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California State University adjunct faculty, counselors, librarians, and coaches voted Monday to authorize a strike. With more than 95% of members in support, theTo start: A 12% raise this fiscal year.
The university is offering a 5% pay bump, after CFA rejected a raise of 12% over three years. Other union demands include more counselors for students; gender-inclusive restrooms and changing rooms; and increasing paid parental leave from 30 days to one semester. “Our aspirational contract demands insist that our students deserve better, that our faculty deserve better,” said CFA treasurer and Fresno State librarian Vang Vang in a statement.in August, the university system said CFA’s demands for just the current fiscal year would total nearly $400 million: “Agreeing to a 12% General Salary Increase in this fiscal year would force the CSU to make difficult and painful decisions about how to reallocate its already limited financial resources.”, which represents 1,100 skilled trades workers across CSU, also authorized a strike with the support of 94% of voting members. The union says its top priority is a salary step schedule.For decades, cities east of downtown L.A. — including Pasadena, South Pasadena and Altadena — have been a big draw for film and TV location scouts. Veteran location scout and managersays the"denas," with their wide variety of single-family homes and tree-lined streets, are most often used as stand-ins for the Midwest or East Coast.Schuler says there's so much location scouting that goes on in L.A. for film and TV that he likes to say that there's"no door" that"hasn't been knocked on at some point or the other." Some filming locations have become tourist destinations unto themselves — like thehouse in Pasadena. And when a location that was spotlighted in film or TV becomes a point of interest, it can sometimes also help get folks interested in historical preservation.There isn't as much filming going on in Los Angeles right now due to the ongoing actors' strike and only recently resolved writers' strike. But for decades, cities east of downtown L.A. — including Pasadena, South Pasadena and Altadena — have been a big draw for film and TV productions.says the"denas," with their wide variety of single-family homes and tree-lined streets, are most often used as stand-ins for the Midwest or East Coast.The city of South Pasadena, Schuler says, is often a go-to destination when a film crew wants a location that has the feel of a small, Midwestern town. And interestingly, the city does have a historical connection with the Midwest — the Anglo founders of South Pasadena and Pasadena, back in the 1870s, were Probably the most well-known filming location in South Pasadena is the “Michael Myers” house at 1000 Mission St., which was featured in the 1978 horror classic The Victorian-style home, built in 1888, is one of several South Pasadena houses featured in the film and is meant to be the fictional town of Haddonfield, Illinois. “But they chose South Pasadena,” Schuler says, because “South Pasadena is like an everywhere American city, basically from the Midwest or the East Coast. And what makes it that are the tree-lined streets, the type of architecture that's here. And it feels like a small town.” Schuler says there’s also a good number of brick buildings in South Pasadena, which you don’t see too much of in L.A., and lots of big camphor trees that form canopies over streets.“Palm trees can be the bane of our existence,” Schuler says. Or at least, they used to be. “In the age now of CGI and all that kind of stuff, they can quickly now say, ‘Oh, we can remove that.’” There are other workarounds too that don’t involve computers. For example, near the Pasadena home that Schuler found for the 2005 movie, which was set on the East Coast, the film crew disguised the tree trunks of some palm trees that line the street. “We wrapped them with two semi-cylinder, oak-looking or camphor-tree-looking shells,” Schuler says. “And so we did like 10 feet of that” because only the tree trunks could be seen in the frame. Being from the Midwest himself though, Schuler says South Pasadena and Pasadena aren’t exact matches for the region. “I think we've created kind of a movie version of the Midwest with a white picket fence, dormers and wood shingles. And that kind of thing does exist there, but there's all kinds of other styles there too.”Another big challenge to filming in residential neighborhoods, Schuler says, is getting the support of a homeowner to use a specific house. The first step is knocking on the door, then explaining why you’re there, but also not giving them too much information too quickly. “What we would have to do is talk to the people whether they want to do it,” Schuler says, “and then eventually yes, we need to move you out into a hotel, we want to take all your stuff out and put it in storage, we want to bring our stuff in…” And depending on what city you’re in and what time of day or night you want to film, productions also need to get sign off from a certain number of neighbors.house on San Pascual Avenue in Pasadena, which was only used for outdoor shots, the owners also agreed to let the film crew drive a car up onto their lawn, build a temporary garage in the backyard, and even set off a small explosion. Robbie Leslie, whose parents own the home, and who was 7 years old at the time of filming, remembers it as a great time. Robbie Leslie shows a photo of his family with actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who filmed “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” in part, at the Leslie’s home. Robbie is on the far left.“We were put up in the Ritz Carlton a couple miles away and I remember putting it to good use,” Leslie says. “I would always go down to the bar after school and ask for a bowl of cereal, which they would always provide. And it was fun.” “Now it's kind of like every icebreaker thing that I ever need. I can be like, ‘Oh, have you ever seenAnother draw for film location scouts are the variety of homes in the “denas.”Back to the Future home which is a popular tourist destination with architecture buffs and film-lovers alike. It was designed by the renowned architectural firm Greene and Greene.well known now to use in other films. “Not so much because it’s the Gamble House, but more because it was inAnd even though having a house become somewhat “off limits” isn’t a great thing for location scouts like him, Schuler says: “in some sense that's good, because we showcase certain things that people sort of get interested in preserving.”Jamie Lee Curtis’s character’s home from “Halloween” in South Pasadena at 1103 Fairview Ave.The Spanish-style mansion from the classic 1974 film “Chinatown” at 1315 S. El Molino Ave. in Pasadena From “Back to the Future”: George McFly’s house at 1711 Bushnell Ave. and Lorraine’s house at 1727 Bushnell Ave.Morgan Freeman’s character’s Victorian-style house from the 1995 thriller “Seven”: 919 Columbia St. Jon Voight’s character’s Colonial-style house from the “National Treasure” films: 1030 Buena Vista St. Over a three-week period starting Oct. 1, of the 1,213 of bookings that were subject to the new system, more than 60% were temporarily held until arraignment. And less than 3% of all people booked were re-arrested after their arraignment.More than 20 cities, including Arcadia, Beverly Hills, Cerritos, Downey, Lakewood, Torrance and West Covina have filed a joint lawsuit to end the policy. And it remains unpopular with law enforcement groups.The Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday released data challenging criticisms of the new zero bail system for certain detainees.went into effect. The policy that eliminates bail for those deemed a low risk to the public or for nonviolent and other felonies and misdemeanors has largely been criticized by law enforcement officials, including L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna and LAPD Chief Michael Moore, as being to soft on crime. We are asking the court NOT to release individuals who pose risks to community safety including those with repeated instances of prior serious offenses.More than 20 cities, including Arcadia, Beverly Hills, Cerritos, Downey, Lakewood, Torrance and West Covina have also filed a joint lawsuit to end the policy. However, in a three-week period starting Oct. 1, the data released show 40% of bookings were serious and violent offenses that automatically fell under the traditional cash bail system. Of the 1,213 of bookings that were subject to the new system, more than 60% were temporarily held until arraignment. And less than 3% of all people booked were re-arrested after their arraignment. “There have been repeated requests for the court to return to the old system with many citing the potential for rearrest with the new system as a reason to go backwards,” said David W. Slayton, a clerk at the court. “About half of those rearrested were released on money bail, meaning they were arrested for a serious or violent crime and they could buy their way out of jail.” Presiding Judge Samantha P. Jessner said low-risk people"are generally being released. Medium- to high-risk individuals are generally being temporarily held until arraignment. And rearrests for those booked in the last three weeks are minimal.” The purpose of bail, she said, is not to be a punishment. Rather, she said, under the new system, a magistrate judge is allowed to consider a person’s risk before determining if release is appropriate. “Initial data unequivocally show the significant public safety benefits of this new approach,” Jessner added., a professor of social work at the University of Chicago say newcomers to the U.S. on the whole are “more likely to be at risk forAt LA Mission College, Spanish Speakers Find The Right Words To Improve Their Mental HealthThe Long Beach Department of Health and Human services needs 300 volunteers to conduct the upcoming 2024 Homeless Point In Time Count — a street count that records how many people are experiencing homelessness.Commit to a four-hour-long canvassing shift on Thursday, Jan. 25. Volunteers should report at 4:30 a.m. for shifts that start at 5 a.m.The Long Beach Department of Health and Human services needs 300 volunteers to conduct the upcoming 2024 Homeless Point In Time Count — a street count that records how many people are experiencing homelessness.The annual count will take place Jan. 25 with the goal of recording every unhoused person. Volunteers count people living in tents, vehicles and even gather data directly from shelter operators to capture the number of unhoused people staying inside on those nights.Commit to a four-hour-long canvassing shift on Thursday, Jan. 25. Volunteers should report at 4:30 a.m. for shifts that start at 5 a.m.Journalist Hadley Meares had written about the extensive haunted history at the Biltmore Hotel, the famed DTLA spot which hosted the Oscars and is renowned for the Black Dahlia unsolved murder case. But then she stayed overnight — and experienced a spooky close encounter with a ghost herself.It was a dark and stormy night in downtown Los Angeles. Remember those rains which came down for months earlier this year, turning L.A. from the land of sunshine into a grey city of slippery sludge? Well, that’s when my parents came to visit me in Los Angeles from their home in North Carolina. They have visited me many times in the past 20 years, but this time was special — instead of renting an Airbnb, they were staying in a suite in downtown’s legendary Millennium Biltmore.How lovely it was to find respite in the Biltmore, with its gilded, if slightly faded glamour, after another day of tourism ruined by the rain. We are a family of history buffs, so to know we were walking the halls of a century-old hotel which hosted the Oscars, political conventions, and — my personal favorite — the high society fashion shows produced by the eccentricI have a long history with the Biltmore. As a historical journalist, I have written about it for years, and of course, I am fascinated by the legends of ghosts and ghouls that supposedly haunt its halls. A ghostly little boy has been seen on the 10th floor, while another boy, this one, haunts the roof. There is a little girl on the ninth floor, and a nurse on the second. On a tour of the property, a hotel employee told me that his own beliefs had been shaken by the number of employees who had strange otherworldly encounters.I know all about Elizabeth Short, aka the Black Dahlia, L.A.’s most infamous murder victim, who disappeared from the hotel lobby to her doom. On the night of Jan. 9, 1947, around 6:30 p.m., the immaculately dressed Short allegedly, escorted by an anxious man with red hair. After he left, Short spent the next few hours restless and nervous, repeatedly asking the hotel clerk if she had any messages, and making calls in the phone booth. Others in the lobby became fascinated with the striking woman in the pristine white gloves, who looked so desperate and alone. Short paced, made more phone calls. But the hours passed. Finally, she appeared to get in touch with someone on the phone. Suddenly her mood noticeably lifted. Bell captain Harold Studholme reported that a little after 10 p.m., a person on Olive Street motioned to Short for her to follow them through the lobby windows. She walked confidently out the lobby doors and disappeared into the night.On Jan. 15, Short’s body was found in a vacant lot in Leimert Park. She had been bisected and drained of blood, a sinister smile carved into her face. To this day, her case remains unsolved. For years, there have been reports that Short’s tortured spirit haunts the 10th and 11th floors and rides the elevators, staring straight ahead. According to historian, Short’s ghost — as beautiful as ever, with luscious dark hair — never greets or even notices any mortal who crosses her path. She seems preoccupied, on edge, forever waiting for the mysterious person who perhaps caused her death.So yes, I knew all the stories. But did I believe in this paranormal activity? Not really, but I would never be arrogant enough to claim I knew one way or another. I have made a career exploring mysterious, often creepy places, but it’s been more from an anthropological point of view. My true interest in ghost stories has always been what they tell us about the places, people, and times from which the legend sprang. Cold, hard history —- and facts — could explain it all away! All that would change that night at the Biltmore. Exhausted after a day of driving with my parents in the rain, I was happy to spend a cozy night with them in their suite. The dated suite wasn’t exactly luxurious, but it was huge, with a sitting area, two beds, and large windows with views of a soggy Pershing Square. After a night of watching college basketball on the room’s TV while eating Subway sandwiches, we all turned in around eleven. I went to sleep easily, my parents snoring lightly in the bed next to me. Then all of the sudden — I was awake. The room was dark and silent, save the rain pattering on the window. Yet I could barely hear the rain due to the thoughts that were loudly rushing through my head. But instead of my usual middle-of-the-night thoughts — about my schedule the next day, or the appointment I had forgotten to make — they were thoughts I had never had in my life.To my horror I realized something was very wrong. The voice, cadence and vocabulary were not my own. It felt like I had been inhabited by an angry, vengeful, man from another time and place. When I think of the voice now, I see a sweating, haggard middle-aged man from the 1940s, hunched at a hotel bar spewing disgusting vulgarities, his humanity blotted out by his rage. The thoughts came through me at a rapid pace. They were strange, hateful and violent thoughts. I tried to rouse myself, to “wake up.” I tried to sit up. But I couldn’t move. I felt as though two forearms were pressing against my chest, like a shiny face was breathing over me, dripping spit and sweat on my cheeks. It felt as if the entity was taking me over. I didn’t know what to do. I have experienced sleep paralysis before, but it wasn’t that. It was terrifying. I was out of control. I WASN’T ME. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the television in the hotel suite turned on, and instead of angry, incomprehensible words, a chatty, suave announcer was soothingly recapping basketball games on ESPN. The terror ended. I was myself again.I opened my eyes, and saw both of my parents sitting straight up in their bed. “Did you turn on the TV?” we all asked each other. No one had. It was 3a.m. “That’s so freaky!” my mother said. Then she chuckled — “Maybe it was a ghost!.” I was not laughing, and was now even more fearful — who the hell had turned the TV on? My dad got out of bed to turn off the TV, and then climbed back into bed. I wanted to say something more, but I resolved to attempt to forget it and go to sleep. I was exhausted, and felt as if I had just been engaged in a monumental fight. I fell asleep quickly, but kept waking up periodically through the night, waiting for the TV to turn on again. In the morning I was shaken and confused. I remembered the violent rush of words, the terrifying feeling of pressure on my chest — but weirdly I could not recall anything specific the voice that inhabited me had said. To this day, I still can’t. As I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, desperately trying to remember what the spirit had said, my mother hummed as she opened the heavy blackout curtains in the room. The sun was hazy and cloudy over Pershing Square, and the room felt once again like a normal hotel room. After a much needed cup of coffee and a day-old croissant, I told my parents what had happened. “I am never staying there again!” I said emphatically. That next night, I stayed at my apartment in the Arts District, undisturbed by dreams or nightmares. I simply forced myself to put the night before out of my mind. I’ve always been a pro at conveniently forgetting things. When I went to pick up my parents in the morning for another sodden museum day, they had news for me. The TV had turned on again at 3 a.m. It would turn on in the dead of night for the rest of their stay. They messed around with the TV, but could not discover any timer that had been set. Being the tight-lipped Southerners they are, they never complained to the Biltmore or told them what had happened. Neither did I. After my parents went back to North Carolina, I decided to put my historical detective skill to good use. I pored over notes, books and blog posts, trying to figure out which of the alleged paranormal spirits of the Biltmore could have visited me. But none of the known ghosts of the Biltmore seem as malevolent, as evil, or as chaotic as what seemed to enter me that night. Could it have been the spirit of the nervous red-headed man, who escorted Elizabeth Short into the lobby of the Biltmore that winter night of 1947? The unknown person who motioned her out of the lobby? A murderous traveling salesman, or a slighted mobster, a traitorous politician, who checked into the Biltmore many moons ago, and whose spirit never left? I don’t think I will ever know. The Biltmore has given Los Angeles many gifts in the past century. To this cynical reporter, it’s given me a new perspective and a new healthy fear of things that go bump in the night. I now empathize more with those who say they have experienced the paranormal, and am not as quick to look to the logical to explain their experiences away. There are things all the research in the world can’t explain. And nowhere in L.A. is that truer than at the Biltmore Hotel.As Santa Ana winds blew into the region, the National Weather Service reported gusts reaching into the triple digits on Monday. The highest: 104-mph gusts recorded near the Magic Mountain Truck Trail, in the San Gabriel Mountains.had their power shut off to mitigate fire risk, mostly in San Bernardino County. Nearly 200,000 SoCal Edison customers could still see their power cut during the wind event.Red flag conditions will stick around into Monday night. Winds will taper off through Thursday, and daytime temperatures will climb into the high 80s. Nighttime temps will stay cool.Today in How To LA: Volunteers fill in the staffing gap to restore forest trails, Santa Anas kicks in; plus, walkers and cyclists took over the 110 Freeway on Sunday., one of the groups that is working with the Forest Service to restore and maintain the trails across the Angeles National Forest and the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.the historic Mount Wilson trail in Sierra Madre after last year’s record-breaking flooding. My colleague Erin Stone speaks with Spears about the work that's required.due to the record-breaking snowy winter. My colleague Jill Replogle speaks with researchers about why half of the sheep died during California’s intense snow year.It’s going to take a lot more than Smokey the Bear to help save our natural spaces. More intense droughts, flooding and wildfires are impacting our local mountains — and our ability to access them.And the Forest Service, which manages about 650 miles of trails in the Angeles National Forest, has big challenges: a serious climate crisis, lack of government funding and a staffing shortage. Yeah, it’s a lot., one of the groups that is working with the Forest Service to restore and maintain the trails across the Angeles National Forest and the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. As people hike, bike and camp in the forest, it gets a lot of wear and tear. Not to mention the effects of big storms and fires. These volunteer groups, which are trained by the Forest Service, work to keep people — and the forest itself — safe. There is a shared stewardship of the land, Erin reports.for more. She reports on why the Forest Service has struggled to keep paid staff, and why volunteers have turned this huge problem into a meaningful solution of their own.“I think that encouraging people to come out and volunteer — at least it's a way of getting people out into nature and starting a relationship with it,” Hillard says. “And the more that people have a relationship with it, maybe they'll notice things more at the ballot and when they're reading the news because they've been out here and they saw a burned tree.”We’re here to help curious Angelenos connect with others, discover the new, navigate the confusing, and even drive some change along the way.the historic Mount Wilson trail in Sierra Madre after last year’s record-breaking flooding. My colleague Erin Stone speaks with Spears about the work that's required.due to the record-breaking snowy winter. My colleague Jill Replogle speaks with researchers about why half of the sheep died during California’s intense snow year. Solar panels have been pointed to as a solution for the climate crisis but have you ever wondered what happens when they? Grist’s Izzy Ross writes about the environmental impact of solar power and the challenges that arise with finding sustainable solutions. her signature piece, The Great Wall of Los Angeles? Check out her live exhibition at the L.A. County Museum of Art now until June. Two of L.A.’s oldest comic book stores, Geoffrey’s Comics in Torrance and Hi De-Ho Comics in Santa Monica, areon Dec. 31. Anne To writes about the lasting impact of these shops, which have had some of the industry’s big names walk through their doors. *At LAist we will always bring you the news freely, but occasionally we do include links to other publications that may be behind a paywall. Thank you for understanding! packed with people who were moving and grooving on foot and bikes Sunday morning. The whole motorway was closed down for the second annual ArroyoFest at the Arroyo Seco Parkway this weekend. The first one took place 20 years ago. Pedestrians, cyclists and skaters danced to live music performances as they traveled the route connecting communities like Chinatown, Highland Park and Pasadena. Bonus trivia: The Arroyo Seco Parkway is the oldest freeway in the Western U.S. Learn more about what happened there on Sunday by reading my colleague Kevin Tidmarsh’sGot something you’ve always wanted to know about Southern California and the people who call it home? Is there an issue you want us to cover?Red Flag Warning Issued For Parts Of SoCal, Walk Of Fame Vendors, LAFC Achieves 1st Playoff Victory - The A.M. EditionThe Santa Anas to reach their peak midmorning, then drop off with local gusts to continue for the rest of the day.Highs will be in the upper 70s to low 80s for most of Southern California with high winds widespread.In store for today's weather forecast — more Santa Anas, a red flag warning, wind advisories and even a freeze advisory for some areas Over on the coasts — where some of the strongest Santa Ana winds will be felt — you can expect a high of 79, up to 84 in Long Beach and 80 degrees in Newport Beach. In downtown Los Angeles, temperatures will reach up to 85. In the valleys, the highs will reach up to 84, and up to 80 in inland Orange County. In Riverside and San Bernardino counties, temperatures are a few degrees cooler with highs up to 83. The deserts are much cooler as we head into winter — a high of 65 in the high desert and up to 79 in the low desert.Remember,"any fire starts will have really conducive weather to rapid and dangerous fire growth," said National Weather Service meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld."It's important to take precautions with regards to anything flammable, different vehicles can spark things, and it means that there's a possibility of power outages as well."Applies to the Inland Empire, Santa Ana foothills, Orange County inland areas, San Fernando Valley, Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mountains, and Interstate 5 and Highway 14 corridors.Applies to Inland Empire, Santa Ana mountain and foothills, Orange County inland areas, Orange County coasts, Santa Monica Mountains, San Fernando Valley.Applies to the Antelope Valley. Frost could kill crops and other sensitive vegetation and extended exposure could lead to hypothermia for pets and people. Remember to check on your loved ones.residential units to have heating systems that can keep indoor temperatures at a minimum of 70 degrees. That means every dwelling unit and guest room offered for rent or lease should offer heating equipment, usually central air conditioning or a wall heater. —Cranking things like the A/C and wall heaters can be expensive. If money is tight, be judicious about how and when you use your utilities. For example, only use heaters at night or only set the thermostat to around 70 degrees.If you have central A/C, look at where the vents are around your home. Are any open in places where you don’t stay long? Practice opening and closing those so warm air only goes where you need it . Humidifiers can also help you warm things up — and it’s useful to add moisture into our dry air.If you have a wall heater, you can change the output by adjusting the knob . Since wall heaters can only warm the areas where they’re placed, it’s essential to close doors to rooms you won’t be in so hot air doesn’t get wasted.If you have a ceiling fan, try turning it on. This sounds counterintuitive, but there’s science behind it. The direction a fan turns can push air in different directions, and since hot air floats up, you’ll want to move that around. Your fan shouldOn this day in 1971, the most intense cold snap on record for October spread to the mountains and valleys where in Riverside, it reached 30 degrees.Academy Award winners Grace Kelly and Ray Milland star as a couple with a marriage on the rocks in this 1954 classic thriller. She's having an affair — and he wants to kill her. When his plot goes awry, she gets implicated in another murder. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
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