RLn 3-19-20

As the Coronavirus Spreads, Stay Calm and Carry On

By Mark Friedman, Reporter and Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor

F

Empty shelves in the toilet paper aisle at the Target store in San Pedro. Photo by Terelle Jerricks

[See Stay Calm, p. 5]

SPHS boasts nation’s first LGBTQ+ library p. 2 On the front line of COVID-19 p. 7

Sunday evening, March 15, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti issued an emergency order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring the temporary closure of all restaurants for dine-in service, along with closure of bars and nightclubs that do not serve food, movie theaters and entertainment venues, bowling alleys and arcades and gyms and fitness centers. Cafeterias within hospitals, nursing homes and similar facilities were specifically exempt.

“We are all first-responders in this crisis,” Garcetti said. “I don’t take these steps lightly, but they are absolutely necessary — because our decisions today have the power to slow the spread of the virus and save lives.”

Merely slowing the spread may not be enough, experts warn. Much stronger steps may be necessary to prevent millions from dying as hospitals are overwhelmed with intensive care unit patients. But the closures signal a significant shift toward the necessary direction.

The next day, Los Angeles County followed suit with a similar measure, announced by Kathryn Barger, Chair of the Board of Supervisors, along with adopting Center for Disease Control guidance to limit public gatherings to no more than 50 people.

“We’re in a new stage of the response and everybody needs to help us,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, LA County Public Health Director, in a press conference announcing the new measures.

“Everyone must take precautions in everything you do and you must assume that you need to take these precautions everywhere you go. If something is not an essential activity, I urge you to please not do it,” she said. “In the absence of vaccines, social distancing is the best tool that we have. And that means that everyone has to help us avoid all non-essential activities.”

These measures capped a series of announcements from the state, county and city levels, increasing the intensity of social distancing measures designed to slow and reduce the spread of the disease. But they paled in comparison to six Bay Area counties, where officials issued a shelter-in-place mandate the same day, affecting roughly 6.7 million people for the next three weeks. Residents must stay inside, except to go out for necessities. This almost total lockdown is unique in the United States, but may be the only way to effectively control the virus, especially given the horrendous lack of testing, which means we’re fighting an enemy we can’t even see.

[See Reckoning, p. 8]

March 19 - April 1, 2020

Takeout cuisine in San Pedro p. 10

By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor

Educational institutions cancel in-person classes p. 8

COVID-19: A Time of Reckoning

Real News, Real People, Really Effective

or those who place as much significance in lucky charms and bad omens as they do the god to which they pray, the week of March 9 began with a full moon and ended on Friday the 13th. In between those days, panicked people led a run on bottled water, toiletries, generic face masks and hand sanitizers, leaving shelves bare in some sections of stores while the same stores remained fully stocked with fruits, vegetables, sodas and liquor.

Meanwhile, sold-out shows in major concert venues were cancelled, as the National Basketball Association, which was geared up for the stretch run of the regular season, instead suspended operations for at least 30 days. With two weeks remaining in spring training, Major League Baseball indefinitely postponed opening day. The National Hockey League’s battle for the Stanley Cup? Delayed. The dramatic elimination tournament known as March Madness that eventually leaves one team standing as the National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball champion? Canceled. For the next month or so, any event which brings together large numbers of people for a good time? Forget about it.

Suddenly, everything is about the coronavirus, aka COVID-19, which during that same week was officially designated an international pandemic by the World Health Organization. Meanwhile, a scarcity of testing kits in the United States has

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Committed to Independent Journalism in the Greater LA/LB Harbor Area for More Than 40 Years

SPHS Boasts Nation’s First All-LGBTQ+ Library

By Melina Paris, Arts and Culture Reporter

March 19 - April 1, 2020

Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant

On March 5, the class room of San Pedro High School teacher David Crowley became the nation’s first 100 percent LGBTQ+ classroom library. Crowley and his Pride Club/GSA [Gender & Sexualities Alliance] students call it, “The Pride Library.”

The library holds more than 100 LGBTQ+ Young Adult novels, classics and histories, which were provided by the San Pedro and Palos Verdes Peninsula Rotary Club and The MJ Project, a literacy advocacy nonprofit that places high interest books into the hands of young readers by donating to classroom libraries. Crowley, who started the San Pedro school’s GayStraight Alliance 20 years ago was responsible for sponsoring the first LGBTQ+ entry into the annual San Pedro Christmas Parade in 2019.

The inspiration for turning Crowley’s classroom into a library came from a former student, Joseph Silvas, who told Crowley about the MJ Project, while also contacting the MJ Project to reach out to Crowley.

Crowley knew he wanted to have a LGBTQ+ books in the library and the Pride Club kids liked the idea too. The veteran teacher searched online for a library to model what would be built at San Pedro High, but came up empty. He had found that a few teachers across the country who were including just a few LGBTQ+ books in

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On the day of the Pride Club meeting after the library opened, students were eager to share their thoughts on the pride library. Courtesy of David Crowley

their classroom library were taking heat for their efforts. This only motivated Crowley more to turn his classroom into a library.

Students, praising Crowley’s efforts, hailed the LGBTQ+ library as one that should have been established long ago.

“It should have been sooner,” Pride Club president Elizabeth Yglesias said. “Especially

with the progress made since the 2000s with representation in TV shows. That was pivotal to the movement and it allowed audiences to be more accepting.”

Yglesias went onto say that she was proud to be in the first high school classroom to have a library like Crowley’s.

“We deserve this library and to read stories

about us, I’m extremely proud to have something this inclusive,” Yglesias said.

Pride Club secretary Kassandra Lujan said having the library means a lot to the students in the Pride Club.

“People in the books relate to them,” Lujan said. “Most books are about non-LGBTQ people and there’s many rules … school libraries have banned these books. With San Pedro High, we have books for everyone. If you’re trying to come out, don’t be scared. You should feel love everywhere.”

Crowley wants the rest of his students to see a pride library and to pique their curiosity and maybe pick up a book and read it too because gay kids have been reading straight works of fiction their whole lives. He figures it’s probably good for straight kids to be exposed to LGBTQ characters.

“When we learn about people that are different from ourselves then [there’s] more understanding and compassion and less bullying,” Crowley said.

Crowley told a story of a student who came into his classroom, a “typical straight, skater kid” who was looking at the library. Crowley asked him if he wanted to check out a book. The student said maybe. Then Crowley pulled out Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green, the author of the teen romance novel, Fault in Our Stars. The book debuted on The New York Times children’s best-seller list — the first LGBT[See Library, p. 12]

Central SP Neighborhood Council President Resigns, is Immediately Replaced

By Hunter Chase, Reporter

Maria Couch resigned as president of the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council at the March 10 stakeholder meeting, immediately after the council board voted to censure her, but before the council could vote to remove her from office.

The council’s elected council Vice President Carrie Scoville as part of the council’s next order of business, to replace Couch as president.

Couch was censured for authorizing an expenditure — services from Moore Business Results — without prior board approval. The vote to censure was 5-3 with six abstentions. Couch then announced her resignation, which she said was necessary because she had accepted a new position that would prevent her from arriving at neighborhood council meetings on time.

Controversy stemming from Couch’s actions as president of the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council began in 2019 when the board authorized Moore Business Results to redesign the council’s website. Couch said The Mailroom, a vendor responsible for posting meeting agendas, was communicating with Moore Business Results about the redesign during the summer of 2019. Not long afterward, The Mailroom contacted Couch to report it no longer had access to the council’s website, and thus could not post agendas. Couch said she asked The Mailroom to send her a list of its duties, but Couch said she never received such a list.

Soon thereafter, Couch said she received an email from board secretary Lou Caravella, saying that The Mailroom was threatening to quit.

That same email, which was sent on July 15, had a list of The Mailroom’s duties.

Caravella explained that the Mail Room threatened to quit because they no longer had

access to the website even while they were being asked to post agendas.

Kristina Smith, the owner of The Mailroom did not reply to RLn phone calls for comment for this story.

“As soon as we got the proposal from The Mailroom, it was put on our agenda. As soon as it was approved, she got the rights back,” Couch said.

Couch said she did not approve a contract for Moore Business Results’ continuing services.

Because committees were still meeting and The Mailroom was unable to post their agendas (which is required of all public agencies under the Ralph M. Brown Act) Couch authorized Moore Business Results to post the agendas instead.

When the board first spoke with Moore

Business Results, the board specifically said that Moore Business Results would not be doing anything in addition to the website redesign, Caravella said.

“It wasn’t just that the president was authorizing something at her discretion, she was authorizing something at her discretion that specifically she knew not to,” Caravella said.

Caravella said that Couch was told at the July 24 outreach committee meeting that the charges were inappropriate. He emailed a board member on July 30 saying that Couch continued to rack up unauthorized charges by approving The Mailroom’s services. Caravella CC’d Couch on that email.

Couch had previously resigned at the Nov. 12 meeting but did not turn in an official

resignation letter, as was required by the council’s bylaws, effectively voiding her resignation.

The board attempted to remove her from office at the Dec. 10 meeting, but the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment stopped them since Couch had accused members of the board of harassment.

Shortly before Couch resigned at the March 10 meeting, the board voted 8-3 with five abstentions to remove Khixaan Obioma-Sakhu from the board for missing more than half of the council’s meetings within a 12-month period. ObiomaSakhu was present for the March meeting, but it was the first meeting he had attended since the council’s July 9 meeting.

Obioma-Sakhu said he has not been present because he has had five deaths in his family in the past few months, in addition to a nearly fatal accident that paralyzed one of his family members.

Northwest SP Neighborhood Council

At the Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council’s March 9 meeting, the board passed a resolution 15-0 with one abstention asking the Board of Harbor Commissioners to require interim goals for the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach as part of their Clean Air Action plan.

The plan requires the ports to use zero emissions, or ZE, yardage and other equipment by [See Round Up, p.4]

Community Announcements:

Harbor Area LBPD Looking for Applicants Community Academy

for

The Long Beach Police Department is seeking applicants for its community police academy. The academy allows volunteers a behind the scenes look at police work through interactive presentations and scenarios. It is an interactive training day where community members can learn about patrol operations, laws of arrest, internal affairs and community engagement. The dates for the classes are April 11, July 18, Sept. 12 and Oct. 10.

Details: https://tinyurl.com/ LPDBcommunityacademy The City of Lomita and 12 neighboring cities in the South Bay have created Alert SouthBay to provide critical information to communities during natural disasters and other major emergencies.

Subscriber information will only be used to notify you in the event of an emergency and for any additional notifications you sign up to receive, such as major traffic impacts or emergency preparedness advisories. You can receive alerts via cell phones, landlines, text, email and/or TTY-TDD devices. Modify your preferences anytime by logging into your account settings.

AlertSB is an opt-in system. Please sign up if you wish to receive alerts in the event of a major emergency.

Details: Register at, text: ALERTSB to 888777; or alertsouthbay.com

March 19 - April 1, 2020

LOS ANGELES— In alignment with the City of Los Angeles’ activation of emergency operations related to COVID-19, effective immediately, all six Los Angeles Animal Services Centers and their Administrative Office will be closed to the public through March 31, unless rescinded earlier or extended further.

LA Animal Services will have staff available to feed, clean and provide enrichment for the animals in its care. Animal Control Officers will respond to emergency calls such as dangerous dogs, animal cruelty and humane calls. LA Animal Services continues its commitment to saving animals’ lives, reuniting lost pets with their families and finding loving homes for abandoned and orphaned animals.

Community Alert from LA Animal Services

Real News, Real People, Really Effective

New Regional Emergency Alert System

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Undocumented Fears Surround Census 2020

By Jessica Olvera, Editorial Intern

known as Citizen Voting Age Population data, with states that wish to exclude non-citizens from the total population counts used to draw new redistricting plans. but officials acknowledge Trump issued the order that many people in lowshortly after losing his bid income and immigrant to add a citizenship question communities are worried that to the 2020 Census, which the census may be used to had the identical purpose target undocumented people.

— to decrease political The 2020 U.S. Census representation for immigrant will commence on April 1. It populations and for the is tasked by the Constitution citizens who live in their with assembling a complete communities. and accurate count of every Mexican American Legal person in the country. The Defense and Educational information is critically Fund and Asian Americans important to the mission of Advancing Justice filed suit the government, revealing on behalf of two non-profit which communities need groups and two Latino voters what resources and services, Brenda Verano, a Deferred Action for in Arizona and Texas who and where those communities Childhood Arrivals recipient and student say they would be harmed are located so that officials at California State University of Domin- by the plan because it seeks guez Hills. Photo by Jessica Olvera can better prepare and to dilute minority voting respond to those needs. Census results also strength while increasing white representation. determine the number of seats each state will “We were opposed to the addition of a receive in the U.S. House of Representatives, citizenship question because we were concerned including congressional and state legislative [about its] clearly intended [purpose] and the effect districts. it would have had in deteriorating participation “The numbers are directly related to the in the 2020 Census,” said Thomas A. Saenz, government and to other decisions related to day- president and general counsel of MALDEF. to-day services, such as health care, transportation Saenz noted that later-revealed evidence made and emergency services,” said Patrica Ramos, a it clear Trump’s executive order was an attempt to U.S. Census Bureau media specialist. diminish Latino political power and the financial Ramos is aware of the widely shared concern resources available to the Latino community. that the census will be used as a tool to root “It was very disturbing and a serious strategy out undocumented people. She emphasized pursued by the Trump administration to harm the that every respondent’s privacy is protected by Latino community,” Saenz said. federal law and that the bureau cannot share In a report from the Statistical Atlas, the any personal information or reports with other San Pedro area has an estimated population of government agencies. However, it does provide 78,900, with 47 percent of the residents coming reports on the numbers collected. from Hispanic ethnicities.

In July 2019, President Donald Trump issued A citizenship question will not be part of an executive order directing all federal agencies the 2020 census, but widespread fear among to share information about citizenship status immigrants and activists over the Trump with the U.S. Department of Commerce, which administration’s failed attempt to add one has oversees the Census Bureau. He instructed the prompted the Census Bureau to do public outreach Census Bureau to then share that information, [See Census, p.5]

March 19 - April 1, 2020

Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant

Any day now, homes across the country will be receiving mail from the U.S. Census Bureau — invitations to respond to its questionnaire —

4

[Round Up, from p.4]

Round Up

2030 and zero-emissions drayage trucks (which are used inside the port) by 2035, said Gwen Henry, board member and chair of the council’s sustainability committee.

“We need interim goals of how they are going to execute it,” Henry said. “If there are no interim goals and a process to go from natural gas to transition to ZE by its promised date, it may not happen.”

In order to meet those goals, the ports are considering investing in natural gas equipment in the meantime, even though said equipment is not zero-emission. This equipment would be a big investment and would last longer than ten years.

“They can use natural gas, but they have to come up with how it is going to transition to ZE by 2030,” Henry said.

Coastal SP Neighborhood Council

At the Feb. 18 meeting of the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council, the board voted 9-6 to postpone giving the Harbor Area Boosters $5,000.

Harbor Area Boosters were looking for $30,000 in order to purchase two all-terrain vehicles, or ATVs, for the Los Angeles Police Department, said Linda Nutile, the treasurer of Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council. The ATVs allow officers to easily travel on beaches and in parks and give them an opportunity to be outside of their cars and more easily speak to community members.

Dean Pentcheff, vice president of the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council, said that the LAPD has $10 million in its budget for transportation alone. Pentcheff was “gobsmacked” that the council was asked to spend 15 percent of its budget on this while $5,000 is less than one-tenth of one percent of the LAPD’s transportation budget.

Board member Robin Rudisill said she did not understand why LAPD is not using its own budget and she wants to find out if the LAPD will only be using the ATVs for the Harbor Area. Because she wanted to better understand the issue, she moved to postpone it until the next meeting.

After the motion was passed, there was heckling from some of the community members.

[Stay Calm, from p.1]

The Cuban internationalist mission in West Africa in 2014-2015 — Cuba “army of white coats” — that helped stem the spread of the Ebola virus, points to what could be done by marshaling the voluntary efforts, self-discipline and creativity of millions to halt the march of this new disease. This example is brought to life in the Pathfinder Press book, Red Zone: Cuba and the Battle Against Ebola in West Africa: “And that’s what they did in the Ebola clinics — providing intravenous drips for rehydration, bathing and dressing patients, and assisting them with drinking and eating, without violating any safety procedures. They treated patients as fellow human beings, winning their confidence and that of their families.” The Cubans’ approach sharply lowered fatality rates. By mid-2015 the outbreak was virtually eradicated.

Stay Calm, Don’t Panic left government and medical authorities to guess about the number of infected people and the size of the problem they are facing.

The discovery that the incubation period for the virus may be twice the 14-day quarantine period that’s been applied elsewhere in the world has heightened concerns about the spread of the virus and the actual number of people that are infected and have become carriers.

Seasonal strains of flu have a fatality rate 40 times greater than the coronavirus. Even the health system in the United States can be overwhelmed by the flu, let alone the impact in less developed countries. As of Feb. 24, at least 29 million people in the U.S. have caught the flu and so far some 16,000 have died. A few thousand perhaps have been infected by the coronavirus with under two dozen deaths.

Impact at the ports

There’s been a 17% drop in cargo volumes handled by the Port of Los Angeles in the first three months of this year. This is on top of the 16% drop in cargo volumes due to, in what POLA executive director Gene Seroka calls, the “Trump administration’s ill-advised trade wars.”

The drop in cargo volumes represents more than 500,000 container units (TEU’s) not entering the Port of Los Angeles. Terminals across the twin ports have been shut down for days and work shifts are down by 20 percent.

According to the Pacific Maritime Association, with less cargo, fewer truck drivers are working as well. However, strong contracts prevent layoffs among 8,600 fulltime workers who are being paid for 40 hours, regardless of the drop in shifts. The slowdown is dramatically affecting 3,500 “casuals” or parttime dockworkers.

Thousands of small businesses depend on the ports, from freight forwarders and warehouse workers to truckers who have also been impacted. Farm produce, whether it be meat, poultry, vegetables or hay, is stuck in refrigerated warehouses or trucks with no place to go.

Daily domestic and international flights from China have fallen from more than 15,000 to just above 2,000 due to quarantine restrictions, putting Chinese airlines and Asia-Pacific carriers [Census, from p.4]

Census Fears

Clusters of outbreaks

Officials from the World Health Organization sounded a warning about the rapid spread in disease clusters in South Korea and Iran.

Authorities in Tehran, like Chinese authorities before them, tried to hide the extent of the outbreak, denying reports that 50 people had died in Qom. Finally, they had to admit the reports were true. Iraj Harirchi, Iran’s deputy health minister, downplayed the outbreak, saying “quarantines belong to the Stone Age.” He has since contracted the disease.

The largest concentration of the outbreak has been among almost 4,000 passengers and crew confined to a cruise ship docked at Yokohama, Japan. Crowded together in close quarters on a vessel with no medical protection, more than 600 people have been infected so far and two have died. Other cruise ships have remained offshore.

The Department of Health and Human Services said American passengers of the Grand Princess will be taken to military bases in California, Texas and Georgia to be tested for the COVID-19 virus and for a 14-day quarantine.

Back home, statewide emergencies have

[See Stay Calm, p.13]

March 19 - April 1, 2020

Arrivals program to think twice before participating in the 2020 census.

A September data report from the Migration Policy Institute reported there are an estimated number of 652,880 DACA recipients in the United States and an estimated 186,120 in California.

“As a Dreamer, I understand the fear that folks have regarding the 2020 Census because it feels that we are so used to not being asked for our vote and have normalized the feeling of being left in shadows and skeptical when it comes to governmental decision making and things like the census,” said Brenda Verano, a DACA recipient and student at California State University of Dominguez Hills.

Nevertheless, Verano believes that immigrants should not fear to have their voices be heard and to become more active participants in society.

“In reality, our experiences and voices do matter. Our participation matters and we don’t want to wake up one day and realize we are living in a country with less autonomy,” Verano said.

been called, campuses have been shut down, conferences canceled, school trips postponed and most international travel has been completely eliminated. Cruise ships in and out of POLA and Long Beach are no exception. Panorama passengers were forced to spend an extra day holed up on the ship while one traveler was taken to a Long Beach hospital and tested for the virus. On March 7 at the Port of Los Angeles, Princess Cruises canceled a cruise by the Royal Princess after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a “no-sail order.” And all cruise lines for POLA have suspended operations.

This unpredictable epidemic is part of the deepening social disaster that is creating a mounting toll on working people.

that stresses respondents’ privacy as a top priority.

Saenz mentioned that the federal law on confidentiality is strong; criminal and financial penalties are in place for anyone who tampers with individual household census data. Anyone who turns over reports to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Internal Revenue Service or to public housing authorities is breaking the law.

“We need everyone to participate in the census and include every member of the household because that is the only way we can ensure that the community gets adequate representation in political bodies like the House of Representatives,” Saenz said. “The community can get its share of federal funding because [a] trillion dollars of federal funding are determined by census data over the decade.”

The fear surrounding the Trump administration’s crack down on low-income immigrant communities has caused some individuals in the Deferred Action for Childhood

under mounting pressure. The massive reduction in Chinese travelers, who account for about one fifth of all tourism spending worldwide, is having an impact across the board. This dramatically impacts tourism in the greater Los Angeles area.

The National Nurses United, petitioned the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration to adopt an emergency temporary standard to protect health care workers, patients and the public. Currently, no enforceable OSHA infectious diseases standard exists nationally. They said the CDC is weakening its current guidance, including recommending surgical masks instead of respirators for nurses providing care to patients with COVID-19 and opposed these changes.

“Nurses are confident we can care for COVID-19 patients, and even help stop the spread of this virus, if we are given the protections and resources we need to do our jobs,” said Bonnie Castillo, a registered nurse and executive director of NNU and the California Nurses Association.

“This is not the time to relax our approach or

Real News, Real People, Really Effective

Airlines under pressure

Chronically empty shelves of toilet paper, hand sanitizer and canned goods are becoming a common sight at places like Von’s grocery store on Gaffey Street in San Pedro. Photo by Raphael Richardson

Nurses Sound Alarm Over U.S. Hospital Preparedness

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The Quarantine The next time someone tells you that government should be run “like a business,” place them in isolation for 14 days

By James Preston Allen, Publisher

Disease diagnosed in a man who traveled from West Africa to Dallas, Texas. The patient died later, but two healthcare workers who cared for him in Dallas tested positive for Ebola. Both recovered. The virus was contained before it had a chance of spreading. And what you don’t hear from the Oval Office is that another outbreak was declared on Aug. 1, 2018. Not to worry though, Donald Trump has that one under control, too, even though he cut funding for it.

Underlying Trump’s late response to COVID-19 is not just his incompetence or negligence, but a core philosophy that has infected our nation, not unlike the current virus. One that believes that the government that governs least, governs best. In some sectors, that might be true, but not in health care, not in financial regulation of Wall Street and certainly not when it comes to catastrophic events like Hurricane Katrina or the AIDS virus. You just can’t run certain sectors of the government like it’s a business and yet conservatives continue to do so even as the historical evidence proves them wrong.

I have witnessed more than once in my lifetime what happens when the federal government ignores the advice of the CDC, the World Health Organization and the scientific community on issues such as global warming.

People end up dying because proactive measures were not taken. Oddly enough, each of the most catastrophic calamities to hit our country have happened under Republican presidents: Ronald Reagan with AIDS, George Bush Jr. with Hurricane Katrina (don’t forget the mistake of the war in Iraq or the great Recession of 2008) and now Donald Trump and the coronavirus and accompanying stock market crash.

Each of these administrations argued for tax cuts for the wealthy and passed them, raising the national debt to a whopping $23.3 trillion all the while claiming to be fiscal conservatives. All this president can do is ask Congress to fix the COVID-19 problem after it’s already a pandemic and he goes off to play golf. There’s something to be said about the old adage – an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

The current disaster is only complicated by the lack of test kits. A new study out of China found that 86 percent of COVID-19 infections there went undiagnosed before their government enacted a travel ban on January 23.

Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant

With the greater part of Los Angeles County on lockdown, it wouldn’t be difficult to imagine just how much worse things could get. All nonessential public buildings closed, public gatherings canceled and workers laid off or furloughed as restaurants and bars are ordered to close.

Fortunately, it hasn’t gotten to the point of mandatory self-quarantine yet. This epidemic has become a flu affecting our very economy as well.

How did this get far out of hand?

It is all too simplistic at this point to blame the president for the ineptitude of his response to the coronavirus. It’s not that he underestimated the threat or misunderstood the threat faced by our nation. He knew the predictions in December. It’s just that he and his party didn’t think they should do anything about it until the optics of their do-nothingism amidst a crashing stock market and economic failure started to look bad. Still, why would anyone believe him anyway if he did raise the alarm?

He’s not known for telling the truth.

Even now, we are getting more real information from our county and state governments backed by real data than we are from his White House briefings. Nearly every time he says something, the stock market takes another turn for the worse.

I am, like most of you, very concerned about my neighbors, my community and how we as a nation survive this threat — both the virus and political ones.

I am also highly aware that this crisis is probably the best-case argument for a national health care system that covers everyone.

Bernie Sanders couldn’t have a better example of how a patchwork of for-profit health corporations just isn’t adequate to deal with a pandemic. Although this pandemic probably couldn’t have been avoided, we only need to go back a few years to the Barack Obama administration’s handling of the Ebola virus outbreak for a playbook on how to keep a disease from getting out of control.

In the 2014-2015 West African outbreak, the U.S. played a leading role in mobilizing an unprecedented amount of funding and personnel to contain the virus. Only 11 people were treated for Ebola in the United States during that epidemic. On Sept. 30, 2014, the Centers for Disease Control confirmed the first travel-associated case of Ebola Virus

[See At Length, p.7]

March 19 - April 1, 2020

Publisher/Executive Editor James Preston Allen james@randomlengthsnews.com

6

Assoc. Publisher/Production Coordinator Suzanne Matsumiya

“A newspaper is not just for reporting the news as it is, but to make people mad enough to do something about it.”

—Mark Twain Vol. XLI : No. 6

Published every two weeks for the Harbor Area communities of San Pedro, RPV, Lomita, Harbor City, Wilmington, Carson and Long Beach. Distributed at over 350 locations throughout the Harbor Area.

Managing Editor Terelle Jerricks editor@randomlengthsnews.com Senior Editor Paul Rosenberg paul.rosenberg@ randomlengthsnews.com

On the Front Line of COVID-19

By Cassandra Heredia, Contagious Disease Liaison at LAX Having been ‘on the front lines’ of this situation since it started back in January I’ve been in continuous contact with the Center of Disease Control and Los Angeles County’s Department of Public Health. I sometimes get calls at midnight long before I get out of bed in the morning. I worked 12 hours on Superbowl Sunday, went 31 days without a day off and have become really practiced at setting up conference calls in my sweats, from my car, in a parking lot.

My regular job is as an emergency manager at LAX, but I’m currently on assignment to the Los Angeles County Emergency Operations Center to support COVID-19 efforts. Because I’ve been at LAX for about 10 years, I’m the lucky duck that gets the assignment of ‘contagious disease liaison.’ I’ve dealt with Ebola, MERS, Zika, measles and now COVID 19. I can tell you that while this disease is not ‘deadly’ compared to Ebola, SARS or MERS, it has certainly posed some unprecedented challenges. A lot of that is based on public concern. I think because the messaging has just been so inconsistent no one knows what to believe or expect.

In my mind, it comes down to control. When we feel threatened and there’s no clear way to avoid the threat, we kind of scramble to latch on to what we know and to what gives us comfort.

For some of us that means making sure our family will want for nothing and buying all the supplies we can get our hands on. For some of us it means staying holed up in our homes and not

Columnists/Reporters Andrea Serna Arts Writer Melina Paris Staff Reporter Hunter Chase Staff Reporter Send Calendar Items to: 14days@randomlengthsnews.com Photographers Terelle Jerricks, Raphael Richardson, Chris Villanueva Contributors Mark L. Friedman, Cassandra Heredia, Greggory Moore, Gretchen Williams Cartoonists Andy Singer, Jan Sorensen, Matt Wuerker

going out. We reason that because others depend on us we can’t afford to get sick or become “Typhoid Mary.”

There is a lot of misinformation out there. It’s compounded by lack of easy access to reliable, informed sources while unreliable or less than reputable sources flood social media platforms.

Even some media sources report only part of the information —the doomsday part — and that doesn’t help. Sometimes it’s been intentional and opportunistic, but I think that some of it has also been unintentional because journalists are reporting on a topic on which they have no expertise.

Let me give you answers to the questions I’ve been getting for weeks. Keep in mind that this information is what I’ve been receiving from the CDC and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

1. Why was it so bad in places like China and Italy?

Based on what I’ve learned, there are three major considerations to an epidemic: how easily the virus can be transmitted, how people contribute to disease transmission and resilience of healthcare systems to handle a rush of new cases. Evidence so far says that COVID-19 actually transmits less easily than the flu, and it does so via droplets when people cough or sneeze. That’s why social distancing (a fancy [See Front Line, p. 15]

Design/Production Suzanne Matsumiya, Brenda Lopez

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RANDOMLetters Coronavirus Doubts

In the state of California there are 37, 253,956 people and today there are less than 200 who are infected. What is that percentage? Is the press making a big thing about nothing? That is .00000537% that is really scary.

More people are dying from starvation, probably.

John Resich Rolling Hills

The Homeless Card

[At Length, from p.6]

Over two weeks ago graffiti at the 7th Street entrance of the Croatian Cultural Center (CCC), as well as disfigured windows, in the heart of historic downtown San Pedro was reported to Council District 15, who have done nothing to ameliorate what has actually been in place longer than a fortnight.

The building is owned by the City of Los Angeles and ultimately the City is responsible for maintenance and care. That’s a moot point because the historic edifice (a former bank and excellent example of Beaux Arts style architecture) is in a sad, disgraceful state. Not long ago it was broken into, copper wiring removed, squatters moved in and eventually evicted, yet in the wake of that invasion it is still not being cared for.

With all the attention about the recently designated nebulous “Little Italy,” CD 15 demonstrates a huge lack of concern for the CCC that was established decades ago. It has had a valued and vital presence representing an immense demographic of Croatian heritage and influence in San Pedro and surroundings including honoring, among a few others, my grandfather Joseph M. Mardesich, Sr., a pioneer of the tuna canning industry, featured in the special window display on Pacific Avenue installed by the San Pedro Bay Historical Society, The CCC has essentially been abandoned. Councilman Buscaino and staff should be taking care of this building in their jurisdiction rather than claiming “partnerships” they are not truly responsible for and demonstrate stewardship, not complacency.

Stephanie Mardesich San Pedro

Why I Support Patricia Castellanos

Despite calls for United Teachers Los Angeles members to campaign for Patricia Castellanos,

line as a parent and an advocate and after spending time looking into her history against the other candidates, I feel confident in my decision to support her as the best choice for public schools.

As a teacher, it is my responsibility to model the research practices I teach my students. As a

parent, it is my responsibility to share this information publicly in order to prevent us from making poor decisions based on loyalty, hearsay or personal connections.

Maya Suzuki Daniels LAUSD teacher, former charter educator [See Letters, p.15]

March 19 - April 1, 2020

And that people who had not been diagnosed with COVID-19 were the source of 79 percent of reported cases in China. Furthermore, if undiagnosed people hadn’t spread the virus, the number of cases in Wuhan could have been reduced by 66 percent and the rest of China by 79 percent, the study reports. Are we still Making America Great Again?

In an analysis that details the economic implications of the COVID-19 just released by the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, they recommend the federal and state government consider the following actions: • Emergency transfers, such as a temporary/ short-term universal basic income (UBI) program; • A moratorium on rent and mortgage payments, such as moving the months of missed mortgage payments to the end of the mortgage; • A temporary suspension of evictions and foreclosures;

• Programs and policies to encourage and promote mortgage refinancing in a historically low interest environment; • Easy access to social insurance and disability payments; • Subsidized paid sick leave, including for contract and informal (“gig”) economy workers, when businesses are unable to do so; • Freeing undocumented workers from the fear of deportation during this pandemic if we’re going to truly flatten the contagion rate; • Insurers should be encouraged, if not mandated, to fully cover COVID-19 testing and treatment; and • Where possible, uncollateralized or minimally collateralized low or zero interest loans should be made available to vulnerable businesses, such as the recently announced and launched Small Business Administration emergency loan program.

All of these would seem like common sense actions for a government that cared more for its people than making government operate like a business.

nor accountable to the public.

While Lansing’s website states a desire to “move the public focus away from UTLA and charter schools,” his campaign finance records tell a very different story.

In contrast, Patricia Castellanos has the support of local unions and rank and file educators. She is the only candidate to have walked the

Real News, Real People, Really Effective

When I became a college student it took only two or three minutes to receive a plastic ID card with my name, my picture, a bar code, and a magnetic strip.

A similar card could be issued to homeless people who have had an interview with a social worker.

The card would be used for (1) free rides on public transit in Los Angeles county, and (2) access to restrooms at restaurants. The lack of toilet facilities is a real problem for the homeless. The problem is compounded because it is often necessary to make a purchase to use the restrooms at fast-food establishments, and homeless people don’t always have the money to do this. A minimum purchase can be as much as three dollars. Restaurant owners are afraid that the homeless will trash their restrooms. A system could be devised that would allow a homeless person to use a restroom for free when the card is swiped.

I suggest that if the restroom is trashed a certain number of times (for example, three times) by the owner of a particular card, he or she would lose bathroom privileges at that restaurant. A provision of this kind will be necessary in order to convince restaurant owners that it is safe to allow homeless people to use their facilities.

Perhaps someone with an active imagination can think of other uses for a homeless card. For example, stores that sell camping equipment might be willing to offer price discounts to card holders.

Lorin Jenis San Pedro

Disgrace to San Pedro Heritage

I was hesitant to become involved due to my status as a new teacher, an outsider in San Pedro, and my commitment to spending time with my infant son. However, after researching candidates for our local board District 7, I feel the need to share my views on the matter.

An independent expenditure account from businessman Bill Bloomfield has poured almost $600,000 into campaigns for Lansing and Tanya Franklin.

Bloomfield is a major political investor from Manhattan Beach and a donor to a powerful charter school network in Los Angeles.

These interests seek to bust unions and increase privatization in our public schools.

This information is bad for teachers, parents and anyone invested in the future of public education. While the rhetoric and rumors around charter schools may seem hyperbolic, I have personal experience working within a large charter school network.

Some highlights from my time there: Scores of 50% were considered passing in an effort to inflate grades and the graduation rate.

Teachers were bullied by school leadership to change grades to enhance the school’s numbers.

As a staff, we were informed that we would not be reporting or recording violations of California’s Ed Code, since it would put us at risk for our upcoming Los Angeles Unified School District oversight visit.

When parents inquired about poor conditions or safety issues, the home office sent misleading letters intended to scare parents away from historic district schools.

The school board was neither publicly elected nor publicly accountable; board members were chosen and were primarily business interests with no background in education or the local community.

We are at a pivotal moment in educational politics. Having gone on strike last year, I am determined to ensure that neither my child nor myself are forced into a charter system that is neither transparent

7

[Reckoning, from p. 1]

COVID 19: Time of Reckoning The basic reproduction number of the virus is about 2.5, meaning one sick person infects two or three people on average. At that rate, one infected person now will result in 244 infections about a month from now. But reducing the number of people everyone comes in contact with can bring that down significantly. At half that rate, there will only be four infections a month from now. At 40 percent of that rate, there will only be one. Below 40 percent, the virus starts to die out. If we can’t see who’s infected, a total lockdown may be our only option.

In response to a question, Ferrer noted that “up north some communities” had “been especially hard hit” with “a really astronomical increase in the number of cases over the last week in some of the northern counties.”

She went on to say, “At this point we don’t have the same trajectory as they have up north, and we’re doing everything we can in hopes that we can slow the spread enough not to be issuing orders for entire communities to self-quarantine.”

But publicly available figures don’t support this claim. While Bay Area counties currently have more cases per capita than Los Angeles — about four times as many — the increase in their number of cases is much lower. Santa Clara County has the most cases of any California county — 138 at the time Ferrer spoke, up from 45 a week before, more than three times what it had been. But LA County’s figure of 94 cases was up from just 17 a week before, an increase of more than five times.

In short, the Bay Area counties are not responding to a sharper increase in cases. Rather, they’re proactively dealing with an earlier rise in

case levels, which has seen them taking more stringent measures for most of this month.

Los Angeles got its first taste of what was coming through the sharp decline in container traffic from China seen in February, but as is usually the case, what happens at the Port of Los Angeles doesn’t really register at city hall. Now, belatedly, both the city and county are taking action. But more questions than ever remain, about the virus, about how to fight it, and about how to handle the costs.

Contrary to what many assume, the best public health response will also be best economically, said Dr. Timothy Brewer, of UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health, who also serves as chair of the board of directors for the Consortium of Universities for Global Health.

“The things we do to contain the outbreak will also minimize the economic impact,” Brewer said.

“If the government responds in a way that generates panic and anxiety, for example, not only will that probably facilitate the spread of whatever the pathogen is, it will certainly facilitate the economic consequences as well.”

The repeated Wall Street sell-offs of the last three weeks seem to confirm this point.

On the other hand, Brewer said, “If the government and public health agencies are able to respond in ways that help communities to calmly and rationally deal with the outbreak, and provide the necessary knowledge, that will not only minimize morbidity and mortality, it will minimize the economic effects as well.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom, who asked on March 15 for all dine-in restaurants to cease operation, but that takeout options should be available. File photo

This appears to be what’s happening in East Asia — not only with China, where it all began, but with Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea as well, even though China did everything wrong at first.

So, if they recover from a disastrous beginning, there’s hope for us, too.

For one thing, Brewer questions predictions that 40-70 percent of the population could become infected. He noted that where the outbreak started, in China’s Hubei Province, “there have been about 68,000 cases in a population of around 60 million people.”

Even with a tenfold undercount, “That still puts you around one percent of the population where the outbreak started,” he said. The measures taken to stop the spread were severe. But Brewer cited a study in another Chinese province, Shenzhen, which found that even household contacts only transmitted the disease in 15 percent of all cases — less than one in six.

Another example Brewer cited was the 2009-2010 H1N1 avian influenza pandemic, which infected 61 million Americans, according to the CDC — 20 percent of the population. While they’re different viruses, “based on past pandemics it seems unlikely that 40 percent to 70 percent of the U.S. population will become infected with COVID-19,” Brewer said, “particularly as areas expand the implementation of public health measures to limit the spread of the virus.”

That’s exactly what Los Angeles is doing with these latest measures, which followed a week of rapidly spreading closures of venues and cancellations of events across America.

But the Bay Area’s more stringent measures are likely to prove necessary, especially with such limited testing.

[See COVID-19, p. 13]

Educational Institutions Cancel In-Person Classes

March 19 - April 1, 2020

Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant

By Velia Salazar and Angelica Mozol, Editorial Interns

8

As the number of positive cases of the coronavirus, COVID-19, rises in Los Angeles County, the California State University system is feeling the effects. Face-to-face classes are in the process of being converted to online.

According to the California Public Health Department, as of March 16, the state had 472 positive cases of COVID-19 and 11 deaths. Of the 472 cases, seven people were between the ages of zero to 17-years-old, 300 people were between the ages of 18 to 64, 160 were 65 years or older; and the ages of five of the people infected are unknown.

The infection of 24 people was related to repatriation flights. About 448 others acquired the infection through travel (82), person-to-person (75), community (98), and investigators still are trying to find out how some acquired the virus (193).

As of press time all the CSUs, junior colleges and trade schools and school districts in Los Angeles county have been closed and are attempting to be put classes online in response to what is now considered a pandemic.

“Planning should continue for events already scheduled after April 12; however, cancellation and/or postponement may be necessary based on the health assessment moving forward,” California State University, Dominguez Hills President Thomas Parham said in an email addressing the cancellation and postponement of events.

Study abroad students have been affected as traveling has become a concern. Travel had been postponed, as President Donald Trump addressed all restricted travel to Europe in an attempt to contain the virus.

In a letter to all CSU campus presidents, Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial

Officer Steve Relyea wrote that campuses and their organizations are to suspend all international and non-essential domestic travel from now to May 31. Future travel for the remainder of the year, including summer and fall 2020, will be determined at a later date.

“All the students were at suspense because the higher-ups were taking too long to decide if they were sending us home or not,” said Katrina Santos, a CSUDH study abroad student who recently came back from Florence, Italy.

She traveled from Florence to Barcelona to LAX and expressed her disappointment in the lack of security and direction they gave students.

“Decision making took too long but once the decision was made it was super-fast. It was made mid-week and by Saturday people were going home,” Santos said.

They told her that they had five days to leave. When she returned on March 9, nobody prompted her to get checked out or go into immediate quarantine, so she made the decision to self-quarantine after consulting with her parents who are medical professionals and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

California State University, Long Beach has also suspended travel to South Korea, China and Italy since they have travel abroad programs. Recently, 10 students and two advisers were quarantined after attending a Washington conference where three people have tested positive for the coronavirus. The [See On Hold, p. 16]

Curtain Call

B e y a t c r o h a h c P Psy Silly and Nothing But

By Greggory Moore, Curtain Call Columnist

I don’t know why, but in the mid ‘60s the beach-party movie was a thing. These were intentionally cartoonish bits of cinema, slapstick on speed with surf and a sandy SoCal setting. The fad lasted less than a decade and unless you’re conducting research for a Jeopardy! category, you can safely skip the whole genre without staining your film-buff cred.

This is, of course, just one man’s opinion, one man who doesn’t have a taste for the purely lowbrow and ludicrous. I can go for silly (major South Park fan here), but I need it to be part of a higher or at least broader aesthetic. If silly is the raison d’être — or worse, if that’s all there is — I’m outie.

Charles Busch’s Psycho Beach Party is nothing — and I mean nothing — but silly and the Garage Theatre goes for broke bringing it to life. Hyperactivity.

Funny faces. Silly voices at max volume. That’s enough for some … but not for me.

Typically, this is

where I’d provide a brief plot outline; but with Psycho Beach Party there isn’t much point. We’ve got a nerdy Malibu teen with multiple personality disorder, a couple of surf buds who finally stop surpressing their homoerotic tendencies and a starlet trying to hide away from the world and find her next project — and none of it makes the slightest difference to whether you’re entertained. It’s all just an excuse for silliness.

The problem for me (I’ll come to the audience reaction in a sec) is that there isn’t a single laugh on the page.

Not one. I suspect Busch thinks he’s satirizing the beachparty genre, but recognizing its silliness and observing its conventions is not satire. Psycho Beach Party is just a joke on top of a joke, like mixing Pixie Stix with powdered sugar and calling it dessert. But it’s all a matter of taste, right?

What to say about any performance of such a script?

It seems director Jeff Paul’s main instruction to his cast is: When it doubt, say the line louder, screw up your face even more tightly, gyrate more absurdly, etc. It’s probably as good as any he could give for this material, because I don’t know what else you could do with it. Why you’re going to do it at all is obviously a choice that eludes me.

[See Curtain Call, p. 11]

Real News, Real People, Really Effective

March 19 - April 1, 2020

The cast of Psycho Beach Party perform a scene from the farcical production. Photo courtesy of Garage Theatre

9

L

ife as we know it can change in an instant.

Strategy for daily living has changed for everyone, with the forced-march aspects of antiseptic procedures and social distancing standards making every move more difficult.

Families are faced with enforced togetherness.

Every normal activity like work or school or fun is curtailed. Stress is mounting and the absence of extended family and friends is tough for adults and kids.

Takeout Cuisine in San Pedro

By Gretchen Williams, Dining and Cuisine Writer

The spectacular aroma of fresh pizza just out of the oven, boxed and swept out to your car with curbside service, seems like a dream come true. Buono’s Pizzeria moved to Little Italy and lower 6th Street at just the right time and will set up a family package of pasta or pizza with crisp salad for the hungry family at your house.

The new pizza oven is the bomb and the familiar taste and tantalizing scent of Buono’s special makes things OK again.

Buono’s Pizzeria, 222 W. 6th St., San Pedro, 310-547-0655

Compagnon Wine Bistro is such a cozy spot for a glass of wine and authentic French cuisine, with the warm welcome of monsieur and madame. Enjoy that same phenomenal cuisine with curbside pickup, from 12 to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. The lunch menu features delightful dishes, such as quiche Lorraine, vegetarian quiche and tomato dijon pie — speak of the old country—with goat cheese and asparagus salad and croque monsieur adding a Parisienne accent. Family meals based around coq au vin and beef bourguignon bring Les Champs Elysées into your home. Bon appetit!

Compagnon Wine Bistro, 335 W.7th St., San Pedro, 424-342-9840

Conrad’s Mexican Grill is offering free delivery as well as curbside pick-up. Conrad’s chicken mole is state-of-the-art and enchiladas also come with the delicious sauce, deep with flavor. Skirt steak with french fries and garlic

Order take-out or delivery!

We thank all our patrons for 36 years of support as we move back to Garden Village in San Pedro, where Tony got his start at La Chispa (310) 547-4554 28152 S. Western Ave. San Pedro Ask about Catering for All Occasions

March 19 - April 1, 2020

Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant

@Taxco SanPedro

10

Sebastian’s Mediterranean Cuisine has a menu of comforting favorites, including great eggplant parmesan and light and different lasagne. The best deal on the menu is the seafood soup, more commonly known in San Pedro as cioppino, packed with seafood, in a fragrant broth. Sebastian’s is offering curbside service as well as an in-house delivery team to rush family meals packages to feed six to your door.

Sebastian’s Mediterranean Cuisine, 309 W. 7th St., San Pedro, 424-342-9062

@Taxco Fine Mexican Restaurants

Curbside Pick Up

sauce is just the thing for cool, damp weather.

Conrad’s offers a fantastic choice of street tacos, from sriracha shrimp, ensenada fish, grilled chicken, barbacoa, asada — the only issue is the difficult choice. Conrad’s makes excellent salsa and is the only Latinx restaurant in San Pedro with an imaginative vegetarian and vegan menu.

Conrad’s Mexican Grille, 376 W. 6th St., San Pedro, 424-264-5452

Think Café on 5th Street is a San Pedro favorite, where many friends meet for breakfast (try the terrific blueberry pancakes) or lunch (grilled salmon salad is lovely, with house dressing). The evening is always a good thing at Think, especially Thursdays, for the prime rib special. Friday night is great fun, with local musicians picking up the scene. Think Café is offering takeout of its breakfast and lunch menus Monday through Sunday during abbreviated hours, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sonny’s Bistro on 25th Street and Western Avenue is closed for the duration.

Think Café, 302 W. 5th St., San Pedro, 310519-3662 Slavko’s Poultry is legendary San Pedro, broasting chicken and those spuds for decades on Pacific Avenue. Order specialty meats and poultry for special occasions. Slavko’s is open for take-out service, offering chicken, spuds, cole slaw, sauerkraut and other homemade salads and sides. Stuffed jalapeño chilies will spice up your lunch, no problem.

Slavko’s Poultry, 1224 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, 310-832-5723 Taxco’s Mexican has moved north on Western Avenue, turning out the classic dishes Taxco is famous for. Baked enchiladas dripping with cheese and Tony’s family sauce recipe, home-style beans and crispy tacos spilling

[See Takeout, p. 11]

[Takeout, from p. 10]

[Curtain Call, from p. 9]

with lettuce, tomato and cheese, all available for takeout at Taxco. Call ahead for speedy takeout service.

Taxco 28152 S. Western Ave., San Pedro, 310-547-4554

The Corner Store in the Pedro Palisades is offering curbside service, with Miss Peggy’s special sandwiches, stellar coffee and mouthwatering cinnamon rolls — a good reason to venture to the south side of town. Opening hours 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., cash only.

The Corner Store, 1118 W. 37th St., San Pedro, 310-832-2424

Curtain Call

But perhaps that’s the real point of this review: Psycho Beach Party eludes me. Presumably the Garage Theatre, who’ve been in business for 20 years now, have chosen this script because they know their audience. And truth be told, the majority on this night were cackling consistently from start to finish. Some of this might be explained by the fact

that opening - night crowds tend to be full of family and friends tickled simply by seeing their loved ones onstage. Mostly, though, I think it comes down to taste.

From uncomfortably sitting stone-faced through nights of stand-up and improv while my fellow patrons ate it up as if they were watching a completely different show, I know too well how pleasing some find the flavor of low-

hanging fruit.

I think that’s the reference point for reading this review. If you’re charmed by the improv comedy aesthetic—the style, the delivery, the disposable silliness — then maybe give Psycho Beach Party a try. If not, you best skip this one.

The Garage Theater is closed through March 30 or until further notice.

Details: thegaragetheatre.org Venue: The Garage Theatre, 251 E. 7th St., Long Beach

Brought to you by the artists and restaurants of the Downtown San Pedro Waterfront Arts District

Michael Stearns Studio@The Loft

Studio Gallery 345

Pat Woolley, Tetons

In an abundance of caution, Studio 345, which shows the works of Pat Woolley and Gloria D. Lee will be closed for First Thursday, April 2. 345 W. 7th St., San Pedro.

To RLn’s Dining Community:

Due to the threat of coronavirus Michael Stearns Studio will be dark for a few weeks. The gallery has temporarily suspended its exhibition schedule and will be closed for the First Thursday Art Walk Aptil 2.

The first consideration is for your health and safety and the health of the community.

The studio will be open by appointment only during this time. Contact: michaelstearnsstudio@gmail.com or 562.400.0544. Michael Stearns Studio@The Loft, 401 S. Mesa St., San Pedro.

362 W. 6th St. San Pedro 90731 310-935-2886

koryuramen.com Koi Ramen

RLn BRINGS YOU DEDICATED COVERAGE OF THE ARTS IN THE HARBOR AREA. FOR ADVERTISING, CALL 310. 519.1442

March 19 - April 1, 2020

Ko-Ryu Ramen

Restaurants that advertise for the First Thursday Art Walk will be open for take-out and delivery only until further notice. See our online Dining Guide at RandomLengthsNews.com/ dining-guide

Michael Stearns, Genisis, acrylic on canvas, 96x50

Real News, Real People, Really Effective

Details: 310-545-0832 or 310-374-8055; artsail@roadrunner.com or www.patwoolleyart.com.

11

A

[Library, from p. 2]

ARTS CULTURE ENTERTAINMENT Event Cancellations Until Further Notice

Random Lengths News has been monitoring notifications sent by arts organizations that have listings posted in our calendar for cancelled events due to the effort to contain the COVID-19 virus. Both the mayors of Los Angeles and Long Beach have called for the cancelation of large public events to contain the spread of this virus.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti took preventative measures a step further by taking to Facebook Live and announcing an executive order to close all movie theaters, bars, nightclubs, entertainment venues and gyms until March 31. Restaurants will remain open but will

only provide takeout and delivery. However, grocery stores, food banks and pharmacies will remain open. These restrictions also went into effect Sunday at midnight.

In recent days, public health officials have modified their requests to the public, advising people to avoid communal eating, meetings or gatherings with more than 50 attendees and all nonessential travel, both international and domestic. That means all events sponsored by the Department of Cultural Affairs, nature walks and docent tours and every music and performing arts venue are shut down until at least April 2020.

Private Event Rental Community Meetings Art Classes/ Exhibitions

For information call 310-847-7704

Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant

Banning’s Landing is a Port of Los Angeles facility operated by Friends of Bannng’s Landing

100 E. Water St. @ Avalon Blvd.

Wilmington, CA 90744

LGBTQ+ Library

themed young adult novel to make it to the list and it remained there for three weeks.

“He returned the next day, he’s halfway done with the book, he’s not a reader but he said, ‘This book is really good,’” Crowley said.

Crowley asked him if he was cool with the gay characters. The student replied, ‘Yeah ... the main character and I, we have so much in common. I see myself.’”

What’s more, Crowley said there was no push back on the pride library. Classroom libraries come within the purview of the teachers with help from the district.

Saluting Women’s History Month and the women known as “Rosie the Riveter,” who built the SS Lane Victory in San Pedro 75 years ago June, 1945 SS Lane Victory 3011 Dave Arian Way, San Pedro OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

www.thelanevictory.org

SPRING IS IN THE AIR Featuring:

Publications for 2nd Quarter

• Dining Specials

April 2 — Easter Celebrations

• Specialty Shops

April 16 — Earth Day Edition

• Spring Sales • Seasonal Gifts • Special Offers

“LAUSD is an LGBTQ friendly school district,” Crowley said. “They stand behind and support their LGBTQ students and teachers.”

“Nobody outside of the Pride Club expected it,” student Anthony Mandac said. “Everyone reacted positively and that really shows how our school has grown over the decades. That’s thanks to teachers like Crowley and other classmates who have helped make a change in how the LGBTQ+ community is viewed.”

In a special bonus to the students, Steven Rowley, bestselling author of Lilly and the Octopus helped Crowley curate the library along with the Pride Club students. Word got out through the media about the library and a friend of author, David Levithan, heard about it, told Levithan about the library and Levithan and his friend will autograph and donate some books to the library. Rowley plans to also autograph his books included in the pride library.

“The most joy comes from when the students open the boxes [of books] and start to go through them,” Crowley said. “I had one student, Angel, who found the book, Boy Meets Boy. He walked by me and Principal [Jeanette] Stevens with the book and said, “‘I finally have a reason to read.’”

“It’s just fantastic,” Crowley said. “The straight kids are loving it and it brings up good conversations. It’s been a labor of love, we never expected it to blow up like it has. It’s surprising to discover it’s the first one in the nation.”

Tammy Centers believes the library is interesting and a good idea.

“Someone in the LGBTQ+ community who is not ready to come out can come to this library and not be so scared to come out or just to be who they are,” Centers said.

Details: www.mjproject.org

Deadline: March 27

Deadline: April 10

April 30 — Mother’s Day Deadline: April 24

May 14 — Memorial Day Deadline: May 8 May 28 — First Thursday Deadline: May 22

March 19 - April 1, 2020

June 11 — Father’s Day Deadline: June 5

12

June 25 — Summertime Guide Deadline: June 19

Reserve your space today!

310.519.1442 RLnSales@RandomLengthsNews.com

[Reckoning, from p. 8]

A Time of Reckoning

Another factor to consider is our most vulnerable populations — not just those over 65 or with chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes, but those less protected from getting sick in the first place: [Stay Calm, from p. 5]

Stay Calm

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, flanked by county officials, announced on Facebook Live on March 15 that gyms, bars, nightclubs, entertainment venues and restaurants will be closed until March 31. File photo

served. “You see that and everything,” Brewer said.

“If you look at death rates from lung disease or heart disease or tuberculosis, if you compare West L.A. with South L.A., if you look at maternal mortality rates, there are huge differences,” he explained. “We have a number of areas

where access to healthcare is just not at the level it needs to be, and that’s a big vulnerability for us.”

The incarcerated represent another huge vulnerability. “Jails are confined spaces, and confined spaces, especially spaces with poor ventilation, are conducive to transmitting respiratory

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weaken existing state or federal regulations. This is the time to step up all of our efforts.”

While a survey of nurses and protocols is ongoing, results of responses from more than 6,500 nurses in 48 states show that high percentages of hospitals do not have plans, isolation procedures or policies in place for COVID-19; that communication to staff by employers is poor or nonexistent, that hospitals are lacking sufficient stocks of personal protective equipment or are not making current stocks available to staff and have not provided training and practice to staff on how to properly use the equipment.

Medical systems in the U.S., Europe and most of the semi-colonial world are run for profit. They increase the deadly risks—and danger to humanity—from this highly contagious disease. Coronavirus, like meningitis, malaria, measles and smallpox, is a disease that preys on the poor and elderly.

Doctors at a hospital in Downey, who declined to be identified due to fears of repercussions, said they cannot get enough people tested, including those who have been exposed to the virus.

In an Oakland press conference, a statement read by Deborah Burger, the president of the NNU, quoted a nurse saying, “They would not test me because [they said] if I were wearing the recommended protective equipment, then I wouldn’t have the coronavirus. What kind of sciencebased answer is that? I’m a registered nurse and I need to know if I’m positive before going back to care for patients.”

Because COVID-19 is a new virus to humans, no one is immune.

In the event of mass infection, hospital quarantine facilities would rapidly become overwhelmed and ventilators and oxygen essential for those with the severe pneumonia this coronavirus can cause would rapidly run short, except for the very rich.

The bottom line is that selfimposed and forced quarantines are an effective way of slowing down the spread of the virus. The measures China took to isolate the virus have been called draconian, but they were effective in reducing outbreaks there.

But quarantines must be humane with everyone receiving medical treatment, adequate food and living conditions.

the uninsured, the unhoused and the incarcerated are three substantial population groups at much higher health risk which are largely absent from other developed democracies.

And because they’re so vulnerable, our whole society is vulnerable as well.

“We do not have routine healthcare available for the entire population, so that’s a huge vulnerability,” Brewer said.

“It means that people who get sick, we don’t have access to healthcare will not necessarily get the ability to be diagnosed, and isolated or treated.

And that is going to facilitate spread in the community,” he explained.

“So that’s probably our single largest vulnerability.”

It’s not just a matter of individual income levels, either. Whole communities are significantly under-

infections,” Brewer said. “So, this potentially could be a very substantial issue for jails, and jails and prisons need to be thinking about how we are going to screen and protect our population.”

The U.S. has the largest incarcerated population in the world, including substantial numbers of people who are waiting trial, but can’t make bond, are elderly, serving long sentences, or are serving draconian sentences under mandatory minimum laws. Leaving these people where they are subjects them to enormous risk of serious illness or even death.

Similarly, the homeless are extremely vulnerable, as Ferrer herself noted. “Earlier this year we released some devastating mortality data around people who are homeless, and what we found was that on average, people experiencing homelessness live 20 to 30 years, less than everyone else,” she said. “Our aim is, as much as possible, to find places for them to go in and get sheltered.”

13

“Decade in Review, Part 5”--fun stuff from 2018 & 2019.

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DBA

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Remember to renew your DBA every five years

DBA FILINGS Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2020023226 The following person is doing business as:(1) A.C. Chair Covers, 1505 S Weymouth Ave., San Pedro, CA 90732, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Antonia Ciolino, 1505 S Weymouth Ave., San Pedro, CA 90732. This Business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 10/1926. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true informa-

For answers go to: www.randomlengthsnews.com © 2020 MATT JONES, Jonesin’ Crosswords

JOBS

tion which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/.

Antonia Ciolino. owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Jan. 29, 2020. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner.

A new fictitious business name

ACROSS

1 Lip enhancer 6 Go through flour 10 Pale 13 Blue ___ (butterfly species) 15 ___ Shamrock McFlurry (McDonald’s debut of 2020) 16 Ingested 17 Company that launched Falcon Heavy in 2018 18 Game that generated more digital revenue in 2018 than any game in history, per the Hollywood Reporter 20 “Nashville” director Robert 22 Word before eye or twin 23 “The ___ Squad” 26 Air traffic org.

27 Like some soft coats 29 Blue, in Barcelona 31 “So the theory goes ...”

34 Host who retired from “Inside the Actors Studio” in 2018 36 On the nose 39 What goes around?

40 “That’s mildly funny,” online 41 Aquiline bird 43 “King Kong” and “Citizen Kane” studio 44 Song that topped the Billboard Hot 100 for a record 19 weeks in 2019 47 Detroit-born fashion designer 48 Crossword puzzle, without the clues 49 Part of some pirate costumes statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code).

Original filing: 02/06/20, 02/20/20, 03/05/20, 03/19/20

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2020049280 The following person is doing business as: (1) Agualuna Studio, 1440 Brett Place #57, San Pedro, CA 90732, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Luna Vasquez, 1440 Brett Place #57, San Pedro, CA 90732. This Business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 12/2014. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/.

Luna Vasquez, owner.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles

52 Fighting a bug, perhaps 54 Indefinite quantity 55 “___ y Ahora” (Univision newsmagazine) 56 Amy’s “Parks and Recreation” role 59 It held up a banana in Maurizio Cattelan’s 2019 artwork “Comedian” 62 ESPN personality who retired in 2019 after being with the network since its inception in 1979 66 Little ___ (protagonist of PunchOut!!)

67 Omen 68 Make angry 69 2001 Will Smith role (or a princely 2019 role opposite Will Smith) 70 Oil of ___ 71 “Well, you’re not looking ___ yourself ...”

DOWN

1 Sports execs, for short 2 Cut off, as branches 3 Pop singer and “The Masked Singer” (U.K.) panelist Rita 4 Animal advocacy org.

5 Knickknack perch 6 Den furniture 7 Monopoly token replaced by a cat in 2013 8 Two-___ (buy one, get one deal) 9 “Paw Patrol” watcher 10 Forfeit voluntarily 11 Lofty storage area 12 Hockey Hall of Famer Cam 14 Jamaican stew ingredient 19 It may be pressing on Feb. 27, 2020. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner.

A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code).

Original filing: 03/05/20, 03/19/20, 04/02/20, 04/16/20

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2020047600 The following person is doing business as: (1) Ulloth Graphics, (2) Greenlight Transit, 24680 Piuma Road, Malibu, CA 90265, Los Angeles County.

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 7232,

21 Broadway hit based on a Roald Dahl book 23 Senior’s focus 24 Jason Bateman Netflix drama 25 Flying Disney character 27 ___ Schwarz (toy store that reopened in 2018) 28 Bedding purchase 30 Luau wear 32 Parking units 33 Gateway Arch site 35 Thing in a ring 36 Ancient Greek market 37 Type of M&Ms renamed “Milk Chocolate” 38 Partner of Abe, Thomas, and George 42 Buenos Aires loc.

45 Highly volatile fuel, for short 46 Words repeated after “Whatever” in a Doris Day song 47 Landed 49 “Top Chef” host Lakshmi 50 = 51 Big name in bags 53 Pride participants?

56 Org. for Madelene Sagstr÷m and Park Hee-Young 57 “___, meeny, miney, mo” 58 Spain’s longest river 60 Chinese menu name 61 Be off 63 ___-di-dah 64 Anton ___ (“Ratatouille” restaurant critic) 65 Nevertheless Van Nuys, Ca 91409,. Registered owners: John Jay Ulloth, 24680 Piuma Road, Malibu, CA 90265. This Business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 06/2015. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/.

John Jay Ulloth, owner.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Feb. 26, 2020. Notice-In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920.

A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing

[continued on p. 15]

[Front Line, from p. 6]

On the Front Line term for ‘personal space’) is so important. In the U.S., the average distance we allow between ourselves and others in public spaces is 3-5 feet, but in places like China, Italy and countries in the Middle East personal space falls to under 3 feet — a distance that more easily exposes people to sneeze and cough droplets from others. Also, since the U.S. has one of the best healthcare systems in the world, we can absorb more cases and give sick people more effective care than a lot of other nations.

2. Should I wear a mask?

I’ve heard this question a bazillion times. Here’s the rundown. When someone is sick, you want to make sure that they can’t spread their germs to others when they cough or sneeze, so those people are asked to wear masks. People who are well don’t get a benefit from wearing masks unless they are healthcare providers or those with close or constant exposure to ill people. Imagine you’ve decided to wear a mask and someone next to you sneezes while you’re standing in line at the store or the airport.

Almost instinctively you reach up to your face to adjust your

mask, and bingo, if any droplet has hit your hand you have just delivered it to your nose, mouth or eyes. We touch our faces anywhere from 15 to 50 times an hour, depending on which study you reference, so the less you bring your hands to your face, the better.

3. Why is handwashing and sanitizer important?

Well, I think if you read No. 2 you get it. But just to be clear, hand washing with soap and water (it does not have to be antibacterial soap to be effective) is more effective than using sanitizer. Please note that making sure your hands are dry is also important, since wet hands transfer germs better than dry ones. And I don’t know about the rest of you, but my hands are getting dry because of all the washing, and you don’t want your hands or cuticles to get cracked. Once that happens, your first line of defense—your skin—becomes compromised. So, keep your skin moisturized and healthy.

4.

How long can Coronavirus live in the air, or on surfaces?

This one is tricky because we’re still learning about this particular ‘coronavirus,’

named COVID-19. Other coronaviruses include SARS and MERS, but there are hundreds of viruses that fall into this category. COVID-19 has also been given the name, by some, as SARS 2, because it has similarities even though it hasn’t been shown to be as serious or ‘deadly’ as SARS. The term coronavirus is more of a general term, like ‘football player’. SARS is called an ‘airborne’ virus, because it gets transmitted by droplets; airborne doesn’t mean that someone who is breathing the air around you can infect the air without droplets.

COVID-19 acts like SARS. Additionally it’s been reported that coronaviruses can live for up to nine days. This is where people are making assumptions about COVID-19 being the same as SARS. SARS can live for up to nine days in a controlled laboratory setting.

For SARS to live for nine days, it has to have an optimal temperature, optimal humidity, and a stainless steel surface with protein that has been left on it (so no one is cleaning it).

It’s kind of the ‘boy in a bubble’ mindset. But how long a virus survives is not the same as how long it has the strength to infect a host (called infectivity). It’s kind of like having a car that will start but the transmission

DBA FILINGS [from p. 14]

section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code).

Original filing: 03/05/20, 03/19/20, 04/02/20, 04/16/20

03/05/20, 03/19/20, 04/02/20,

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2020046144

The following person is doing business as: (1) Compagnon Wine Bistro, 335 West 7th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731, Los Angeles County.

Registered owners: Compagnon Wine Bistro LLC/AI#201807210596, 335 West 7th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731. This Business is conducted by a Limited Liability Company. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 03/2018. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. Thomas Gregory Compagnon, Managing Member.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on 02/25/20. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration.

The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code).

Original filing: 03/19/20, 04/02/20, 04/16/20, 04/30/20

So, there’s the information as I have it and understand it. For me, as Pollyanna as it sounds, these circumstances are an opportunity for us to connect as a community to support our families, neighbors and businesses. Now is not the time to take an every-man-forhimself approach. I understand people are concerned, and in many cases, the concern is justified. In some ways, the steps our local, state and federal governments are taking are kind of like closing the barn

[Letters, from p. 7]

Political Primaries

A political primary is a preliminary election in which the registered voters of a political party nominate candidates for office. The key word here is preliminary. The current system allows small states such as Iowa and New Hampshire (assisted by the media) to award front-runner status to the victorious candidate.

From there the candidates travel a path determined by which states want to “leapfrog” the other by moving up their primary dates.

Candidates are whisked across the country without any real ability to distinguish regional issues from national issues. Consequently, party platforms are determined by a make-it-up-as-you-go approach. If the primary process were organized on a regional basis, candidates would be able to study the regional issues, campaign to confirm those issues and then receive votes based on the solutions they propose. A regional approach would also prevent a premature selection of a front runner because success in one region certainly would not guarantee success in the next region. This would also further validate the process because each

Cassandra Heredia is a San Pedro resident who is the contagious disease liaison at LAX.

state would still have a say all the way down to the end. Finally, the number of delegates awarded in each state should be determined by the percentage of votes won by each candidate.

Accordingly, the political primaries should occur between January and June of each presidential election year. Each of the six regions would be assigned a particular month. A lottery held in June of the previous year would determine which month each region holds its primaries. An example illustrates the format: January Southern (8): AL, AR. KY, LA, MS, TN, VA, WV February Southwestern (9): AZ, CA, CO, HI, NV, NM, OK, TX, UT

March Atlantic (8): DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NJ, NC, SC April New England (8): CT, ME, MA, NH, NY, PA, RI, VT, May Northwestern (9): AK, ID, KS, MT, ND, OR, SD, WA, WY

June Middle West (9): IL, IA, IN, MI, MN, MO, NE, OH, WI Joe Bialek Cleveland, OH

March 19 - April 1, 2020

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2020047598 The following person is doing business as:(1) High Performance Addiction, 1022 W. 18th Street #2, San Pedro, CA 90731, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Frank Trutanich, 1022 W. 18th Street #2, San Pedro, CA 90731. This Business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above:N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. Frank Trutanich owner.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Feb. 26, 2020. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration.

The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Profes-

04/16/20

RANDOMLetters

the cow is out, we don’t have to be so concerned about it. After all it’s not the four horsemen, it’s just a cow.

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2020047598 The following person is doing business as: (1) DB Holistic, (2) Divine Serenity, 430 W. 8th Street #4, San Pedro, CA 90731, Los Angeles County. Mailing Address: 1536 W. 25th Street #424, San Pedro, CA 90732. Registered owners: Myrian Talbott, 430 W. 8th Street #4, San Pedro, CA 90731. This Business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above:N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. Myrian Talbott owner.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Feb. 26, 2020. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration.

The filing of this statement does not of

04/16/20

sions code).

Original filing:

door after the cow got out, but this situation is unprecedented and we are learning every day.

I hope the information I’ve provided here answers some of the questions people have about COVID-19 and calms some of the fears so that even if

Real News, Real People, Really Effective

of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see

itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code).

Original filing: 03/05/20, 03/19/20, 04/02/20,

doesn’t work so it can’t actually go anywhere. None of these circumstances would exist in a real world setting and this is the context being lost. So even if COVID-19 were as resilient as SARS, the conditions needed for it to survive for days on end, let alone infect a host, would be incredibly unlikely.

5. Finally, how ‘deadly’ is COVID-19?

The global average on Friday March 13 was that for every 100 people who got sick, 96 of those people would survive. China has stabilized at around this average. Sadly, Italy’s average ‘morbidity’ rate is 6.5%, which means for every 100 people who will get sick, 93 will recover. Here in the US our ‘morbidity’ rate is 2.13%, which means that for every 100 people who will get sick, 98 will recover. This is at least in part because our socially acceptable practices are to have greater ‘personal space’ and because our healthcare system is better than many nations.

It’s also worth noting that many people experience such mild symptoms that they don’t even know they’re sick, so they go about their daily lives without noticing the errant sniffle. Finally, I want to point out that COVID-19 itself is not ‘deadly.’ The virus infects a host, and the host body’s ability to fight off the virus is what makes the difference. The virus goes after lung tissue, so if you don’t have a lot of healthy lung tissue or you have a compromised immune system you will likely have difficulty fighting off the infection. This is likely why elderly people who may have already had a lifetime of smoking, pollution or other elements that tax their lungs are more susceptible to serious onset of the virus, but so far no child under the age of 10 who has contracted the illness has died. When a host’s body reacts to an infection in the lungs, it can cause fluid to build up and that’s where the connection to pneumonia comes into play.

15

[On Hold, from p. 8]

Educations on Hold

March 19 - April 1, 2020

Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant

attendees that have tested positive are not related to the university. This has made students worry about their own safety.

“I was definitely worried,” said Anthea Johnson, a CSULB student.

“Although no cases have yet been confirmed, one of those students was in the dormitories and we still don’t know where. As a student in the dorms myself, it was very concerning that they didn’t tell anyone (including the RAs) where they were being kept. I understand the student’s need for privacy, but we should at least know the building or

16

housing community.”

California’s elected state offices to the municipal level have been taking precautionary measures to protect public health. On March 11, CSULB announced it would be canceling classes in favor of online instruction.

“There are no confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 in our campus community,” a statement from the university read. “Still, we are temporarily suspending the in-person, on-campus convening of classes. The campus will remain open.”

Before closing its campus, CSU Dominguez Hills urged students to socially distance themselves in light of COVID-19. Photo by Nova Blanco-Rico

Students like Johnson from CSULB and Nicole Hernandez at CSUDH, started petitions to cancel on-campus classes to lessen the risk of contracting the virus.

On March 5, Johnson started a petition to temporarily amend the attendance policy at CSULB so students and staff are able to stay home if necessary without suffering consequences.

Then on March 10, Hernandez started the petition for CSUDH students. Since these petitions have gone viral, the schools have emailed accommodations and instructions for students and professors on how to go about the semester.

Students are trying to figure out a way to still have school without physically being in class.

Some people have weak immune systems which could make them vulnerable to the coronavirus.

Johnson made the petition because she heard the concerns of fellow students and realized that the school wasn’t doing enough at the moment to protect those who were at high risk. With many students and professors being at a high risk of getting sick, she made the petition to amend the attendance policy.

“This was supposed to be a compromise so students who wanted to go to class could still attend and the school didn’t need to be canceled, though the concerns around that grew by the day,” Johnson added.

Students at CSULB expressed their concerns and wondered if anyone had been in contact with the 10 students that were quarantined.

“My main concern is if the school is checking everyone in the dorms who lived with these students,” said Ruby Robles, a CSULB student.

“I’m also wondering why the school took forever to close down.”

Students at the university have fears of getting sick at campus mainly because the school will still be open.

“I’m honestly scared to go to campus,” said Jerry Ramos, a CSULB student. “I’ve been scared since the beginning, but now this makes me question my safety. Should I go to school or risk my health just so I can go to a class? I haven’t been able to sleep well.”

According to the CDC, information so far suggests that most COVID-19 cases are mild and serious illness only occurs in 16% of cases. Older people and people with severe chronic medical conditions seemed to be at a greater risk.

“Actually, two of my classes out of three were canceled since the news broke out,” said Hannah Fernandez, a CSULB student. “Some of my professors understood that the coronavirus is this new disease which makes a lot of us scared.

My other class told us that we are required to go, which doesn’t make sense. I’m scared for my health to be honest. I’m hoping it starts to die down soon.”

The CSU system canceled classes through March 17. Online classes began on March 18 through April 12. The campus will still be open for students such as the library, campus offices and buildings, student housing and dining facilities.

On March 16, Parham sent an update via email that postponed classes online until March 22. The email read that the next update regarding classes will be on March 20. While CSULB is set to continue the remainder of the academic semester online.

CSULB is in communication with the CSU chancellor’s office and government bodies in addressing the coronavirus situation, but at the moment, there are no plans in place for the CSU system at large, according to Gregory Woods, director of communications at CSULB. Editorial Intern Nick Vu contributed to this report.

More updates will be posted as we get new information.