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News Observer Bakersfield
Volume 46 Number 47
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Serving Kern County for Over 46 Years
Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California
Thousands of Californians Face Homelessness as
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
Kern County Now on California Virus Watch List
Eviction Freeze Set to End Quinci LeGardye California Black Media With the federal COVID-19 rent protections provided in the CARES Act about to expire, any plan to assist tenants who have fallen behind on their payments due the COVID-19 pandemic, would have to be drawn up by state or local governments. In California, Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, chair of the Judicial Council, said, during a public meeting June 24, that the council would “very soon resume voting to terminate the temporary orders having to do with unlawful detainer evictions and foreclosures.” The Judicial Council, which regulates the state’s court system, placed a temporary emergency rule on April 6, which stops judges from processing evictions for nonpayment of rent during the COVID-19 state of emergency. If the court Chief Justice Tani votes to terminate the Cantil-Sakauye, chair rule, it would be rescinded of the Judicial Council. effective Aug. 14. Nisha Vyas, Senior (Courtesy Photo) Attorney at the Western Center on Law and Poverty, spoke at a press conference held by Ethnic Media Services. In her presentation she detailed some mechanics of the Judicial Council’s rules, and she explained how its rescission would hurt California renters. “We’re extremely concerned about this, as the Legislature and Governor have not yet acted to put something in place that will prevent the massive wave of evictions that will begin when this rule is lifted,” Vyas told California Black Media over email. “When the rule is withdrawn and the moratorium lapses, we expect this massive eviction crisis, and if we allow the evictions to simply start again without any longterm assistance, it’s going to have a devastating impact on renters, and in particular communities of color.” Lifting the statewide eviction moratorium would disproportionately affect Black Californians. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2015 American Housing Survey, 64.4% of African Americans in California are tenants. Also, 57% of Black renters have lost income since mid-March this year, according to the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey. According to another U.S. Census Bureau Housing Pulse Survey conducted in June, only about 46 % of Black renters in California were confident that they could pay July’s rent. The other 54% – which accounts for hundreds of thousands of African American households – have no to moderate confidence that they will be able to keep a roof over their heads. During the public meeting, Chief Justice CantilSakauye also said that the Aug. 14 deadline would give the state legislature the chance to pass legislation regarding tenant protections. AB 1436, authored by Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco) protects tenants from eviction due to
By David Odisho: SAN FRANCISCO, CA / U.S. - MAY 1, 2020: Activists congregated outside of San Francisco’s City Hall on May Day rallying for the #CancelRent movement amid a crippled economy that has displaced many.
non-payment of rent during the COVID-19 pandemic; allows landlords and tenants to work out payment arrangements for no more than the amount the renter owes; shields the tenant from negative credit reporting and protects his or her ability to rent in the future; and places the eviction process under the authority of civil courts; among other provisions. It also gives a 15-month grace period for unpaid rent after the COVID-19 state of emergency ends. The bill passed the Assembly unanimously in May 2019 and is currently under review in the Senate Judiciary Committee. It is sponsored by multiple housing justice organizations, including the Western Center, PolicyLink and Housing NOW California. According to Vyas, solving past due rent disputes in civil court rather than through the evictions process would be better for renters. Eviction proceedings are typically fast-tracked, with nearly 75% of eviction cases resolved
within 45 days of filing, and many low-income tenants cannot afford an attorney. “The advantage is that tenants would be able to remain in their homes. They could handle the rent payment dispute with the landlord in a proceeding that doesn’t put them at risk of homelessness. It would also prevent unnecessary and harmful interactions with law enforcement, since lockouts are performed by sheriffs,” said Vyas. Over email, Vyas also pointed out that Californians would need assistance on the federal level as well, preferably through monetary rental assistance. But on the state level, Vyas said, AB 1436 is a necessary step. “AB 1436 is a chance for communities and individuals to tell their state legislators here in California to stop the new wave of evictions to keep us all safe and housed. It is, I want to stress, the first step of many that we need to take to bring more equity into housing in California. But this is a great way for people to become engaged.”
Painting, Protests and Pandemic:
From Canvas to Masks
By Candace J. Semien Jozef Syndicate reporter It’s not folk art, but Tedism. It is the unique style of art and storytelling by Ted Ellis. For nearly 30 years, Ellis’ art unfolds and celebrates the traditional values of Black culture and lifestyle. He has beautifully captured that lifestyle on large canvas and prints. In the energy of this year’s drastic lifestyle changes for Blacks around the world, Ellis has captured the protests and the COVID-19 pandemic on masks and t-shirts. These creations aren’t surprising. Ellis has consistently revered Black life and captured it in his art and presentations. He was educated in New Orleans, a city full of style and artistic exuberance known for its rich Black heritage. This inspired him to capture the essence of the “subjects of his childhood in the glory of their rich cultural heritage” which he manages to do expertly with the latest art: masks. “I paint Subjects that are representative of the many facets of American life, particularly, African-American culture and history, as I know it. I like to think of myself as a creative
“I was put here to record history…all aspects of American culture and heritage. My sole purpose has always been to educate through my art,”
Black Lives Matter Mask by Ted Ellis. (Courtesy Photo)
historian. I was put here to record history…all aspects of American culture and heritage. My sole purpose has always been to educate through my art,” he said. Ellis is self-taught and passionate about his family, his heritage, and his art. His works boldly blend “realism and impressionism, evoking nostalgia and inspiration.” The former chemist has an amazing online gallery that features his most captivating work available on large canvases, miniature posters, mugs, t-shirts, calendars, and masks. Extremely dedicated to his craft, he continues to be recognized for his artistic talent and is applauded for his depth of understanding of the power and use of art. His legacy is growing among collectors throughout the world while major corporations have commissioned him to create commemorable pieces. (This includes Walt Disney Studios, The Minute Maid Company, Coca-Cola, Phillip Morris, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., and Avon, Incorporated.) ONLINE: tedellisfineart.com
MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. (AP) – California has placed Mono County on its coronavirus watch list because of a surge in cases in Mammoth Lakes, a center for tourism and outdoor recreation in the eastern Sierra Nevada. The surge is largely linked to the town’s restaurants, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday. Kern County in the Central Valley, where hospitals are strained to capacity, also was placed on the list, Gov. Gavin Newsom confirmed Friday. The state is closely monitoring case numbers and places counties on the watch list if infections are too high, triggering increased restrictions in an effort to prevent local health systems from being overwhelmed. Thirty-five of 58 counties are on the list. Mono County, with about 14,200 residents, has far fewer cases than the state’s major population centers. But it had 40 people test positive for the virus over the last two weeks, raising the infection rate to 8.03% and the seven-day average from July 12 to July 19 to 11.32%, the Times said. One person is hospitalized. Overall, 84 people have tested positive, including 79 in Mammoth Lakes, and there has been one death. The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested. Studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick. Kern County on Friday reported more than 1,000 new cases, for a total of nearly 13,400. There were eight new deaths for a total of 123. Health officials said the outbreak is filling hospital intensive care units, and ambulance services are receiving record numbers of calls. Officials planned to hire ICU nurses from around the country to help and had requested 10 ambulances from state “strike teams,” the Bakersfield Californian reported. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some _ especially older adults and people with existing health problems _ it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death. Restaurants have been connected to 65% of the new confirmed cases in Mono County, according to the county. The coronavirus has an incubation period up to 14 days, so it’s possible some of the increase dates to the Independence Day holiday. But authorities do not point to that period exclusively. “We don’t believe July 4 was a primary catalyst, just a considerable number of visitors seeking solace in the Eastern Sierra,” Mono County public information officer Stuart Brown told the Times. Restaurant workers will now have to wear personal protective equipment such as surgical or N95 masks, instead of simple cloth face coverings, at least 30% of employees must be tested between July 22 and July 28, and all must be screened before each shift. A lack of compliance will lead to orders closing establishments starting with a 72-hour period and lengthening for repeated violations. Other California counties are trying to put some bite behind public health orders as hospitalizations and positive tests for the coronavirus continue rising in many parts of the state. Los Angeles County, the state’s largest, recorded rising hospitalizations along with nearly 2,000 new cases for Thursday and 44 additional deaths. “Overall, our public health conditions remain fragile,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said at an afternoon briefing where he said the number of hospitalizations is at the highest level since the start of the pandemic. However, Garcetti said it was encouraging that the county’s COVID-19 transmission rate and 7-day percentage of people testing positive for the virus seemed to be stabilizing. On Thursday, public health officials said that beginning at the end of August, businesses that repeatedly violate health orders could lose their business licenses for a month and face fines of up to $500. On Friday, Alameda County reported its COVID-19 caseload had topped 10,000. It was the ninth county and the first in the San Francisco Bay Area to reach that milestone, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Public health officials blamed the soaring caseload on people holding parties and gatherings at Lake Merritt in east Oakland and in other public spaces, the Chronicle said. Elsewhere, California State Parks banned public parking on narrow Yankee Jims Road in the middle of Placer County gold country within Auburn State Recreation Area to reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposures after social-media-fueled surges in the number of visitors. Last weekend, there were more than 300 vehicles parked in an area with legal room for only 12. In addition to virus concerns, authorities raised the issue of emergency access especially in the event of a fire in the area about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northeast of Sacramento. Similar crowding of trails and wilderness areas has occurred elsewhere during the pandemic as people seek outlets for activity. In Los Angeles County, for example, reservations are now required to enter popular Eaton Canyon in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. California this week surpassed New York as the state with the most confirmed cases. More than 9,700 cases were added Thursday, bringing the state total to more than 425,000. The 159 deaths reported Wednesday marked the state’s highest daily total for the second day in a row. The state has now recorded nearly 8,200 deaths.
Paintings by Zoo Animals Offered in Online Fundraiser
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – A closed zoo in New Mexico is trying to raise money by selling paintings – by the zoo’s animals. KOB-TV in Albuquerque, New Mexico, reports the New Mexico BioPark Society is offering artwork by the zoo’s elephants holding paint brushes in their trunks, snow leopards using their paws and other animals to buy zookeeper equipment. Art collectors can check out the paintings at the Art Gone Wild online gallery. The prices range from $25 to nearly $600. New Mexico BioPark Society development director Allyson Zahm says money raised from the art will be used to buy the zookeepers the things needed for animal enrichment. Zahm says buyers can also pick a color and have Alice, the elephant, paint it for them. She says the zoo will even capture the painting on video. The goal for this month was $3,000. The society reached the goal and hope to continue raising more. The ABQ BioPark Zoo has been closed for weeks because of COVID-19.