefighters said it could have been the latest disaster in California’s busiest fire year on record — a time when firefighting resources have been stretched perilously thin.
Firefighter Raymond Vasquez braves tall flames as he fights the advancing Silverado Fire fueled by Santa Ana winds at the 241 toll road and Portola Parkway in Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
But this latest fire started on the outskirts of master-planned Orange County, where the roads are smooth and wide, communities were built under the state’s most recent fire code and the largest regional firefighting force in the world was at the ready and just a phone call away.
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Despite 45-mph gusts launching embers into the suburban sprawl, where cars sat bumper to bumper trying to flee the oncoming flames, not a single home was lost or seriously damaged. In the end, thanks to a semi-formal agreement among the region’s biggest fire departments and the first-ever use of the world’s biggest, fastest water-dropping helicopter at night, crews were able to stand their ground, keeping the flames largely north of Portola Parkway, a major road that divides the subdivisions of Irvine from the backcountry.
“In some ways, we got a little bit lucky,” said Orange County Fire Chief Brian Fennessy.
In a year when firefighters have lost so many battles — in part because the number of blazes has stretched firefighting resources — this firefight and a second battle that began hours later in Yorba Linda could be considered successes, officials said.
When the Silverado fire began, about a third of Orange County’s firefighters were in their last hour of a two-day shift and were about to be replaced, in essence, putting twice as many firefighters at the ready than would typically be available, Fennessy said. As the chief headed to department headquarters down Portola Parkway that morning, he managed to come across the fire the moment it jumped the road and moved toward the subdivisions, giving commanders on-the-ground intel of where the fire was and how it was behaving.
An Orange County firefighter stands ready to defend a home as the Silverado fire approaches in an Orchard Hills neighborhood of Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
“I just got off the phone with the [operations] chief, he’s telling me the fire is still high up on the hill and right in front of me the fire is coming up the road,” Fennessy said. “Like so many of these fires, they show up so much faster than people think.”
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Fennessy pulled into the neighborhood and, along with one Irvine police officer, began urging residents to flee, he said. At one point the chief jumped out of his vehicle, grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher and put out a spot fire burning next to a home, video on his cellphone shows.
As authorities cleared out the neighborhoods, a surge of crews were headed into the area thanks to a pact reached among Orange, Los Angeles and Ventura counties and the city of Los Angeles. Fire chiefs in those districts had all agreed to help one another in dire situations, avoiding the state’s usual mutual aid system because it’s viewed as being slow to dispatch resources.
Fennessy reached out to his peers and within an hour of the call, had 25 engines racing to help. More crews flowed into the county in the following days. More than 2,200 firefighters arrived overall.
Had either of these fires erupted in August or September, when firefighters and equipment were busy battling record wildfires in the central and northern parts of the state, there’s no telling what could have happened, Fennessy said. When the Blue Ridge fire broke out in the afternoon in Yorba Linda, commanders were able to quickly divert firefighters to the new threat. Only one home was destroyed, while seven others were damaged.
Orange County firefighters protect homes in the Orchard Hills neighborhood of Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
“All of us were stunned that there were only two fires,” Fennessy said. “We dodged a bullet in Orange County.”
Battling a wind-driven fire on the ground, and head-on, is a dangerous proposition, so hotshot crews worked the rear and sides of the fire to limit its spread while other firefighters took up positions in neighborhoods to protect homes from an onslaught of firebrands. Two hotshot crew members were critically burned in that initial attack on the fire’s flank and remain hospitalized.
Though aircraft were grounded for several hours in the morning, winds died down by the afternoon, according to National Weather Service data, and the aerial assault on the fires went into full swing. Air tankers caked the grass and shrub-covered hillsides with pink retardant while helicopters doused flare-ups with water — even at night.
“Southern California is an oddity in the world, you guys have a true air force down there,” said Mel Ceccanti, a pilot and director of flight operations for Coulson Aviation, a firefighting aviation company that holds contracts around the world and has crews stationed in Orange County for a three-month period this year.
Orange County firefighters have to look away because of the hot wind, debris and approaching flames while defending homes in the Orchard Hills neighborhood of Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Throughout the first night of the Silverado fire, Ceccanti operated the company’s retrofitted CH-47 Chinook, a beast of a helicopter used by the Army that can fly 200 mph and drop 3,000 gallons of water or retardant at once — a payload on par with some fixed-wing tankers.
With night skies relatively clear and plenty of lakes and reservoirs in the area, Ceccanti was able to drop 47,000 gallons of water over four hours.
“It’s safe to say we dropped more water in Orange County than Orange County has ever had dropped,” Ceccanti said.
Though the fire burned through bone-dry vegetation, Orange County’s landscape is markedly different from the terrain in Northern California — a key advantage to firefighters.
There’s no timber-heavy forest to sustain fire for long periods of time, so while the light grass and shrubs can burn extremely hot and launch embers into the air, the fires go out just as fast as they begin, Fennessy said.
“It burns so frickin’ quick, the ember cast can only last for so long,” he said.
In retrospect, both Fennessy, who battled the 2007 firestorm in San Diego, and Ceccanti, who most recently flew over Australia’s massive bushfires, say the county caught a break this week. Had the fire reached Trabuco Canyon, it could have raged out of control as winds pushed it deeper into rugged terrain. Had the winds remained as strong as they were initially, aircraft wouldn’t have been able to help.
“We support ground firefighters, no matter how much you put on that fire, someone has to come through with a hose to put that fire out,” Ceccanti said. “If you bet the farm on aviation alone, you might catch yourself with your pants around your ankles.”
As of Thursday, the Silverado fire had burned 13,390 acres and was 51% contained, and the Blue Ridge fire had burned 14,334 acres and was 39% contained. Most evacuations in the county were lifted in the afternoon.


latimes--2020-10-30--Disneyland is more than a job for some workers. A wave of layoffs will hit Sunday

Since she was furloughed from her job as a server and sommelier at a Disneyland Resort restaurant , Tina Thomas has struggled to cover her rent with her unemployment checks and is four months behind on her car payments .
On top of that , she is wrestling with dark feelings of loss of a workplace that to her felt more like a home .
And then there is the anxiety about when she might return to the job she once hoped would carry her until retirement .
“ I ’ m watching this roller coaster and hoping that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said of the last eight months of her life .
“ It ’ s so stressful to live this way.
” When California ’ s theme parks closed in March , employees of Disneyland , Universal Studios Hollywood and other parks were left in limbo , displaced from jobs through no fault of their own , with no idea when — or if — they will be called back .
The ax is about to fall on tens of thousands of Disney workers .
Walt Disney Co. plans to lay off 28,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and experience divisions , with about 10,000 of those layoffs hitting the Disneyland Resort parks , hotels and stores in Anaheim , according to company sources .
Notifications for those layoffs are expected to reach workers via email by Sunday .
Universal Studios Hollywood has already reduced its workforce by as many as 7,000 employees through furloughs , layoffs and cuts to work shifts .
The lucky ones have landed new gigs .
Many others continue to collect unemployment checks , holding out hope that they will soon be called back to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state has tied the reopening of the theme parks to getting a handle on the pandemic , making a reopening date difficult to predict .
Meanwhile , many theme park staffers are trying to cope with the depression and anxiety brought on by the uncertainty of their circumstances .
“ Work was my escape .
It was my outlet and I needed to do it , ” said Priscilla Miranda , 30 , a furloughed stage manager at Universal Studios Hollywood .
“ It was something that meant a lot for me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was home all the time , I got really depressed.
” About 135,000 people worked at California theme parks before the pandemic , and a huge number of them have been furloughed or laid off since March , when state officials recommended against large gatherings .
Before they closed , the state ’ s parks were generating more than $ 12.6 billion in spending each year , much of it in Southern California , home to seven major theme parks .
Theme park workers in California earn an average annual salary of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perks such as free park passes for friends and family and exclusive previews of new attractions that make the jobs so desirable .
Park staffers also boast about the family-fun atmosphere and the close bonds they form with co-workers .
Soon after the parks closed , company officials hinted that they would reopen in time for the summer tourist season .
But the pandemic didn ’ t abate quickly enough to allow that to happen .
Now , state guidelines dictate that the largest theme parks won ’ t reopen until infection rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ An Orange County health official has said that means Disneyland probably won ’ t be able to open before summer 2021 .
While theme park workers hold out hope that they will return to their park jobs someday , many have tried with little success to land other jobs .
“ The industry is really shut down as far as live entertainment goes , ” said Rob Siminoski , a furloughed stage manager at Universal Studios Hollywood who is now collecting unemployment checks and state funding for watching over his elderly mother .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as other Americans who have been thrown out of work by the pandemic , according to mental health experts .
Our jobs often provide us with purpose and identity plus the companionship of co-workers who can understand the day-to-day heartaches that come with our jobs , said Vaile Wright , a clinical psychologist and senior director of healthcare innovation for the American Psychological Assn .
“ Work is where we spend a majority of our time , ” she said .
“ It gives us routine and structure.
” Wondering when the conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the feelings of depression and anxiety , Wright added .
“ To have this level of uncertainty , that is what really drives negative emotions , ” she said .
Cassie Simone and Josey Montana McCoy , cast members in the “ Frozen ” musical show at the Hyperion Theater in Disney California Adventure Park , learned this month that the show was canceled , with no plans to revive it when the park reopens .
The show , based on the animated feature film “ Frozen , ” opened at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has played the lead role of Anna in the show , had been acting in Disneyland stage performances since 2004 .
She called her time at the park a “ dream job.
” She has become so close to her Disney co-workers that she has been a bridesmaid in the weddings of two fellow cast members and planned the baby shower of another .
“ We ’ ve seen each other through marriages , babies , divorces , even deaths , ” Simone said .
Since the show ended , she has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a wellness clinic while taking auditions for commercials on the side .
Simone now earns enough money to make ends meet , but she said she doesn ’ t feel like she ’ s the same person anymore .
“ I ’ m having a real identity crisis because Disney was such a huge part of who I am , ” she said , adding that much of her acting career has been at Disneyland .
“ Now I ’ m having to figure out who I am without Disney.
” Like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spoke to The Times , Simone said she would return to the park if asked , adding that she trusts Disney to adopt protocols to protect her , other performers and guests from the coronavirus .
McCoy , who played goofy snowman Olaf since the show started in 2016 , has mixed feelings about the possibility of returning to Disney during the pandemic .
He worries about catching the virus and infecting his baby .
“ Let ’ s listen to the scientists , ” he said .
McCoy recalls going onstage as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was giving the children in the audience their first in-person depiction of the snowman .
Now he is stunned to think he ’ ll never do that again .
“ Emotionally , it comes in waves , ” he said .
“ I realize that the wall of security that I built started to crumble slowly.
” McCoy credits his Disney co-workers to helping him cope .
Within two days after his son ’ s premature birth , his “ Frozen ” castmates launched a Venmo account to raise money for food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessities .
“ It was an incredibly overwhelming time , but our ‘ Frozen ’ friends were magnificent , ” McCoy said .
He has taken online sessions to discuss his feelings of loss with a therapist and plays disc golf with “ Frozen ” castmates to pass the time .
McCoy has looked into commercial acting jobs ; he knows there are few , if any , gigs in his most preferred field , theater .
McCoy ’ s wife has a full-time job , so the young family has been able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers are not so fortunate .
Miranda , the stage manager for the Universal Studios Hollywood “ Waterworld ” stunt show , was furloughed in May but , because of a glitch at the state Employment Development Department , did not receive unemployment checks until September .
She nearly drained her savings account and struggled with feeling depressed .
“ This was my career , ” Miranda said .
“ It wasn ’ t just a job.
” She began to feel better after moving in with her parents in Rialto and started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she ’ s not ready to put her Universal Studios job firmly in the past .
She recalls being backstage at the “ Waterworld ” show , hearing the crowd roar , and feeling proud to help elicit such a reaction .
“ I don ’ t want to feel like I ’ m giving up on it .
It ’ s weird , ” she said .
“ I feel like I would be a quitter if I turn away from it completely.
” Similarly , Thomas is reluctant to give up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t imagine finding a position elsewhere with a tighter group of friends plus enough tips to generate between $ 200 and $ 1,000 per shift .
She had worked at various restaurants in the Disneyland Resort since 2009 , most recently at the Carthay Circle Restaurant at Disney California Adventure Park .
Thomas lives with one of her grown daughters and volunteers at a union-run food bank every other week .
She also takes long walks on the beach near her home in Huntington Beach to tackle the stress and anxiety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the returning guests that made the job so special .
Many customers would drop by her eatery year after year to greet her .
After the park closed , she said , some parkgoers have contacted her at home to check in with her .
“ I ’ ve watched their children grow and become regulars , ” she said of her returning guests .
“ To me , that ’ s the best , and there aren ’ t many companies that we can grow that kind of relationship with.
” She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happily ever after , calling her current job status “ a technicality.
” “ Even with layoffs , at some point restrictions are going to ease , ” she said .
“ They have to .
I hope to retire from there .
I have no interest in going anywhere else .
”

Tina Thomas, a furloughed Disneyland Resort restaurant worker, volunteers at a food bank as she waits to learn what will happen to her job.
Since she was furloughed from her job as a server and sommelier at a Disneyland Resort restaurant, Tina Thomas has struggled to cover her rent with her unemployment checks and is four months behind on her car payments.
On top of that, she is wrestling with dark feelings of loss of a workplace that to her felt more like a home. And then there is the anxiety about when she might return to the job she once hoped would carry her until retirement.
“I’m watching this roller coaster and hoping that it stops soon,” Thomas, 59, said of the last eight months of her life. “It’s so stressful to live this way.”
When California’s theme parks closed in March, employees of Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood and other parks were left in limbo, displaced from jobs through no fault of their own, with no idea when — or if — they would be called back.
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The ax is about to fall on thousands of Disney workers. Walt Disney Co. plans to lay off 28,000 people across its theme parks and products and experience divisions, with about 10,000 of those layoffs hitting the Disneyland Resort parks, hotels and stores in Anaheim, according to company sources. Notifications for those layoffs are expected to reach workers via email by Sunday.
Universal Studios Hollywood has already reduced its workforce by as many as 7,000 employees through furloughs, layoffs and cuts to work shifts.
The lucky ones have landed new gigs. Many others continue to collect unemployment checks, holding out hope that they will soon be called back to work alongside co-workers they consider family.
But the state has tied the reopening of the theme parks to getting a handle on the pandemic, making a reopening date difficult to predict.
Meanwhile, many theme park staffers are trying to cope with the depression and anxiety brought on by the uncertainty of their circumstances.
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“Work was my escape. It was my outlet and I needed to do it,” said Priscilla Miranda, 30, a furloughed stage manager at Universal Studios Hollywood. “It was something that meant a lot for me. When it got taken away and I was home all the time, I got really depressed.”
About 135,000 people worked at California theme parks before the pandemic, and a huge number of them have been furloughed or laid off since March, when state officials recommended against large gatherings. Before they closed, the state’s parks were generating more than $12.6 billion in spending each year, much of it in Southern California, home to seven major theme parks.
Theme park workers in California earn an average annual salary of about $41,000. It’s perks such as free park passes for friends and family and exclusive previews of new attractions that make the jobs so desirable.
Park staffers also boast about the family-fun atmosphere and the close bonds they form with co-workers.
Soon after the parks closed, company officials hinted that they would reopen in time for the summer tourist season. But the pandemic didn’t abate quickly enough to allow that to happen. Now, state guidelines dictate that the largest theme parks won’t reopen until infection rates drop considerably in their home counties. An Orange County health official has said that means Disneyland probably won’t be able to open before summer 2021.
While theme park workers hold out hope that they will return to their park jobs someday, many have tried with little success to land other jobs.
“The industry is really shut down as far as live entertainment goes,” said Rob Siminoski, a furloughed stage manager at Universal Studios Hollywood who is now collecting unemployment checks and state funding for watching over his elderly mother.
Josey Montana McCoy recalls that when his 13-month-old son, Lincoln, was born prematurely, his castmates from Disney California Adventure’s “Frozen” stage show quickly raised money for his needs. The show will not come back when the park reopens. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Theme park workers face the same emotions as other Americans who have been thrown out of work by the pandemic, according to mental health experts.
Our jobs often provide us with purpose and identity plus the companionship of co-workers who can understand the day-to-day heartaches that come with the work, said Vaile Wright, a clinical psychologist and senior director of healthcare innovation for the American Psychological Assn.
“Work is where we spend a majority of our time,” she said. “It gives us routine and structure.”
Wondering when the conditions will allow the parks to reopen adds to the feelings of depression and anxiety, Wright added.
“To have this level of uncertainty, that is what really drives negative emotions,” she said.
Visitors at Disneyland on March 13, just before the park closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Amy Taxin / Associated Press)
Cassie Simone and Josey Montana McCoy, cast members in the “Frozen” musical show at the Hyperion Theater in Disney California Adventure Park, learned this month that the show was canceled, with no plans to revive it when the park reopens.
The show, based on the animated feature film “Frozen,” opened at the theme park in 2016.
Simone, who has played the lead role of Anna in the show, had been acting in Disneyland stage performances since 2004. She called her time at the park a “dream job.”
She has become so close to her Disney co-workers that she has been a bridesmaid in the weddings of two fellow cast members and planned the baby shower of another.
“We’ve seen each other through marriages, babies, divorces, even deaths,” Simone said.
Since the show ended, she has landed a job as an office manager in a wellness clinic while taking auditions for commercials on the side. Simone now earns enough money to make ends meet, but she said she doesn’t feel like she’s the same person anymore.
Cassie Simone plays the role of Anna in the musical performance of “Frozen – Live at the Hyperion” at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. (Amanda Beth Lorenzo)
“I’m having a real identity crisis because Disney was such a huge part of who I am,” she said, adding that much of her acting career has been at Disneyland. “Now I’m having to figure out who I am without Disney.”
Like most of her former Disney colleagues who spoke to The Times, Simone said she would return to the park if asked. She said she trusts Disney to adopt protocols to protect her, other performers and guests from the coronavirus.
McCoy, who played goofy snowman Olaf since the show started in 2016, has mixed feelings about the possibility of returning to Disney during the pandemic. He worries about catching the virus and infecting his baby.
“Let’s listen to the scientists,” he said.
McCoy recalls going onstage as Olaf when the show launched and realizing he was giving the children in the audience their first in-person depiction of the snowman. Now he is stunned to think he’ll never do that again.
“Emotionally, it comes in waves,” he said. “I realize that the wall of security that I built started to crumble slowly.”
McCoy credits his Disney co-workers for helping him cope. Within two days after his son’s premature birth, his “Frozen” castmates launched a Venmo account to raise money for food, breast pump cleaning supplies and other necessities.
“It was an incredibly overwhelming time, but our ‘Frozen’ friends were magnificent,” McCoy said.
He has taken online sessions to discuss his feelings of loss with a therapist and plays disc golf with “Frozen” castmates to pass the time. McCoy has looked into commercial acting jobs; he knows there are few, if any, gigs in his most preferred field, theater.
McCoy’s wife has a full-time job, so the young family has been able to pay its bills.
Other park workers are not so fortunate.
Miranda, the stage manager for the Universal Studios Hollywood “Waterworld” stunt show, was furloughed in May but, because of a glitch at the state Employment Development Department, did not receive unemployment checks until September.
She nearly emptied her savings account and struggled with feeling depressed.
“This was my career,” Miranda said. “It wasn’t just a job.”
She began to feel better after moving in with her parents in Rialto and started to receive the EDD money. But she’s not ready to put her Universal Studios job firmly in the past. She recalls being backstage at the “Waterworld” show, hearing the crowd roar, and feeling proud to help elicit such a reaction.
“I don’t want to feel like I’m giving up on it. It’s weird,” she said. “I feel like I would be a quitter if I turn away from it completely.”
Similarly, Thomas is reluctant to give up on her Disney job, saying she can’t imagine finding a position elsewhere with a tighter group of friends plus enough tips to generate between $200 and $1,000 per shift. She had worked at various restaurants in the Disneyland Resort since 2009, most recently at the Carthay Circle Restaurant at Disney California Adventure Park.
Thomas lives with one of her grown daughters and volunteers at a union-run food bank every other week. She also takes long walks on the beach near her home in Huntington Beach to tackle the stress and anxiety.
For Thomas, it’s the returning guests that made the job so special. Many customers would drop by her eatery year after year to greet her. After the park closed, she said, some parkgoers have contacted her at home to check in with her.
“I’ve watched their children grow and become regulars,” she said of her returning guests. “To me, that’s the best, and there aren’t many companies that we can grow that kind of relationship with.”
She still holds out hope for a Disney-worthy happily ever after, calling her current job status “a technicality.”
“Even with layoffs, at some point restrictions are going to ease,” she said. “They have to. I hope to retire from there. I have no interest in going anywhere else.”


latimes--2020-10-30--GOP fights to hold L.A.-area congressional seat that Katie Hill flipped blue in 2018

California ’ s Republican Party is fighting to hold onto a congressional seat in a large suburban swath north of Los Angeles — an election that could hinge on President Trump ’ s popularity in the area .
Republican Rep. Mike Garcia , 44 , won the May special election to represent the 25th congressional district , which includes Simi Valley , Santa Clarita , Palmdale and Lancaster and is a mix of sprawling residential developments , horse ranches and desert land located about an hour ’ s drive from downtown L.A .
He faces Democratic Assemblywoman Christy Smith , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a toss-up .
Democrats now outnumber Republicans in the district , but pockets remain red .
Trump flags dot the hillsides above the 14 Freeway near Palmdale and “ Recall Newsom ” signs wave outside businesses in Santa Clarita .
Sipping coffee outside an Acton cafe , Doug Craig , 79 , praised Trump for imposing trade sanctions against China and bemoaned California and its liberal policies .
“ It ’ s too far to the left , ” said Craig , whose cowboy boots were embossed with American flags .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Voters such as Craig will be key to Garcia ’ s chances .
The seat opened up after first-term Rep. Katie Hill resigned in 2019 amid a House Ethics Committee probe into allegations that she had an affair with one of her aides .
Garcia finished second to Smith in the March primary , but won the May election to serve out the remainder of Hill ’ s term .
He ran on a message that he wouldn ’ t let the nation turn into California , criticizing the state for its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
His victory marked the first time in more than two decades that the GOP turned a California congressional seat from blue to red , earning the former U.S. Navy pilot and defense industry executive a public congratulations from Trump when Garcia attended a White House event in July .
Political consultant Matt Klink , who isn ’ t involved in the race , said Garcia ’ s biggest challenge is that Trump is unpopular in L.A. County , where most of the district ’ s voters reside .
A large Democratic turnout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he said .
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has an overwhelming lead in the county , with 73 % of voters backing him , according to a UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll released this week .
Hillary Clinton carried the district by nearly 7 percentage points in 2016 , even as voters reelected Republican Rep. Steve Knight .
Knight was unseated by Hill two years later .
Klink said Garcia ’ s military and defense background is appealing in the district , which has a long history with the aerospace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more conservative on social issues than the district ’ s voters , he added .
“ The right Republican can win , ” Klink said .
“ It ’ s one of the few congressional races in L.A. County that ’ s still competitive.
” Trump urged voters to back Garcia in the special election , but has been quieter on social media about the rematch .
Garcia said this week he was proud to be on the ballot with the president .
“ He ’ s done a good job on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s done a great job with the economy , ” Garcia told NBC4 .
“ We will get through this COVID crisis .
You know , we ’ ve learned a lot and we ’ re going to get stronger as a result.
” In the short time he ’ s been in office , Garcia has co-sponsored a bill that he said will “ preserve the flexibility [ that ] the gig workforce needs and preempt job-killing bills like AB 5 from creeping to the national level.
” Garcia declined to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement criticizing both “ liberal career politicians ” and Assembly Bill 5 , the California law that limits when a company can classify workers as independent contractors , requiring more of them to be hired as employees and provided an array of workplace benefits .
At a debate held by the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce last week , the candidates clashed over the state law and government ’ s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and wildfires .
The Bobcat fire in the Antelope Valley and the Lake fire near Lake Hughes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Climate change is real , ” said Smith , linking the issue to the spate of blazes .
“ What we are experiencing here in California , everything from sea level rise to the significant wildfires where there is devastating property damage , has a real economic impact .
And we are at a huge loss if we don ’ t begin to address the root causes , as well as the possible solutions.
” Garcia accused his opponent of “ burying her head in the sand ” by attributing the fires to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planet is warming and that he drives an electric car to reduce emissions , but also called for deforestation in response to the wildfires .
“ What we ’ re experiencing here is the end result of Sacramento , and frankly , the federal government , not investing in deforestation programs , not getting rid of the dead brush and the leaves that have been accumulating over the last 40 years , ” Garcia said .
Trump , who has endorsed Garcia , has also blamed California ’ s fires on poor forest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times , Smith said the election was “ a contest between moving America forward or moving backward.
” She criticized Garcia ’ s opposition to the Affordable Care Act and said she wants to protect the act and add a public healthcare option for anyone who wants to it .
She blames healthcare costs for contributing to the death of her mother .
Smith said her mother couldn ’ t afford her prescription medicine to treat her heart disease .
The Santa Clarita resident also released a video talking about abortion and her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second pregnancy in light of serious health issues she endured during her previous one .
“ I am someone who benefitted from the right to choose , I want my daughters to have that same right and I don ’ t want that right taken away by someone like Mike Garcia or others like him , ” she said .
Garcia has said he supports abortion only when the mother ’ s life is in danger .
He joined the bulk of House Republicans in signing onto antiabortion bills , including one that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moment of conception .
Smith worked at the U.S. Department of Education during the Clinton administration and started a nonprofit to raise funds for school technology .
She ’ s authored legislation to improve charter school accountability , make it easier for victims of labor and trafficking crimes to obtain restitution , and help at-risk populations evacuate from wildfires .
She also helped pass legislation to exempt some professions from the controversial gig worker law , so that those workers can maintain their independent status .
Electing Smith and ousting Trump spurred Northridge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s campaign .
Lundquist , a scientist who lives just outside the district , helped Smith at a recent meet-and-greet — done through car windows — in Porter Ranch .
Lundquist , who unsuccessfully sought a L.A. City Council seat , said Trump is “ absolutely a factor ” in the race .
`` [ Garcia ] supports Trump and is voting with Trump and refuses to call him out even after Trump is spreading misinformation about this pandemic and the voting process , ” Lundquist said .
Since May , outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million in the November race , among the highest such totals of any House contest in this election , said Rob Pyers , research director at California Target Book , a subscriber-based election guide .
The outside spending has been split about evenly to support the two candidates , he said .

Republican Rep. Mike Garcia and Democratic Assemblywoman Christy Smith will face off to represent the 25th Congressional District, which takes in Simi Valley, Santa Clarita, Palmdale and Lancaster.
California’s Republican Party is fighting to hold onto a congressional seat in a large suburban swath north of Los Angeles — an election that could hinge on President Trump’s popularity in the area.
Republican Rep. Mike Garcia, 44, won the May special election to represent the 25th Congressional District, which includes Simi Valley, Santa Clarita, Palmdale and Lancaster and is a mix of sprawling residential developments, horse ranches and desert land located about an hour’s drive from downtown L.A.
He faces Democratic Assemblywoman Christy Smith, 51, in a race widely viewed as a toss-up.
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Democrats now outnumber Republicans in the district, but pockets remain red. Trump flags dot the hillsides above the 14 Freeway near Palmdale and “Recall Newsom” signs wave outside businesses in Santa Clarita.
Sipping coffee outside an Acton cafe, Doug Craig, 79, praised Trump for imposing trade sanctions against China and bemoaned California and its liberal policies. “It’s too far to the left,” said Craig, whose cowboy boots were embossed with American flags. “I’m not happy about it.”
Voters such as Craig will be key to Garcia’s chances. The seat opened up after first-term Rep. Katie Hill resigned in 2019 amid a House Ethics Committee probe into allegations that she had an affair with one of her aides.
Garcia finished second to Smith in the March primary, but won the May election to serve out the remainder of Hill’s term. He ran on a message that he wouldn’t let the nation turn into California, criticizing the state for its regulatory hurdles, high taxes and homelessness.
His victory marked the first time in more than two decades that the GOP turned a California congressional seat from blue to red, earning the former U.S. Navy pilot and defense industry executive a public congratulations from Trump when Garcia attended a White House event in July.
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Political consultant Matt Klink, who isn’t involved in the race, said Garcia’s biggest challenge is that Trump is unpopular in L.A. County, where most of the district’s voters reside. A large Democratic turnout to vote against Trump will help Smith, he said.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has an overwhelming lead in the county, with 73% of voters backing him, according to a UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll released this week.
Hillary Clinton carried the district by nearly 7 percentage points in 2016, even as voters reelected Republican Rep. Steve Knight. Knight was unseated by Hill two years later.
Klink said Garcia’s military and defense background is appealing in the district, which has a long history with the aerospace industry. But the candidate is likely more conservative on social issues than the district’s voters, he added.
“The right Republican can win,” Klink said. “It’s one of the few congressional races in L.A. County that’s still competitive.”
Trump urged voters to back Garcia in the special election, but has been quieter on social media about the rematch.
Garcia said this week he was proud to be on the ballot with the president.
“He’s done a good job on the international stage, I think he’s done a great job with the economy,” Garcia told NBC4. “We will get through this COVID crisis. You know, we’ve learned a lot and we’re going to get stronger as a result.”
In the short time he’s been in office, Garcia has co-sponsored a bill that he said will “preserve the flexibility [that] the gig workforce needs and preempt job-killing bills like AB 5 from creeping to the national level.”
Garcia declined to be interviewed for this article but provided a statement criticizing both “liberal career politicians” and Assembly Bill 5, the California law that limits when a company can classify workers as independent contractors, requiring more of them to be hired as employees and provided an array of workplace benefits.
At a debate held by the Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce last week, the candidates clashed over the state law and government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and wildfires. The Bobcat fire in the Antelope Valley and the Lake fire near Lake Hughes recently burned through the region.
“Climate change is real,” said Smith, linking the issue to the spate of blazes. “What we are experiencing here in California, everything from sea level rise to the significant wildfires where there is devastating property damage, has a real economic impact. And we are at a huge loss if we don’t begin to address the root causes, as well as the possible solutions.”
Garcia accused his opponent of “burying her head in the sand” by attributing the fires to climate change. He said that the planet is warming and that he drives an electric car to reduce emissions, but also called for deforestation in response to the wildfires.
“What we’re experiencing here is the end result of Sacramento, and frankly, the federal government, not investing in deforestation programs, not getting rid of the dead brush and the leaves that have been accumulating over the last 40 years,” Garcia said.
Trump, who has endorsed Garcia, has also blamed California’s fires on poor forest management.
In an interview with The Times, Smith said the election was “a contest between moving America forward or moving backward.”
She criticized Garcia’s opposition to the Affordable Care Act and said she wants to protect the act and add a public healthcare option for anyone who wants to it. She blames healthcare costs for contributing to the death of her mother. Smith said her mother couldn’t afford her prescription medicine to treat her heart disease.
The Santa Clarita resident also released a video talking about abortion and her struggle to decide whether to end her second pregnancy in light of serious health issues she endured during her previous one.
“I am someone who benefitted from the right to choose, I want my daughters to have that same right and I don’t want that right taken away by someone like Mike Garcia or others like him,” she said.
Garcia has said he supports abortion only when the mother’s life is in danger. He joined the bulk of House Republicans in signing onto antiabortion bills, including one that would define life as beginning at the moment of conception.
Smith worked at the U.S. Department of Education during the Clinton administration and started a nonprofit to raise funds for school technology. She’s authored legislation to improve charter school accountability, make it easier for victims of labor and trafficking crimes to obtain restitution, and help at-risk populations evacuate from wildfires.
She also helped pass legislation to exempt some professions from the controversial gig worker law, so that those workers can maintain their independent status.
Electing Smith and ousting Trump spurred Northridge resident Loraine Lundquist to volunteer for Smith’s campaign. Lundquist, a scientist who lives just outside the district, helped Smith at a recent meet-and-greet — done through car windows — in Porter Ranch.
Lundquist, who unsuccessfully sought a L.A. City Council seat, said Trump is “absolutely a factor” in the race.
“[Garcia] supports Trump and is voting with Trump and refuses to call him out even after Trump is spreading misinformation about this pandemic and the voting process,” Lundquist said.
Since May, outside groups have spent at least $17 million in the November race, among the highest such totals of any House contest in this election, said Rob Pyers, research director at California Target Book, a subscriber-based election guide. The outside spending has been split about evenly to support the two candidates, he said.


latimes--2020-10-30--L.A. County is deep blue, but in Lancaster, Trump flags fly near Biden signs

Earlier in the election cycle , Georgette Belcourt weighed whether to post a Trump campaign sign in front of her Lancaster home .
“ I had to pray on it.
” By then , her support for the president was steadfast — the retired nurse had already voted for him once , as had her husband of 40 years , Larry , both longtime Democrats who made the switch four years ago .
But as a Christian , she decided that the only thing she would proclaim so boldly as to post it in her front yard was her faith @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Trump supporters in the Antelope Valley , she spotted a flag that read , “ JESUS IS MY SAVIOR .
TRUMP IS MY PRESIDENT.
” The woman carrying the flag noticed Georgette admiring it and offered to give it to her with one condition : You must hang it outside your home .
Larry felt nervous someone might egg the house or toss a brick through the window .
But so far , he said , he ’ s only noticed a few smirks and lingering stares from passersby .
“ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgette said , glimpsing at the flag hanging above their porch , “ they just ignore us.
” And in this neighborhood — a pocket of purple within a deeply liberal county — there are certainly some residents who don ’ t agree .
As you scan the almost-all-blue electoral map of L.A. County , you ’ ll spot a few sprinkles of red — an oceanside sliver of Palos Verdes Estates , the little chunk of East Hollywood that ’ s home to the Scientology building .
But as you pan north @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Palmdale , the map looks more like an Impressionist painting with alternating splotches of red and blue .
It ’ s an area with true diversity of political thought , home to a mixed electorate that promotes dialogue among neighbors , but can also foster a certain wariness over how others down the block might react to bold displays of support .
As you head east in Lancaster , past an expanse of Joshua trees , a row of telephone poles decorated in orange letters reading “ MAGA ” and a field @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eventually arrive at a subdivision of tidy homes built about a decade ago and painted earth tones .
There , across a street and two doors down from the Belcourts , sits a tan-colored home with an American flag flying above a yard sign that reads “ BIDEN-HARRIS.
” “ My own little symbolism , ” says Tiffany Countryman .
“ I ’ m putting country above party.
” The 51-year-old lifelong Democrat said that publicly signaling her preferred candidate is important to her .
She left her Hillary bumper sticker on her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a message about the current administration ’ s failures : “ I didn ’ t cause this.
” Putting up her sign this year was a bit nerve-racking at first .
She hadn ’ t seen any others like it in her neighborhood and wondered what kind of attention it might draw .
In pockets of the Antelope Valley , particularly the outskirts , she said , some people have views that are “ more right-wing than conservative.
” And although she sometimes wonders if spending so much time reading Twitter and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she knows there ’ s truth to the stories about some Americans becoming radicalized — look at the recent plot by far-right armed extremists to kidnap Michigan ’ s governor , she noted .
While working from home recently , Countryman , a human resources manager , noticed a man walking toward her yard , snapping photos .
Concerned the stranger might try to yank out her sign , she walked outside .
“ No , no , no , ” he said , taken aback .
“ You ’ re not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I just wanted to take a picture of your sign , cause I haven ’ t seen one.
” “ OK , I ’ m just being careful , because of this neighborhood.
” Maybe the man hadn ’ t disliked her sign , she later thought to herself .
Maybe he really had just been curious ?
She ’ s not sure , but in that moment , she said , she told herself she needed to be a little less quick to make assumptions .
She ’ s friendly with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she talked politics with him ahead of the last election and she makes an effort , she said , to follow people with an array of political views on social media .
“ I don ’ t want to fall into a vacuum.
” One reason she put up the sign , Countryman said , is to signal to like-minded neighbors , especially those who might be more private about their views , that they ’ re not alone .
She knows it can sometimes feel that way , she said , noting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and was surprised to see that several other registered Democrats lived in the area .
On a recent afternoon at a home two streets over , Jazmin Banda answered the door , holding her 10-month-old on her hip .
Asked about the “ TRUMP Keep America Great ” flag flying outside , the 24-year-old responded matter-of-factly .
Her husband put it up , she said .
He ’ s strongly pro-military and pro-police and believes Trump will best support both groups .
For her part , Banda said , she disagrees with how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s been concerned , in particular , by accounts of children held in detention facilities .
To tease her husband , she sometimes tells him she ’ s going to hang a Biden flag next to his .
But , in reality , Banda , who believes she ’ s registered as a Democrat , said she wanted to do more research about both candidates .
“ I ’ m undecided , ” she said , adding that , for the most part , she and her husband steer clear of talking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the couple was outlining their political evolution .
“ We were hardcore Democrats , ” says Larry , who ’ s wearing a “ NATIVE VETERAN ” hat , a sign he hails from the Rocky Boy ’ s Reservation in Montana .
He was a member of the Teamsters and his wife was in a union for nurses and , with the exception of Ross Perot in 1992 , the couple always supported the Democratic candidate , including Obama for both terms .
But they struggled in the years after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d lose their home , and ahead of the 2016 election , something Trump said kept echoing through Georgette ’ s mind : “ What do you have to lose ?
” At first , she wondered if he was sincere or simply a good con man , but they both ultimately voted for Trump and now they ’ re big fans .
Larry loves that the president moved the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and Georgette says she ’ s impressed by his interactions with leaders in North Korea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , she says , without starting any wars .
Asked what they thought about criticisms characterizing the president ’ s actions as racist , Georgette shook her head , saying she vehemently disagreed .
“ I do have one prejudice and my one prejudice is ignorance.
” The couple — who used to watch CNN and Rachel Maddow , but now prefer Fox News — said supporting Trump has caused tension with some of Larry ’ s relatives .
During one gathering , Georgette said , her sister-in-law laid down a nonnegotiable rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politics.
” They obliged , Georgette said , noting that , although she ’ s not afraid to tell you where she stands , she ’ s never been one to shove her ideas on others .
“ I ’ m a ’ 50s girl , ” she says , “ so I ’ m raised to not discuss politics or religion.
” And they know the president has made mistakes , Larry adds .
“ We realize Trump isn ’ t Jesus Christ , ” he says , noting that , during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump interrupted Biden too often .
Still , they certainly plan to cast their votes for him — in person , Georgette stresses .
Larry nods , saying he expects that the results will be contested .
Then he pauses .
“ But not here , ” he said , pointing down at the ground and shrugging .
“ California will stay Democrat .
”

Larry and Georgette Belcourt will be voting for Trump in the 2020 election. They were Democrats until 2016, when they voted for Trump. President Obama got eight years, they say, so Trump deserves four more.
Earlier in the election cycle, Georgette Belcourt weighed whether to post a Trump campaign sign in front of her Lancaster home.
“I had to pray on it.”
By then, her support for the president was steadfast — the retired nurse had already voted for him once, as had her husband of 40 years, Larry, both longtime Democrats who made the switch four years ago. But as a Christian, she decided that the only thing she would proclaim so boldly as to post it in her front yard was her faith.
Then, at a recent gathering of Trump supporters in the Antelope Valley, she spotted a flag that read, “JESUS IS MY SAVIOR. TRUMP IS MY PRESIDENT.” The woman carrying the flag noticed Georgette admiring it and offered to give it to her with one condition: You must hang it outside your home.
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Larry felt nervous someone might egg the house or toss a brick through the window. But so far, he said, he’s only noticed a few smirks and lingering stares from passersby.
“If they don’t agree,” Georgette said, glimpsing at the flag hanging above their porch, “they just ignore us.”
And in this neighborhood — a pocket of purple within a deeply liberal county — there are certainly some residents who don’t agree.
As you scan the almost-all-blue electoral map of L.A. County, you’ll spot a few sprinkles of red — an oceanside sliver of Palos Verdes Estates, the little chunk of East Hollywood that’s home to the Scientology building.
But as you pan north toward the high desert communities of Lancaster and Palmdale, the map looks more like an Impressionist painting with alternating splotches of red and blue. It’s an area with true diversity of political thought, home to a mixed electorate that promotes dialogue among neighbors, but can also foster a certain wariness over how others down the block might react to bold displays of support.
As you head east in Lancaster, past an expanse of Joshua trees, a row of telephone poles decorated in orange letters reading “MAGA” and a field of solar panels, you’ll eventually arrive at a subdivision of tidy homes built about a decade ago and painted earth tones.
There, across a street and two doors down from the Belcourts, sits a tan-colored home with an American flag flying above a yard sign that reads “BIDEN-HARRIS.”
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Tiffany Countryman, a human resources manager and a big supporter of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, stands in front of her Lancaster home. Countryman says she is one of the only people in her neighborhood who has put up a Biden-Harris sign. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
“My own little symbolism,” says Tiffany Countryman. “I’m putting country above party.”
The 51-year-old lifelong Democrat said that publicly signaling her preferred candidate is important to her. She left her Hillary bumper sticker on her car, she says, to send a message about the current administration’s failures: “I didn’t cause this.”
Putting up her sign this year was a bit nerve-racking at first.
She hadn’t seen any others like it in her neighborhood and wondered what kind of attention it might draw. In pockets of the Antelope Valley, particularly the outskirts, she said, some people have views that are “more right-wing than conservative.”
And although she sometimes wonders if spending so much time reading Twitter and the news whips up her fear too much, she knows there’s truth to the stories about some Americans becoming radicalized — look at the recent plot by far-right armed extremists to kidnap Michigan’s governor, she noted.
While working from home recently, Countryman, a human resources manager, noticed a man walking toward her yard, snapping photos. Concerned the stranger might try to yank out her sign, she walked outside.
“Can I help you?”
“No, no, no,” he said, taken aback.
“You’re not taking anything from my yard.”
“I just wanted to take a picture of your sign, cause I haven’t seen one.”
“OK, I’m just being careful, because of this neighborhood.”
Maybe the man hadn’t disliked her sign, she later thought to herself. Maybe he really had just been curious? She’s not sure, but in that moment, she said, she told herself she needed to be a little less quick to make assumptions. She’s friendly with a neighbor who she knows is conservative because she talked politics with him ahead of the last election and she makes an effort, she said, to follow people with an array of political views on social media.
“I don’t want to fall into a vacuum.”
One reason she put up the sign, Countryman said, is to signal to like-minded neighbors, especially those who might be more private about their views, that they’re not alone. She knows it can sometimes feel that way, she said, noting that she recently downloaded a canvassing app and was surprised to see that several other registered Democrats lived in the area.
On a recent afternoon at a home two streets over, Jazmin Banda answered the door, holding her 10-month-old on her hip. Asked about the “TRUMP Keep America Great” flag flying outside, the 24-year-old responded matter-of-factly.
“Not my flag.”
Her husband put it up, she said. He’s strongly pro-military and pro-police and believes Trump will best support both groups. For her part, Banda said, she disagrees with how Trump has handled immigration, saying she’s been concerned, in particular, by accounts of children held in detention facilities.
To tease her husband, she sometimes tells him she’s going to hang a Biden flag next to his. But, in reality, Banda, who believes she’s registered as a Democrat, said she wanted to do more research about both candidates.
“I’m undecided,” she said, adding that, for the most part, she and her husband steer clear of talking politics.
“We avoid it.”
Back at the Belcourt home, the couple was outlining their political evolution.
“We were hardcore Democrats,” says Larry, who’s wearing a “NATIVE VETERAN” hat, a sign he hails from the Rocky Boy’s Reservation in Montana.
He was a member of the Teamsters and his wife was in a union for nurses and, with the exception of Ross Perot in 1992, the couple always supported the Democratic candidate, including Obama for both terms.
But they struggled in the years after the Great Recession, sometimes wondering if they’d lose their home, and ahead of the 2016 election, something Trump said kept echoing through Georgette’s mind: “What do you have to lose?”
At first, she wondered if he was sincere or simply a good con man, but they both ultimately voted for Trump and now they’re big fans.
Larry loves that the president moved the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and Georgette says she’s impressed by his interactions with leaders in North Korea and Iran — he has exhibited strength, she says, without starting any wars. Asked what they thought about criticisms characterizing the president’s actions as racist, Georgette shook her head, saying she vehemently disagreed.
“I do have one prejudice and my one prejudice is ignorance.”
The couple — who used to watch CNN and Rachel Maddow, but now prefer Fox News — said supporting Trump has caused tension with some of Larry’s relatives. During one gathering, Georgette said, her sister-in-law laid down a nonnegotiable rule: “We were not to discuss politics.”
They obliged, Georgette said, noting that, although she’s not afraid to tell you where she stands, she’s never been one to shove her ideas on others.
“I’m a ’50s girl,” she says, “so I’m raised to not discuss politics or religion.”
And they know the president has made mistakes, Larry adds.
“We realize Trump isn’t Jesus Christ,” he says, noting that, during the first presidential debate, he thought Trump interrupted Biden too often. Still, they certainly plan to cast their votes for him — in person, Georgette stresses.
Larry nods, saying he expects that the results will be contested. Then he pauses.
“But not here,” he said, pointing down at the ground and shrugging. “California will stay Democrat.”
Times graphics/data journalist Priya Krishnakumar contributed to this report.


latimes--2020-10-30--Unidentified Latina shot to death in South Los Angeles

An unidentified Latina was shot to death in South Los Angeles on Thursday evening by an unknown assailant , according @ @ @ @ @ Department .
Several shots were fired , said LAPD Officer Jader Chaves , near the @ @ @ @ @ and Hoover Street at 7:30 p.m .
The victim , whose age and name was @ @ @ @ @ pronounced dead at the scene .
Chaves said it was unclear if the shooting was @ @ @ @ @ there was only one shooter who fled in an unknown direction .
Los Angeles police @ @ @ @ @ shooting site shortly after to begin an investigation .

An unidentified woman was shot to death in South Los Angeles on Thursday evening by an unknown assailant, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Several shots were fired, said LAPD Officer Jader Chaves, near the intersection of West 84th Street and Hoover Street at 7:30 p.m. The victim, whose age and name was not immediately available, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Chaves said it was unclear if the shooting was gang related.
Police believe there was only one shooter who fled in an unknown direction.
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Los Angeles police homicide detectives arrived at the shooting site shortly after to begin an investigation.


latimes--2020-10-29--Huntington Park to get two new voting centers after community outcry

Huntington Park is set to receive two new mobile voting centers after local leaders complained that the existing options hampered voting access for the city ’ s residents .
Under Los Angeles County ’ s new $ 300-million voting system , the number of voting centers in Huntington Park shrank from seven in a typical year to two , Councilwoman Karina Macias said .
Worried that the change could affect voter turnout , Macias said she and other council members requested more .
All L.A. County voters are able to cast their ballots at one of the nearly 800 vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sites in the county , said Michael Sanchez , spokesman for the L.A. County registrar ’ s office .
“ You trust that the registrar ’ s office is doing their due diligence to make sure there ’ s no voter suppression , ” Macias said .
“ Yeah , we can vote anywhere now , but it ’ s not that easy for everyone to get to a voting center , ” especially when it ’ s a distance away .
Late Thursday , L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis and the registrar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 59,000 would receive two more voting sites for election day .
Vote centers will open at Huntington Park Library and Salt Lake Park on Friday , with in-person voting available from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Monday .
On Tuesday , election day , those centers plus two mobile sites at Raul R. Perez Memorial Park and Nimitz Middle School will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. “ The county of Los Angeles will safeguard its duty to ensure and protect the right to vote , including voting in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ The voices of our Huntington Park residents matter , and that is why the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder , at my direction , is taking the appropriate steps to ensure all voters can exercise their fundamental right to vote in an option of their choice .
Previously , the plan was for Huntington Park to have vote centers at only the library and Salt Lake Park .
KABC-TV Channel 7 reported Wednesday evening that city leaders were pleading with the registrar ’ s office to give Huntington Park voters more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suppression.
” “ We are happy that the county is now working closely with the city to make possible an additional two voting areas where there was a need , ” Macias wrote in a text Thursday evening .
For the March primary election , four voting centers were open in Huntington Park , Sanchez said .
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit , that number dropped to two .
In a written statement , the registrar ’ s office said it had considered eight locations , but four were deemed unsuitable because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declined to participate.
” “ Our office is confident that there is adequate coverage of vote centers and drop boxes within reasonable distance of Huntington Park to allow for a safe and secure voting experience , ” Sanchez said in the statement .
In a phone call , he added that the registrar had sent a flex voting center — a temporary canopy set up with voting devices — to Huntington Park for the day Thursday .
“ It ’ s a targeted approach where we bring voting to communities that may not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Huntington Park Vice Mayor Graciela Ortiz posted a Facebook video Thursday afternoon from the pop-up voting site , saying , “ Let ’ s get out that vote ; it ’ s so important that we get out that vote !
” Huntington Park resident Judy Ahumada was upset with local officials for their handling of the general election .
On Thursday afternoon , the city ’ s webpage for election information still listed the March primary ballot box locations — including one spot that is not available for the November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday evening .
The website ’ s voter registration page is blank .
“ Yeah , I mean , it might be a fault for us [ at the city ] only because we were waiting to see if we would get more locations , ” Macias said when asked about the outdated webpage .
Ahumada drove around her Huntington Park neighborhood Monday , searching for a ballot box .
When she didn ’ t readily find one , the 38-year-old drove to the post office , thinking she ’ d surely locate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she dropped the ballot in the mailbox instead .
Ahumada said county and city officials should have secured more ballot box locations readily accessible to Huntington Park residents .
“ I feel like these communities are very vulnerable for a lot of reasons , and to see people in power not empowering their community members to be more active is pretty disheartening , ” she said .

Jonathan Franco casts his vote with brother Christian Franco, left, at the Huntington Park Library ballot drop box in Huntington Park on Thursday.
Huntington Park is set to receive two new mobile voting centers after local leaders complained that the existing options hampered voting access for the city’s residents.
Under Los Angeles County’s new $300-million voting system, the number of voting centers in Huntington Park shrank from seven in a typical year to two, Councilwoman Karina Macias said. Worried that the change could affect voter turnout, Macias said she and other council members requested more.
All L.A. County voters are able to cast their ballots at one of the nearly 800 vote centers and more than 400 drop box sites in the county, said Michael Sanchez, spokesman for the L.A. County registrar’s office.
“You trust that the registrar’s office is doing their due diligence to make sure there’s no voter suppression,” Macias said. “Yeah, we can vote anywhere now, but it’s not that easy for everyone to get to a voting center,” especially when it’s a distance away.
Late Thursday, L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis and the registrar announced that the 3-square-mile city of nearly 59,000 would receive two more voting sites for election day. Vote centers will open at Huntington Park Library and Salt Lake Park on Friday, with in-person voting available from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Monday. On Tuesday, election day, those centers plus two mobile sites at Raul R. Perez Memorial Park and Nimitz Middle School will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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“The county of Los Angeles will safeguard its duty to ensure and protect the right to vote, including voting in person during this election,” Solis said. “The voices of our Huntington Park residents matter, and that is why the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder, at my direction, is taking the appropriate steps to ensure all voters can exercise their fundamental right to vote in an option of their choice.
Previously, the plan was for Huntington Park to have vote centers at only the library and Salt Lake Park. KABC-TV Channel 7 reported Wednesday evening that city leaders were pleading with the registrar’s office to give Huntington Park voters more options, calling the situation “voter suppression.”
“We are happy that the county is now working closely with the city to make possible an additional two voting areas where there was a need,” Macias wrote in a text Thursday evening.
For the March primary election, four voting centers were open in Huntington Park, Sanchez said. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, that number dropped to two. In a written statement, the registrar’s office said it had considered eight locations, but four were deemed unsuitable because of COVID-19 safety precautions and another two “declined to participate.”
“Our office is confident that there is adequate coverage of vote centers and drop boxes within reasonable distance of Huntington Park to allow for a safe and secure voting experience,” Sanchez said in the statement.
In a phone call, he added that the registrar had sent a flex voting center — a temporary canopy set up with voting devices — to Huntington Park for the day Thursday.
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“It’s a targeted approach where we bring voting to communities that may not have as much accessibility,” Sanchez said.
Huntington Park Vice Mayor Graciela Ortiz posted a Facebook video Thursday afternoon from the pop-up voting site, saying, “Let’s get out that vote; it’s so important that we get out that vote!”
Huntington Park resident Judy Ahumada was upset with local officials for their handling of the general election. On Thursday afternoon, the city’s webpage for election information still listed the March primary ballot box locations — including one spot that is not available for the November general election. The webpage was updated Thursday evening. The website’s voter registration page is blank.
“Yeah, I mean, it might be a fault for us [at the city] only because we were waiting to see if we would get more locations,” Macias said when asked about the outdated webpage.
Ahumada drove around her Huntington Park neighborhood Monday, searching for a ballot box. When she didn’t readily find one, the 38-year-old drove to the post office, thinking she’d surely locate one there — no luck, so she dropped the ballot in the mailbox instead.
Ahumada said county and city officials should have secured more ballot box locations readily accessible to Huntington Park residents.
“I feel like these communities are very vulnerable for a lot of reasons, and to see people in power not empowering their community members to be more active is pretty disheartening,” she said.