🌱 Freeway Brush Fire + Did School Cause Child’s Emotional Distress?

Hi neighbors; today is International Left-Handers Day! It’s Sylvia, your friendly host of the Los Angeles Daily. Here’s all the community news you need to know right now. We’re starting the day with a brush fire, a school at the heart of a lawsuit, and the movement to unionize.

• 🚒 The FD fought a brush fire next to the local freeways
• 🏫 The Lauren Span School in Hollywood is being sued for something in 2017
• ✌️ Korean workers embrace unions

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First, today's weather:

🌞 Partly sunny. High: 93 Low: 68.

🌡️ FYI: To locate a cooling center in Los Angeles, call 3-1-1, reach out to the Los Angeles Public Library Public Information Office at (213) 228-7555, or find your nearest location and its hours on the current list of county facilities.

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⛽ Three Of The Cheapest Gas Stations In Los Angeles

• Costco at 3560 W Century Blvd., $4.79
• Kwik Serv at 2600 N Figueroa St., $4.89
• 76 at 4600 Melrose Ave., $4.99

🤔 Homelessness Poll!
CNN reports that Los Angeles County has a homeless population of “more than 66,400 people.” The numbers are increasing. Do you think that city governments are doing enough? Are there better solutions? Please let me know your thoughts! So far, 32.9% favor more infrastructure investment, 23.3% want federal involvement, 2.7% say faith-based groups need to step up, 6.8% want the military to open its bases, and 30.1% ask for justice system involvement.

📰 Here are the top five stories today in Los Angeles:

1) There was a brush fire on Friday afternoon “near the Ventura (134) and Hollywood (170) freeways.” Affecting an estimated half-acre, “the fire partially shut down the freeways and nearby surface streets as firefighters worked to douse the blaze.” (Patch)

2) Did the Lauren Span School in Hollywood cause a child’s emotional distress in 2017? Students in the class were reading Frederick Douglass’ autobiography, which mentions picking cotton. The school planted a cotton field “so that the students could have a real-life experience of what it was like to be a slave by picking cotton themselves.” A Black mother filed suit on Wednesday, saying her daughter “has uncontrollable anxiety attacks and experiences bouts of depression when she thinks about the cotton picking project." (NBC)

3) We learned on Thursday that workers at “Genwa, a high-end Korean barbecue restaurant, have voted to form a union.” In 2020, the restaurant was fined for labor violations and has since made improvements. Another union may be formed at “Hannam Chain, which is one of the biggest grocery stores in Koreatown.” It is welcome news that the restaurant recognizes the union and thinks “having a union could actually improve the experience for customers and for them, because it creates this long-term plan that workers and restaurateurs could work on. And it could also help retain workers.” (Spectrum News 1)

4) The Getty Museum will pull several of its exhibits. Curators announced on Thursday that it is “returning ancient sculptures and other works of art that were illegally exported from Italy.” They include the famous Orpheus and the Sirens. (NPR)

5) Mark your calendars! CicLAvia comes to Hollywood on August 21! Running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., there will be several road closures for cars. They include Santa Monica, Highland,and Hollywood. Although there will be crossing points for cars, expect delays if you aren’t participating. (Metro Bike)

📆 Today in Los Angeles:

• Mothers In Action’s 24th Annual Back to School Healthfair at Exposition Park (8 a.m.)
• Los Angeles Mission College Enrollment Fair and Open House at 13356 Eldridge Ave (9 a.m.)
• Open House for the Newly Completed Aquatic and Recreation Center at 8750 El Tovar Place (10 a.m.)
• Crowning Of The 2022 Nisei Week Queen at the Aratani Theatre (11 a.m.)
• Reggae Fest at the Globe Theatre (10 p.m.)

📓 From my notebook:

• This Water Quality Month serves as a reminder to continue protecting one of our most precious resources. The city installed nearly 200 public hydration stations and undertook other water quality improvement projects. (Mayor Eric Garcetti via Instagram)
• The Los Angeles Fire Department reminds you of the many utility service lines and pipes that run underground on your property, and that you can call 811 to know exactly what and where they are. (LAFD via Instagram)
• Established in 1945, family-owned Chronis’ Famous Sandwich Shop has been whipping up famous chili burgers, hot dogs, chili dogs and many more local favorites for over 75 years! (Los Angeles Conservancy via Facebook)
• The deadline to apply for financial development officer has been extended to August 18. Don't delay - apply for this great career opportunity today! (City of Los Angeles - Jobs via Instagram)
• L.A. Schools are still offering free COVID-19 vaccinations and school entry immunizations to students at our wellness centers! See a full list of District and Community clinics. (Los Angeles Unified via Instagram)

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You're all caught up for today! I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow morning with your next update.

— Sylvia Cochran

About me: Sylvia Cochran works out of sunny Southern California and has been freelance writing full-time since 2005. She loves dogs, cats, books, plays Best Fiends (don't judge), embraces social justice, and tries to live out Micah 6:8.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Los Angeles Daily? Contact me at losangeles@patch.com