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Los Angeles Times
7 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
A coach detained. A friend gone. As kids confront immigration realities, they're learning to stand up
The scene at the dais in Riverside's City Council chambers looked a bit different on a recent Monday morning: Instead of men and women in business attire, children wearing navy blue T-shirts emblazoned with vibrant orange and yellow butterfly wings occupied the swivel chairs. The children were participating in a mock council meeting as part of a summer leadership program run by TODEC, a legal center serving immigrants and farmworkers in the Inland Empire and Coachella Valley. The organization brought kids from across Coachella Valley and nearby cities to the Riverside City Council to give them hands-on learning experience on civic engagement and culture. The annual field trip had a different tone this year, however, as immigration enforcement raids have swept their communities. Since June, the children have witnessed friends self-deport with their families, learned a local youth soccer coach was detained and have seen their own undocumented family members change daily routines in fear. Against this backdrop, choosing an issue to tackle as they sat at the wooden City Council desk was easy. For the group of 22 children, ages 4 to 17, curbing fear over the unfolding raids and ongoing family separations was front and center. 'When people are going through stuff like that they get emotional and they get sad,' explained incoming fifth-grader Montserrat Garcia, leaning into the microphone as she assumed the role of mayor. After a bit of discussion and guidance from Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson and TODEC executive director Luz Gallegos, the mock city council unanimously voted to fund mental health workshops for their community. 'They are learning the building blocks. They are being the change that needs to be seen,' said chaperone Julio Roman, dad to a 6- and 9-year-old on the trip. 'If you read about it, you hear about it in books, it's nothing like being here and having the privilege of coming in and actually seeing how the process works.' Using civic knowledge to push for change That's been the intention of Monarcas Luchadoras, which translates to monarchs in the struggle. The program aims to equip school-age children, many of whom are immigrants or come from immigrant families, with an understanding of how to enact change. They've learned how laws are passed as well as how to recognize problems in their community and push for solutions through organizing. Though the mission hasn't wavered over the program's nearly four decades, it has felt especially important this summer, she said — especially as kids are confronted with very real fears over separation. 'It's a very different program to other summers,' said Gallegos, who is an alumna of the program. 'We see the pain in the kids.' The conversations the younger kids are having aren't too different from those of the older ones, Gallegos said. They have all wanted to know why events are unfolding and how they align with American values. 'We are seeing kids as young as 4 years old knowing what ICE is, knowing that they may be undocumented, knowing that their parents and family and friends are undocumented,' she said. The students took advantage of a rare field trip and explored art installations at The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture and learned about the historical figures whose statues make up the city's Civil Rights Walk. At the museum, a few kids lingered in front of a painting of a low rider, while others ran toward an installation with glass seashells typically used to call out to gods such as the Aztec goddess Cihuateotl, who was depicted at the installation. 'They're teaching me how to keep up our culture, how to help other people, not just ourselves, how to be nice and kind, how to be respectful,' fifth-grader Garcia said. Stepping up for Riverside's immigrant community The children have learned a lot just by being in the environment, said Linda Cruz, whose three children soaked in the new experiences, including her 3-year-old daughter Mia, who joins the group at events like Monday's field trip. Her children have also helped TODEC pack groceries and educational materials for families too scared to leave their homes. 'They're seeing the anxiety, and they're also seeing that, with that anxiety, they can do something,' Cruz said. 'It's giving them confidence that I think a lot of people in our community lack.' Gallegos and other TODEC leaders have pushed kids to think about solutions even if they're not old enough to vote. The center has also taken children to Sacramento, Moreno Valley and Riverside County to speak on how immigration enforcement has affected their friends and families. And they've encouraged kids to share their own ideas as they learn to use their voices. Zoey Roman, 9, wants to find more ways to help families pay for groceries as parents stay home from work because of the raids. 'You guys have power,' Gallegos reminded the group as the youthful city council prepared to cast their mock vote calling for community mental health services. 'Without your voice things can't happen.' This article is part of The Times' early childhood education initiative, focusing on the learning and development of California children from birth to age 5. For more information about the initiative and its philanthropic funders, go to
Los Angeles Times
28-06-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Wildfire victims want to rebuild with natural materials. Some say L.A. County is making it onerous
After Ana Gallego's son shot her in the leg outside her ranch-style home in Altadena, law enforcement plowed through three walls with two small tanks and threw tear gas canisters in every window in the hopes of flushing out the suspect. The 2012 skirmish ended in his suicide. Gallegos, now 74, survived, but the recovery process was long. It took about five years for her leg to heal, and to remodel her 1,700-square-foot house. Then, in January this year, the Eaton fire took the house again. It was not insured. Early on Jan. 8, Gallegos' son-in-law, Luis Hernandez, drove up to the house they evacuated in the wee hours and broke the news: Everything was gone. He began crying. 'If it's going to be rebuilt, I would like it to be rebuilt in a way that matches nature and has good energy,' Gallegos recalled telling architect Aaron Olko. 'Because I want to live in peace from here on, if it's possible.' Olko's team mentioned the possibility of rebuilding using earthen blocks in a presentation. The idea resonated, reminding her of monasteries she'd once visited on a trip to France. Her 45-year-old daughter, Ehrica Hernandez — who also lived in the Altadena home — pointed to a pragmatic factor: 'It doesn't catch fire.' But the family's rebuilding plan hit a snag. Due to 'regulatory hurdles,' Olko said in a late June email, they opted for traditional light wood frame construction. In the wake of the Eaton fire — which decimated at least 6,000 single-family homes, condos and other dwellings — interest in building with natural materials has spiked. Proponents of building with materials derived from sources like clay, straw and hemp say they're fire-resistant, carbon-friendly and nontoxic when scorched. It's an alluring promise for Los Angeles residents who lost their homes and want to rebuild in a way that avoids future calamity and lowers their home's contributions to greenhouse gases that can fuel more wildfires. Los Angeles County officials have echoed enthusiasm about the potential for such materials, and encouraged residents to bring their ideas to the county department that oversees building and safety. However, some architects and engineers say the process for getting approval to build with earthen and so-called bio-based materials is too uncertain to recommend to clients without significant time and money to gamble with. Architect Ben Loescher and engineer Anthony Dente felt discouraged following a May 13 meeting that included officials from the Los Angeles County Public Works Department, which is among the departments that permits new construction in unincorporated areas of the county. Loescher co-founded Adobeisnotsoftware, which seeks to advance adobe construction in California through education and advocacy. Dente runs Berkeley-based Verdant Structural Engineers, which specializes in sustainable projects using both conventional and natural materials. Loescher and Dente had hoped to discuss the possibility of rebuilding homes in the Altadena area with earthen materials that aren't clearly adopted in the state residential building code. That includes adobe and cob, a material made from clay, sand and straw. The Public Works Department says it will consider projects with out-of-the-ordinary building materials — as long as they comply with any code requirements including energy efficiency, fire resistance and lateral forces. 'We are not opposed at all to using alternate building materials,' said Luis Ramirez, a deputy director at the Public Works Department. 'We just want to make sure that it is done in a way that is safe and that will ensure that life and safety aren't compromised by the use of materials that may not have been tested properly for that specific use.' According to Loescher and Dente, county officials told them at the May meeting that the department lacked the resources to review proposals using such materials unless they came backed by expensive reports — which include testing and evaluation — typically done for mass-manufactured products. The requirement would make the rebuilds nearly impossible, they said. Lisette Guzman, a spokesperson for the Public Works Department, later told The Times that it would also accept testing and evaluation from accredited universities. She denied that a lack of funding was stymying the approval process. Guzman's statements appeared to contradict what Loescher and Dente were told. When they reached out for an explanation, Erik Rodriguez, a senior civil engineer with the department, wrote in a June 11 email that his communication during the May meeting 'could have been clearer.' 'We'd be happy to meet to discuss your alternative material submission,' he wrote. It was a surprising, but welcome, turn of events for Loescher and Dente. For now, however, the path is 'still too nebulous to recommend for anyone but someone who has the ability to take some risks around time and cost,' Loescher said in an email. Until they work out exactly what tests and methodology are required, 'there's a good chance that they'll ask for something that hasn't been done (even if we don't think it is germane),' he said, adding that such a disagreement can be difficult and costly to address by the time it arises. Amid the devastation wrought by the Eaton fire — and the Palisades fire on the other side of the county — there's a sense that there might be an opportunity to build back in a way that accounts for modern realities: rising temperatures, fierce wildfires and technological advancements. L.A. County's building officials have a reputation for caution, but policymakers have signaled a willingness to explore trying something new. Anish Saraiya, director of Altadena's recovery for Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger's office, said in late May that the supervisor's goal is to give people options — though, he noted, the use of earthen materials so far had not been discussed in a substantive way. 'People who choose to utilize standard wood frame construction, fantastic. If you want to do modular, great,' he said. As for earthen materials, 'I think [Barger] would definitely support efforts to try to bring optionality to this community that's trying to rebuild and rebuild with an eye to resilience.' He said Barger was open to revisiting best practices, but deferred to the Public Works and Fire departments as the leading experts on fire resilience and home hardening. Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, whose district includes coastal communities impacted by the Palisades fire, convened a blue ribbon commission to provide recommendations on how to rebuild with challenges posed by climate change in mind. Among the actions the commission calls for in a report released June 20 is the creation of a new local authority to oversee the rebuilding of fire-destroyed neighborhoods. 'I am open to all proposals that help fire-impacted communities rebuild quickly, safely and resiliently,' Horvath said in a statement. 'Earthen materials and other innovative, fire-resistant approaches may offer promising paths toward sustainability and long-term resilience.' Horvath and Barger in January co-authored a successful motion calling for the creation of a rebuilding resource guide with a focus on resiliency, which touts the fire-resistant benefits of using certain natural materials for siding and insulation. County officials have urged residents interested in using earthen or other natural materials to go to the one-stop permitting centers it has opened in the aftermath of the fires, or reach out to the Public Works Department directly for assistance. But the underlying process for reviewing and approving rebuilds using alternative materials has not changed following the fires. What residents who want to rebuild with materials like adobe are left with is, largely, confusion. On a warm day in late May, Marialyce Pedersen — a sustainable materials management professional who has been advocating for building with nature-based materials for more than two decades — was trying to decide on what would eventually rise from the rubble of what was once her three-bedroom, nearly century-old home in Altadena. Pedersen broke down her options while sitting on a pinkish firepit and curved bench made from cob. The firepit that incorporated clay dug from the Altadena foothills and straw from a local feed store is one of the few elements of the home that survived the Eaton blaze. Pedersen had connected with Loescher, the architect, and was getting fired up about the possibility of rebuilding with adobe. Then he conveyed the not-so-promising signals he got from L.A. County. 'I was like, 'OK, I want to do something pioneering and innovative and amazing, but I also really do need to rebuild my house.'' Pedersen said, 'And I can't be messing around with something.' She changed course and will now be going with a construction method known as straw bale, which typically entails stacking bales of straw to form walls that are coated with plaster. When densely packed, straw has proven resistant to flames — depriving fire of oxygen needed to thrive. Some liken it to a thick phone book. Unlike materials like cob, straw bale is adopted in the California residential building code. That means using it doesn't trigger the need for the alternative approval process. Dente's Verdant Structural Engineers was involved with getting straw bale approved as a building material and — along with advocates like Loescher — is pushing for the adoption of more nature-based materials into the code. The issue is urgency. Dente believes a fully updated code is likely 20 years — and millions of dollars in materials testing — away. 'Which we are doing and don't want to shy away from, but we're in a climate crisis right now,' he said. Bumps in the road have already emerged. California earlier this year rejected citizen-led proposals to adopt cob, hemp-lime and light straw clay in its code, and recently rejected a petition to reconsider. That's why he and Loescher are focused on navigating Los Angeles County's process for considering alternative materials. If they crack it, it could offer a pathway now. Ben Stapleton — an appointee on Horvath's blue ribbon commission and executive director of U.S. Green Building Council California, a nonprofit that promotes sustainable building practices — pointed to a statistic that buildings represent nearly 40% of greenhouse gas emissions globally. Earthen and other natural materials emit relatively less greenhouse gases over their lifecycle, from extraction and transportation to assembly and disposal. Some, such as hempcrete — made by mixing the inner woody core of the hemp plant and a lime-based binder — are carbon sinks. They improve a home's insulation and energy efficiency, he added. Still, the commission did not recommend widespread use of the materials in post-fire rebuilding. 'There's a lot of strong arguments for using these materials,' Stapleton said. 'I just don't think the market is ready to deliver homes [constructed with these materials] at scale, especially in a situation like this.' He believes there first needs to be increased education among architects, engineers and permitting officials about them. The relative lack of familiarity with the materials could add challenges or slow down the rebuilding process, he suggested — which would be problematic given the urgency and dramatic scope of the effort. Karen Bagnard's late-1940s stucco home was incinerated — along with a lifetime of artwork she created, which featured mermaids and other fantastical beings — by the Eaton fire. Her two daughters, who are leading the rebuild, initially seemed firm in their preference for a home made of conventional materials. Bagnard, 80, wasn't convinced. Natural building seemed wise to her. Shrinking one's carbon footprint made sense. And then there were the potential ills of a conventional approach, like fumes spewed by laminate flooring. But she figured her daughters (and grandson) would live in the home for longer than her. She was torn but inclined to follow their wishes. Last Sunday, though, the family took a second tour of an adobe home in South Pasadena. It appeared to sway Bagnard's kids' hearts. On Monday, Bagnard emailed to say it looked like her family would be moving forward with adobe after all.
Los Angeles Times
26-06-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
SoCal Cup Hosts Largest Boys Volleyball Tournament of the Year at Los Angeles Convention Center
Tournament Brings 665 Youth Volleyball Teams to Los Angeles Convention Center The SoCal Cup, the leading series of national boys volleyball events, brought its massive 'The Showcase' tournament to the Los Angeles Convention Center this past Father's Day weekend, resulting in the largest SoCal Cup event so far this year. Owned and operated by AIM Sports Group, the three-day event drew 665 boys club volleyball teams across various age groups (12U through 18U) from all over the U.S. and beyond, driven to compete for what has become the ultimate bragging right in the sport. The SoCal Cup hosts three annual national events: this past week's SoCal Cup Showcase, the SoCal Cup Winter Formal event in December and the SoCal Cup Open Championship in January. SoCal Cup also operates regional league tournaments throughout the year. The Showcase event, which filled the Los Angeles Convention Center, drew a crowd of about 65,000 across the three-day event, made up of a multi-generational audience of athletes, families and spectators. With attendee well-being top of mind, AIM took extra security and safety precautions in collaboration with LAPD and the L.A. Convention Center to make sure the event was safe and seamless and that local and visiting clubs and their supporters were comfortable. 'Our SoCal Cup events continue to expand year over year, nurturing the exponential growth of boys volleyball as a sport,' said AIM Sports Group Founder John Gallegos. 'We anticipate continued interest with the Olympic Games coming to L.A. in less than three years. Our mix of providing the highest-level competition, innovative technology and a genuinely entertaining experience for fans is a recipe designed to elevate youth sports for generations to come.' Gallegos shared that AIM Sports Group is doubling down on supporting boys volleyball (and beyond) by investing in tech innovations focused on enhancing the day-to-day experience for athletes, athlete families, coaches and clubs. 'We launched a preview of our AIM+ tech platform at The Showcase to test engagement and gather real-time feedback, and the response exceeded our expectations,' said Gallegos. 'This was a crucial step in validating our product-market fit. As AIM+ evolves, we see it becoming more than a product. It's a tech-forward media and content platform designed to shape the future of youth sports.' Gallegos noted that the AIM+ platform will be officially released and made available this fall. 'The level of competition displayed at this year's Showcase was at an all-time high,' added AIM Sports Group Executive Director of Volleyball Ali'i Keohohou. 'Having 665 club teams from across the country all playing under one roof, competing at the highest level, is a spectacle to behold. We continue to host the best teams in the country - competing in front of audiences that include many, if not all, Division 1 men's college programs.' Information sourced from AIM Sports. Learn more by contacting pwilliams@
Business Wire
24-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
SoCal Cup Hosts Largest Boys Volleyball Tournament of the Year at Los Angeles Convention Center
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The SoCal Cup, the leading series of national boys volleyball events, brought its massive 'The Showcase' tournament to the Los Angeles Convention Center this past Father's Day weekend, resulting in the largest SoCal Cup event so far this year. Our SoCal Cup events continue to expand year over year, nurturing the exponential growth of boys volleyball as a sport Owned and operated by AIM Sports Group, the three day event drew 665 boys club volleyball teams across various age groups (12U through 18U) from all over the US and beyond, driven to compete for what has become the ultimate bragging right in the sport. The SoCal Cup hosts three annual national events: this past week's SoCal Cup Showcase; the SoCal Cup Winter Formal event in December and the SoCal Cup Open Championship in January. SoCal Cup also operates regional league tournaments throughout the year. The Showcase event, which filled the Los Angeles Convention Center, drew a crowd of about 65,000 across the three day event, made up of a multi-generational audience of athletes, families, and spectators. With attendee well-being top of mind, AIM took extra security and safety precautions in collaboration with LAPD and the LA Convention Center to make sure the event was safe and seamless, and that local and visiting clubs and their supporters were comfortable. 'Our SoCal Cup events continue to expand year over year, nurturing the exponential growth of boys volleyball as a sport,' said AIM Sports Group Founder John Gallegos. 'We anticipate continued interest with the Olympic Games coming to LA in less than three years. Our mix of providing the highest-level competition; innovative technology; and a genuinely entertaining experience for fans, is a recipe designed to elevate youth sports for generations to come.' Gallegos shared that AIM Sports Group is doubling down on supporting boys volleyball (and beyond), by investing in tech innovations focused on enhancing the day-to-day experience for athletes, athlete families, coaches and clubs. 'We launched a preview of our AIM+ tech platform at The Showcase to test engagement and gather real-time feedback, and the response exceeded our expectations,' said Gallegos. 'This was a crucial step in validating our product-market fit. As AIM+ evolves, we see it becoming more than a product, it's a tech-forward media and content platform designed to shape the future of youth sports.' Gallegos noted that the AIM+ platform will be officially released and made available this fall. 'The level of competition displayed at this year's Showcase was at an all-time high,' added AIM Sports Group Executive Director of Volleyball Ali'i Keohohou. 'Having 665 club teams from across the country all playing under one roof, competing at the highest level, is a spectacle to behold. We continue to host the best teams in the country – competing in front of audiences that include many, if not all, Division 1 men's college programs.' Boys volleyball clubs that achieved bragging rights this year by winning their divisions included: 18 Open: MB Surf 18's 1 ASICS, MB Surf VBC, CA 18 Club: RCVA Boys 18 National, River City Volleyball Academy, VA 17 Open: C2 Attack Boys 17-1 Elite, C2 Attack VBC, TN 17 Club: PRVA 17 1, Pacific Rim Volleyball Academy, CA 16 Open: COAST 16-Ian & Dave, COAST VBC, CA 16 Club: Minas Tenis Clube 16 16 Classic: PAC 16 Noah, Pinnacle Athletic Club, CA 15 Open: Team Rockstar 15 Rockstar, Team Rockstar VBC, CA 15 Club: SD Beach 15GONZO, SD Beach Volleyball Club, CA 14 Open: Team Rockstar 14 Rockstar, Team Rockstar VBC, CA 14 Club: Bay to Bay 14-Premier, Bay to Bay Volleyball Club, CA 13 Open: MB Surf 13's 1 ASICS, MB Surf VBC, CA 12 Open: Borinquen Coqui 12 1, Club de Voleibol Borinquen Coqui, Puerto Rico Founded to provide elite competitive and developmental playing opportunities and training for young athletes, the SoCal Cup has grown exponentially over the last five years and is now the largest and best-attended youth volleyball tournament series in the country. Learn more at
Miami Herald
10-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Texas Amber Alert for Missing Dallas Boy Canceled
Police said four-year-old Luciano Gallegos has been recovered after an Amber Alert was issued for his disappearance in Dallas, Texas, early on Tuesday morning. No further details were given. Newsweek has contacted the Dallas Police Department's public information office for more information. The original Amber Alert said Gallegos was taken by a 21-year-old man named Louis Ricker on Monday, June 9, and was last seen at 2900 Block of South Walton Walker Boulevard in Dallas, traveling southbound at around 11:30 p.m. in a White Mitsubishi Outlander. The Amber Alert system is used widely throughout the U.S., with 82 plans in place to help recover children after they have been determined missing, enabling some missing child reports to be resolved. The alerts can be issued on a state-wide or local scale and more than one child can be involved in the case. The system, which stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response, dates back to 1996 when Dallas-Fort Worth broadcasters worked with the local police to develop a warning system to find abducted children, and later other states and communities soon set up their own plans. These alerts are broadcast through radio, TV, road signs, cellphones, and other data-enabled devices. The Amber Alert system is used in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Indian country, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and 27 other countries. By the end of 2024, 1,268 children had been recovered due to the activation of an Amber Alert, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which helps to distribute alerts to the public. This is a developing article. Updates to follow. Related Articles Amber Alert: Kidnapped Toddler, Mother 'Found Safe' in North CarolinaAbducted 8-Year-Old California Girl Found After Amber Alert IssuedAmber Alert Issued as 1-Year-Old Goes Missing in South DakotaAmber Alert Canceled for Missing 1-Year-Old From Washington State 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
