Los Angeles Downtown News - 1-16-23

Solis, SoCalGas, LA Mission bring ‘Water Box’ to Skid Row

By Luke Netzley LA Downtown News Deputy Editor

Nonprofit WaterBox.org is bringing free, clean water to Skid Row by installing a “water box,” a cubeshaped cart that distributes filtered water.

LA County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis met with representatives from nationwide gas distributor SoCalGas and facilities solutions provider Servicon at the Los Angeles Mission on Jan. 11 to unveil the new mobile water filtration system.

“This is not a very complicated machine,” WaterBox.org co-founder Drew Fitzgerald said. “There’s no intellectual property. This isn’t a for-profit business. … It’s just about investing in the community and the infrastructure or lack thereof. And so one of the most important things about this, even though it’s a hardware and a bit of a software solution, is it’s a solution to put control back in the hands of people who are drinking the water.”

The new water box in Skid Row can produce up to 10 gallons of drinking water per minute, water that’s tested daily with use and every few weeks by an independent,

certified laboratory. Residents will also be provided with refillable water jugs.

“This is what community looks like, when we come together to really serve our friends and neighbors … bringing practical resources to our community,” said Pastor Troy Vaughn, president and CEO of LA Mission. “Everybody needs water, and so when we can … create sustainable solutions, healthy solutions in our community, that’s the best win-win for all of us. So here at the Los Angeles Mission, when the supervisor’s office approached us and said, ‘Hey, we have an idea. We want to partner with you. Would you be open to do this?’ Of course, we jumped at it.”

“Water is precious, and water is life,” Solis remarked. “I was just very excited to hear about how we could provide such an essential ingredient to life for people so they could have dignity. … We know that we have deserts right here in urban places like Skid Row, in parts of my district that I represent, East LA and in the San Gabriel Valley, where people don’t readily have full

Chris Mortenson/Staff

Greg Mielcarz from the LA Mission fills up a water bottle at the new Water Box that was recently installed outside of the mission on Skid Row.

LA Health Commission releases recommendations for ‘Healthy Living’ DTNEWS

By Luke Netzley LA Downtown News Deputy Editor

In a reflection of the city’s 2022 health report, members of the Los Angeles Health Commission joined together for their first meeting of the new year. The online meeting on Jan. 9 outlined the primary tenets of the 105-page report’s “Healthy Living” recommendations for the city, which highlighted issues that Angelenos have faced in their daily lives during the past year, such as adapting to changes brought on by the pandemic like remote working for employees and virtual learning for students.

COVID-19

Given the drastic shifts that businesses throughout LA have undergone in response to the pandemic, the commission insisted that business owners use the new year to reassess what their workplace should look like and prioritize employee output over time spent working.

The commission’s recommendations for the city were to implement pilot trial programs identifying the impact of shorter work weeks on staff productivity, engagement and health, and urge business owners to consider shortening to four-day work weeks without sacrificing pay or benefits and ensuring that reduced hours do not directly increase work intensity. They also called on businesses to create opportunities for in-person connection among employees working remotely and acknowledge that remote work may not be feasible for all employees.

The commission’s recommendations regarding the impact of virtual learning on students included implementing voluntary summer schools or increased hours dedicated to core subjects in the classroom, creating a local or state -

wide intervention program with tutoring services for students not meeting grade-level expectations, urging stakeholders to evaluate both the benefits and drawbacks of a longer school year, and increasing federal aid packages or allocating more COVID-relief money toward academic recovery.

For educators and administrators, the commission stressed the importance of identifying students who suffered learning losses and providing them with tailored support programs or 1:1 instruction, identifying learning gaps by regularly administering baseline assessments, and attending seminars on how to use intensive tutoring sessions to effectively accelerate a student’s learning.

Drug crisis

In addition to the impact of COVID-19, the commission called for a response to the growing drug crisis that has continued to grip the city as approximately 740,000 people in LA County suffer from a substance abuse disorder, according to reports.

The commission recommended that the city improve access to opioid use disorder treatments like methadone and buprenorphine; incorporate prescription drug monitoring programs into healthcare facilities’ electronic health record systems; and expand naloxone availability while funding pharmacotherapy, syringe exchanges and psychosocial treatment.

They also stress the importance of coordination between state and local government officials with the Office of National Drug Control policy and the development of evaluation plans within the National Drug Control Agency that would allocate funding and resources to districts in greater need of support against rising substance use rates.

The pharmaceutical industry

According to reports, the price of insulin in the United States has been increased by over 600% in the last two decades by leading manufacturers, reflecting a wider trend of rising drug costs.

“Pbms (pharmaceutical benefit managers) are financially incentivized to make medications such as insulin more expensive due to kickbacks,” which are monetary exchanges meant to influence health care providers or physicians, City Health Research Associate Sara Khoshniyati explained.

The commission recommended that the city ensure that pbms can’t collect rebates or kickbacks, limit co-pays to no more than $35 a month, and guarantee that prior authorization or requirements can’t be imposed to limit a patient’s access to medical support.

Bill 1137, which promotes environmental justice for Angelenos disproportionately affected by pollutants, the LA Health Commission analyzed the impact of gas stoves on the climate and human health.

Citing the work of Dr. Rob Jackson, a professor at the Stanford School of Sustainability, they found that common cooking appliances like gas, wood and electric stoves can introduce hazardous levels of carbon monoxide and indoor air pollutants.

The commission recommended that Angelenos routinely check combustion appliances for spillage by using spillage indicators on water heaters and gas furnaces and refrain from using unvented or poorly vented heat sources as well as kerosene heaters and charcoal grills indoors while instead choosing “direct vent” gas appliances that completely seal their exhaust vents.

For those living with young children or people with allergies or lung disease, the commission insisted on using high-efficiency air cleaners and considering home improvements that help with ventilation, like chimneys, windows or ventilation holes.

On the local government level, the commission recommended regulating policies that improve access to advanced cookstoves or fuels while subsidizing the purchase of high-efficiency electric appliances or solar heating systems that could act as alternatives to gas stoves.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

STAFF WRITERS: Andrew Checchia, Andres De Ocampo, Julia Shapero

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Sara Edwards, Kamala Kirk

ART DIRECTORS: Arman Olivares, Stephanie Torres

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Luis Chavez

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Myriam Santos

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway, Michael Lamb

Environmental sustainability

FOUNDER EMERITUS: Sue Laris

Alongside fighting environmental inequality through legislation like Senate

EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

DEPUTY EDITOR: Luke Netzley

STAFF WRITER: Morgan Owen

CONTRIBUTING WRITER: Ellen Snortland

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Chris Mortenson

ART DIRECTORS: Arman Olivares, Stephanie Torres

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway (213) 308-2261

Michael Lamb (213) 453-3548 Denine Gentilella (323) 627-7955

FOUNDER EMERITUS: Sue Laris

At the end of a year that’s seen individuals, businesses and communities continue to emerge from the pandemic, the LA Health Commission expressed in its 2022 annual report that now is the time for reassessment of personal and government practices and the reallocation of health resources to help those in need heading into the new year.

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SOLIS, SOCALGAS, LA MISSION BRING ‘WATER BOX’ TO SKID ROW, 3

water and clean water.”

During the hottest months of the year, the lack of shade and greenery in Skid Row, paired with the abundance in concrete, turns the neighborhood into a heat island with summer temperatures often surpassing 100 degrees.

One of the missions behind installing the water box was to combat the sweltering heat by providing cool drinking water for vulnerable Skid Row residents during high-temperature periods.

“When we had originally started to look at Skid Row, we made the important step of coming down in the middle of August and it was hot as Hades down here,” Fitzgerald described. “If it’s 105 degrees and I’m drinking ambient-temperature water, it’s almost an insult, right? So we made it so that these boxes can put out cold water, particularly in an environment like hot, hot LA.”

Since the nonprofit’s founding in 2019, 20 water boxes have been deployed across the United States, preventing an alleged 2.1 million water bottles from being used by distributing nearly 300,000 gallons of clean water.

“The best medicine is to stay hydrated, and we know it could be unbearable even when it is raining that people don’t have access to necessities so essential just like

water to keep your life, your sustainability up, your own personal mental health and well-being, how important that is,” Solis said. “I was happy to provide a small amount of money, 25,000. It was matched by others to create a bigger basket and a bigger box. … I’m just delighted to be here, and we need to help the people here on Skid Row.”

Solis and Vaughn were able to bring the water box to Skid Row through the support of SoCalGas and Servicon.

“I came here and accepted this assignment to make sure that we’re transforming this community so people can see it as a community,” Vaughn said. “People live here, and people can be sustained here. We don’t have to have great high-rises just one block over and then forget the people that live in this community.

“We envision water boxes placed throughout this entire community, and we want to be very intentional about making that happen … making sure that people can just have a fresh glass of water, have shade where they can sit down and be refreshed, have respite places. We have a vision here, and we want to lead in this community. … We want to make sure that people have a narrative of life restoring … here in Skid Row. So let us start with this drop of water.”

Chris Mortenson/Staff

LA Mission President Troy Vaughn and LA County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis cut the ribbon for the new water box at the LA Mission. The box will provide clean water for the residents of Skid Row.

Emotionally thwopped

By Ellen Snortland LA Downtown News Contributing Writer

I’m sitting at my laptop, my aromatic lavender and cedar candle burning brightly. As I’m compulsively checking my email, a subject line instantly hooks me: “Attackers got thwopped.” I coined the term “thwop” in my book “Beauty Bites Beast.” In the book, I wonder why there’s a word for a violent sexual assault on a woman — “rape” — but no corresponding word for a defensive counterattack to the man perpetrating the assault. The most effective action is a solid hit or kick to the groin area, thus my term “thwop.”

I couldn’t wait to read the email because, for many years, I have received awe-inspiring testimonials such as: “If I hadn’t read your book, I would have been severely injured or dead.” “Thank you, Ms. Snortland. I didn’t realize that I was virtually illiterate regarding my own safety. I now see that my main strategy is to ‘hope’ nothing bad happens to me.” “Your book should be required reading, starting in junior high.” I’m accustomed to my book’s life-changing capabilities, and it’s become routine to receive emails like these, yet thrilling each time.

This latest email is sent by Aquilina El Hachem and opens with, “Hello Ellen! Sorry for my bad English. I have for you wonderful success stories of self-defense from France. … I think about you because I read your book five years ago.”

Only someone who has read my book would know and use the word “thwop.” I am elated! I run into my husband Ken’s office — “Wow! Listen to this!” — and read to him Aquilina’s email. He says, “You never know who is reading your work or where they are, right? I’m so proud of you!” “I’m proud of my book,” I

say.

Brimming with joy, I write back requesting that Aquilina send me the success story. Here’s the next email I received from her, edited for length.

“The attack was on me seven months ago. I went back home from a nightclub in Paris. I shouldn’t have. I was in miniskirt. It was not provocation. It was summer, very warm. Two guys tried to catch me in a street. They were drunk and called me ‘bitch.’ At first I tried to defend myself by using my hands, but they were too strong. So I kneed one in the (expletive), and he went down after the second knee. The other one was even easier to defeat with a single kick.”

I write back, “Dear Aquilina, I am so proud of you! And how savvy of you, when one technique wasn’t working, to switch to another. Could I write something for my column based on your story? If you don’t want me to, I’m fine with hearing ‘no.’ And if you’re OK with me writing about you, may I use your name?

Ellen Snortland

Hey you! Speak up!

Downtown News wants to hear from people in the community. If you like or dislike a story, let us know, or weigh in on something you feel is important to the community.

Participation is easy. Go to downtownnews.com, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the “Letter to the Editor” link. For guest opinion proposals, please email christina@timespublications.com.

If not, that’s OK too. I can make up a name. Let me know, OK?”

Her response: “Thank you so much, Ellen! It would be such an honor to appear in the column you write for! Of course you can use my name. Two years ago, Marlene Schiappa, a young French minister, told when she was younger she fought off two rapists by kneeing them. I think her story was very inspiring for a lot of women and girls.”

I was still taking this all in when only three minutes later, Aquilina sent this: “You are a bit too credulous, Ellen. I confirm that my story is a FAKE, like probably most of your book. During a fight between a man and a woman, reality is more… realistic.”

Yes, “Aquilina” — most likely a guy — had just emotionally thwopped me. My disappointment was palpable.

I am reminded of my younger self, a girl who delighted in making prank phone calls. My best friend Jane and I had progressed far beyond “Do you have Prince Albert in a can?” We would conjure up realistic scenarios and sell them to whoever answered. Once we got them as agitated as possible, we’d yell “Prank!” and hang up. But what “Aquilina” did is a nastier type of prank, referred to in the digital age as “catfishing.” Catfishing is a darker, more bot-

tom-feeder strategy mired in mud and based on deception. While Jane and I had randomly picked people to call, Aquilina targeted me specifically and put significant effort into the scam. Why? Was it someone who had been hurt by someone else who owned my book? Was it a disgruntled men’s rights troll? Was it actually Elon Musk? I’ll never know.

Whether “Aquilina” believes it or not, success stories are common and verifiable in the world of women’s self-defense. My second book, “The Safety Godmothers,” with co-author Lisa Gaeta, has 26 success stories in it! I also have several stories of my own. Although I’ve never had to go so far as to thwop an assailant, my demeanor and verbal boundaries are so excellent that I’ve stopped attempts in their tracks. That “Aquilina” would go this far to prank me lets me know at least one thing. There’s a life out there: Aquilina, I suggest you go out and get one.

2023 marks the 30th year that Ellen Snortland has written this column. She also teaches creative writing online and can be reached at ellen@beautybitesbeast.com. Her award-winning film “Beauty Bites Beast” is available for download or streaming at vimeo.com/ ondemand/beautybitesbeast.

& WELLNESS

Pharmacies scramble with medication shortages in the new year

By Morgan Owen LA Downtown News Staff Writer

Moving into the new year, Angelenos visiting the pharmacy will likely continue seeing the same medication shortages that plagued the end of 2022. While it is more common for patients to experience prescription medication shortages at the end of the year, parents in search of children’s cold and flu medications are also meeting empty shelves.

In December, Tylenol and other pain medications like ibuprofen were in short supply across Southern California pharmacies due to what is now being called a “tripledemic” of flu, RSV and COVID-19. The shortage appears to be continuing into January and isn’t expected to ease until the end of cold and flu season.

In response to the lack of supply at their pharmacies, CVS and Walgreens have announced they are limiting the purchase of children’s pain relievers and fever reducers to a maximum quantity of two. Johnson & Johnson, Tylenol’s manufacturer, said the shortage is not a supply issue and that they have factories running 24 hours to meet demand.

Still, the shelves remain understocked, if not empty. Pharmacies are doing all they can to help parents find medication for their children amidst the shortage.

“There are things we don’t have, for example, Tylenol liquid solution for children or Ibuprofen. What we do is we reach out to other pharmacies to see if they have a way to transmit the medication or vice versa to help parents find the medications,” said David Yuan, a pharmacist at Lorena Pharmacy in Boyle Heights.

In November, the FDA announced there was also a shortage of amoxicillin, used to treat infections like pneumonia in children that are common during winter. In response, the FDA urgently increased the production of the drug due to reports of rising demand. Despite this, amoxicillin oral powder for suspension remains in short supply.

Over-the-counter medications aren’t the only places pharmacies are experiencing shortages. Throughout 2022, many pharmacies throughout the country experienced supply chain issues with ADHD medication, Adderall in particular.

Many experts have attributed the ongoing shortage to the increased rate of the diagnosis of adult ADHD, leading to many patients seeking medication. Yuan said he has likewise seen an increased demand for ADHD medications over the

last year.

At the end of 2022, Janssen Pharmaceuticals also silently discontinued its authorized generic form of Concerta, a popular ADHD medication among children. Without the authorized-generic formulation, patients prescribed the drug must either purchase the expensive brand-name drug or switch to less alternative generic formulations. Janssen has not yet sold its formulation to another manufacturer, and the authorized generic formulation will be unavailable until further notice.

Drug manufacturers, however, can do little to meet increased demand. The FDA regulates the amount of ADHD medication pharmaceutical companies are permitted to produce within a calendar year. And if a manufacturer wants to expand their supply, they must submit to a lengthy approval process be -

cause ADHD medications are considered Schedule II controlled substances.

Increased demand for Ozempic, an insulin-regulating drug used to treat Type 2 diabetes, is also in short supply. Ozempic and its sister drug Wegovy are in short supply because of a TikTok trend started by the Kardashians that hailed the medication as a weight-loss solution. As a result, many nondiabetics are approaching their doctors for Ozempic prescriptions, specifically for weight loss, forcing many diabetics who rely on the drug to go without it.

The list of life-altering drugs in short supply does not end there. Prescriptions for Albuterol, an asthma medication, are also difficult to fill right now. Although the manufacturers did not provide reasons for the shortages, there has been an increased demand in hospitals for the drug to treat patients diagnosed with

COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.

On the FDA’s website, less than 35% of drug supply shortages have been resolved since they were reported. That data doesn’t even address discontinued medications. Among the shortages are antivirals, pain medications and a litany of psychiatric medications.

Like Lorena Pharmacy’s approach to cold and flu over-the-counter drugs, many pharmacies get their supply from a variety of manufacturers to help relieve some of these supply chain shortages. However, for patients within a limited-service provider network, the issue may become more acute.

Those who are concerned about the availability of their prescription medication can look online at the FDA’s Drug Shortages and Discontinuations Database. There, you can find current and resolved shortage information.

Lagree213 A Megaformer studio offers transformative workout

By Lagree213

Work until you sweat. Sweat until you shake. Shake until you strengthen. Strengthen until you transform. Lagree213 is Downtown LA’s exclusive Megaformer studio since 2008, offering the Pilates-inspired Lagree Fitness method in a boutique studio setting that gives total-body

results. There’s no surprise the studio was voted DTLA’s Best Fitness Studio for 2022 by its clients and community.

Located in DTLA’s Historic Core at Eighth and Hill at LEVEL and in the Arts District at One Santa Fe, Lagree213 offers free parking for clients and an upbeat, positive atmosphere that inspires your highest vibration and challenges you to push further than ever.

This challenging, high-energy, low-impact 45-minute workout combines core, endurance, cardio, balance, strength and flexibility training for unparalleled and efficient results. The movements are slow and controlled to activate slow-twitch, fat-burning muscle fibers, and quick transitions between exercises make the method highly effective. No class is the same, as the incredible Megaformer machine sculpts and tones every muscle in the body and the routines change each visit to challenge the body. Certified trainers focus on form and promote mind-body awareness to ensure each workout is adaptable to all fitness levels, age and ability.

Most workouts focus on one type of exercise, whether that’s cardio, strength or flexibility, but the Lagree method combines all of these elements in one. Lagree is high intensity, raising your heart rate like a cardio workout, and it is low impact, lengthening and strengthening long, lean muscles without compromising the body over time. A truly limitless fitness method, clients are obsessed with Lagree because it offers an extensive variety of movements for all muscle groups while providing a diversity of motions to target every muscle in different ways. This workout requires incredible focus and body awareness, which helps to transform the body and the mind.

At Lagree213, classes are short and intense, and offered throughout the day, 365 days a year, so you can fit in a workout every day. The good vibes of a great music playlist and a family of upbeat certified trainers who love

Clients are obsessed with Lagree because it offers an extensive variety of movements for all muscle groups while providing a diversity of motions to target every muscle in different ways.

to boost your mood and challenge the body and mind, contribute to the studio atmosphere: upbeat, positive and energizing. Choose from a daily schedule of small group classes or opt for one-on-one private training tuned to the individual’s needs. Lagree213 believes in an incredible workout that challenges and inspires you every single time. In just 45 minutes, you’ll change your body and day when you #EmbraceTheShake.

There’s a reason Lagree was declared the fastest-growing fitness method by ClassPass in 2019: It works. Embrace the shake and see what the world-class method and renowned trainers can do for your body and mind this new year. Visit lagree213.com to learn more about class schedules, class pricing and membership packages, and more. New members may take advantage of exclusive new member specials to kick-start their 2023 fitness journey with the transformative power of Lagree.

Lagree213/Submitted

This challenging, high-energy, low-impact 45-minute workout combines core, endurance, cardio, balance, strength and flexibility training for unparalleled and efficient results.

ADVERTORIAL

Lagree213/Submitted

Keep up with annual medical visits, screenings

By PIH Health

Get this year off to a healthy start by taking steps to be a proactive participant in your own health and wellness.

“While most healthy adults don’t need a lot of medical attention, there are some things you should keep tabs on, even if you aren’t sick,” said Dr. Roberto Madrid, vice president of medical group operations at PIH Health Physicians.

“It’s important to keep routine medical appointments to help your doctor and other health providers detect potential health issues early, when they are more likely to be reversed or are more easily treatable. Screening for common issues during these regular visits can keep you from developing a more serious medical issue and may keep you out of the hospital.”

Here’s a list of health exams and screenings and their recommended intervals:

Annual wellness visit (physical): Men and women should have an annual wellness visit, also known as a physical, with their primary care physician. People of all ages should have a physical every year. Doing an annual wellness exam helps you establish a relationship with your physician, it allows the physician to update your history and do screening tests that are right for you and your health to prevent and diagnose disease. Your provider can also keep you up to date with vaccinations, medication review and disease management. Your annual wellness visit is also a good opportunity to discuss with your doctor before making any new changes to your diet and exercise, and to address any concerns you might be having about your overall physical health as well as mental health.

Eye exam: Men and women should get an eye exam at least once in their 20s, twice in their 30s, when they’re 40, then every year or two if you’re 65 or older, according to the American Academy of Oph-

thalmology. More frequent eye exams are a must if you wear glasses or contact lenses or have an eye condition or disease.

Dental exam: Visiting the dentist every six months to a year reduces the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Not only do routine dental visits keep teeth looking their best but keeping gums healthy also helps protect from other health issues that can be affected by gum disease.

Breast cancer screening: Women should begin screening for breast cancer annually at age 40. This type of exam is called a mammogram. The Ameri-

can College of Radiology states that mammography screenings have assisted in the reduction of deaths due to breast cancer in the United States by 1/3 since 1990. The goal of screening mammography is to detect breast cancer at an early stage when it is most treatable. In fact, cancers that are confined to the breast have survival rates greater than 98%.

Cervical cancer screening: Women, ages 21 to 64, should have a cervical cancer screening every three to five years per your doctor’s recommendation. The screening exam for cervical cancer is called a pap smear. Cervical cancer is a serious type of cancer in women. It is also one of the most treatable types when found early.

Colorectal cancer screening: Men and women, beginning at age 45, should have a colorectal cancer screening every 10 years. If there is a history of colorectal cancer in your family, you may need to be screened earlier and more frequently. The preferred screening method for colorectal cancer is called a colonoscopy and is the only screening method that may prevent cancer.

Lung cancer screening: The only recommended screening test for lung cancer is a low-dose computed tomography (CT scan). This test is approved for patients who have a high-risk of developing lung cancer. Lung cancer screenings are of the utmost importance for those who are 50 to 80 years old and have smoked a pack a day for over 20 years, are current smokers, or have quit smoking in the last 15 years.

PIH Health/Submitted

Visit PIHHealth.org/Screenings to learn about cancer screening services at PIH Health. You can act now and schedule an appointment with your doctor to see which screenings are most appropriate for you. To find a PIH Health physician in or near you, visit PIHHealth.org/Find-a-Doctor.

PIH Health/Submitted

Now is the perfect time to embark on a healthier lifestyle and build on it throughout the year. Schedule an appointment with your doctor today.

CIRCLE Program embraces urban wellness DT

By Morgan Owen LA Downtown News Staff Writer

Urban Alchemy and its project partners say the answer to poverty and mental illness isn’t the police. That is why in 2019, when the LA mayor’s office was looking to develop alternatives to deploying law enforcement to nonurgent 911 calls, Urban Alchemy created a new system. The result was the CIRCLE Program.

The city originally piloted the Crisis Incident Response through Community-Let Engagement (CIRCLE) Program in 2021 throughout Venice and Hollywood as a way for law enforcement to focus on crime and traditional policing tactics, while Urban Alchemy’s staff responded to nonurgent, nonviolent incident reports with employees trained in social services and support.

Because of the pilot program’s success, Urban Alchemy and the city expanded the CIRCLE Program to Downtown LA, the Northeast Valley and South LA. Last week alone, CIRCLE teams responded to 130 mental health and homelessness crisis calls, resulting in 51 mental health interventions and 27 Decompression Center visits.

Kirkpatrick Tyler, Urban Alchemy’s chief of government and community affairs, explained that the CIRCLE Program’s decompression centers are “spalike” places for response crews those they help can get out of the elements and take time to calm themselves during a de-escalation, which is the nature of most of CIRCLE’s response calls.

“(Time there) can range anywhere from zero to four hours,” said Latoya Stevenson, a mental health servicer with the CIRCLE Program who often responds to the 911 incident reports. That time gives them the opportunity to rest, clean themselves up and get something to eat. From there, we create a care plan for that individual so they can receive more in-depth services.

“That’s a big part of our impact, is being able to have those Decompression Centers, because it serves as a way to get out of your head while you’re waiting for the next step to happen.”

Stevenson recounted one individual she responded to who exemplified CIRCLE’s use of Decompression Centers. She explained that when her care group arrived at the site of one 911 call, they encountered a homeless individual who needed both medical and mental ser -

vices. Desperate to get him out of the rain, Stevenson and her care team took that person to one of their centers after he had received medical attention for an infected leg wound.

There, she said they provided him with “talk therapy,” where the response team worked through his thoughts and feelings so he could decompress and work through the stressors he was experiencing. After that, she said he was able to clear his mind and develop a care plan with Stevenson. Since then, the CIRCLE Program can monitor and engage with his progress.

Stevenson recalled that the person she had assisted was already aware of the services he could access, but because of certain barriers, he could not seek care.

“I can get in my car and drive to the hospital, but some people cannot,” Stevenson said. In a significant way, Stevenson said the CIRCLE Program functions as a bridge between homeless communities on the streets and public health services that already exist in the city.

But Tyler said he hopes he isn’t splitting hairs when he says the CIRCLE Program and Urban Alchemy are not about public health — they are about public well-being.

“Whether we are doing a broom and a trash can, mobile hygiene station, a 911 call, for us, those are opportunities for engagement,” Tyler said. “These are immediate resources that help us meet a need (and) opens up the door for us to be able to have tangible conversation and engagement with folks to whom these resources are available.”

One way the CIRCLE Program has been so successful, explained Tyler, is that they aren’t just responding to 911 calls and incidents with the homeless, they are creating connections in the community that help incident response teams do their job effectively.

“In addition to our emergency response teams, we have our embed teams,” Tyler described. “Those embedded teams are out all day engaging folks. (They are) going to where we identify hotspots (of incident reports) and building relationships so that the first time we are engaging one of the residents isn’t a 911 call.”

Beyond that, the CIRCLE Program in Skid Row specifically is complemented with Urban Alchemy’s efforts to remove trash and waste from the streets of LA.

Urban Alchemy/Submitted

CIRCLE crisis response teams de-escalate an incident in Venice Beach.

Urban Alchemy/Submitted

A CIRCLE practitioner offers an item to a homeless individual.

So far, they have removed 1,119 tonnes of trash and safely disposed of 34,691 needles.

As a whole, Urban Alchemy’s philosophy is that the best people to help Los Angeles heal from its social distress are the people who understand what it means to withstand the trauma and chaos. Kirkpatrick said they have found building off Urban Alchemy’s tandem mission of creating career pathways for the formerly incarcerated particularly transferable to the CIRCLE Program.

“Individuals who have lived experience and individuals who are formerly incarcerated bring a significant amount of transferable skills to the field of social service,” Tyler explained. “What we found is those relationships, and that perspective, have helped us connect with the people we serve in a different and effective way. The other thing that becomes an extremely valuable skill set are the

skills that are developed in emotional intelligence, situational awareness and trauma-informed care.”

Tyler said he has seen immense success and that the outcome of many 911 calls have changed because of the work Urban Alchemy is doing with the CIRCLE Program. And he said that being able to call a response team that isn’t the police has reduced the general anxiety in areas where homelessness is most present in LA.

In the future, as the CIRCLE Program goes citywide. Tyler said he feels the transition in leadership and the way the city is responding to the homelessness crisis has so far allowed crisis response teams to better respond to incident calls. Even with the massive storms moving through California this winter, Urban Alchemy has had to do little to prepare because its infrastructure is already set up for success.

Urban Alchemy

Urban Alchemy operates in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Austin. Its goal is finding career path opportunities for the formerly incarcerated, with a focus on long-term offenders. It also has a network of shelters and transitional housing for homeless populations and conducts city beautification programs.

Cardiac care that’s a beat ahead.

Dignity Health – California Hospital Medical Center’s cardiovascular experts are skilled in the latest minimally invasive and life-saving technologies. So, whether you have heart health concerns or are simply due for a checkup, trust your care to the team who puts their heart into healing yours. Learn more at dignityhealth.org/chmc/heart

Urban Alchemy/Submitted

CIRCLE crisis response practitioners.

A delicious retreat in DTLA

HALODTLA.COM 330 S HOPE STREET, LOS ANGELES, CA 90071

Jeff Hamilton stitches a legacy with leather jackets

By Morgan Owen LA Downtown News Staff Writer

When it comes to popular culture, Jeff Hamilton likes to be in the thick of it. Whether it is Bad Bunny, 21 Savage or the NBA, Hamilton wants to be around the hottest thing. And after designing bespoke leather jackets for four decades of celebrities, Hamilton has earned his place in the annals of pop culture with his wearable art.

One of the greatest compliments, Hamilton said, is when fans say he’s influenced pop culture.

“I still pinch myself when a 17- or 18-year-old kid in the street comes up to me and they say, ‘Thank you so much for what you’ve done for the culture.’ For me, that’s a big compliment because, to be candid, I never did it with an ulterior motive. I was running a business.”

Each of Hamilton’s leather jackets is made by hand and designed by him. They are produced by stitching multicolored leather together in layers to create the image or design. The individual products are either one of a kind or part of a limited-edition supply. Price tags stand anywhere between $1,200 to $20,000 for limited-edition collaborations and designs on the aftermarket.

Hamilton attributed the initial word-of-mouth success of his jackets to their limited-edition quality and artistic beauty.

“I think because we’re unique. It sounds pretentious, but it feels like we are. We are at a crossroads between art and fashion. … We’re able to create some kind of piece of art, which is a wearable art,” Hamilton said.

Born in Morocco and raised in Paris, Hamilton idolized all things Americana, from Harley Davidsons to achieving the “American dream.” In the ’80s, Hamilton’s first leather jackets were inspired by motorcycle culture and his pastime riding Harleys with Billy Idol and James Caan. Hamilton’s first jackets were for biker icons Guns N’ Roses, Mötley Crüe and Whitesnake.

From there, enthusiasm for Hamilton’s wearable art brought him more and more famous clients — George Michael, Madonna and Michael Jackson. Eventually, Hamilton was introduced to Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan, so he began designing bespoke leather jackets for the NBA.

Hamilton’s work has appeared in Madonna’s first music video, “Borderline.” Axl Rose donned a piece in a Guns N’ Roses’ video, and Will Smith slipped on a jacket for “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”

But Hamilton said his most famous jacket is the one Kobe Bryant wore when the Lakers won the NBA Championship in 2001.

“Because of the commercial success, the NBA (jackets) and mostly the Kobe jacket, that’s what I’m really known for. … I’m blessed to have been

Chris Mortenson/Staff

Jeff Hamilton wears his Lakers 2020 NBA Championship jacket in sky blue, valued at $2,000.

able to work with so many legends in my life. It’s funny, I’m 67 years old (and) when I’m in front of Michael Jordan … I still feel like that 2-year-old little boy in front of Mickey Mouse,” Hamilton said. Becoming a designer and a millionaire by the age of 25 was an unexpected whirlwind, Hamilton explained. When Hamilton moved to Los Angeles in 1980, he had a wife, two kids and $6,000 to his name. His lifelong dream was to become a CPA. “I became a designer by necessity,” Hamilton recounted.

He explained that he was friends with Georges Marciano before he started Guess Jeans. Initially, Marciano and his brother wanted Hamilton to run their menswear line. He declined but agreed to start Guess Jeans for men in 1983.

Hamilton had no experience as a designer, but within five years, he launched his own brand because he wanted a broader outlet for his creativity.

Hamilton said he was first attracted to leather jackets because they’re fashion statements.

“You don’t wear a Jeff Hamilton jacket because you are cold. You buy a jacket because you feel you’re buying yourself some kind of an attitude,” he said. To him, leather jackets are a canvas to express personality.

By 2004, Hamilton had casually retired but continued to make bespoke jackets upon request for friends and A-list fans. But then, in 2019, Supreme approached Hamilton with a collaboration, which he described as the “Holy Grail of streetwear.” This year Supreme dropped the jacket it created in collaboration with Hamilton. There are only 43 of them, and the jackets, originally $10,000, are now selling for $20,000 in the aftermarket.

Hamilton said that each collaboration looks different. His goal, he said, is to work with the individual or the brand to merge their ideas with his sense of knowing how to build jackets and his artistic tendency.

Hamilton is collaborating with the brand Missoni to mix the “DNA” of their two styles.

For Hamilton, it doesn’t matter that many of his collaborations sell out in a day. He said one of the things he would never do is mass-produce his product and jeopardize the integrity and quality of his jackets. Even though his designs aren’t a household name like Ralph Lauren, his favorite designer, Hamilton said he takes pride in the work he produces and that, at the end of the day, it’s his name on the label.

It doesn’t appear Hamilton will be slowing down creating wearable art either. Now that he’s out of retirement, Hamilton has created a commercial line where fans can buy their own leather jackets. He is also continuing to create bespoke pieces for today’s biggest celebrities. His current clients include Kevin Hart, Drake, Travis Scott and A$AP Rocky.

“I’ve been doing it for 40 years and enjoying every moment. I’m blessed to have been part of amazing historical moments in sport and music, and rock and roll and reggaeton and K-pop culture. I drive my business in (the direction of) my creativity or where I feel my motivation has to do with the culture. It sounds hypocritical, but it is not about the money.”

Chris Mortenson/Staff

Jeff Hamilton has made millions creating custom leather jackets.

California Electroplating, Inc. emits Hexavalent Chromium (a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer also is known to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm). Persons within the area shown inside the thick line on the map are exposed to Hexavalent Chromium at a level determined by the State to require a warning.

California Electroplating, Inc. emite cromo hexavalente (un producto químico conocido por el estado de California para causar cáncer también se sabe que causa defectos de nacimiento u otros daños reproductivos). Las personas dentro del área que se muestra dentro de la línea gruesa en el mapa están expuestas al cromo hexavalente a un nivel determinado por el Estado para requerir una advertencia

BUSINESS

ROW DTLA to host MAUM Market and Pickwick Vintage Show

By Morgan Owen LA Downtown News Staff Writer

ROW DTLA has expanded its pop-up repertoire to include two exciting new monthly markets: MAUM Market and Pickwick Vintage Show. The two businesses will both have yearlong residencies and have already released several dates in the next two months the markets will be open for visitors.

MAUM Market’s next two opening dates will be Saturday, Feb. 25, and Saturday, March 25. Tickets are $5 per person and can be purchased online in advance. Pickwick Vintage Show’s next two residencies will be on Saturday, Feb. 11, and Saturday, March 4. For Pickwick Vintage Show, tickets start at $10 and can also be purchased online. ROW DTLA will continue to release future dates as the month proceeds.

ROW DTLA is an indoor/outdoor marketplace at 777 S. Alameda Street in Downtown LA. The development hosts a collection of permanent businesses from retail, offices and restaurants while hosting pop-up markets like MAUM Market and Pickwick Vintage Show on the weekends in their exterior spaces.

Pickwick Vintage Show’s founder Richard Wainwright explained why he selected ROW DTLA as this year’s home for the marketplace.

“ROW DTLA is the perfect home for our event because it is conveniently located between the fashion and arts districts in Downtown LA, is close to major freeways, and has plenty of parking. It has also fast become a hub for businesses of all sizes, independent retail shopping and some of the best restaurants in LA,” Wainwright said.

Pickwick Vintage Show is a monthly market featuring 50 local vendors and their selections of vintage clothing, accessories and more. Visitors can expect to find anything from worn-in denim to diamond jewelry. The show aims to provide an assortment of vendors to satisfy everyone, Wainwright said, with a range of tastes, budgets and vendors.

Wagstaff Los Angeles/Submitted

A rack of clothes from one of Pickwick Vintage Show’s vendors displayed along ROW DTLA’s outdoor thoroughfare.

MAUM Market is an artisanal makers market that features handmade and small-batch items from local Asian vendors. In selecting its vendors, it hopes to provide a platform for both established and emerging entrepreneurs, said Arnold Byun, co-founder of MAUM Market. It also aims to have a family-friendly curation of goods from artists, ceramicists and culinary vendors that provides a thoughtful and wholesome shopping experience.

“Since we founded MAUM Market in January 2022, our sole mission has been to champion Asian creators. And especially in LA — a city that is rich with pockets of culture — we hope to create an inclusive community for not just other Asian Americans but also for any non-Asian friends and folks who want to support ours but don’t know how,” Byun said.

To visit either MAUM Market or Pickwick Vintage Show, customers can purchase tickets online in advance on ROW DTLA’s website. Visitors have two hours of complimentary parking. Thereafter, they have reduced rates with validation. The main parking entrance is located on Alameda and Center Street.

Project REAP seeks applicants for academy

By LA Downtown News Staff

National - Project REAP (real estate associate program) is accepting applications for its spring 2023 academy through 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

The 25-year-old REAP Academy is designed to further career advancement for diverse professionals seeking to enter the field of commercial real estate. Real estate experience is not required.

Candidates who live in or within commuting distance of REAP’s eight metro markets — Atlanta; New York City; Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Cleveland; Columbus; Los Angeles; Dallas — may apply for the 10-week hybrid track that includes three weeks in person.

Candidates outside of a commuting radius may apply for the seven-week virtual track. Both tracks are required to take additional on-demand sessions. The academy runs from Monday, April 10, to Monday, June 12.

Details: projectreap.org/reapacademy

Wagstaff Los Angeles/Submitted

Visitors shop at one of MAUM Market’s vendors.

DTLA development faces uncertain future

By Luke Netzley LA Downtown News Deputy Editor

Located in one of the liveliest centers of Los Angeles, flanked by the LA Convention Center, Crypto.com Arena and LA Live, the new Olympia mega-development project at 1001 W. Olympic Boulevard was born to emphasize the energy and creativity of Downtown.

Through the project, which will include three mixed-use, high-rise towers perched atop an “urban podium” structure, developer City Century expressed a desire to “invest in Los Angeles and to create something special.”

“We came across the Olympia site around 2015, and it fit with our goals because it was such a large site and one of the last pieces of undeveloped land that was such a large site,” said Simon Kaplan, vice president of development at City Century. “It would allow us to really put (our) principles into effect and into play on a project that could really change the nature and the fabric of the entire Downtown Los Angeles area.”

With Olympia, Kaplan and City Century’s partners, architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), wanted to create a transit-oriented development that focused on fostering connectivity through design. For example, the podium that serves as an elongated base for the trio of towers is stepped to allow faster and simpler paths of mobility between amenities, gardens and open public spaces.

On the street level, the development will have a “paseo” at the corner of Olympic Boulevard and Georgia Street for people to spend time with each other beneath a canopy of trees, escaping from the bustle of the city. Within the completed development, which will have nearly 100,000 square feet of open space with trees, foliage and greenery, Kaplan wants to create an environment “where people’s well-being is No. 1.”

“We think that the greenery and the open space fits in well with the intent,” he explained. “It’s about getting outside. It’s about enjoying the sunshine and all that Los Angeles and California have to offer. And we plan on translating that all the way from the roof down to the street.

“The intent with Olympia from the beginning was to do something different, and really the main component that’s different is the balconies. When you look at the renderings, the first thing you see is that it’s not a hermetically sealed office tower, but it has these stepped and stacked terraces that are really going to have an impact on the shadows, on reflecting the sky because of the way that they’re done, their slender towers and their staggered height.”

Throughout the planning process, Ka -

plan described design partners SOM as “fantastic. … They have designed some of the most iconic projects, not only in LA but throughout the rest of the world.”

Once completed, the development will include amenities, lifestyle offerings and supporting services along with its hotel, restaurant, retail and apartment spaces.

Despite their hope in a fruitful future for both Olympia and its surrounding communities, Kaplan and City Century CEO and project director Joe Wang have expressed concern in their relationship with City Council.

According to Wang, the original plans for Olympia did not include hotel space. During the entitlement process, the City Century team found that the City of Los Angeles would only approve the project if it included a significant amount of space dedicated to hotel rooms, so it agreed.

Kaplan explained that to feasibly run a financially successful hotel in LA, the project must obtain the Transit Oriented Tax Rebate (TOT).

“The reality is almost no projects in and around Downtown LA pencil right now, and pencil meaning we will not be able to obtain financing,” he said. “No bank will give us a loan on this project unless there is the TOT rebate, which (is) when you stay at a hotel and there’s a 9.5%, or something like that, tax added on to your bill when you check out.

“For the first certain number of years after you deliver the project, instead of that tax going to the city, it goes back to the developer to basically pay back their loans. So it’s not any money out of the city’s pocket, and then the city gets it for the remaining lifetime of the project.”

Wang added that City Century would be at a severe competitive disadvantage to other developers within the city if they are not afforded a TOT, which has become an industry standard in LA.

“The council has been unable to take up any of these type of measures since the pandemic, and to be frank with you, we’re kind of frozen right now,” Wang said.

“You take a four-and-a-half-year entitlement, (with) a lot of uncertainty during it, and you get to now, (when) we’ve had multiple different councilmembers have scandals,” Kaplan added. “The city is not willing to provide the financial incentives that it has been. … I think the unfortunate reality is that this is the case with a lot of developers, particularly in and around Central LA at this time.”

City Century has also been subjected to market forces and the doubling of interest rates, increasing construction costs and a lack of travel, Wang explained. These factors, along with the lack of clarity regarding the TOT rebate, have shrouded the Olympia

project’s timeline and construction commencement date in a cloud of uncertainty.

City Century has currently invested over $200 million in the project, which Wang estimates is a less than 15% representation of the overall budget.

“We’re crawling out of this COVID fog like everyone else,” Wang said. “It’s just reached the point that without the TOT, with the fees continuing to go up, with the services that the city’s providing deteriorating and getting worse, not better, the condition that Downtown is in, it’s just gotten to that breaking point.”

According to Wang, despite battling through a pandemic, turbulent economic

period and City Council controversies, the Olympia project is here to stay.

“We’re committed,” Wang said. “We’ve been committed to the city since 2015. Me and Simon live in LA. We went to USC. I grew up in LA. We’re going nowhere. We just want to see the city get (development) going again.”

“This was really a project where we wanted to make an impact,” Kaplan reiterated.

“It was going to be by far the largest that we’ve invested in so far and that we plan to invest in Los Angeles. So that was really the nature of it. … We wanted to make a distinguished project that doesn’t look like anything else in the area. And it’s beautiful.”

Olympia

WHERE: 1001 W. Olympic Boulevard

INFO: citycentury.com

The new Olympia mega-development project at 1001 W. Olympic Boulevard is flanked by the LA Convention Center, Crypto.com Arena and LA Live.

Banc of California Stadium hosts Playoff Playlist Live

In celebration of the College Football National Championship’s arrival in Los Angeles, the Banc of California Stadium welcomed a crowd of over 15,000 through its gates for AT&T Playoff Playlist Live, a two-night concert series headlined by the Jonas Brothers and Pitbull on Saturday, Jan. 7, and Sunday, Jan. 8. LA Downtown News photographer Chris Mortenson captured the event.

Chris Mortenson/Staff

Santa Clara-born rapper Saweetie took the stage at the Banc of California stadium on Jan. 8.

Chris Mortenson/Staff

Chris Mortenson/Staff

Gayle Rutherford opened the second night of AT&T Playoff Playlist Live.

Pitbull, also known as “Mr. 305 … better said, Mr. Worldwide,” headlined Saturday night.

Covered California will helpDT ARTS & CULTURE

Singer-songwriter Windser makes music to help others

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski LA Downtown News Executive Editor

Jordan Topf, who performs as singer-songwriter Windser, has traveled the world playing music. His heart, however, belongs to Santa Cruz, where he spent his childhood.

His newest EP, “Where the Redwoods Meet the Sea,” is an ode to that.

“‘Where the Redwoods Meet the Sea’ was an expression my dad used about Santa Cruz,” Topf said. “The album is about Santa Cruz and the way it shaped me into who I am now.”

Now living on LA’s east side, Topf will share his breezy, indie rock sounds at the Moroccan Lounge on Tuesday, Jan. 24.

“It’ll be my first real, official headline show in LA,” he said.

“It’s going to be colorful, high energy and fun. I’m just excited to have a chance to play through all of the songs. This one will be the first time I have visuals and the first time that I have the Windser headlining show.”

Music is in Topf’s blood. His mother played music while his dad had a guitar around the house. He picked up the guitar at age 8.

“I remember my parents showing me great records when I was really young,” he said. “I watched the Woodstock documentary and saw Jimi Hendrix. I thought, ‘Oh, my God.

I want to be like Jimi.’ My dad, who was a school principal, wanted to teach me the value of money, so he told me to save my allowance and we’d buy a little guitar for my birthday.”

Ever the businessman, Topf saved his money and sent requests to relatives.

“I wrote my family members and asked them to donate to my guitar fund,” he said with a laugh. “For the next five years, I played all year, every day, and just loved it. I got to take music classes in elementary school, and I loved the environment. I could express myself through sound. How cool is that?

“Music’s so metaphysical. It can change your mood and make you feel good. I love that feeling and making people feel good with my music. It saved me in so many circumstances. I’m an auditory person. When I was learning songs, I wouldn’t read the music. I would just listen and figure it out. I al-

ways had an ear. I was never really athletic, and I was kind of short as a kid.”

Windser/Topf has become a recognizable face in music. He was featured on two Macklemore hits, “Maniac” and “Next Year.” The songs’ videos garnered millions of views.

“He’s really great,” Topf said of Macklemore. “I have nothing but good things to say about him. He’s just a sweet, talented human being. He’s very wise and a seasoned and natural performer. He just connects with people. He’s so likeable. He’s been through a lot, too. He’s been sober. He’s an indie artist who’s loved and adored. You’re just always rooting for him.

“When we were shooting the music video for ‘Next Year,’ he hired all of his friends he’s known for so long. I respect that so much. I want to work with people I’ve known forever; just build your family around the music that you make and stick with those people because they will always try to represent you in the best way possible.”

The Windser song “Memory” — the opening track on “Where the Redwoods Meet the Sea — found its footing on radio last year, and it’s expected to get more love in 2023.

He called the EP a “labor of love.”

“I took my time with it,” he said. “It was just so fun. I recorded a bunch of it in Northern California. It was the first time I had really taken the lead on a lot of the producing of the music. So, half of the EP I produced and mixed and wrote on my own, while the other half was collaborations.”

He had a hand in the engineering and recorded the vocals himself.

“It felt like a complete extension of who I am and my sound,” Topf said. “I had a really pivotal role in the entire process.

“It’s my favorite thing I’ve ever made for sure. I think I enjoy recording in different places. Some of it was recorded up north. Some of it was in my old house in LA in Echo Park. You hear the room in a lot of the songs, wherever I was I made the recordings. I’m just happy it’s finally out there that people can put it on and enjoy it all the way through.”

Topf said he hopes he’s providing a service to listeners.

“I make music so people don’t feel alone in their thoughts and feelings,” he said.

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24

WHERE: Moroccan Lounge, 901 E. First Street, Los Angeles

COST: $15 in advance; all ages INFO: themoroccan.com

Josh Hogan/Submitted

Windser, born Jordan Topf, featured on two Macklemore songs, “Maniac” and “Next Year.”

Windser w/Landon Conrath