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Tag: child

  • Parenting 101: 4 Money rules to raise millionaires

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    According to a recent Bankrate study, children who were raised with a strong financial education are significantly more likely to build healthy money habits and negotiate higher salaries as adults.

    No wonder parents today aren’t willing to leave financial success up to chance. Gamblizard reports that Google searches for “how to teach kids about money” have skyrocketed 92% in the past month alone.

    With Teach Children to Save Day coming up on April 27, personal finance strategist Jamie Wall has four essential money skills every parent should teach early.

    Teach kids to negotiate early

    Helping children learn to negotiate teaches them confidence and critical thinking. This skill doesn’t just help with salaries, it also builds resilience and self-advocacy across various life situations. Start small by encouraging your kids to explain their reasoning during decisions or budget trade-offs. Let them make their case for a new toy by suggesting ways to save for it or what they’d be willing to give up. Role-play common scenarios, like asking for a later bedtime or a larger allowance, so they get comfortable presenting their viewpoint and backing it up with logic.

    Introduce investing concepts early

    Investing might seem like an “adult” topic, but kids as young as 10 can grasp basic ideas like risk, growth, and diversification. Start simple: offer 1 toy now or 3 if they wait a week. It’s an easy way to introduce patience and the idea of long-term rewards. With older kids, try playing a stock market game or tracking shares of a brand they like to make investing fun and relatable. Encourage them to follow the performance of their chosen stocks over time and discuss how the value goes up and down. This hands-on approach teaches patience, the importance of long-term growth, and the power of small, consistent investments.

    Encourage budgeting with allowances

    Giving kids a regular allowance tied to specific responsibilities helps them learn to manage money hands-on. According to the AICPA, the average allowance is $30 per week, and children earn around $6.11 per hour for completing chores. That’s a real income they can learn to manage. Encourage them to split their money into categories: save, spend, and give. This introduces budgeting in a way that’s personal and meaningful, building a habit that can last into adulthood.

    Encourage entrepreneurial ventures

    Letting your child run a mini business, like selling handmade crafts, mowing lawns, or even creating digital content, can teach practical lessons about money, time, and value creation. In a national survey by Junior Achievement USA, 60% of teens said they would prefer to start their own business rather than work a traditional job. This shows a strong interest in entrepreneurship among youth, and early practice gives them a head start. They learn budgeting, setting prices, marketing, and even coping with failure — all within a safe, supportive environment.

    – JC

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    By: Jennifer Cox The Suburban

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  • 1 dead after boat overturns off Redondo Beach. Child and captain among the rescued

    1 dead after boat overturns off Redondo Beach. Child and captain among the rescued

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    A boat carrying six people including a child overturned off Redondo Beach on Sunday, killing one man on board, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

    The Redondo Beach Harbor Patrol received a distress call just after 1 p.m. reporting a boat had overturned and the people on board were in the water clinging to it.

    Harbor Patrol deputies and lifeguards rushed to the boat and pulled five people, including one child and the boat’s captain, out of the water, authorities said. All five were taken to the hospital in stable condition.

    But a sixth person, described only as a male adult, was reported missing and later found inside the overturned vessel by a rescue diver. Attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. No information on the victim’s identity was immediately available.

    Authorities are investigating.

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    Joseph Serna

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  • Ruling revives lawsuit to allow state funding for special education to go to religious schools

    Ruling revives lawsuit to allow state funding for special education to go to religious schools

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    A 9th Circuit Court of Appeals panel revived a lawsuit this week filed by Orthodox Jewish families that sued California education officials over the state’s policy of refusing to fund special education programs at religious schools.

    Two religious schools and three Orthodox Jewish parents whose children have autism filed the lawsuit against the California Department of Education and the Los Angeles Unified School District last year. The parents sought to send their children to Orthodox Jewish schools and argued that the state’s policy of barring funding for religious institutions was discriminatory.

    Other states allow certain religious private schools to receive special education funding. For decades in California, those dollars have only been permitted to go to schools that are nonsectarian.

    Judge Kim Wardlaw, writing for the panel, ruled that California’s requirement burdens the families’ free exercise of religion. The panel’s decision sends the case back for reconsideration to a federal court that had previously rejected it.

    Attorney Eric Rassbach, who represents the families in the lawsuit, called the court’s decision a “massive win for Jewish families in California.”

    “It was always wrong to cut Jewish kids off from getting disability benefits solely because they want to follow their faith. The court did the right thing by ruling against California’s bald-faced discrimination,” he said in a statement.

    The California Department of Education argued in legal filings that by not certifying religious schools to educate children with disabilities, which would be required for them to receive federal funds, it was upholding the “principle that the government must be neutral toward and among religions.”

    The California Department of Education declined to comment, citing pending litigation.

    Funding for special education can be directed to a private school if a local school board determines, on an individual basis, that it would be the best way for a particular student with disabilities to receive an education, the department wrote in court papers.

    Attorneys for the California Department of Education wrote in court papers that the nonsectarian requirement was necessary because without it, local district officials would wield significant power to direct students to their favored religious institutions.

    “This is the opposite of the government neutrality toward religion that the Constitution requires…” the department’s attorneys wrote.

    However, Wardlaw wrote in her ruling that the state failed to show that its nonsectarian requirement is “narrowly tailored to serve” the interest of religious neutrality.

    Wardlaw added that it puts parents in the position of being forced to choose between an education for their disabled children and religion.

    “Parent Plaintiffs are required to choose between the special education benefits made available through public school enrollment (and subsequent referral to a private nonsectarian nonpublic school placements) and education in an Orthodox Jewish setting,” she wrote.

    A U.S. district judge last year dismissed the case and denied a request for a preliminary injunction to block the state from enforcing the rule.

    Wardlaw affirmed the lower court’s decision to dismiss claims from Shalhevet High School and Samuel A. Fryer Yavneh Hebrew Academy because neither school could satisfy the requirements necessary to be certified to educate students with special needs, according to the decision.

    Teach Coalition, a group that helps secure government funding for Jewish day schools, lauded the ruling as a major victory for religious liberty.

    “This is a game changing moment for our community and for religious families of children with disabilities — not only requiring change in the state of California but holding nationwide implications,” Teach Coalition chief executive and founder Maury Litwack said in a statement.

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    Hannah Fry

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  • L.A. mom charged with murder in death of her 3-month-old baby

    L.A. mom charged with murder in death of her 3-month-old baby

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    A mother from Porter Ranch has been charged with murder in the death of her 3-month-old baby, authorities said Friday.

    Jalyn Simone SmithJermott, 21, faces one count of murder and one felony count of assault on a child causing death, according to the L.A. County district attorney’s office. She is scheduled to be arraigned Monday and faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life if convicted, prosecutors said.

    Authorities said the baby was found not breathing in his bassinet on Sept. 10 and was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

    Eric Shannon Johnson, 35, who authorities said is the baby’s father, has also been charged with one felony count of child abuse. He pleaded not guilty Monday and his next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday. If convicted as charged, he faces up to six years in prison.

    “Children, especially babies, depend on their parents and loved ones for care and nurturing. It is a profound betrayal when that trust is shattered,” Dist. Atty. George Gascón said in a statement.

    During Johnson’s arraignment on Monday, prosecutors said that the baby suffered third-degree burns and a 4-inch head fracture in August — causing blood to collect between the skull and the surface of the brain, ABC7 reported. Prosecutors alleged that Johnson failed to seek medical help for the baby due to fear of repercussions from the Department of Children and Family Services, according to the station.

    The case is being prosecuted by the district attorney’s Family Violence Division’s Complex Child Abuse Section and investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department.

    “I want to assure the community that we will prosecute these offenders to the fullest extent of the law,” Gascón said. “We owe it to the victim and to all children who deserve a safe and loving environment.”

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    Clara Harter

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  • Man punched party magician, was chased by parents before arrest in Pacific Palisades, victims say

    Man punched party magician, was chased by parents before arrest in Pacific Palisades, victims say

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    A man was arrested Saturday in Pacific Palisades on suspicion of assaulting three people — including a homeowner who was left bloodied and a magician who was sucker-punched in the middle of a children’s birthday party, according to victims and witnesses.

    Before police could apprehend him, the suspect was chased by angry parents, witnesses said.

    The bizarre string of attacks started around 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

    Bryan Stennett, 36, assaulted an individual in the 400 block of Mesa Road, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. That victim’s identity and condition have not been released.

    About 15 minutes later, as he was driving home, Pacific Palisades homeowner Mike Deasy noticed Stennett walking nearby. As Deasy drove past, he told The Times, he heard Stennett make a loud noise. When Deasy got home, he picked up a package that had been delivered to his porch — with both hands, so he couldn’t close the door behind him — and put it inside.

    When he returned to close the door, he said, Stennett was in the doorway. Stennett asked him, “Is this your house?”

    “I don’t remember what I said,” Deasy said. The man then rushed him and punched him half a dozen times, he said. The moments leading up to the attack were caught on home surveillance video. The suspect appears to speak incoherently before attacking.

    In an interview with ABC7, Deasy appears battered, with a bloody forehead and bandaged and bruised arms. Speaking Monday with The Times, he said he was in “a lot of pain” but had been cleared of a head injury by doctors.

    Less than an hour later and a quarter of a mile away from Mesa Road, at the Rustic Canyon Recreational Park, local performer “California Joe, the Explorer Magician” was performing a pirate-themed magic act for a 4-year-old’s birthday party in front of about 60 guests.

    About 30 children were sitting in a semicircle around a tree, said Alec Egan, the birthday girl’s father. When parents saw a man walking behind the tree, they thought he might be part of the magician’s act, or at least someone invited to the party.

    “He kinda looked like a dad who maybe took mushrooms,” said Egan, who was standing about 15 yards from the tree holding an infant.

    Egan said he heard Stennett yell a slur at the magician, whose real name is Richard Ribuffo.

    Ribuffo told The Times he saw Stennett and thought the man was a parent trying to do something disruptive to his routine to be funny, “which happens more than you think.”

    He said he heard Stennett yell, “Turn the voices off” — Ribuffo thinks he may have been referring to the sound from his microphone. He appeared to be under the influence of drugs or having a mental health crisis, Ribuffo said.

    Then, Egan said, Stennett ran from behind the tree and sucker-punched the magician in the forehead, about three yards away from the children.

    “It caught all of us by surprise,” Ribuffo said. He said he was able to keep distance between himself and his attacker, asking for parents to call 911, until help arrived a moment later — in the form of angry fathers.

    Describing it as a “red, primal dad feeling,” Egan said he “football passed” the infant to his mother-in-law and took off running toward Stennett with two of his friends. Stennett fled, and the three chased him to Sunset Boulevard before Egan returned to the park. The two other men continued the pursuit to the North Village neighborhood, he said, keeping Stennett in view until police arrived to arrest him.

    Ribuffo, who suffered bruises and swelling on his head from the attack, said he was given a clean bill of health and credited his calm reaction and control of the situation to his study of martial arts. “Put your kids in karate, people,” he said.

    Both Egan and Ribuffo said the shock of the attack stemmed partly from its setting in the park, which both described as safe.

    “It was so out of nowhere,” Ribuffo said.

    The children returned to the party after the incident and had fun until its scheduled end, Egan said. His daughter is fine, he said, but asked what “assault” was and whether the man had been invited to the party. His daughter’s preschool sent letters to parents with advice on how to explain the incident to their kids, he said.

    As for California Joe, Egan said, “He took [the punch] like a champ.”

    Ribuffo said he was disappointed he was unable to finish his show for the children. He tried to give the parents a discount but was paid the full amount and even tipped, he said. He is not angry at the man who attacked him, he said, but hopes he gets the help that he needs.

    “He’s having a much worse day than I am right now,” he said.

    Stennett was arrested on suspicion of assault and booked into the Van Nuys jail. He was awaiting formal charges, with no court date set as of Monday evening.

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    Sandra McDonald

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  • 2 dead after collisions involving school buses in Los Angeles County

    2 dead after collisions involving school buses in Los Angeles County

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    Two people were killed in separate, unrelated collisions involving school buses in Los Angeles County on Friday morning, authorities said.

    About 7 a.m., a gray SUV traveling east on Avenue M in Lancaster swerved into oncoming lanes of traffic and collided head-on with a school bus east of 20th Street West, according to Deputy Veronica Fantom, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

    The driver of the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene, Fantom said.

    There were no children on the school bus at the time of the crash, she said, but KTLA reported that two adults on the bus were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

    It is currently unknown if alcohol, drugs or speed played a role in the crash, Fantom said.

    The second deadly crash took place at the intersection of Del Amo and Norwalk boulevards in the vicinity of the border between Lakewood and Cerritos, when a vehicle ran a red light and collided with a school bus about 8:30 a.m., Fantom said.

    After hitting the bus, the vehicle then veered onto a nearby sidewalk — colliding with an elderly female bicyclist, Fantom said. L.A. County Fire Department paramedics responded and pronounced the cyclist dead at the scene, she said.

    No children were aboard the bus and there were no other known injuries, she said.

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    Clara Harter

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  • Newsom to sign California bill to limit ‘addictive’ social media feeds for kids

    Newsom to sign California bill to limit ‘addictive’ social media feeds for kids

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    California will take a major step in its fight to protect children from the ills of social media with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature on a bill to limit the ability of companies to provide “addictive feeds” to minors.

    The governor’s office said Newsom on Friday will sign Senate Bill 976, named the Protecting Our Kids From Social Media Addiction Act and introduced by state Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley). The bill was supported by state Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta and groups such as the Assn. of California School Administrators, Common Sense Media and the California chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

    Newsom’s wife, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, is also outspoken about the links between social media consumption and low self-esteem, depression and anxiety among youth.

    The legislation attracted an unusual collection of opponents, including the American Civil Liberties Union of California, Equality California and associations representing giants in the industry that own TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. The California Chamber of Commerce argued that the legislation “unconstitutionally burdens” access to lawful content, setting up the potential for another lawsuit in an ongoing court battle between the state and social media companies over use of the platforms by children.

    “Every parent knows the harm social media addiction can inflict on their children — isolation from human contact, stress and anxiety, and endless hours wasted late into the night,” Newsom said. “With this bill, California is helping protect children and teenagers from purposely designed features that feed these destructive habits.”

    The bill, which will take effect Jan. 1, 2027, with Newsom’s signature, prohibits internet service and applications from providing “addictive feeds,” defined as media curated based on information gathered on or provided by the user, to minors without parental consent. SB 976 also bans companies from sending notifications to users identified as minors between midnight and 6 a.m. or during the school day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. unless parents give the OK.

    The bill will effectively require companies to make posts from people children know and follow appear in chronological order on their social media feeds instead of in an arrangement to maximize engagement. Proponents of the bill point to warnings from U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and others about a mental health crisis among youths, which studies show is exacerbated by the use of social media.

    “As a mother, I’m proud of California’s continued leadership in holding technology companies accountable for their products and ensuring those products are not harmful to children. Thank you to the Governor and Senator Skinner for taking a critical step in protecting children and ensuring their safety is prioritized over companies’ profits,” Siebel Newsom said.

    The industry has argued that it’s false to assume that feeds curated by an algorithm are harmful but that a chronological feed is safe. The ACLU also argued that age verification creates potential privacy concerns because it could require the collection of additional user data that could be at risk in a security breach and because it could threaten the 1st Amendment rights of people who cannot verify their age.

    Several groups advocating for LGBTQ+ youths suggested the bill could limit youths’ ability to engage on platforms that offer emotional support for their identities, particularly for kids who live in communities that might be hostile to their identity. Giving more control to parents could also potentially result in parents choosing settings that share sensitive information about the child, the groups said.

    The bill marks the latest action in a battle between state government and social media companies taking place in the California Legislature and the court system over the use of platforms by children.

    In October, Bonta’s office filed a lawsuit with 32 other states against Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, alleging that the company designed apps specifically to addict young users while misleading the public about the adverse effects.

    A bill that failed last year in the California Legislature would have made social media companies liable for up to $250,000 in damages if they knowingly promoted features that could harm children. Portions of a 2022 law that sought to require companies to provide privacy protections for children have also been held up in court.

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    Taryn Luna

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  • excited ultra pronged

    excited ultra pronged

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    Vanessa Scott holds her baby out a 5th story window through the window bars so her child could breathe during an apartment fire. Firefighters were able to save them and no one sustained serious injuries. Her actions saved her child, instead of running through the smoke risking both their lives, she chose to risk hers to give her child a better chance.

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  • Don’t Fall for Trump’s 2024 Pivot

    Don’t Fall for Trump’s 2024 Pivot

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    The day after Labor Day traditionally marks the beginning of the general election season. Republicans have spent nearly a decade going full One America News—ceding party control to wingnuts like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Anna Paulina Luna; jettisoning anyone who doesn’t toe the Trumpy line, like Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, and Jeff Flake; and electing as House Speaker “MAGA” Mike Johnson, whose main qualification for the job was spearheading a legal brief that sought to overturn the 2020 election. Now, the GOP is doing a last-minute pivot, trying to appeal to voters who don’t have a “MAGA123” license plate.

    Case in point: Last week, Donald Trump, who has openly bragged about gutting reproductive rights, laid out plans to defend IVF if elected. Keep in mind that Senate Republicans blocked a bill that would have codified the right to access IVF when Democrat Tammy Duckworth brought it to the floor in June. Those Republicans include the very normal, not-at-all-weird JD Vance, along with every other member of his party, except the two (relatively) sane ones: Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski. State-level Republicans have also followed suit; for example, Alabama’s supreme court ruled that frozen embryos were actually children (yes, eight-celled children), forcing IVF clinics to halt their services. While this stance might sound crazy, it is completely in line with that of the Heritage Foundation, the think tank that published Project 2025, which has long subscribed to the concept of “fetal personhood” and has argued that IVF should be regulated.

    All in all, the GOP has brought nothing but danger to IVF. And yet Trump is attempting to triangulate on the issue, saying in an interview with NBC News last week that his administration would be “paying for that treatment. We’re going to be mandating that the insurance company pay.” It’s no surprise he’d say this, considering IVF is massively popular: Roughly 42% of Americans have used fertility treatments or know someone who has, as the Pew Research Center reported in September 2023, while a CBS News–YouGov poll released earlier this year found that 86% of Americans think IVF should be legal. That’s a lot of voters. But here’s the thing: In the first Trump administration, the former president tried to repeal Obamacare, the federally funded health care program that was saved by Republican senator John McCain in 2017 when he broke rank with his party. So is this to say that Trump is now in support of some form of public health care?

    Trump is not the only one attempting a less radical rebrand. Consider JD Vance’s stance on the federal child tax credit, which temporarily increased to $3,600 under Joe Biden’s 2021 pandemic-era rescue plan. “I’d love to see a child tax credit that’s $5,000 per child,” Vance told Face the Nation in August. The child poverty rate reached a historic low the year the higher tax credit was in effect, so bravo to Vance for supporting it now! But the inconvenient truth is that, just days before appearing on Face the Nation, Vance skipped a vote on a bill that would have again expanded the child tax credit; it failed in the Senate 48-44. So, when Vance says he’d “love” to see a bigger child tax credit, he has a lot of explaining to do.

    It’s impossible to pin down the exact reason why people like Trump and Vance are pivoting to more centrist policies, but if I had to hazard a wild guess, it’s the same reason Trump disavowed Project 2025: The GOP’s actual policies are deeply unpopular. No one wants tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, exonerations of Trump and the January 6 rioters, or what many economists predict would be highly inflationary tariffs. Now the former president is suddenly trying to neutralize his terrible platform with gauzy centrist policies. But make no mistake: If he gets in office, Trump will almost surely abandon his bid for moderation and make his dystopian vision a reality, from erecting mass deportation camps for migrants to installing a federal bureaucracy full of loyalists.

    Popular will and the GOP have about as much chemistry as Trump and his teleprompter, largely because the former president’s stunts touch every part of the GOP. In the House, which Republicans are desperately trying to hold onto, you have so-called centrist congressmen like Mike Lawler, Marc Molinaro, Anthony D’Esposito, and Brandon Williams—all of whom backed Mike Johnson as Speaker, and voted to impeach both Biden and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas. How can these congressmen advertise themselves as “sensible” moderates when they vote with Marjorie Taylor Green, jacketless Jim Jordan, and the rest of the QAnon crazies practically 99% of the time? Hard to say. But one thing’s for sure: By embracing the craziest element of their base, they are ultimately going to have to answer for it—if journalists bother asking.

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    Molly Jong-Fast

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  • Bass cites Harris’ ‘passion’ and ‘fearlessness’ in helping children

    Bass cites Harris’ ‘passion’ and ‘fearlessness’ in helping children

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    Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass was met with chants of “Karen! Karen!” after she described Vice President Kamala Harris as a role model who would fight to protect children at Monday’s opening night of the Democratic National Convention.

    Bass told the energized crowd in Chicago that she and Harris worked together on youth homelessness and fixing the child welfare system more than a decade ago when Bass headed the California Assembly and Harris was a state prosecutor.

    “Our bond was forged years ago, by a shared commitment to children,” said Bass, who has known Harris, 59, for nearly two decades. “A belief that it is everybody’s responsibility to care for every child, no matter where they come from or no matter who their parents are.”

    Bass, 70, a well-known advocate for children who created the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth while in Congress, also used her short speech Monday to describe Harris’ work as California attorney general to help youths in the juvenile justice system.

    “I know Kamala,” Bass said. “And she feels the importance of this work in her bones. When Kamala meets a young person, you can feel her passion. You can feel her heart. And you can feel her fearlessness.

    “That is what defines a commitment to children: being willing to fight fiercely for every child. And trust me, Kamala has done that her entire life.”

    Bass grinned at the crowd and appeared to relish her moment in the spotlight. She chuckled as she talked about how she and Harris made history and when Harris, the first female vice president, swore her in after Bass became the first woman to become L.A. mayor in 2022.

    Ahead of the swearing-in, “we knew we were sending a message to young girls everywhere: that they too can lead,” Bass said.

    Also, Harris and Bass have opened up to reporters about their respective families. Harris is a stepmother and refers to herself as “Momala,” while Bass has three adult stepchildren.

    Other Californians who spoke during the convention’s opening night included U.S. Sen. Laphonza Butler, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Reps. Maxine Waters and Robert Garcia, and Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

    Before Harris was chosen to be then-candidate Joe Biden’s running mate in 2020, Bass was also viewed as a possible pick for the ticket. But some assumed Harris’ political consultants were behind a perceived effort to knock Bass off the list of potential candidates.

    Still, the buzz around Bass being a possible vice president brought her national attention. A year later, Bass launched her campaign for mayor of Los Angeles.

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    Dakota Smith

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  • Study details ‘transformative’ results from L.A. pilot that guaranteed families $1,000 a month

    Study details ‘transformative’ results from L.A. pilot that guaranteed families $1,000 a month

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    Some of L.A.’s poorest families received cash assistance of $1,000 a month as part of a 12-month pilot project launched nearly three years ago. There were no strings attached and they could use the money however they saw fit.

    Now, a new study finds that the city-funded program was overwhelmingly beneficial.

    Participants in the program experienced a host of financial benefits, according to an analysis co-authored by University of Pennsylvania and UCLA researchers. Beyond that, the study found, the initiative gave people the time and space to make deeper changes in their lives. That included landing better jobs, leaving unsafe living conditions and escaping abusive relationships.

    “If you are trapped in financial scarcity, you are also trapped in time scarcity,” Dr. Amy Castro, co-founder of the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Guaranteed Income Research, told The Times. “There’s no time for yourself; there’s no time for your kids, your neighbors or anybody else.”

    The Basic Income Guaranteed: Los Angeles Economic Assistance Pilot, or BIG:LEAP, disbursed $38.4 million in city funds to 3,200 residents who were pregnant or had at least one child, lived at or below the federal poverty level and experienced hardship related to COVID-19. Participants were randomly selected from about 50,000 applicants and received the payments for 12 months starting in 2022.

    Castro and her colleagues partnered with researchers at UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health to compare the experiences of participants in L.A.’s randomized control trial — the country’s first large-scale guaranteed-income pilot using public funds — with those of nearly 5,000 people who didn’t receive the unconditional cash.

    Researchers found that participants reported a meaningful increase in savings and were more likely to be able to cover a $400 emergency during and after the program. Guaranteed-income recipients also were more likely to secure full-time or part-time employment, or to be looking for work, rather than being unemployed and not looking for work, the study found.

    “Instead of taking the very first job that was available, that might not have been a lasting, good fit for the family, [the participants were] saying, ‘Hold on a minute, I have a moment to sit and think and breathe, and think about where I want my family to be,’ ” said Dr. Stacia West, also a co-founder of the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Guaranteed Income Research.

    In a city with sky-high rents, participants reported that the guaranteed income functioned as “a preventative measure against homelessness,” according to the report, helping them offset rental costs and serving as a buffer while they waited for other housing support.

    It also prevented or reduced the incidence of intimate partner violence, the analysis found, by making it possible for people and their children to leave and find other housing. Intimate partner violence is an intractable social challenge, Castro said, so to see improvements with just 12 months of funding is a “pretty extraordinary change.”

    People who had struggled to maintain their health because of inflexible or erratic work schedules and lack of child care reported that the guaranteed income provided the safety net they needed to maintain healthier behaviors, the report said. They reported sleeping better, exercising more, resuming necessary medications and seeking mental health therapy for themselves and their children.

    Compared with those who didn’t receive cash, guaranteed income recipients were more likely to enroll their kids in sports and clubs during and after the pilot.

    Los Angeles resident Ashley Davis appeared at a news conference Tuesday about the study findings and said that her health improved because she could afford to buy fruits, vegetables and smoothies. Before, she was pre-diabetic and “my cholesterol was going through the roof,” Davis said.

    “I was neglecting my own needs,” said Davis, who described herself as a single mother of a special-needs child. She switched careers and is now studying to be a nurse, she said.

    Abigail Marquez, general manager of the Community Investment for Families Department, which helped oversee BIG:LEAP, said she’s spent 20 years working on various anti-poverty programs.

    “I can say confidently that this is by far the most transformative program,” Marquez said.

    BIG:LEAP was one of the largest of more than 150 guaranteed-income pilot programs launched nationwide in recent years. The program was funded through the city budget and included $11 million that city leaders moved from the Police Department budget in response to nationwide protests after the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020.

    Despite the positive research findings, programs like BIG:LEAP have raised concerns among some taxpayer groups.

    “It’s simply wrong for the city government to take tax dollars earned and paid by people who are trying to pay their own bills and transfer that money to other people chosen by the government to receive it,” the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. said in a statement. “Guaranteed-income programs are appropriately funded voluntarily by charitable organizations and foundations, not forcibly through the tax code.”

    Councilmember Curren Price, whose South Los Angeles district includes some of the city’s most impoverished neighborhoods, introduced a motion Tuesday to continue a version of the pilot with a focus on people in abusive relationships and young adults in need of mental health and emotional support.

    Price said he would contribute $1 million toward the next phase from his council funds. Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez also pledged $1 million.

    Beyond that, it’s not clear where the next round of funding would come from. Price expressed hope the city would continue to support the effort through the general budget.

    “I don’t know how realistic it is that it’s going to be $40 million again,” Price said. “But I think it’s realistic that we could receive something.”

    This article is part of The Times’ equity reporting initiative, funded by the James Irvine Foundation, exploring the challenges facing low-income workers and the efforts being made to address California’s economic divide.

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    Rebecca Plevin, Dakota Smith

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  • 2-year-old girl dies after being attacked by 3 Rottweiler dogs in north Houston

    2-year-old girl dies after being attacked by 3 Rottweiler dogs in north Houston

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    HOUSTON – Houston police are investigating a vicious animal attack involving a young child in north Houston.

    HPD has confirmed a 2-year-old girl was attacked by three Rottweiler dogs at a home located in the 2400 block of Milwaukee Street around 12:20 p.m. on Monday.

    Paramedics with Houston Fire responded to the scene on Milwaukee Street near the North Loop.

    The child was taken to Texas Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Witnesses told police the dogs attacked the girl while she was inside a babysitter’s house.

    KPRC 2 reporter Corley Peel spoke with a neighbor with young children who says she would see the dogs chained up outside the home and they would always bark. She said she typically separates her kids from dogs they aren’t normally around to make sure they’re safe.

    The dogs were seized by the city’s Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care (BARC) and signed over by their owners on Monday. The dogs were humanely euthanized. Their specimens have been sent off to the lab for rabies testing.

    Police have not released the child’s name and say they are waiting on autopsy results to confirm her cause of death.

    SEE ALSO:

    Copyright 2024 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.

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    Faith Braverman, Corley Peel

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  • Cape Ann news in brief

    Cape Ann news in brief

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    Listings may be sent to: Goings On, Gloucester Daily Times, 36 Whittemore St.,Gloucester, MA 01930, or emailed to Joann Mackenzie at jomackenzie@gloucestertimes.com, at least two weeks prior to an event.

    At Halibut Point

    ROCKPORT — Halibut Point State Park, 4 Gott Ave. in Rockport, offers programs and events, free to all. An adult must accompany children. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request. Guided group tours available with advance reservations by contacting 978-546-2997 or halibut.point@mass.gov, Questions? Email Ramona Latham at ramona.latham@mass.gov.

    When Granite was King!, Saturday, July 27, 10-11 a.m. Babson Farm Quarrying History Guided Tour, for ages 8 and older. Meet at parking area. Learn about the buildings, bridges, and breakwaters built to last. Touch tools of the trade. Find out how they moved these large, heavy stone pieces, and “paved” dirt streets in our nation’s growing cities.

    Club coffee

    ROCKPORT — The Sandy Bay Yacht Club, 5 T Wharf, hosts a coffee every Sunday morning from 9:30-11 that is open to the public. Folks can to check out the club and get questions answered.

    Summer at Windhover

    ROCKPORT — At Windhover Center for the Performing Arts, the evenings are for the enjoyment of great performances on the outdoor tented stage and in the studio and chapel. Here’s a line-up of what’s in store this summer at the performing arts center, 257R Granite St.For tickets and more information, visit: https://windhover.org/ Or call 978-546-3611

    Theater: Lanes Coven presents Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream at Windhover’s outdoor stage through July 28. Tickets, $10-45.

    Dance: Friday, Aug. 2, and Saturday Aug. 3, at 7 p.m. New York City’s Janie Brendel & Friends performs Brahms. Her seven dancers spent three years at a dance center retreat creating these works for the White Oak Dance Project, founded by dance legends Mikhail Baryshnikov and Mark Morris. Tickets, $20, $10 for students.

    Lanesville stories

    A free July 27-28 event, “Lanesville Stories — Forgotten, Remembered, Unforgettable,” will help attendees discover Lanesville’s forgotten, remembered, and unforgettable history from the 1700s on. The program includes talks, a panel, photos, documents and more during the inaugural event. This event begins assembling contents for a Lanesville time capsule. Everyone is welcome to participate. The program runs July 27-28 from 9 a.m. to 4 a.m. at the Lanesville Community Center, 8 Vulcan St., Gloucester. More information at lanesvillestories.com.

    Literary tours

    {div class=”elementToProof”}The free Literary Gloucester Walking tours started in 2023 under the auspices of the Gloucester 400+ Literary Committee, and were so popular, they are continuing under the sponsorship of the Gloucester Writers Center on Saturdays, July 27, Aug. 10 and 17, and Sept. 7 and 21. Gloucester has been home to great writers since the 1700s when Judith Sargent Murray penned her feminist poems and essays. For T.S. Eliot, Nobel Prize winner, Gloucester was his boyhood summer home and the sea themes are a signature part of his poetry. Charles Olson and Vincent Ferrini maintained a poetic dialogue in the 20th century. Rudyard Kipling wrote “Captains Courageous,” while staying in Rockport, Henry Wordsworth Longfellow’s “The Wreck of the Hesperus,” was inspired by a ship that wrecked off Gloucester’s coast, to name but a few. Tours start at 10 a.m. in front of the Sargent House Museum and run till noon, guided by noted raconteur Phil Storey. Rain or shine.{/div}

    Bandstand concerts

    David Benjamin, summer music director for the city of Gloucester, is helming free seaside concerts at Stage Fort Park’s Antonio Gentile Bandstand, on Sundays, through Aug. 25. Performances start at 6:30 p.m. A highlight of the season will be the Cape Ann Community Band “Barbie, Ken and Taylor” concert Aug. 17, with vocalist Alexandra Grace and her music students singing tunes from the Eras tour and the Barbie movie. The full season schedule is July 28, Compaq Big Band with Marina Evans; Aug, 4, Daisy Nell & Capt. Stan (acoustic fun); August 11, 4Ever Fab (Beatles tribute band); Aug. 18, The Continentals (pop-rock band); and Aug. 25, Martin & Kelly Band (country western). To learn more, visit www.DavidLBenjamin.com or telephone 978-281-2286. Parking’s free, bandstand located on Hough Avenue, Gloucester. Restrooms are ADA accessible. Bring lawn seating.

    GHS Sail auction

    GHS Sail is holding is an auction fundraiser Wednesday, July 31, at Maritime Gloucester, from 5-8 p.m. With only one loss in the season of matches, this is a testament to Gloucester’s determination and skill on the water. GHS Sail works to keep the barrier to entry at nothing, relying on fundraising for youngsters to have a chance to learn the skills of sailing and teamwork. Sail GHS’s summer drop-in program is open to any local child whose middle or high school does not have a sailing program. The silent and live fundraising auction offers items including a scenic flight out of Beverly Flight Center, a four-pack of Red Sox box seats, tickets to North Shore Music Theatre, a police cruiser ride to school, and a harbor sightseeing tour with Jimmy T, plenty of local gift cards, and a 100 to 1 odds raffle for an inflatable Zodiak including motor provided by Brown’s. Tickets at $25, including food, fun, music and cash bar. RSVP to Unis.Kathleen@gmail.com.

    At Essex library

    ESSEX — Stop by the T.O.H.P. Burnham Public Library in Essex for summer reading fun and programs for kids, teens, and adults. Visit essexpl.org for hours, events, and great new reads at the library.

    World’s Fair for children is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 20, at 6 p.m. Register at essexpl.org.

    {div class=”elementToProof”}{div class=”elementToProof”}{div class=”elementToProof”}

    Food drive

    MANCHESTER — “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” is the theme of the Manchester Knights of Columbus ongoing 24/7 food drive for The Open Door’s food pantry in Gloucester. The need on Cape Ann is greater now than ever before, so all are encouraged to leave food donations in the designated bins in the garage on Friend Street behind Sacred Heart Church, School Street, Manchester. Food items most needed are peanut butter; canned tuna, chicken, turkey; healthy snack items; breakfast cereal; 100% juice/juice boxes; hearty soups; canned vegetables and fruits; spaghetti sauce; macaroni and cheese; rice; noodles and pasta; and cake, muffin, and pancake mixes. (Please no glass items-jars, bottles, etc.) Knights of Council 1232 transport the donated food to The Open Door weekly. This food drive is an open-ended and on-going effort.

    Thrift Shop open

    ROCKPORT — The Unitarian Universalist Church thrift store is open every Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon, through Sept. 28. Jewelry, art, toys and puzzles, indoor and outdoor decor, household wares, and beach reads. Donations gratefully accepted. More information available by calling the Unitarian Universalist Society of Rockport at 978-546-2989.

    Zoom in on arthritis

    Arthritis relief without pills? Exercises can help functional movement, increase range of motion and improve ADL’s (Activities of Daily Living), and you won’t have to leave the house to do it. PACE at Element Care is offering a free virtual exercise program over Zoom every Wednesday at 11 a.m. Sit, stand, and join us. All are welcome, and it’s absolutely free. Register for your Zoom link at: https://elementcare-org.zoom.us/j/83819924499?pwd=N1N6ZHNmbUxUaXRtWm1EWmR1bzF1UT09. Meeting ID: 838 1992 4499.

    Meals on Wheels

    Home-delivered meals might be for you if you are age 60 or older, and unable to prepare a balanced meal because of physical, mental, or emotional limitations, or lack of home assistance from family, friends, or neighbors, to prepare balanced meal. If this sounds like you, and you are unable to participate in the congregate dining program comfortably or safely, Meals on Wheels delivers daily to your door. There are no income eligibility requirements for this program. For more information call SeniorCare Inc. at 978-281-1750 or call toll-free 866-927-1050.

    Creativebug

    ROCKPORT — The Rockport Public Library has Creativebug, an online database that offers more than 1,000 videos by artists and professionals detailing a wide variety of art and crafts projects for all ages. Videos cover painting, ceramics, knitting, quilting, jewelry-making, party crafts, and more. Some crafts can be learned in a single video, or skills can be honed over multiple videos. To get started, visit www.rockportlibrary.org, go to home page, enter your library card number and email address. After that, you’ll only need to enter your card. number to get crafting! Questions? 978-546-6934.

    Indigenous Cape Ann

    Cape Ann Museum is presenting its exhibition of local indigenous artifacts from Cape Ann, on view in the downtown campus, 27 Pleasant St., Gloucester. The display also includes selections from the Annisquam Historical Society. For admission and information, visit www.capeannmuseum.org/event.

    Women singers sought

    Sorellanza, a small, established women’s a cappella chorus with a diverse repertoire, is seeking new members. Experience is needed, and reading music is an asset. For an audition, please contact Patti Pike at Pikeharp@comcast.net.

    Old Salties Jazz Band

    Dave Sags’ Old Salties Jazz Band plays jazz every Monday at 1 p.m. at the Rose Baker Senior Center, 6 Manuel F Lewis St., Gloucester. All are welcome to stop by and enjoy some great live jazz. Just tell them at the entrance desk that you’re there as a guest of the Old Salties Jazz Band. Questions? Call 978- 325-5800.

    Comfort baskets

    A group of friends — participants of the Relay for Life for many years — have raised over $100,000 for the American Cancer Society. During that time one of its members had cancer and came up with the idea of providing comfort baskets containing products to help make the side effects of chemotherapy more bearable to patients. Many have been given away and are being donating to the Addison Gilbert Hospital infusion center each month. The bags contain, a blanket, knitted hat, gift card, lotions, mug, tea, a pillow and other varied items which can help the person undergoing chemotherapy treatments. To help continue this non-profit program, you can find Friends for Friends on VENMO or send a donation care of Sue Lovasco, 24 South St., Rockport MA 01966.{div class=”elementToProof”}

    GHS 1969 reunion

    Gloucester High School Class of 1969 will hold its 55th reunion Oct. 19, at the Castle Manor Inn, 141 Essex Ave,, Gloucester, from 6-10 p.m. with cocktail hour, dinner buffet, and DJ Leo Francis for $70 per person. If you or someone you know has not received notice, or has any questions, contact Linda O’Maley Martin at lilomartin@comcast.net or 978 281-0670. Checks are payable to GHS Class of 1969 and mailed to Linda O’Maley Martin, 3 High Popples Road, Gloucester, MA 01930 by Sept. 1.

    Cribbage

    A cribbage league plays Thursdays at 7 p.m., at the Pilot House, 3 Porter St, Gloucester. Cost is $5 a week and each round lasts ten weeks. For more information, call 978-491-8660.

    Magnolia Cribbage is on hiatus for the summer, returning after Labor Day. For more information, email dotsieradzki@gmail.com.

    The Open Door

    Need help getting groceries? Let food be one less thing to worry about with The Open Door’s new programs. New clients and those returning after more than two years can create an online shopping profile at FOODPANTRY.org/newshopper or call 978-283-6776. New profiles will be processed within one business day. Active clients can place orders at FOODPANTRY.org/order or call 978-283-6776. Translation services are available in many languages. Groceries will be ready for pick-up, with limited delivery available. Need food today? Visit the Gloucester Food Pantry at 28 Emerson Ave., during business hours for basic groceries. Ordering online or by phone for pick-up or delivery within one to three business days allows you more choice. The Open Door is open Monday through Wednesday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Need SNAP (Food Stamps)? One-on-one, confidential prescreening for application, recertification, and interim report available at 978-283-6776 ext. 201 or snap@foodpantry.org. Community Meals? Pick-up and delivery, 3 p.m. to close Monday through Friday. Extra meals available on Fridays for the weekend. For more information, visit FOODPANTRY.org.

    Transient moorings

    The Gloucester Harbormaster’s Office is taking reservations for the 30 transient moorings in the Inner Harbor, Southeast Harbor, and Western Harbor. Moorings include services and amenities such as WiFi, transient storage, floating docks, service and maintenance, as well as access to the state-of-the-art transient boaters lounge and launch services. Reservations fill up quickly for high traffic dates: weekends, and Labor Day weekend (Aug. 30 to Sept. 2). A waitlist is also available. To reserve moorings through Columbus Day weekend, visit https://bit.ly/43DLyTQ.

    Youth Chorus

    ROCKPORT — Rockport Music has announced the start of a regional youth chorus, the Cape Ann Youth Chorus, for young singers ages 8-18, starting in September under the direction of Kristina Martin and Thomas Smoker. The chorus provides a comprehensive musical experience in an inclusive and supportive environment for singers ages 8 and up, with weekly rehearsals, concerts at different events, and at Shalin Liu Performance Center. Mentorship applications will be available for advanced high school singers. The vision is to provide engaging and interactive programming and encourage curiosity, participation and creativity through music and the arts. Rehearsals will be Mondays, 4 to 5:15 p.m, at the Shalin Liu, starting Sept. 9. Tuition is $300 per year and there are sliding scale scholarships available; no students will be turned away. Registration is open through the summer. For more details, visit https://rockportmusic.org/youth-chorus/ or contact Rockport Music’s Director of Education and Partnerships Elizabeth Stefan at estefan@rockportmusic.org. For more, visit rockportmusic.org or call 978-546-7391

    EMT training

    Beauport Ambulance Service Inc. is offering EMT basic training at a new training center at its office at 19 Pond Road in Gloucester. Classes typically run Wednesdays from 6-10 p.m. and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to noon. Signups are ongoing for the 144-hour course incorporating lectures and hands-on skills practice. Those who are interested in the course or who have questions can reach out to Beauport Ambulance Service’s education coordinator at sclark@beauportambulanceservice.com.

    Rummage sale

    St. John’s Episcopal Church, 48 Middle St. in Gloucester, offers clothing and accessories for men, women and children. Hours are Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mastercard and Visa accepted. Free parking at 33 Washington St.

    Tai Chi

    ROCKPORT — Amy Seabrook leads an Introduction to Tai Chi exercise each Tuesday, from 11 to 12:15 p.m., at Rockport First Congregational Church, 12 School St. This class focuses on simple, circling movements and the principles behind them. Participants will concentrate on weight transfer for balance and stability. Suggested donation of $7 pays for use of the hall and supports the church. Email Amy at seabrookarts@gmail.com for more information.

    First Light

    Now on view at Cape Ann Museum Green Campus, is “1st Peoples: Portraits of the First Light,” a new exhibition of photographic narratives by Matika Wilbur of the Swinomish and Tulalip Tribes made in consultation with SmokeSygnals, a Native creative agency based in Mashpee. These contemporary photographs of the original stewards of what is now known as New England include portraits of Nipmuc, Wampanoag, Shinnecock, Passsamaquody, and Penobscot peoples, all accompanied by excerpts from conversations around identity, culture, and sovereignty. The exhibit is on view in the Janet & William Ellery James Center at the Cape Ann Museum Green (CAM Green), 13 Poplar St. in Gloucester, through Sept. 1. For more information, visit capeannmuseum.org.

    School records

    ROCKPORT — Rockport High School folders for students who graduated 2019-2021 are scheduled for destruction on Aug. 15. Graduates who wish like to pick up their high school student folder should contact Connie Lucido at clucido@rpk12.org or 978 546-1234 x 30101 by Aug. 14.

    At Rockport library

    ROCKPORT — Rockport Public Library, 17 School St., offers programming for one and all. Zoom and in-person events require registration on the library event calendar at https://rockportlibrary.org/events/. Questions? Call 978-546-6934.

    Sit & Knit Circle, Mondays, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., in the Trustees Room to work on your knitting and needlecraft projects while enjoying lively conversation with similar creatives. No instruction provided, but all are welcome to pull up a chair, break out your needlecraft, and join the conversation.

    ESOL English Conversation on Zoom, Mondays from 3-4:15 p.m., Wednesdays from 7-8:30 p.m., and Thursdays from 2-3:15 p.m. Requires basic English; must be a resident of Massachusetts. To register, email literacyservices@bpl.org, or leave a message at 617-859-2446.

    LEGOs and Crafting, 3:15-4:15 p.m. Mondays, in the Brenner Room to build with the library’s collection of LEGO bricks, or create with crafting supplies. Children under 9 must be accompanied by a caregiver. Registration required.

    Modern Drama Discussion Group, 4 p.m. Mondays, on Zoom and in the Trustees Room. Questions? email: baudano@rockportlibrary.org.

    Essex Regional Social Worker Open Office Hours: with Jessie Palm, social worker for the Eastern Essex Regional Public Health Coalition, every first and third Tuesday of the month (note date change) from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Trustees Room. Support, information. No appointment necessary.

    Art & Sensory Class in the Garden, Tuesdays, 3 to 4 p.m. with Sarah Brown. Preschoolers to upper elementary. Please register and plan to remain with your child for the class.

    Summer Film Fun, Tuesdays at 4:15 p.m. in July and August. Following adult matinees, we will show a family friendly film. Cool off and have fun with a variety of adventures, characters, and stories.

    Dungeons & Dragons, Wednesdays, 4:30-6 p.m. Youth Group role plays in the Trustees Room. Registration required.

    Babies and Books, Thursday, July 25, 10:30-11 a.m., in the Brenner Room. A fun, relaxed introduction to early literacy for babies 0-2 with caregivers.

    Harvard Law School Legal Services Virtual Drop-in, Fridays, 10 a.m. to noon, on Zoom. Consumer loans, criminal record sealing or expungement (CORI), disability rights, divorce, custody, child support, housing law and tenants’ rights, LGBTQ+ related concerns, military record corrections, Social Security, public benefits, SNAP and veterans, small claims court, tax issues. Register for Zoom link at: https://rockportlibrary.org/events/.

    Toddler Storytime, Fridays, 10:30 a.m. Stories, songs, and rhymes in the children’s room. Ages 18 months to 3 years with caregivers.

    Stitch and Snack, teen craft meetup, Fridays, 4 p.m. in the Trustees Room. Bring a knitting or craft project, or just snack and talk crafts. Supplies and snacks provided. Email Emily at esouza@rockportlibrary.org with questions, snack requests, or food allergies. For middle and high school students.

    Craft Saturdays, 10 a.m., a new craft each week at the craft table in the Children’s Room. No registration required.

    Let’s Get Growing with PlantGuyEric, Saturday, July 27, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Learn to successfully, affordably, and legally grow your own cannabis at home! No registration required for this free event at the Rockport Public Library.

    Comedy Night

    Four of Boston’s top comedians will perform at the 18th Annual Rotary Club of Gloucester Comedy Night on Thursday, Aug. 29. Dave Rattigan returns to host Brad Mastrangelo, Jody Sloane and Jeff Koen at Cruiseport Gloucester, 6 Rowe Square, Gloucester. Rattigan, who has performed internationally and locally, will introduce Mastrangelo’s unique routine. Sloane, a Coast Guard veteran, cut her entertainment teeth doing her sit-down shtick as a cheeky “conducktor” named Penny Wise on the Boston Duck Tours. Koen’s family won $10,000 on America’s Funniest Home Videos. He’s known for playing the offensive “Uncle Rick” in the 2010 cult film “Heavy Times.” Doors open at 7 p.m. for the 8 p.m. show. Tickets are $30, available by calling or texting Mark Vadala at 978-490-0939 or emailing mark@vadalarealestate.com.

    Photo contest

    The Gloucester Rotary will publish a 12-month Cape Ann photo calendar for 2025 as a fundraiser. All profits support Gloucester Rotary’s many community and international activities. The 2025 calendar theme will be Flowers of Cape Ann. The club is requesting high quality digital photos that reflect the natural beauty of Cape Ann year-round, so need images from each season, from Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea. For full contest details, visit www.gloucesterrotary.org. Deadline for entries is noon Tuesday, Aug. 15. Details at www.facebook.com/RotaryGloucesterMA.

    Music on the Green

    Music on Meetinghouse Green is underway with another summer of great free music concerts Fridays from 6 to 8:30 p.m. through Sept. 6. Concerts will be held on the green in front of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church at the corner of Middle and Church streets. In the event of rain, concerts will move indoors. Each concert features a different musical ensemble and benefits a local non-profit organization through 100% of the donations from the audience. Bring lawn seating and an appetite for some great picnic eats from local catering trucks. Details, www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org/summer-concerts.

    Stories under the Tree

    The Lanesville Community Center welcomes kids ages 3 to 8 to perk up their ears for some wonderful story telling at at the Virginia Lee Burton Writing Cottage, from 10 to 11 a.m., on Tuesday, Aug. 27. The cottage is located at the community center, 8 Vulcan Ave, Lanesville, Gloucester. Visit lanesvillecommunitycenter.{div class=”elementToProof”}

    Chorus meets

    DANVERS — The Northshoremen Barbershop Chorus welcomes men of all ages who love to sing to join them. The chorus rehearses every Wednesday at 7 p.m. at All Saints Episcopal Church, 46 Cherry St., Danvers. Come to the next rehearsal, or for more information call 866-727-4988.

    Carillon concerts

    Carillonneurs Luann Pallazola, Cynthia Cafasso, and Thomas Dort will perform a Christmas in July concert, rain or shine, on Friday, July 26, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church, 142 Prospect St. in Gloucester. The concert of familiar traditional Christmas songs and carols will be recorded for a special CD to help raise money for the parish. Our Lady’s guild members will also offer snacks and drinks for sale.

    Installed in 1922, the carillon bells in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church were the first toned set in the United States.

    The annual summer carillon concert series continues on Fridays at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 9, 16, 23 and 30. More information is available by contacting Pallazola at lpallazola@gmail.com.

    Rockport renewals

    {div class=”elementToProof”}ROCKPORT — The Rockport Public Library offers automatic renewals on most items checked out from the library. Items will automatically renew if they have not been returned three days before their due date. Patrons will no longer have to take steps to renew items, even if the items came from a library in Rockport’s network of libraries. Items that cannot be renewed include lucky day titles, items on waiting lists, items that have reached their renewal limit, items borrowed from outside the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium (MVLC), items checked out from a nonparticipating library. By initiating renewals automatically, the library complements its existing fine-free model, under which the library no longer charges fines for overdue items. Patrons who have registered their email addresses with the library will get an email notifying them that their items have been automatically renewed — and reminders of upcoming due dates. To add your email for this service, email info@rockportlibrary.org, call 978-546-6934 or speak with a librarian. Drivers license or two other forms of ID are required at check-in. In most states age 16 must have parental consent, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health.{div class=”elementToProof”}

    Essex library

    ESSEX — TOHP Burnham Library, 30 Martin St., Essex, warms up for winter with a full house of activities to see you. Open weekdays until 7 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to noon. For all event requiring registration, sign up at essexpl.org/events. Questions? 978-768-7410.

    Regional social worker office hours, Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., in first floor meeting room. Free, private and confidential, learn resources, strategies and skills to assist in stress reduction and management. Call 978-983-1771 for appointment.

    Essex seniors

    ESSEX – The Essex Council on Aging offers events and trips for seniors. For more information or to register for an event, please call the office at 978-768-7932 or visit the Senior Center at 17 Pickering St. Also, tune in to the Cape Ann Virtual Senior Center for events and fitness opportunities on channel 67 sponsored by the Cape Ann Councils on Aging and the Friends of the Essex Council on Aging. Unless otherwise noted, events will take place at the senior center. Destination events require registration as noted for seat on CATA van.

    Walking Club, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., free at the Gordon College Bennett Center indoor walking track. Registration requested by calling Hamilton-Wenham Recreation at 978-468-2178. Transportation by CATA.

    Creative Connections, Mondays, 10 a.m. to noon. Bring art projects or start a new one. Supplies while they last.

    Arts Group, Tuesdays, 1 to 3 p.m. Paint, knit, crochet, or sew? Bring a project or help create items for the Friends Boutique.

    Computer & Technology Assistance, Wednesdays, 1 to 3 pm. Help with computer, tablet, phone? Drop in and ask for Curt or Bill.

    Games with Gil at the Senior Center, Wednesdays, 1 p.m. All ages welcome, for board games or Scrabble, Boggle, cribbage, backgammon. Join us or bring a friend and come play

    Mobile Market at the Essex Senior Center, first and third Fridays of each month, 10:30 a.m.

    Balance in motion — Tuesdays and Fridays, 10 a.m., $5 donation requested.

    Groove Fitness Video — Mondays, 9:30 a.m. Dance class to video, no instructor. $5 donation requested.

    Fitness with Gil — Wednesdays, 10 a.m., Strength and stamina through stretching, $5 donation requested.

    Cape Ann Virtual Fitness Senior Center — Tune into channel 67 for fitness programs sponsored by the Cape Ann COA and the Friends of the Essex Council on Aging.

    Grab and Go Meals, Mondays and Thursdays, noon (must be picked up by 12:30): Monday meals provided by The Open Door, Thursday meals provided by Senior Care. Please register two business days in advance at 978-768-7932.

    Sit ‘n Knit

    ROCKPORT — The Rockport Public Library, 17 School St., hosts Sit ‘n Knit (formerly Which Craft?) on Mondays from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., New name and new time! In the Trustees Room. Pull up a chair, break out your needlecraft, and join the conversation. For more information, call 978-546-6934, or visit rockportlibrary.org.

    Exchange open

    The Annisquam Exchange opens it doors Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., through October. Offering Folly Cove designs, silver, collectibles, estate pieces, linens, fine jewelry, kitchenware, cards, Annisquam apparel from Annisquam Sewing Circle, artworks, toys, candy, and more, at 32 Leonard St. in Gloucester. To learn more, visit www.annisquamexchange.com or email annisquamexchange@gmail.com.

    GHS 50th reunion

    Gloucester High School, Class of 1974, will hold its 50th class reunion on Saturday, July 27, at the Bass Rocks Golf Club. Cost is $75 per person. Cocktails at 6 p.m., dinner and music by our favorite DJ Leo’s Classic Hits follow. Seating is limited. If interested, please email GHS197450@gmail.com or call Cyndi Bolcome at 508-527-3377.

    Descendants’ sails

    To honor the legacy and heritage of Gloucester’s schooner fishermen, the schooner Adventure offers free sails to descendants of the men who worked, sailed, and fished on board any Gloucester schooner. If you have an ancestor or relative from Gloucester’s schooner fishery, you are a descendant and eligible for these free sails. Please call the Adventure office at 978-281-8079 to confirm descendant status and book a spot for Wednesday, Aug., 17, sailing at 4:30 p.m., from the Harriet Webster Pier, 23 Harbor Loop, Gloucester. Learn more at https://www.schooneradventure.org/.

    At Manchester library

    MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA — Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library, in partnership with the Manchester-by-the-Sea Cultural Council, has lined up an exciting month for readers of all ages and interests. In-person events will be held at the library, 15 Union St. For registration and more information about events all events and programs, visit www.manchesterpl.org, or call 978-526-7711.

    Summer Storytimes, for 0-3-year-olds, Wednesdays, from 10:30-11:15 a.m. with Miss Audrey.

    Manchester Reads 2024 is “Space themed.” Check out space-themed books, programs for all ages, crafts and a telescope! Recommended read: “Star Splitter” by Matthew J. Kirby, which imagines a future in which travelers get from point A on Earth to point B in deep space by running themselves through a 3D printer.

    Annual book sale on the library lawn during Festival by the Sea on Aug. 3.

    Tech Advice Appointments. Register for a session at noon or 12:30 p.m. Mondays, or drop in on most Fridays between 3 and 4 p.m. Questions answered. Problems solved. Learn app for library ebooks and digital audiobooks. Register your tech question with Maddy Willwerth at 978-526-2017 or email mwillwerth@manchesterpl.org.

    Children’s library

    A Little Lending Library for Children is open at the Virginia Lee Burton Writing Cottage at the Lanesville Community Center, 9 Vulcan St

    Home upgrades

    Essex County Habitat for Humanity’s Critical Home Repair/Aging in Place program can — by using volunteers, donated construction materials and flexible sources of funding — offer very affordable house repairs to help Gloucester seniors age in place. The projects typically take a week, and the homeowner can usually continue living in the home while the work is done. Upgrades include wheelchair ramps, weatherization, handicap features, repairing structural rotting, stairs, roofing, etc. The program is not limited to elder and/or disabled homeowners, and does repairs necessary to maintain sound condition of the home, weatherization and energy efficiency, those needed to alleviate critical health, life and safety issues or code violations, and those that will help older adults age safely in their homes. Habitat staff inspects the property and determines financial qualifications based on total household income. If physically able, the homeowner must contribute sweat equity hours and the home must be owner-occupied. Learn more at https://www.essexcountyhabitat.org/critical-home-repair-program/.

    Teen task force

    High school students of all faiths are invited to join Lappin Foundation’s Teen Antisemitism Task Force. Students will hear from experts about ways they can combat antisemitism and all forms of hate, as well as put into action what they learn. There will be opportunities for teens to share their experiences and ideas as well. Meetings will be held Tuesdays from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., once a month. For the complete calendar and list of speakers, visit LappinFoundation.org. There is no cost to join the task force and students can attend meetings as their schedules allow. For more information email dcoltin@lappinfoundation.org. The Teen Antisemitism Task Force is supported by CJP and the Jewish Teen Initiative.

    For job seekers

    If you need help with your resume, cover letter, or some job searching advice, contact jobseeker@sawyerfreelibrary.org or call 978-325-5500 to make an appointment for in-person resume and cover letter assistance with a librarian. Computers, Chromebooks, tablets, Wi-Fi Hotspots, printing, photocopying, scanning, and saving via email and flash drive are all free at the Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main St. Questions? Visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5500.

    Run for the Trails

    HAMILTON — Registration is open for the Essex County Trail Association’s 20th annual Run for the Trails to be held Saturday, Sept. 21. Registration fee is 5 Miles: $20 member, $30 non-member; 10 Miles: $25 member, $35 non-member. Proceeds go toward ECTA’s mission of maintaining trails in its member towns of Hamilton, Wenham, Topsfield, Ipswich, Essex and West Newbury for all types of passive recreation. Visit https://ecta27.wildapricot.org/event-5579436 for more details.

    At Sawyer Free

    Gloucester’s Sawyer Free Library offers fun and creative ways for kids of all ages to have a good time this summer with a host of ongoing activities, events and services at the library, temporarily located at 21 Main St., Gloucester. Unless otherwise noted, registration is required for all events at sawyerfreelibrary.org. For more details, email the contacts listed, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org, or call 978-325-5500.

    Open Play at the Library for ages 0 to 2 with caregivers, Thursdays, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Books and toys provided. No registration needed. Questions? jvitale@sawyerfreelibrary.org.

    Stories and Fun, Wednesdays, 11:15 a.m. to noon. Children and their caregivers’ fun morning of stories, songs, rhymes, bubbles with Children’s Librarian Christy Rosso at MAGMA, 186 Main St., fifth floor. Questions? 978-325-5500.

    SFL Device Advice, Thursdays, noon to 2 p.m., one-on-one appointments with a Library staff member assisting with tech issues. Call 978-325-5500 for appointment.

    SFL Home Delivery, free for residents of all ages with special needs, illness, or disability. Questions? email:moneill@sawyerfreelibrary.org.

    Sawyer Seed Library: Choose from a selection of vegetable, herb, and flower seeds for your own garden. The Library hopes people will explore the varieties and grow from seed to seed, enjoying the harvest and capturing seeds for future planting, or donating them back to the Seed Library. Questions? Contact: moneill@sawyerfreelibrary.org.{div class=”elementToProof”}

    Balance workshop

    {div class=”elementToProof”}{div class=”elementToProof”}“A Matter of Balance” workshop is an eight-week free workshop focusing on educating and supporting older adults around falling and the fear of falling. it will be held Wednesdays, through Aug. 21 at Addison Gilbert Hospital in Gloucester. Through group discussion, practical strategies and light exercising, older adults will reduce the fear and risk of falling, helping them to stay active and involved. For information and to register, call Abby Considine of SeniorCare Inc. at 978-281-1750 x-581.{div class=”elementToProof”}

    Museum, zoo passes

    Local libraries offer cardholders passes to many regional cultural attractions.

    Funded by the Friends, Sawyer Free Library, 21 Main St., offers cardholders passes to the Boston Children’s Museum, Cape Ann Museum, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Maritime Gloucester , Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Science, Peabody Essex Museum, New England Aquarium, Sargent House Museum, Zoo New England and new additions North Shore Children’s Museum and Historic New England properties. Library patrons can visit sawyerfreelibrary.org to reserve passes. Questions? Contact 978-325-5500.

    Manchester Public Library offers passes to the Cape Ann Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), Museum of Science, Peabody Essex Museum and Zoo New England. Manchester Public Library patrons may visit www.manchesterpl.org and click on Museum Passes to begin the reservation process. Click on the museum you are interested in visiting and there you will see instructions to reserve a timed ticket. If you have any questions, please call the library at 978-526-7711.

    Blood drives

    • The American Red Cross urges blood and platelet donors, especially those with type O blood and donors giving platelets, to make and keep donation appointments now to help hospitals restock blood products for patients. Those who give blood in July will automatically be entered for a chance to win a 2025 Ram 1500 Big Horn. All who donate through July 31 get a Fandango Movie Ticketby email.

    Tuesday, July 30: Noon to 5 p.m., Manchester American Legion, 14 Church St., Manchester-by-the-Sea; and 2-7 p.m., Magnolia Library & Community Center, 1 Lexington Ave., Gloucester.

    Friday, Aug. 2: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., John T. Heard Masonic Lodge, 70 Topsfield Road, Ipswich.

    Monday, Aug. 12: 2-7 p.m., Magnolia Library & Community Center, 1 Lexington Ave., Gloucester.

    Monday, Aug. 19: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Cruiseport Gloucester, 6 Rowe Square, Gloucester.

    Appointments also are available at other locations and at the Danvers Blood Donation Center, 99 Rosewood Drive in Danvers, and by calling 800-733-2767, visiting redcrossblood.org or using the Red Cross Blood Donor App.

    Republicans meet

    The Gloucester Republican City Committee will meet Thursday, Aug. 1, at Gloucester Fraternity Club, 27 Webster St. Doors open 6 p.m.. Meeting starts 7 p.m.. All welcome. For information call: 508-284-2418.

    Manchester seniors

    MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA — The Manchester Council on Aging, 10 Central St., Manchester, offers a full schedule of activities. Learn more or to reserve a seat on the van, please call the Council on Aging at 978-526-7500, or drop by the office at 10 Center St.

    Thursday, Aug. 1, trip to the Ipswich Farmer’s Market. Field-fresh produce, herbs, delicious treats. The van pick up starts 2:30 p.m. Return by 4:30 p.m.

    Friday, Aug. 2, trip to Wenham Museum’s Art Grows Here. Outdoor art created by members of the community throughout the towns of Hamilton and Wenham. Enjoy viewing art installations from the van. Van pick up starts at 10:15 a.m.

    Friday, Aug. 9, trip to Prince Pizzeria in Saugus. Pizza, pasta and all things Italian. Van pick up starts 11 a.m. Return is by 2 p.m.

    Monday, Aug, 12, trip to Beverly Farmer’s Market. Farm fresh produce and more. Van pick up starts 3 p.m. Return around 4:30 p.m.

    Wednesday, Aug. 14, trip to the Stonewall Kitchen Store and Café in York. Preserves, condiments, mustards, relishes, baking mixes, pancake and waffle mixes and more.

    Friday, Aug. 16, trip to Bearskin Neck in beautiful Rockport where you can check out the shops, look at the art, enjoy the view, or grab a snack at one of the many eating establishments. Van pick up seniors at 10:15 a.m., return around 2 p.m.

    Writers Center events

    The Gloucester Writers Center, 126 E. Main St., Gloucester, is a 501©(3) nonprofit founded in 2010. Its mission is to celebrate Cape Ann’s literary legacy and promote writing as an art and a tool. Here are some sessions coming up. Find more details at gloucesterwriters.org.

    Open Mic Nights, first Monday of the month at 7:30 p.m., 126 East Main St., Gloucester. Come early, sign up, enjoy refreshments and camaraderie. Bring five minutes of work to share! in low-key, supportive setting. Parking is at Chapel Street + North Shore Arts, just down the road.

    Volunteer at the Gloucester Writers Center, a small, community-focused nonprofit.

    Women artists

    On view at Cape Ann Museum, 27 Pleasant St., Gloucester, is a major retrospective of a wealth of works by Cape Ann women artists, from 1870-1970, many of whom have gained national recognition. Drawing from the museum’s collection, the works of 42 women artists are organized around the themes of portraiture, summer on Cape Ann, illustrators and authors, new visions and the collaborative spirit. On Saturday, Aug. 10, at 11 a.m., Sylvia Yount, Lawrence A Fleischman Curator in Charge of the American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, will give a lecture exploring artist Cecilia Beaux’s Green Alley Days. To register, visit: https://www.capeannmuseum.org/event/camtalk-exhibition-series-cecilia-beauxs-green-alley-days/

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    jomackenzie@gloucestertimes.com (Joann Mackenzie)

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  • Cape Ann news in brief

    Cape Ann news in brief

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    Listings may be sent to: Goings On, Gloucester Daily Times, 36 Whittemore St.,Gloucester, MA 01930, or emailed to Joann Mackenzie at jomackenzie@gloucestertimes.com, at least two weeks prior to an event.

    Block Party

    Join the fun at Gloucester’s first Main Street Block Party of the summer, on Saturday, July 13, from 6-10 p.m. Downtown Main Street will be closed to cars and open for action with live music, music, street performers, non-profits, food vendors, great entertainment, and more for the whole family. No admission, just put on your walking shoes and join the fun.

    Literary tours

    {div class=”elementToProof”}The free Literary Gloucester Walking tours started in 2023 under the auspices of the Gloucester 400+ Literary Committee, and were so popular, they are continuing under the sponsorship of the Gloucester Writers Center on Saturdays, July 13 and 27, Aug. 10 and 17, and Sept. 7 and 21. Gloucester has been home to great writers since the 1700s when Judith Sargent Murray penned her feminist poems and essays. For T.S. Eliot, Nobel Prize winner, Gloucester was his boyhood summer home and the sea themes are a signature part of his poetry. Charles Olson and Vincent Ferrini maintained a poetic dialogue in the 20th century. Rudyard Kipling wrote “Captains Courageous,” while staying in Rockport, Henry Wordsworth Longfellow’s “The Wreck of the Hesperus,” was inspired by a ship that wrecked off Gloucester’s coast, to name but a few. Tours start at 10 a.m. in front of the Sargent House Museum and run till noon, guided by noted raconteur Phil Storey. Rain or shine.

    Exchange open

    The Annisquam Exchange opens it doors Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., through October. Offering Folly Cove designs, silver, collectibles, estate pieces, linens, fine jewelry, kitchenware, cards, Annisquam apparel from Annisquam Sewing Circle, artworks, toys, candy, and more, at 32 Leonard St. in Gloucester. To learn more, visit www.annisquamexchange.com or email annisquamexchange@gmail.com.

    Bandstand concerts

    David Benjamin, summer music director for the City of Gloucester, is again helming free seaside concerts at Stage Fort Park’s Antonio Gentile Bandstand, on Sundays, through Aug. 25. Performances start at 6:30 p.m. A highlight of the season will be the Cape Ann Community Band “Barbie, Ken and Taylor” concert Aug. 17, with vocalist Alexandra Grace and her music students singing tunes from the Eras tour and the Barbie movie. The full season schedule is July 14, Horizon (pop hits); July 21, Grupo Fantasia (Latin dance); July 28, Compaq Big Band with Marina Evans; Aug, 4, Daisy Nell & Capt. Stan (acoustic fun); August 11, 4Ever Fab (Beatles tribute band); Aug. 18, The Continentals (pop-rock band); and Aug. 25, Martin & Kelly Band (country 2estern). To learn more, visit www.DavidLBenjamin.com or telephone 978-281-2286. Parking’s free, bandstand located on Hough Avenue, Gloucester. Restrooms are ADA accessible. Bring lawn seating.

    Old Sloop Fair

    ROCKPORT — The First Congregational Church of Rockport, first organized in 1755, will host its annual Old Sloop Fair on July 12 and 13, at 12 School St., Rockport, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both days. Local and regional arts and craft vendors will for the first time exhibit fine-art photography, hand painted glass, sea glass art, sea glass jewelry, other hand-made jewelry, resin crafts, and hand sewn items on sale. Children’s activities include face painting and games, and burgers and hot dogs will be on the grill. The church’s traditional yard sale will feature art, jewelry, tools, baked goods, and more. The church sanctuary welcome visitors and the church historian will be present to answer any questions. For more information, email info@oldsloopfair.org or call 978-546-6638.

    At Halibut Point

    ROCKPORT — Halibut Point State Park, 4 Gott Ave. in Rockport, offers a new schedule of programs and events, free to all. An adult must accompany children. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request. Guided group tours available with advance reservations by contacting 978-546-2997 or halibut.point@mass.gov, Questions? Email Ramona Latham at ramona.latham@mass.gov.

    When Granite was King!, Saturdays, July 13, 20, and 27, 10-11 a.m. Babson Farm Quarrying History Guided Tour, for ages 8 and older. Meet at parking area. Learn about the buildings, bridges, and breakwaters built to last. Touch tools of the trade. Find out how they moved these large, heavy stone pieces, and “paved” dirt streets in our nation’s growing cities.

    Tide Pool Exploration, Saturday, July 13, from 10-11 a.m. Observe great diversity of life at the rocky shore. Explore different tide level zones containing ranges of salinity and water coverage. Discover animals and plants and how they survive at each tide level. Meet at Visitor Center. A ages. Heavy rain cancels.{/div}

    Comedy Night

    Four of Boston’s top comedians will perform at the 18th Annual Rotary Club of Gloucester Comedy Night on Thursday, Aug. 29. Dave Rattigan returns to host Brad Mastrangelo, Jody Sloane and Jeff Koen at Cruiseport Gloucester, 6 Rowe Square, Gloucester. Rattigan, who has performed internationally and locally, will introduce Mastrangelo’s unique routine. Sloane, a Coast Guard veteran, cut her entertainment teeth doing her sit-down shtick as a cheeky “conducktor” named Penny Wise on the Boston Duck Tours. Koen’s family won $10,000 on America’s Funniest Home Videos. He’s known for playing the offensive “Uncle Rick” in the 2010 cult film “Heavy Times.” Doors open at 7 p.m. for the 8 p.m. show. Tickets are $30, available by calling or texting Mark Vadala at 978-490-0939 or emailing mark@vadalarealestate.com.

    Photo contest

    The Gloucester Rotary will publish a 12-month Cape Ann photo calendar for 2025 as a fundraiser. All profits support Gloucester Rotary’s many community and international activities. The 2025 calendar theme will be Flowers of Cape Ann. The club is requesting high quality digital photos that reflect the natural beauty of Cape Ann year-round, so need images from each season, from Gloucester, Rockport, Essex and Manchester-by-the-Sea. For full contest details, visit www.gloucesterrotary.org. Deadline for entries is noon Tuesday, Aug. 15. Details at www.facebook.com/RotaryGloucesterMA.

    Summer at Windhover

    ROCKPORT — At Windhover Center for the Performing Arts, the evenings are for the enjoyment of great performances on the outdoor tented stage and in the studio and chapel. Here’s a line-up of what’s in store this summer at the performing arts center, 257R Granite St.For tickets and more information, visit: https://windhover.org/ Or call 978-546-3611

    Theater: Lanes Coven presents Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream at Windhover’s outdoor stage July 12-28. Tickets, $10-45.

    Dance: Friday, Aug. 2, and Saturday Aug. 3, at 7 p.m. New York City’s Janie Brendel & Friends performs Brahms. Her seven dancers spent three years at a dance center retreat creating these works for the White Oak Dance Project, founded by dance legends Mikhail Baryshnikov and Mark Morris. Tickets, $20, $10 for students.

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    By Joann Mackenzie | Staff Writer

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  • Restoring a midcentury Valley home to ‘its original glory,’ with tiki flair

    Restoring a midcentury Valley home to ‘its original glory,’ with tiki flair

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    Art and Jessica Martinez never imagined they’d own a home in the Valley. Their Silver Lake condo suited their urban lifestyle: strolling around the reservoir, walking to the local grocery store and frequenting their favorite tiki bar, Tiki-Ti.

    However, the pandemic made them rethink everything. Trapped at home, they dreamed of a single-family house with outdoor space to entertain friends and eventually start a family.

    After months of searching, they stumbled upon a 1953 ranch house in Van Nuys designed by modernist architect Kenneth Lind. They saw an opportunity to enjoy more space, restore the home’s original midcentury charm and add personal touches to make it their own.

    The exterior of the modernist ranch house, originally designed by Kenneth Lind.

    “I had a hunch,” Jessica says, recalling the showing. “As soon as you come in the front door and see the way that this house opens up into this yard and all of the light that pours in, I feel like it’s immediate.”

    They learned that Lind designed the home for Mel Sloan, a USC School of Cinematic Arts professor, and his wife, Rita, who raised their three children there. The Martinezes felt a connection; Art is a podcaster and Jessica is a feminist scholar and a lecturer in a gender studies program.

    Despite being sure this was “the one,” the couple also worried they were in over their heads. The 1,881-square-foot home, with three bedrooms, two and a half baths and a 576-square-foot detached studio, would require significant restoration. The lot was also 10,322 square feet with overgrown plants.

    The couple wrote a heartfelt letter to the sellers (the Sloans’ children), won a bidding war and purchased the property for $1.05 million. Then they envisioned their new life in Van Nuys: a backyard pool, a home gym in the studio and space to entertain.

    During the inspection period, a neighbor on Nextdoor tipped them off to interior designer Jared Frank, whose clients include musician Reggie Watts, actor Matthew Gubler and filmmaker Jon Watts.

    “There was a spark, and he affirmed for us a shared logic about how to approach a renovation,” Jessica says of Frank. Frank explained that if they were going to buy this home, they needed to respect the architecture and its history. They would find period-appropriate finishes, and it would take time. The Martinezes also expressed a love for Tiki-Ti to Frank, who began to think about how to bring a version of it into the home.

    Jessica and Art Martinez hold hands and smile for the camera in front of their tiki bar.

    Jessica and Art Martinez stand in front of the tiki bar meant to remind them of their favorite tiki spot in Silver Lake.

    Two vinyl orange chairs around a round table topped by a pendant light.

    The renovated dining room.

    A crib and baby mat in the guest room filled with light wood furniture.

    A guest room was turned into a nursery to prepare for the arrival of the couple’s child.

    Escrow closed, and Frank got to work the day the Martinezes got the keys. From then, it took four and a half months for the Martinezes to move in. The restoration, which ended up costing $150,000, included updating plumbing and electrical systems and replacing the roof, which was a lasagna of old roofs stacked on top of one another. Meanwhile, the Martinezes and Frank made anchoring choices fast, choosing the wood beam ceiling paint color, floors and appliances, for example, knowing it would take a while for the product to arrive thanks to especially protracted supply chain issues and high demand due to the pandemic renovation bubble.

    Unlike many midcentury renovations, the Martinezes took down no walls. Because the home was already a fairly open floor plan and it surrounded the yard with a lot of light coming in, they felt it unnecessary.

    The contractor asked if they wanted to move the washer and dryer to a different space in the home or enclose them to hide them. Jessica drew upon her work as a feminist scholar, remembering how life-altering these machines were in the 1950s. She kept them at the center of the home as a way of acknowledging the past.

    In the living room, Frank (who is also a furniture designer) drew an 18-foot, custom-built couch that evokes the glamour of the midcentury era. Tables, pendants and sconces came from online sellers including 1stDibs, Chairish and Etsy, and sometimes were shipped from overseas.

    An orange door with a privacy-glass sidelight on a blue house.
    Blue and orange tile line the bathroom walls.
    A Midcentury Modern style kitchen with blue and orange accents.

    The exterior door of the modernist ranch house originally designed by Kenneth Lind. The renovated bathroom picks up the blue and orange theme of the home’s exterior. The renovated kitchen.

    Frank even gave the couple their own in-house tiki bar to stand in for Tiki-Ti. In the entryway alcove, he used tropical-patterned grasscloth wallpaper and 1960s glass pendants to display the couple’s barware and Tiki-Ti memorabilia.

    In the kitchen, bold-hued Big Chill appliances from the 1950s-inspired Retro Collection continue the throwback vibe. A cozy nook anchored by period-appropriate chairs and a breakfast table has become a favorite spot for the Martinezes to play “a good meaty board game” like Betrayal.

    Outside, Frank designed a pool that began behind the detached studio (which the Martinezes turned into a home gym), curving around to what they affectionately call “the meadow.” Here, they planted a drought-resistant mix of California dune grass, mondo grass and poppies alongside the former owners’ birds of paradise, pink camellias and pineapple guava tree. Frank tapped L.A. painter Jessalyn Brooks to paint a colorful mural on the cinderblock wall backdropping the pool.

    “It was incredibly fulfilling to restore a piece of architecture back to its original glory while reimagining it for my clients’ specific needs and desires,” says Frank.

    After the Martinezes moved in, they received a letter from one of the original owners’ sons regarding the property’s Japanese maple trees.

    “He said, ‘I hope that you’ll make the house your own in every way, but I’m secretly hoping you’ll keep those trees because they were a gift from my dad to my mom,’” Jessica remembers.

    White and orange outdoor furniture on a concrete patio.

    The outdoor patio at the modern ranch house.

    (Emanuel Hahn / For The Times)

    An orange inflatable ring floats in the pool in front of a mural showing bathers in orange.

    The swimming pool in the backyard, with a mural created by Jessalyn Brooks.

    Ever the stewards, just as they’d discussed with Frank on day one, the Martinezes have had three arborists treat the maples for bark beetles and bacteria in the soil. “We have taken it seriously that we were entrusted to take care of Rita’s trees,” Jessica says.

    And despite the initial concerns about supermarket proximity, Art still finds himself walking to theirs. It’s not across the street anymore, but the couple is finding meaning in talking to their neighbors about gardening — something they never did in Silver Lake. In October, the couple found out that their first child soon will join the family, which includes a chihuahua and a cocker spaniel mix rescue dog.

    “It’s going to be a very happy summer,” Jessica says. “We are so excited to experience this much-anticipated transition in the comfort and beauty of this home.”

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    Stacy Suaya

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  • Conservative Temecula school board president officially loses recall vote

    Conservative Temecula school board president officially loses recall vote

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    A conservative public school board president in Temecula whose promotion of policies on race and gender thrust the district into the national battle over critical race theory in the classroom and the rights of LGBTQ+ students narrowly lost a recall vote, officials announced Thursday.

    Joseph Komrosky, a Mt. San Antonio College philosophy professor, was elected to the board of the 28,000-student Temecula Valley Unified School District about 19 months ago. As part of a three-member conservative majority, he steered the district as it joined a national wave of school boards jumping head-first into the culture wars.

    The district was sued after banning the teaching of critical race theory and requiring that parents be notified if their children identified as a gender that did not match the one assigned to them at birth. The litigation is ongoing. Under Komrosky, the district banned non-U.S. and non-California flags, a move seen as targeting LGBTQ+ Pride flag displays. At a school board meeting last year, he also stirred controversy when he described gay civil rights pioneer and San Francisco County Supervisor Harvey Milk as a “pedophile.”

    The final results in the recall election found voters narrowly opposed Komrosky, who represented the eastern and central portions of the district, staying in office.

    Of 9,722 ballots tallied since June 4, those in favor of recall totaled 4,963. There were 4,751 opposed to the recall.

    Fewer than half of the 21,578 registered voters — 45.1% — voted.

    The recall ends a 2-2 stalemate on the board since a Komrosky ally, Danny Gonzalez, resigned in December to move out of state. The board will not have its full five members until the election in November.

    In a Thursday email to The Times, Komrosky, who in his X bio calls himself a “God-fearing patriot,” said he leaned toward running for a seat once more.

    “Given the narrow margin, I will likely run again in the November 2024 general election,” Komrosky said.

    “If not, it has been an honor to serve the Temecula community, and I am proud to have fulfilled all of my campaign promises as an elected official. My commitment to protecting the innocence of our children remains unwavering,” he said.

    The message echoed one Komrosky gave at the end of the last school board meeting on June 11. During that meeting, however, he seemed more adamant about running again. “I want to thank my community for allowing me to represent your voices, and I look forward to serving my community again, beginning in November,” he said.

    Thursday’s announced result was celebrated and lamented.

    “We did it! We did it!” said Monica La Combe, a district resident for 21 years whose children graduated from high school in Temecula Valley. A son graduated this year, and another child, who is nonbinary, graduated in 2022.

    “What this board came in and did was was crazy. They just came in and made everybody scared and made our community look really, really bad with respect to who we are and how our children are educated,” La Combe said. “This recall election was important in order to get our district back on the trajectory of progress that we were headed toward.

    “We have conservatives and liberals,” she added, speaking of the board, “but what they were doing was just really extreme.”

    Jason Craig, a parent of two boys who attend elementary school in the district, expressed disappointment in Thursday’s election result.

    “Conservative parents don’t want our children to be taught as social justice warriors. The school district isn’t the place for that,” said Craig, who had volunteered for Komrosky’s campaign and previously narrowly lost in his own run for the board.

    Craig said he supported Komrosky’s policies as “preemptive” ways to keep what he saw as growing social ills making their way into classrooms, including critical race theory, an academic legal framework relating to institutional racism taught at some colleges and universities.

    “We don’t want racism in schools to be the center focus of everyone’s identity and how we should proceed with teaching history,” he said.

    The Temecula district is one of several Southern California school districts where LGBTQ+ identity and history have become major points of controversy.

    The Chino Valley Unified School District is also being sued for a parental notification policy similar to the one passed in the Temecula district. California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta took the Chino district to court, and a group of parents, students, individual teachers and the teachers union sued Temecula Valley Unified.

    In the Chino Valley case, the judge in a preliminary ruling found the notification requirement to be illegal. The district’s school board subsequently approved a revised policy with the hope that it will pass legal muster while having the same effect as the original version.

    Meanwhile, a different judge upheld the Temecula parental notification policy. That decision is being appealed.

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    Jaweed Kaleem, Howard Blume

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  • Sacramento teens crash stolen vehicle into pedestrian mom with child, deputies say

    Sacramento teens crash stolen vehicle into pedestrian mom with child, deputies say

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    (FOX40.COM) — Two teenagers were arrested after they allegedly fled from law enforcement in a stolen vehicle and hit a mother who was walking across a street with a child.

    At around 5 p.m. on Monday, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said they located a stolen vehicle and were led by a 16-year-old boy on a high-speed chase through North Highlands. The teen had another 16-year-old in the passenger seat.

    “These aren’t kids that are on their way to Bible study,” said Sacramento Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Amar Gandhi. “These are gang members, these are criminals, these guys are up to no good.”

    Ghandhi said as the stolen vehicle came across an intersection, they struck another vehicle and a pedestrian woman who suffered serious injuries.

    After the crash and a foot chase, deputies said a gun was recovered and the teens were arrested and taken into custody.

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    Veronica Catlin

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  • Los Angeles woman arrested again on suspicion of attempted kidnapping in Koreatown

    Los Angeles woman arrested again on suspicion of attempted kidnapping in Koreatown

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    For the second time this year, a Los Angeles woman with a mental health disorder has been arrested on suspicion of attempting to kidnap a child in Koreatown.

    Her previous sentencing for attempted kidnapping resulted in a diversion program for a mental health disorder that the court believed had a role in her initial crime.

    But police say she tried another abduction Tuesday, when LAPD officers responded to reports of a woman approaching children about 5 p.m. at Seoul International Park on the 3200 block of San Marino Street, according to the department.

    Witnesses who spoke to officers said the woman, identified as Yara Vanessa Pineda, approached several children, picked them up and then let them go, KTLA-TV Channel 5 reported.

    Pineda, 27, allegedly put the children down after their parents confronted her, and then she fled.

    Officers saw Pineda running down Normandie Avenue and tried to arrest her, said Jader Chaves, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department. She resisted, and officers used a Taser to subdue her, Chaves said.

    The LAPD had arrested her Feb. 28 on suspicion of trying to kidnap a young boy from a Target.

    On Feb. 25, Olympic Division officers responded to a report that Pineda allegedly grabbed a 4-year-old child from behind and carried him out of the store, according to a police report.

    Pineda allegedly put the child down after his parents confronted her outside. The family told officers they didn’t know Pineda.

    Three days later, officers in the North Hollywood area got a call from a person who saw Pineda and recognized her from a community alert issued by police. She was found and arrested in the attempted kidnapping.

    On May 21, Pineda was sentenced to two years of a mental health diversion program. It was unclear from court records why she was released so recently after the previous arrest.

    A court is allowed to grant a mental health diversion for individuals with a felony charge if they are diagnosed with a mental health disorder and do not pose a significant safety risk if treated in the community, according to the California Department of State Hospitals. The charges, however, can’t be murder, voluntary manslaughter, rape or lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14.

    The diagnosis can be of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or bipolar disorder.

    Pineda’s diagnosis was not disclosed in court documents.

    A mental health diversion is granted when the court deems that a mental health disorder played a role in the criminal behavior.

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    Karen Garcia

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  • Body of missing 3-year-old boy found in Rocky Ford canal

    Body of missing 3-year-old boy found in Rocky Ford canal

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    The body of a 3-year-old boy with special needs who was reported missing Saturday morning from Rocky Ford was found in a canal, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.

    Amari Galan was last seen around 4 a.m. Saturday. Officials believed he left his home near the 900 block of Washington Street on foot wearing only a diaper, according to a CBI endangered missing person alert posted around 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

    Officials searched the Catlin irrigation canal, which runs directly behind the child’s home, on foot. Amari’s body was found in the canal several miles downstream from his home around 5 p.m. Sunday, according to an update.

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    Julianna O'Clair

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  • Palmdale landfill searched for missing infant’s remains; parents arrested in Utah

    Palmdale landfill searched for missing infant’s remains; parents arrested in Utah

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    Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department investigators have begun searching the Antelope Valley Landfill for the remains of an infant who disappeared in Palmdale earlier this month, law enforcement officials said late Tuesday.

    “Unfortunately, this started off as a missing infant and now it is a death investigation,” Lt. Omar Camacho told The Times. “We’re searching [the landfill] based on where the investigation has taken us, and unfortunately we weren’t able to find anything today.”

    The missing child, Baki Dewees, was born April 14 and last seen in Palmdale on May 3, according to a flier distributed by his family on Facebook.

    “My family & I [are] desperately asking for your help,” the child’s great aunt wrote on Facebook. “Baki is only 3 weeks old. Please help us bring Baki home to his grandmother.”

    Two days after giving birth, the mother — 25-year-old Rosealani Gaoa — was arrested in Ogden, Utah, on suspicion of aggravated child abuse, intentional child abuse and reckless child abuse, jail records show.

    At the time, Camacho said, Gaoa’s four children and the baby’s father were all with her in Utah. Afterward, family welfare officials there took custody of the child at the center of the abuse allegations. Camacho referred further questions about the nature of that case to officials in Ogden.

    “We didn’t investigate that case, nor did we have the specifics of it,” he said, noting that the alleged abuse occurred in Utah.

    One law enforcement source, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly, said the victim in that case is Baki’s oldest sister.

    After Gaoa’s arrest, the children’s father, Yusuf Dewees, 24, left Utah with the couple’s three remaining children and returned to Palmdale, officials said.

    But he came back to Ogden several days later, possibly so that authorities there could interview him, Camacho said. Jail records show he was arrested on May 7 and held without bail on suspicion of obstruction of justice and making a false statement.

    The law enforcement source not cleared to speak publicly said Dewees was arrested after being questioned about Baki’s disappearance and allegedly lying to police in Ogden. Camacho did not say whether the alleged obstruction stemmed from the incidents in California or in Utah.

    Ogden Police Lt. Glen Buss said police in Utah first contacted Dewees and Gaoa at a homeless shelter. He referred additional questions about the nature of their arrest to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, saying the two departments are working in conjunction.

    The case came to the attention of Sheriff’s Department officials after the infant’s grandmother made a missing person report sometime around May 8. Deputies responded to the 2300 block of Carolyn Drive in Palmdale regarding her call, according to a news release. Camacho said the matter was forwarded to the department’s Homicide Bureau a day later. On Tuesday, he said it was still too early in the investigation to release information about why officials believe the child is dead or how it is suspected he died.

    Searchers who began combing the landfill on Tuesday were looking for “specific things,” Camacho said. But he said finding the child’s remains could prove a difficult undertaking that might require cutting down through layers of refuse. The search could use machinery or cadaver dogs, he said, but “the only way possible at times is just with human hands.”

    Authorities will resume their search on Wednesday, according to the law enforcement source, who said the couple lives in Palmdale.

    “If we had believed that the child was still alive we would have asked the public for help,” Camacho said. “But at this point in time, unfortunately, that’s not the case. Now we’re just trying to get some closure for the family.”

    The remaining two children in California have since been removed by child welfare officials, Camacho said. It was not clear why the family was in Utah.

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    James Queally, Keri Blakinger

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