Century City-Westwood News 5/29/2020

Century City/ Westwood May 29 – June 25, 2020

NEWS CenturyCity-WestwoodNews.com

Woman Sentenced for Bribing Son’s Admission to UCLA

Photos: UCLA Athletics (Facebook).

Xiaoning Sui sentenced to five months in prison, ordered to pay fine

By CHaD WintHroP A Chinese woman who resides in Canada has been sentenced for using bribery to facilitate her son’s admission to the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) as a purported soccer recruit.

Xiaoning Sui, 48, of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, was sentenced Thursday during a videoconference hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock to time served (approximately five months in prison) and is ordered to pay a fine of $250,000.

Accoridng to the Court, Sui has agreed to forfeit the $400,000 that she paid to facilitate the crime. In February 2020, Sui agreed to plead guilty to one count of federal programs bribery, and Judge Woodlock accepted that plea during her sentencing. Sui was arrested in

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Spain on Sept. 16, 2019, and detained until she was extradited to Boston for the plea hearing.

Sui agreed with William “Rick” Singer to pay $400,000 to facilitate her son’s admission to UCLA as a purported soccer recruit, even though he did not play competitive soccer.

During a phone call in August 2018, Singer explained to Sui that he would write Sui’s son’s application in a “special way” that would guarantee his admission to UCLA, in exchange for $400,000, federal prosecutors say.

According to the plea, on Oct. 24, 2018,

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Singer instructed Sui to wire Singer $100,000 which he told her would be “paid to the coach at UCLA” in exchange for a letter of intent from the coach recruiting Sui’s son onto the soccer team. Two days later, Sui wired the $100,000 to a bank account in Massachusetts in the name of Singer’s sham charitable organization, Key Worldwide Foundation (KWF). The head coach of men’s soccer at UCLA subsequently designated Sui’s son as a recruited soccer player, which also resulted in his receipt of a scholarship.

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MAY 29 – JUNE 25, 2020

CENTURY CITY-WESTWOOD NEWS

Sexual Battery Occurs in Westwood UCLA police searching for suspect

By Sam Catanzaro

UCLA police are looking for a sexual battery suspect wanted for an incident that occurred off-campus in Westwood during broad daylight.

According to the UCLA Police Department, on May 2 at about 5:20 pm, the suspect approached the victim near the entrance of her apartment on the 800 block of Levering Avenue and grabbed her buttocks.

The suspect is described as male, white, 30-40 years old, blond hair, facial hair, approximately 6’0” wearing a grey hoodie.

The victim is a UCLA student, police say.

Anybody with information about this incident is encouraged to call the UCLA Police Department at 310-825-1491.

Photo: Courtesy.

The 800 block of Levering Avenue.

LAPD Investigating West LA Hit and Run Incident occurs April 29 near the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Bundy Drive

By Sam Catanzaro

Los Angeles police are investigating a hit and run incident that occurred on Wilshire Boulevard in Brentwood.

The incident, which occurred on April 29, was announced by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) West Traffic Division on Tuesday, May 11.

According to the LAPD, the incident happened around 10:30 p.m. on Wilshire Boulevard near Bundy Drive when a vehicle

struck a pedestrian then fled the scene westbound on Wilshire Boulevard. The LAPD says that the suspect vehicle–described as a dark-colored late model small SUV wagon or minivan–should have “noticeable” front grill damage.

The driver is wanted by the LAPD for a hit and run felony.

A video clip posted on Twitter by Santa Monica Problems shows incident unfold, beginning with the victim yelling at a cameraperson for “unknown reasons” before being hit.

“You will reap what you sow. You and the whole building will be responsible. This entire building is ground zero. Say goodbye to your family. Say goodbye to your children.

Say goodbye to….” said the victim before getting hit.

Photo: LAPD.

A car wanted in a felony hit and run in West Los Angeles.

The LAPD did not announce whether or not the victim survived and could not immediately be reached for comment. The Los Angeles Fire Department says it transported the victim to a local hospital but did not know if the

victim survived.

Anybody

with

information

is

asked

to contact LAPD Detective Dickson at (213) 473-0234.

Occupied Westwood Residence Burglarized UCLA Police looking for “hot prowl” burglar

By Sam Catanzaro

Police are looking for a suspect who burglarized an occupied Westwood residence last month.

According to the UCLA Police Department, on April 28, at about 6:00 am, the suspect entered a residence on Gayley Avenue and

reportedly stole a bicycle that was reported missing.

The residence was occupied at the time of the burglary (i.e. “hot prowl” burglary).

The suspect is described as male, 150 lbs, wearing a blue “LA Dodgers” hat, black face mask, black t-shirt, khaki shorts and black and white shoes.

The victim is a UCLA student.

Anybody with information relating to this case is encouraged to all the UCLA Police Department at 310-825-1491.

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Security footage showing a suspect Westwood burglar.

Photo: UCLA PD.

MAY 29 – JUNE 25, 2020

CENTURY CITY-WESTWOOD NEWS

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CENTURY CITY-WESTWOOD NEWS

MAY 29 – JUNE 25, 2020

LA County Wants to Reopen on Fourth of July

County: 3/4 of unemployment claims are from those making less than $50,000

By Sam Catanzaro

Los Angeles County officials are targeting a Fourth of July opening date for retail, restaurants, and malls saying there are more than 1 million unemployed residents countywide.

On Tuesday, at the second convening of the Los Angeles County Economic Resiliency Task Force county leaders expressed a goal to reopen Los Angeles County as early as July 4.

In a presentation, Bill Allen, president of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), confirmed there have been more than 1 million unemployment claims filed in L.A. County to date. More than 75 percent of the projected job losses have an average annual earning of less than $50,000, with restaurants and retail industries hit the hardest.

“I understand the urgency to reopen and know many of the experts the County has assembled for this Task Force have been working hard to develop safe and efficient plans to revitalize their sectors as early as next month,” Supervisor Barger said. “I remain focused on working with industry leaders and health officials to safely make way for Los Angeles County to reopen by

the Fourth of July.”

The July 4 date indicates a goal of the full or staged reopening of retail, restaurants, and malls. Sector leaders said many businesses and employees will be impacted over the next few weeks, according to Barger.

At the same time, however, the number of cases reported countywide continues to increase.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) has confirmed 27 new deaths and 1,843 new cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Although this is the highest number of new cases reported in a day, some of these cases are from a backlog of test results. Twenty people who died were over the age of 65 years old; six people who died were between the ages of 41 and 65 years old, and one person who died was between the ages of 18 and 40 years old. Seventeen people had underlying health conditions including 11 people over the age of 65 years old and six people between the ages of 41 to 65 years old.

To date, Public Health has identified 47,822 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of LA County, and a total of 2,143 deaths.

Ninety-three percent of people who died had underlying health conditions. Of those who died, information about race and ethnicity is available for 1,974 people (99 percent of the cases reported

by Public Health) 39% of deaths occurred among Latino/Latinx residents, 29% among White residents, 17% among Asian residents, 12% among African American residents, 1% among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander residents and

1% among residents identifying with other races.

Upon further investigation, thirty-nine cases reported earlier were not LA County residents.

As of today, 6,195 people who tested positive for COVID-19 (13% of positive cases) have been hospitalized at some point during their illness. There are 1,443 people who are currently hospitalized, 28% of these people are in the ICU and 19% are on ventilators. Testing capacity continues to increase in LA County, with testing results available for over 514,000 individuals and 8% of people testing positive.

Of the 2,143 total deaths in LA County, 47% were in skilled nursing facilities. Testing capacity continues to increase across skilled nursing facilities in LA County with support from Public Health, the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services and the City of Los Angeles. As of this Friday, 157 skilled nursing facilities have tested all residents and staff, and an additional 68 are being scheduled. Public Health continues to schedule appointments with other skilled nursing facilities to complete testing, conduct on-site inspections and survey bed capacity, staffing capacity and availability of personal protective equipment.

“To all of you who have lost someone you love to COVID-19, you are in our thoughts and prayers. We wish you healing and peace during this very sad time,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health. “As improved infection control practices and testing have increased over the last month, deaths among residents in nursing homes have dropped

from 174 deaths for the week ending May 2, to 60 deaths for the week ending May 23. We continue to work with our partners to ensure that all facilities protect employees and residents.”

The current Health Officer Order that replaces the previous Health Officer Order allows for the reopening of beach bike paths and parking lots, indoor mall curbside service, and select vehicle parades. Retailers remain closed to public entry along with beach piers, and public and private gatherings of any number of people outside of a single household unit are still not permitted.

Everyone must continue to follow distancing and infection control protocols, stay at least six feet apart and wear a clean cloth face covering that securely covers both your nose and mouth when in contact with other people not in your household. The Health Officer Order continues to require specific higher-risk businesses to remain closed and prohibit dining in at restaurants.

Restaurants are still allowed to serve food to customer via delivery, take-out or drive-thru.

LA County is in stage two of the five-stage Roadmap to Recovery and until the final stage five is reached, Health Officer Orders and directives will continue to ensure that we slow spread of COVID-19 to prevent an overwhelming surge of COVID-19 cases at healthcare facilities. The Health Officer Order, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, Roadmap to Recovery, Recovery Dashboard, and additional things you can do to protect yourself, your family and your community are on the Public Health website, www.publichealth.lacounty.gov .

CENTURY CITY-WESTWOOD NEWS

MAY 29 – JUNE 25, 2020

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Westwood Grocery Store Experiences COVID-19 Outbreak Five employees at Westwood Village Ralphs test positive for the novel coronavirus

By Sam Catanzaro

Five employees at a Westwood grocery store have tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) According to John Votava, director of Ralphs division at Kroger, five employees at the Westwood Village Ralphs have tested positive for COVID-19, as reported by NBC and the Daily Bruin. One of these employees has recovered and returned to the market, according to the Daily Bruin.

Ralphs Hollywood, located at 7257 W Sunset Boulevard, has confirmed 22 positive COVID-19 cases. Other Los Angeles County markets to experience COVID-19 outbreaks include Bristol Farms in West Hollywood (five cases) and Northgate Gonzalez Markets in Inglewood (eight cases) As of Friday, there are currently 89 confirmed cases and an additional 35 symptomatic cases as 12 workplaces in Los Angeles County, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. These numbers do not count the cases at

Photo: Courtesy.

Ralphs Westwood.

the Westwood Ralphs.

Ralphs has announced that it will offer COVID-19 tests to all of its 20,000 Southern

California employees.

According to a Ralphs spokesperson, the tests will be take-home tests and are expected

to begin in mid-May. The test will utilize a swap sample which will be sent via mail, delivering results in a few days.

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CENTURY CITY-WESTWOOD NEWS

MAY 29 – JUNE 25, 2020

OPINION

Virus Proving How Disastrous SB 50 Could Have Been

TOM ELIAS Mirror Columnist

As Californians shelter at home, eagerly awaiting the eventual reopening of myriad businesses and hoping for the quick rehire of millions of the virally unemployed, at least they can be thankful state legislators had the good sense early this year to bury a proposed law called SB 50.

That was the effort by San Francisco’s Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener to make most of this state as densely populated as the Castro District he has long called home, filled with aged wooden walk-up apartment buildings.

It has taken the coronavirus pandemic to demonstrate just how dangerous Wiener’s concept could have been. The ultra-liberal former city official wanted to mandate construction of high-rise apartments and condominiums within a half-mile radius of light rail stops and three- to five-story structures all along frequent bus routes everywhere in California.

Never mind what that would have done to existing neighborhoods. Part of Wiener’s motive was his frequently-expressed scorn for singlefamily homes on separate lots, backyards and all.

Even before the pandemic, a Spanish research institute published research in the highly respected Science magazine showing that the denser a neighborhood and the more noise pollution its residents must endure, the greater likelihood of strokes and other cardiovascular episodes. This phenomenon is probably related to stress, the researchers reported.

Now the contrast between the toll COVID-19 has taken in California, with about 12 percent of America’s population, and New York City, with about one-fortyieth of the national populace, demonstrates even more clearly how pernicious Wiener’s concept could have been.

Yes, in the absence of federal leadership, California reacted faster than almost any other state to the viral threat, ordering most businesses to close, shutting down virtually every venue where the public gathered and ordering the entire citizenry to shelter in place.

New York ordered the same measures only a few days later.

The results: New York City alone, with only a fraction as many residents as California, has seen about one-fifth of all American coronavirus cases. Meanwhile, California has had less than 5

percent of the nation’s virus toll.

The California numbers nevertheless number in the tens of thousands. But New York City had well over 100,000 cases at the same time California had 20,000.

Early action probably spared California a lot of misery. But the few days of additional open mixing in New York are not enough to explain the huge difference in caseload during the crisis.

Many epidemiologists have said dense populations act like petri dishes, allowing micro-organisms to survive and thrive. There is nowhere in America as dense as New York City, with its myriad skyscraper office and apartment buildings. There is also no place in America as reliant as New York City on densely-used subways and buses.

By contrast, California’s thousands of neighborhoods are far more loosely populated.

Wiener and others call that urban sprawl. If there’s density in transport here, it’s on traffic laden freeways, where commutes of 15 miles can often take an hour for motorists alone in their cars. Except when most Californians are hunkered down in their homes, waiting out a quasi-quarantine. You won’t be infected if you’re alone and enclosed.

In general, the sprawling lifestyle that drew the majority of Californians or their parents here during the last century buffered the spread of the virus. “Physical distancing is working,” says the health director of Los Angeles County. “It has worked to date…it reduce(s)…the number of infections.”

It’s true that California has plenty of dense office towers and vast numbers of condos in areas zoned for multi-family occupancy. So it is likely no accident that those areas experienced the highest per-capita tolls in this pandemic.

Caseloads in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego clearly demonstrate this.

So any future moves by Wiener or other lawmakers to mandate making California denser than it already is must be evaluated in the light of the series of frequent viral epidemics the world has seen over the last two decades.

Which means the current problem should serve as both a warning and an affirmation for California and the death knell for the concept of densifying this state.

Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com.

His book, “The Burzynski Breakthrough, The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Government’s Campaign to Squelch It” is now available in a soft cover fourth edition. For more Elias columns, visit www.californiafocus.net

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CENTURY CITY-WESTWOOD NEWS

MAY 29 – JUNE 25, 2020

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Tallest Building West of 405 Coming to Sawtelle

11750 Wilshire Boulevard future site for 34-story project

By Toi Creel

Less than two years after breaking ground, the beginning inklings of construction are now visible for the landmark apartment tower.

Located at 11750 Wilshire Blvd, the project is being constructed by Douglas Emmett, Inc. and will replace a former Pavilions supermarket.

According to Urbanize LA, the development will be a total of 34 stories and feature 376 apartments including: studios, one and two bedrooms, and 19 spaces set for affordable housing.

It will also include a landscaped area, which will take up 40,000-square-feet just at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Stoner Avenue.

Renderings show a 349-foot-tall structure compromise of glass and steel, designed by Gensler.The tower won’t just make way for much-needed housing in an oversaturated California market, it will also be the tallest structure in Los Angeles west of the 405 freeway.

Renderings of a 34-story building planned for Wilshire Boulevard.

The front landscape space will be open to the public and designed like a park including: tables, chairs, benches, a stage and pathway, and a front lawn open to the public.

As far as garage space for the influx of visitors, there are plans for to expand an existing m space to fit more than 1000 parking spaces.

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Helping You Stay Safer at Home

During this uncertain time with the coronavirus, LADWP wants you to know that we are working 24/7 to keep your power on and water flowing.

Our crews will respond to water and power outages. Call us or report an outage online at ladwp.com/outages.

Your tap water is safe to drink. There is no need to buy bottled water. The coronavirus does not affect your drinking water.

Our team members are essential city workers continuing to work hard while taking safety measures.

Need help paying your bill? We can help.

Visit LADWP.com/financialassistance or call us at 1-800-DIAL-DWP. We will not shut off your water and power for non-payment.

We’re Here for You ladwp.com 1-800-DIAL-DWP

Photo: Gensler.

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CENTURY CITY-WESTWOOD NEWS

MAY 29 – JUNE 25, 2020

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