Newsletter: Essential California: Down and out in Beverly Hills
Good morning. It is Tuesday, July 5. Here’s what is happening in the Golden State:
TOP STORIES
Down and out
At a time when communities are struggling to address the growing homeless problem, Beverly Hills is facing accusations that it’s allowing private security guards to remove a transient from the city. Los Angeles Times
On the ballot
California voters will face the most ballot measures in years this November. They will decide some of biggest issues of the day including pot legalization, cigarette taxation, school funding, the death penalty, bilingual education and, of course, taxes. Los Angeles Times
Cultural exchange
Muslims in Orange County are looking for allies in the wake of Donald Trump and heightened Islamic State terrorism. And they’ve found a friend in the county’s large Latino population. A look at the cross-cultural exchanges going on in Anaheim and beyond. Los Angeles Times
DROUGHT AND CLIMATE
Green energy: Offshore wind farms are gaining momentum in the United States but are lagging behind in California due to a series of economic, political and technological challenges. Los Angeles Times
L.A. AT LARGE
Difficult scene: A sunbather at a Ventura County beach videotaped an incredible sight: a lifeguard truck dragging a dead dolphin along the sand. People at the beach were shocked, but officials said it was the best way to remove the creature on a busy beach day. Los Angeles Times
Fireworks: An eclectic mix of musicians and artists at a Fourth of July celebration in downtown L.A.’s Grand Park highlighted the city’s diversity. “This is a contemporary Fourth of July, which reflects the America we live in today,” said Julia Diamond, the Los Angeles Music Center’s programming director for Grand Park. Los Angeles Times
Pot shops: An assessment of the architecture of Los Angeles’ marijuana dispensaries. “There were, of course, mainstays that lasted for years, but many dispensaries came and went quickly and quietly, with little to no evidence of their brief existence.” L.A. Taco
In song: L.A. is supposedly the third most rapped-about city in the United States, behind New York and Atlanta. Curbed LA
Healing old wounds: For one military veteran, spending this weekend at Disneyland marks the end of a remarkable journey after overcoming tough odds. Orange County Register
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
Restraining order: State Assemblyman Roger Hernández (D-West Covina) was ordered by a judge to stay away from his ex-wife for three years after she accused him of violently abusing her over the last three years of their marriage. Los Angeles Times
New rules: Some gun rights activists say they won’t comply with California’s strict new gun regulations. Sacramento Bee
Side effects: A new poll shows San Diego County voters support legalization of recreational marijuana use — but they also have some concerns. San Diego Union-Tribune
CRIME AND COURTS
Belated honor: In 1980, a black lineman for Pacific Bell was shot while working in Fontana. The incident shocked the community and turned the tide against the Ku Klux Klan there. Last week, Dovard Howard — paralyzed by the bullet — was honored by the city. Press-Enterprise
Undercover operation: Two California Highway Patrol detectives who were part of a task force to combat illegal street racing shot and killed a teenage suspect and wounded another late Sunday night in Fullerton. Los Angeles Times
CALIFORNIA CULTURE
LGBT history: The story of how “Dykes on Bikes” fought to become a San Francisco — and LGBT — tradition. “There’s a proud history of the DOB being in the front and not backing down; I saw that day-to-day in who they were.” BuzzFeed
Debunking myths: No, Orson Welles never ate 18 Pink’s hot dogs in one sitting. Here are some other debunked Los Angeles urban myths. LA Weekly
On the road: Checking out of life and driving the California coast. He did it. New York Times
Power surge: The lights went on for the first time in San Francisco 140 years ago. SFGate
CALIFORNIA ALMANAC
San Diego will have low clouds and a high of 73 degrees. In Riverside, there will be low clouds and a high of 87. Los Angeles will reach a high of 76. It will be sunny and 87 in Sacramento. It will be cool at 64 degrees in San Francisco.
AND FINALLY
Today’s California Memory comes from Mari Wilcox Gilbert:
“I remember going to San Francisco with my sisters in 1975. We were in high school and had come to shop in the Big City. We were coming out of the parking lot at Union Square just as a glamorously beautiful couple exited Macy’s. A limousine was waiting at the curb. The couple paused on the steps, embraced and the man ran down to the car. He suddenly turned, raced back and swept her into his arms. He dipped her down and passionately kissed her. He then ran back to the car, threw her a kiss and disappeared. She stood there with her hands on her face. We were delighted! San Francisco lived up to our expectations. A truly memorable moment in a truly memorable city.”
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.
