Glendale Independent_12/26/2022

Karen Bass launches program seeking to alter LA’s approach to encampments

BY ERIC HE, CITY NEWS SERVICE

In what her office described as a “fundamental change” to Los Angeles’ approach to addressing encampments on city streets, Mayor Karen Bass signed an executive directive Wednesday launching a program that seeks to proactively bring unhoused residents indoors and prevent encampments from returning.

The program, called the Inside Safe Initiative, will work to identify the “highest need encampments” that have a chronic and high demand for services, according to the directive. Using citywide coordination between various departments and agencies, the action plan calls for identifying interim housing and eventually permanent housing resources for each person living in the encampments.

“People should not be left to live and die on the streets because the city isn’t giving them someplace to go,” Bass said at a news briefing Wednesday at the People Concern, a social services agency in downtown Los Angeles. “Today, we are giving people safe places to move inside with ongoing support so they can stay inside and stay for good.”

The plan includes working with social services providers to identify how many people are living in encampments.

The executive directive, Bass’ second since taking office 10 days ago, comes after she declared a state of emergency over homelessness as her first official act. Last week, Bass signed an executive directive that streamlines the approval process for fully affordable housing projects.

Wednesday’s directive calls for a report back to the mayor’s office with an action plan by the end of March.

There are an estimated 41,980 unhoused people in the city of Los Angeles, up

1.7% from 2020, according to the latest count by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.

The city has worked to identify motels that could provide temporary housing to those living in encampments, according to officials. Also under consideration are master leasing buildings and utilizing shared housing.

“For too long we just said, `It’s one option. It’s one way. It’s permanent supportive

housing only -- we know that can be expensive,” said Va Lecia Adams Kellum, president and CEO of St. Joseph Center, who helped develop Inside Safe. “We know, given the crisis and emergency, we need to move much more swiftly than that.”

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to support Bass’ emergency declaration, calling for representatives of various

county departments to attend city leadership meetings regarding the Inside Safe program.

Kellum hailed the cooperation between the city and county as a step toward the program’s success. Previously, she said officials have felt frustrated over needing to contact different departments and agencies to get to certain resources.

“You’re going to see this open up in a way that you’ve

never seen before,” Kellum said. “I think you’re going to see a throughput that’s unprecedented.”

Mercedes Marquez, the mayor’s chief of housing and homelessness solutions, said the initiative “immediately moves us to collaboration and coordination” across government agencies, social services providers, individuals with lived experiences, community organizations and the private sector.

The action plan is also expected to include information on funding, and potentially using funds from Measure ULA, which passed in November as a tax that would go toward combating homelessness.

Bass denied that the program would center on clearing encampments, but said that “will happen in the context of it.”

“The role of the police is if they are needed,” Bass said. “To be clear, this is a housing-based strategy. This is not a punitive strategy.”

The mayor added that the city will not use Section 41.18 of the municipal code, the city’s anti-camping law, for the plan. The ordinance was expanded earlier this year to ban encampments near schools and day-care centers. Some council members have been more aggressive than others in enforcing the policy in their districts.

Bass said she would be focused on housing and providing services, “not on law enforcement.”

“There might be a council person that wants to use it in their area, but the approach we are using is not 41.18,” Bass said.

The emergency declaration -- which is scheduled to last six months -- allows Bass to take more aggressive executive actions to confront the homelessness crisis, though the City Council will have to sign off on it every 30 days.

The last time a mayor declared a local emergency related to homelessness was in 1987, when Mayor Tom Bradley cited the effect of winter weather on people experiencing homelessness, according to the declaration. The conditions now, the declaration claimed, are “even more dire.”

Ex-ICE agent who victimized women convicted, faces federal prison

Judge OKs $2.8M settlement in Rowland Unified sex abuse case

Courtesy of Levi Meir Clancy

Report: how schools can lure students back to community college

BY SUZANNE POTTER, PUBLIC NEWS SERVICE

During the pandemic, California community colleges lost 19% of their enrollment, but as a new report found, a handful of schools bucked the trend.

Researchers with the Campaign for College Opportunity found some schools had smaller losses or even added students by focusing on equity and expanding outreach.

Colleen Moore, highereducation research and policy consultant who interviewed dozens of college administrators for the study, explained financial support was helpful.

“All the colleges I spoke with talked about expanding financial supports in some way,” Moore recounted. “Through things like

transportation and book vouchers as a means of helping low-income students stay enrolled.”

Schools also relied on data analytics to see where students were stopping out and refine course schedules, curriculum, programs and institutional policies to better meet student needs. They also increased partnerships with local employers to offer students a path to a job after graduation, and tried to create a more supportive campus culture.

Moore added many of the schools expanded their efforts to reach out to current, former and prospective students.

“Some people talked about explicit efforts to

divide up their list of students to contact based on race or ethnicity,” Moore noted. “And assigning the lists of staff that share that background as one aspect of their efforts to make their campus more welcoming to all students.”

The nine schools with either smaller enrollment losses or adding students include community colleges in Barstow, Berkeley, Clovis, Folsom Lake, Moorpark, Sacramento, San Diego, Visalia and West Hills.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.

References: Report Campaign for College Opportunity Dec. 2022

Speakers series to feature Wayne

Tickets went on sale Tuesday for next year’s Rancho Mirage Speakers Series, which will feature sports legends Wayne Gretzky, Emmitt Smith and Sugar Ray Leonard at the Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa.

The series begins Jan. 23 with four-time Stanley Cup champion and hockey legend Gretzky, according to a joint statement from the city and the casino. Hockey Night in Canada personality Christine Simpson will moderate the interview.

Tickets for the series

ranging from $150 to $475 can be found at rmspeakerseries.com.

Gretzky played for the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers during a 20-year career. He retired in 1999 with 61 NHL records.

“It was an exciting time in my life,” Gretzky said in a statement. “To see hockey grow in Southern California, and to have an AHL team in the desert is exciting.”

The city will partner with the Coachella Valley Firebirds to promote Gretzky’s interview, Mayor Richard Kite

Gretzky, Emmitt Smith, Sugar Ray Leonard

BY CITY NEWS SERVICE

said. The first 1,000 people to purchase a series ticket will gain free entrance to the Coachella Valley Firebirds home game against the San Diego Gulls on Jan. 22.

Smith, the former Dallas Cowboys star and Pro Football Hall of Famer who still holds the NFL career rushing record of 18,355 yards, will follow in the speaker series on Feb. 21, nine days after the Super Bowl.

“I have fond memories of the desert, having played in the Bob Hope Classic golf tournament, so it will be nice to return to Rancho Mirage

a few days after the Super Bowl,” Smith said.

Sibley Scoles, host of “Raiders: Talk of the Nation,” will moderate Smith’s interview as well as Leonard’s.

The boxing legend and six-time world champion will close out the series on March 21. Leonard helped propel the popularity of boxing in the 1980s through his legendary rivalries with Thomas Hearns, “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran.

“The Coachella Valley has a rich boxing history with Timothy Bradley, the Diaz

brothers, and Lee Espinoza,” Leonard said in a statement. “They have a high boxing IQ, so it should be a fun night talking about my career and the state of boxing.”

For the first time in the event’s history, the Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa has partnered with the city to host the speaker series in its venue, according to a joint statement from the city and the casino.

“We have always respected the concept of the series and the impact the events could have on the community with its powerful speakers,”

the casino’s Senior Director of Entertainment Monica Reeves said in a statement.

“We believe The Show will provide an exceptional venue for the types of conversations and education that will stem from this next series’ unique sports theme.”

For two decades, the speaker series featured big names in entertainment, politics and journalism, before it reinvented itself with renowned sports figures in 2020. The reinvented series has featured pioneering race car driver Danica Patrick and football legend Joe Montana.

LAUSD reports record-high graduation rate for 2021-22

BY CITY NEWS SERVICE

The Los Angeles Unified School District had an 86.1% four-year graduation rate in the 2021-22 school year, its highest-ever, the district announced.

The rate marked a 4.5% increase from 2020-21 and was up 7% from 2018- 19, according to the district.

“We are confident that early signs of success are beginning to manifest from the 2022-26 Strategic Plan and our vision of transforming Los Angeles Unified into the premiere urban district in the nation

is being actualized,” Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said in a statement. “The Los Angeles Unified school community has demonstrated an indefatigable resiliency in the face of challenges from the pandemic, and this latest data point validates the progress we are making.”

District officials said the data showed increases in graduation rates for all student groups, including all ethnic categories, disabled students and Englishlearners. The district also

reported a 2.4% increase in the number of graduating students that met all University of California and California State University A-G course requirements.

“Today we celebrate our students and this landmark achievement,” LAUSD Board President Kelly Gonez said in a statement. “With the dedication and support of our teachers, administrators and staff, our students were able to thrive and succeed despite the difficulties posed the last two years by the pandemic.”

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Report: Rental, other costs rise in Riverside

BY CITY NEWS SERVICE

D

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Alhambra PRESS

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ bimonthly Consumer Price Index for the Riverside area showed that shelter prices propelled living costs higher, altogether rising .6% throughout the metro area, which covers northwestern Riverside County, as well as the cities of Ontario and San Bernardino.

Rents climbed 2.2% in the last two months, but over

ncreasing prices for rents and some consumer goods and services throughout the Riverside metropolitan area in the previous two months were offset by lower energy and healthcare bills, but pocketbook pressure was still up 7.5% locally over the last year, federal officials said Tuesday, Dec. 13.the 12-month period ending Nov. 30, they were up 8.1%. Costs for new vehicles rose 1.4%, while electricity costs jumped 9.3%, in the prior two months.

The BLS said that food prices didn’t rise detectably, while energy prices overall slackened further in the months of October and November, declining 1.7%, principally due to lower pump costs, dovetailing with nationwide trends.

However, year-over-year, local energy costs were up 12.2%, according to figures.

Healthcare costs declined .8% in the region over the last two months, but they were up 7.5% year-over-year, the BLS said.

In the 12-month period ending November 2021,

Family budget by Icons8

the local CPI registered a 7.9% year-over-year increase. The 7.5% rate rise spanning November 2021 to November 2022 reflects the elevated trajectory of inflation impacting most sectors of the economy.

The Riverside metro area has not recorded a comparable inflationary pattern since the local CPI was first published in 2018, data showed.

The BLS said that, nationally, the one-month Urban Consumer CPI was up .1% in November, but for the 12-month period ending Nov. 30, 2022, it was up 7.1%.

The accelerating consumer price hikes have been blamed by the Biden administration on the war in Ukraine and consequent

energy supply disruptions, but critics have pointed to the administration’s restrictive domestic energy policies, as well as excessive spending, including the dollars contained in relief packages, as root causes.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen acknowledged during congressional testimony in June that inflation is the “top economic problem” facing the nation and that it would not be “transitory,” as she and Federal Reserve Bank Chair Jerome Powell had initially predicted.

Powell said during the summer that inflation began a sharp upward trajectory in the last half of 2021, and he could not pinpoint when pressures might ease.

Realtors: LA housing demand fell as interest rates rose

BY CITY NEWS SERVICE

S

Pasadena Press

In November, home sales countywide were down 16.3% compared to October and were off 44.5% compared to a year ago, according to CAR.

The association’s Unsold Inventory Index for November indicated that the median time a property was on the market in the county before it sold was 23 days. Statewide, it was 24 days.

“While interest rates are higher than year-ago levels, they have been declining since early November from

ales of existing homes and median prices in Los Angeles County fell last month, dovetailing with statewide trends, the California Association of Realtors said Friday.the recent peak of over 7 percent,” CAR President Jennifer Branchini said. “With home prices cooling and market competition easing in recent months, some qualified buyers who missed out on the hurried market of the last two years are taking advantage of the shift and finding sellers more willing to negotiate than they have been up to this point.”

The median home price countywide in November was $836,630, compared to $854,560 in October, a 2.1% decline, according to CAR.

On a year-over-year level, the price was 1.3% lower; in November 2021, the median price of an existing single-family property was

$847,790, data showed.

Courtesy of Envato Elements

Statewide, the median price last month was $777,500, compared to $801,190 in October -down 3.0%. In November 2021, the statewide median

price was $782,480, reflecting a year-over-year drop of 0.6%.

The median represents the point at which half of homes sell above a price, and the other half below it.

San Bernardino Press

I

OC serial murderer gets life in prison

BY PAUL ANDERSON, CITY NEWS SERVICE

A36-year-oldsex offenderpleaded guilty last Thursday to the kidnapping, rape and killings of four Orange County women in Anaheim.

Franc Cano, who has been in custody since April 2014, was immediately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Prosecutors were originally seeking the death penalty, but announced to Cano’s defense team last week that due to newly revealed mitigating factors, capital punishment was no longer being considered in the case.

That decision led to Thursday’s guilty plea from Cano. Once capital punishment was off the table, Cano wanted to plead guilty, according to his attorney, Chuck Hasse of the Orange County Public Defender’s Office.

“Without a doubt there was no quid pro quo,” Hasse said after the hearing.

Hasse said the fact that his client was remorseful was “part of my pitch” when asking prosecutors to reconsider the death penalty for the defendant.

In court, Cano apologized to the families of the victims.

“To the families here today ... I am deeply remorseful for the wounds I have caused you,” Cano said. “These four women were ... loved, and instead of helping I have destroyed lives. Instead of saving lives I was a coward. ... Today, I, Franc Cano, take responsibility for my actions. ... I really hope today’s sentence brings justice and closure.”

Cano admitted to the 2013 killings of 34-yearold Josephine Vargas and 20-year-old Kianna Jackson, and the 2014 killings of 28-year-old Martha Anaya and 21-year-old Jarrae Nykkole Estepp. Authorities said the women were working as prostitutes.

Cano’s co-defendant, Steven Dean Gordon, 53, was convicted of the killings in 2016 and sentenced to death the following year.

Gordon acted as his own attorney during his trial, and ultimately conceded that he deserved the death penalty for the killings.

Anaya’s mother, Herlinda Salcedo, speaking through a translator, said during the hearing, “up till now I cannot talk to (her granddaughter) about her mother. ... From my heart I want to say I forgive (her daughter’s killers), not for them, but for me. I want to be in peace.”

The victim’s daughter, Melody Anaya, said her mother was helping her with therapy right before she was killed.

“I didn’t have my dad around so she was all I had,” Melody Anaya said.

Her younger sister was too young to remember her mother, Melody Anaya said.

“She tells me all the time how she wishes she had a

the “disgusting” facts of the case in a lengthy death penalty trial.

Jackson’s brother, Gurie Jackson, told Orange County Superior Court Judge Patrick Donahue that he will miss the sibling rivalry.

Deseree Vargas, added, “I also lost my best friend.”

Yolanda Hull, Estepp’s aunt, said her niece had “the most beautiful smile” and was often “cracking jokes, making everyone laugh.” She was killed on her brother’s birthday, Hull said.

which is a violation of their terms of release. The defendants also cut off their GPS devices and left the state at one point.

mom and I feel the same,” she said. “I don’t think I’ll ever be happy. ... I have so much anger in my heart. ... Not a day goes by I don’t think about her.”

Sometimes she still sends her mother Facebook messages “even though I know she can’t read it.”

Jackson’s mother, Kathy Branson, said her daughter “missed out on her 21st birthday and her brother’s 21st birthday.”

The holiday season was “her favorite. She enjoyed being with her family and eating holiday treats,” Branson said, adding that now the holidays are plagued with sadness thinking about the victim.

Branson said she supported the plea deal to avoid a regurgitation of

“She’s not going to be an aunt. ... She’s not going to see me grow up,” he said. “That’s the hardest part about it.”

Jackson’s grandmother, Dianne Menzies, told Donahue there’s no way to achieve closure in the case.

“What is closure? I wish someone could explain that to me,” Menzies said. “We had no body to at least give a burial to. Nothing. It leaves a hole in our heart and a space that will always be empty.”

Vargas’ mother, Priscilla Vargas, said her daughter had a newborn daughter when she was killed.

“I will never forgive you ‘til I die,” Vargas said. “She was my best friend. You don’t know what you took from me. ... Her daughter asks me where’s mommy and all I can show her is a picture.”

The victim’s sister,

Estepp’s mother, Jodi Estepp-Pier, said she is still seething with indignation.

“I have to ask forgiveness to the people I yell at because I’m so angry,” Estepp-Pier said. “I hate that I hate.”

Anaheim police identified a fifth victim -19-year-old Sable Pickett of Compton -- in 2017, but the pair were never charged with her killing.

Only Estepp’s body was ever found. That discovery led to clues tying Gordon and Cano to the other killings, with prosecutors relying on DNA and evidence of the pair’s movements from GPS-tracking devices they were wearing due to prior sex offenses.

Parole and probation officials drew criticism in the case because Gordon and Cano, who were both registered sex offenders, were socializing together,

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said that because of the ongoing appeal of Gordon’s case he had to be “circumspect” about what led to his decision to drop the death penalty.

Cano met Gordon while they were charging their GPS bracelets at a probation office. Gordon became a svengali-like figure manipulating Cano until they were in a romantic relationship, Hasse said.

Gordon, in contrast, had a “spoiled” upbringing and was the “alpha dog” in the relationship, Hasse said.

Hasse said he argued that the death penalty was more appropriate for “the leader” of the killings instead of the “follower.”

Gordon was a “master at gaslighting and manipulation,” Hasse said.

The defense attorney even pointed to arguments from former prosecutor

Larry Yellin, who is now an Orange County Superior Court judge, in Gordon’s trial. He noted Yellin argued Cano was “taking orders” from Gordon.

Cano is “soft spoken” and “quiet,” and was a “sickly kid” who struggled with asthma and eczema while living with his family until he became a “star witness” in a murder trial in his “gang-infested neighborhood” of Compton, Hasse said. He moved in with his grandmother in Garden Grove and in 2007 he was convicted of molesting a niece, Hasse said. Gordon, in contrast, raped and sodomized a relative for several years and was convicted of kidnapping his wife and daughter but was acquitted of raping her, Hasse said.

Gordon came to Cano’s defense when he was being bullied by another probationer and then ultimately became his “protector” on the streets, Hasse said.

Hasse appeared before Spitzer and a committee of prosecutors in October to appeal to the office to reverse its recommendation for the ultimate punishment.

A large part of what motivated Spitzer to drop the death penalty was the input from the families of victims who felt life in prison was an acceptable option, the county’s top prosecutor said after the hearing.

Hasse said his client was born into a “closeknit working class” family in Compton that was Roman Catholic, and then Jehovah’s Witness before returning to Catholicism.

“He was born and raised to be a follower” of others, Hasse said.

Gordon also befriended Cano’s parents, who encouraged Cano to “listen” to Gordon, Hasse said.

Hasse also noted how the two have diverged in the way they have approached their lives in custody.

Gordon “made a spectacle of his trial,” even “lunging” at a woman juror at one point, while Cano has taken self-help classes in jail.

During Gordon’s trial, Yellin compared Gordon and Cano to the shark in “Jaws,” but in his closing argument, Yellin said that was an “insult to the sharks.

“These guys not only did horrible things -- killing, multiple sexual assaults -- they also psychologically terrorized (the victims). They gave them hope, `If you just do this we’ll let you go,”’ the prosecutor said.

prisoner in prison cell with metallic bars on foreground by LightFieldStudios

Young adults are the most lonely, data shows

BY LAUREN LIEBHABER

Loneliness is a deeply personal feeling. Some people might experience this emotion from being physically alone. For others, it might arise from feeling disconnected from or unfulfilled by the people in their lives or society more broadly. Whether it is a real or perceived absence of social connection, loneliness is a form of pain to all who feel it.

Charlie Health used data from various sources, including Ipsos, Harvard Graduate School of Education, BBC, and the American Enterprise Institute, to dig into loneliness among young adults and its possible causes.

Loneliness is such a powerful emotion that it can manifest as physical impairment and illness, leading to elevated cortisol levels, weakened immune systems, and inflammation. A breakthrough 2007 study from the University of California, Los Angeles, discovered that chronic loneliness could change someone’s biology at a cellular level compared to people not experiencing loneliness. While these biological changes may not seem severe, they increase a person’s risk of developing heart disease, infections, cancer, and other serious mental health issues.

No one is immune to loneliness, but some groups are more prone to it than others. According to a 2018 Ipsos survey of 20,096 adults—the most comprehensive U.S.-based study on the topic of loneliness— young adults between the ages of 18-25 are the loneliest segment, by age, of the U.S. population. To assess loneliness, the surveyors posed 20 questions about companionship, friendship, family life, feelings of being left out, shyness, and social media use.

The survey scored

participants’ loneliness on a scale from 20-80 (80 being the most lonely), with the average score across all generations being 44.03. Young adults averaged 47.87, while those 65 and older, often assumed to be the most at risk of loneliness, scored an average of 40—the lowest score of any generational group.

Simply living through a transitional stage of life into adulthood in today’s world can be a lonely experience. Young adults may feel a distancing from or no connection at all with their inherited family and may have not yet built families or social circles of their own, creating a void of emotional support.

Across generations, this transition to establish social and financial independence has always been a challenge, but for young adults today, it may be even more so: A 2021 Pew Research Center survey found that most Americans believe young adults have it substantially harder than their parents when it comes to saving for their futures, paying off student debt, and buying a home.

The world that young adults must navigate is also more connected and technologically driven than at any previous time in history. While this can help young people find their communities, it can also make it challenging to find quietude, separate reality from what’s perceived online, and develop face-to-face interpersonal relationships.

Young adults have never known a world without this instant digital connection, which likely contributes to their generation’s feelings of isolation.

How Gen Z compares to the rest of the population

Several recent surveys have also explored generational loneliness. While the

scopes and methodologies differed, their results were consistent with the 2018 Ipsos Loneliness in the United States survey: Young adults are the loneliest generation.

The BBC conducted a large global loneliness survey in 2018 with 55,000 participants. Among respondents ages 16 to 24, 40% reported feeling lonely very often—the largest group to do so. Loneliness among young adults was 13 percentage points higher than other age groups.

A 2021 Harvard Graduate School of Education survey of 950 Americans found that 61% of young people ages 18-25 reported experiencing profound loneliness— including feeling lonely all the time—compared to only 36% among other age groups. The study’s researchers attribute this trend to factors such as young people lacking close connections and noting that, compared to older adults, they have not yet developed “mature, reciprocal” relationships with others yet.

Overstimulation

Experts believe that overstimulation can also contribute to loneliness. The human brain is easily overwhelmed by an influx of information and will elevate cortisol levels—also known as the stress hormone due to being barraged by inputs. Professional, personal, social, and familial demands are happening simultaneously every day. At the same time, people are also tethered to constant digital demands and distractions on their phones and social media.

Human brains are wired with a novelty bias, favoring new information over old. Real-world demands must compete with an endless supply of novel content and,

consequently, often lose the battle for our attention. Both the content on our phones and phones themselves constantly elicit small bursts of the feel-good chemical dopamine, essentially rewarding us for being glued to our phones. In the absence of other personal connections, this digital dependence can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation.

23), that number falls to 38%.

from serious depression and anxiety symptoms, according to CDC data collected six months into the pandemic.

Variety will honor filmmaker Rian Johnson with the Creative Impact in Screenwriting Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival next month, officials said Tuesday.

Johnson, who wrote the

screenplays for the popular “Knives Out” and “Glass Onion” murder mystery films, will be presented with the award on Jan. 6, 2023 at the Parker Palm Springs, 4200 East Palm Canyon Drive, as part of the annual “10 Directors to Watch” brunch,

Changing

family dynamics

American families are spending less time together. Traditions like family meals are becoming obsolete when just a generation ago, they were routine. Roughly 76% of baby boomers (those between the ages of 58 and 76) and 84% of America’s Silent Generation (those over the age of 76) reported having family meals daily. For Generation Z (those between the ages of 8 and

These family rituals are a common source of information sharing and connection, often serving as the only touchpoint between family members throughout the day. Young adults today are at a transitional stage of life when they are more likely to be alone than perhaps their parents or grandparents were. People marry and have children later than older generations or forgo the traditional nuclear family entirely.

The pandemic hit young people especially hard

Before COVID-19, 6 in 10 young adults reported feeling lonely frequently, almost all the time, or all of the time, according to Harvard’s Loneliness in America survey. A slightly higher rate of young adults also suffered

While quarantine protocols and physical distancing exacerbated feelings of loneliness across all generations, it affected young adults most severely. The survey revealed lonely young adults are more likely to feel uncared for qualitatively and quantitatively than other population groups who reported feeling lonely.

Roughly half of young adult respondents said they had only a few minutes of genuine connection about their well-being with someone else over several weeks.

This story originally appeared on Charlie Health and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. This article has been re-published pursuant to a CC BY-NC 4.0 License.

Variety to present Rian Johnson with screenwriting award in Palm Springs

BY CITY NEWS SERVICE

according to the Palm Springs International Film Society.

“The promise of Rian Johnson’s breakthrough neo-noir thriller `Brick’ was realized with Johnson’s wickedly smart sci-fi hit `Looper’, and breakthrough mainstream success followed

with his joining the hallowed Star Wars franchise team,” Variety’s executive vice president of content Steven Gaydos said in a statement.

Johnson was chosen to helm “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” after he directed “Brick,” “Looper” and “The

Brothers Bloom.” He is currently in post-production of “Poker Face,” his first television series, which will launch on Peacock next year.

“But it’s Johnson’s creation and direction of the sensational `Glass Onion’ comic crime film series that

makes him one of world cinema’s most elegantly accomplished cinema stylists and a worthy heir to Agatha Christie and all the other greats of the `who-done-it’ genre,” Gaydos said.

The film festival will be held from Jan. 5-16, 2023.

Courtesy of Sasha Freemind

After a decade of decline and a pandemic dip, college enrollment is leveling off

BY LAUREN LIEBHABER, STACKER

Where did all the college kids go?

Many high school graduates opted to join the workforce in recent years instead of taking college classes. Others enrolled in trade programs. Many planned to enroll after a pandemic gap year but have yet to do so. For decades, programs such as federal student aid, affirmative action, the GI Bill, and cultural attitudes around feminism led to a steady increase in college enrollment in the United States—particularly among populations for whom college was not attainable due to financial constraints or societal barriers. And then that growth stopped.

EDsmart cited data from the National Center for Education Statistics to look at current and projected college enrollment figures, contextualizing the decline.

Some experts believe declining college enrollment is primarily an economic concern as people weigh the value of a college education against the often long-term financial burden of student debt. More education isn’t always the key to more money. A 2021 study from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce found that 16% of high school graduates and more than onequarter of associate’s degree holders earn more than half of workers with a bachelor’s degree.

Enrollment in trade programs such as construction, HVAC, and automotive repair is growing in tandem with industry demand for skilled workers. Even for unskilled workers, job availability coupled with significant earnings increases for low-wage workers is appealing to young people deciding between enrolling in college and joining the workforce.

The pandemic is another culprit of more recent falling enrollment figures. Just 2% of students who delayed enrollment during the pandemic in 2020 eventually enrolled in 2021, according to data

from the National Student Clearinghouse. More than 1 million fewer students were enrolled in 2021 than in the fall semester before the pandemic began.

College enrollment has declined for more than a decade, following several decades of consistent growth. A stagnating population in the wake of the Great Recession, while not yet a factor in college enrollment, could also rear its head in several years as graduating high school classes get smaller.

Enrollment at public and private colleges has shrunk in the last 5 years

The pandemic exacerbated a trend already a decade

in the making across private and public colleges. There are roughly 3 million fewer students enrolled in college today than in 2012. Cost may also be contributing to this decline. Two- and four-year schools are more expensive today than a decade ago.

While it is tempting to blame the Great Recession for initiating this decline, research shows students were more likely to enroll in college, particularly as parttime attendees, during this period of financial uncertainty. With historically less job availability or career mobility during a recession, interest in higher education increases. Instead, more students were likely evalu-

ating the potential return on college investment and opting to join the workforce.

2-year degree enrollment figures contributed to overall enrollment decline

Some experts like Nate Johnson, a researcher and policy analyst at Postsecondary Analytics, use unemployment rates to predict community college enrollment rates, as the two share a cyclical relationship. As job availability decreases, unemployment rates increase, and many people turn to two-year colleges to fill their time productively, driving enrollment rates up.

Johnson uses a 2.5-percentage-point increase or decrease in community

college enrollment for every 1-percentage-point change in the unemployment rate. Community college enrollment should have spiked about 40% during the first year of the pandemic using Johnson’s calculation. But this isn’t what happened.

Two-year colleges continued a decade-long trend of declining enrollment, with a 13% drop in the last two years alone. Preliminary 2022 enrollment data shows this decline across two- and fouryear schools is slowing and is projected to stabilize by 2030.

Most demographics have seen a decline in enrollment since 2009

Increased enrollment among Hispanic students is

due in part to their increasing share of the overall population over the last decade. The Hispanic population grew roughly 20%—or by 12 million people—between 2010 and 2021, compared to the country’s overall growth rate of 7%.

In 2020, Latinos accounted for 20% of all postsecondary students. For other segments of the population, enrollment trends are less noticeable. For instance, while enrollment of Black students is down, those choosing to attend college are turning to Historically Black Colleges and Universities at a record rate. Many HBCUs saw a surge in applications following the pandemic, with Morgan State University reporting a 58% increase in 2021 compared to 2019. HBCU enrollment continued to buck the broader downward trend, growing by 2.5% in the fall of 2022.

A decade of declining higher education funding is also partly to blame

Cuts to higher education funding have contributed to tuition increases over the last decade, placing a more significant financial burden on students and reducing access to postsecondary opportunities for many prospective applicants.

Students planning on attending public colleges, which are historically cheaper than private schools, may be unable to afford them out of pocket or unwilling to incur that much debt. According to an analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, state funding for public two- and four-year colleges in 2018 was $6.6 billion below 2008 levels after adjusting for inflation. Despite reinvestment over the last several years, funding at public institutions is still 13% lower per student than in 2008.

This story originally appeared on EDsmart LLC and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Re-published with CC BY-NC 4.0 License.

Courtesy of Philippe Bout

LA County, city to ‘link arms’ not ‘point fingers’ on homelessness

BY CITY NEWS SERVICE

The county Board of Supervisors threw its unanimous support Tuesday behind Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ emergency declaration on homelessness, adopting a motion calling for county staff to work armin-arm with city officials to address the issue.

The show of cooperation -- with Bass appearing at the county Hall of Administration to address the board -- was a marked change from recent legal battles that saw the city and county often at odds while defending against a federal lawsuit demanding more action to address homelessness.

Board of Supervisors Chair Janice Hahn, who introduced the motion along with Supervisor Kathryn Barger, set a more cooperative tone Tuesday, saying the county will be “the city’s partner.”

“We know this is not the city of L.A.’s problem to solve

alone,” Hahn said. “And that is why I particularly appreciate you, Mayor Bass, saying we need to link arms rather than point fingers. I think it’s important that the county be the city’s partner in this new effort.

“... We want to be at the table. We need to be at the table. and we know what is needed and how we can help.”

The motion calls for representatives of various county departments to attend all city leadership meetings on homelessness emergency declaration and Bass’ upcoming “Inside Safe” program, which will use master leasing with motels near encampments to house the unsheltered.

The county action also calls for the appointment of county department liaisons to work with city outreach teams and help connect the homeless with county services such as mental health and substance abuse counseling,

while also working directly with interim-housing providers in the city to ensure people in such facilities are connected to county services.

Under the motion, the county also agreed to similarly work arm-in-arm with other cities in the county that may declare emergencies on homelessness.

Bass hailed the board

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s officers make 31 arrests in Operation Consequences

for its action, saying the motion sends “a very important signal” about the spirit of cooperation between all government agencies to address the homelessness crisis.

“Each one of you have done significant work in your districts regarding the unhoused, and to have a partnership where we have locked

arms between the city and the county, I think it sends a great message not just here but in other cities as well.

“... I so look forward to working with you, because the only way we can really solve this is if we are working in complete partnership,” Bass said. “And I will tell you, since I declared the state of emergency, a number of other cities, some in California and some in other states are calling and looking at what we’re doing, and so I think we have an opportunity to show a new way to go about this.”

Barger also chimed in with words of cooperation.

“We’re all in this together,” she said. “None of us are going to solve it alone. I really thank you, Mayor Bass, for using your voice to bring together all 88 cities. And as you said when you were sworn in, it is about working together. Homelessness doesn’t know boundar-

ies. It’s happening throughout our county.”

Bass signed the emergency declaration last week on her first official day in office.

The declaration -- which is scheduled to last six months -- allows Bass to take more aggressive executive actions to confront the crisis, though the City Council will have to sign off on it every 30 days.

The last time a mayor declared a local emergency related to homelessness was in 1987, when Mayor Tom Bradley cited the effect of winter weather on people experiencing homelessness, according to the declaration. The conditions now, the declaration claimed, are “even more dire.”

There are an estimated 41,980 unhoused people in the city of Los Angeles, up 1.7% from 2020, according to the latest count by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.

B-2 stealth bomber will miss Rose Parade, but B-1Bs ready to fly in

BY CITY NEWS SERVICE

Investigators with the San Bernardino County’s Sheriff’s Gangs/Narcotics Division, Specialized Enforcement Division, and multiple patrol stations, along with personnel from California Highway Patrol, San Bernardino County Probation, and Department of Homeland Security Investigations targeted “crime suppression efforts” of Operation Consequences

from Dec. 10-16.

During the one-week period, which included a focused operation in the unincorporated areas surrounding the city of San Bernardino, 27 search warrants were served in Colton, Highland, Victorville, and San Bernardino.

Investigators made 31 felony arrests, seized 14 firearms, 3 of which were unserialized (ghost guns), and recovered

illegal narcotics and illegal gambling machines.

The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors authorized funds to assist with county-wide crime suppression.

Operation Consequences focuses on conducting targeted crime suppression operations in the High Desert and the Sheriff’s jurisdiction surrounding the city of San Bernardino.

Spectators at the upcoming Rose Parade won’t be getting a glimpse of the B-2 stealth bomber this year.

A flyover by the impressive bomber has opened the floral procession along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena in recent years.

But officials at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri said they have temporarily grounded their B-2 bomber fleet to perform safety inspections. The move came following a Dec. 10 emergency

landing at the base that left one of the bombers damaged on the runway.

But that doesn’t mean there won’t be a military flyover to start the Rose Parade.

Instead of the B-2, the flyover will be done by B-1B bombers from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota.

“Our number one concern is the safety and security of our personnel and fleet,” Col. Daniel Diehl, 509th Bomb Wing commander at Whiteman

Air Force Base, said in a statement. “We deeply regret having to make this decision so close to the event, but we are committed to returning to Pasadena in 2024. Although we are not participating in this flyover, we remain steadfast in our commitment to answer our nation’s call.”

Whiteman officials said the B-1 bombers have “ rich history and will represent Striker nation well, carrying on the bomber tradition at the Tournament of Roses.”

Law enforcement made 31 felony arrests between Dec. 10 and 16. | Photo courtesy of SBSD

U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers. | Photo courtesy of the National Archives

Tents in downtown LA. | Photo by Russ Allison Loar (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Arcadia City Notices

CITY OF ARCADIA NOTICE INVITING BIDS

The City of Arcadia (“City”) will receive in a sealed envelope plainly marked on the outside “SEALED BID FOR 2022/2023 Annual Slurry Seal Project / Project No.: 55331023 - DO NOT OPEN WITH REGULAR MAIL” at the office of the City Clerk, located at 240 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007, no later than Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at 11:00 A.M., at which time or thereafter said Bids will be opened and read aloud. Bids received after this time will be returned unopened. Bids shall be valid for sixty (60) calendar days after the Bid opening date.

Bids must be submitted to the City on the City’s Contract Bid Forms Prospective Bidders may obtain Bid Documents only from the ArcadiaCA.gov. Please contact the Public Works Services Department at (626) 254-2720 for more information, including availability of Bid Documents. One or more Pre-Bid Conference and Site Walks will be held on the date(s), at the time(s) and under the conditions indicated in the Bid Documents. Bidder SHOULD attend.

All Bids must be addressed, sealed in an envelope and received by the office of the City Clerk no later than 11:00 A.M. on Tuesday, January 17, 2023. All Bids will be publicly opened, examined and read aloud at the City’s Clerk’s office at that time. Bids shall be valid for 60 days after the bid opening date. Bids must be accompanied by cash, a certified or cashier’s check, or a Bid Bond in favor of the City in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of the submitted Total Bid Price. The successful Bidder will be required to furnish the City with a Performance Bond and a Payment Bond, each equal to 100% of the successful Bid, prior to execution of the Contract. All bonds are to be secured from a surety that meets all of the State of California bonding requirements, as defined in Code of Civil Procedure Section 995.120, and is admitted by the State of California.

Each Bidder shall be a licensed contractor pursuant to the Business and Professions Code and shall be licensed in the following appropriate classification(s) of contractor’s license(s), for the work Bid upon, and must maintain the license(s) throughout the duration of the Contract: Class A or C-12.

Bidders are advised that this Contract is a public work for purposes of the California Labor Code, which requires payment of prevailing wages. City has obtained from the Director of the Department of Industrial Relations the general prevailing rates, and will place them on file at the City’s office and make them available to any interested party upon request.

Pursuant to Labor Code sections 1725.5 and 1771.1, all contractors and subcontractors that wish to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, or enter into a contract to perform public work must be registered with the Department of Industrial Relations. No bid will be accepted nor any contract entered into without proof of the contractor’s and subcontractors’ current registration with the Department of Industrial Relations to perform public work.

City reserves the right to reject any or all Bids, to waive any informality or irregularity in any Bid received, and to be the sole judge of the merits of the respective Bids received.

CITY OF ARCADIA

Publish December 26, 2022, January 2, and January 9, 2023 ARCADIA WEEKLY

CITY OF ARCADIA NOTICE INVITING BIDS

The City of Arcadia (“City”) will receive in a sealed envelope plainly marked on the outside “SEALED BID FOR Sewer Main Replacement Program / Project No.: 33861523 - DO NOT OPEN WITH REGULAR MAIL” at the office of the City Clerk, located at 240 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007, no later than Thursday, January 19, 2023 at 11:00 A.M., at which time or thereafter said Bids will be opened and read aloud. Bids received after this time will be returned unopened. Bids shall be valid for sixty (60) calendar days after the Bid opening date.

Bids must be submitted to the City on the City’s Contract Bid Forms Prospective Bidders may obtain Bid Documents only from the ArcadiaCA.gov. Please contact the Public Works Services Department at (626) 254-2720 for more information, including availability of Bid Documents. One or more Pre-Bid Conference and Site Walks will be held on the date(s), at the time(s) and under the conditions indicated in the Bid Documents. Bidder SHOULD attend.

All Bids must be addressed, sealed in an envelope and received by the office of the City Clerk no later than 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, January 19, 2023. All Bids will be publicly opened, examined and read aloud at the City’s Clerk’s office at that time. Bids shall be valid for 60 days after the bid opening date. Bids must be accompanied by cash, a certified or cashier’s check, or a Bid Bond in favor of the City in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of the submitted Total Bid Price. The successful Bidder will be required to furnish the City with a Performance Bond and a Payment Bond, each equal to 100% of the successful Bid, prior to execution of the

LEGALS

Contract. All bonds are to be secured from a surety that meets all of the State of California bonding requirements, as defined in Code of Civil Procedure Section 995.120, and is admitted by the State of California.

Each Bidder shall be a licensed contractor pursuant to the Business and Professions Code and shall be licensed in the following appropriate classification(s) of contractor’s license(s), for the work Bid upon, and must maintain the license(s) throughout the duration of the Contract: Class A.

Bidders are advised that this Contract is a public work for purposes of the California Labor Code, which requires payment of prevailing wages. City has obtained from the Director of the Department of Industrial Relations the general prevailing rates, and will place them on file at the City’s office and make them available to any interested party upon request.

Pursuant to Labor Code sections 1725.5 and 1771.1, all contractors and subcontractors that wish to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, or enter into a contract to perform public work must be registered with the Department of Industrial Relations. No bid will be accepted nor any contract entered into without proof of the contractor’s and subcontractors’ current registration with the Department of Industrial Relations to perform public work.

City reserves the right to reject any or all Bids, to waive any informality or irregularity in any Bid received, and to be the sole judge of the merits of the respective Bids received.

CITY OF ARCADIA

Publish December 26, January 2, 2023, and January 9, 2023 ARCADIA WEEKLY

CITY OF ARCADIA NOTICE INVITING BIDS

The City of Arcadia (“City”) will receive in a sealed envelope plainly marked on the outside “SEALED BID FOR HVAC PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE CONTRACT FOR VARIOUS CITY FACILITIES 2022/2023 - DO NOT OPEN WITH REGULAR MAIL” at the office of the City Clerk, located at 240 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007, no later than Tuesday, January 17, 2923 at 11:00 a.m., at which time or thereafter said Bids will be opened and read aloud. Bids received after this time will be returned unopened. Bids shall be valid for sixty (60) calendar days after the Bid opening date.

Bids must be submitted to the City on the City’s Contract Bid Forms Prospective Bidders may obtain Bid Documents only from the ArcadiaCA.gov. Please contact the Public Works Services Department at (626) 254-2720 for more information, including availability of Bid Documents. One or more Pre-Bid Conference and Site Walks will be held on the date(s), at the time(s) and under the conditions indicated in the Bid Documents. Bidder SHOULD attend.

All Bids must be addressed, sealed in an envelope and received by the office of the City Clerk no later than 11:00 A.M. on Tuesday, January 17, 2023. All Bids will be publicly opened, examined and read aloud at the City’s Clerk’s office at that time. Bids shall be valid for 60 days after the bid opening date. Bids must be accompanied by cash, a certified or cashier’s check, or a Bid Bond in favor of the City in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of the submitted Total Bid Price. The successful Bidder will be required to furnish the City with a Performance Bond and a Payment Bond, each equal to 100% of the successful Bid, prior to execution of the Contract. All bonds are to be secured from a surety that meets all of the State of California bonding requirements, as defined in Code of Civil Procedure Section 995.120, and is admitted by the State of California.

Each Bidder shall be a licensed contractor pursuant to the Business and Professions Code and shall be licensed in the following appropriate classification(s) of contractor’s license(s), for the work Bid upon, and must maintain the license(s) throughout the duration of the Contract: C20.

Bidders are advised that this Contract is a public work for purposes of the California Labor Code, which requires payment of prevailing wages. City has obtained from the Director of the Department of Industrial Relations the general prevailing rates, and will place them on file at the City’s office and make them available to any interested party upon request.

Pursuant to Labor Code sections 1725.5 and 1771.1, all contractors and subcontractors that wish to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, or enter into a contract to perform public work must be registered with the Department of Industrial Relations. No bid will be accepted nor any contract entered into without proof of the contractor’s and subcontractors’ current registration with the Department of Industrial Relations to perform public work.

City reserves the right to reject any or all Bids, to waive any informality or irregularity in any Bid received, and to be the sole judge of the merits of the respective Bids received.

CITY OF ARCADIA

Monday December 26, 2022 and January 2, 2023 ARCADIA WEEKLY

CITY OF ARCADIA NOTICE INVITING BIDS

The City of Arcadia (“City”) will receive in a sealed envelope plainly marked on the outside “SEALED BID FOR TRAFFIC SIGNAL MAINTENANCE SERVICES 2023 - DO NOT OPEN WITH REGULAR MAIL” at the office of the City Clerk, located at 240 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007, no later than Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at 11:00 A.M., at which time or thereafter said Bids will be opened and read aloud. Bids received after this time will be returned unopened. Bids shall be valid for sixty (60) calendar days after the Bid opening date.

Bids must be submitted to the City on the City’s Contract Bid Forms Prospective Bidders may obtain Bid Documents only from the ArcadiaCA.gov. Please contact the Public Works Services Department at (626) 254-2720 for more information, including availability of Bid Documents. One or more Pre-Bid Conference and Site Walks will be held on the date(s), at the time(s) and under the conditions indicated in the Bid Documents. Bidder SHOULD attend.

All Bids must be addressed, sealed in an envelope and received by the office of the City Clerk no later than 11:00 A.M. on Tuesday, January 17, 2023. All Bids will be publicly opened, examined and read aloud at the City’s Clerk’s office at that time. Bids shall be valid for 60 days after the bid opening date. Bids must be accompanied by cash, a certified or cashier’s check, or a Bid Bond in favor of the City in an amount not less than ten percent (10%) of the submitted Total Bid Price. The successful Bidder will be required to furnish the City with a Performance Bond and a Payment Bond, each equal to 100% of the successful Bid, prior to execution of the Contract. All bonds are to be secured from a surety that meets all of the State of California bonding requirements, as defined in Code of Civil Procedure Section 995.120, and is admitted by the State of California.

Each Bidder shall be a licensed contractor pursuant to the Business and Professions Code and shall be licensed in the following appropriate classification(s) of contractor’s license(s), for the work Bid upon, and must maintain the license(s) throughout the duration of the Contract: C-10.

Bidders are advised that this Contract is a public work for purposes of the California Labor Code, which requires payment of prevailing wages. City has obtained from the Director of the Department of Industrial Relations the general prevailing rates, and will place them on file at the City’s office and make them available to any interested party upon request.

Pursuant to Labor Code sections 1725.5 and 1771.1, all contractors and subcontractors that wish to bid on, be listed in a bid proposal, or enter into a contract to perform public work must be registered with the Department of Industrial Relations. No bid will be accepted nor any contract entered into without proof of the contractor’s and subcontractors’ current registration with the Department of Industrial Relations to perform public work.

City reserves the right to reject any or all Bids, to waive any informality or irregularity in any Bid received, and to be the sole judge of the merits of the respective Bids received.

Probate Notices

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: DANSUI WANG AKA DAN SUI WANG

CASE NO. 22STPB12407

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of DANSUI WANG AKA DAN SUI WANG.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by HAN LI in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that HAN LI be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 01/27/23 at 8:30AM in Dept. 44 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA

90012

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for Petitioner

ROBERT A. COHEN, ESQ. - SBN 209971, COHEN LAW, A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION 28039 SMYTH DRIVE, SUITE 200 VALENCIA CA 91355

LEGALS

Probate Notices

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF RICHARD ELLIOT

ACKERKNECHT

Case No. 22STPB12310

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of RICHARD ELLIOT ACKERKNECHT; RICHARD E. ACKERKNECHT; RICHARD ACKERKNECHT JR.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by Irene Ackerknecht Gram-Rosner in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that Irene Ackerknecht GramRosner be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held on January 30, 2023 at 8:30 AM in Dept. 67. located at 111 N. Hill St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for petitioner: DAVID E. EDSALL, ESQ SBN 86217

EDSALL LAW, A PROFESSIONAL LAW CORPORATION

400 CAMARILLO RANCH ROAD SUITE 102 CAMARILLO, CA 93012 (805) 484- 9002 December 19, 22, 26, 2022

BURBANK INDEPENDENT

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF:

ROSALINDA VELARDE

PERALTA AKA ROSALINDA V. PERALTA AKA ROSALINDA MALANA VELARDE AKA ROSALINDA M. VELARDE

CASE NO. PROSB2201685

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of ROSALINDA VELARDE PERALTA AKA ROSALINDA V. PERALTA AKA ROSALINDA MALANA VELARDE AKA ROSALINDA M. VELARDE.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by ANTONIO VELARDE GALANG JR in the Superior Court of California, County of SAN BERNARDINO.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that ANTONIO VELARDE GALANG JR AKA ANTONIO VELARDE GALANG be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests the decedent’s WILL and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The WILL and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

THE PETITION requests authority to

administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 01/09/23 at 9:00AM in Dept. S36 located at 247 W. 3RD STREET, SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92415

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for Petitioner ROBERT L. COHEN, ESQ.SBN 150913, LAW OFFICES OF ROBERT L. COHEN, INC, 8081 ORANGETHORPE AVE BUENA PARK CA 90621 12/19, 12/22, 12/26/22 CNS-3652485#

ONTARIO NEWS PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: JUDI DIANE JOHNSON AKA JUDITH DIANE JOHNSON AKA JUDITH DIANE RAPER

CASE NO. 30-2022-01295825-PR-LA-CJC

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of JUDI DIANE JOHNSON AKA JUDITH DIANE JOHNSON AKA JUDITH DIANE RAPER.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by JENNIFER BARKLEY in the Superior Court of California, County of ORANGE.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that JENNIFER BARKLEY be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 02/02/23 at 1:30PM in Dept. C08 located at 700 CIVIC CENTER DRIVE WEST, SANTA ANA, CA 92701

NOTICE IN PROBATE CASES

The court is providing the convenience to appear for hearing by video using the court’s designated video platform. This is a no cost service to the public. Go to the Court’s website at The Superior Court of California - County of Orange (occourts.org) to appear remotely for Probate hearings and for remote hearing instructions. If you have difficulty connecting or are unable to connect to your remote hearing, call 657-622-8278 for assistance. If you prefer to appear in-person, you can appear in the department on the day/time set for your hearing.

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for Petitioner ROBERT L. COHEN - SBN 150913, LAW OFFICES OF ROBERT L. COHEN, INC. 8081 ORANGETHORPE AVE BUENA PARK CA 90621 12/19, 12/22, 12/26/22

CNS-3652499#

ANAHEIM PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF:

DALE JAMES BILEK CASE NO. 22STPB12319

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of DALE JAMES BILEK.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by KATE CONLEY AKA KATE EDMONDS in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that KATE CONLEY AKA KATE EDMONDS be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests the decedent’s WILL and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The WILL and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act with limited authority. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 01/20/23 at 8:30AM in Dept. 44 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for Petitioner MELANIE J. FERGUS, ESQ. -

SBN 208418, MEIER LAW FIRM

450 NEWPORT CENTER DR., STE 625

NEWPORT BEACH CA 92660 BSC 222664 12/19, 12/22, 12/26/22 CNS-3652560#

BURBANK INDEPENDENT

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF BENITA IRENE WILLIAMS Case No. PRRI2202228

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of BENITA IRENE WILLIAMS

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by Jason Williams in the Superior Court of California, County of RIVERSIDE.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that Jason Williams be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held on January 6, 2023 at 8:30 AM in Dept. 11. located at 4050 Main Street, Riverside, Ca 92501.

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for petitioner: DEIDREA POLITISKI GRUCZA, ESQ. SBN 206023

LAW OFFICE OF DEIDRE POLITISKI GRUCZA 36336 TOULON DRIVE MURRIETA, CA 92562 (951) 461-6295 DECEMBER 19, 22, 26, 2022

CORONA NEWS PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF EMI

YANO

Case No. 22STPB12504

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of EMI YANO

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by Ronaldo P. Fernando in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that Ronaldo P. Fernando be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court ap-proval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the

petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held on Feb. 2, 2023 at 8:30 AM in Dept. No. 5 located at 111 N. Hill St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal rep-resentative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for petitioner: RODNEY GOULD ESQ SBN 219234

LAW OFFICE OF RODNEY GOULD 14827 VENTURA BLVD STE 210 SHERMAN OAKS CA 91403 CN992640 YANO Dec 22,26,29, 2022

ALHAMBRA PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF JEFFREY JOHN JULIAN

Case No. 22STPB11957

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of JEFFREY JOHN JULIAN

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by Emma Julian in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that Emma Julian be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administra-tion authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objec-tion to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held on January 13, 2023 at 8:30 AM in Dept. No. 4 located at 111 N. Hill St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your ap-pearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issu-ance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code.

Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowl-edgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate

assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner: CASEY A REAGAN ESQ SBN 301228 KEYSTONE LAW GROUP PC 11300 W OLYMPIC BLVD STE 910 LOS ANGELES CA 90064 CN992820 JULIAN Dec 22,26,29, 2022

BURBANK INDEPENDENT

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: DOROTHY IRENE OCHOA AKA IRENE OCHOA CASE NO. PROSB2201701

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of DOROTHY IRENE OCHOA AKA IRENE OCHOA.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by JOANN FLOREZ-FARNAM in the Superior Court of California, County of SAN BERNARDINO.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that JOANN FLOREZ-FARNAM be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 01/17/23 at 9:00AM in Dept. S35 located at 247 W. 3RD STREET, SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92415

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for Petitioner

JASON L. GAUDY - SBN 228975, GAUDY LAW, INC. 267 D STREET UPLAND CA 91786 12/22, 12/26, 12/29/22 CNS-3653825#

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER

ESTATE OF: VICTOR J. YEPEZ, SR. CASE NO. PROSB2201716

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of VICTOR J. YEPEZ, SR..

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by CYNTHIA STONE in the Superior Court of California, County of SAN BERNARDINO.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that CYNTHIA STONE be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless