COVID Count
Becoming ‘Loverboy’
Reported cases in DTLA,
Sir Sly singer faces
surrounding areas
challenges head-on
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Covered California will help COVID COUNT Reported cases in DTLA and surrounding areas as of April 18 Chinatown: 728; Little Tokyo: 397; Los Feliz: 1,037; Silverlake: 3,171; South Park: 7,323; Wilshire Center: 5,577 Total confirmed cases in DTLA: 3,992 Total deaths in DTLA: 51 Total confirmed cases in LA County: 1,229,641 Total deaths in LA County: 23,668 Los Angeles County reported 466 new COVID-19 cases and three additional deaths as of April 18. The number of COVID-19 patients in county hospitals dropped from 486 to 470, with 106 people in the intensive care unit. The latest figures show the county’s daily test positivity rate is 0.7%, the lowest it has been since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Vaccines are available statewide for those 16 and older. Studies and clinical trials have shown the vaccines are effective in preventing people from contracting the virus, and people who
are fully vaccinated who contract the virus have less severe cases and are less likely to spread it to others. Los Angeles County estimates 5 million people between ages 16 and 49 are eligible, and 1.5 million of them have already received at least one dose. About 41% of the county’s overall population aged 16 and older have received at least one dose, and according to Dr. Paul Simon, chief science officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the county is on track to get 80% of the population vaccinated by the end of June. The county is also expecting an increase of nearly 39,000 in the supply of vaccines this week, at 362,000 doses. Vaccines sent from the federal government to health centers and pharmacies are also expected to increase, meaning 600,000 doses will be available across the county this week. The county has also been pushing to vaccinate hard-to-reach populations
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with two new COVID-19 vaccination clinics at public transit locations in Antelope Valley. The Department of Public Health has recently partnered with Metrolink to launch clinics with the capacity to administer up to 250 free vaccine doses a day. Coronavirus testing for schools has revealed 177 infections among staff and students at Los Angeles campuses. Parents are having difficulty getting tested at 43 campus test sites across the Los Angeles Unified School District, and other parents are objecting to COVID-19 testing as a condition for returning to campus. Many elementary schools are
resuming in-person classes, and at the end of the month, about 1,400 are expected to reopen across Los Angeles. Under current district guidelines, students must be tested a week prior to their return, and testing is required every week. According to Superintendent Austin Beutner, the advance testing has been contributing to a safer school environment. About 40% of elementary school students are to return according to surveys, and parents generally want to keep their children out of in-person instruction over safety concerns. —Compiled by staff writer Doyoon Kim
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Founded in 2010 by Downtown Women’s Center, Made by DWC is a purpose-driven social enterprise that helps break the cycle of chronic homelessness through employment.
Photo courtesy of Made by DW
Proceeds from purchases help fund career training and mentorship programs that provide hands-on training to change lives.
Photo courtesy of Made by DW
DWC offers income, job training to women experiencing homelessness By Kamala Kirk LA Downtown News Staff Writer n the heart of Skid Row, a team of baristas makes organic coffees and teas and serve light fare in a small café. What’s deeper inside is special. The Made by DWC Café is a community gathering place that helps break the cycle of chronic homelessness by providing women the opportunity to earn income while gaining job skills. Since 1978, the Downtown Women’s
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Center has been focused exclusively on serving and empowering women experiencing homelessness and formerly homeless females. Over the years, DWC has expanded to include many different programs and support services, including permanent supportive housing, health care services, advocacy training and a drop-in day center. In 2010, the organization created Made by DWC, a purpose-driven social enterprise that now includes three businesses
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in all aspects of their lives, both at work for women. “Made by DWC was launched 10 years and beyond.” The resale boutique offers a unique ago with our Home & Gift Collection and EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski shopping experience our Café & Gift Boutique,” said Zarina GuerSTAFF WRITERS: Andrew Checchia, Andres De Ocampo, Julia Shaperothat includes womWRITERS:retail Sara Edwards, Kirk en’s apparel and accessories with selecrero, Made’s CONTRIBUTING social enterprise and Kamala ART DIRECTORS: Arman Olivares, Stephanie Torres tions of new, gently used, vintage and debranding manager. STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Luis Chavez “One year CONTRIBUTING later, we opened our resale signer items. The boutique is curated by PHOTOGRAPHERS: Myriam Santos women boutique. Within ourEXECUTIVES: social enterprise, we the ACCOUNT Catherine Holloway, Michael Lamb in the job training program FOUNDER EMERITUS: provide hands-on job trainingSue forLaris women who learn retail, merchandising, customtransitioning out of homelessness. We be- er service and online sale skills. Items are lieve employment is a life-changing oppor- available for sale at the boutique as well as tunity that empowers women to succeed online.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski STAFF WRITERS: Doyoon Kim, Kamala Kirk, Jakaria Ross, Claire Spinner CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Andrew Checchia, Sara Edwards, Frier McCollister, Bridgette M. Redman, Ellen Snortland ART DIRECTORS: Arman Olivares, Stephanie Torres CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER: Shervin Lane ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway, Michael Lamb FOUNDER EMERITUS: Sue Laris
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All of the handmade items from the Home & Gift Collection are made on-site at DWC’s DTLA location and can be purchased through the website. Women are welcome to apply for roles in any of the three businesses and are placed in a role according to their skill set and to meet the needs of their goals. “Our Home & Gift Collection is created with love by the women of Made by DWC,” Guerrero said. “It includes our all-natural soaps, soy candles, bath salts, stationery featuring artwork by women, and our new line of apparel and accessories. Inspired by the beauty and diversity of California, each scent evokes memories of an iconic place in our great state. Our candles, soaps and bath salts create a sensorial experience that will soothe and restore the mind and body.” All the revenue generated from sales at Made by DWC is reinvested into the organization’s programs, allowing it to grow, scale its team and provide more job training opportunities. Other ways individuals can contribute are through donations to Made by DWC or directly to DWC. Donations of new and gently used designer and vintage women’s apparel and accessories are accepted. Monetary donations also help support women through their journey. “COVID-19 has impacted us tremendously,” Guerrero said.
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“Out of an abundance of caution for the women we serve, we’ve remained closed and implemented health and safety protocols through the duration of the pandemic. We did feel it was absolutely necessary to continue to offer our job training service, as it allows women to earn income and often provides a safe place to spend the day. We are continuing to provide job training with our Home & Gift Collection and resale boutique by shifting our focus to online sales.” This year, Made by DWC celebrates 10 years of making an impact in the community, and on March 25 it hosted a 10-year impact panel and celebration. “Over the past 10 years, we have suppor ted 1,154 women through our job-readiness initiatives, with a total of more than 165,568 hours of training,” Guerrero said. “In addition to technical skills, we focused on essential skills where we saw an increase in self-esteem and interpersonal development. Over the past six years, we’ve had a job placement rate of 70% and saw women retaining those jobs at an average rate of 80%. In addition, 10 women from our job training programs moved into job roles here at Made by DWC. We are excited to be celebrating our 10th anniversary and look forward to our upcoming special events throughout the year.” For more information, visit madebydwc. org and follow @madebydwc on Instagram.
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Women are employed through Made by DWC and attend skill-development workshops while receiving additional employment support services. Photo courtesy of Made by DW
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Garcetti: LA is tackling challenges
Garcetti said that through his justice budget he would invest dollars in infrastructure, culture, economic and technological services for all Angelenos. A quarter-billion dollars of this budget will go toward neighborhood preservation and human services. Another $151 million will bolster programs tackling racial and economic injustice. He will also make neighborhoods safer by planting more trees for shade and streetlights for dark areas. “We are the generation of Angelenos who will beat this pandemic and lift up your young people,” Garcetti said. “We are the generation of Angelenos who will
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Housing and infrastructure
Mayor Eric Garcetti’s State of the City addressed topics like COVID-19, housing and infrastructure, and social justice and the police.
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Garcetti said the road through the pandemic would be painful in his 2020 State of the City. But now, Garcetti is confident the city can bounce back. To continue the reopening process, Garcetti announced $75 million will be dedicated to vaccination, testing and PPE accessibility to everyone in Los Angeles. He said that since the pandemic started, Los Angeles’ local testing initiatives and vaccination programs helped 26,000 residents per day get their vaccines. “Every clinician, firefighter, neighborhood volunteer and mutual aid group who stepped up and kept Angelenos fed and housed and tested and vaccinated has accelerated our return to the lives we love in the city we so dearly miss,” he said.
Garcetti stressed that he would not abolish the LAPD, despite the protests and marches that flooded the streets throughout the summer of 2020. Garcetti said part of his budget creates peaceful initiatives to respond to nonviolent calls instead of the police. The first part would go to a new approach called TURN: Therapeutic Unarmed Response for Neighborhoods, which would send clinicians instead of police officers to nonviolent mental health calls dispatched to 911. The budget would also go toward funding a one-year nonviolent crises pilot project specifically for homeless people in the hardest-hit neighborhoods. The final part would focus on peacemaking. “If you want to move backward toward a failed us-and-them strategy that made police an occupying force in communities they were meant to serve, you’ve come to the wrong place,” he said. “This is a moment for all of us to step up together: police departments, neighborhood leaders and elected officials. It’s a time to recognize wrongs and to set them right.” Garcetti will increase spending on the Gang Reduction and Youth Development program to add 80 more peace ambassadors. He said the budget will invest $12 million in Reforms for Equity and Public Acknowledgement of Institutional Racism, or LA REPAIR, to create more jobs and back community intervention and racial healing. As the city emerges from the pandemic and reopens to a new normal, Garcetti said the city still has a way to go to recover from the effects of 2020 and the coronavirus. “Los Angeles doesn’t run from challenges; we rise to them,” Garcetti said. “And when we look back on our city from that future day, let us say with honest pride that we did not start our journey there one minute too late.”
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make an unprecedented leap forward for racial justice. We are the generation of Angelenos who will leave behind a stronger, fairer city for us all.” Garcetti finished this section by addressing the rise in hate crimes toward the Asian and Pacific Islander population by recalling the 1871 massacre where 19 Chinese Angelenos were lynched.
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By Sara Edwards LA Downtown News Contributing Writer A Mayor Eric Garcetti’s recent State of the City addressed the homeless population, the state of social justice, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on housing and the economy. “Nearly eight years ago, I was sworn in as your mayor, and I set my attention to the basics of our government and our economy,” he said. “The idea was simple: City Hall should work for all Angelenos, and all Angelenos should be able to work.” Garcetti reflected on the city’s accomplishments, despite the tumultuous 2020. He said that while the pandemic threw the city for a loop, Los Angeles is still making moves to come out on top. Here is a breakdown of Garcetti’s budget.
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Bob Herman penned “Downtown Los Angeles: A Walking Guide in 1996.” Submitted photo
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SoCal sociologist Bob Herman dies at 92 By LA Downtown News Staff omona College Emeritus Professor of Sociology Bob Herman, an expert on urban issues who wrote a definitive Downtown Los Angeles walking guide, has died of complications following a recent fall. He was 92. A railroad enthusiast and long-time Claremont booster, he began taking groups of students on bus tours of Los Angeles neighborhoods in the late 1980s, and he made it his personal mission to introduce skeptical suburbanites to the hidden wonders of LA’s under-appreciated Downtown. His love for cities, trains and suburban Claremont all came together in the early ’90s, when the new Metrolink commuter train, with a station next to Pomona College’s campus, began to whisk riders to Union Station. As his son, Paul Herman, recounts, the professor raced into the kitchen and gleefully announced to his wife, Carol, “This is the greatest day of my life!” Bob was born in 1928 in Champaign, Illinois, and spent most of his childhood
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in Hillsdale, Michigan, where his father taught sociology at the local college. And it was in Hillsdale (and especially on train trips between Hillsdale and his mother’s hometown of Dundee, Illinois) that Bob developed the love of railroads and passenger trains that stayed with him throughout his life. During World War II, the family moved twice more: first to Tucson and finally to Redlands, California, where Bob graduated from high school. He served two years in the Navy, working as an electrical specialist on the still-new technology of radar, before enrolling at Pomona College in 1948. At Pomona, Bob studied sociology under professors Alvin Scaff and Ray Baber and sang in the college glee club and choir. As a chorister with a fine bass voice, Bob met and fell in love with Carol Baber, a glee club and choir member and Pomona classmate who also happened to be his academic adviser’s daughter. Following graduation in 1951, Bob and Carol were married in the Mabel Shaw Bridges Hall of
Music on the Pomona College campus before moving to Madison, Wisconsin, where Bob completed a doctorate in sociology at the University of Wisconsin. After a five-year stint in Ames, Iowa, where Bob taught at Iowa State University, Bob and Carol returned to Claremont in 1960 when he was hired to fill the seat recently vacated by his father-in-law’s retirement. A year later, the couple settled into the same Claremont home where they raised three children and lived together for the next 60 years. Bob taught sociology at Pomona College for four decades. He loved teaching, served for many years as the chairperson of the sociology department, and was well known among fellow faculty for his warm collegiality. Above all, Bob was passionate about mentoring students, and he was honored with the Wig Award for excellence in teaching in 1991. His genuine interest in getting to know people led Bob to develop friendships with many students, several of whom became lifelong friends. A tall man with a long, distinctive gait and a ready wave, Bob was a familiar figcaption. ure around Claremont. Friends and neighbors initially dubbed him the “Jolly Green Giant,” due to his habit of jogging through town in an old green sweatsuit, and later nicknamed him “IronMan Bob,” as he continued to run daily around Claremont’s Memorial Park well into his 70s. Locals also came to know Bob as a popular tour guide who led countless walking tours of the
Claremont Colleges and the Village, during which he shared his deep knowledge of the town and region with an infectious enthusiasm. His interests reached into Los Angeles in the 1980s and, over time, student tours of LA neighborhoods expanded into bus and walking tours for alumni, faculty and a variety of civic and professional groups. Bob published “Downtown Los Angeles: A Walking Guide in 1996,” not long before retiring. It filled a niche, and Bob went on to give hundreds of tours of the Civic Center, Bunker Hill and other Downtown districts. He would start at Union Station, which combined his love of the city and trains, and Bob would point out the 1939 station’s optimistic architecture, full of arches and color. “It just tells you you’re in a different place,” he once said. “This is California. Your life is going to be transformed here.” Bob was in the lead in foreseeing the transformation of LA’s core: “It’s finally happening,” he said in 2007. “We’re getting a lot of people moving Downtown. I’ve been waiting for it all my life.” Beyond cities and trains, Bob loved Baroque music, and his wife Carol’s long career as a Baroque cellist and viola da gambist delighted him, noted his son, Paul. Bob and Carol were married for 69 years. In addition to his wife Carol, Bob is survived by his sister, Eleanor Kemp of Redlands, his three children (David, Molly and Paul), their spouses, and five grandchildren.
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LA officials respond to Chauvin guilty verdict By Jakaria Ross LA Downtown News Staff Writer os Angeles city officials, attorneys and city council members aired their thoughts in response to Derek Chauvin’s guilty verdicts. A former Minneapolis police officer, Chauvin was found guilty on three counts of murder after kneeling on the neck of George Floyd for more than 9 minutes last year. “Justice has been served,” said Gil Cedillo, District 1 city councilmember. “I am hopeful that this will demonstrate that no one is above the law. May George Floyd rest in peace, and others who were victims of police
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LA City Attorney Mike Feuer
LA County Board of Supervisors Chairperson Hilda L. Solis
District 1 City Councilmember Gil Cedillo
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misconduct but where justice did not prevail. His murder was the catalyst that led to a broad national consensus that Black lives matter.” Cedillo stressed honesty, discipline and transparency, saying, “Now is the time to continue building a strong movement for social justice as the living legacy of George Floyd.” LA County Board of Supervisors Chairperson Hilda L. Solis addressed the possibility for riots and protests in response to the verdict. “For those who will be out in the streets participating in unity and solidarity rallies and protests to fight for continued accountability of law enforcement, I ask that we do so
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safely and that we do not engage in negative activities,” Solis said. “We want to maintain and uplift the message of justice for George’s family and not steer away from it with distractions.” Solis aimed comments at the LAPD, asking for the First Amendment right of free speech to be upheld as citizens expressed their views. “I also will ask the LA Sheriff’s Department personnel, who will be out on the streets in LA County, to not engage in activities that will unnecessarily agitate those exercising their First Amendment rights,” Solis said. “We need to respect the rights of all Angelenos to protest and rally, including allowing members of the press to do their jobs in being a source of information for all of us.” The political and social movement Black Lives Matter helped to create the Defund the Police campaign in response to what seemed like increased police brutality. Movement members said police funding should be reallocated to community policing and organizations that support racial equality. “Today, we let out a collective sigh that for George Floyd, and his family and supporters,
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the man who killed their loved one is going to be held accountable,” Solis said. “This does not deflect from the terrible fact that we have so many more people who were taken from their families by law enforcement, like Breonna Taylor, Daunte Wright, Adam Toledo, and those here in LA County.” LA City Attorney Mike Feuer commented on the verdict during a press conference, reminding the public on its right to peacefully protest. “If you choose to participate in a peaceful protest, it is not only your right to do so, but it is our collective obligation to facilitate that right,” Feuer said. “I am committed to achieving full social and economic equality for every single Angeleno.” Feuer quoted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when opening his talk. “The arc of the moral universe bends toward justice, Dr. Martin Luther King tells us,” Feuer said. “I ask that all of us join together in a commitment of activism. The fight for civil rights, social justice and to erase inequality, that fight has taken painfully long. Today, we are here to talk about galvanizing moments in that fight.”
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KIRK’S OPINION
The Chauvin verdict offers new possibilities By Ellen Snortland LA Downtown News Columnist
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hen I visited Norway, my “mother country,” as far as ancestry goes, I had many memorable experiences — and a wake-up call. The city streets in Oslo and Bergen are extraordinary because of what they don’t have: homeless people, litter and, obviously, armed cops. This is the land of the Vikings, who were considered by many to be quintessentially “masculine,” yet modern Norwegian men don’t seem to be concerned one whit about being “manly” men. My male relatives certainly don’t. They also don’t insult each other about not being manly enough. Hyper-masculinity is toxic regardless of race. And who is at the top of the American hyper-masculine “pyramid”? Football players, the military and cops — all occupations that are inextricably linked with violence. Because of the guilty verdicts on all counts in the Derek Chauvin murder trial, more and more law enforcement entities are even more urgently called on to solve community problems nonlethally. What a concept! Is nonlethal policing even possible? A growing chorus of cops themselves are now asking these questions and demanding answers. And what is the most prominent tool of hyper-masculinity? Guns! Guess what? Norway is one of the 18 countries that de-emphasizes armed law enforcement. How can that possibly be? In a binary mindset, law enforcement is either armed or disarmed. Binary thinkers can’t be transformed by looking through the lens of either/or thinking, which is also a hallmark of patriarchal thinking: either/or, us/them, my way or no way. Because I’m talking about Norway, and the former guy in the White House often spoke of Norway as a paragon of virtue,
how about we create a movement to send members of U.S. law enforcement to Norway in a cop exchange program. “What?” you may say. “But Norway is too small to understand the massive problems that a country like the U.S. has!” Let’s take the case that the population of Minnesota is comparable to the population of Norway. And since Minnesota is home to a large chunk of the Norwegian diaspora, the new Police Officer Orientation Program, or POOP, could very well launch with them. I use POOP as an acronym because the idea will undoubtedly have many detractors who consider the idea of effectively reforming the police a load of crap. The naysayers think that all cops are hard-boiled and are — excuse the expression — pigheaded. I would guess that, just as in the larger population, 5% of the police most likely are sociopaths. Look into Chauvin’s eyes, and you can see it plain as day. Meanwhile, the rest of the folks on the force are like many of us who can’t think past their mindsets (and their training) and believe that the way policing is done now is just “the way it is” unless and until they experience possibility. That’s the tricky part about mindsets; they are basically inflexible and can’t think outside their own (mind) box. Sending them to jurisdictions that are not addicted to guns and meeting every situation as a threat could drive serious wedges into gun mindsets. Using a tired cliché, some of my dearest friends are in law enforcement. Seriously. So, trust me when I tell you that I don’t have an anti-cop bias, even though some people have stereotyped me as a liberal “softy.” Cops are people to me. That sounds so lame, yet it’s true. I believe in the realm of the currently impossible being entirely possible if we have leadership that could take on the idea of robustly embracing foreign ex-
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change programs. Send our cops to Norway, to the United Kingdom, to Iceland, to New Zealand, to Scotland. Let them experience firsthand the approaches these countries use in neighborhood policing and conflict resolution that is foreign to our rank and file. And this is not a new idea, just an underexplored one. Ger O’Dea, my friend in England, sent me a link to a 45-minute documentary called “Hard-Wire: Law of the Gun.” High-ranking U.S. officers went to Scotland to get ideas on nonlethal policing. Solutions are available if we commit the resources to retrain. Send the police union folks, too, while we are at it. Here’s another idea: Because everyone
loves contests, law enforcement contests could involve which precincts have the fewest arrests or see which entities can hire the oldest rookies. If we had some retired women going on patrols, I’d wager we would see a dramatic drop in violence. If the idea of retraining in Norway elicits a “no way,” there are Pacific Islands that have gunless cops — nations that may entice the nonviolence out of them. I can see the recruitment ads now: “Find your finest self as an officer in Fiji! You’ll never want to shoot another person again!” Ellen Snortland’s columns have been… hitting the target since the early ’90s. She also coaches writers. Contact her at ellen@ authorbitebybite.com.
Rethink income tax Editor: In a democracy, if you do income taxes at all, you had better make them steeply progressive. A hundred years ago, before World War I, the lowest bracket was at 1%, and the highest was seven times higher, at 7%. During WWI, when the government needed cash, the highest rate jumped to 77%. The rich paid their share. Calvin Coolidge, the Republican friend of the roaring rich in the Roaring ’20s, lowered the max rate from 50% to 40%, and then again to 20%. WWII shot the max rate up to 94% on incomes over $2.5 million in today’s dollars. That rate affected the equivalent not of our
1% but our one-hundredth of 1%. Today, instead of handing over $2.3 million of their $2.5 million to the government like they did then, our 0.01% often pay effectively 0%, let alone the top rate of 37%. The top tax rate in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s never dropped below 70%. But then America’s new oligarchic class called a halt to all the money bleeding, culminating in a top rate of 28% in 1988. Rich Republicans and Democrats alike today take the Bible verse in Mark 4:25 as their mantra: “For he that hath, to him shall be given; and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.” Kimball Shinkoskey
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SPRING INTO HEALTH Health tips to navigate pandemic’s second year By Family Features fter months of unfamiliar restrictions and guidelines, pandemic fatigue is affecting how some Americans protect their health. However, experts warn that diligence is still extremely important because new mutations and variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 are being discovered. The typical cold and flu season also brings added threats to people’s health and wellness. “Staying diligent is one of the most important things we can do as we navigate through cold and flu season as well as the COVID pandemic,” said family medicine physician Dr. Jennifer Caudle. Though you may still be spending more time at home, it’s important to take proactive steps to maintain your health. Caudle offers these practical tips to help protect your health while you’re waiting for vaccination eligibility amid the pandemic this cold and flu season.
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Avoid exposure As COVID-19 continues to impact communities from coast to coast, there’s no better time
to avoid getting sick. Even if you catch a less serious illness like a cold or the flu, health care professionals in many areas are stretched thin. What’s more, getting sick could compromise your immune system, making you more susceptible to a more serious infection. Minimizing your risk of exposure means limiting close contact with others outside your household, wearing a mask, and washing your hands regularly with soap for at least 20 seconds. An alcohol-based sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol can substitute for hand washing, if necessary.
Practice self-care Staying healthy isn’t just about avoiding germs. Managing your physical health means keeping your body in top condition by eating right; exercising; getting enough sleep; and ditching habits that can negatively impact your body, like smoking and excess drinking. It’s also important to monitor your mental health, because factors like stress and depression can take a physical toll that impacts your body’s immune response.
Pinpoint symptoms If you get sick, it’s important to pay close attention to your symptoms. However, this cold and flu season brings a unique variable with the possibility that your symptoms may actually stem from a mild case of COVID-19. Weather may also fuel stronger-than-usual allergy responses, so distinguishing between cold, flu, COVID-19 and allergy symptoms can be especially tricky. Testing may be necessary to get the proper diagnosis and ensure you’re taking the right precautions to prevent the spread of any infection. If you have questions or concerns about your symptoms or about COVID-19, consult your health care professional.
infections. Many provide relief from multiple symptoms in a single dose. For example, an option like Mucinex DM lasts 12 hours when used as directed and contains dextromethorphan, which helps to control cough, and guaifenesin to help thin and loosen mucus.
Treat symptoms Depending on your diagnosis, a health care professional may suggest medication to help treat symptoms until your illness runs its course. There are a variety of products available over the counter that are commonly used to treat symptoms of respiratory viral
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Embrace the shake with this transformative workout By Lagree Work until you sweat. Sweat until you shake. Shake until you strengthen. Strengthen until you transform. Lagree213 is Downtown LA’s exclusive Lagree studio since 2008 offering the Pilates-based Lagree Fitness method in a boutique studio setting that gives total body results. Located in DTLA’s Historic Core at LEVEL and expanding to a second location in the Arts District at One Santa Fe this summer, Lagree213 offers an upbeat, positive atmosphere that inspires a client’s highest vibration. This challenging high-energy, low-impact 45-minute workout combines core, Lagree is the fastest-growing fitness endurance, cardio, balance, strength method, according to ClassPass. and flexibility training for unparalleled (Photo courtesy of Lagree) 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. The incredible Megaformer machine sculpts and tones every muscle in the body, and because each class is different every time, the body is always challenged. Certified trainers focus on form and promote mind-body awareness to ensure each workout is adaptable to all fitness levels, age and ability. There’s a reason Lagree was declared the fastest-growing fitness method by ClassPass in 2019, it works. Embrace the shake and see what this world-class method and renowned trainers can do for the body and mind. Info: lagree213.com ADVERTORIAL
APRIL 26, 2021
SPRING INTO HEALTH
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THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITIES FOR YOUR SUPPORT DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. Since our first COVID-19 patient in March 2020, PIH Health has been dedicated to caring for those impacted by this disease and now we are grateful to be turning our attention towards providing vaccine to put an end to this pandemic. Throughout the past year, you were there supporting our efforts every step of the way. Thank you for your good thoughts, letters and prayers; your donations of food, personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies; your financial support; volunteering your time; and most of all, for trusting us with your care. Together, we made a difference and as always, PIH Health remains your health and wellness partner!
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SPRING INTO HEALTH
12 DOWNTOWN NEWS
APRIL 26, 2021
It’s time to rethink your heart health By Family Features n average, someone in the United States dies from cardiovascular disease (CVD) every 36 seconds, approximately 2,380 deaths each day, according to the American Heart Association. Each day, 405 deaths occur in the United States as the result of strokes, an average of one death every 3:33. More people die annually from CVD than from any other cause, including cancer, COPD, diabetes, lung infections and the flu, according to the American Heart Association’s (AHA) 2021 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics. Consider these steps to #RethinkCVRisk to change the course of the disease and your life.
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Understand your risk COVID-19 has shown that those with underlying CVD face an especially high risk of serious COVID-19-related illness or even death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Regardless of whether you’ve received your COVID-19 vaccination, now is a good time to discuss your risk for heart disease with your doctor.
How cardiovascular disease develops Risk factors for CVD include high cholesterol, high triglycerides, diabetes and high blood pressure. Other factors that contribute to risk are family history, prior cardiovascular (CV) events, smoking, being overweight or obese, and unhealthy diet and exercise habits. Over time, these risk factors can lead to injury of the blood vessel lining, causing inflammation, which can then trigger plaque growth. Plaque grows at different rates and in different arteries in the body for everyone and is often a slow, gradual process without symptoms. As plaque buildup continues, the risk of suffering a CV event — such as heart attack or stroke — increases. If plaque ruptures, the body will try to repair the injury, potentially causing a blockage to form, and when an artery becomes fully blocked, blood flow is restricted. Blocked blood flow to the heart causes a heart attack, while blocked blood flow to the brain causes a stroke.
In the past, medicines used to lower triglycerides, like fenofibrates and niacin, were commonly prescribed to help manage CV risk along with statins. However, clinical studies failed to show benefits, and both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and American Diabetes Association discourage combining niacin and fenofibrates with statins. Some turn to dietary supplement fish oil to help manage CV risk. However, supplements contain only 30% of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), with the majority of the product consisting of non-omega-3 ingredients, including saturated fats. Some data suggests certain ingredients in dietary supplement fish oils, such as DHA and saturated fats, may raise bad cholesterol. While high triglycerides are an indicator of CV risk, lowering them won’t necessarily reduce your risk. However, addressing the underlying causes of high triglycerides can help, according to the AHA.
Treatment options With ongoing research, new standards of care are emerging. High cholesterol is a key CV risk factor, with statins currently the first-line therapy for lowering cholesterol. Statins, diet and exercise can lower your CV risk by about 25% to 35%, but, for many
people, controlled cholesterol doesn’t eliminate CV risk. This residual risk, or “persistent CV risk,” puts millions of patients at risk and has been the focus of therapeutic development for many years. Talk with your doctor about FDA-approved options that can help further reduce your heart risk if you already take statins. For more information about CVD and what you can do, look for #RethinkCVRisk on social media or visit truetoyourheart. com.
Truths and falsehoods about heart disease risk 1. Statins reduce your chance of experiencing a CV event by up to 90%. False. Statins, diet and exercise can lower your risk by about 25%-35%, but for many patients, controlled cholesterol doesn’t eliminate CV risk. This residual risk, or “persistent CV risk,” puts millions of patients at risk and has been the focus of therapeutic development for many years. 2. Managing high triglycerides along with taking statins is enough to reduce your risk. False. High triglycerides are a CV risk factor, but lowering them won’t necessarily
reduce your risk. For example, earlier-generation medicines prescribed to lower triglycerides, like fenofibrates and niacin, failed to show clinical benefit when used with statins to reduce CV risk. In fact, the FDA withdrew approval for fenofibrates and niacin in combination with statins because they add potential risk with no proven benefit to heart health. 3. Fish oil supplements are a proven way to get protection from a CV event. False. Fish oil supplements are not FDA-approved medicines intended to treat or prevent a medical condition. Despite multiple clinical studies, these products have not been proven, to reduce CV risk on top of current medical therapies including statins. 4. Having a first CV event, such as a heart attack or stroke, puts you at greater risk to suffer another. True. Having a CV event makes you more likely to suffer another. That’s why it’s important to protect against a first CV event or future events. To closely monitor your heart health, stay in close contact with your doctor and reduce your risk by keeping up with your medications, exercising and sticking to a healthy diet.
Managing risk factors The most effective way to prevent CVD is to understand and address risk factors. Triglycerides play an important role in heart health. Triglycerides store unused calories to give your body energy and are the most common type of fat in the body. They come from foods you eat such as butter, oils and other fats, as well as carbohydrates, sugars and alcohol. Your diet, lack of exercise, medical conditions, certain drugs and genetics can all cause high triglycerides.
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APRIL 26, 2021
A Moonlight Massage in DTLA
Desuar Day Spa’s Massage Under the Moon will continue from 5 to 10 p.m. Monday, April 26, under the light of a full moon. (Photo courtesy of Desuar) By Desuar Day Spa Desuar Day Spa’s Massage Under the Moon is back by popular demand. It will continue from 5 to 10 p.m. Monday, April 26, for the next full moon, which will be a pink full moon. The full moon is a powerful energy healing opportunity, an optimal time for meditating, recharging your energy field, and clearing your chakras. So many cultures have full moon rituals and ceremonies. There is so much pure energy in the moonlight that anything it touches can’t help but respond to its radiance and love. Come and experience the signature Serenity Healing treatment during the full moon Book early as space is limited. Info: desuar.com ADVERTORIAL
Summer kickboxing membership with 9ROUND
By 9Round Get ready to push yourself this summer. Check out 9Round’s trainer-led kickboxing workouts that will keep clients motivated and have them punching and kicking toward their fitness goals. As a new fitness center in the South Park District, 9Round is looking to connect Get summer strong. and inspire growth within the community. (Photo courtesy 9Round) 9Round is a 30-minute full body kickboxing workout program. The workouts change daily and there is a trainer always included to work with and guide the member every step of the way. Mention this story and receive a 50% discount on registration and enrollment, and the introductory workshop is always free. Membership includes boxing gloves, hand wraps, a Pulse heart rate monitor and online access to the member portal. To address COVID-19 concerns, 9Round is following all applicable federal, state and local guidelines including: All trainers are required to wear masks and regularly wash their hands while working in the gym; trainers will be required to stay home if they are ill. Requiring that all members wear masks that cover the nose and mouth. The facility will be providing these as a courtesy if a member does not have one. Spraying and wiping down all frequently touched surfaces (including doorknobs, countertops, bathroom fixtures, etc.) with sanitizing solutions every hour. Sanitizing all punching bags each hour and all smaller gym equipment after each use. Mopping the floor mats and cleaning the entire club at the end of the day. Call 213-699-2699 for details. ADVERTORIAL
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APRIL 26, 2021
ARTS & CULTURE
Cal State LA captures stories of pandemic By Bridgette M. Redman LA Downtown News Contributing Writer omeday, stories that are seared in our brains may come to the forefront — stories of isolation, Zoom fatigue, mask fashion, toilet paper shortages and new ways to live with others. Some may block such things from their minds, which is why organizations around the country — and right here in LA — are collecting stories and oral histories of what things were like during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cal State LA is working on what it calls the “Pandemic Diaries,” which focuses on videos and oral histories. So far, it has received more than 100 student diaries. “What we’re all going through has really impactful and historical significance,” said Azalea Camacho, Cal State LA’s archivist and Special Collections librarian. “It is also a way for the community and students to self-reflect and share their stories in a different format.” Camacho is ensuring the community is involved in the collection. “The Cal State LA community is very diverse, and what we try to do in Special Collections and Archives is collect stories of our diverse campus community,” Camacho said. “This is really important because usually their stories are missing from historical records and they are not preserved. The goal is to capture such experiences now, as they are happening.”
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Sharing stories The initial stories will be shared in a virtual exhibition, “The 20/20 Experience: Impact of COVID-19 on the Cal State LA Campus Community,” that goes live at 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 4, through the library’s website. As part of the exhibit, the university is hosting workshops to provide tips on how to record its videos. Core topics include racial and social inequality, mental health concerns, job loss, the impact on culture, changes in family dynamics, and the challenges of adapting to a new virtual environment. Curators want the community to experience moments of healing, empowerment and unity. “The exhibit is really focused on last year’s experience and reflecting on that aspect,” Camacho said. “Students who participated will be at the launch to talk about their experience. We’re going to do some workshops geared more toward the community.” Panel discussions will bring more awareness about the experience to the community. They’ve worked with a nursing faculty member who will talk about health care professionals and how they are engaging and developing artwork during this time. “We’re highlighting the health care professional experience and how they have experienced this,” Camacho said. “There is a community out there they didn’t know about before, and now they are exchanging their artwork.”
Azalea Camacho is Cal State LA’s archivist and Special Collections librarian.
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The loss of community While student experiences vary, the diaries thus far have unearthed common themes: students adapting to virtual environments, learning through Zoom University, experiencing community setbacks and hardships, and living in the community and dealing with COVID-19. There has been hope woven in among the reports of difficulties. Students shared stories about how they are persevering, their involvement with social justice movements sparked by George Floyd’s death and the discrimination and racism against the Asian American community. Camacho said the individual stories will have the most lasting value. “There are quite a few of people’s experiences that are very interesting and impactful,” Camacho said. One is student Yareli Jimenez, whose story, she pointed out, was highly interesting and fairly common. The child of immigrants from Mexico City, Jimenez struggled after high school because of racism and trauma she experienced. When she finally arrived at Cal State, she found a community where she fit and models who inspired her. There, she felt she was heard and seen — and was supported. It was life changing for her. Then the pandemic hit. “I feel like I’d finally found my community and feeling like that was cut short,” Jimenez said in her interview. “Not being able to be there for my last semester was really tough, same with not being able to walk the stage. The first couple of months in March were really tough. I was depressed, anxious, and I couldn’t get any work done.” Her family faced challenges, too. Her father lost his job, and they didn’t qualify for stimulus checks. She worried about her grandparents, who were living alone in Mexico City. “She talks about missing out on the experience of being on campus,” Camacho said. “It was like she found a home, and with COVID, that was lost. There was no longer that personal connection. She talks about how the health care concerns with her family affected her experience, but at the same time, there was a sense of hope at the end as she reflected on her pandemic diary.” Special Collections strives to collect the diverse lives of the student population. The university is primarily a commuter campus. “A lot of students had hope for the future, and some are graduating and trying to figure out what the job market will look like and what they would move on to next,” Camacho said. “Going through these challenges that a lot of people are going through, they find a silver lining. There is a resilience, and when I think of Los Angeles, that sticks out.”
More stories Now the focus is on broadening the data that has been collected beyond the student participants. Stories are wanted from everyone in the community, from business owners to long-time residents and everyone in between. Camacho encouraged those who have shared stories through social media to consider submitting it to the “Pandemic Diaries” or use it as a base to make a recording for the collection. “If they think about sharing their experience as historically significant, I hope they consider submitting to it in whatever way they think is interesting,” Camacho said. She said photos will also be taken, but the focus is on contributed recordings. The hope is to ensure the project’s contributors are as diverse as Los Angeles. Anyone who wants to submit a digital story, photo or document can visit the Pandemic Diaries Project instructions webpage at https://bit.ly/3gvPUGb. Some of the suggested prompts include: • How is the COVID-19 pandemic affecting your life, family or instruction? • What is your daily life like during quarantine? • What changes have you made to your daily routine to stay safe? • What feelings are you experiencing? • Have you had any revelations or realizations? The project was launched as a way for people to reflect and to preserve their stories in an official archive. Camacho said it has grown to something much more. “It’s really provided a way for us to engage with our students and the whole community because we are all experiencing this. It’s really a community effort,” Camacho said. “We are highlighting the stories in different ways and not just putting them away in an archive or digital dark storage where they are not accessible. (We are putting them) where they are accessible and celebrating among the community.”
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APRIL 26, 2021
Covered California will help ARTS & CULTURE Landon Jacobs and Sir Sly released their new record, “The Rise & Fall of Loverboy,” on April 23. Photo by Shervin Lane
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Landon Jacobs’ journey to becoming ‘Loverboy’ By Claire Spinner LA Downtown News Staff Writer ocial media scares Landon Jacobs, the 30-year-old frontman of the California rock band Sir Sly. He admitted one of his recent endeavors — creating a TikTok account — was not something he was initially comfortable with. “I was talking to my therapist about it, because people kept telling me to be a little more tapped in,” he said with a shrug. “I realized that a big part of it was discomfort or fear. And that doesn’t sound like a very good reason not to do something. So, I’m trying it.” Jacobs is no stranger to facing challenges head-on. Over the last two years, Jacobs made a major life change: He got sober. After struggling with alcohol addiction in his 20s, he became keenly aware that what he thought was initially a habit might be a larger problem. “I probably talked about it in a way that — I don’t want to say was disingenuous — it was as honest as I knew how to be,” he said. “But I don’t think I realized I was struggling with alcohol addiction and wasn’t doing much to help get better.” Jacobs said getting sober was emotionally straining. The singer felt he had repressed the emotions that came along with losing his mother to cancer in 2016, and they reappeared as he stopped drinking. “There was a lot of undealt-with grief over losing my mom to cancer,” he said. “The first hundred days that I got sober I cried every day. And then I cried more. I hadn’t dealt with that stuff in years because I had been drinking every day. It was like a neat little compartmentalization, and it caused either anxiety or numbness, but it wasn’t a real process.” Jacobs said deciding to go to therapy and joining a 12-step program were crucial steps. “Therapy helps with some of that neuroplasticity. Our brains are reshaping all the time, and I knew that I wanted to put myself on a more positive trajectory,” he said. “I was feeling really tired of being alive, and I wanted a more positive spin on my life and a better understanding of who I am and where I am headed.” Though these subjects can be heavy and hard to talk about, Jacobs said they are vital ones to address — not only to himself but to everyone else. “I think just talking about it is a good way to destigmatize conversations about these sorts of things,” he said. “I still don’t know what’s up with me. I just know that I felt compelled to drink a lot, and now I feel quite a bit of freedom from that. I feel genuinely happier, but I also know it’s still difficult to wake up sometimes. So, I’m sussing that out with my therapist and trying to find good tools.” Jacobs’ outspoken nature is present in much of what he does. He has been vocal about his values throughout his time in Sir Sly. Recently, he has been a proponent of the Black Lives Matter movement, and he is not afraid to share his thoughts on Donald Trump’s presidency or the former leader’s supporters. Like his struggles with addiction, these topics are addressed on Sir Sly’s third album, “The Rise & Fall of Loverboy.” “I think there’s definitely some reference on the album to my general antipathy towards the very backwater, white supremacist way of thinking,” he said. “Having grown up Christian, I kind of grew up in that, too, so it really embarrasses me to see people thinking and talking that way. It frustrates me in a different kind of way, because I know it’s possible to snap out of it and see the world differently.”
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Social causes Jacobs’ passion for social justice led to the album’s delay. The record was completed well before the pandemic, but as the country turned its focus on coronavirus and Black Lives Matter during the spring and summer of 2020, Jacobs thought it was more important to emphasize voices other than his own. “It didn’t really feel like our time to shine. There were just so many things happening, from the pandemic to the rightful shift of people’s attention on Black Lives Matter and on a lot of other sociopolitical and economic issues,” he said. “It feels OK to release music now, because it’s not really flying in the face of a bunch of important stuff and distracting from what else is going on in the world.” The band has continuously put energy into supporting social justice movements, often donating money to different causes and, in Jacobs’ case, attending protests. “I don’t really know how to start fixing these things, but there are a lot of people who do,
and I think uplifting those voices is a really good thing,” he said. His writing process is intricately tied to his ability to process life events and emotions. With the vast array of emotions Jacobs has felt in the last two years, the songwriting process on this album was especially important to him. Though he said he rarely uses prewritten lyrics before starting the music, there are tracks on the new album that contain entire portions of poems written separately. “For a lot of people, music is a place to celebrate or write a song they want to party to or write something about falling in love,” he said. “Those are the types of songs that people walk down the aisle to. I’ve always written music to deal with and help sort out my questions about life or about myself or the nature of my relationships, so I think I just kept doing that with this album.” Jacobs has used music as an outlet for most of his life, beginning his journey after learning to play the piano as a child. He said he felt somewhat compelled to write music. “I don’t think I ever chose to start writing music. I think it kind of needed to come out of me. I had a lot of sadness and anxiety that was kind of begging for an outlet,” he said. “And then I was hooked. A lot of people write journals or talk to their friends to process things. I had music, and it has always just stayed that way.” Sir Sly’s third album is a triumph of sound. With deeply emotional lyrics and heavy, modern production, the album stands alone as one of the most unique releases in the last year. It feels like it came from the future, featuring a mixture of electronic and acoustic sounds. It’s darkness is carefully balanced by the right amount of light. “We’ve always been as good as we can be about following wherever the inspiration leads us and not trying to manipulate it too much or force it into some kind of box,” Jacobs said. Jacobs’ medley of influences, ranging from Young Thug to Thom Yorke, are channeled in unexpected ways throughout the album. “I think that’s what’s kind of fun about music. You get to wear your inspirations on your sleeve and then mix that with what is going on in your own life,” he said. “It’s always going to come out differently than what anyone else could do, even if they sat down and tried to synthesize all those things.” Jacobs said waiting throughout the pandemic to release the music felt unusual. Even beyond the lack of touring, as someone who emphasizes the performance aspect of music in general, he said it was difficult to know the album was going to go unheard for several months. “It’s a really great adrenaline rush to play shows, so I’ve missed having that, but I think music is naturally performative,” he said. “When you make music, it is meant to be received at some point in time, so I think just sitting on the music for as long as we have feels unnatural in that sense.” Jacobs is excited to see the music in the hands of others, where they can have their own conversations with the material. He hopes listeners find some comfort in what they hear. Though the album has its dark edges, it is ultimately a window to the hopeful place Jacobs has found himself in after two years of sobriety. “For all the heaviness and darkness on the album, I think there’s also a lot more hope and genuine positivity. I don’t think I could have ever written a lyric like ‘everything’s going to be OK’ and actually believed it before. And now, through a lot of the work I’ve done, it feels possible,” he said. “It’s always possible to change and do better.”
Sir Sly sir-sly.com
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APRIL 26, 2021
Covered California will help ARTS & CULTURE
SCI-Arc designers, architects teach AI to create art By Bridgette M. Redman LA Downtown News Contributing Writer hat happens when you feed an artificial intelligence a steady diet of images and ask it to share what it “sees”? It’s what architects and designers at SCI-Arc Galleries set out to discover. SCI-Arc — a cultural institution in Los Angeles committed to exhibiting experimental projects by contemporary architects — presents provocative exhibitions that challenge its viewers. Its latest is “Architectural Bestia,” which not only explores how machines learn but creates a commentary on the world humans operate in and the changes over the past several decades. “It is a commentary of where we are,” said Hernán Díaz Alonso, the exhibit’s curator as
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well as SCI-Arc’s CEO and director. “We are all influenced by social media and information. The trajectory is never completed. It is almost like a conversation. This is where we are right now.” The project began three years ago, and it blurs the lines of who was the “creator” or “author” of the art. A group of architects was selected and asked to send images that would be fed to the AI, which was nicknamed “the Beast.” “The idea is that this machine is an autonomous interpreter and generator of images,” said M. Casey Rehm, the project’s designer. “We directed the (architects) not to submit images that were final polished images necessarily but a collective representation of how they work through projects.” SCI-Arc ended up with 400 images from architects such as Atelier Manferdini, BairBalliet, Baumgartner+ Uriu Architects, Current Interests, Natou Fall, Florencia Pita & Co., Ramiro Diaz-Granados, Griffin Enright Architects, Soomeen Hahm Design, HDA-X, Kordae Henry, Kinch, Lifeforms.io, P-A-T-T-E-R-N-S, Ruy Klein, servo LA-Stockholm, SU11 Architecture + Design, Testa & Weiser, Tom Wiscombe Architecture, William Virgil and Liam Young. “The idea being that the Beast would wander and learn from these,” Rehm said. “We trained it continuously every day. Each day the machine wandered this wilderness of aesthetics. Every night, it adds up to 100 images from social media platforms.” SCI-Arc gave the AI search terms so it would feed on popular images of the day from architecture, art and graphics. It then acquired more search terms on its own over time. Each day, SCI-Arc puts a new set of images and captions on its site, all of it generated by the Beast, or Bestia. Anyone visiting can see the day’s images, click through to previous days and witness the evolution. This is the project’s second incarnation. Rehm clarified that the Beast is not one neural network model; it is actually four. In the first version of the project, there were six, but SCIArc was able to improve and streamline the software. The kind of things they feed it — the data set — are actual photographs of things with precise text. They then tried to teach it to correlate image content to text. The result became a caption generator that sometimes came up with odd statements but, at other times, ones that were spot on. “A lot of the captions are quite nonsensical,” Rehm said. “We used a more robust model (this time around). We used specific mini-videos and a more sophisticated text model with it extrapolating the main (ideas). I think in a lot of cases, it has been uncanny the content that comes out of the longer text.” Much of the experimentation draws upon the ideas of evolution and how it takes contamination to force something to evolve or change trajectory and begin to mutate. The field of design and architecture has experienced a lot of paradigm shifts in the past 30 years because of new methodologies, technologies and cultural change. Multiple fields, such as art, architecture, fashion, film and music, overlap or “contaminate” each other until
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they have a similar language. The AI is “contaminated” in a much quicker fashion and displays the mutations daily. However, Rehm said he is careful to not let the AI train for more than two hours a day. “I don’t allow the machine to reach the level of resolution in its image production,” Rehm said. “I never let it get to that photo level. You need to keep the wound open on it so it can keep growing. If it gets too cauterized, it is hard to retrain it.” SCI-Arc is also tracking how often each person who visits the virtual exhibit clicks on each image. The most-popular images are tracked and fed back into the AI the next day. The algorithm accounts for popularity and uses it to recenter where the AI starts its training. Alonso described the results as having a playful quality; one visitor can watch and be surprised by each day. The metaphor of the Beast also appealed to him. He said he always gravitates toward exhibitions that connect with audiences on an emotional level. The exhibition is in a permanent state of change, inviting people to reflect on where we are and explore the fear that technology is leaving us behind. “A jungle is different than a garden,” Alonso said. “In a jungle, you can see interactions with species. The notion is that we are in a territory that is more like a jungle.” And to no surprise to anyone who has ever used the internet, among the images the Beast finds while it prowls the web are pictures of cats.
Opening up the annual gala On May 1, SCI-Arc will celebrate the return of its annual gala, this year titled “Main Event 2021: Acts of Optimism.” For the first time, the gala will not only be virtual but it will also be free. Alonso said this year’s gala will be the biggest ever in terms of guests joining. “Being online allows us to reach out to lots of communities in Los Angeles,” Alonso said. “The idea of the gala is to use it as an opportunity to validate and communicate as much of the audience as we can.” Based on Alonso’s commitment that “architecture is an act of optimism,” the gala will have a series of programs with artists and creative innovators across disciplines. Guest lineups include architect Barbara Bestor, Pritzker Prize-winning architect Peter Zumthor, LAXART Executive Director Hamza Walker, film director and educator Kordae Henry, SCI-ARC design faculty member Mira Henry, and photographic artist and writer Janna Ireland. The emphasis will be on celebrating the optimistic possibilities of architectural thinking. Alonso said the focus will be on the role that design, media art and humanities have played in our culture. It will be, he said, a block party to engage the community. It encourages people to notice the architecture around them. To RSVP or donate, visit sciarc.edu/mainevent.
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APRIL 26, 2021
Covered DINING California will help
HomeState To-Go West Adams features a menu similar to the other locations. Photo courtesy of HomeState
HomeState: Texas hospitality comes to West Adams By Frier McCollister LA Downtown News Contributing Writer omeState, part of Briana “Breezy” Valdez’s growing local empire of casual Texas-style taco joints, recently opened a takeout-only outlet in West Adams. Open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., HomeState’s signature San Antonio-style breakfast tacos are more easily accessible to residents of Downtown and the nearby USC campus. “We have been looking for a home in West Adams for a couple of years, and nothing has quite worked out,” Valdez said. “During the last year of shutdowns, we came across this location and it felt like the right time to consider a window, a ‘HomeState To-Go,’ a format that our team and guests have become very accustomed to over the last year. It made a lot of sense and felt right, so we decided to take a leap.” The West Adams is the fourth local outpost for Valdez’s Texas taco vision quest. The original location on Hollywood Boulevard opened in 2013 and quickly became a popular stop on a buzzing strip. HomeState is know for its artisanal housemade flour tortillas, mindfully sourced high-quality ingredients, and an accessibly priced menu that includes margaritas and palomas. The original hub spawned another popular location on Figueroa Street in Highland Park,
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as well as an outpost in Playa Vista, which remains temporarily closed due to the pandemic. In June, a new, more expansive site is due to open in Pasadena on North Lincoln Avenue in the former location of Lincoln, which closed abruptly last year during the early onset of the pandemic lockdown. It’s an impressive collection, given the fact that Valdez’s first investor was her mother with a $5,000 check taken from her retirement savings. A second-generation Mexican American raised “all over Texas,” Valdez moved to Los Angeles in 2000, after graduating with a business degree from St. Edward’s University. Working various jobs in the hospitality industry, it was during a stint at chef Thomas Keller’s Bouchon that she hatched the plan for HomeState. A longing for breakfast tacos and queso propelled her inspiration, and soon she was hosting intimate pop-up events to test her recipes. The secret behind HomeState’s success is the high-quality ingredients, mindful attention to regional authenticity and accessible price points, as well as a relaxed and friendly ambiance reflected in the restaurant settings and by its staff. Before considering the menu, the sourcing of HomeState’s ingredients is worth noting. The eggs are organic and free range, delivered daily from local Chino Valley ranchers. The brisket comes from cattle raised humanely at Creekstone Farms. The chicken comes from Rosie’s Organic Chicken, raised free range and without antibiotics in Sonoma County. Even
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HomeState To-Go West Adams is the restaurant chain’s newest location. Photo courtesy of HomeState
the queso was successfully engineered by Valdez using whole food ingredients over many months and much experimentation. Per stringent Texas tradition, HomeState serves flour tacos exclusively. The family recipe comes from Valdez’s paternal grandmother, Lala. They also just won the 2020 Best Tortilla in Southern California award in the highly competitive KCRW Great Tortilla Tournament, founded by Gustavo Arellano. There’s no higher honor for a tortilla. Even the coffee is made with a select blend and is roasted locally. The margaritas and spicy palomas were created by Valdez and her husband, Taylor. Personal care and attention seem to be the Valdez brand at HomeState, and it has paid off. The core of the HomeState menu has the breakfast tacos, though there’s plenty left for lunch and dinner. At HomeState, there are nine varieties, all priced at $3.50. There is the simple frio, with refried charro beans and Monterey Jack cheese, or the equally simple pecos with shredded brisket and organic eggs. Vegetarians can opt for the blanco with egg whites, shitake mushrooms and Jack cheese or the comal with organic eggs, black beans and Jack. The Don’t Mess with Texas features refried beans, bacon, potatoes and cheddar. There also are three takes on migas ($7 to $10), organic eggs scrambled with corn strips, onions and cheese. Under the banner Anytime Tacos are five choices ($3.50 or $4.50): brisket with guacamole and cabbage slaw; chicken prepped with spicy achiote; picadillo with ground beef, potatoes, carrots, slaw and pickled jalapenos; potato with sour cream, cheddar, guacamole, slaw and pico de gallo; or Emo’s with refried black beans, slaw, pickled red onions and guacamole, which can be made vegan with a corn tortilla. There are cheese, chicken or brisket quesadillas ($4 or $7); two salads ($11); and a Texas toast sandwich ($10) employing either shredded brisket or chicken with slaw, guacamole and pickled jalapenos. Finally, Frito pie in a bag ($7) is an authentic rendition of the regional Texas favorite, though it can swap the picadillo for black beans for vegetarians. As Valdez suggested, the menu doesn’t change except for one notable exception. “Between once and three times a year we share a new taco to raise funds for community initiatives,” Valdez said. “With what we call our ‘Band Taco’ program, we have fun collaborating with artists to create something entirely new and temporary, to bring awareness to a specific cause and charity. Collectively, with our guests, we raised nearly $100,000 since the beginning of the pandemic and hope to continue and broaden our efforts to make a positive impact.”
Tacos and margaritas are standard fare at HomeState To-Go West Adams. Photo courtesy of HomeState
The current Band Tacos ($5) are the Love Song, with black beans, avocado, potatoes, sour cream and Jack cheese, and the Tijuana Panther, with shredded brisket, queso, potatoes and pico de gallo. HomeState donates $3.50 from each taco sale to the Downtown Women’s Center in Los Angeles — one more reason for Downtown residents to visit the new West Adams location. “We’ve already had the joy of meeting so many of our new neighbors and looking forward to greeting you all,” Valdez said. “HomeState has been a community center of sorts at our other locations, providing a comfortable and affordable space for friends and families to meet and be assured of a warm welcome and a delicious meal. We are grateful to have the chance to do so in West Adams.”
HomeState To-Go West Adams 3923 W. Jefferson Boulevard 323-795-2155, myhomestate.com
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APRIL 26, 2021
DINING
Pikunico and Perilla team up for rice bowl By Andrew Checchia LA Downtown News Contributing Writer wo leaders in Downtown’s culinary scene are coming together for a new collaboration. Kuniko Yagi of Pikunico and Jihee Kim of Perilla LA joined forces to create a chicken dupbap rice bowl, available at Pikunico through May 1. The chefs are excited over the dish and their newfound connection. “We got along so well in 5 minutes, we didn’t really need to explain each other,” said Yagi about the ease of their teamwork. “We decided, instead of selling separate items, we should come up with one special thing together. We created a rice bowl. It’s a natural marriage of cuisine. It’s satisfying and nourishing.” When initiating the collaboration, Yagi and Kim found common ground through their paths into the culinary world, both having immigrated to America in their adulthood — from Japan and Korea, respectively. After their own journeys, they found themselves in similar positions as outsiders in a masculine-dominated professional culture. “All of us, women chefs who don’t necessarily have big funding but who love to cook and serve and work for the community, we can maybe have a better spotlight if we collaborate together,” Yagi said. “There aren’t very many opportunities for us, too. Somehow a lot of big companies, they don’t consider us their first choice. It’s easier right now, after the #MeToo movement. We feel the door is open slightly. (But) it’s not imagination. It’s a statistic.” Yagi worked with the marketing team at ROW DTLA, where Pikunico is located, to reach out to up-and-coming chefs around Los Angeles. They connected her with Kim, who runs the much-talked-about Instagram-based popup restaurant Perilla LA. Perilla operates with an innovative business model, taking advance pickup orders on its website, giving Kim time to prepare dishes throughout the week. But, Kim said, her system has been tough to navigate during the pandemic. “It’s been rough, because the food I serve I think is perfect for grab and go. Because I don’t have a physical location, people have to preorder. It worked because of lockdown, but the preorder system is not what I planned on doing,” Kim said. “Because of this, (I really only attract) people who care or who are always checking social media.” Kim plans to open a permanent physical space, but Yagi sees restaurants like Perilla as representative of the future of professional cooking as Los Angeles reopens. Chefs may no longer be tied to a single physical space. Even now, restaurants like M. Georgina, another ROW business, allow other culinary operations to run takeout programs from their kitchens. “That would never happen before the pandemic,” Yagi said. “Every opportunity is open if you want to do any business in any kind of shape. There’s no box of ‘We need to make a financial plan,’ ‘We need to get a business part-
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This new dish is the marriage of Kuniko Yagi’s karaage-style fried chicken and Jihee Kim of Perilla LA’s assorted banchan dishes. Yagi is with Pikunico, while Kim runs Perilla LA. Photo courtesy of Perilla LA
APRIL 26, 2021
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DOWNTOWN NEWS 23
The chicken dupbap rice bowl is available at Pikunico through May 1. Photo courtesy of Perilla LA
ner.’ All that stuff is not necessary. Anybody can practice. Now it’s going to be a tough, tough competition.” But, for the time being, that competition can be put on hold, and the two chefs can celebrate the marriage of Yagi’s karaage-style fried chicken and Kim’s assorted banchan dishes. Among the banchan in the bowl, which includes marinated seaweed and shisito peppers, the standout one-year-aged kimchi garnered Yagi’s praise, given the dedication such a long fermentation process requires. Kim also highlighted the ginger rice tying the bowl together — a signature of Pikunico. “I personally never thought about eating banchan with fried chicken, but my husband does it all the time actually,” Kim said. “When we do it with (Pikunico), it’s like a little bowl. Banchan is very versatile.” Complimentary of each other’s work, Yagi described the project as the beginning of a professional friendship, representative of the kind of mutual benefits for chefs when they find like-minded creatives in the field. Both chefs have multiple other projects in the work and look forward to more collaborations like this one in the future.
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APRIL 26, 2021
Lumbini Child Development Center
Licensed to care for children 2 ½ through Kindergarten. Year-round program with individual classrooms unique to each age group. A balanced hot lunch is prepared on site and served daily. Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday 7:30a.m.- 6:00 p.m.
For more information: Email: Lumbini.missleslie@gmail.com Address: Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple 505 East 3rd Street, Los Angeles, 90013 Phone: Miss Leslie @ 213 680-2976