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January 26 - February 1, 2024 Volume CXXIII Issue 214
Council Discusses Apology to Black Residents, Potential Skating Rink at First 2024 Meeting The Meeting Took Place Tuesday, Jan. 23 at 5:30 p.m. By Zach Armstrong During Santa Monica City Council’s first meeting of the New Year, members are set to discuss agenda items related to addressing Black marginalization and a potential new roller-skating rink for downtown. Councilmembers Davis, Torosis and Zwick put forward a request for the city to perform multiple actions related to its African American residents and their descendants. These include an annual apology reading
to Santa Monica’s Black community during City Council’s first November meeting, installing the apology statement outside of City Hall and giving $10,000 to the Santa Monica High School Black Student Union to assist students with costs associated with college transition. Council previously adopted the apology which acknowledged “a century of racial injustice and discrimination against the Black community that have resulted in systemically racist policies that continue to exclude and discriminate against African Americans.” The statement cites several institutional racist acts within Santa Monica. During the 1920s, zoning ordinances and racist realtor practices excluded African Americans from building permits and integrating with White
neighborhoods. Also referenced was the act of redlining amid the following decade. While Caucasians enjoyed 30-year mortgage loans as part of a Great Depression recovery effort, Black neighborhoods were identified as high risk and therefore barred from home improvement or business loans on property. Also set for a hearing is a request by Councilmember Parra and Vice Mayor Negrete to support the City’s economy with more entertainment offerings. Specifically,
the request asks the City Manager to assess opportunities DTSM Inc. for an entity that can operate a roller-skating rink in 2024 on city-owned property. According to the agenda item, the rink would be akin to the popular Ice at Santa Monica. During the holiday season, DTSM puts together the more than 8,000 sq ft sheet of ice located at the corner of Arizona Ave. and 5th St. in downtown. The meeting occurred Tuesday, Jan. 23
Sweet Lady Jane Faces Legal Battle Over Alleged Wage Theft Amid Closure Announcement Beloved LA Bakery Hit With ClassAction Lawsuit for Mismanagement and Wage Abuses By Keemia Zhang Sweet Lady Jane, famous for their elaborately decorated cakes and baked goods, shocked the community when they announced their closure at the beginning of the year after thirty years of operation – citing a sales downturn that left them unable to “pay [their] treasured employees a living wage” without raising retail prices. However, earlier this week, news broke that the bakery has been the subject of a class-action lawsuit filed in the Los Angeles
Superior Court for almost seven months, alleging that the company engaged in mismanagement and wage theft, according to the Los Angeles Times. Blanca Juarez, who spent two months in 2022 working for Sweet Lady Jane, accused the corporation of not compensating her for working hours, overtime, and missed breaks for rest and meals. The lawsuit also accuses Sweet Lady Jane of engaging in a “pattern and practice of wage abuse” through inaccurate payroll records and failing to reimburse employees for business-related expenses. The company denied all allegations, calling them “unverified” in court filings. Prior to closure, Sweet Lady Jane built a loyal customer base across locations in Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Encino, Calabasas, and San Fernando. The closure also canceled plans to open new shops in Larchmont and Marina del Rey. The bakery chain reportedly offered select
former employees severance packages – with an agreement to not participate in class action or individual lawsuits seeking further compensation. Sweet Lady Jane is slated to declare for a state alternative to filing bankruptcy, permitting creditors and former employees to “recover what they are owed.” In their website’s closing statement,
Sweet Lady Jane – which branded itself as ‘L.A’s Most Popular Bakery’ – stated that: “For more than three decades, we didn’t just build a loyal customer base, we created a real community. It has been a privilege to be included in your sweetest moments. Big and small. LA’s most beloved Triple Berry Cake will live on in your memories and in ours.”
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