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Flask & Field Owner Miriam Yoo is in high spirits

Reimagining Youth Justice Board of Supervisors takes first step Page 2

You Gotta Know The perfect game for LA sports fans hits the market Page 7

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LA County votes to reimagine youth justice

By Sarah Donahue t the age of 17, Ronaldo Villeda was incarcerated in the juvenile justice system. From the moment he entered the system, he said the people around him saw it as their job to prepare him for prison.

The current juvenile justice model is “fundamentally flawed in the sense that they see it as their job to punish, not to rehabilitate or help,” he said. “It’s a system that’s broken beyond repair. It needs to be replaced.”

To address the issues that lie within the current system, the LA County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to take the first step in the direction of reimagining youth justice during the November 24 board meeting.

The historic vote marks the start of a transition from the current juvenile justice system to a care-centered agency focused on health and rehabilitation, which will be a reality by 2025, “pending resolution of the necessary legal, budgetary and legislative issues,” according to the motion.

The motion includes a proposal of a “gradual wind-down” of the probation department’s juvenile operations and establishing a reserve fund to set up the new department of youth development with an objective of making an initial investment of $75 million in the 202122 fiscal year.

The “care first, jail last”-centered motion was co-authored by Supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Mark Ridley-Thomas.

“These young people deserve to have a countywide network of high-quality services to heal, in a home-like therapeutic setting, where they get the help they need to turn their lives around and be recognized as individuals with potential,” Kuehl said before the

A

vote.

“They deserve to have resources invested in their well-being, instead of being invested in just warehousing them behind walls and barbed wire.”

It’s imperative to not just improve but completely transform the youth justice system because while the numbers are somewhat decreasing, LA County’s current youth justice system “is still one of the largest in the entire country,” Kuehl said.

She added that “racial disparities have intensified” as youth in probation’s care are disproportionately Black and Latino.

“Our Black young people are over six times more likely to be arrested and 25 times more likely to be incarcerated than their white peers,” Kuehl said.

She explained that just one arrest increases the likelihood that a young person will not complete high school, which ups the likelihood of unemployment.

“Our current system is actually harming young people without any demonstrated benefits to their overall well-being or our community’s goal of public safety,” Kuehl said.

The motion mentions how in 2004, the Los Angeles County Probation Department was investigated by the Department of Justice due to reports of “abusive and unsafe conditions in the three juvenile halls it operated.” The investigation led to federal oversight as well as a settlement agreement, the motion states.

Another 2008 investigation in the department’s 19 probation camps led to a “substantial memorandum of agreement with provisions covering widespread civil rights violations,” the motion states.

The violations include “failure to protect

Los Angeles Downtown News 161 Pasadena Ave., Suite B South Pasadena, CA 91030 213-481-1448

Los Angeles Youth Uprising Coalition (LAYUP) visits outside the LA County Board of Supervisors Hearing Room on August 13, 2019, when the board passed the motion to explore ways of transitioning the county’s juvenile justice system to a rehabilitative, care-centered model.

Photo courtesy LAYUP Coalition

youth from staff and from other youth; excesKruti Parekh, a social worker and coordinasive and inappropriate use of OC spray; failure tor of LAYUP, has been working with Los Anto provide adequate staffing and staff train- geles youth and the juvenile justice system to ing; and failure to adequately investigate al- create positive change for the past 15 years. legations of abuse,” according to the motion.

“There’s nothing healthy about incarceraSince his release in 2018, Villeda has be- tion,” she said. “Incarceration is literally like income a youth advocate and intern for the An- cubators of violence. I’ve always known that ti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC), an organization it is because of childhood trauma that young that seeks to end mass incarceration in Cali- people commit crimes.” fornia.

For the majority of most young people inThe now 23-year-old Villeda has also be- carcerated or affected by the system, the reacome a youth leader with the Los Angeles son they caused harm was likely because of Youth Uprising Coalition (LAYUP), which seeks some unmet need or unresolved trauma, to build power through youth leadership to Parekh said. dismantle the “racist” justice system and re“To put somebody in a cage who has had allocate resources toward holistic models of trauma—it just exacerbates the situation,” she youth development, according to its mission. said.

“These programs saved my life,” he said. “If it The efforts leading up to this point started wasn’t for ARC and now LAYUP, I wouldn’t be in August 2019, when the LA County Board of here today. It played foundational roles in my Supervisors voted to explore ways of transilife and my journey through the system.” tioning the county’s juvenile justice system to It was overwhelming to hear that the mo- a rehabilitative, care-first youth justice agency tion had passed due to his experience with centered around support. the system, Villeda said.

In response to the board’s 2019 motion, the It was a “sigh of relief,” he said, adding that Youth Justice Work Group was established in he’s filled with happiness knowing that the January, which consisted of a diverse group of EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski current system is coming to an end. Howev- system-impacted youth, county representaSTAFF WRITERS: Andrew Checchia, Andres De Ocampo, Julia Shapero tives, service providers, community organizers er, he said heCONTRIBUTING thinks about what could have Kamala WRITERS: Sara Edwards, Kirk justice partners. been if this reimagined system had been Stephanie put and ART DIRECTORS: Arman Olivares, Torres The newly passed motion is based on an in place yearsSTAFF ago. PHOTOGRAPHER: Luis Chavez CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Myriam Santos Villeda’s brother went through the same October report from the work group’s findings ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway, Michael Lamb system a decade before him, and “he didn’t and research, which was put together by conFOUNDER EMERITUS: Sue Laris have something in place to help save him,” sultants at the W. Haywood Burns Institute, a he said. Villeda’s brother was murdered three Black-led nonprofit that is centered around transformative justice. years ago, he said.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski STAFF WRITERS: Andrew Checchia, Sarah Donahue, Kendall Rooker CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Bridgette Redman, Ellen Snortland ART DIRECTORS: Arman Olivares, Stephanie Torres ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway, Michael Lamb FOUNDER EMERITUS: Sue Laris

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Los Angeles Youth Uprising Coalition (LAYUP) youth leaders, coalition members and community members participate in the September 26 LAYUP March to Central Juvenile Hall, protesting probation receiving additional funds from the county budget.

Photo courtesy LAYUP Coalition

“Right now, in Los Angeles County, there are more than 500 youth locked in a cell away from their families, while a deadly pandemic rips through our communities,” the report states. “There are thousands more under probation supervision who are just one small mistake away from being separated from their families and thrown into one of those cells.”

The foundational components from the work group’s report include a recommendation of resourcing and creating a countywide Youth Development Network, also establishing Youth and Community Centers with 24hour crisis response.

The report also includes a recommendation of establishing Safe and Secure Healing Centers, which it describes as “small, community-based therapeutic housing.”

These healing centers will serve as alternatives to juvenile halls and camps and will be “comprehensive reentry services for youth removed from home for their safety or the safety of others,” the report states.

The motion entails that the nine core values outlined by the work group will be adopted, which includes addressing systemic racism, centering community and youth development to help youths recognize their strengths and encourage a sense of empowerment, belonging and usefulness so they can go on to live happy, healthy and productive lives in the future.

It also includes the value of public safety through well-being, a method that “balances positive youth development and appropriate sanctions for harm,” as described in the motion. This value rejects the traditional “do the crime, do the time” mindset and replaces it with a structure that fosters accountability through support rather than punitive punishment and isolation, the motion entails.

Other values include well-being achieved by addressing social determinants of health and restorative and transformative justice to recognize and address systemic barriers and inequities of those who have caused harm and strengthen social connections and interpersonal relationships to promote healing.

Transparency and accountability are values listed in the report along with evidence-in-

formed design and power sharing, coordination and collaboration.

The details of the motion indicate that there is evidence that this vision is possible, as other jurisdictions in New York City, King County, Washington as well as Oregon have established similar progressive approaches to youth justice.

Another motion to expand the criminal justice data-sharing initiative to include juvenile justice data was also passed during the meeting. This motion will create a greater source of data and will ensure governmental transparency, Kuehl said.

“This prudent phased approach allows the county to move forward immediately while recognizing the need for continued collaborative planning and problem solving that is required to make the full vision a reality,” Kuehl said. She also mentioned how an amendment was made to explore ways of transitioning existing juvenile probation staff to the new Department of Youth Development to avoid layoffs.

The report as well as the motion outlines the necessary steps that must be taken to implement this new health-centered, support-focused rehabilitation for juvenile youth and establish a clear timeline for its inception.

The acting CEO and Youth Diversion and Development are instructed to report back to the board in writing in 60 days with a plan to resource and create a transition-planning team to support implementation of the Youth Justice Work Group’s report, according to the motion.

Legal, fiscal and staffing model analyses will be conducted and reported to the board in a timely manner to prepare for the transition and to identify and address any potential restrictions or barriers.

“It’s good to finally be able to see people who are in power acknowledge that our current system is fundamentally flawed,” Villeda said.

It’s “amazing” to see LA County acknowledge and address these issues to “create something that’s a real solution to these problems—something that will ensure youths do not fall through the cracks of the system.”

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DECEMBER 7, 2020

JUDGE’S OPINION

a verb ending violence against women

By Ellen Snortland wear orange for 16 days in a row to stand in solidarity with other activists committed to ending violence against women,” I said.

It was 2019, and I was at breakfast in Puerto Vallarta with my dear friend and colleague, Anne Peterson, along with other women. We were there to drool by the pool, be free of kids and partners, and explore what it means to be female in the 21st century. Our group is dedicated to creating an enduring global community exploring the culture and history of women … and why they are often missing from both.

I was a good fit for this group, as I have studied this my entire adult life. We say, “Discover your unique goddess-ness.” You may ask, “Why would I want to do that?

And what does that have to do with ending violence against women?” Hang in there for just a little bit longer.

Anne, who is fun, wry and intellectual,

“I

said, “I’m glad you said something about the orange. I was wondering if you were in some kind of religious sect.” I answered, “Norwegians don’t join sects. Although if you count worshipping melted butter, then yes, I am in that one.”

“Wearing orange—whether it’s an orange ribbon or outfit—is related to the annual U.N. Women ‘16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence’ campaign,” I said.

I know that for most people in this country, the United Nations is arcane, especially since the mainstream media seems allergic to reporting U.N. news in general and U.N. female-centric news in particular.

A quick overview: In 1999, the U.N. General Assembly proclaimed November 25 as the annual International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. (The U.N. is notorious for nonsticky names!)

Soon after, the U.N. Women launched a public awareness campaign to “Orange the World”—orange being used as a verb—as a reminder that violence against women and girls continues to be the most pernicious, invisible, longest-lasting and deadly pandemic on the globe.

Why d o e s t h e “O range” campaign always end on December 10?

That’s the day in 1948 that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the U.N. And why is that significant for women and girls? Because the UDHR was the first international declaration to specifically acknowledge women as deserving of human rights. It is not an accident that the drafting of the UDHR was headed by a woman, Eleanor Roosevelt. We’re still working in many cultures, including our own, to recognize the cost of squashing women and girls’ potential as citizens.

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.

I explored gender-based violence in my first book, “Beauty Bites Beast.” In the book, I suggested that routinely leaving women out of leadership and the iconography in major religions has been a form of intellectual and spiritual violence. Violence is not merely physical; it ranges from rendering groups invisible and insignificant to out-and-out genocide. Which brings me back to Puerto Vallarta and the community that Anne Peterson is leading: “The Goddess Inquiry.”

The backlash that Anne encountered upon first naming and then launching the group was intense and initially surprising.

For one, the word “goddess” now has connotations that are mostly “new agey,” referring to young, white, blonde, skinny and vapid sex objects. The “white-ification and masculinization” of religious symbology extended to “goddess,” too, not only with a white-bearded old guy in the sky as a father figure and Jesus as a blue-eyed blond.

For centuries, females have been relegated to the tired Madonna/whore paradigm where Mary couldn’t even be granted human sexuality. And the goddess? She’s not powerful; she’s a seducer.

“I don’t want to explore goddesses. I’m over 50 and fat,” one friend said when I invited her to take one of our goddess vacations together. “I do not want to be involved with one more white woman touchy-feely conference,” another said. “I

do not see myself as goddess material,” a third friend added.

If you scratch the surface of any culture, you’re going to find holy women, oracles, and yes, goddesses that embody every quality that exists for humanity. I know it’s shocking, but men can learn from sacred female entities, too. The powerful aspects of women and goddesses have been relegated to most cultures’ dustbins: We need to reclaim them!

Personally, my favorite goddess is not a drippy, dippy blonde Venus rising from a seashell. Mine is Elle, the Nordic goddess of age and wisdom who I am sure also loved butter. She is in the Nordic pantheon because she triumphed over Thor by wrestling him to the ground. She didn’t draw blood; she didn’t maim him in any way. Boys, that is a lesson right there from (gasp!) a female entity. So yes, part of my goddess expression as Elle is to wear orange for 16 days. I encourage you to do the same.

NOTE: The 2020 campaign theme is “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!” For more info and action ideas, go to https://bit.ly/3lfxdVC Ellen Snortland has written “Consider This…” for a heckuva long time, and she also coaches first-time book authors! Who knew?

Contact her at Ellen@beautybitesbeast.com

DECEMBER 7, 2020

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LA-based shoe designer rolls out holiday paper goods line

By Bridgette M. Redman mall touches can make the mundane transform into the spectacular. This is true whether it is a pair of shoes finishing off an outfit or a card topping a gift.

Nalini Arora is an expert in both of those final touches.

Arora is a Los Angeles-based shoe designer who works with such brands as Monique Lhullier and Cupcakes and Cashmere. It’s a job that usually has her on the go, making multiple trips to China, New York and Europe every year.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, such travel is on hold and had given her time to do something she’s wanted to do for a long time—create a line of paper good items based on her shoe art and illustrations.

The project has been in the works for nearly a decade. In 2009, she started making hand-designed cards featuring shoes. Wanting to give her clients something more than an email thank-you note with holiday wishes, she created holiday cards using markers and color pencils. Her clients loved the cards, and many have told her over the years that they saved each one as a collectible.

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This year, she’s offering her cards and wrapping paper to the public. It is an outlet Arora says is creative.

“When you’re a shoe designer working for brands, there are restrictions and parameters to work under,” Arora says. “The ultimate goal is to sell, and I understand that concept and the necessity for that.

“But I sometimes feel creatively stifled, so I would work on illustrations in my off time.

When I’m doing my card illustrations, I am just doing more whimsical, fantasy-filled shoes that doesn’t feed into the commercial aspect of shoes that need to sell on the retail level.”

The line includes six cards and two wrapping paper designs. The cards include clever sayings such as “Not just eggnog is spiked,” “Let it shoe.

Let it shoe. Let it shoe” and “Bring your holiday shoe game.” The pictures are whimsical, with high heels decorated in Christmas colors, bows and paired with fanciful stockings. The cards are blank inside and are $5 a piece. One design is available; five for $20.

The two wrapping paper designs copies the images from two of the cards. They are 19 by 25 inches and sell for $6 a sheet. There is also

+ 5 CLASSIC WINGS

a mix-and-match wrapping paper package for $15.

The illustrations were something Arora’s been doing year-round and posting on her blog, LAShoegirl. She was encouraged through her site to sell her art. She says she didn’t want to just sell her drawings as pieces of individual art—she wanted them to be practical. Personalized cards are something that has always had meaning to her—and she has a collection of ones she received from childhood forward.

While Arora plans to extend her line to yearround offerings, the holidays hold special meaning for her.

“My father loved the holidays and presents and giving us things and surprising us,” Arora said. “For me, it was just taking that holiday spirit and incorporating that into my cards.”

For her shoes, she is often inspired by travel and walking around Downtown LA. Her holiday cards draw from Christmas ornaments, garland, snow, Santa and lights. Cards, she says, can be a lot like shoes.

“Shoes are the final statement piece for an outfit,” Arora says. “For some people, it might be a handbag or belt or other accessory. For me, personally, (what) always makes the outfit is the shoe. For whatever reason, it makes people feel good or excited to put the final piece of their outfit together.”

Likewise, she writes in her blog, “Cards are like the finishing touch to a gift just as shoes are to an outfit.”

With this first collection, she says she worked with marker and color pencil as she has in the past, but with a tiny bit of digital touches to

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DECEMBER 7, 2020

add vibrancy. She plans in her next collection, which may be birthday and anniversary cards, to experiment with other art materials.

Arora was first turned on to shoes when she was selling them for commission at Nine West.

“I fell in love with women being in love with shoes and the excitement they felt trying it on,” Arora says.

Later she learned about shoe designers’ excitement because they get to travel the world, visiting factories. She spent several years in Barcelona and, when COVID-19 isn’t a thing, she continues to travel.

As a freelance shoe designer, she likes to work with brands that have purpose like sustainability.

Now she is combining her two careers—that of a shoe designer and a fashion illustrator— and stresses the new one exists because of the previous one.

“These cards I created are inspired from my career as a footwear designer,” Arora says. “I mix my experience in footwear and my love for fashion illustration together and I found a way to marry my personality into it. There is a little bit of humor and playfulness, an edge and sassiness to it.”

And she never forgets about the excitement and love she saw in women for their shoes from her days of selling them.

“It just makes me feel happy inside and makes me want to be more creative to find new ways to inspire and give humor to people who want to buy my paper goods.”

Arora’s line can be found at naliniarora.com/ shop.

DECEMBER 7, 2020

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The perfect game for LA sports fans hits the market

By Kendall Rooker os Angeles sports fans are passionate about their teams.

With the release of the Los Angeles edition of You Gotta Know Sports Trivia Game, fans can bond.

“It’s in the vein of old-school Trivial Pursuit,” said Brad Riter, one of the game’s designers. “One could have it and serve as a moderator.”

You Gotta Know Los Angeles Sports Trivia Game celebrates the players, coaches and games that make LA central in the sports universe. The game sells for $19.95 and consists of 500 questions that will spark memories, discussions and debates from anyone who has ever cheered for the teams like the Lakers, Dodgers, Rams, Angels, Kings, Clippers, UCLA or USC. The game asks a variety of questions covering all Los Angeles sports, from the Dodgers moving from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1957 to LeBron James joining the Lakers.

“The whole point of it is a shared aspect

L

of being a sports fan of the community,” Riter said.

“It is not about stumping your friend. It is about having conversations about teams’ players and legendary players. It is about the bonding of being a fan. It belongs anywhere fans are. It is a game to bring to tailgate parties. Wherever sports fans are gathered.”

The 125-card set is more than just a game, he said.

“There are 1-, 2-, 3- and 7-point value questions, based off of scoring in football,” he said.

“A 1-pointer is borderline common sense.

You do not have to be an LA sports fan to know the answers. We put clues in the questions to lead you to the answer. The game also works as a box of questions while you are hanging out drinking beer. It’s a bunch of nostalgia in a box, and you’re free to use it however you want.”

Casual fans and sports nuts both will have fun playing the game that makes one think

about the city’s history. About 60% of the questions are in the 2- and 3-point range; 20% in the 1-point range and 20% in the 7-point range.

“We want the game to be challenging but fun. We want the questions to be not obvious but workable. That is where the fun is, remembering the wrong answers,” Riter said.

The game developers tried to make a perfect game for guys who love sports at a price of $19.95.

“If you have someone on your list who is a sports fan, this is in the right price range and it is going to give people something fun to do,” Riter said.

“You could open the box and treat it like an interesting book of facts about Los Angeles sports. You do not need to play the game. It is a lot of fun to bring back memories in sports in Los Angeles. It’s all about the conversation and remembering the teams you love.”

You Gotta Know Los Angeles Sports Trivia Game yougottaknowgames.com

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DECEMBER 7, 2020

Flask & Field is a local wine and spirits shop at ROW DTLA. It was founded and is owned by Miriam Yoo.

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Miriam Yoo of Flask & Field is in high spirits

By Andrew Checchia iriam Yoo, the founder and owner of Flask & Field, a local wine and spirits shop at ROW DTLA, might be the only optimist left.

As the pandemic ravages brick-and-mortar businesses across the country, exacerbating a decades-long decline in retail with the rise of online shopping, small businesses like hers are closing in droves. But instead of succumbing to despair or giving up and cutting her losses, Yoo—once a successful entertainment lawyer—pivoted.

“We were probably open for a year and a half before the pandemic hit. In the beginning there was this tone of ‘save small businesses!’ But the tone sort of evolved throughout. Now it’s ‘save yourself.’ It is tricky being a retail business, and I don’t sell essential goods,” Yoo explained.

Even without that “essential” label, Yoo guided her local shop through countless challenges and a systematic reinvention of their business model. With “99.9% of (the) business” coming from in-person shoppers before March, Flask & Field needed to over-

M

haul its online storefront. But despite Yoo’s lack of prior experience in the retail or wine worlds, her store took the new opportunity in stride.

“It was certainly a clunky transition. We went from zero online sales to 100% of our business. Now we’re in whatever business we need to be in to survive. I was going to do whatever I had to do to survive,” Yoo said of Flask & Field’s online success. “But being able to accept (the pandemic) fully has enabled us to be present with what needs to happen to be successful every day.”

So, after taking it day by day, Flask & Field now offers a comprehensive online storefront; contracts with major Hollywood law and entertainment firms for remote gifting programs; and even recently set up a small COVID-19-safe booth at ROW DTLA to rekindle a physical connection with its customers.

Combined, Yoo now feels comfortable with the store’s new position.

“It’s been a hard time getting into the consciousness of LA. It can be hard to get that traction and develop an identity,” Yoo stressed as she explained their new business

Submitted photos

practices.

Yoo’s previous professional experiences and her outlook on life helped her tap into some of the city’s feelings, but she found herself leaning more and more into her natural inclination toward creativity.

“Being a lawyer does require creativity and certainly a lot of skills, but I think we’re all creative beings, no matter what your job is,” Yoo explained. “The thing I lacked was experience. You’ve got to make up for it with whatever else you’ve got.”

Her creativity certainly inspired her recent decisions, but it also guided her throughout her entry into the business world. Especially with the continued popularity of natural wines, Flask & Field constantly focuses on cutting-edge branding, marketing and “the hype economy.” These realms rely heavily on digital literacy, which, in turn, requires a constant output of creative energy. But Yoo’s passion for design—obvious from the Flask & Field website, social media profiles and storefront—made for successful social media campaigns to get the public’s attention.

“It’s fun right now to be a wine drinker.

There is this cult vibe around natural wine.

It’s very much lived on Instagram,” Yoo said of social media’s importance. “I don’t know if I could do my job without Instagram at this

point. If I post a wine on Instagram, we sell out of it.”

The cultural transition to internet platforms largely defines the pandemic experience, but the general public clearly still isn’t completely comfortable with it. Social media allowed people to stay connected, shop and even go to class while isolated during this year, but it leaves an undeniable digital fatigue in its wake. Yoo and her team realized this enough to see the gaps in trust that can arise from online interactions.

“We’re not just trying to sell cute Instagram-able bottles. If I’m not going to drink it, we’re not going to sell it,” Yoo insisted. “We will never sell you something that’s cute and gross.”

Navigating these turbulent times provided Yoo and the Flask & Field team with fuel for their creative fires. And throughout her candid explanations of delicate business decisions needed to survive the pandemic, she stressed the importance of finding honest contentment in the work. Especially selling wine and spirits, she recognizes the pure happiness these luxury goods can provide.

“They were created literally for enjoyment.

It can’t be so serious at the end of the day.

We don’t want our customers to overthink it.

Just drink it.”

Flask & Field ROW LA 767 S. Alameda Street, Suite 180 flaskandfield.com

DECEMBER 7, 2020

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One double-blind, placebo-controlled study (the “gold-standard” of research) involved a group of 70-year-old-men.

They didn’t exercise. They didn’t eat healthy.

And researchers reported their “nitric oxide availability was almost totally compromised,” resulting in blood flow less than HALF of a man in peak sexual health.

But only five minutes after the first dose their blood flow increased 275%, back to levels of a perfectly healthy 31-year-old man! “It’s amazing,” remarks nitric oxide expert Dr. Al Sears. “That’s like giving 70-year-old men the sexual power of 30-year-olds.”

WHY SO MUCH EXCITEMENT? Despite the billions men spend annually on older nitric oxide therapies, there’s one wellknown problem with them.

They don’t always work.

A very distinguished and awarded doctor practicing at a prestigious Massachusetts hospital who has studied Nitric Oxide for over 43 years states a “deficiency of bioactive nitric oxide… leads to impaired endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation.”

In plain English, these older products may increase levels of nitric oxide. But that’s only half the battle. If it’s not bioactively available then your body can’t absorb it to produce an erection.

Experts simply call it the nitric oxide “glitch.”

And until now, there’s never been a solution.

NEXT GENERATION NITRIC OXIDE FORMULA FLYING OFF SHELVES Upon further research, America’s No. 1 men’s health expert Dr. Al Sears discovered certain nutrients fix this “glitch” resulting in 275% better blood flow.

He’s combined those nutrients with proven nitric oxide boosters in a new formula called Primal Max Red. In clinical trials, 5,000 mg is required for satisfying sexual performance. Primal Max Red contains a bigger, 9,000 mg per serving dose. It’s become so popular, he’s having trouble keeping it in stock.

Dr. Sears is the author of more than 500 scientific papers. Thousands of people listened to him speak at the recent Palm Beach Health & Wellness Festival featuring Dr. Oz. NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath recently visited his clinic, the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine.

Primal Max Red has only been available for a few months — but everyone who takes it reports a big difference. “I have the energy to have sex three times in one day, WOW! That has not happened in years. Oh, by the way I am 62,” says Jonathan K. from Birmingham, AL.

A new discovery that increases nitric oxide availability was recently proven in a clinical trial to boost blood flow 275%

“I measured my nitric oxide levels, you can buy a test kit from Amazon,” reports 48-year-old Jeff O. “Monday night I showed depleted.”

Then he used ingredients in Primal Max Red and, “The results were off the charts. I first woke around 3 a.m. on Tuesday very excited. My nitric oxide levels measured at the top end of the range.”

HOW IT WORKS

FREE BONUS TESTOSTERONE BOOSTER

Loss of erection power starts with your blood vessels. Specifically, the inside layer called the endothelium where nitric oxide is made.

Every order also gets Dr. Sears testosterone boosting formula Primal Max Black for free.

The problem is various factors THICKEN your blood vessels as you age. This blocks availability causing the nitric oxide “glitch.” The result is difficulty in getting and sustaining a healthy erection.

How bad is the problem?

Researcher shows the typical 40-year-old man absorbs 50% less nitric oxide. At 50, that drops to 25%. And once you pass 60 just a measly 15% gets through.

To make matters worse, nitric oxide levels start declining in your 30’s. And by 70, nitric oxide production is down an alarming 75%.

Primal Max Red is the first formula to tackle both problems. Combining powerful nitric oxide boosters and a proven delivery mechanism that defeats the nitric oxide “glitch” resulting in 275% better blood flow. There’s not enough space here to fully explain how it works, so Dr. Sears will send anyone who orders Primal Max Red a free special report that explains everything.

MORE CLINICAL RESULTS Nutrients in Primal Max Red have logged impressive results.

In a Journal of Applied Physiology study, one resulted in a 30 times MORE nitric oxide. And these increased levels lasted up to 12 hours.

“If you want passionate ‘rip your clothes off’ sex you had in your younger days, you need nitric oxide to get your erection going. And testosterone for energy and drive,” says Dr. Sears. “You get both with Primal Max Red and Primal Max Black.”

HOW TO GET PRIMAL MAX To secure free bottles of Primal Max Black and get the hot, new Primal Max Red formula, buyers should contact the Sears Health Hotline at 1-800-354-5361 within the next 48 hours. “It’s not available in drug stores yet,” says Dr. Sears.

“The Hotline allows us to ship directly to the customer.”

Dr. Sears feels so strongly about Primal Max, all orders are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee. “Just send me back the bottle and any unused product within 90 days from purchase date, and I’ll send you all your money back,” he says.

The Hotline will be open for the next 48 hours.

After that, the phone number will be shut down to allow them to restock. Call 1-800-354-5361 to secure your limited supply of Primal Max Red and free bottles of Primal Max Black. You don’t need a prescription, and those who call in the first 24 hours qualify for a significant discount.

Use Promo Code NP1120PMAX502 when you call in. Lines are frequently busy, but all calls will be answered.

THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. RESULTS MAY VARY

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10 DOWNTOWN NEWS

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DECEMBER 7, 2020

Covered California will help ART & CULTURE

Ballet Folklorico de Los Angeles made its LA County Holiday Celebration debut in 2020 performing at The Music Center.

Submitted photo

LA County holiday fest goes virtual

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski he 61st annual LA County Holiday Celebration will take on a new format for 2020.

The three-hour showcase of 22 LA-based artists will air on PBS SoCal at 3 p.m. Christmas Eve. It will simultaneously stream on pbssocal. org/holidaycelebration, kcet.org and holidaycelebration.org.

KCET will rebroadcast the show on Christmas Day at noon.

The Emmy Award-winning holiday show features choirs, music ensembles and dance companies representing the many cultures of Los Angeles.

The event, presented in conjunction with The Music Center since 1959, was filmed on location at The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and Jerry Moss Plaza and at sites around Los Angeles County.

“The holiday season is about spreading joy and goodwill to all, which is so important this year, and we’ll do that with a special broadcast of beautiful and uplifting performances that showcase the talents and diversity of Los Angeles,” said Rachel S. Moore, president and

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CEO, The Music Center.

“While many other celebrations and gatherings have been postponed or altered for this season, The Music Center is thrilled to be able to partner with PBS SoCal and CDK Productions to continue to bring Angelenos, family and friends the time-honored tradition of the LA County Holiday Celebration.

“Working with the same Emmy Award-winning team led by the program’s 25-year producer and director, Kenneth Shapiro, we have created a vibrant new format for 2020 that also features artist interviews and county landscapes. This broadcast and streaming event truly is a ‘celebration’ of Los Angeles—of resiliency and of community—that we all can take pride in from the comforts of our homes.”

Hosted by acclaimed American mezzo-soprano Suzanna Guzmán and actor/producer Brian White, the 61st annual LA County Holiday Celebration features returning favorites Cuñao; Daniel Ho Trio and Hālau Keali’i o Nālani with special guest Tia Carrere; the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles; Jung Im Lee Korean Dance Academy; folklorico troupe Pacifico Dance Company; Gospel choir Praizum led

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Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca share the holiday spirt at the 2020 LA County Holiday Celebration.

Submitted photo

by Lorenzo Johnson and Infinite Flow—An Inclusive Dance Company, a professional company of dancers with and without disabilities that uses dance as a catalyst to inspire inclusivity and innovation.

Some of this year’s performers making their Holiday Celebration debut include an ensemble from the American Youth Symphony, a dance and music collaboration from Ballet Folklorico de Los Angeles with Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar, French Chinese chanteuse Jessica Fichot, barbershop quartet Note-

able and country-music trio Sean Oliu and the Coastline Cowboys.

The show’s traditional finale of “Silent Night” will be a virtual collaborative performance, featuring Southern California Brass Consortium with a community choir comprised of many singers from this year’s roster of performers.

For more information about the 61st annual LA County Holiday Celebration, visit holidaycelebration.org. Artists and performances are subject to change.

DCBID launches holiday campaign to promote businesses

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski he Downtown Center Business Improvement District recently launched its DTLA for the Holidays campaign that encourages visiting Downtown LA during the holiday season to support local businesses and retailers.

In addition to promoting DTLA as a goto holiday destination, the DCBID provides the chance to win special holiday gift boxes containing an assortment of unique items from small businesses and gift cards from local retailers.

The holiday campaign runs through December 31, and prizes include a set of gift cards to eat and shop at The Bloc and FIGat7th; a cookbook and gift cards to Grand Central Market restaurants, Lucky Bird and Horse Thief BBQ; a jewelry piece from St. Vincent Jewelry Center; and special gifts and goodies from DTLA small businesses, including Bring Something to the Party, Big Sugar Bakeshop, Pez Cantina, the Library Store and MADE by DWC. The DTLA for the Holidays campaign is being promoted via broadcast radio, digital advertising, e-newsletter, social media and DowntownLA.com’s DTLA Holiday page, DowntownLA.com/Holidays.

Featured locations and retailers include

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DCBID GrandPark

Submitted photo

DTLA’s signature shopping destinations, including The Bloc, FIGat7th, and St. Vincent Jewelry Center where there are special sales and promotions.

“Much like the rest of Los Angeles, retailers in DTLA have been hit especially hard by the pandemic and the restrictions designed to curb its spread,” said Suzanne Holley, DCBID’s president and CEO. “While we always promote DTLA for the Holidays, this year takes on special meaning to support our local businesses and spread holiday cheer by giving Angelenos a chance to win special gifts and engage with all the unique retailers that make DTLA so special.”

DECEMBER 7, 2020

DOWNTOWN NEWS 11

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Back to the Past: The oldest footage of LA

By Andrew Checchia o older generations, the time kids spend browsing social media—using Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube and now TikTok—might look like brain-numbing hours of mindless entertainment.

But as many cutting-edge creators now realize, this growing group of millennial and zoomer youth actually care deeply about the histories and cultures of the places they live. Al Paton, a producer for the online video production company Yestervid, understands this perfectly. He helps research and edit videos compiling old footage of major cities. The studio’s latest effort unearthed films on Los Angeles, including the oldest known footage of the city from 1897.

“When I saw all this old footage, it was incredible. It was inspiring. I thought we just had to do LA,” Paton said. “The format is new, but the content is old. That’s the way to reach younger people.”

The new video features over 10 minutes of richly historical footage from across LA County, including Santa Monica, Downtown, Hollywood (then “Hollywoodland”) and Long Beach.

Time-bending clips show busy streets filled with horse-drawn buggies, street cars and even trains barreling down railroads near Santa Monica Pier, one following the route of what is now the Pacific Coast Highway up the coast toward Malibu. That shot of the train is also the second-oldest footage of the city, just a few days off from the oldest 1897 date. Other films capture dramatic events in Los Angeles’ history, like the opening of the LA aqueduct, famous Hollywood moments, the 1933 earthquake and floods from the 1920s.

“You see real snippets of the birth of LA. I think it’s important that this stuff is preserved,” said Paton on the videos’ value.

An extended chapter of the film focuses on Downtown from the turn of the century up until the 1930s. Aerial footage surveys famous landmarks, like the strikingly barren surroundings near LA City Hall and the radically undeveloped Bunker Hill neighborhood, before they grew into busy commercial centers. For lesser-known buildings, the video also features a beautiful, period-appropriate, hand-drawn map of Downtown that Paton discovered while getting a sense for the shape of the city nearly a century ago. It helps put the shots, which even feature the opening of the famous funicular rail Angel’s Flight before it closed in 1969 and moved a few blocks over in 1996, in appropriate context.

“The rate at which the city grew between 1900 and 2000 is staggering,” Paton noted on Downtown. “It really looked like a little village, and that’s Downtown basically.”

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Another fascinating chapter shows iconic moments and figures from Hollywood history. Tracing back to the film industry’s early days as companies moved out West to avoid the high taxes levied by East Coast states, footage highlights the original complexes of the main studios, with aerial shots showing the sprawling campuses of Warner Brothers and Goldwyn. Other prominent actors, directors and artists get candid clips, like Charlie Chaplin, Billy Bitzer, the controversial producer D.W. Griffiths, and Oscar Micheaux—an extraordinarily important early influence on the development of Black film.

“One of the things you can’t help but think while you’re watching these videos is that everybody in them is dead. But you can reflect on your life and think about what you’ll be remembered for. It’s quite humbling. It makes you realize your own mortality,” said Paton on the film’s slightly morbid but powerful effect.

Ending the video, the oldest footage itself shows a beautiful “day in the life” moment of the early city. At over 120 years old, the scene captured at South Spring Street still looks bustling.

Horses pull a packed carriage down the road as a crowd of pedestrian onlookers bursts off the sidewalk. A young boy even follows behind the buggy on a bike, giving the grainy, black-andwhite footage a touch of familiarity.

“It’s just astounding how much footage there is out there. The vast majority of it ends up on the cutting floor,” said Paton. “I want people to look at it and go, ‘Wow, there’s a whole world out there that I could get into.’ This is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s the edited highlights.”

Whether just moving to the city or a lifelong resident, appreciating the history of LA gives people an opportunity to understand its unique texture. The footage, often over a century old, provides valuable context to the most seemingly fundamental landmarks. Appreciating how radically a city’s landscape can shift helps forecast the years of inevitable future development, an especially important understanding for the younger generations who will soon guide it through such change.

“I’m all on board with kids being into watching videos. If that’s the way to reach them, I’m fine with that. It’s a good way to try and get people interested in something. That’s a win for everyone!”

The Oldest Footage of Los Angeles bit.ly/2VFHOPm

12 DOWNTOWN NEWS

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DECEMBER 7, 2020

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

Americans can finally grow hair so thick “It will cover up your bald spots,” says top US Doctor Clinical trials show a new hair loss breakthrough can both help men and women naturally regrow a thick, full head of hair – without drugs, surgery, or side effects

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housands are rushing to get a new hair restoration method based on surprising new studies from the University of California.

It is the world’s first and only hair loss solution that revives dead hair follicles. And studies confirm it helps men and women regrow a thick, full head of hair, even after years of balding.

Now, with news of this breakthrough spreading like wildfire — the manufacturers are struggling to keep up with overwhelming demand.

That’s because, unlike other methods, it is prescription-free, drug-free, and has no side effects. And while hair transplants can cost $4,000 or more, this new approach costs pennies on the dollar and doesn’t involve going to the doctor’s office.

Instead, it leverages cutting-edge technology to prevent hair loss, fill-in embarrassing bald spots, and renourish thinning hair — with results you can see and feel in 30 days or less.

As Jeanne F. from San Diego, CA reports: “When my husband began to use this product, all he had on top of his head was fuzz. His hair began to grow after 30 days and now it is about 2 to 3 inches long!”

Surprising Truth About Hair Loss It is commonly believed that hair loss is hereditary.

Unfortunately, most people think there is nothing they can do to stop it. However, while many doctors will tell you that thinning hair, a receding hairline, and bald spots are due to your genetics, this is not the whole story.

“While genetics play a role, it’s not the main reason you lose hair,” says Dr. Al Sears, the nation’s top anti-aging doctor. “And surprisingly it’s not just your age, thyroid, hormones, stress, or a vitamin deficiency, either.”

The latest scientific research reveals that hair loss is primarily caused by the stem cells in your hair follicles dying.

“This discovery is a true breakthrough because by reviving these stem cells on your scalp, you can stop hair loss dead in its tracks and trigger new hair growth, even in areas that have been thinning for years,” explains Dr. Sears.

Now, at his world-famous clinic, the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine in Palm Beach, Florida, Dr. Sears and his team have used this game-changing discovery to develop a brand-new hair restoration formula that is taking the country by storm.

Sold under the name Re-Nourish, it is flying off the shelves with men and women of all ages raving about the results it delivers.

“I have seen a significant improvement in hair growth. Previously, you could see thinning areas at the

back of my head and now hair has grown over it,” says Peter W. from Ontario, Canada.

And Susan D. from Fort Pierce, Florida reports, “My hair was thinning. So, I began to use Re-Nourish every day on the front part of my scalp. Now I have thicker hair.”

Dr. Al Sears, M.D., is America’s leading anti-aging expert. He’s authored more than 500 scientific papers, and his discoveries have appeared on more than 50 media outlets including, ABC News, CNN, ESPN, Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Lifetime, and many more.

Regrows Hair In Just 30 Days Scientists now know that stem cells are the lifeblood of your hair follicles.

Research from the University of California shows they’re the reason you’re able to grow hair. However, these stem cells aren’t always active. In fact, studies reveal they’re only active during certain phases of the hair growth cycle.

“Your hair grows in three phases,” explains Dr. Sears. “First, you have the anagen phase, the hair growing phase. Then the catagen phase, when hair gets ready to shed. And finally, the telogen phase, where your hair is pushed from the follicle and falls out.”

As you get older it becomes harder for your hair follicles to complete this three-phase cycle. The results?

Your hairs get stuck in the telogen phase. This is when they start falling out and stop regrowing, no matter what you try.

This process doesn’t happen overnight, says Dr. Sears.

“At first, your hair dries out, becoming brittle, thin, and harder to style. Then, you start finding hairs on your pillow and down the drain. Finally, you’re left with bald spots that age you prematurely.”

Fortunately, Re-Nourish puts a stop to this. It revives the dead stem cells in your hair follicles and reactivates your hair’s three-phase cycle, triggering new growth in as little as 30 days — even in areas that’ve been balding for years.

Reawakens Dead Hair Follicles For years, scientists couldn’t figure out why hair follicle stem cells died.

However, a study from the University of California finally found the answer., It has to do with T-cells — an important immune cell in your body. The researchers discovered these T-cells are the only way to command hair follicles to grow new hair.

Breakthrough research proves this discovery helps fill-in bald spots, re-nournishes thinning hair, and leads to noticeable growth in as little as 30 days.

More importantly, they showed that T-cells helped revive the stem cells in your hair follicles — spurring new growth, filling in bald spots and natural hairline.

Re-Nourish uses a unique blend of all-natural ingredients. By spraying it on your hair once per day, scientific studies show you can revive dead stem cells and improve the appearance of thicker, fuller hair.

For example, the key nutrient of Re-Nourish was tested on a group of severely balding women.

After 6 months, nearly 70% of the women saw significant improvement in hair growth. Their hair was noticeably fuller, thicker, and healthier looking. Most exciting of all, they grew new hair on parts of their scalp that had been bald for years.

In another study, Italian researchers gathered a group of both men and women with thinning hair and applied the core ingredient of Re-Nourish. After 12 weeks, they reported a staggering 74% increase in hair growth.

“It’s really mind-boggling that my hair started growing back,” says Zan R., another Re-Nourish customer.

With results like this, it’s no surprise that demand for Re-Nourish is soaring. Thousands of men and women are scrambling to get their hands on the limited-supply available.

Re-Nourish is not currently available in any store at any price. But we’ve secured a small batch for our readers.

Try Re-Nourish 100% Risk-Free For the next 48-hours, Dr. Sears is offering readers a risk-free trial of Re-Nourish.

Dr. Sears feels so strongly about this product that he is backing every order with a risk-free, 100% money-back guarantee. To take advantage of this special offer, simply call the Sears Toll-Free Health Hotline at 1-800-421-6704 now. Use Promo Code NP1120RN821 when you call in.

[EDITOR’S NOTE]: Due to recent media exposure for Re-Nourish, the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine is experiencing unprecedented demand. If the phone line is busy when you call, please try again to avoid missing this special one-time-only offer.

THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. RESULTS MAY VARY.

DECEMBER 7, 2020

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Covered California will help ART & CULTURE

Standup comedian Paul “PK” Kim set out to break the stereotypes about Korean American artists through his Kollaboration performances.

Photo courtesy Kollaboration

Kollaboration celebrates 20th year spotlighting Asian American artists

By Bridgette M. Redman wenty years ago, standup comedian Paul “PK” Kim set out to break the stereotypes about Korean American artists.

He did it with a talent show called Kollaboration that focused on rap and hiphop, dancing and contemporary music. The performance grew to a nationwide PanAsian movement with similar talent showcases around the country.

Within six years, it became a nonprofit that supports Asian, Pacific Islanders and Desi Americans in all forms of artistic advocacy and support.

At 3 p.m. Saturday, December 12, it will celebrate two decades of showcasing contemporary Pan-Asian artists with a free virtual star-studded night co-hosted by Kim and Minji Chang, a current board member, past executive director, who is also an actress, producer and diversity consultant.

It’ll be joined by guest performers rapper Ruby Ibarra, singer-songwriter Megan Lee, musician and YouTuber David Choi, singer-songwriter Clara, co-owner of Kinjaz and former Jabbawockeez member Ben Chung, and violinist Jason Yang.

The show will be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. RSVP at kollaboration.org.

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DOWNTOWN NEWS 13

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

“PK hit a nerve in the Asian community with this lack of representation and this very narrow representation of worn-out tropes and very one-dimensional depictions of Asian Americans that was very tiresome and old and wasn’t accurate or empowering,” Chang said.

“He created (the show) on his own credit card and touched a nerve in the community. Yes, we are a lot more than what people see us as in the mainstream media.”

In the past 20 years, Kollaboration has hosted more than 170 live events spotlighting more than 1,200 Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) performers in its showcases and more than 1,500 industry professionals, influencers and mentors in its annual Empower conferences.

COVID-19 dictated a virtual celebration, but the leadership and planning team was determined to make it work, said Jane Kim, who is no relation to Paul. Jane is Kollaboration’s new executive director.

She said the event has two goals: honor its history and accomplishments of not just the board members, staff and volunteers but also the artists and performers; and inspire the AAPI community.

“The silver lining with us shifting to virtual is that it really lets us engage more of our Kollaboration (family) nationally and internationally to celebrate,” Jane said.

Jane was hired two months ago in what she lauds as the organization’s commitment to growth even during a pandemic. She said the celebration can lift the spirits of those who have been isolated.

“The most valued part of our 20th anniversary for our audience will no doubt be this coming together and our reunion of the Kollaboration family, especially right now, as we are missing out being together with our friends, family and community,” Jane said.

“Even though we are celebrating virtually, we’ll be seeing familiar faces and going down memory lane with our co-hosts. It will be such a great value.”

Most of the group’s events have spotlighted the artists in the community. This one will also shine a light on the organization and the effect it has on the community, such as being South by Southwest’s first music showcase and panel to spotlight Asian Americans.

“It is a fun walk down memory lane,” Chang said.

“It is a humbling thing that some of the great influencers of our time all had to start somewhere. They were unknowns, a college student with a dream. Not everyone walked out as a superstar. They had to start somewhere. We are proud to be part of those stories and to share our larger vision. We want to remind everyone that this takes a concerted effort to keep that fire going for the future, because the diversity conversation has only just begun in Hollywood.”

While they are able to drop a lot of names of celebrities they had on their stages before they became household names, Jane and Chang stress the importance of acknowledging the volunteers and staff who helped them get to where they are.

“It takes a village,” Chang said. “We are really proud that we have been a part of so many origin stories, and it is really precious to us.”

It wasn’t easy to choose which of their many artists would be featured in the anniversary show.

“We wanted to really celebrate artists who have embodied the Kollaboration mantra—‘empowerment through entertainment,’” Chang said. “They are artists who not only are tremendously talented, but they are a part of our history and we have watched them grow and hustle and be their true, authentic selves. We have so many artists we would have liked to include, but we had to have only six.”

Jane hopes people are reminded that Kollaboration is a nonprofit that relies on support from donors, sponsors, volunteers and artists to continue with its mission.

“Going to this celebration of being part of the Kollaboration family—I think it is going to be a big heartwarming feeling that everyone walks away with,” Jane said.

“We need to raise awareness about our important work and inviting everyone to support our cause.”

Jane wanted to make sure people understand Kollaboration is in this for the long haul.

“We are more committed than ever to advance the success of Asian American Pacific Islanders,” Jane said. “I think a huge piece of that even in the middle of a pandemic, Kollaboration’s board committed to strengthening the organization by hiring a new executive director—that just speaks to the level of commitment we have to our mission.”

Kollaboration 3 p.m. Saturday, December 12 RSVP at kollaboration.org

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14 DOWNTOWN NEWS

DECEMBER 7, 2020

SPECIAL ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

■ RESIDENTS IN 4 STATES CASH IN: The phone lines will be ringing off the hook. That’s because for the next 48 hours, packages containing actual Gold Vault Bricks still loaded with four

5-ounce Jumbo State Bars layered in valuable 24 Karat Gold minted by the Federated Mint are being shipped to residents in 4 states. These are the only Gold Vault Bricks known to exist and everyone wants them. That’s because they’re still loaded with Jumbo Gold Bars bearing the name of The First Bank of the United States of America and the state they were once destined for. And here’s the best part. If you live in one of the 4 states listed in today’s publication you cover only the minimum gold fee set for state residents of just $49 per ounce. That’s a real steal because residents living outside of the designated 4 states must pay $124 per ounce if any remain.

Residents snap up Gold Bars issued in 4 States

Heavy Gold Vault Bricks loaded with valuable Jumbo State Bars layered in 24 Karat Gold are up for grabs as thousands stand to miss the deadline to claim the gold bars; now residents in 4 states can claim the Gold Vault Bricks for themselves and keep all the valuable bars found inside just by covering the minimum gold fee set for state residents within the next 48 hours “It’s like a modern day gold rush,” said Mary Ellen Withrow, emeritus 40th Treasurer of the United States of America.

That’s because actual Gold Vault Bricks™ still loaded with four 5-ounce Jumbo State Bars layered in valuable 24 Karat Gold bearing the name of the First Bank of the United States of America™ and the state they were once destined for are up for grabs as thousands of U.S. residents stand to miss the deadline to claim the gold. Now any resident of those states can claim the Gold Vault Bricks for themselves and keep all the valuable gold found inside. That’s four massive bars weighing a full 20 ounces of high demand bullion copper layered in valuable 24 Karat Gold in all.

And here’s the best part. If you live in one of the 4 states listed in today’s publication you cover only the minimum gold fee set for state residents of just $49 per (Continued on next page)

Who gets the Jumbo Gold Bars: Listed below in bold are the states that get the gold. If you live in one of these states immediately call the State Distribution Hotline at: 1-800-749-6917 GB1737

AK AL AR Arizona California CO CT DE FL GA

HI IA ID IL IN KY KS LA MA ME

MD MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE Nevada

NH NJ NM NY OH OK Oregon PA RI SC

SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WI WV WY R1007C

DECEMBER 7, 2020

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(Continued from previous page)

ounce which totals $980 for the full 20 ounces locked away inside these gold vault bricks. That’s a real steal because residents living outside of the designated 4 states must pay $124 per ounce which totals $2,480 if any remain.

“As special counsel to Federated Mint I earn my pay delivering breaking news.

And today’s announcement confirming the release of Gold Vault Bricks to the general public is as big as it gets. Believe me, I know how valuable these Gold Vault Bricks are to resellers, collectors, dealers and anyone else who gets their hands on them,” Withrow said.

“So my advice is this, anyone who gets an opportunity to get their hands on one of these Gold Vault Bricks better jump at the chance before they’re all gone,” Withrow said.

“These Gold Vault Bricks loaded with massive 5-ounce Jumbo State Bars layered in valuable 24 Karat Gold make the most impressive gifts for Christmas, birthdays, graduations, weddings, and any other occasion, especially for that hard-to-buy-for person,” Withrow said.

According to Ms. Withrow, since thousands of U.S. residents stand to miss the deadline to claim the gold, today and tomorrow are intended as a “special 48 hour release” for the benefit of persons living in; CA, AZ, NV and OR. This gives residents of those states a fair chance to claim the Gold Vault Bricks and all the valuable gold loaded inside for themselves.

But, Ms. Withrow added, “The Gold Vault Bricks are only available as inventory permits during the special 48 hour release and once they’re gone, they’re gone.” The emeritus Treasurer added, “Remember this, these Gold Vault Bricks contain a full 20 ounces of high demand bullion copper layered in valuable 24 Karat Gold and we have no power to stop dealers, resellers, collectors and the like from buying up all the Gold Vault Bricks they can get their hands on and reselling them for a big profit,” Withrow said.

Anyone who fails to obtain them during this special 48 hour release may be forced to buy them later in the secondary market from a dealer, reseller or collector at a hefty premium. ”We already know the phones will be ringing off the hook. That’s why hundreds of agents are standing by to answer the phones beginning at 8:30am this morning. We’re going to do our best, but with just 48 hours to answer all the calls it won’t be easy. So make sure to tell everyone to keep calling if all lines are busy. We’ll do our best to answer them all,” Withrow said.

“That’s why Federated Mint set up the State Distribution Hotlines in order to make sure residents in the 4 designated states listed in today’s newspaper publication can get them now,” Withrow said.

The only thing readers of today’s newspaper publication need to do is make sure they live in one of the 4 states listed in today’s newspaper and call the State Distribution Hotlines before the special 48 hour release ends midnight tomorrow. ■

NEVER BEFORE SEEN: THESE FIRST BANK OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA JUMBO GOLD BARS ARE THE ONLY ONES KNOWN TO EXIST

VALUABLE: THESE ARE THE FOUR 5-OUNCE JUMBO GOLD BARS SEALED AWAY IN EACH GOLD VAULT BRICK BEARING THE STATE DESTINATION

How much are the Gold Vault Bricks worth: The answer is, it’s impossible to say. But, it would be foolish for anyone to try and determine the value of these Gold Vault Bricks based on today’s price of gold. Here’s why. Gold, silver and all precious metal values always fluctuate and there are never any guarantees. But what we do know is that these are the only Gold Vault Bricks still loaded with four 5-ounce Jumbo State Bars known to exist. In fact, the value of the pure 24 Karat Gold layered content is just a bonus for anyone lucky enough to get one of these Gold Vault Bricks because there’s no telling how much the actual collector value could be worth. That makes the minimum gold fee set for state residents of just $ 49 per ounce which totals $ 980 for the full 20 ounces locked away inside these Gold Vault Bricks a real steal since residents living outside of the designated 4 states must pay $124 per ounce, which totals $ 2,480, if any remain.

Why the vault fee is so low: Since thousands of U.S. residents stand to miss the deadline to claim the gold, Federated Mint has re-allocated Gold Vault Bricks to be sent out in the next 48 hours. That means the gold is up for grabs and now residents in 4 states can claim the Gold Vault Bricks for themselves and keep all the valuable bars found inside. These are the only Gold Vault Bricks known to exist and everyone wants them. That’s because they’re still loaded with four 5-ounce Jumbo State Bars layered in valuable 24 Karat Gold bearing the name of The First Bank of the United States of America and the state they were once destined for. That’s four massive bars weighing a full 20 ounces of 24 Karat Gold and valuable bullion copper in all. And here’s the best part. If you live in one of the 4 states listed in today’s publication you cover only the minimum gold fee set for state residents of just $ 49 per ounce. That’s a real steal because residents living outside of the designated 4 states must pay $124 per ounce if any remain.

■ FIRST LOOK INSIDE THE GOLD VAULT BRICKS: Pictured above are the Gold Vault Bricks containing the only Jumbo State Gold Bars known to exist bearing the name of the First Bank of the United States of America and the state they were once destined for. State residents are rushing to get them because the Gold Vault Bricks are still loaded with four 5-ounce Jumbo State Bars layered in valuable 24 Karat Gold. To claim you Vault Brick, just call 1-800-749-6917 GB1737 before the deadline ends.

Everyone lucky enough to get them better hold on to them because there’s no telling just how much they could be worth.

R1007E

FEDERATED MINT, LLC IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE U.S. MINT, THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, A BANK OR ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY. IF FOR ANY REASON WITHIN 30 DAYS FROM SHIPMENT YOU ARE DISSATISFIED, RETURN THE PRODUCT FOR A REFUND LESS SHIPPING AND RETURN POSTAGE. THIS SAME OFFER MAY BE MADE AVAILABLE AT A LATER DATE OR IN A DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION. OH RESIDENTS ADD 6.5% SALES TAX. FEDERATED MINT, PO BOX 1200, MASSILLON, OH 44648 ©2020 FEDERATED MINT

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DECEMBER 7, 2020