Newsletter: Essential California: The mountain lions in L.A.’s backyards

Good morning. It is Tuesday, March 15. Do you have lunch plans yet? Here are (arguably) the best 15 tacos in Los Angeles. And here’s what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Into the wild

Can people, pets and mountain lions get along? Officials with the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreational Area say attacks by the big cats may be on the rise. At a Malibu winery last fall, a mountain lion killed a llama and an alpaca. Two sheep on a ranch also fell victim to a mountain lion. And last week, the Los Angeles Zoo announced a koala had been lost to P22, the cat that calls Griffith Park home. Los Angeles Times

Fixing the sidewalks

The city of Los Angeles is pursuing a “fix and release” program for its sidewalks. Two committees backed a proposal to spend $1.3 billion to fix broken sidewalks and then gradually hand the financial responsibility off to property owners. “We think it’s a step in the right direction and we’re anxious to see it get underway,” said Jessica Meaney, managing director of the nonprofit transportation advocacy group Investing in Place. Los Angeles Times

SCOTUS potential

Judge Paul J. Watford of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is considered a leading contender to be President Obama’s nominee to the Supreme Court. He would be the third African American to serve on the bench and the first justice from Southern California. “The guy is really, really smart. He is careful about applying precedent, but based on ideology, you cannot predict the guy,” said Appeals Court Judge Alex Kozinski. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Watery financials: Columnist Michael Hiltzik is outraged that the Westlands Water District essentially received a slap on the wrist for allegedly cooking its books. “As long as senior officials can boast about doing ‘Enron accounting’ and then, when they’re caught, get off without admitting their wrongdoing for the record, there’s little hope that the public interest will be protected,” he writes. Los Angeles Times

Capturing runoff: Storm water could be an incredibly valuable resource in California but it’s not a quick fix. “In the city of Los Angeles, the Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has set a goal to quadruple its storm water ‘harvest.’ The core of the plan is to collect rainfall in natural basins or washes, and let it slowly fill up underground aquifers.” KQED

L.A. AT LARGE

Short on space: Studio apartments are now called “micro-units” and, in a city with skyrocketing rents, they’re pretty attractive — although residents have to get used to living in about 400 square feet of space. “In a city where residents with some of the least affordable rents in the country, living in an apartment the size of a garage can be a godsend, especially in desirable spots like downtown L.A.” 89.3 KPCC

Safety first: Metro crews are working to repair crossing gates along the new section of the Gold Line. The gates have a faulty part that was recalled in December. “It’s not unusual to have some of these start-up issues because you are operating a new service and trains are operating very frequently,” said a Metro spokesman. San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Below ground: Rediscover the Pacific Electric subway tunnel, which was used by hundreds of rail cars every day for three decades. The five subway lines were retired in the 1950s in favor of buses. Los Angeles Magazine

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Voter rolls: Students in California’s public colleges would automatically be registered to vote under a proposed bill. It’s not a new idea — the state’s community colleges tried such a program 10 years ago. (The pilot program was phased out in 2009). Los Angeles Times

On the ballot: Here is a cheat sheet on who is running for governor in 2018 and who is still flirting with the idea. “The election may be far away, but listening tours are already underway, political consultants are doling out advice and pundits are handicapping favorites and wild cards.” Los Angeles Times

Costly consequences: Towing fees in San Francisco are about to drop for the first time since 2011. Critics argued the $491.25 tab was financially devastating to low-income families. KQED

CRIME AND COURTS

Dangerous conditions: An officer with the California Highway Patrol died this weekend after he was struck by a sports utility vehicle near Donner Summit. Nathan Daniel Taylor, 35, was investigating a crash when he was hit by an out-of-control vehicle in snowy conditions. Taylor had been with CHP for six years. Sacramento Bee

Protesting hate: Graffiti expressing hate speech was found on Palisades Charter High School over the weekend. About 300 students and community members gathered there on Monday to protest the words and symbols. “We don’t know what could be prompting this,” said Brad Daley, executive assistant to the principal. Los Angeles Times

EDUCATION

Alleged harassment: An assistant basketball coach at UC Berkeley was relieved of his duties after he was accused of sexual harassment. He is the fourth university official in the last year to be punished for alleged harassment. UC President Janet Napolitano announced a new sexual harassment policy last week. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Trail blazers: President Obama and dancer Misty Copeland, a San Pedro native, sat down for an intimate conversation about body image, discrimination and empowering young people. “I feel like people are looking at me, and it’s my responsibility to do whatever I can to provide opportunities,” said Copeland, who is the first black principal dancer at the American Ballet Theater. Time

Night at the movies: “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” will screen at the Hollywood Bowl this summer. The Los Angeles Philharmonic will accompany the film. Los Angeles Times

Proof of life: Richard Simmons of “Sweatin’ With the Oldies” says he is just fine. The fitness guru is denying a news report that he is being controlled by his longtime housekeeper. “No one is holding me in my house as a hostage; I do what I want to do as I’ve always done,” he said. Los Angeles Times

Less desirable: Living in Silicon Valley is becoming less attractive to American workers. In 2014, the community saw more Americans move out of the area than move in. However, that doesn’t mean the population is dropping. Silicon Valley is still attractive to foreigners. SFGate

Culinary traditions: Where does a burger chef look for inspiration in Los Angeles? LA Weekly

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Diego will be mostly sunny with a high of 68 degrees. Los Angeles will be pleasant at 74 degrees. It will be sunny and 78 in Riverside. Sacramento will be partly sunny and 63. It will be partly sunny and 60 in San Francisco.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California Memory comes from Christopher Meyer:

“My wife and I moved to L.A. from Washington, D.C., in 1993 so we could both attend grad schools in SoCal. A friendly man noticed us walking around his neighborhood looking for an apartment and he guided us to a perfect two bedroom on Glenville off Pico Blvd. We met some friends who played volleyball on the beach in Santa Monica every Saturday; my wife loved going to the farmers markets in SM and what is now the Grove; and we explored Japanese food near Sawtelle, Chinese food off Valley Blvd. in Alhambra, and Korean food in Koreatown. We took day trips that first year to Ojai and Palm Springs. Fast forward thirty some years and three kids later, we love life in Northern Orange County and cherish this wonderful Golden State.”

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.)

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Alice Walton or Shelby Grad.