January 10, 2022 I VOL. 51 I #02
Health & Wellness Issue January 17, 2022 • Keep DTLA Healthy!
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THE VOICE OF DOWNTOWN LA SINCE 1972
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JUDGE’S OPINION
Fear of landing: Falling is Easy By Ellen Snortland LA Downtown News Columnist
“T
he first thing you need to know is that flying is easy. It’s landing that can kill you.” As a newbie broadcast reporter for a spoof news program in Sacramento, I got the best — and scariest — assignments. Our program, “TV Lite,” was like “The Daily Show,” 25 years ahead of time, and I was their Samantha Bee. KCRA was a large NBC affiliate in a capital city, and we were broadcasting a yearlong pilot for a parody news program that ultimately did not sell. I share all this as background because one of my assignments was to fly solo in an ultra-light aircraft and film it. Great… except I’m scared spitless of heights! Fortunately, my courage often overshadows my common sense or fear. I was required to spend three hours in “flight school” before I could take off. We spent a lot of time in school talking about landing. What an apt metaphor for human beings of a certain age who say they’re afraid of falling when they are actually afraid of landing. I made friends with landings thanks to my gymnastics background as a kid and then my middle-aged passion for learning and teaching self-defense. An evangelist for emotional, verbal and physical self-defense, my book and film “Beauty Bites Beast” are testaments to my passion. In gymnastics and self-defense, counter-intuitive as it may seem, relaxing into a fall is the way to minimize injury. One of my dreams is to create a course for older people terrified of falling. I would put it under the rubric of the 501(c)(3) IMPACT Personal Safety of Los Angeles as a pilot for a global program. But I digress. Not long after I got my first Apple Watch, imagine my surprise when its “Fall Detection” function asked me if I’d fallen for no apparent reason. I am sitting in my rocker in my living
room with my writing students when suddenly there’s an alert on my watch. I read it in silence while my students gaze on. “No, I haven’t fallen, you piece of crap Apple Watch!” Yes, I yell at my watch. All I had done was state something emphatically. When my Dick Tracy-type miracle of a watch feels my animated self, it apparently kicks into “have you fallen?” mode. The ignoramus device is ready to send the EMTs over. I poke the “I did not fall” selection in time to avoid a scene. Did the Apple software developers ask people concerned about falls what they’d like to see in a feature like that? Did they consult geriatric health care providers? Do they provide an option where the wearer can register their own worries? For instance, for people of any age, this “have you fallen” app could record when and where they are hiking, when to expect them back, and who to contact if they don’t return. But no. I have actually fallen twice, and neither time set off the fall feature. Why is my watch more upset at my self-expression than my relationship with gravity? Right now, Apple is airing a “911” ad showing how the watch has saved people’s lives… except none of them are elderly, nor have they fallen. I have bird feeders next to our Urbanite landscaping (Urbanite is recycled and repurposed concrete). It can be dicey to walk there since we don’t have mortar between our steppingstones. Bam! Down I go, on my side, no worse for wear. Did my Apple Watch ask me if I fell? No, it did not. What a tease. But the doozy of a fall that “should” have alerted my Apple Watch happened when I was taking care of a good friend’s dog, Bonzai. My friend’s husband needed to pick up Bonzai earlier than we had planned. He texted to say he was outside our house to pick up their pet. I still had my jammies on, so I slipped on a presentable dress to meet him. Bonzai heard his voice before I could open
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the gate properly. She circled me, wound her leash around my legs, and pulled me over when she saw her dad. Splat! Her 65 pounds of pull splayed me out. Of course, Bonzai’s dad was horrified. “Are you OK?” “Yes, I’m fine.” “Are you sure?” “I just need to untangle my legs from Bonzai’s lead.” “Are you hurt?” “No, really, I’m fine. I know how to fall.” Not convinced, he was nonetheless eager to get away, and I’m eager for him to leave, too. I furtively liberated myself from the leash, and off they went. Little did
he know that my biggest concern was mooning him, as I hadn’t had time to put on underwear when he’d texted his arrival. He did not sign up for that! In the meantime, before I develop a pilot program for older people and self-defense that works for any age and gender, Apple developers, give me a call. Defined in a meaningful sense, self-defense applies to all sorts of circumstances, not just assaults. Learning how to land is gravitational self-defense. And Apple, you need to work on that app.
Hey you! Speak up! Downtown News wants to hear from people in the community. If you like or dislike a story, let us know, or weigh in EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski on something feel Andrew is important toAndres De Ocampo, Julia Shapero STAFFyou WRITERS: Checchia, the community. CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Sara Edwards, Kamala Kirk ART DIRECTORS: Olivares, Stephanie Torres Participation is easy. GoArman to downtownSTAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Luis Chavez news.com, scroll to the bottom of the CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Myriam Santos page and click theEXECUTIVES: “Letter to Catherine the Editor” ACCOUNT Holloway, Michael Lamb FOUNDER EMERITUS: Sue Laris link. For guest opinion proposals, please email christina@timespublications.com.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski STAFF WRITERS: Alex Gallagher, Jordan Houston CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Jeff Favre, Bridgette M. Redman, Ellen Snortland STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Chris Mortenson CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER: David Arens ART DIRECTORS: Arman Olivares, Stephanie Torres ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway (213) 308-2261 Michael Lamb (213) 453-3548 FOUNDER EMERITUS: Sue Laris
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Breaking News: Freedom is Ours Now
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Covered California will help OPINION
Climate change impacts people with disabilities By Gabriel Griffith LA Downtown News Guest Writer rom extreme heat and destructive wildfires to severe droughts, human-induced weather events have become a daily fixture of life today in California and beyond. But despite Mother Earth’s warning signs, the gap between what we should do to reduce the impacts of climate change and what actions we are actually taking is wide — and getting wider. However, these natural disasters do not play out in a vacuum. During climate-related emergencies, disabled people might be disproportionally affected because of structural challenges inherent in our community.
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A free inspirational talk on freedom from fear and pain from a Christian Science perspective. All are welcome in person or to livestream on YouTube! Hosted by First Church of 80 S. Oakland Ave. Christ, Scientist, Pasadena Pasadena, CA 91101 Tel: (626)-793-5151 and First Church of Christ, Scientist, Arcadia To view the lecture on livestream, visit: christiansciencepasadena.com to find the link to the livestream video.
Saturday January 22, 2022 10 am PST Childcare will be provided.
Patricia Woodard, CS Christian Science Practitioner Member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship
Taking its toll As we have seen in recent years, wildfires can start and rapidly spread with little warning. Evacuation orders may come too late, especially for those with additional mobility considerations. Even excessively hot days can be life threatening, with a variety of conditions such as spinal injuries making it difficult for the body to regulate temperature. Social factors, too, are a consideration here, given that residents with disabilities are more likely to experience poverty or inadequate housing that may not have air conditioning. Compromised health also makes disabled people more vulnerable to extreme climate events, ecosystem service loss or infectious diseases. In a climate emergency, disabled people may be more vulnerable to contracting infectious diseases because of underlying conditions. For example, Hurricane Katrina was found to disproportionately impact more than 100,000 people with disabilities ranging from visual and physical impairments to learning disabilities. Even in non-extreme events, like air pollution, health can be compromised in the long term, especially for vulnerable populations. Despite the current gap, our state is working to make important progress in fighting climate change. Progress starts with using more clean energy resources. Harnessing solar and wind capabilities will only become more imperative over time, but most people use more energy at home in the evenings, which is the same time that the availability of these clean energy sources become limited. As part of California Council of the Blind, we are steadfast in working with our chapters across the state to bring awareness to using cleaner energy. The state’s electrical grid is increasingly powered by clean, renewable sources of energy — when the sun is out and the wind is blowing. However, the challenge remains in the late afternoon and evening, when demand for energy peaks. Between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., electricity is more likely to be produced by carbon-intensive energy sources, emitting greenhouse gases. We need to understand that when we use electricity does matter — not just how much electricity we use. Los Angeles County has begun to undergo a transition to a new rate plan that encourages use of cleaner energy. This transition is happening statewide to help Californians have more control of when they use energy. Our team is being asked about how to do household chores, make dinner, help children with homework — all activities that happen between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. It’s important for everyone to hear this. The state is not asking Californians to not use energy, change their lifestyles or turn their schedules upside down. Instead, it encourages Californians to shift use to parts of the day when electricity from renewable resources (such as solar and wind) is more readily available. When making dinner, turn off the TV in the living room. Think about ways to shift laundry to the morning. With extreme weather events and disasters set to increase in a warming climate, it is vital that the disabled population be taken into consideration in the conversation around the shift to use cleaner energy, because they are impacted even more. The coming years will be defining — deferring ambition and action is no longer an option. Together, we can close the gap between “should do” and real action. For information, visit energyupgradeca.org. Gabriel Griffith is the president of the California Council of the Blind (CCB), having also served as the organization’s vice president and, prior to that, as a technical support representative at HumanWare. Through CCB’s office in Sacramento and its 40 local chapters and statewide special interest associations, the council provides information and referral, technical assistance, advocacy, leadership development, publications, emergency funds, accessible technology loans, and scholarships.
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LOS ANGELES ATHLETIC CLUB
BEST SPORTS BAR IN DTLA
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The first few years of a child’s life are critical for their development. Children at risk of a developmental delay, or showing any signs of delay, may qualify for intervention and services through the Early Start program of California. Across the state of California, the Early Start program is coordinated by all 21 regional centers. With the guidance of service coordinators, an individualized plan for services and supports can make a difference in a child’s development. For individuals over the age of 3, the regional centers also provide lifelong services and supports from the school age years through adulthood, including service coordination, individual service planning, education related advocacy and training In partnership with the Family Resource Centers, parents and family members may receive parent-to-parent support, guidance, information and referrals to community resources. Due to the decline in referrals during the COVID-19 State of Emergency, it is important to know that your local regional center remains open and is accepting referrals. Although some regional center staff may be working remotely, they continue to work hard to ensure your child is receiving the services they need. To find out exactly which regional center would serve your family, please visit dds.ca.gov/services or dds.ca.gov/listings Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center 3303 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90010 (213) 383-1300 or (213) 252-5600 kyrc@lanterman.org | www.lanterman.org
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Members of the Urban Voices Project lift their voices to sing about social justice. Photo courtesy of Urban Voices Project
Homeless choir invited to sing about social justice By Bridgette M. Redman LA Downtown News Contributing Writer habbat, the Jewish day of rest, is a time for restoration and reflection. It is also a time for justice, which is why the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center has reached out to Urban Voices and asked them to sing during its Shabbat on the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. The temple’s Social Justice Committee hosts the MLK Shabbat and developed a program that challenges its members to take active roles in promoting justice in their communities. This year, the Urban Voices choir will sing during their services and talk to them about issues related to the unhoused population. Urban Voices Project is a street choir for Skid Row residents. Many of
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its members have experienced homelessness or poverty, and their mission involves helping people shift their perceptions of homelessness. The event is 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 14, virtually through YouTube and Facebook. Social Justice Committee member Janice Markham is friends with Leeav Sofer, the artistic director of the Urban Voices Project. Sofer is also the bandleader for Mostly Kosher, of which Markham is a part. When the committee was deciding what to do this year, Markham brought up an Urban Voices performance. The idea got a thumbs up. “It was just a matter of reaching out to Leeav, as they’re usually quite busy at this time of year,” Markham said. “We were very fortunate to ask them early enough to get them on board.”
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She said it is important to the committee and the temple that their Shabbats speak to all members of the community — not just Jews. While Sofer is Jewish, he, too, is committed to accessibility and has incorporated that concern into the planning of the event. “We’ll engage with the synagogue community or any faith-based community,” Sofer said. “Most of the time our energies are intertwined into the service. We want to maintain some landmark moment of the service. Sometimes we will have guests perform with us at the end and, in this case, we’ll have pieces sprinkled through the evening.” Program’s voices raise up justice The program is filled with songs that speak to justice and choir’s mission. One of the pieces is an original arrangement of “We Shall Overcome,” which was written by their late accompanist Lawrence Jones. “He passed away unexpectedly in January 2021,” Sofer said. “He was battling cancer. He had gone through homelessness, and he was a veteran. He found our choir, and we were able to hire him on staff as our accompanist. He was involved in launching satellite companies and was a legitimate gospel pianist. He inspired this arrangement, and after his passing, we completed it and made a music video with it.” The music video was made just as vaccines were approved. The video turned into a vaccine advocacy project. Because they could not sing together at that time, they did the song in American Sign Language. They will put their voices together for the song at the temple. “We’re excited to premiere it at this venue and in this community,” Sofer said. Other songs on the set list include “Walk with Me” by Maggie Wheeler and “I Am an Endangered Species” by Diane Reeves. The first, Sofer said, is a call to action that advances the choir’s message surrounding advocacy and personalizing and humanizing the homelessness experience. The second is a powerful feminist song. With the third piece, “Rise Again,” the choir will invite the audience to sing along. “So much of our advocacy work when we perform is truly to try to humanize and personalize the narrative of people who have lived experience with homelessness but, more than that, to eliminate the ‘us and them,’” Sofer said. “We want to leave the concert feeling we are in this together, shoulder to shoulder, which is why we ask the audience to sing with us. We invite them to fight the fight with us.” Throughout the event, they will share testimonies and personal experiences. Committee issues call to action Markham said the committee aims to present things to temple members that are actionable and challenges them to pursue social justice in concrete ways. “One thing we try to stay consistent about — and this Shabbat will be no exception — is to have elements of our event where people will walk out and feel motivated to do something,” Markham said. “As a Jew, as an activist, as an artist, this is very important to me. I know I can speak for my whole committee that we really hope the message Leeav has been speaking about and the whole Urban Voices project will motivate people to volunteer or pass along the message or donate.” They have focused on bridging the gap between communities in Pasadena. The group’s late chair, Rabbi Marvin Gross, worked tirelessly on homelessness issues. Gross was the former CEO of Union Station in Pasadena and coordinated homeless services in the greater San Gabriel Valley. “He would be pleased to see we are front and center on the issue,” Markham said. “It was his mantra to always have people leave wanting to do something. That is the goal that we have with this evening, and I
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hope people will be encouraged to be there for the uplifting music and story.” Event links social and racial justice Both group leaders, Markham and Sofer, said there are many commonalities between the organizations that makes sense for them to come together near Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Sofer said that many argue that homelessness is a new form of racism. Statistically in Los Angeles, 37.8% of the unhoused population were African American in 2020, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA), while only making up 9% of the general population. An additional 32.5% are Hispanic/Latino, and only 24.9% are white. A 2019 LAHSA report discovered that racism, discrimination and unconscious bias has contributed to homelessness in the city. During its research, it found cases of systemic bias in policies affecting housing, employment, criminal justice and child welfare that were a part of homelessness’ underlying causes. Sofer said there has long been a connection between the Jewish and civil rights movements. Both advocate for those who have been marginalized. Jewish leaders such as Rabbis Joshua Heschel and Uri Miller were part of the coalition of civil rights leaders who marched on Selma and Washington and sought to raise up oppressed individuals and communities. “We have a diversity of races in our choir,” Sofer said. “But even those not of a minority call out the race issues and name it. So here on MLK weekend, it’s an opportunity to activate that connection that has been prevalent in our country and really fight for the marginalized and use that voice we’ve always had. We are bringing those voices together, and for those that aren’t a part of either diaspora, they can come and witness it themselves and feel activated and uplifted. Contemplation and community Markham said the Shabbat service is also a welcoming service and a call to rest. “So many of us during this time are trying to keep our lives going and work as hard as we possibly can,” Markham said. “Even dealing with the challenge of a global pandemic and the past couple years related to it, I look forward to Shabbat because it demands we take a step away from our stresses and from work. We can use the universality of what is so needed at this time to connect with our social justice Shabbat, to come out of ourselves and be inclusive of not only what we are going through but what other people are going through.” Shabbat is from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. Markham describes it as a time that they not only engage in contemplation and rest, but they welcome music and togetherness with their community members, rabbi and cantor. During the past few years, they have been together via Zoom and social media. They were still able to engage with each other and with their traditions. Urban Voices Project has advocated for vaccinations on Skid Row, so all choir members are vaccinated. Sofer said it is important to share that message. The choir typically has about 25 members. Right now, it performs with 12 to 16 singers. “We are excited to be performing together again,” Sofer said.
Urban Voices at MLK Shabbat” WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 14 WHERE: Virtual through Facebook and YouTube COST: Free INFO: sjcpjtc@gmail.com or urbanvoicesproject.org
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Julia Song, 20, is a filmmaker and NYE Tisch student dedicated to social activism. Submitted photo
DTLA student Julia Song a ‘changemaker’ By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski LA Downtown News Executive Editor TLA’s Julia Song is one of eight global youth activists and social changemakers who launched the Juntanza Fund. The inaugural grantmaking fund from Comic Relief US’ Youth Advisory Council will further empower and resource youth-led organizations, leaders and activists. Youth Advisory Council members in this first cohort are from the United States, Colombia, Cambodia, Kenya and Somalia and are driving social change within their communities. The Juntanza Fund — which means “a union to help one another and achieve a common goal” and originates from the practices of Afro-descendant communities in Colombia — brings youth leaders to the table to decide where and how funding is granted. Song is a 20-year-old filmmaker and NYE Tisch student, who hopes to voice the narratives of underrepresented stories with authenticity. The council developed the proposal criteria and vetted 175 grantee applicants. The mission of the Juntanza Fund was to support youth from low-income backgrounds who have a vision to address challenges in their communities, including hunger and sustainable agriculture, improving access to quality education and mental health care and fostering youth leadership. Applicants were evaluated based on the level of youth-designed and inclusive approach to the program while also concentrating on the intersections of racial and gender equity. For this initial phase, the council awarded five grants between $5,000 and $10,000 to youth-led programs and campaigns with a registered nonprofit or fiscal sponsor. “Youth will bring forward solutions to end the cycle of intergenerational poverty, and the Youth Advisory Council has emboldened our grantmaking approach in many ways,” said Alison Moore, CEO of Comic Relief US.
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“The Juntanza Fund is a powerful initiative that reflects our commitment to innovate by centering, elevating and empowering the voices and lived experiences of young people.” Juntanza Fund grantee partners receiving the initial investment include: • Arable Community Based Organization in Kenya: supporting youth, especially women in vulnerable and hard-to-access communities to adopt sustainable farming practices and better income security in arid and semi-arid lands. • Diversify Our Narrative in the U.S.: championing a more diverse and anti-racist U.S. education system through student advocates and student-led programs. • Fundacion Maleua in Colombia: providing mental health services for Afro-descendant communities, migrants and others living in vulnerable conditions and creating the first network of youth promoters of mental health in the region. • Hawa Feminist Fund in Somalia: training young female activists to join the women-led coalition in offering mental health and psychological support for survivors of gender-based violence. • Pepy Empowering Youth in Cambodia: helping girls and youth in rural areas of Cambodia access education and improve career readiness. “As part of our grantmaking strategy for Comic Relief US, we have made a commitment to fully involve individuals who have experienced these issues firsthand, opening up our portfolio to the best ideas and innovations from young people and social entrepreneurs who are leaders in the communities,” said Ayo Roach, Comic Relief US’ vice president of grants. “What the sector needs now is to listen to, fund and partner with grassroots organizations that are addressing poverty through an intersectional lens and placing community needs at the center of their work.” Besides Song, the inaugural members of The Youth Advisory Council include: • Giuliana Bryan Alvarez, 24-year-old Colombian political scientist, ambassador of the One Young World organization, and project coordinator for youth and community empowerment at Manos Visibles (Visible Hands), a nonprofit organization in Colombia. • Olja Busbaher, 25-year-old whose family came to the United States in 1997 following the ethnic genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She is currently a grants officer at the Malala Fund. • Fardosa Hussein, 26-year-old documentary photographer and filmmaker based in Somalia whose work ranges from covering humanitarian work to everyday life in Kenya and Somalia. • Rattana Mai, 24-year-old from Siem Reap, Cambodia, who serves as a scholarship project officer at PEPY Empowering Youth, an organization helping young Cambodians from rural areas continue their studies so that they can pursue careers, improve their quality of life, and uplift their communities. • Jordan Ott, 19-year-old Native American of the Sac-n-Fox Tribe of Oklahoma, who is enrolled at Haskell Indian Nations University and focused on mental health advocacy. • Alexis Ramon, 18-year-old freshman at the University of Southern California who is passionate about social justice. • Shamyah Williams, 19-year-old student at Howard University and established public speaker with a passion for creating change for girls of color on a global scale. “When you create a safe, supported and informed space for young people, it’s incredible how strong their voices grow,” said Madison McCormick, grant programs and communications manager, who spearheaded the Youth Advisory Council. “Too often the wisdom that young people hold from their lived experiences can easily be overlooked in an organization’s strategic decision-making process. Through the Juntanza Fund, Comic Relief US is recognizing the brilliance of our council members and authentically carrying out our commitment to invite youth into our work.” This year, the Youth Advisory Council will establish its second cohort with Comic Relief US. The newly launched $10 million Innovation & Growth Fund will support the council’s growth and the Juntanza Fund’s vision. Comic Relief US harnesses the power of entertainment to drive positive change to create a just world free from poverty. The nonprofit has raised over $300 million by mobilizing donors of all ages to engage with causes through powerful content-driven campaigns and new digital platforms. Since 2015, Red Nose Day, Comic Relief US’ signature campaign to end child poverty has fundraised $275 million and positively impacted over 29 million children in the United States and around the world. Donations are invested in grantee partners and social impact programs that ensure children are safe, healthy, educated and empowered and that address the root causes of poverty in communities most impacted.
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Los primeros años de la vida de un niño son críticos para su desarrollo. Los niños en riesgo de un atraso en el desarrollo, o que muestran signos de atraso, pueden calificar para la intervención y los servicios a través del programa Early Start de California. En todo el estado de California, el programa Early Start es coordinado por los 21 centros regionales. Con la guía de los coordinadores de servicios, un plan individualizado de servicios y apoyos puede marcar la diferencia en el desarrollo de un niño. Para las personas mayores de 3 años, los centros regionales también brindan servicios y apoyos de por vida desde la edad escolar hasta la edad adulta, incluida la coordinación de servicios, la planificación de servicios individuales, educación relacionadas con la defensa y capacitación. En asociación con los Centros de Recursos Familiares, los padres y los miembros de la familia pueden recibir apoyo, orientación, información y referencias a recursos comunitarios. Debido a la disminución de las referencias durante el estado de emergencia de COVID-19, es importante saber que su centro regional local permanece abierto y está aceptando referencias. Aunque algunos miembros del personal del centro regional pueden estar trabajando de forma remota, continúan trabajando arduamente para garantizar que su hijo reciba los servicios que necesita. Para averiguar exactamente qué centro regional serviría a su familia, visite dds.ca.gov/services or dds.ca.gov/listings Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center 3303 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90010 (213) 383-1300 or (213) 252-5600 kyrc@lanterman.org | www.lanterman.org
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Historic hotel to be converted into affordable housing By Andres de Ocampo LA Downtown News Staff Writer nder new ownership, the historic Downtown Barclay Hotel will undergo renovations and be converted into single-room-occupancy, affordable housing for formerly unhoused and low-income individuals. The Los Angeles-based nonprofit, AIDS Health Foundation, acquired the property in October. It will renovate the 158-unit hotel into affordable housing units. AHF and the organization’s housing subsidiary, Healthy Housing Foundation, hosted a holiday-themed ceremony late December, formally rededicating the hotel and unveiling a plaque officially solidifying the future intended use of the long-standing, historic property. AHF President Michael Weinstein spoke at the event for a formal commemoration alongside Tony Vazquez, California Board of Equalization member; Sen. Henry Stern, (District 27); Michael Lawson, Los Angeles Urban League president; and Cynthia Davis, MPH, AHF board member. AHF Senior Director of Communications Ged Kenslea said the building will be renovated from the top down, making sure it’s up to safety code. Plumbing, heating, flooring and walls will be upgraded. Construction is estimated to be completed in April, with future tenants moving in incrementally as each floor is modernized and livable. This hotel marks AHF’s 11th property on its list of affordable, single-room-occupancy buildings throughout LA. The organization now has 1,183 units, with some being in Downtown like The King Edward and The Baltimore hotels, all centered around housing individuals and families in need. Rent for most of AHF’s properties range
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from $400 to $750 a month. The Barclay units will be closer to $700 because of its amenities like private bathrooms. Though the AHF is known as a nonprofit providing medical care or health services to individuals globally, Kenslea said, “People ask, ‘What is an AIDS organization doing in housing?’ Stable housing is critical component for health and well-being, regardless of a person’s medical history.” AHF utilizes an adaptive reuse model of creating more affordable housing, essentially finding and acquiring underutilized properties, like historic Downtown hotels, and repurposing them to combat the shortage of affordable housing. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, LA Housing Services Authority was exempted from conducting an unsheltered point-in-time count for 2021 by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, however, a count in 2020 reported 66,436 people in LA County and 41,290 people in the city were unhoused. A report conducted by the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, a member-led nonprofit dedicated to issues with housing, creating more sustainable communities and worker justice, produced a report along with another nonprofit, Strategic Actions for a Just Economy, and the UCLA School of Law Community Economic Development Clinic that covers vacant living units in Los Angeles. A key finding in the 2020 report notes that, “Over 46,000 units are held in a state of non-market vacancy,” and that, “Many thousands more units are withheld from the housing system by landlords listing them at high rents that keep them vacant long-term,” along with other points relating to vacant units and affordable housing. Susie Shannon, policy director of Hous-
Michael Weinstein, president of AIDS Health Foundation, speaks at holiday-themed ceremony officially rededicating the historic Barclay Hotel in Downtown as the organization’s 11th affordable housing property for homeless and low-income individuals. Photo courtesy of AIDS Health Foundation
ing is a Human Right, focuses on policies and advocacy, on a city, county and state level, with the goal of pursuing more inclusive housing for, not only adaptative reuse, but issues like inclusionary zoning, which would create more housing opportunities for low-income individuals in new property developments. “The narrative up until now is that we need to build new units in order to move people inside,” she said. “However, you can’t have thousands of vacant units when you have over 60,000 people homeless in the county and over 41,000 in the city. “Obviously, you want to utilize that infrastructure and (adaptive reuse) brings the housing online much quicker. What we can do in three to five months with adaptive reuse would take us three to five years for building housing.” An AHF lawsuit was filed against the city of Los Angeles challenging the newly adopted Housing Element plan, which outlines the city’s housing conditions, needs and housing objectives over eight years. The nonprofit argues that the Housing Element plan or “The Plan to House LA,” spanning from 2021 to 2029, would allow for more large, upscale housing developments without any obligations from developers to provide affordable housing. “In order to reverse (disproportionate housing availability), we need government to step up and say, ‘We can’t have builders coming to LA and making a profit off the building while they’re ignoring the people that need housing the most,’” Shannon said. “Those of us that have been working with low-income tenants and the unhoused community for a long time, we’ve all seen the displacement, we’ve all seen the fact that people can’t afford to live here,” she continued. “Housing is not equal. You can’t tell me
that building more luxury units is going to help the unhoused or low-income people.” Shannon highlighted a city review of the past Housing Element plan, from 2014 to 2021, which documents that over the eightyear period, market rate housing units were overbuilt by an extra 70,110 units, while affordable housing units were underbuilt by 35,024 units. Ultimately, through advocacy and continuing to create more affordable housing units in the city and county, Kenslea said, “What we’re trying to do is house people with a faster and less expensive model than what the city or other entities have done when they build ‘affordable housing.’ “The (adaptive reuse) model is to not let the perfect be the enemy of the good and to try and deploy this model, given that the affordable housing crisis keeps growing.” Kenslea said AHF and the Healthy Housing Foundation will have a formal groundbreaking shovel ceremony on Jan. 16 for a completely new affordable housing project in the lot next to The Madison Hotel, which AHF also owns. “We’re pursuing both completely new, from-the-ground projects and reuse projects and strengthening both legislation and policies that will keep people in their homes,” he said. The new housing project will have 216 prefab modular housing units and is expected to be completed late 2023. As far as what’s next for Shannon and HIAHR, she said, “People that are unhoused and low-income renters don’t have a union advocating for them. They have advocates… The market tells developers to seek the highest profit possible and not to look at communities and what their needs are. That’s the job of government and advocacy. That’s what we’ll be doing.”
Members of Housing is a Human Right, a housing advocacy affiliate with AIDS Health Foundation, celebrate the organization’s rededication of the historic Barclay Hotel into affordable housing. Photo courtesy of AIDS Health Foundation
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BUSINESS
Broadstone Candara at Hancock Park is one of only two 100-plus unit assets in Hancock Park. Photo courtesy of Institutional Property Advisors
IPA completes $60M sale in Hancock Park By LA Downtown News Staff nstitutional Property Advisors, a division of Marcus & Millichap, completed the sale of Broadstone Candara at Hancock Park, a 103-unit multifamily asset. The property sold for $60.1 million, which equates to $583,495 per unit. “Broadstone Candara at Hancock Park is one of only two 100-plus unit assets located within the prestigious Hancock Park enclave,” said Kevin Green, IPA executive director. “The neighborhood just south of the property is composed of multimillion-dollar single-family estates, that present a large affordability gap to home ownership for renters. This insulates the property from future competition as nearby parcels are either not suitable for high-density residential development or are protected by historical preservation overlay zoning.” Green and IPA’s Joseph Grabiec and Greg Harris represented the seller, a global real estate investment adviser, and procured the buyer, Fairfield. The property is within walking distance of Larchmont Village, one of most popular urban villages in Los Angeles, home
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to an eclectic mix of boutiques, gourmet eateries, trendy coffee shops and more. A short commute away are major employment hubs, including Hollywood, West Hollywood, Mid-Wilshire/Miracle Mile, and Beverly Hills/Century City. The epicenter of the entertainment industry, with millions of square feet of creative and studio space, is just north of the property. “Broadstone Candara at Hancock Park attracts some of the most discerning renters in the city,” Grabiec said. “The average annual household income of the property’s residents is over $300,000.” Constructed in 2015, the property has a National Green Building Standard Silver Certification for Energy Efficient Design. Amenities include a zero-edge pool with LED lighting and underwater speakers, temperature-controlled wine coolers, a European-style open air café and a rooftop terrace with gathering areas. The unit mix of studios, and one- and two-bedroom apartments all have high-end appliances, European-style cabinetry, quartz countertops, porcelain tile flooring, oversized closets and windows, and spacious private patios or balconies.
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BUSINESS
Shopify supports local entrepreneurs, kids By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski LA Downtown News Executive Editor fter closing for the holiday season, Shopify at ROW DTLA is slated to reopen Jan. 11, offering workshops, events, book podcast and photography spaces and a popup shop for local brands. “We wanted to be in the community and be able to support people in person,” said Cody Debacker, head of Shopify spaces, about the space that originally opened in 2018. “Given there are tens of thousands of entrepreneurs in LA, we decided to see what we could do 365 in the heart of the city. It was unbelievable. Fast forward to 2020 and we had to close because of COVID.” Debacker said the center offers one-onone business coaching that’s free for 45 minutes, a studio service package and a podcast or photo studio. “I was just in there and there were five people in there booking the photo studio,” he said. “They can bring the products down, shoot them and upload while they’re there in minutes.” Shopify also boasts an entrepreneurial space for kids, which is helpful for clients who run a business and have a family. “Beyond that, we offer free workshops, and we launched a creator space so people can make T-shirts with heat press transfers and utilize that for free,” he said. “They can create and start a business within hours. We had that pre-COVID. They could come in, design an idea, sit down with support specialists, upload their design file, print the T-shirts, shoot photos of them, and sit down at a workshop and learn about copyrighting and SEO.” Here are details on the programs supported by Shopify. Pop-up shop: The pop-up shop features several local merchant products for visitors to purchase, and brands can opt-in to be featured in the space. The local Shopify LA team identifies three to six merchants who will be featured at one time, and they will be rotated on a monthly to quarterly basis.
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Podcast studio: Shopify has created a professional grade audio and video recording studio for merchants to access to grow their business. Photo studio: Photos can make or break a brand’s success, so Shopify designed a professional photo studio with the latest
Cody Debacker, head of Shopify spaces, said the ROW DTLA space has been open since 2018, but was forced to close due to the pandemic. After a holiday break, it will reopen on Jan. 11 to offer services to entrepreneurs. Photo courtesy of Shopify
and greatest equipment, ideal for product shots to help brands bring their stories to life. Space for kids: Entrepreneurship isn’t just for adults. In the kids’ space, the next generation of entrepreneurs can explore the Business Starter Kit while their parents get business coaching and support. Other features are a book nook featuring Reparations Club, a concept (book) shop + creative space founded in 2001 by Jazzi McGilbert, a queer Black woman and
creative director from South Central Los Angeles. An LA art gallery and creator space has a creative studio space for creators to breathe art and life into the space with one-of-a-kind installations and shoppa-
ble art. Participants have included Joshua Vides, Jorge Ortega, Birch and Bone and Never Made. To learn more, visit la.shopify.com.
Shopify ROW DTLA 777 S. Alameda Street, Building 1, Unit 11, Los Angeles la.shopify.com
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EDUCATION
LACHSA accepting applications for fall classes By LA Downtown News Staff he Los Angeles County High School for the Arts is sending out a casting call for students interested in enrolling as freshmen and sophomores. The deadline is Friday, Jan. 14. Interested students must be enrolling as freshmen or sophomores in the 2022-23 school year and apply for acceptance into one of LACHSA’s five arts departments: cinematic arts, dance, music, theater and visual arts. Students may apply to up to two departments. A 2.0 GPA or higher for the fall 2021 grading period is required. “We continue to reach out to students who represent Los Angeles County across the diaspora, in all areas of socio-economic and cultural diversity,” said Principal John Lawler. “Our students are thoroughly prepared to perform by professionals who represent a wealth of cultures and have excelled in their respective fields. LACHSA enjoys high graduation rates and many of our students have gone on to national acclaim.” Ranked last year as the No. 1 arts high school in the United States by niche.com, LACHSA combines college-preparatory academic instruction with conservatory-style training in the visual and performing arts. It has the only high school-based opera company as recognized by Opera America. The school is located on California State University-Los Angeles’ campus and has its own performance theater, Caroline’s Loft. A modified admissions process was developed to promote a pool of applicants from diverse backgrounds, training and ex-
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perience. The new process was reviewed by LACHSA’s Latinx and Equity & Inclusion task forces, which involve nonprofit organizations, educators, local leaders and community advocates. For example, LACHSA’s Music Department no longer requires students to audition with classical pieces and now allows them to perform any genre of music. In November, LACHSA students from four of the disciplines gained national attention when the 5-minute video they created for Hamilton producer Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “tick, tick…boom” aired on Netflix platforms in conjunction with the national premiere. The tuition-free public school offers aspiring young artists from across Los Angeles County the chance to learn, grow and pursue their passions. The school day runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with emphasis on the student’s particular arts discipline. “We know many student portfolios may be a bit sparse due to classrooms having to pivot in response to the pandemic and live performances going virtual,” Lawler said. “We don’t want that to deter students from applying. We understand that and take in to account the students’ potential to thrive.” Students meeting admissions criteria are invited to participate in auditions or portfolio reviews to be held in March. Virtual school tours, student panels and application/audition informational sessions are being offered. To learn more and to apply, visit the LACHSA website at lachsa.net/apply. To view current student work and upcoming performances, visit the LACHSA Box Office at lachsa.net/boxoffice.
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JANUARY 10, 2022
SPORTS
LAFC hires Cherundolo as coach By Ethan Greni teve Cherundolo was introduced as LAFC’s new head coach at Banc of California Stadium on Jan. 5. Though fan reaction online has been mixed, club officials said they’re confident in the former U.S. national team star and hold high expectations for him. “It’s an exciting day for us all here at LAFC,” general manager John Thorrington said. “Today is the conclusion of an incredibly thorough and diligent process... he certainly ticked every box necessary.” Cherundolo, 42, becomes just the second head coach in LAFC’s short history, following Bob Bradley’s departure in November. “I am truly honored to be the next head coach (of LAFC),” Cherundolo said. “Today is overwhelming.” Cherundolo said one of his top priorities in the coming weeks is to build relationships with his players. “I am a hard-working, passionate guy, but somebody who is also compassionate and has an ear for everybody,” Cherundolo said. “ These are things that I believe to be very important in the coaching world, and players will understand what kind of relationships we build.” That lack of experience is one reason not all fans are on board with the hire. Cherundolo has only been a head coach at the professional level for one year, with LAFC’s USL Championship affiliate, the Las Vegas Lights, last season. In 32 games under Cherundolo, the Lights won six. However, he said winning games was secondary to player development. “In our eyes it was a very successful season, we were able to develop players and get them ready for LAFC,” he said. “For us, that’s how we measure success.” After reaching the MLS playoffs for the first three years of its existence, including winning the Supporters’ Shield as the top regular-season team in 2019, LAFC failed to qualify last season and finished ninth in the Western Conference. This led to rumors of a rebuild for the club, but Cherundolo was adamant that his team will remain competitive. “We will build on what is already great, we will keep our attacking-minded way of playing, we want to score goals,” Cherundolo said. “That is first and foremost our priority, we want to be an attacking, exciting team with moments of explosiveness in transition... I don’t think
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Steve Cherundolo, 42, becomes just the second head coach in LAFC’s short history, following Bob Bradley’s departure in November. Photo courtesy of LAFC
we’re in the middle of a rebuild.” Scoring goals shouldn’t be an issue, with players like Carlos Vela, Cristian Arango and Diego Rossi on the roster. Arango, a rookie last season, led the team with 14 goals in only 17 appearances, while Vela and Rossi have each won the Golden Boot as MLS MVP within the last three years. Talent alone isn’t enough to win titles, though. Cherundolo says he wants to improve the team’s culture while keeping that fast-paced play style intact. “We would like to inject this team with some character and personality,” Cherundolo said. “I think that’s something we
definitely want to improve on. “What we have... is the ability to score goals and to play exciting football, and that’s something we want to continue to do.” Another hurdle for Cherundolo is the uncertain future of superstar captain Vela, who turns 33 in March. After he expressed interest in returning to play in Europe, LAFC exercised an option in Vela’s contract for 2022, giving the club time to either work out a long-term deal with him or move him elsewhere. Keeping the former MVP in the fold is paramount to LAFC’s success. Since scoring a league-record 34 goals in 34 games
in 2019, he’s been hampered by injuries but remains an important leadership figure for the club. According to Cherundolo, however, Vela isn’t going anywhere just yet. “Carlos and I have had great conversations on the phone, and we’ll be meeting in the next couple days,” Cherundolo said. “I think he’s very excited about this and 100% committed, as am I, to get Carlos on the field doing what he does best.” Cherundolo spent his entire 15-year playing career with Hannover 96 in the German Bundesliga. He also represented the United States as a player in three FIFA World Cups from 2006-2014.
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Veteran DTLA Realtor Randelle Green: ‘Local Experience is Priceless’ By LA Downtown News Staff Since 2005, local Realtor Randelle Green has been servicing Downtown LA buyers and sellers since 2005. That’s more than 15 years of dedicated and committed service to Downtown residences, over 15 years of playing a major role in the continued renaissance of our beloved urban core. From his early days of managing sales teams at the Pan-American Lofts in the Historic Core and South Park’s “Mega-Complex” of Elleven, Luma & Evo, to the financial district’s Roosevelt and the Arts District, Green has been and continues to be a fixture of our booming market. His powerful DTLA boutique brokerage, The Randelle Green Group, has gained national attention since he brought his dream to fruition back in 2015. He alone has sold over $18 million in lofts and condos since 2016 (per the MLS). When asked what makes his company different, Green said the idea of working with a local specialist who lives and breathes the market, works one on one with clients, is accessible and, perhaps most importantly, intimately knows the different districts, buildings and developers throughout the sprawling and constantly emerg-
The RandelleGreen Group PhPhoooPPhoto courtesy of Randelle Green
Broker-CEO Randelle Green
PhPhoooPPhoto courtesy of Randelle Green
ing downtown area. Green spoke about the early days, before LA Live, Ralphs, CVS & Whole Foods, before The Bloc, The Row and all the trendy restaurants and lounges. A time when the handful of local Downtown Realtors, to which he points out only a few remain, did not have many options for the buyers in DTLA. Oh, but how times have changed, Green said, ADVERTORIAL
“Nowadays it’s different. Downtown buyers must decide if they are new construction, high-rise people leaning toward a South Park condo or soft-loft, historians looking at Mills Act buildings in the Old Bank District, the theater crowd interested in the burgeoning Bunker Hill District or more secluded artists flowing into The Arts District. How fun it has become, facilitating and directing those dreams One thing is for sure, I was there yesterday, and I will be here tomorrow and remember. I put my name on it.”
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