The Argonaut Newspaper — April 30, 2020

APRIL 30, 2020 | FREE

Local News & Culture

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Art for a Critical Cause The Venice Art Walk goes virtual to aid local COVID-19 response

L E T T E R S Traffic Has Never Been So Smooth at LAX

Thought you might like this photo of LAX departure level taken [on April 18].

Richard N. Norman Marina del Rey In-Home Caregivers are Unrecognized Heroes We see the headlines and pictures: doctors, nurses, hospital personnel, EMTs — gowned and masked — fighting the battle against an unseen coronavirus that has sickened and killed thousands of people around the world. We all appreciate their dedication.

Who we may not see are the in-home caregivers who help

keep our seniors and developmentally disabled family members safe and cared for.

They are heroes who serve every day, often unrecognized.

In-home caregivers travel to family homes and ensure that meals are prepared; dishes are washed, trash removed, household chores are completed, and that the living situation is safe.

They provide personal care to their clients such as bathing,

grooming and dressing. Often, they are with those under their care early in the morning or late at night. They monitor the vulnerable, ever alert to a cough, a fever, or a change in behavior that might indicate further investigation.

At all times, caregivers are an important link to the larger healthcare delivery system. They help bridge the gap between the community and the clinic by bringing hands-on care to the doorsteps of people who may be homebound, and they also communicate what they observe to the professionals who need timely information.

This letter is to remind community members about the significant help in-home caregivers provide in the bigger healthcare picture — all the time — but especially now, during the coronavirus pandemic. Thank you, caregivers, for the service you give. We recognize how essential a team member you are as we work together to keep vulnerable citizens strong, safe and healthy.

Rhiannon E. Acree, R.N. CEO/President – Cambrian Homecare (Editor’s Note: Established in 1996, Cambrian is a full-service

homecare for seniors, special needs respite, injured or surgical adults throughout Southern California that also provides community and caregivers support for onsite training and Skills4Care.)

Social Distancing Canine-style The one on the bottom is my dog. His name is Whiskey. The one on top is a dog that lives in

our building, I don’t know him… but I thought they were so cute. … Neither of them made a sound, just stared at each other…

Lisa Cossettini Playa del Rey

A Poem to the Editor: Dawn of a New Day The moon will be more vivid The sun and stars in bright display When this virus is behind us We’ll greet the dawn of a new day Get on your horses all my people We have a lot of energy to convey Plow the Earth’s rich resources As we greet the dawn of a new day

What misery in our stay at home Fighting and pushing the devil away We look and we strive or tomorrow Awaiting the dawn of a new day Frank McGinity Westswood

We Want to Hear from You! Being in print is a lot more meaningful than grouching on Facebook.

Send compliments, complaints and

insights about local issues to christinac@argonautnews.com.

ON THE COVER: Johan Andersson’s “Frontline” is one of over 150 artworks featured in the Venice Family Clinic’s online Art Walk & Auction. Design by Kate Doll.

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Editor: Christina Campodonico (310) 574-7654 Contributing Editor: Kevin Uhrich Contributing Writers: Amy Alkon, Lisa Beebe, Bliss Bowen, Kellie Chudzinski, Matt Rodriguez , Shanee Edwards, Jacqueline Fitzgerald, Jason Hill, Danny Karel, Jessica Koslow, Angela Matano, Brian Marks, Colin Newton, Jennifer Pellerito, Phoenix Tso Editorial Interns: Sofia Alfaro, Stephanie Bell, Anthony Torrise ART Graphic Designers: Arman Olivares (310) 574-7656 Kate Doll (310) 574-7653 Contributing Photographers: Mia Duncans, Maria Martin, Shilah Montiel, Ashley Randall, Courtnay Robbins, Jason Ryan, Ted Soqui, Zsuzsi Steiner

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PAGE 2 THE ARGONAUT APRIL 30, 2020

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APRIL 30, 2020 THE ARGONAUT PAGE 3

N E W S

By Danny Karel Amid a herculean civic effort to combat the novel coronavirus, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti delivered his annual State of the City address to a nearly vacant City Hall on April 19.

The mayor offered a sobering assessment of present circumstances but framed this challenging time as a unique opportunity to orient the city toward a better, more just future.

However, he was clear that the interim will be painful.

He began by referencing the 2008 recession.

“Until now, it was the biggest economic blow of our lifetime, and it hurt,” he said. “But there’s no way to sugarcoat this. This is bigger, and it will hurt more.”

Heading into the crisis, the city’s reserve funds had reached an all-time high, said the mayor, but so far the city has had to draw more than $70 million from both reserve and special funds to fight the pandemic. At the same time, tax revenues have plummeted. Hotel reservations have collapsed, and airport traffic has fallen by 95%.

In his proposed budget for the 2020 fiscal year, Garcetti explained that he had drawn a “red line” around certain essential services, namely those related to health and safety, but that cuts would be delivered almost everywhere else. This would also include a hiring freeze in city government, and the equivalent of a 10% reduc-

tion in pay for all civilian city workers, who will be asked to take 26 furlough days.

To replace lost revenue, Garcetti called on the federal government to loosen restrictions on emergency funds.

“Help bail out America’s cities,” he said. “Just as you bailed out the banks.”

To frame his recovery plans and expectations, Garcetti asked four critical questions. The first was the most pressing: How will we make it through?

He cited recently enacted emergency protections, such as eviction moratoriums and rent freezes, as well as the requirement to wear masks in public, and the ongoing collaboration between local labs and universities to develop large-scale virus testing and tracing capabilities.

He also mentioned financial relief measures like the Angeleno Card initiative, which offers pre-funded debit cards to low-income residents regardless of immigration status.

However, despite these steps, society will not be able to reconvene immediately, noted the mayor.

“It may be months, my friends, before we safely gather in large groups,” he said. “It may be a year or more before a vaccine or medicine frees us from periodically returning to Safer at Home.”

Garcetti was clear that we are in the “first battle” of this fight, and without a vaccine, a second wave

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PAGE 4 THE ARGONAUT APRIL 30, 2020

Garcetti’s 2020 State of the City address announced painful budget cuts, but envisioned better days ahead

leave “none of us unmarked.”

His final question looked to the future: When we do return, who do we want to be?

While the virus has radically disrupted our daily lives, Garcetti also observed how it has created unique opportunities to address other issues that plague the city, such as air pollution and homelessness. He mentioned LA’s crystal blue sky, an unexpected but welcome development of the Safer at Home order.

“We won that sky by saving each other from a disease,” he said, adding that managing to keep those skies blue through environmental initiatives would save even more lives from asthma, cancer, and “climate catastrophes.”

He also pointed to the county-

wide effort to house thousands of homeless Angelenos in hotel and motel rooms to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“Once those fellow Angelenos come inside, they must not return to the streets,” he said, adding later that the spirit of service, which moves much of the city today, should “move our economic recovery and our commitment to heal an unjust world” in the future.

Garcetti’s final remarks addressed the surreal nature and pain of the moment, but also recalled the resilient spirit of Los Angeles.

“Our city is under attack, our daily life is unrecognizable, we are bowed, and we are worn down; we are grieving our dead,” he said. “But we are not broken, nor will we ever be.”

Corona by the Numbers & Local Updates: COVID-19 Cases Top 20,000 in LA County, Deaths top 1,000

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of COVID-19 is all but certain.

For many Angelenos, the second question was equally urgent: When can we begin to leave our homes?

Garcetti explained the five “key elements” which determine the timeline: the ability to test for the virus and immunity-determining antibodies on a wide scale; the development of real-time dynamic monitoring to determine where cases are clustered; an improved system of tracking and tracing to keep the virus from spreading; building and maintaining robust hospital capacity; and the development of COVID-19 treatments and a vaccine.

He also proposed the formation of a ”Cares Core,” a coalition of government and health agencies, backed by federal funding, which would expedite these steps and guide the city through recovery.

The third question addressed the City of Angels’ pain: When we do go back, what damage will have been done?

At the time of the address, unemployment levels had already surpassed those reached during the worst days of the Great Recession, the mayor said.

At least 600 Angelenos had died as a result of COVID-19, and nearly 3,400 had been hospitalized. Garcetti acknowledged that the Safer at Home ordinance had helped “flatten this curve, but, to be clear, the numbers are still going up.”

He called the current situation a “collective trauma,” one that will

(PHOTO COURTESY MAYOR’S OFFICE)

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti’s State of the City shows measured optimism

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Reported Cases by Neighborhood as of Monday, April 27 Culver City: 58; Del Rey: 46; El Segundo: 27; Marina del Rey: 11; Mar Vista: 52; Playa Vista: 19; Playa del Rey: 1; Santa Monica: 156; Venice: 44; Westchester: 61 Total Confirmed Cases in LA County: 20,976 Total Deaths: 1,000 • In his Tuesday night briefing, LA Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that the City of Los Angeles had brokered a deal with Honeywell to procure 24 million N95 masks. Masks will be distributed to first responders and sold to area hospitals in need at cost. “These will be lifesavers, quite literally,” Garcetti said.

• LA seniors 65 and over, or 60 to 64 with underlying health conditions, are eligible to receive delivery and packaged meals through the city’s Emergency Senior Meals Response Program. The program will partner with area restaurants to prepare the meals and taxi drivers to deliver them. The hotline to request meals is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week at (213) 263-5226. Interested seniors and restaurants can enroll at aging.lacity. org/seniormeals.

• Starting Wednesday, LA County will expand COVID-19 testing to construction workers whether or not they are showing symptoms. The list of people now eligible for asymptomatic testing

includes: rideshare, public transportation and taxi drivers, health care workers, first responders, critical government personnel, grocery workers, credentialed members of the media and anyone who works or lives in a nursing home. Visit lacovidprod.service-now.com/rss to make an appointment.

• To help Angelenos receive federal stimulus funds via direct deposit more quickly, the City has partnered with county initiatives and financial institutions to help citizens without bank accounts open them safely and affordably or to cash checks without fees. To learn more and review a list of partners, visit corona-virus.la/banking.

N E W S

ArgonautNews.com

A Renter’s Survival Guide LA Councilmember Mike Bonin’s telephone town hall offers expert advice and resources to renters impacted by COVID-19

By Danny Karel By many estimates, social distancing and the Safer at Home order have saved tens of thousands of lives, but they’ve also kept millions away from work and unable to collect a paycheck.

For both landlords and renters, this has resulted in a fraught and contentious predicament that has sent local, state, and federal legislators scrambling for solutions.

“This is a real crisis we’re facing,” said Larry Gross, Executive Director of the Coalition for Economic Survival. “Prior to COVID-19, this city was already in a crisis in terms of rent and renters able to pay.”

Gross was one of four experts invited by LA District 11 Councilmember Mike Bonin to speak with constituents about newly enacted renters’ rights during a telephone town hall meeting, the second in a series addressing different aspects of the COVID-19 crisis.

Other panelists included Elena Popp, an attorney and founder of the Eviction Defense Network, and Anna Ortega and Marcella DeShurley, both of the Los Angeles Housing + Community Investment Department.

Of all his constituents, it’s renters who have been most fervently contacting Bonin since the start of the crisis.

Confusion about their rights and obligations to landlords stems from a “…maze of laws and executive orders and programs at different levels of government,” Bonin said.

Popp added that she spends time on Facebook each morning correcting “bad advice” spread between renters on social media sites like Facebook.

The town hall began with a summary of newly enacted protections, which cover two main areas: rent increases and evictions.

“For rental units subject to the Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO), all rent increases have been frozen as of March 30,” said Ortega.

Most units that fall under the RSO were typically built on or before October 1st, 1978 and the freeze on rent increases will extend for 360 days following

“This is a real crisis we’re facing. Prior to COVID-19, this city was already in a crisis in terms of rent and renters able to pay.”

— Larry Gross, Executive Director of the Coalition for Economic Survival the expiration of the emergency declaration — a significant jump from the original 90-day extension allotted by the city.

Bonin and Councilmember David Ryu argued for and secured this further extension during a marathon 12-hour Los Angeles City Council meeting last Wednesday.

The LA Mayor Eric Garcetti has also put a hold on almost all evictions, irrespective of whether a unit falls under the RSO. According to Ortega, this hold will last until 90 days following the expiration of the emergency declaration. Evictions that fall under this protection include no-fault evictions, Ellis Act evictions, nuisance evictions, and evictions that result from an inability to pay rent because of lost wages related to COVID-19.

If renters are unable to pay their rent because of lost wages, they will have one year, following the

expiration of the emergency declaration, to complete back payments. Landlords cannot apply late fees or charge interest to unpaid rent.

In response to widespread reports that landlords are demanding that tenants prove their inability to pay rent, the panel clarified that renters are not obligated to furnish documents proving their insolvency.

However, if renters are able to do so, they are advised to take this courteous step.

Despite these protections, renters across the city have received a “slew of 3-Day Notices” from landlords, demanding that rent be paid upon threat of eviction, said Gross.

Popp jumped in, explaining that it is within a landlord’s legal rights to post notices and file lawsuits against tenants at this time.

“They can file a lawsuit, the clerk will accept that lawsuit,

and the court will send you a notice,” she said. “It’s a scary notice, but it can only hurt you if you open it too quickly and get a paper cut.”

While the court is still receiving complaints, the clerk cannot issue a summons until 90 days following the expiration of the emergency declaration, she explained. However, when that time comes, landlords can move forward with lawsuits. She expects there to be a “tsunami of cases.”

While there are a number of proposals at different levels of government to secure rent and mortgage forgiveness, Bonin was clear that none of these proposals “have passed or are close to passing.”

Still, last Wednesday, City Council voted unanimously to urge the federal government to pass such relief measures, specifically the “Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act”

forwarded by Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.

Bonin acknowledged that for many homeowners and “momand-pop” landlords, rent relief without mortgage relief could be financially devastating as well, and said that mortgage and property owner issues related to the pandemic would be addressed in another town hall.

However, if renters are faced with a belligerent landlord, DeShurley encouraged them to file a complaint with the Los Angeles Housing + Community Investment Department (hcidla2. lacity.org/File-a-Complaint).

Another section of the department’s website offers an exhaustive overview of renter protections during the COVID-19 pandemic (hcidla2.lacity.org/ covid-19-renter-protections), and renters can always call (866) 557-7368 to speak with a department counselor.

If renters are unsure whether their apartment falls under the RSO, they can text (855) 880-7368, a department phone number, and follow the prompts.

If renters are being threatened with a lawsuit, eviction, or 3-Day Notice, Popp encouraged them to email the Eviction Defense Network at askanattorney@edn.LA, or to email info@ edn.LA for an explanation of tenant protection laws.

For sample letters that renters can provide to landlords asserting their inability to pay rent, Gross recommended contacting the Coalition for Economic Survival at contactces@earthlink.net. Their website cesinaction.org also contains a wealth of helpful information for renters.

Bonin’s office is also welcoming calls from both renters and landlords who may be struggling under the emergency declaration. His office number is (213) 444-3508, and additional information can be found on 11thdistrict.com.

“These are scary times, these are difficult times, and these are trying and uncertain times,” Bonin said, at the conclusion of the town hall. “But we are going to get through this together, as friends, as neighbors, and as a city.”

APRIL 30, 2020 THE ARGONAUT PAGE 5

C O V E R

S T O R Y

Art for a Critical Cause The Venice Art Walk goes virtual to aid Venice Family Clinic’s COVID-19 response can’t be together for the art walk,

By Christina Campodonico Buying art may seem like a luxury we can still all work together to right now, but it could actually save help the community,” says Naveena Ponnusamy, the Venice Family lives.

The Venice Family Clinic Art Walk Clinic’s Chief Development and Communications Officer. “We knew & Auction, also known as the Venice Art Walk for short, launches it was important to keep the tradition of the art walk alive.” this Sunday, May 3, on the online Proceeds from the online auction auction platform Artsy. Through May 19, art lovers can bid on works will support the Venice Family by the likes of master text artist Ed Clinic’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, including testing and Ruscha, Incubus vocalist Brandon screening for COVID-19, expandBoyd and celebrity photographer Sid Avery to benefit the community ing telehealth services for socially distant medical health care center, consultations, buying which serves personal protective 28,000 lowequipment (PPE) for income, uninsured staff, and ensuring and homeless continued food and individuals across housing access for the Los Angeles and clinic’s patients during celebrates its 50th this unprecedented anniversary this time. year.

“We are also there to While an online auction compoGuillermo Bert makes a help educate them on nent has been a statement with 24-karat what they need to do to self-isolate and take part of the Venice gold leaf care of themselves… if Art Walk for a they have symptoms or if they have number of years, this is the first been diagnosed as positive. We’re time in its 41-year history that the also there to see and help patients entire event is virtual.

While you won’t be able to gaze at who might need primary care treatment after they’re released paintings in the long Frank Gehryfrom the hospital,” says Ponnusadesigned halls of Google’s Venice my. “Bottom line we want to office (the iconic Binoculars provide the continuity of health care Building on Main Street) this year, that our patients have come to rely you can peruse over 150 artworks from the comfort of your own home on us for.”

The VFC’s Art Walk also honors via Artsy. Meanwhile, artist open that tradition of service this year by studio tours will be replaced by naming famed architect Frank virtual art talks with artists, art Gehry — who helped spearhead the writers, educators and advisers founding of the Venice Art Walk in throughout the month of May. 1979 with a storied band of local Discussions, delivered via VFC’s artists and volunteers — as the art email newsletter, will focus on works featured in the online auction walk’s Signature Artist.

Mark x Farina’s “The New Normal” animates 2020’s latest catchphrase with a “Four decades ago, I recognized and topics such as art collecting. the vital work Venice Family Clinic splash of millennial pink “We realized that even though we

Peruse Renee Petropoulos’ “Bouquet — For Clarise (Lispector),” Yassi Mazandi’s “Social Distancing” and Robin McCarthy’s “The Optimist / The Pessimist” online during the Venice Family Clinic’s first-ever virtual art walk and auction this year PAGE 6 THE ARGONAUT APRIL 30, 2020

Jens Lucking’s “Indecent Exposure | Britta” and Trine Churchill’s “In the Early Hours” show two sides of womanhood

Corrine Chaix’s “Fluctuat Nec Mergitur,” meaning “tossed but not sunk” in Latin, Enrique Martinez Celaya’s “The Mark” and Zoe Crosher’s “LAX Marietta’s Inn” are a surreal set of images provided for our community,” wrote Gehry in his Signature Artist’s statement. “Along with a team of dedicated volunteers, we recruited artist friends in Venice

and we established the Venice Art Walk to ensure that the artists and their neighbors received vitally-needed health care. I’m proud to continue to support the

Clinic today when their services are as essential as ever.”

“A lot of the artists who were living in the community were also getting health care from the clinic,” explains Ponnusamy. “So they were very grateful for the services the clinic provided to them personally. … They wanted to give back.”

Among the art walk’s early supporters were the late concep-

D.J. Hall’s painting shows a slice of pre-pandemic Venice, while Vanessa Prager’s “Solitude in Pink” meditates on the isolation of staying at home

tual artist John Baldessari, who passed away this January, and the late abstract painter Ed Moses, as well as current Venice artists like Light and Space sculptor Laddie John Dill, who was recruited by Gehry himself.

Dill has utilized the clinic’s services and continues to donate artwork to the annual fundraiser.

“I do it because I’m a citizen of Venice,” Dill told The Argonaut in 2017. “I find the clinic to be an extremely important place. …

It’s really a lifeline…”

You’ll have to check Artsy on May 3 to see the piece Dill has donated this year. Despite having their galleries, and in some cases studios, shuttered due to the pandemic, artists have generously donated highly valuable and deeply thought-provoking works to this year’s auction, observes Erin Harnisch, director

This signed Ed Ruscha is a featured auction item of events for the art walk, and her colleague Lisa Gelber, an art adviser and chair of the curatorial committee.

For instance, Johan Andersson’s portrait “Frontline” of a young woman with bloodshot eyes and (Continued on page 11)

APRIL 30, 2020 THE ARGONAUT PAGE 7

F O O D

&

D R I N K

Essential Heroes Local grocery workers share their experiences working in the aisles during COVID-19 Story and Photos By Shanee Edwards For grocery store workers across the country, checking out customers, stocking shelves with toilet paper and delivering your groceries have catapulted them to the front lines of the current pandemic. That can mean long stressful days dealing with impatient, jeopardous customers while implementing lots of changes quickly – often without any additional compensation.

In March, Instacart grocery delivery workers walked off the job to demand hand sanitizer and higher pay. Whole Foods workers organized a “sick-out” for hazard pay and paid sick leave. Trader Joe’s is in the midst of a labor fight. And on May 1, workers from Amazon, Instacart, Target, Walmart, FedEx and Whole Foods plan to take part in a national strike.

Meanwhile, grocery stores and local governments across the country have responded to the pandemic with new sanitation and public health protocols.

This includes wiping down cash registers every 30 minutes, installing sneeze guards, encouraging customers to stay six feet apart and requiring workers to wear face coverings. Yet each interaction with a customer could put these essential workers at risk of being exposed to the coronavirus. Since last Wednesday, testing for COVID-19 in Los Angeles has been expanded to critical care workers, including grocery workers, whether they show symptoms or not.

“I’ve had nurses come up to me and say,‘You are the first responders, before us.’”

— Rolando Rodriguez, Ralphs Cashier Surprisingly, the mood of grocery workers we spoke with around West Los Angeles is generally optimistic. They take their jobs seriously and genuinely want to keep you safe, which is good to know as the number of coronavirus cases continues to climb across LA County.

While some workers do worry about their own health, those we spoke with expressed their relief to still be working, considering that 2.7 million Californians have filed for unemployment in the last month. However, every single worker had the same message for their customers: Please stay home. Here’s what else they had to say about their experiences.

PAGE 8 THE ARGONAUT APRIL 30, 2020

Jose Ceja, Manager at Whole Foods, Playa Vista

Jose Ceja started working at the Whole Foods in West LA right after graduating from Venice High School — that was 14 years ago. Now, he’s the manager of the Whole Foods in Playa Vista. Since the Safer at Home order went into effect, he’s seen people behave in two extreme manners.

“Some people are overly courteous, thanking us and acknowledging our hard work. But sometimes, you do get those bad apples who are fussy and don’t want to wait in line or follow proper protocol for everybody’s safety,” he says.

When Ceja has to deal with people who don’t want to social distance properly, he says, “We try to make them understand that it’s not about them. It’s about other people.”

He says the first week of the crisis was the most difficult: “We were not prepared for the volume of people coming in here.

It was chaotic. But now I feel like people are listening to the politicians and staying home. So we do have less people, but our delivery service [Amazon] Prime, has been backed up. We have a high volume of online orders.”

At the Playa Vista store, the temperatures of Amazon Prime delivery drivers are taken before allowing them to check out with your groceries. Overall, he says, “Everyone is in high spirits. We’re still working, so we’re grateful for that. We’re trying to stay pretty optimistic over here.”

Jose Torres, Team Member at Trader Joe’s, Marina del Rey

Jose Torres has been working at Trader Joe’s in the marina since the new store opened on Admiralty Way a year ago.

Recently, though, he says workers have been going through some drastic changes beyond wearing masks and cleaning the registers every 30 minutes. “Once we close up the store at 7 p.m., there are about six or eight of us who are closers.

We clean the whole store with our alcohol wipes and try to sanitize everything as best as possible,” says Torres.

Though he hasn’t worried too much about getting sick, he says, “I was more worried about the reactions I was seeing.

Just to see everyone running around in the store that first week when the whole panic started happening. Everyone was shocked and scared – I took that home with me. I was kind of anxious.”

At first, he had a hard time grasping what was happening. “I didn’t process it until the second week, when we started making regulations. I thought, ‘Wow. Is this really happening?’ It was an intense week,” he says.

So far, Torres doesn’t know anyone who’s been infected with COVID-19 at the store or anywhere else: “I can tell everyone is trying to be as honest as possible in terms of the staff. We see each other as a family.”

His one piece of advice for getting those popular, hard-to-find items, is to call ahead and make a customer hold. “We weren’t doing it the first couple of weeks.

Now, we’re leaning on that. We’ll hold the item as long as you need,” says Torres.

Al Holbrook, Temporary Worker at Gelson’s in Santa Monica

ArgonautNews.com Considering live concerts are on hold possibly until 2021, blues and soul musician Al Holbrook decided to fill his empty tour schedule with a new job.

Holbrook has been working at Gelson’s on Lincoln Boulevard for about a month, having been hired along with his girlfriend as a temporary worker. So far, he likes it. “We’re providing a solid service for the community – it feels great!,” he says.

Like all of us, Holbrook wants to go back to normal life as soon as possible and admits that he and his girlfriend try not to talk about work at home. “We have a swear jar for when we talk about work.

I’ve messed up once, and so did she.

There’s like a couple bucks in it right now,” he says with a laugh.

A song he wrote called “Amplify” sums up how he feels about life during the current pandemic. “The song is about amplifying the love and compassion. You see a lot of people coming through [the market] with compassion. That’s what we need,” he says.

But not everyone he’s interacted with offers up love: “Some people, well, they have their moments…” You can listen to “Amplify” at alholbrook.com.

others: “We’re all supposed to be staying at home, but if other people can’t go out because they have health issues or are more susceptible, then I don’t mind being the person to get stuff for them.”

Malis says she’s going to continue with Instacart even after the pandemic subsides but understands there likely won’t be as much work. “Right now, you can [shop and drive for Instacart] all day,” she says, adding that she made over $800 her first week.

As a history major at UCLA, she says she thinks it’s pretty amazing to live through this “crazy” moment in time.

“This has only ever happened in the 1920s with influenza, and that was the only thing that can compare. This is definitely going to change how we operate in society.

People are going to realize they can do more stuff than they ever imagined online,” she says.

John D., Amazon Fresh, delivering from Bristol Farms in Santa Monica

John D., (who didn’t want to reveal his last name in case Amazon Fresh didn’t want him talking about his job) says he enjoys delivering people’s groceries.

“I have a family, so I know how it is, Theresa Malis, Instacart, especially with how crazy things are,” delivering from Ralphs he says. in Culver City Despite the craziness, he says everyone When UCLA student Theresa Malis has been polite: “I understand why found herself with some free time after all people order with us. Standing in a line her college classes moved online, she [like the long line at Bristol Farms] is a decided to pick up a job with Instacart. pain. I have an autistic son, so it would Though she’s not getting hazard pay, she be hard.” says the tips have been good: “I think they John says he does worry about getting feel – morally – like they should tip you sick, but, “The area where I’m from, we more. I’ve been doing Postmates and have other things to worry about.” He DoorDash as well and nobody tips on currently lives in South Los Angeles but those apps.” hopes to move out with his wife and son Though she doesn’t worry about her own soon. He’s been working for Amazon Fresh health, she does worry for the health of for two months, turning to food delivery

Amazon Fresh worker John D. says he’s not getting hazard pay from Amazon, but the tips do make him smile after losing his two valet parking gigs.

He’s not getting any hazard pay from Amazon, but says, “They do take care of me as far as compensation. People are helpful, too, with tips. The tips have been pretty generous, I can’t complain. I’m smiling behind this mask.”

Rolando Rodriguez, Cashier at Ralphs in Culver City

Rolando Rodriguez says the beginning of the Stay at Home order was the most hectic for Ralphs grocery store on Overland Avenue. “We lost a lot of paper towels, water and toilet paper the first week – we had to limit the amount of items for each person. After that we had to get people to calm down before

they came in,” he says.

Rodriguez describes big groups of customers were trying to rush inside the store. He admits to feeling fearful at times: “I felt scared the week before Easter because we had a lot of people coming in trying to buy Easter stuff.

It was the week the governor said not to go to the grocery store unless you need to. And everyone came, it was difficult.”

Though he’s not getting hazard pay, he’s getting “hero pay” which is $2 extra per hour and $3 extra on Sundays, in addition to a recent $250 bonus. But he really hopes people are only going to the grocery store when they absolutely need to. He says, “I’ve had nurses come up to me and say, ‘You are the first responders, before us.’”

APRIL 30, 2020 THE ARGONAUT PAGE 9

F O O D

&

D R I N K

Perk Up Your Day Change up the work-from-home grind with beans and brews to-go or brought to you

By Anthony Torrise Without coffee, this quarantine would take stir-crazy to a whole new level! With many of us cooped up indoors and tethered to our computers, it’s become ever more clear how essential this beverage is to break up the blur between work and home life. Thankfully, these local coffee shops are still up and active for takeout, delivery or subscription service. These beans won’t grow a giant beanstalk, but there is a reason some people Groundwork Coffee Co. call them magic.

With seven types of whole bean coffee available, as well as pre-made hot or iced organic coffee or tea, the only thing that would make this place better is a mouth-watering brunch menu.

Luckily, that is exactly what they have at the Rose Avenue location. With nine different brunch entrees alone, the possiblities are endless. Delivery is offered through Uber Eats, ChowNow and DoorDash or pickup at the Rose Avenue location. Or choose a curated coffee or tea subscription to Alana’s Coffee Roasters enjoy at home.

This Venice Boulevard coffee 671 Rose Ave., Venice; 3 stop favored by Mar Vistans is Westminster Ave., Venice | (310) offering pastries and coffee for 664-8830 | groundworkcoffee. takeout with new, temporary com hours. You can now submit mobile orders ahead of your arrival, or you can order bags of beans directly from Alana’s website. Check out whole bean coffee selections with flavors inspired by Colombia, Africa and Mexico. Gift cards are also available.

12511 Venice Blvd., Mar Vista | (310) 295-0099 | alanascoffeeroasters.com

“Brewin w/ Bobby & Minka” from Demitasse Coffee The friendly coffee people of Cafe Demitasse are taking to Instagram to show you how to brew your own coffee at home.

Join Bobby and Minka every Tuesday and Friday at 10 a.m. for fun tutorials and demos. To complete the package, you can order up to eight blends of coffee beans by the bag or by subscription from their website. Instant coffee is also available. The Santa Monica location is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day, so you could even stop by for a breath of fresh air and some java to-go.

1149 Third Street, Santa Monica | (424) 322-0959 The Boy & The Bear While this artisan roaster’s locations in Culver City and Westchester are temporarily closed that doesn’t mean you can’t get your hands on their tasty brews. Their website has ten whole bean coffees, primarily from Colombia, available as well as a “survival box” of instant coffee. Order two bags to qualify for free shipping. Support their baristas by making a donation via their virtual tip jar. theboyandthebear.com Intelligentsia With the essential nature of coffee nowadays, some might need it more consistently than others. That is where Intelligentsia comes in. Although their brick + mortar Abbot Kinney location is closed, you can subscribe to Intelligentsia’s subscription service. Determine the frequency of deliveries, the

type of taste that’s desired, and you will have fresh coffee beans regularly delivered to your door.

For the tea lovers, there is also a tea subscription service. intelligentsiacoffee.com goodboybob Coffee Roasters

When COVID-19 hit, the Santa Monica café had to pivot.

Forutnately, you can get their small batch house blend and single-origin offerings in your own home through their biweekly or monthly subscription box delivery service. Enjoy flavors

from Tanzania, Honduras and Ecuador, with Ugandan and Costa Rican beans coming online in May. You can also order up market provisions such as almond milk, eggs, beer, wine and artisan bread to complement your caffeine package. goodboybob.com Urth Caffé’s Rainforest Coffee The minds behind Urth Caffé have teamed up with TreePeople to build a greener future with a classic whole bean coffee available online and via its cafes for takeout. The Rainforest™ coffee is a light roast with beans hailing from high-altitude rainforests and sweet citrus, cinnamon notes. For every bag purchased, $2 goes toward TreePeople’s efforts to plant trees in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Delivery is available through Seamless, GrubHub, and DoorDash.

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Sales of Urth Caffé’s Rainforest™ roast help plant trees in the Santa Monica Mountains

“TRADE SCHOOL” (4/23/20)

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Art for a Critical Cause (Continued from page 7)

Both are indelible objects of the moment —inseparable from the language and Zeitgeist of the era.

While Ponnusamy says there’s no formal theme this year, she thinks having the art walk during this public health crisis has underlined the importance of the

Venice Family Clinic’s mission to provide affordable health care to those in need.

“Now more than ever, I think we understand why everybody needs access to quality health care,” she says. “We’ve been fortunate to have this creative community of supporters who are passionate about social justice and passionate about our mission. Everybody, despite the uncertainty they might have in their own lives, wants to step up and see how they can help.

We’re celebrating creativity and community and banding together to help people in a time of need.”

For those who are able, Gelber adds, “I think buying art to support Venice Family Clinic is almost a duty at this point.”

The Venice Family Clinic Art Walk & Auction happens online May 3 through May 19 at artsy. net/veniceartwalk. Bids start at $250. Visit venicefamilyclinic.org to sign up for the VFC’s email newsletter and virtual art talks.

John Baldessari’s “Hero” was made especially for the Venice Family Clinic’s Art Walk

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her mouth covered by a surgical mask (which appears on this week’s cover) echoes photographs, often selfies, of medical workers’ faces scarred by the tight bands of N95 masks and other PPE. Though created in 2019, the image immediately speaks to the present plight of health care workers fighting COVID-19. “[Andersson] had been showing us … ‘What about this? What about that?’ for weeks,” recalls Gelber. “We almost sort of lost touch. … But then one day there’s an email in my colleague’s email box saying ‘What do you think about this image? … And we were like, ‘Yeah, that’s fantastic.’”

Others like Yassi Mazandi’s diptych “Social Distancing” is a play on words and symbols, captioning a pen-drawn letter “X” as “a virtual kiss, for you” and an “O” as “a virtual hug, for you.” Meanwhile Otis-trained Mark x Farina’s aerosol on canvas painting spells out a now oft-used phrase “The New Normal” with a hazy blur of shimmering pink and green.

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APRIL 30, 2020 THE ARGONAUT PAGE 11

LOS ANGELES TIMES SUNDAY CROSSWORD PUZZLE “ILLEGAL TENDER” By ADAM VINCENT

CLONE SHARK I’m a gay man. I was in a relationship with my ex for about three years.

We’re on good terms and hang out as friends. He recently started dating a guy who looks like my long-lost twin (except he’s got about 40 pounds on me). Our mutual friends find this creepy and weird, and I have to say, I do, too.

— Disturbed When two people break up, there’s often the inevitable, “It’s not you...” but you don’t expect, “It’s not you; it’s you... with more of a thing for beer, fried foods, and cake.”

This sort of thing can seem seriously creepy, until you drop in on a behavioral genetics researcher like Nancy Segal. Research by Segal and others on identical twins separated at birth (sometimes by a hospital mix-up) and raised apart suggests that many of our behaviors and preferences are genetically driven. For example, Segal told me “most behaviors have a 50% genetic effect.” There’s an interplay between genes and environment that can shake things up a bit, but if Mommy likes hot food and dark-haired men, there’s a good chance her daughter (who shares approximately 50% of her DNA) will also be thumbs up for Sergio and Sriracha.

The power of genes in driving behav-

ior and preferences is reflected in Oskar and Jack, separated-at-birth identical twins Segal studied. When they met as adults, they discovered they both wrapped tape around pens and pencils to get a better grip, read books from back to front, and flushed toilets before using them as well as afterward.

Sure, these could be wild coincidences, but they’re most likely expressions of personality traits, which are substantially driven by genetics. For example, Segal explains in “Indivisible by Two: Lives of Extraordinary Twins” that “both Jack and Oskar were sensitive to germs,” so their shared “penchant” for the double flush “is understandable.”

We might not see situations like yours often simply because there’s a gap between the features and traits we’re most attracted to and those available to us in people around us.

Accordingly, it is possible that neither you nor the new guy entirely reflects your ex’s mate preferences, but your ex missed you and came as close as he could to replacing you when choosing his next boyfriend. Apparently, he picked him up not at the bar but at Costco, where the products we know and love come in more generous packages: “Dumpster-sized,” “Grand Canyon-sized,” and “black hole-sized extra value pack.”

GLOOM WITH A VIEW I’m a 30-year-old woman in a new relationship with a really great guy.

I haven’t been very lucky in romance, and in the past, every time I met someone I really liked, I ended up getting the rug pulled out from under me, and getting dumped when I thought things were going great. This has left me with some raging insecurities. How can I calm down so I won’t get so freaked out that I sabotage the relationship?

— Panicky It’s good to let your partner know you don’t take him for granted, though ideally not by waking up every morning all excited he’s (still) there: “Wow, can’t believe you didn’t sneak out, fake your death, and move to Belize!”

The Stoic philosopher Epictetus said something along the lines of, “It is not events that disturb us but the views we take of them.” In other words, it is not what happens to us that makes us feel bad but our interpretation of it. Chances are your interpretation is that it would be HORRIBLE if you were to get dumped again. Psychologist Albert Ellis calls this “catastrophizing:” engaging in irrational,

overblown, drama llama thinking that only serves to make us more miserable.

Rational thought, however, is the faceslap out of hysteria that we used to see in old movies. An example of the rational approach: There are “HORRIBLE” things in the world, like being eaten alive by a family of bears. But let’s be honest: Being dumped is merely a miserable experience you’d prefer to avoid. You will survive.

Research by psychologist Lauren C. Howe suggests a person’s interpretation of their breakup is key to their ability to recover from it. She finds that people who cast their breakup as a learning experience, viewing it as an opportunity for personal growth and better relationships in the future, are less chewed up by romantic rejection and less likely to suffer “lasting damage” in its wake. Sure, as Ellis says, we all “prefer” to avoid breakups and other painful experiences.

Unfortunately, “experience is the best teacher” does not include the experience of being clonked over the head by a chunk of wisdom that falls out of a passing plane along with a child’s car seat and a gift-wrapped blender.

GOT A PROBLEM? Write to Amy Alkon at 171 Pier Ave, Ste. 280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or email her at AdviceAmy@aol.com. ©2020, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. Alkon’s latest book is “Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence.” Follow @amyalkon on Twitter or visit blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon.

PAGE 12 THE ARGONAUT APRIL 30, 2020

ACROSS 1 “Please stay” 7 Fallopian tube neighbor 12 __ Beta Kappa 15 Just peachy, in old slang 18 Tool for winter fishing 19 “I swear!”

20 Royal problem?

21 Superhero sound effect 22 Mad money?

24 Lingerie brand 25 Chapter in history 26 Close-knit team 27 Navel type 28 Grant money?

30 Takes too much, briefly 31 The OED’s 21,728, e.g.

33 Australian rockers __ at Work 34 Shoot for 35 Voice below soprano 36 French toppers 39 NFL pass rushers, as a unit 40 Hot money?

45 They’re used for emphasis 47 Olympian Bolt 48 Bit of info 49 Nasty type 50 Social media pic that may go viral 51 Intrinsically 52 Ransom money?

56 Amtrak track 57 Talk Like a Pirate Day word 58 Undoing 60 “What else could it be?!”

61 Go head to head 62 From sunup to sundown 64 Afterwords 67 Greek goddess of wisdom 69 Hawaiian staple

e.g.

70 Gamer’s 5 Strategy complaint 6 Be indebted to 72 Arrived at, as a 7 As expected conclusion 8 Battery count 73 BuzzFeed 9 Jai __ reaction button 10 Ancient mariner’s 75 Wears on story, e.g.

76 Old money?

11 Positive answer 79 Dishes out 12 Besties incautiously 13 Runner’s __ 81 Sister of Rachel 14 Unfavorably 82 Mercedes-Benz 15 Feature of club sedan line nights for comic 83 “What are you wannabes gonna do about 16 Main cast of it?!”

“Parasite,” e.g.

84 Put on 17 Discarded old 85 Should really PCs, say 87 Paper money?

20 Finer-tipped 89 Type of drum or dance 23 Well-intentioned 90 Cassock wearer humanitarian 92 Long, long time 28 Like a bairn 93 Heavenly body?

29 Fried foods, vis-à94 Bear in Baja vis baked ones 95 Seder staple 32 Georgia airport 97 Pres. when code Sputnik was 33 Dash in a spice launched rack?

100 Bad money?

35 Word rarely used 103 Hindu teacher without “far” 105 Rumble in the 36 Living symbol of Jungle setting happiness 107 Celtic Sea land, to 37 State tree of the IOC Massachusetts 108 Hard end?

38 No-nonsense 109 Smart money?

40 Undeserved 111 Wonderland drink punishments 112 “I would consider 41 Rely heavily on __ honor” 42 Hermanos, 113 Backwoods type primas, etcétera 114 Self-referential 43 Ballet-inspired “Don’t you think?” workout method 115 Fizzy prefix 44 Oft-mispunctuated 116 Flyers’ org. word 117 Witherspoon of 46 Time Person of “Wild” the Year et al.

118 African pest 49 Compressed file format DOWN 51 Accounts __ 1 ’70s music genre 52 Ski slope apparel 2 Pie slices, often 53 Stuff oneself silly 3 Water and air, e.g. 54 Connection 4 Peter the Great, 55 Pet control aids

59 Tavern mugful 63 Tina Fey’s boss on “30 Rock” 65 Devices made largely obsolete by smartphones 66 NFL ref’s review aid 68 Multinational hotel chain 71 Understand 74 Like many La Scala productions 77 Bookkeeper’s book 78 Ovarian hormone 80 Rent 83 ’60s protest gp.

84 Big bores 85 Special guest, perhaps 86 Like many Cubist paintings 87 Fair-hiring inits.

88 “__ me!”

89 Bolivian bungalow 91 Sorta cousin 95 Former fillies 96 More than enough 97 “__ We Almost Have It All” 98 Mildly annoyed cries 99 Unnerving 101 Swear words?

102 River through Orsk 103 Pump, e.g.

104 Aftermath 106 “Zip-__-Doo-Dah” 109 Home of many 2010s refugees: Abbr.

110 Magician’s source of surprises

APRIL 30, 2020 AT HOME – THE ARGONAUT’S REAL ESTATE SECTION PAGE 13

THE ARGONAUT PRESS RELEASES REGATTA CORNER UNIT

FABULOUS CITY VIEWS

OCEAN AND MARINA VIEWS

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“Amazing opportunity for this very rare three bedroom, twoand-half bath unit with city & mountain views from every room, ” says agent Jesse Weinberg. “With nearly 1,900 sq ft, the large living/dining area has beautiful wood floors, floor to ceiling walls of glass, and fireplace. Kitchen boasts granite counters, breakfast nook, balcony access & gas cooking.

Huge master bedroom allows for an office space/seating area & stunning bath. Spacious guest bedrooms are perfect for kids, guests or den/office. Minutes from shops/restaurants, movie theaters, bike path, & more.”

Offered at $1,099,000 Jesse Weinberg Jesse Weinberg & Associates 800-804-9132

“This gorgeous home has a bright and open living room with hardwood floors, gourmet kitchen, and stainless steel appliances,” says agent Todd Miller. “All three bedrooms are on the second floor. The private rooftop deck has city views encompassing the Sony rainbow and Hollywood sign. Incredible location surrounded by shops, restaurants and nightlife in downtown Culver City, including the Kirk Douglas and Arc Light Theaters and a weekly farmer’s market. Unlocked for Access Sat & Sun 2-5pm” Offered at $1,399,000 Todd Miller Keller Williams Santa Monica 310-923-5353

“This two bedroom, two bath unit has floor-to-ceiling windows with ocean and marina views” says agent Eileen McCarthy. “Marina City Club amenities includes 6 tennis courts, 3 swimming pools, racquet ball, paddle tennis, 16,000 sq ft gym space, yoga, Pilates, spinning, aerobics, and more. Full bar and restaurant, room service, cafe, salon, maid service, car wash and 24-hour security.

Everything you need for the perfect staycation.”

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“Enjoy luxury in this decorator perfect, remodeled residence,” says agent Denise Fast. “Steps to beaches and harbor. This sun-drenched, designer inspired home has an open floor plan, great for entertaining. First floor features a wood-burning fireplace, volume ceilings, gleaming wood floors & transom windows. Spacious family room opens to the garden with a tile patio, great for dining al fresco.

Sunlight filters through mature trees into the gourmet kitchen & breakfast area, & stainless steel appliances.”

Offered at $2,125,000 Denise Fast RE/MAX Estate Properties 310.578.5414

THE ARGONAUT REAL ESTATE Q&A

Can you outsmart the market?

Getting ready to refinance your mortgage but waiting for rates to fall just one more time? Is that extra 1/8th percent ready to drop? Some consumers begin to follow economic news and perform no shortage of due diligence trying to pick the perfect time to lock in an interest rate.

Loan officers are asked on a daily basis, “What are rates going to do?” The fact is nobody knows and for those who say they know, well, they don’t. Even the most learned of financial analysts get it wrong. There are just too many ingredients that affect mortgage rates, some expected but many unexpected, for any solid projection to come to fruition. Yes, there are certainly general trends that can be pointed to but trying to outsmart interest rate markets can go wrong rather quickly.

Conventional mortgages, both fixed and adjustable, are tied to specific indices. A traditional 30 year fixed rate might be tied to either the Fannie Mae 30yr or 3.0 mortgage bond. Freddie has its own bond as well.

Adjustable rates can follow the Constant

Maturity Treasury index or others. When investors, both individual and institutional decide where to allocate their funds, they do so by evaluating current economic data and try to predict the future.

Mortgage bonds, like any bond, provide the investor a fixed rate of return. Stocks on the other hand do not. Stock prices in general take a nod to recent and current economic data.

When investors are bullish on the economy, more money will flow into stocks and out of bonds. Conversely, when investors think the economy is headed for a slowdown, the opposite can happen. Money leaves stocks and moves into bonds. Bonds won’t yield very much but that’s not the attraction. The attraction of a bond is safety, not hitting the jackpot on an investment bet.

So, here’s where it can get a little dicey for individuals waiting to squeeze just a little more out of rates. Your loan officer will tell you that it takes quite a bit for interest rates to move lower. After a series of extended negative

PAGE 14 AT HOME – THE ARGONAUT’S REAL ESTATE SECTION APRIL 30, 2020

economic reports, rates will drift lower. For a rate to drop 1/8 or 1/2 percent lower, that might take some time. A single economic report released that might indicate the economy is headed for a fall won’t have much of an impact. A series of such reports will.

On the other hand, after rates have drifted lower or remained stagnant, it doesn’t take much for rates to rebound. And when they do rebound, the change in available rates occurs much faster compared to falling lower. Inflation news not good? That’s bad news for bonds and many investors will see an immediate response in the prices of bonds, including mortgage bonds.

This all means that if you’re waiting on rates to fall just a little bit more, you run the risk of the opposite happening and when it does, rates could move higher and never look back. When you ask your loan officer what he or she thinks rates might do, the experienced loan officers know not to answer that question directly.

They can tell you where rates have been and

why, but they can’t tell the future. Can you imagine how upset you would be if your loan officer suggested you hold off another week and wait for a particular economic report only to ultimately find out the loan officer was wrong and your refinance opportunity is now firmly in your rear view mirror?

The point is this: if you’ve got an attractive rate now and it makes sense to refinance, or you’ve got an accepted offer on a home and trying to time the markets, take what you have. The chances of rates moving up is higher compared to rates moving lower in our current environment. Don’t try to outsmart the markets.

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION WAS ANSWERED BY

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O B I T U A R Y ANNE LOUISE (PERT) PALMER May 14, 1964 — March 30, 2020 Anne Louise (Pert) Palmer passed away on March 30, 2020 at the age of 55 after a courageous two-year battle with cancer.

Anne was born May 14, 1964 in Phoenix to Edmund and Raima (Geare) Pert. She spent much of her childhood in San Clemente, attending Our Lady of Fatima school and graduating from San Clemente High (1982). She earned a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education (1986) and Master’s in School Administration (1991) from Loyola Marymount University.

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Anne married Rob Palmer in 1989, and they raised their three children Johnny, Jake, and Gracie in the Westchester neighborhood of Los Angeles. In 2015 they moved to Concord, California, where Anne enjoyed the natural beauty around their home.

Anne taught elementary school in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. She then spent many years working for educational publishers, primarily Perma-Bound Books. Anne cared deeply about literacy and truly enjoyed helping school librarians choose books for their students.

Anne’s priority was family — she loved being a mother, spending time with her husband and kids, and instigating family game day during holiday gatherings of her large extended family.

Anne was loved for her warm smile, positive attitude, and kind heart. She welcomed others into her home as if they were part of her family. She had great friends from different phases of her life and deeply treasured her time with them.

Anne was preceded in death by her father, Edmund. She is survived by her mother Raima, her husband Rob, her three children Johnny, Jake, and Gracie, eight siblings Mike, Peggy, Tim, Molly, Eddie, Mimi, John, and Beverly, and many loving nieces and nephews.

Anne will leave a lasting legacy of kindness. In remembrance of Anne please perform an act of kindness. Your heart will be warmed and Anne will smile from heaven.

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APRIL 30, 2020 THE ARGONAUT PAGE 15

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