Investigative stories and local news updates Coverage of the Hawaiʻi State legislature in 2025 Award winning in-depth reports and featured on-going series Get the week’s news delivered straight to your inbox A new invasive species threatens Kāneʻohe Bay’s fragile coral ecosystem sending state officials scrambling for a solution For most home aquarium enthusiasts, the majano anemone is an invasive pest to avoid getting in their tanks at all costs the worrisome critters are loose in Oʻahu’s Kāneʻohe Bay as part of illegal coral plantings meant to cash in on the nation’s growing aquarium-hobby fix So far, they’ve managed to cover a 950-square-yard swath of reef in just a few years the majano could soon overrun much of the bay’s fragile “It would be the worst thing ever if majano were to spread to another reef because it makes it that much harder to manage it,” said Hiʻilei Kawelo, executive director of the nonprofit Paepae o Heʻeia which stewards the Heʻeia fishpond in Kāneʻohe Bay State conservation officials have a plan to eradicate the majano before they overtake those Windward waters and beyond, and legislation is moving forward to devote some $200,000 toward that effort The earliest that workers might start is late this summer aquatic invasive species biologist Jesse Boord said and that’s in a best-case scenario where the funding’s awarded and the permitting process goes smoothly is “incredibly urgent.” Every passing day is another chance for the majano to spread to a new reef and The pest has separately arrived in part of Pearl Harbor through a different infestation than Kāne‘ohe Aquarium hobbyists try to avoid the majano because they can rapidly overtake their entire tank, and as invasive species they pose similar threats in the wild. The individual creatures, researchers say, are capable of detaching from one location and moving to another. They can swiftly overwhelm and smother the native coral shows just how hard it can be to contain invasive species once they take hold in the water often referred to as the invasive species capital of the world the state aims to stamp out the Kāneʻohe Bay outbreak by covering the infestation with tarps and pumping the covered area with chlorine over a series of meetings held with Coconut Island-based researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi’s Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology as well as community groups and other public officials the plan would kill various coral and other native species along with the majano who’s with the state Division of Aquatic Resources said the cost of doing nothing would be far greater The anemone has the potential to take over Kāneʻohe Bay so “you kind of have to sacrifice this very small bit to save it.” The same qualities that make anemones such as the majano amazing are also what make it so difficult to get rid of them  “If you break it off and squash it,” McEwan said “every little cell can grow into another animal.” they shoot spores that spew more anemones into the environment the majano are native to the Indian Ocean and have no natural predators in Hawaiʻi could expand by around 10% to 20% by year’s end and interest in that hobby has skyrocketed recently in the U.S. That’s had profound consequences for Hawaiʻi The U.S. aquarium industry was valued at $2.2 billion last year according to Hawaiʻi invasive species expert Christy Martin the nation has become the world’s largest consumer of marine aquarium species Martin is the program manager for Hawaiʻi’s Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species which helps keep local agencies on the same page as they fight those species She said much of the aquariums’ popularity grew during the Covid pandemic when people were stuck at home The popularity of home aquariums has also apparently driven a demand for black-market coral which they can then harvest and sell to hobbyists where fragments of illegal coral are broken off from those secret spots and re-sold typically in online chat boards and private groups the invasive coral that’s planted can contain undesired hitchhikers That becomes an invasive species problem when aquarium hobbyists also simply release their tanks’ contents into the ocean a species of invasive pulse coral was found across 80 acres in Pearl Harbor even though it’s illegal to possess that coral in Hawaiʻi The report said that coral was likely released from a home aquarium Effective methods to detect and respond to those marine invasive species set loose in nearshore waters, the committee added, are “critically lacking.” Customs officials often catch illegal coral shipments but she believes those interceptions are just the “tip of the iceberg” of what’s being trafficked from Hawaiʻi via fragging “How are we supposed to monitor all reefs everywhere?” she said who has spent his life fishing in Kāneʻohe Bay noticed a beautiful yet unusual coral he had never seen there before “It was kind of like in passing,” Kawelo recalled of her father’s alert I forgot to tell you — there’s this really funny-looking coral out on the reef.’” “For somebody who’s 80 years old (and) looking in the water his whole life it was pretty easy for him to identify that it’s not normal,” Kawelo said The family took photos of the coral and sent them to nearby University of Hawaiʻi researchers.  Eventually, state and federal officials found three species of invasive Montipora coral were situated in an area that doesn’t get a lot of visitors It has fairly shallow waters with exposure to sunlight that’s ideal for growing.  The state Aquatic Resources division won’t divulge the specific spot because they don’t want to tip off others looking to plant coral in the bay but invasive species biologist Boord said the corals were obviously deliberately planted there Small majano anemone were found in the branches of the invasive Montipora Martin said — a sure sign that the coral must have come from an aquarium then monitored the removal site over the following days The affected area is very rugged and layered “Some of these anemones can go unseen very easily,” he added “It’s definitely likely that happened in our first removal.” the state is in a race against time to stop the pesky majano from spawning further Aquarium hobbyists typically use custom wands and scrapers to meticulously scrape off each individual majano anemone in their tanks at home. Even then many have to “basically nuke” their tanks and eliminate everything inside them To do it on a larger scale is even more difficult “You can’t scrape them off,” wildlife disease specialist Thierry Work says you just create more more organisms because all those little pieces become new animals.” a Honolulu-based project leader with the National Wildlife Health Center has pioneered various control techniques for invasive species including methods that douse those organisms with hot water he agrees that chlorination is among the most effective treatments available “One of the big problems with invasive species is everyone throws up their hands Everything’s connected,'” Work said “We were just trying to break that paradigm.” Kāneʻohe isn’t the only area on Oʻahu affected by majano It’s been found in Pearl Harbor in an area that Martin said is not far from Navy housing and a publicly accessible waterfront area The majano likely got there via an illegal aquarium-dump Navy Region Hawaiʻi Conservation Manager Nicole Olmstead said in an email The Navy doesn’t know the extent of the impact there but it has awarded a contract to try to eradicate the anemone from an area around Ford Island Martin said the military will have to spend significant money and devote year-round work to get the job done the state is hoping the anemone doesn’t hitch a ride to yet another part of the island The state needs reach out more to fishers and other people who use the bay about the majano situation because they are “the eyes and ears of the resource — of the ‘āina (land) and kai (sea) and it makes all the sense in the world” to partner with them to monitor for any new appearances.  But fishers and others using the bay could also risk cross-contaminating other parts of the island with the wily anemone which means DAR hopes people will steer clear of the contamination area.  “Ideally it would be quarantined but that’s not necessarily something that we can do just go put this barrier up,” Boord said Civil Beat’s coverage of climate change is supported by The Healy Foundation Marisla Fund of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation and the Frost Family Foundation.  a previous version of this story misstated how the invasive species likely spread in Kāneʻohe Bay in 2020 Unfortunately, being named a finalist for a Pulitzer prize doesn’t make us immune to financial pressures. The fact is, our revenue hasn’t kept pace with our need to grow, and we need your help Civil Beat is a nonprofit, reader-supported newsroom based in Hawaiʻi. We’re looking to build a more resilient, diverse and deeply impactful media landscape, and we hope you’ll help by supporting our essential journalism Marcel Honoré is a reporter for Civil Beat. You can email him at mhonore@civilbeat.org Thomas Heaton is a reporter for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at theaton@civilbeat.org or follow him on Twitter at @thomasheaton__ Civil Beat has been named the best overall news site in Hawaii for the 14th year in a row by the Society of Professional Journalists Hawaii Chapter Thanks to Jared for the Casa Majanos update: “Casa Majanos has opened at 11th and P NW.” “Majanos is the last name of the owners of local fav Benito’s place right next door – must be a new venture!” Check out their menu here Kevin's Coffee Shop is part of a vanishing genre of tiny breakfast cafes with its charming mismatched furniture and prices that look like they haven't changed since the late '90s That's around the time when Kang "Kevin" Lee took over the luncheonette located on an industrial thruway in the South Shore town of Oceanside (It's not to be confused with Demi's Place a similar-looking "coffee shop" a couple of miles away in Island Park.)  The cash-only spot still managed to draw a crowd last week when Lee worked his final shift announcing his retirement after 26 years at the coffee shop But good news for the community and Long Island history buffs: The business will remain open under new owners and a new name The former Kevin's Coffee Shop in Oceanside is now FAN Coffee Shop who now owns the business with her husband has worked her way up through the service industry for more than a decade at chains like McDonald's who works as an endoscopy technician at Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital in Oceanside originally visited Kevin's after a fishing trip with one of his co-workers Impressed with the home fries and the low prices he returned for another visit with Majano and she pressured him to talk to Lee about selling the business Lee was getting ready to retire and already had several inquiries He ultimately chose Majano and Argueta because they told him they wouldn't change much about the restaurant 'You two remind me of me and my wife when I started the business," Argueta said By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy egg and cheese on a kaiser roll with a side of home fries for $6 Majano worked at the coffee shop with Lee for more than a month learning all the recipes including the signature Kevin Special egg and cheese on a kaiser roll with home fries for — gasp — $6 the letter board menu on the wall seemed notably unchanged with breakfast and lunch dishes like an $8 burger deluxe meal $8 omelets and a grilled cheese sandwich for $4 The sign advertises that "all platters come with potato and bread The only notable change seems to be a plastic tub on the counter with Central American muffins and bagged pastries Majano plans to add a couple of dishes from her native El Salvador in the future empanadas and creamy sweet atole de Avena oatmeal Everyone who streamed through the under-the-radar spot on a recent afternoon seemed to know each other which made the place seem like a window into a different time "Hopefully we can be here for many years to serve the community," Argueta said FAN Coffee Shop, 3207 Lawson Blvd., Oceanside, 516-536-1444, facebook.com/fancoffeeshop The Newsday app makes it easier to access content without having to log in Unlimited Digital AccessOnly 25¢for 6 months one curiosity lingered as I waited for U.S I’ve been writing for City Pulse since the paper started — more than 17 years I was brought on board to write about music By now I’ve written about everything from ants to skyscrapers and met more fascinating and wonderful people than I can count is technology that attempts to simulate human cognitive function AI has made its way into the software development space in a number of ways Visit the AI article list to expand your AI knowledge Learn More Observability is a way for development teams in an organization to view their program state Failing to provide developers with insight into their tools and processes could lead to unaddressed bugs and even system failures Read about the latest observability content here Learn More the CI/CD 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The Dynamic JVM language world – especially the CFML language – has been static for some time A big change is afoot with the creation of BoxLang and SD Times recently had the opportunity to speak with Luis Majano which has brought BoxLang – currently in an open beta that will end next fall – into the world SD Times: The software development industry has been waiting for a more modern approach in JVM languages and BoxLang certainly fits that description Luis Majano: Developers have had to settle for the status quo for too long We’ve been spectators for long enough It is here to empower us and give us the tools to create the future We have created open-source libraries and frameworks for over 18 years These libraries and frameworks have mostly been targeted at the ColdFusion/CFML ecosystems and powering thousands of clients across the globe etc) to multi-million dollar companies (L’Oreal etc.) and thousands of higher education colleges and universities We manage the most widely used frameworks for Model View Controller (MVC) and hundreds of libraries that power developers and applications worldwide pushing forward all the ideas of the tools and libraries we want to create and further servicing our clients with their ever-changing needs we needed one further step in the development process: controlling the language of execution To accomplish the vision the engineering team has in mind for all the libraries we needed a modern take on a dynamic language that we could spearhead and evolve at our pace and not only for the ColdFusion/CFML ecosystems anymore SD Times: BoxLang promises superior extensibility What makes you so confident in these claims Luis Majano: BoxLang is built on a solid modular foundation leveraging the power of the JVM’s InvokeDynamic features and pretty much every modern JDK construct This translates to blazing-fast performance We are extremely strict with the dependencies we rely on and we have accomplished a feature-rich extensible language in < 6 MB at its core We have been building frameworks for the past 18 years which has prepared us for choosing the right architecture and design facets that we know work at an enterprise and mission-critical level We’re not just making empty promises; we’re developers ourselves and we understand the needs of the community That’s why we offer world-class support not just through subscriptions but also through a dedicated community for more than 18 years now We don’t want a cut of your success; we want to see you thrive We offer a community version which will always be FREE and open source and two subscription-based models: BoxLang+ and BoxLang++ SD Times: You say BoxLang is built for rebels – developers who want the best and want it now – but what exactly is it and highly modular language that runs on various runtimes From native OS binaries to web servers and even cloud lambdas BoxLang can handle it all thanks to its multi-runtime architecture But it’s not just about versatility; it’s about empowerment BoxLang combines the best aspects of languages like Java expressive syntax that makes development a breeze All that influence has been poured over BoxLang SD Times: You mentioned BoxLang’s modularity Luis Majano: BoxLang is all about customization and flexibility We built the language with the understanding that developers crave control BoxLang modules allow you to extend the language’s core functionality It’s also the first language to have an event-driven architecture at its core This means that there are tons of events being fired on key specific points of the language where developers can listen in and extend the language Luis Majano: BoxLang is more than just a language; it’s a movement It’s a call to arms for developers who are tired of limitations We’re building a future where creativity thrives and developers have the power to make their dreams a reality We are not funded by anyone except ourselves We are not doing this to make us rich and famous We are doing this to bring life and take control of our own destiny as developers We are tired of letting big tech dictate how we should create and use the languages that bring livelihood to all of us SD Times: We’ve heard much about BoxLang’s revolutionary spirit What are some key features that set BoxLang apart making code highly readable and promoting developer productivity Anything can be listened to and intercepted so you can do meta-programming on any object or extend the language You can extend the language with packaged modules that have their own encapsulated class loaders BoxLang has an enterprise Caching Engine built in: BxCache This engine can store data in many object stores so anybody can build Cache Providers and talk to anything that can store data Built-in task scheduling and scheduled tasks: the human way BoxLang provides developers with an easy and fluent way to define portable and source-controlled task scheduling You can even create cron tasks via BoxLang The list is quite big, so I’ll stop there, but you can find much more information on our websites (https://www.boxlang.io and https://try.boxlang.io) and FAQ SD Times: You mentioned BoxLang’s modularity earlier Can you provide some concrete examples of how developers can leverage this feature Imagine you’re building a web application and need a specific functionality that isn’t built-in or even modify existing classes to achieve your desired behavior This extends the language’s capabilities and empowers you to tailor it to your needs You can create a module to talk to Elastic Search another one to connect to Sentry natively for error logging anytime the language throws an exception connect to Spring for dependency injection by listening to object creation events and so much more SD Times: What about developers new to BoxLang or coming from other languages Luis Majano: We understand the learning curve of adopting a new language That’s why we offer a comprehensive ecosystem of tools and resources Our Visual Studio Code extension provides syntax highlighting making development intuitive and efficient BoxLang+ subscribers gain access to even more advanced tools including enhanced debuggers and language transformers with BoxLang being a relatively new language how can developers be assured of its stability and future development it’s built upon a solid foundation of over 18 years of experience in software development specifically within the CFML/ColdFusion/Java realm Our team has a proven track record of building successful applications and we’re committed to continuously improving and expanding BoxLang the open-source nature of the project fosters community involvement and collaboration ensuring its long-term growth and sustainability This is the main difference with new languages Subscribe Edible Monterey Bay 2023 – The story around Soif and its future has had so many moving parts it was like dumping a large pot of spaghetti into a very small colander But it appears the effort by Santos Majano and Lejla Borovac to secure investment in their proposed restaurant concept has borne fruit. The two are in escrow on the Soif legacy in Santa Cruz, which means plans for their dream restaurant We were able to secure the additional funding we needed Close of escrow is end of July and we are hoping to open early October.” That sounds like a win And it’s been confirmed that the new incarnation of Soif Wine Bar (a separate business) will be headed to its next destination as of August 1 The new location of Soif Wine Bar for owners Alexis Carr and Dede Eckhardt is something of an open secret in downtown Santa Cruz and a beloved local spot but we are sworn to secrecy until the proprietors are ready to announce their next moves Suffice it to say the agenda will be full for all parties.   The journey for Majano takes him full circle: back to the place that launched his culinary career in Santa Cruz has amazing training and has truly worked his way up When he was working in the kitchen at Soif he was so honorable about it and he explained everything to me Then he started the experience at Discretion He needs a bigger palette: he needs a bigger place and kitchen Boyle was adamant about her belief in Santos who she says has been approached by many restaurants wanting to hire him Hook & Line’s seafood-driven concept will be focused on sustainability “We want it to be an approachable neighborhood gathering spot a place where you can bring the kids and feel comfortable,” Borovac told us and we are planning a full refresh without breaking the bank!” Hook & Line will have a completely different look: modern and bright The bar area will be more integrated with the restaurant area They plan an outside parklet that will add an additional 15 seats when complete The bar will emphasize a few craft cocktails and will focus on smaller artisanal producers and not strive to carry all the major brands The Hook & Line wine list will be very focused on small and artisanal wineries featuring examples from coastal regions all over the world There will be an emphasis on low intervention wines chef Amelia Telč of Brutta has started a residency at Soif for the next few weeks serving up dinner items from 5pm to 9pm on Tuesdays columnist and judge who contributes regularly to Edible Monterey Bay Los Gatos Magazine and Wine Industry Network Her passion is telling stories about the intriguing characters who inhabit the fascinating world of wine and food Digital EditionText Edition our mission is to celebrate the local food cultures of Santa Cruz and that everyone has a right to healthful We think knowing where our food comes from is a powerful thing website and events will inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers EMB is one of 80+ magazines in the award-winning and beloved Edible Communities family We hope you enjoy all that we have to offer « Back This week on The Trip podcast: artist Vero Majano talks San Fransicso’s shifting Mission District “I’m glad you guys are still here…” If there was a motto for the old Mission District a little nod of solidarity for the Mission District of auto body shops and the Bi-Rite Market and taquerias like La Cumbre where Carlos Santana washed dishes and pressed tortillas long before you could amble down to Lazy Bear and have a $300 communal meal anchored by Miyazaki ribeye and natural wines When I went to live with my father from middle school I was mostly on the west side of San Francisco trapped under a heavy layer of fog with a bunch of Chinese and Russians and Jews But even from there you knew that the Mission was the heart of San Francisco It had that big old Mission building that gave San Francisco its name Santana once called the Mission District a jukebox that there was a constant open-air soundtrack of music from car San Francisco is America’s perennial boomtown and the newcomers forget every damn time that this was a mestizo city from the start that the Latino immigrants who find safe harbor in the Mission are part of a much older bloodline My goal in the next few episodes is simple: I want to see if those guys are still there, to see if the jukebox is still playing, if how the latest insidious boom, the rise of the tech bro, has changed this place. I couldn’t start those conversations off in a better spot, with artist and activist Vero Majano. Together with her partner, the photographer Kari Orvik she’s part of one of my favorite indie artist power-couples ready to remember and defend and correct and clarify We recorded this episode before the El Paso Massacre or the Mississippi raids or whatever godawful shit happened last night but you’ll recognize the themes of persecution in her work about Los Siete seven Latino boys railroaded for the killing of a San Francisco police officer in the 1969 you’ll also hear in this conversation that Vero has a far less combative view of change and cultural conflict that even I do There’s a kind of grace in the way she handles the shifting streets of the Mission which is sort of humbling and extraordinary Here is an edited and condensed transcript from my conversation with Vero. You can listen to the full episode, for free, on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify I haven’t drunk a lot of beers that have been signed to the person who opened it It’s the brewery here in the Bay area he did the artwork for this Dolores Huerta special edition beer and the proceeds go to her foundation So that’s the guy who signed this can… Revolutionary writer Alejandro Murguía emerged from San Francisco’s famously eclectic—and rapidly gentrifying—neighborhood to become the city’s first Latino poet laureate San Francisco native Lincoln Mitchell writes about the western reaches of the city in which he grew up the Mission burrito is American to its core Majano: Josué Rojas We’re not going to recycle that bottle it’s got a little crystal outline shape and then a just like this fantastic painting of Dolores Huerta Josué Rojas is an artist born and raised here so I thought it’d be cool since we’re talking about the Mission Majano: There’s still a couple of us around and then the Mission homie artists like myself are around I feel like if you’ve been here in San Francisco more than 20 years Thornburgh: It’s like a Venn diagram of endangered species It’s Mission locals and then artists in San Francisco The economy is coming for you from both directions I feel sometimes that a lot of cab drivers are OGs that have been around here for a long time the other place where I grew up—they’ll give you a local’s card and you can use it just because all the prices are so jacked up This was a thing when I came back for my high school reunion The only people who were still living in San Francisco were in their parents’ homes There’s this ocean of memory and art that people just don’t know about when it comes to San Francisco I went to a little high school in the southwest They can’t afford to live here anymore Let’s get right into that, because I think the reason I’m doing these episodes [on] San Francisco and the Mission is knowing you, and following you, and having been so excited about what you’ve been up to, and the stuff I’ve been seeing from afar, particularly with Remember Los Siete It just reminded me that there’s this ocean of memory and art that you are working with that people just don’t know about when it comes to San Francisco I saw clips of him going off that you used in your show Majano: And it was great. It’s so powerful, and I actually knew about Charles Garry through other things—there’s a documentary about him, and he was called the people’s lawyer and luckily the 50-year anniversary was coming up and that was kind of like the Thornburgh: Los Siete were these were kids who were arrested people said they’d killed a white cop The charges were super-thin and they were ultimately acquitted but as the people’s lawyer was saying in that clip they’d spent over 1,000 days in jail collectively That just the whole set-up was so outrageous that that was finally a breaking point for this neighborhood and they were all raising their little red Mao books standing by one of the police motorcycles and she heard the announcement that the cops were looking for these people So I think that incident was an important marker for a lot of folks to continue to organize Thornburgh: Was it the sense that these were political arrests or was it just a symptom of the systemic racism where they would just frame up any Central American kids and say that they had done this San Francisco doesn’t have a good reputation with police officers and people of color The only story is that there is justice for the young boys who were accused of the crime it became political how to talk to the community about freeing these boys the parents had their ideas of what the Black Panthers were And other organizations were trying to figure out Until they started flyering images of the young boys—in English and in Spanish—This could be your son So that’s when a lot of parents started to organize Thornburgh: Your [project] was toward the end of a month of programming and exhibitions and different people having a say about the 50th anniversary Majano: I wanted to make sure my expression of the story of Los Siete through my lens as an artist But I also wanted to make sure that people got other hits of it Some of the people are more interested in the actual facts There was an art exhibition with Yolanda Lopez and Fernando Martin Majano: So I was really excited about that People were just going around on bikes and telling this is what happened here but actually what other organizations were inspired from that incident so you could visit storefronts and different activists’ shops or something all in the Mission today and still see them all as an echo of what happened back then and I think some people learn and gather information differently I think site-specific space is really important for people Trouble has come for this neighborhood in so many different ways over the years Thornburgh: It does sound a lot to me like the Central Park Five or something—just this seminal and obviously it worked out a little differently It took a lot longer for the Central Park Five Sometimes it takes a single moment to get people to realize their collective strength or something it’s almost like that was the beginning of the organizing but certainly that was not the end of the trouble and it really feels like it’s here now I definitely want to ask you about that stuff and what’s happening these days is making these moments that we remember what [the Mission] was Thornburgh: Were your parents also from here Thornburgh: I think you’ve had some breaks but I’ve been pretty much here my whole life Everybody found out about the secret of San Francisco It’s got this ridiculous blue sky… but I think I can see I’m getting old here right now Thornburgh: One of the things that I find remarkable and generous about the way that you reach across the aisle with some of the work and are not presenting a kind of harder front If people want to hear your stories and get into it who are newcomers like you’re welcoming them into your art it’s remarkable because having known you for 15 years since you started dating Kari Orvik I’ve been with you guys and seen from the outside—the rental instability You guys are both artists in San Francisco It’s really intense just to maintain a threshold and I would see for myself a deep bitterness Sometimes starting Thursday nights is not a good time to be out in the Mission on the streets because you can get really upset and judgmental and just pissed Thornburgh: Because it’s all the rich kids out there playing I’m not going to say I haven’t been there and I have been [serving] with the community that’s experiencing homelessness and trauma for more than 20 years So I work with some of the really poorest people in San Francisco So I think that sometimes I measure my own privilege I used to work somewhere where people would get in line really early in the morning just to get a cup of coffee but it’s just a different experience That’s one thing I don’t like about San Francisco People be standing in line for all kinds of stuff it’s like everybody’s standing in line for coffee I feel like that’s one thing I don’t like about San Francisco Thornburgh: So how would you describe the Mission in a couple of sentences and it’s always warmer than any other place in San Francisco I would describe the way the light falls in here in the Mission is really beautiful I think that that’s really beautiful I think also people respond to—because there is a Latino flavor here because it was one of the poorest places to live so this is one of the places that people could rent spaces and it was also an industry then of a lot of companies like huge laundromats for restaurants It was working-class at one time for mostly white folks It wasn’t like what’s happening now with Latinos the folks that were here that were non-Latinos and then Latinos moving in at the same time Thornburgh: Is there any sense of pride? Because I totally hear what you’re saying about having created what was one of the poorest neighborhoods in San Francisco, and then having made something that is really fucking attractive from El Farolito to whatever Majano: People come to just check out Dolores Park. That blows my mind. I mean, it’s a different park from when we were kids, and people now have the little maps or books to go to El Farolito [taqueria.] But even before that, we just had Carnaval and it’s just amazing There’s just these moments where nothing’s changed you’re going to have a bunch of low riders cruising up and down This totally reminds me of back in the day So there’s these moments where we just celebrated and were in it they travel from the East Bay area or even farther just to come to get a hit of that they’re going to live in the far East Bay or other parts this is where all the low riders come back A lot of them probably don’t live here but they’ll do the caravan up and down I think it’s very special that that still can exist You can listen to the full episode, for free, on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Join our newsletter to get exclusives on where our correspondents travel The star of The Last Magnificent on life at the beach To shamefully paraphrase someone I have no business paraphrasing one could say that all good Schnitzels are alike but bad Schnitzels are bad in their own way Pumpkin Plus transforms rural lives through the innovative technology of growing crops on sandbars They are a finalist for the 2024 Food Planet Prize May 23, 2023 – By now, you’ve seen Patrice Boyle’s letter reprinted here in Edible Monterey Bay, and sent out to the Soif mailing list on behalf of chef Santos Majano and his business partner Lejla Borovac.  Boyle is a whole hearted supporter of their plan to take over the space that was Soif and tells us they had most of their funding lined up until two separate investors dropped out due to personal reasons unrelated to the concept.  “Santos and Lejla Borovac want to take over the restaurant space and they have a great concept and are well-organized,” Boyle tells us “They have a number of investors and committed funds including at Cyrus in Healdsburg.   she’s plenty busy with La Posta and still loves it despite all the turmoil of the pandemic: in fact it has endeared her more to her loyal staff and customer base.  Boyle had not intended to have a restaurant at all “My initial concept was simply a wine shop and a little wine bar The restaurant kind of happened because of city requirements,” she says or had the experience of wonder and satisfaction that comes from creating a space where people find joy comfort and sustenance: a space where servers can share their passion for hospitality and where everyone in the kitchen can engage in the sacred process of feeding people On a recent evening on the La Posta restaurant floor she says she took a minute and was just watching people conversing and enjoying themselves.  “Eating is a basic human function,” she observes I have been thunderstruck that people trusted me and that I had this heavy responsibility.  It all has to be great: you have to be vertically integrated in every aspect from how we source and the ethics of it all You cannot deliver this product if it’s not fully integrated Boyle regrets that the costs of opening a new place in Santa Cruz are so egregious that they are stifling attempts by young entrepreneurs She blames in part the largely absentee landlord class that has owned property for decades and would rather see a space vacant than lower the rent The other part of the problem is the fact that too many people who don’t even know the area are involved in the planning process.  “I know at least six or seven projects that are in the works from soup to nuts:  all different kinds of projects and all involve food and wine service people,” says Boyle “If we want a more exciting food scene in this town we need to reward the innovators,” says Boyle “These are the young people who are building the future you cannot afford to do anything innovative when your build out costs you at least one million dollars unless you are being backed by someone who doesn’t care about getting a return on their money.” Boyle is adamant about her belief in Santos His business partner—who has a hospitality background and has worked front of house in restaurants in San Francisco and New York City—has a great vision for what they can accomplish together Lejla Borovac tells us they are planning a seafood-driven concept that is focused on sustainability a place where you can bring the kids and feel comfortable.” and we have the branding all done,” she says Hook & Line will have a completely different look and experience from Soif The bar area will be more integrated with the restaurant area and include additional seats They plan an outside parklet that will add another 15 seats when complete.  The wine list will follow the cocktail approach and will be very focused on small and artisanal “We have had some new interest from the newsletter going out which is exciting and we are talking to a few new people!” she says.  “I am one of their committed investors myself,” says Boyle.  “I have put my money where my mouth is because I really believe in Santos and I believe that young people in Santa Cruz have a really hard time unless they are wealthy I see what Alexis (Carr) and Dede (Eckhardt) are going through (at Soif Wine Bar) They have created an amazing thing: a great community of food and wine professionals that spans a wide age range We need more of those kinds of spaces where all sorts of people want to come in This is what creates community and builds understanding among all groups and ages.” Boyle reminds us that restaurants are really important places where people can go and have encounters with their fellow citizens and engage in dialogue “The community needs places to meet,” says Boyle “They help describe the character of the community and they are important community members themselves.” into a place that not only makes its inhabitants proud and committed to one another And why Santos and Lejla came here in the first place.  Get more information here. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page September 29, 2020 – Talented Santa Cruz chef Santos Majano will leave his restaurant The Kitchen at Discretion at the end of January and owners of the Soquel brewery where it is located are searching for someone to replace him “I just realized I need to spend more time with my family especially with homeschooling our son who is almost seven,” Majano said adding he is keeping an open mind about the future but after more than six years here he just wants to do something different and we are excited to see what the next steps will be,” said Rob Genco who owns Discretion Brewing with his wife Kathleen The brewery posted the news on social media late last week and started searching for a new food provider which is currently a requirement for breweries to remain open under COVID-19 restrictions “We have a very rich palette of culinary talent here in Santa Cruz and have already had some interest in the space,” Genco said but you have to stay positive and hopeful about the future.” Majano swears he has no future plans and just wants to “take it easy” for awhile He also said the pandemic was not to blame for his decision but we have been blessed and lucky that we have been able to do well People in Santa Cruz are being very supportive of local restaurants and we are managing to navigate these difficult times.” that he and his wife Laura—a full-time wine rep—have had to rely on friends to take care of their son Mateo as schools are currently closed right now I just want to take the time I need,” Majano said I’ll sit down and try to figure out what’s next.” Before opening his own restaurant inside the brewery Majano was executive chef at Soif in downtown Santa Cruz and he has also worked at upscale restaurants including the two-Michelin-starred Cyrus in Healdsburg. His superb food has been a major draw for the brewery often mixing high brow and popular flavors like quail and waffles “I’m keeping an open mind,” he added “I’m an adventurous person and want something new who knows I might work on a farm or a fishing boat The Kitchen at Discretion is currently open for take-out and outdoor dining in the beer garden Wednesdays – Mondays from noon to 7PM and you have a few more months to enjoy its very special cuisine Deborah Luhrman is publisher and editor of Edible Monterey Bay but now prefers covering our flourishing local food scene and growing her own vegetables in the Santa Cruz Mountains Artist and cultural worker Vero Majano stands by a fence emblazoned with tags from the late graffiti artist ORFN along… Mission-born and raised artist Vero Majano remembers hearing about Los Siete the seven Central American men who were wrongfully accused of shooting a white San Francisco police officer in 1969 a conversation that would happen around adults,” remembered Majano “I was fascinated by the sound of it…Los Siete.” “Remember Los Siete,” combines found footage spoken word and live music to create a unique take on the Mission’s Latino and working class history I saw a short preview of the work in progress during the 2015 San Francisco International Film Festival and it is an unforgettable meditation on mercy “I listened to a recording of that performance and the point at which people see the footage of Mission Street you can hear a collective gasp,” said Majano “That feedback means we’re connecting.” she said revising and rehearsing “Remember Los Siete,” Majano had plenty of opportunity to see the symbiotic relationship at work between the artist and audience “Remember Los Siete,” was found on the street as graffiti It also is the title of a calendar of events scheduled to commemorate 50 years since the shooting sparked a movement in her neighborhood “Los Siete is one of the anchors of the historical events that define The Mission,” said Greg Landau He was a 14-year-old at Mission High when the Los Siete Defense Committee mobilized to seek justice against police brutality and the wrongful incarceration of the men “A lot of people mistake the Mission’s artistic explosion for something that happened in the ‘90s but it was in the ‘70s that a unique cultural community emerged and Los Siete is an emblem for that community and culture,” said Landau pamphlets publications and murals; the iconography much of it initiated by pioneering Latina Yolanda Lopez is associated with the tradition of community building and resistance A lot of people have heard of the situation but they don’t know the details,” said Majano and Nelson Rodriguez were suspected of robbery A scuffle with two policemen ensued and resulted in the killing of officer Joe Brodnik six of the men surrendered and were apprehended (a seventh man After a trial that lasted 18 months in which the defense said Brodnik’s police partner shot him accidentally and the prosecution argued that one of the men grabbed the partner’s gun “I thought I was going to do a documentary about Los Siete but found out really quickly that isn’t my voice and came up against a bunch of walls I put the film down for awhile and started doing storytelling,” said Majano “Calle Chula,” concerned the first wave of gentrification in the late 1990s and was funded by a grant from the Film Arts Foundation She honed her storytelling craft performing in the Porchlight series and supported herself working at the Mission Neighborhood Resource Center For The Homeless “We’re living in post-gentrification times,” said Majano Majano’s art is informed by her experience: growing up as the child of immigrants from El Salvador navigating life as a young and queer Latina and working as a homeless community advocate “Someone’s grandparent probably owned a home and they didn’t catch up with paying the mortgage It only takes that to happen and you’re on the street,” she said “Or maybe you’re experiencing body trauma and you’re self-medicating.” The strike — the fourth since the start of the school year — followed months of fruitless contract negotiations and complaints about longstanding understaffing Supervisors launched a process that could end with added protections for dozens of neighborhood domiciles The City aims to encourage owners of certain vulnerable structures to carry out retrofits She spoke of the other indignities endured by the homeless population including police harassment of those in the community who were formerly incarcerated “I’ve worked with men who grew up with some of the Los Siete guys Some of them eventually had to leave the country,” she said Her insights are drawn from conversations with people whose trust she’s earned You gotta be cool because everything comes around.” not only does everything eventually come around The market has been a restaurant for some years now maybe that was Lucca where they wore the hats,” she said But she’s right about my uncle and his aprons: They were green “Things have changed but nature stays the same…for now Like the way the light falls on 24th Street,” she said if you could live anywhere…and I say here,” she said Denise Sullivan is an author, cultural worker and editor of “Your Golden Sun Still Shines: San Francisco Personal Histories & Small Fictions.” Follow her at www.denisesullivan.com and on Twitter @4DeniseSullivan She is a guest columnist and her point of view is not necessarily that of The Examiner Tickets: $30 Brava.org Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Ben Pimentel’s new weekly newsletter covering the biggest technology stories in San Francisco Receive our newspaper electronically with the e-edition email Receive occasional local offers from our website and its advertisers Sneak peek of the Examiner real estate section We'll send breaking news and news alerts to you as they happen Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account By Aria JonesSouthern Dallas reporter Josue Majano Hernandez, 21, was booked into the Dallas County jail Saturday on a murder charge in the slaying of 73-year-old Alvaro Sosa His attorney declined to comment on the case Friday to a shooting call in the 10600 block of Coogan Drive Majano fired multiple rounds from a handgun in the direction of Sosa’s home before fleeing in his red Dodge pickup Crime in The NewsRead the crime and public safety news your neighbors are talking about GoogleFacebookBy signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy Sosa was sitting on his bed when one of the rounds went through a window and hit him in the head Security footage from a neighboring home showed the pickup’s license plate and Majano was driving the truck when police located it and performed a traffic stop A handgun seized from the pickup matched the caliber of shell casings found at the crime scene Majano admitted to driving and shooting out the window of the pickup the night Sosa was killed The document does not say whether he told police why he was firing at the house She previously reported on breaking news and is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and Dallas College Aria has interned at the Austin American-Statesman 2024 – Thursday marks a triumphant comeback for chef Santos Majano who opens an exciting new seafood restaurant and oyster bar called Hook & Line in downtown Santa Cruz in the same space where he used to helm the kitchen at Soif Wine Bar Majano and business partner Lejla Borovac have been working for the past two years to open the Walnut Avenue restaurant.  “I’m so happy to see this place come to life full of people eating and drinking,” he beamed during a sneak peek for friends and family Monday night.  The space has been reimagined and opened up by removing an interior wall and building a long rectangular bar with ample seating on both sides sailor ropes on the walls and gorgeous hanging lights was selected with the assistance of Suna Lock of Stripe Design The chef himself designed a custom-built oyster shucking station because oysters play a big role in his restaurant concept “I’m the one who suggested that Soif start its Monday oyster nights and we could never order enough,” he recalls Hook & Line features three types of oysters—Miyagi from Tomales Bay Kumamoto from Humboldt Bay and Hood Canal from Washington State—served with house fermented hot sauce plans call for a nightly happy hour with oysters There were plenty of familiar faces in the dining room, including Alexis Carr who is consulting on the wine list. She and Dede Eckhardt (also at the party) are opening a new Soif Wine Bar on Cedar Street Patrick Ferraro—manager at Front & Cooper—is consulting on the menu of creative house cocktails especially to be part of the front of the house,” Majano says The immensely talented chef left Soif in 2014 to open his own business where he continued to develop a loyal following who emailed him about opening a restaurant together in a larger space “We were actually just about to sign papers on a different space when the pandemic happened,” he told us I feel like someone is looking out for me.” Majano was especially excited about an 80-pound halibut that was just brought in by Santa Cruz fisherman Griffin Guess who is supplying fresh seafood and connecting the kitchen with other local fishermen Ocean 2 Table is another local purveyor Majano is working with such as halibut ceviche and kampachi crudo along with exquisite small bites like Manresa brioche topped with cured salmon and crème fraiche or deviled eggs with shallots Plates to share include Tomales Bay mussels with lemongrass fish broth and chili garlic fries as well as fried calamari and uni toast with crème fraiche horseradish Entrées for opening week star that roasted halibut with braised greens and potato skordalia Dungeness crab risotto and whole fried Monterey Bay rockfish slow cooked pork shoulder and a vegetarian dish with Japanese eggplant round out the main courses Hook & Line will be open Thursdays to Mondays from 5pm to 9pm to start and reservations go live today But the owners have big plans for the future followed by weekend brunches and Pop Up events on dark days They have also remodeled the adjoining space plans call for using that space for counter service lunches Hook & Line | 105 Walnut Ave. Santa Cruz | eathookandline.com my apologies for yesterday’s unexcused absence Let’s just say it’s yet another reminder than diabetes sucks And that you don’t want this crap if there’s anything you can do to avoid it the only thing that compares to my excessively high blood sugar is just how low I feel each and every day But at least I’m well enough to write this The LAPD has made an arrest in the case of the heartless coward who ran down a Boyle Heights teenager then got back on his motorcycle and rode off Thirteeen-year old Joshua Mora was crossing Whittier Boulevard in the crosswalk on March 30th when 29-year-old Banning resident Erwin Majano allegedly slammed into him Mora lost his right leg as a result of the impact Majano was being held on $50,000 bond; he was arrested following a tip from the public Which means someone will likely receive the standing $25,000 reward upon conviction The June runoff election to replace disgraced former Councilmember Nury Martinez in CD6 is set environmental policy director and deputy chief of staff to City Councilmember Curren Price Martinez resigned last October when a recording surfaced capturing her making racist and otherwise offensive comments in a conversation with CD14 Councilmember Kevin De León and former CD1 Councilmember Gil Cedillo Both candidates are City Hall insiders. And neither were endorsed by Streets For All, and only Padilla even bothered to respond to the group’s candidate questionnaire — and said nothing about bikes Yet one will be the district’s next councilmember — in part because a shameful 11.4% of eligible voters turned out to determine who will represent the other 88.6% Meanwhile, California State Assemblymember Miguel Santiago will challenge De León in next year’s election after De León resisted loud calls for his resignation https://twitter.com/LADOTofficial/status/1646242189108756480 When it might be slightly inconvenient for a Hollywood film crew to park somewhere else the film industry is important to Los Angeles Note: I removed the name from this tweet since it came from a private account Speaking of Streets For All, they join a busy bike weekend with Saturday’s fundraiser and community bike ride https://twitter.com/streetsforall/status/1645635630632779776 Day One is offering you the chance to try out a GoSGV ebike this weekend — Day One (@Day1DO) April 11, 2023 Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition teams with South Pasadena Active Streets for a feeder ride to 626 Golden Streets a week from Sunday Join us & South Pasadena Active Streets for a feeder ride to #626GoldenStreets on Sunday April 23rd!! Details and RSVP at: https://t.co/aqnyn0HMXR pic.twitter.com/WlKG59GopJ — Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition (@PasadenaCSC) April 12, 2023 The open streets event will feature 6.5 miles of blissfully carfree streets through the Heart of the Foothills A Houston man was shot and killed while riding his bike following an apparent road rage altercation Indicating just how seriously the judge doesn’t take the crime Life is cheap in the UK, where a road raging driver got just 21 months behind bars for brake-checking a bike rider before driving away, leaving his victim sprawled in the roadway with life-changing injuries An Aussie mountain biker suffered a concussion, bruises and a broken thumb when her descent was interrupted by a throttle-controlled ebike rider rapidly riding uphill California’s former Governator takes things into his own hands, and fills a pothole near his home himself. Except it wasn’t a pothole, it was a gas line trench California Walks teamed with the relatives of traffic violence victims to demand passage of a bill that would create a speed cam pilot program in San Francisco This is who we share the road with. Police in Santa Ana are looking for the heartless coward in an older black Cadillac DeVille who flipped an 11-year old boy through the air and kept going without stopping; fortunately Thanks to How The West Was Saved for the heads-up Golden Gate Express says bike messengers are thriving in San Francisco despite operating in the tech capital of the world Popular The War On Cars podcast looks at Hollywood’s negative depictions of bicycles where someone riding one is either depicted as a loser or about to suffer serious misfortune Streetsblog complains that Amtrak’s frustrating patchwork of policies deters bicyclists from using the passenger rail service frustrating their most obvious clientele with policies that allow bikes on one line BMX pro Nigel Sylvester has created a first-of-its-kind hardshell bike case for traveling with a BMX bike Sure, let’s go with that. A Las Vegas woman claims she was carjacked before the alleged drunken hit-and-run that killed a man riding a bicycle arguing that it wasn’t her behind the wheel despite being covered in glass shards from the shattered windshield A Las Vegas bike rider suffered a broken leg when they were struck by a Nevada Highway Patrol officer There’s not a pit in hell deep enough for a Phoenix man who was convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering a young woman and a teenager as they rode their bikes along a canal 30 years ago He gets it. A Utah columnist argues that cities need to prioritize people, not cars Which is exactly what Los Angeles will do on Sunday and four cities in the San Gabriel Valley will do next week This is who we share the road with, too. Horrifying story from Denver, where a man is on trial after pleading insanity in the road rage shooting of a mother and two of her three sons; he allegedly shot her in the back as she tried to protect her kids then moved in for a failed kill shot to the head before fatally shooting her 13-year old son and wounding the 8-year old Kindhearted University of Nebraska–Lincoln engineering students are helping the local Bike Kitchen meet its goal of repairing 1,000 bikes to donate to kids and adults in need Bighearted residents of Seabrook, Texas rallied around a hit-and-run victim who was injured when a driver smashed into her adult tricycle; less than two hours after a volunteer firefighter posted about the crash she had up to five replacement bikes to choose from About damn time. Chicago has installed concrete curbs to protect a bike lane on the Northwest Side where two people were killed riding bikes in recent months No surprise here, as a Michigan study shows SUV drivers cause 55% more injuries to bicyclists than drivers of cars in the event of a collision Uber is funding a program to get ebikes with dangerous non-certified lithium-ion batteries off the streets of New York allowing thousands of delivery riders to trade-in their bikes for newer A DC bike protest called on the World Bank to stop funding fossil fuels Baton Rouge, Louisiana will extend and add lighting to the city’s Mississippi River Levee Path which forms a link in the 3,000-mile-long Mississippi River Bicycle Trail I used to ride that pathway over four decades ago when I first got the little blue Trek I rode for 25 years In yet another example of keeping a dangerous driver on the road until it’s too late, a Florida man has been arrested for the high-speed crash that killed a bike rider A security cam captured him doing 90 mph in a 40 mph zone moments before he slammed into the victim knocking him more than the length of a football field from the point of impact; he has several previous citations for excessive speed including doing 115 mph in a 45 mp zone just a year earlier Yet he was somehow allowed to keep driving until he killed someone Momentum Magazine offers “six fantastic and affordable commuter bikes” for spring riding Cycling Weekly considers how far is too far to commute to work I once met a RAAM competitor who trained by commuting from his home in Steamboat Springs Colorado to his job in Denver and back everyday a distance of 156 miles — even in the winter Forbes says Wednesday’s Bicycle Day, which marks the anniversary of when the inventor of LSD discovered its hallucinogenic properties while riding his bike home from the lab, will soon overtake the next day’s 4-20 as the world’s most important celebration of the psychedelics community An environmental group warned bike riders against using toxic glue containing benzene toluene and other hazardous substances to repair bike tires There’s a special place in hell for whoever stole a Mexican Paralympian’s custom adaptive handcycle from his Playa del Carmen home anyone could tell it’s made for someone with special needs just by looking at it Montreal is using snow clearing and studded bike tires to keep its bikeshare system going year-round A 52-year old Scottish man is on trial for stealing famed stunt cyclist Danny Macaskill’s $10,000 stunt bike in a burglary that netted over $15,000 worth of goods from Macaskill’s home and leaving the victim with a fractured foot and torn ligaments And they wonder why people keep dying on the streets Britain’s Cycling Goalkeeper topped the sports pages after making a last-minute save for Wrexham the lower-tier soccer club saved by Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenne An Irish man is riding across the US to raise funds for charity despite suffering from terminal brain cancer VeloNews has more information on the death of Ukrainian elite and masters road cyclist Kostantin Deneka who was killed by Russian forces while fighting for his country while serving with a special forces unit of the Ukraine defense intelligence There’s no justice in Malaysia, where the woman who killed eight teenagers riding modified bicycles was allowed to walk free after an appeals court voided her conviction and six-year sentence Cyclist remembers “cycling phenomenon” Beryl Burton calling her Britain’s greatest rider and the woman who beat men Indiana University explains what’s new with the school’s iconic Little 500 bike race this year, including dumping Schwinn for State Bicycles; the race was made famous by Breaking Away Once again, if you’re illegally riding a gas-powered bicycle with a suspended driver’s license, put a damn light on it. Or if your bike gets a flat tire, just hop on your trusty steed and ride to school And that feeling when you go from bike racing to shredding in a metal band Chag Pesach Sameach to all observing the final day of Passover And Ramadan Mubarak to all observing the Islamic holy month Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email April 25, 2014 – Come mid-June, Discretion Brewing will further cement its place on the local food landscape with the opening of The Kitchen at Discretion. Santos Majano, who has served as executive chef at Soif for the past five years will helm the new restaurant with the help of his wife A 15-year veteran of the restaurant business Majano has tenures cooking at the two-Michelin-starred Healdsburg restaurant Cyrus and Paso Robles’ Artisan under his belt family-owned brewery on 41st Avenue in Soquel collaborated with chefs from nearby Main Street Garden & Café who dished up a brief menu of locally sourced small plates and pub grub Discretion recently put the call out for bids and received what owner Kathleen Genco describes as “a very detailed and well-thought-out proposal” from the Majanos “We were impressed by everything about them,” she says Laura Majano says the couple—which has been huge fans and regular customers of Discretion since its opening—has long dreamed of launching their own endeavor “It’s hard trying to find a spot where the front of the house would be as passionate and inspired as what you want to do in the back of house,” she tells Edible Monterey Bay bubbling over with excitement about the news “We couldn’t believe that such an ideal opportunity was presenting itself when this came up and philosophy are in line with what we also want to do It’s like finding a perfect marriage,” she adds Compared to Discretion’s past food offerings Genco says the new menu will be “similar only in that [Majano] will source from local farms.” Notably the brewery will continue its relationship with Fogline Farm in Soquel which takes spent grain from the brewery to feed to their animals and provides fresh ingredients when needed She says The Kitchen at Discretion will bring the brewery’s founding vision full circle “Food to enjoy with the beer has always been part of the dream for the Discretion Brewing taproom,” says Genco The one-year-old brewery took home a World Beer Cup gold medal for its “Song in Your Heart” mild ales in April When envisaging the edible direction for the now-popular brewpub Discretion’s owners found inspiration from travels in Sweden and Germany and at Burnside Brewery in Portland “They had a fantastic menu that was just what I wanted to eat with my beer and I’ve had that as inspiration in the back of my mind ever since: beautiful The Majanos are currently testing menu options in their own kitchen “We’re eating very well at home right now,” laughs Laura hinting that the resulting menu will likely include “some classics with a twist.” “Comfort food” is another way they are describing the forthcoming fare But it’s not necessarily going to be conventional comfort food “At our brewery there is no snootiness about the beer,” she says “We try very hard to be welcoming to people at every level of beer appreciation That kind of enjoyment of beer invites accompanying food that is exquisite but not intimidating that’s where the ‘comfort food’ element comes in Perhaps it’s the spirit with which the food is made and the mood in which it’s shared that helps to make it a comfort.” Santos Majano grew up in a farming family in El Salvador and has carried a farm-to-fork sensibility with him since Laura says he has forged meaningful connections with local farmers during his time at Soif It will be hard for the Majanos to say goodbye to Soif which has been very supportive and where Santos has been very happy “We are especially pleased to see a Soif alumnus moving out in the world Laura and baby Mathew will always be part of the Soif family,” read a Soif newsletter Owner Patrice Boyle says to expect an announcement about the next executive chef soon Elizabeth Limbach is an award-winning journalist living in Santa Cruz health and the environment to be the most intriguing realms to write about the San Diego native has lived in Santa Cruz for a decade Thanks to Jacob for sending: “know anything about the sign for a Tex-Mex place that just went up on the corner of 11th and P? Been vacant since the carry out closed a while ago.” Update from a reader: “Majanos is the last name of the owners of local fav Benito’s place right next door – must be a new venture!” Armando J. Majano is accused of shooting 18-year-old Anthony Hernandez to death on a West Valley City street Saturday. A 29-year-old man has been sentenced to prison for up to life for his part in the death of a rival gang member during a 2013 drive-by shooting in West Valley City. Ricardo Antonio Padilla was one of six men arrested and charged with murder, obstruction of justice and weapons counts in connection with the death of 18-year-old Anthony Hernandez on July 27, 2013. Padilla was convicted by a 3rd District Court jury in January of gang-enhanced first-degree felony counts of felony discharge of a firearm and obstructing justice. During sentencing last week, Padilla was sentenced to 10 years to life on the firearm count and five years to life for the obstructing count. Judge James Blanch ordered the two terms to run concurrently. Earlier this year, 21-year-old Armando Jose Majano, was sentenced to 15 years to life after pleading guilty in October to one count of first-degree-felony murder and admitting he fired a gun multiple times at Hernandez. Court and jail documents say Majano and the others — whom police believe knew of the plan to kill Hernandez — were riding in a pair of SUVs when they spotted Hernandez walking near 3100 South and 4300 West with friends. The vehicle Majano was riding in stopped, and he and Hernandez exchanged words. When Hernandez approached the SUV, Majano pulled out a handgun and shot him several times, jail documents say. During Majano's sentencing, defense attorney Scott Wilson told the judge that his client was "jumped in" to a gang just months before the fatal shooting, and said he fired the gun in a panic after Hernandez allegedly made gang signs with his hands and ran toward the car where Majano was sitting. Wilson said Majano squeezed his eyes shut and pulled the trigger over and over until the loud bangs hurt his ears too much. "The victim ran at the defendant," Wilson said. "It made him panic and fire that gun out of that panic." Hernandez was struck four times by the bullets and later died. Also charged were Alejandro Argumendo, 23; and Jose Carlos Salazar, 21; Diego Armando Monfeda, 23; and Juan Eduardo Cruz, 22. Argumendo and Salazar are scheduled for trial in June. Monfedo pleaded guilty in 2014 to second-degree felony obstructing justice and was sentenced to probation and given credit for having spent a year in jail. The charges against Cruz were dismissed in February. Alejandro Argumendo is accused of shooting 18-year-old Anthony Hernandez to death on a West Valley City street Saturday. Jose C. Salazar is accused of shooting 18-year-old Anthony Hernandez to death on a West Valley City street Saturday. Juan E. Cruz is accused of shooting 18-year-old Anthony Hernandez to death on a West Valley City street Saturday. For e-edition questions or comments, contact customer support 801-237-2900 or email subscribe@sltrib.com sltrib.com © 1996-2025 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. A 21-year-old West Jordan man admitted in court Friday to the fatal gang-related shooting of another man two years ago in West Valley City. Armando Jose Majano pleaded guilty in 3rd District Court to first-degree felony murder for the July 27, 2013, shooting of 18-year-old Anthony Hernandez. In exchange for his plea, a third-degree felony firearms charge was dismissed. Majano faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced Jan. 15 by Judge James Blanch. Majano — the admitted triggerman — was one of six people charged in connection with planning the murder of rival gang member Hernandez, according to charging documents. Also charged in connection with the shooting were: Jose Carlos Salazar, Alejandro Argumendo, Ricardo Antonio Padilla, Diego Armando Monfeda and Juan Eduardo Cruz. The group drove in two vehicles to Hernandez' home near 3100 South and 4300 West, where Salazar saw Hernandez and pointed him out to Majano, according to charging documents. Majano called out to Hernandez, and when the man walked over, Majano shot him four times, charges state. The group then fled to Padilla's home, where Padilla promised to dispose of the gun, which has not been found, according to charges. Argumendo, 23, Padilla, 29, and Salazar, 21 — are each charged with murder, felony discharge of a firearm and obstructing justice, all first-degree felonies. All three are scheduled for trial set for Jan. 11. Cruz, 21, who is charged only with first-degree felony obstructing justice, has a scheduling hearing on Jan. 29. Monfeda, 22, pleaded guilty last year to a reduced second-degree felony count of obstructing justice and was sentenced to probation and a year in jail. sltrib.com © 1996-2025 The Salt Lake Tribune The Daily Journal search functionality is currently unavailable We will have this back up as soon as possible The law initially capped annual earnings a home kitchen operator could earn at $50,000 there was a stipulation that no more than 30 meals per day and 60 meals per week could be prepared That changed in July when AB 1325 was adopted and raised the annual earnings cap to $100,000 and the number of weekly meals to 90 Yanira Majano's recipes for homemade pupusas have generated business for her family dating back to her mother's restaurant in El Salvador to her own home kitchen in San Diego where she sells meals directly to customers A resident of the Rancho Peñasquitos neighborhood Majano prepares the Central American nation's national dish composed of gluten-free corn flour tortillas stuffed with fresh vegetables "Pupusas are typically served with curtido and red salsa," she said "Curtido is a cabbage slaw marinated with apple cider vinegar and fresh herbs." And also like a restaurant in a commercially-zoned area diners can visit her private home and take orders to go ranging from El Savadorian food to Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches Majano is one of about 300 Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations (MEHKO) throughout California which allowed counties to opt in by permitting residents to open home restaurants upon satisfying food safety licensing State law stipulates that a MEHKO can operate out of a residential building some home kitchens are allowed to host dine-in customers a lawyer and executive director for the Cook Alliance advocated for the bills and works to provide aspiring home cook operators with resources to get up and running She said the revised legislation helps small restaurateurs keep up with cost of living increases along with creating opportunities for those needing to work from home They do it when they need to make extra income to continue to afford to live," she said "Some people are doing it as full-time income because they're homemakers They're single moms who still need to be home to help take care of kids and still be able to earn an income out of their homes Bagheri said home kitchen enterprises can also be a steppingstone toward expansion a few months after San Diego County adopted a two-year pilot program for home kitchen businesses She left behind a career as an internal auditor in the banking industry to run her home restaurant which she'd like to expand in the near future "It's opening a lot of doors for me and something I'd like to do is start selling at farmers' markets or get a food truck and then eventually my own small takeout location," Majano said San Diego County is part of a small handful of counties so far that have opted into the home kitchen enterprise program along with Alameda Riverside County was the first statewide to implement the program the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted to make permanent its pilot program Prospective home kitchen operators within the county must pay an initial $646 permit fee and an annual $322 renewal fee to stay in business They must also take an extensive food-handling training course and pass an in-home inspection "So they'll submit their standard operating procedures and then we'll go out to their home and verify that their setup is in compliance," said Ryan Johnson chief of departmental operations for the county's Department of Environmental Health and Quality we'll conduct a routine inspection of their home." El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells voiced concerns regarding the recent home kitchen vote but recently told the San Diego Union-Tribune that from a practical perspective he would have trouble with neighbors setting up a restaurant in his house and that he would be worried about how the county would monitor operations Johnson said roughly 70 home kitchens are operating within San Diego County and his staff is prepared to hire additional personnel to meet the demands of more businesses Bagheri said there have been no reports of food-borne illness involving home kitchen operations with Santa Clara County -- which launched its MEHKO program earlier this year -- for example though such costs have been waived through 2024 Riverside County charges $651 for an annual permit While many operating requirements are laid out in the state law counties and cities can have variations when it comes to policies on food storage All counties ban home kitchen operators from handling the service or sale of oysters and raw milk products Los Angeles County could be among the next to opt into the state program with its Board of Supervisors voting in October to direct the Department of Public Health in collaboration with county counsel and the Department of Economic Opportunity to draft an ordinance that would authorize the permitting of home kitchen operations said county officials have reached out to Riverside San Diego and San Mateo counties to ensure L.A.'s draft ordinance aligns with established best practices for equitable safe and accessible microenterprise home kitchen operations can positively integrate into the community and local economy," she said a senior attorney with the Institute for Justice California law also stipulates that each home kitchen operation can only have one full-time employee though family members and other household members can help Delivery via third-party apps such as DoorDash or Uber Eats is prohibited is a web platform that doesn't facilitate deliveries but allows patrons to order food from a participating MEHKO online and shows their address only after a purchase has been made said home kitchen enterprises can help increase access to food as populations become more and more suburban He pointed to the Inland Empire as an example you have to drive 45 minutes to get to the grocery store," he said "So I think distributed networks of food and decentralizing our food system for more resilient economies in the long run." helps her daughter out in the kitchen whenever she can "She loves to make the curtido," Majano said adding: "When you cook and you have so much passion The East Lansing Arts Commission is seeking qualified Michigan-based artists to apply to create a public mural in downtown East Lansing projected to be 23-feet high by 53-feet wide will be located on the fourth and fifth floors of the Albert Avenue Garage (218 Albert Ave.) Art Festival and Art Initiatives Coordinator for the City of East Lansing Heather Majano spoke about the request for qualifications (RFQ) which is funded using Public Art Fund dollars through the Percent for Art program “We did a RFP (request for proposals) process that ended up resulting in the lemongrass sculpture in Valley Court Park we were basically asking the artists to create a sculpture for us special for that location and then we would pick the sculpture they created to not only gauge the interest of artists but also pay them for their craft “We’re asking for just qualifications initially we want to hear from artists and see who’s interested and who has done a mural of this scale,” she said After artists submit their RFQ detailing their educational experience the next phase is the RFP (proposal) stage Three to four artists will be selected in this stage “We want to make sure that the artists are compensated for their time for creating something special just for us We are going to select from the submissions of the qualification three to four artists that really stand out to us and we’ll compensate them $500 each for their time they’re taking for creating something special for us,” Majano said the Artist Selection panel will pick a single mural and onto the City Council for the final phase Majano said the other murals might end up displayed publicly too as the City will have rights to the art and can use it for other designated walls or businesses throughout downtown Majano said the display space is “pretty huge,” with the ‘canvas’ of the exterior fourth and fifth floor of the Albert Avenue Garage The mural by Lauren Asta covers the first and second floors of the building Since the area is “visible from blocks away in downtown East Lansing,” Majano said “the Commission is really interested in making that wall more dynamic and helping draw people downtown The mural theme will capture and embody the local character and celebrate the city’s commitment to diversity as well as the importance art plays in defining a sense of place “We want to make sure everyone feels welcome and represented in this mural and increase the diversity of the artists and the art that we have downtown,” Majano said After chosen mural artists are selected from the RFQ they will have about a month to complete their mural proposals with the installation goal and dedication set for August 2021 Interested artists have until March 30, by 5 p.m. to submit their qualifications. (This is a corrected deadline, altered from the initial March 23, as stated in the press release.) Details of the RFQ, the selection process, and more are available on the City of East Lansing website DONATE NOW! Get our E-mail Newsletters Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Threads Subscribe via RSS Subscribing to an RSS feed requires an RSS browser plugin or the use of a news aggregator app or website DACA.UNDOCU Week Flyer | Courtesy of Johanna Majano DACA/UNDOCU Week hits the University of Denver like no other year starting April 24-April 28 These efforts are by lead coordinator Johanna Majano Majano knew she needed to step in and create a fun-filled week with multiple resources for students Majano pushed back the week to advocate for larger resources for undocumented/DACA students on campus Students walked through each table collecting resources The second day of the week-long celebration was a very emotional and exciting Community Panel Guests were provided with green and red tamales and various drink options The panel consisted of 4 panelists: Johanna Majano the panel started off with simple introductions and background from the panelists The questions continued to go further in depth asking about their experiences as DACA/undocumented students applying for college the lack of resources once entering college An emotional moment was shared when speaking about identity and how many of the panelists hid their status from the world feeling alone and uncertain about what lies ahead The panel ended which each panelist giving advice to the student-filled crowd reassuring DACA/UNDOCU students that they are not alone in their college journey DACA/UNDOCU Week committee members Johanna Majano and Ana Ortega set out to fill empty stomachs while pushing around a paleta carrito The rain moved the event to the first floor of the Community Commons but it did not stop students from engaging with the committee grabbing resources in front of the table and filling their stomachs with Asian-based snacks Thursday night was filled with various resources and information on the rights of DACA and undocumented individuals The Panel explained the proper procedures when encountering ICE agents when to seek out a lawyer the differences in punishments between undocumented individuals and documented individuals when committing crimes This end-of-week celebration and workshop are POSTPONED Stay tuned for news on the new date and time The workshop brings in resources on how to be your own contractor and navigate a career while being undocumented The celebration will have different foods from around the world featuring Latino and Asian cuisines Check out more fun photos from the event here The DU Clarion has served as the official student newspaper of the University of Denver since 1899 The Clarion welcomes letters to the editor but has the right to reject any content that is deemed discriminatory or offensive based on race EAST LANSING, Mich. — This weekend you can grab your family or friends and check out the East Lansing Art Festival The festival is free and will take place on Saturday and Sunday "Some folks come down and act like it's a day at the gallery Some folks come down for the festival atmosphere with food and just to enjoy the performances and some folks are just coming down and catch up with their friends," said Art Festival and Art Initiatives Coordinator Heather Majano They will be blocking off downtown streets for people to enjoy the festival "Albert Avenue from the Albert Avenue parking garage you'll still be able to access the garage all the way down to Bailey Street And then M.A.C will be blocked off from the entrance to the Marriott you'll still be able to get into the Marriott up to Grand River," Majano said You can check out some fine art or buy some from a wide range of artists "There's the emerging artists who are new and up and coming trucks will be stationed in the food court down in the Bailey lots And every year they try to have something new "This year we have the opportunity to try a few new things With the virtual reality art that the GL Reality Labs is providing for us at Fountain Square the floral art installation that we'll be having down on the corner of Division and Albert by Sparrow Bloom Co," Majano said Plenty of opportunities for selfies and they also have two murals going up at the same time "We've got the groovy opportunities mural under the division garage and then first class down on the other end by Ndubsi Okoye That's going up as well," Majano said Joan Bambery is the lead designer and artist for Groovy Opportunity "Groovy Opportunity is a long standing mural project that was started when the city of East Lansing really wanted to encourage more participation in the arts really just kind of give a kick to the arts culture," Bambery said Bambery says besides their smiling faces this weekend people will get a chance to see them putting a few finishing touches on the murals We might go in three or two extra if we feel jazzy," Bambery said "I look forward to the long-term effect it has as it stands here and gets worn down as people get new editions of it Stories are passed as people meet their future husbands and wives in front of the wall." This is a rain or shine event so dress appropriately Want to see more local news? Visit the FOX47News Website Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Neighborhood News Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook plagued by a noxious smell overwhelming his Los Angeles neighborhood heaved a jackhammer onto the walkway in front of his property at 323 Firmin Street but Majano had run out of patience trying to get to the bottom of the sickening and persistent smell would eventually confirm his fears and frustrations surrounding an environmental and public health risk haunting the City of Angels Firmin Street sits directly atop the Los Angeles City Oil Field during the first half of the twentieth century thousands of active oil wells dotted the four-mile stretch from Downtown to Hollywood This oil field contains masses of explosive and toxic fumes which experts link to long-term health problems including cancer and severe respiratory illnesses The old wells are conduits for these dangerous fumes and may be quietly affecting tens of thousands of Los Angeles residents in this densely populated area — including in Majano’s Vista Hermosa neighborhood oil well owners began unsystematically deserting the no longer productive wells — filling them with items including telephone poles and schools have largely replaced the thousands of oil derricks that once towered over the area many of the oil wells were shallowly cemented over most of the houses and buildings were moved to one well was buried directly under Majano’s property Armed with this new information but six months before digging up his front yard including the California Department of Oil a state agency that regulates and oversees oil activity Majano said he believed the persistent smell was coming from abandoned wells in the area and that he was concerned for the health of the neighborhood DOGGR’s William Flores told Majano that he had received another complaint from a neighbor and that the division would follow up with him soon says the pervasive smell of “rotten eggs” has been a fixture in her neighborhood for as long as she can remember she says the effects of them were far more threatening I was incredibly susceptible to respiratory illnesses and was finally diagnosed with asthma when I was 12,” Morales told DeSmog After Morales moved to South Pasadena following her college graduation But when her father died of a heart attack in 1992 she moved back to Firmin Street to live with her mother Her asthma symptoms returned — worse than ever — and she reports visiting the emergency room about twice a year due to severe asthma attacks the smell became progressively worse in 2011 “Most of the people in the neighborhood — it was rare to find people that didn’t have breathing difficulties like asthma.” Morales and her neighbors called a number of agencies including the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) and DOGGR as well as the utility Southern California Gas “They would show up in hazmat suits,” said Morales was diagnosed with breast cancer and passed away two other residents who had lived most of their adult lives on Firmin Street died as well — one of a rare cancer and the other of an aneurism The residents of Vista Hermosa would later discover that the foul odors they were smelling were indeed linked to leakages from the abandoned wells the “rotten egg” smell is associated with hydrogen sulfide a highly toxic gas common in deteriorating oil wells Hydrogen sulfide and hydrocarbons from oil wells present serious short-term and long-term health effects “As soon as you start smelling hydrogen sulfide It’s a deadly gas,” said petroleum geologist Dr Another major issue with deteriorating oil wells is the release of methane, an odorless, yet highly explosive gas that’s the main ingredient in natural gas. Several explosions are associated with old oil wells in Los Angeles “If you build a house over an abandoned well it’s like building a house over a volcano,” said Chilingar all of the “poking around” in 2011 initiated concern at DOGGR about an orphaned well across the street from Majano’s property on Firmin Street known by the agency as “Patel 1,” was deserted by its owner over 100 years earlier Old oil wells should undergo specific processes at the end of their productive lives plugged and abandoned (permanently sealed) potentially becoming an environmental and safety concern,” according to the California Department of Conservation (DOC) 854 wells currently sit idle on the four-mile stretch of the Los Angeles City Oil Field 16 lie under the properties on Firmin Street DOGGR attempted to find a contractor to permanently seal Patel 1 but noted in a later email “the bid amounts exceeded the available budget.” DOGGR visited the Patel 1 site after receiving another complaint from a resident The agency reported a “notable ‘rotten egg’ smell…[that] strongly suggests fugitive emission of hydrogen sulfide (H2S).”  The agency returned to inspect the property after yet another complaint in April 2015 Roger Majano was searching for a resolution to the pervasive smell on his property often joined by representatives of local and regional authorities visited Majano’s property several times in October of 2015 At each inspection they noted striking issues including yellow discoloration and corrosion of the cement in the front yard an “overwhelming” odor of “rotten egg” and alarming readings of methane and hydrogen sulfide a South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) official used a hydrocarbon sniffer to measure a high of 140,000 parts per million (ppm) of methane which Timothy O’Connor of the Environmental Defense Fund notes is an extremely dangerous reading O’Connor says that regional air quality control measures dictate that “when there is a release of methane at greater than 10,000 ppm it must be repaired.” Levels over that amount present an explosive and environmental hazard the official recorded concentrations up to 34 ppm of hydrogen sulfide from the cracks in the concrete on Majano’s property DOL indicates that levels of as little as 2 ppm of hydrogen sulfide can cause nausea The ceiling exposure limit for workers is 10 ppm for 10 min it is “immediately dangerous to life and health.”   DOGGR officials acknowledged that Majano was concerned about the possible health effects of these emissions for the residents “Here’s a well that’s obviously emitting hazardous gasses and you’re letting it go until you can try to figure out a solution They should have capped it immediately,” Majano told DeSmog an air quality official took another hydrogen sulfide reading the hydrogen sulfide reached a high of 100 ppm — the level “immediately dangerous to life and health.” After AQMD’s inspection Majano felt certain that DOGGR would finally properly abandon the well under his property DOGGR deferred responsibility for the situation Raul Lima of DOGGR wrote that the agency and an LA Fire Department official “made clear to Majano that we do not know if the source of the odor is from an abandoned well because we do not have evidence to support the existence of a well on the property.” However Los Angeles City Oil Field Well Map dated 1950 Credit: DOGGR Public Records Rogalske 10 File “We made it clear to him that the Division is not responsible for locating the well nor is the Division responsible for mitigating any environmental concerns with the odors.” Majano expressed to DOGGR that if the agency couldn’t do anything “At one point I was like if I find an oil well ‘you don’t own the rights to it.’” He added I was taking on this by myself — no one else was helping me ‘I gotta do what I have to do’ or else I’m going to bury myself in this property.” Lima advised Majano against looking for the well because of the potential dangers of excavating a well including explosions and exposure to toxic emissions According to California Public Resources Codes 3260-3266 an orphan idle well is the responsibility of the state if the well is determined to be a threat to life DOGGR representatives would neither acknowledge the presence of an oil well nor that the rotten egg odor was a result of a well Majano took matters into his own hands in November 2015 ultimately unearthing a 2-by-4-foot concrete slab beneath his walkway visible fumes rose to the surface from a hole The concrete surrounding the well was severely corroded and stained yellow But it was the smell that nearly knocked him off his feet and finally confirmed to Majano that the hole in his front yard was indeed an old oil well and the source of the foul odor one of 25 such wells dug a century earlier At the same time this was unfolding on Firmin Street, 30 miles across town in the upscale neighborhood of Porter Ranch, the biggest methane leak in U.S. history was occurring at the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility The leak released 100,000 tons of gas into the atmosphere over four months DOGGR had received intense media scrutiny over the issue which Morales and Majano believe served as motivation to finally seal the leaking Patel 1 and Rogalske 10 wells over five years after residents of Firmin Street began raising the alarms contractors started work to cap the two leaking orphaned wells But the process would still have some challenges ahead When they opened up the wells and began working “the smell was worse than ever,” Morales said Residents began reporting a range of health complaints consistent with exposure to petroleum fumes DOGGR relocated only one residence before the capping process began — the home at the Patel 1 site the Los Angeles Department of Public Health (DPH) temporarily shut down the work site while it examined the complaints and recommended safety measures including relocating affected residents during the capping process DOGGR did not relocate any other residents but DPH allowed work to continue after other safety measures were addressed The DPH report noted that acute conditions persisted until the project was completed Though DPH noted a lack of studies on the long-term health impacts of living alongside abandoned wells they asserted that the close proximity of the wells to the residents could have unavoidable health and safety impacts While two of its idle wells have now been properly sealed 16 other inadequately shut down oil wells remain buried underneath the barely 750 foot-long Firmin Street All of these old wells mean “eventual trouble,” according to the petroleum geologist Chilingar “We need to find the technology to locate these abandoned wells because some of them are unknown to us — we don’t know where they are Pressure builds up and it’s only a matter of time before this happens again.” According to a recent Los Angeles Times/Center for Public Integrity investigation the problem extends far beyond the Los Angeles City Oil Field There are 35,000 idle oil wells across the state of California with many reports of serious health and environmental implications taxpayers may be left with the bill to cap these wells The density of homes and the location of the buried wells on the Los Angeles City Oil Field means proper capping comes at a huge cost DOGGR spent approximately $1.4 million on the 2016 capping of just two wells DOGGR has a temporary statewide budget of $3 million per year for capping and abandoning orphan wells The annual budget decreases back to $1 million in 2022 the state could take hundreds of years to properly cap the wells in this four-mile stretch of Los Angeles In October 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom approved Assembly Bill 1057 which dramatically changed the funding and purpose of DOGGR DOGGR became the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) and refocused its mission toward environmental protection CalGEM has not replied to a list of questions about the agency’s handling of the Patel 1 and Rogalske 10 wells Governor Newsom signed another bill intended to protect residents and the environment from abandoned oil wells Assembly Bill 1328 dictates that the state monitor emissions from oil wells (both idle and active) to ensure safety of local residents results of air monitoring results will be posted on or before January 1 A spokesperson for the California Independent Petroleum Association (CIPA) worries that additional regulations will actually increase California’s carbon footprint the group claims that the recently passed AB 1057 — which requires active oil well operators to post additional bonds to cover the cost of capping at the end of a well’s productive life — will force smaller operators out of the oil industry CIPA believes this will lead the state to import more oil from the Middle East and further overwhelm busy California ports While some Vista Hermosa residents find this new legislation promising they say that air monitoring will only do so much neighbors want these wells capped before they become problematic Since the capping of the oil well on his property Roger Majano has finally rented out his house on Firmin Street doing his best to keep the property immaculate and his tenants happy is still coping with the legacy of oil drilling in the area she witnessed crude oil from a century-old well flowing down two city blocks and into a storm drain A mixture of oil and water filled a neighboring apartment Given these incidents and the hundreds of remaining idle wells Morales continues to meet with city and county officials pushing for better health and safety protections for Vista Hermosa residents While optimistic about newly passed legislation Morales knows the path to real resolution is long she is convinced that some damage has already been done “Who knows what will happen to me?” she said “I hope not to die of cancer — that seems to be what happens to people in this area.”  Main image: Roger Majano and Rosalinda Morales next to “Patel 2,” an above-ground idle oil well at the end of Firmin Street in Los Angeles Stay up to date with DeSmog news and alerts Even as the mood at Edmonton’s annual expo turned cautious industry still bet on public dollars to keep its net zero dream alive private equity firm KKR contributed to the president’s swearing-in ceremony The would-be mayor has claimed that carbon dioxide “is not pollution” Newsletter Website by SeriousOtters Subscribe Donate Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated Heather Majano's title. She is East Lansing's art festival and arts initiative coordinator two artists packed up their RV and traveled from California to East Lansing Muralists Victor Ving and Lisa Beggs made East Lansing the latest stop on their Greetings Tour, a public art project in which the duo travels across the country painting 'greetings from' postcards on buildings. They began painting East Lansing's installation on the side of Roadhouse Pub last Monday Each letter in the 550-square-foot painting contains a nod to East Lansing culture The East Lansing mural is the artists' 50th installation to date. They have additional murals planned this year in Jackson and there’s so much about a city that you cannot fit into a large mural," Ving said. "We would be here forever if we tried to fit in everything about East Lansing."  The duo will have been parked at 122 N for 10 days when they complete the mural Tuesday. Tedda Hughes a former member of the city's arts commission, brought Ving and Beggs to the city three years ago after seeing their work in other cities.  East Lansing's art festival and arts initiative coordinator said the commission worked together with the artists requesting alterations to the design and consulting with local groups to ensure usage rights and cultural accuracy.  managing partner of Harrison Roadhouse and Roadhouse Pub offered up his bar because a former mural on the wall had faded significantly over time The city received approval from that mural's original artist to paint over it Ving and Beggs required that the project remain at ground level and near a relatively vacant parking lot for the safety of visitors; their past murals have transformed into regular selfie destinations.  The East Lansing Arts Commission paid Ving and Beggs a $27,700 commission, Majano said The mural is one of three others the city is seeking to complete this year. Requests for qualified artists have been issued for the Albert Avenue parking garage and a collaborative project with MSU at the Division Street overhang Hidden in each letter of Ving and Beggs' mural are odes to the way of life in East Lansing The Broad Art Museum and Division Street garageEdythe and the late Eli Broad already made a lasting impact on East Lansing, said Morgan Butts, director of communications for the philanthropists' namesake museum on MSU's campus. The couple have gifted millions to the university Butts said the project  serves as a connection point between art MSU's campus and the city's larger community She added the Division Street garage — also known as the Hamster Cage — is another recognizable structure "I think it’s hilarious that the Division Street parking garage is one of the things that’s in it," Majano said. "If you are a student here or live here A nod to Anishinaabe cultureThe artists took care to represent East Lansing's ancestral history with a portrait of Anishinaabe land and the Three Fires Confederacy — an alliance of the Ojibwe vice president of the Nokomis Cultural Heritage Center said the mural is an acute representation of the Anishinaabe "It’s to show (observers) that there were people here on this land," he said. "They were here on this land before Europeans and the university was here." The mural also portrays two Anishinaabe people sitting with a barrel of manoomin — a wild rice native to Michigan that was decimated by European settlers Majano said the city will dedicate the mural to the Nokomis center May 20 "There are squirrels everywhere in East Lansing," said Majano adding that the commission requested the inclusion of a black squirrel for comic relief. "You cannot go far without being chased by one My daughter and I were chased by a squirrel yesterday. I think everybody has a squirrel story in East Lansing even though they are not exclusive to East Lansing." moved to East Lansing from Detroit after he finished medical training in the late 1940s Sharp got involved in the city's political culture serving on East Lansing City Council from 1965 to 1977 and fighting alongside civil rights activists to ban housing discrimination in the city the city hired Milwaukee-based sculptor Richard Taylor to erect a sculpture in her honor outside city hall. Taylor combined a variety of shapes in the red art installation called "Raising Harmony," to represent "people coexisting despite their differences," he said He studied Sharp and consulted with her daughter throughout the process.  "It’s made enough impact in the city to be recognized as an integral part of East Lansing and that tells me it must be successful (in) its impression on people," Taylor said. "Hopefully it’ll entice people to learn about Mary P Sharp and the great work she did for racial justice in East Lansing." Throw a dart at a map of East Lansing and it has a two in three chance of landing on MSU's campus. Accordingly Sparty makes an appearance on Ving and Beggs' mural.  You can’t talk about East Lansing without talking about MSU and vice versa," Butts said. "It shows the integration and collaboration of both entities and we’re in the center of Michigan and a massive part of the state." Beggs and Ving added a hidden nugget in the background: If you squint hard enough you'll see the artists on the sideline at Spartan Stadium Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at (517) 267-1344 or knurse@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @KrystalRNurse LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A suspect was arrested in a hit-and-run crash in Boyle Heights that led to a 13-year-old boy losing his leg The Los Angeles Police Department said Banning police arrested the suspect Further details about the suspect or how the arrest happened were not released was crossing Whittier Boulevard at Orme Avenue in a crosswalk March 30 when a motorcyclist struck him LAPD said in its initial news release about the crash The teen was on his way to get a haircut when the crash happened Footage released by LAPD shows the motorcyclist getting up and fleeing the scene RELATED: LAPD searching for motorcyclist after 13-year-old boy loses leg in hit-and-run crash Protesters over the weekend gathered to demand safer streets and justice for Joshua in the aftermath of the crash Joshua's family has launched a GoFundMe to help pay his medical bills Art show honors Sami Sunchild and the Red Victorian Bed and Breakfast Peace Center What: ‘Towards a Movement of Peace: Then and Now’ Includes admission to the main gallery show will co-facilitate an in-person conversation titled “Amplifying Joy and Peace within our Families and Communities.” Information: For information about the Petaluma Arts Center and this exhibit For information about the Peaceful World Foundation The first thing you might notice is the table in the corner Within the cozy North Gallery of the Petaluma Arts Center where a one-of-kind exhibit currently offers a look at the life and legacy of the visionary artist-activist Sami Sunchild the small round table with two chairs is much more than what it seems conversation-enabling arrangement perfectly encapsulates Sunchild’s belief that many solutions to large problems begin with two people sitting down and talking Titled “Towards a Movement of Peace: Then and Now,” the exhibit runs through Sept “Laws of Nature: Sculpture,” is running concurrently in the adjacent G.K The show is a blend of Sunchild’s paintings – strikingly colorfully examples of activist art often containing words and phrases onlookers must sometimes search to find – and artifacts from her life with an explanation and celebration of the work of the Peaceful World Foundation “Sami dedicated the last 30 years of her life to peace-building work,” explained Heidi Majano executive director of the Peaceful World Foundation the organization that was founded to extend Sunchild’s vision and continue her work following her death in July of 2013 created as a tribute to the legacy of Sunchild marking the 10-year anniversary of the Peaceful World Foundation Currently headquartered in the McNear Building in Petaluma the foundation’s roots are in San Francisco where Sunchild owned and operated the iconic Red Victorian Bed and Breakfast Peace Center Described on the foundation’s website as “an international peace hub attracting people from around the world to connect over breakfast conversations,” the Red Victorian – to anyone who ever dropped by for a coffee in its ground floor Peace Cafe or stayed in one of its eccentrically decorated rooms – was a an open-hearted labor of love for Sunchild Sunday morning conversations about peace became a main attraction of the place with thousands participating in them over the years who relocated to San Francisco after the dissolution of a commune she’d founded in Hawaii which she believed came through recognizing the humanity in each other often only understood through the sharing of stories “She would begin conversations by asking people ‘What do you see outside your window?’” Majano said “And after everyone shared whatever it is they could see The exhibition at the Arts center begins with a display about the origins of the Peace Symbol giving credit to English artist Gerald Holtom who created the symbol for a nuclear disarmament march in 1958 combining the semaphore flag positions for N (nuclear) and D (disarmament) into one image Accompanying the text is an absorbing array of historical photographs selected by Majano and co-curator Peggy Sebera showing the peace sign in use during rallies and protests around the world In the center are three vibrant examples of art pieces by Sunchild “She told me she would use the peace symbol as a vehicle to talk about peace,” said Majano What role do they play in your life?’ Her archives are full of paintings with peace symbols That’s when I started digging into its history Another display gives a brief history of the Red Victorian Hotel (originally named the Jefferson Hotel which was built in 1904 and somehow survived the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906 Majano and Sebera have included photos from inside the hotel – pictures of the rooms the downstairs café and especially the guests gathered together in conversation circles There are charming examples of artfully-crafted Guest Book notes left by visitors describing what their visit meant to them and thanking Sunchild for the experience Particularly powerful are a few notes written by guests who happened to be staying there during the events of Sept “Together at Red Vic we grieved & comforted each other w/tears we found comfort as the tragedy unfolded Tuesday morning we return today with a sense of peace from our stay & time at the Red Vic and the people we met in S.F.” “Sami really did create a global family there,” said Majano “She embodied the idea of global community This part of the exhibit also includes a large art poster with a delightful drawing of the Red Victorian Majano points out the mysterious figures the artist placed in some of the hotel windows “I loved working in this old building,” said Majano who began working there in the last few years of Sunchild’s life the reason these people are here in the windows is that a lot of us sometimes felt the place was .. I don’t want to say ‘haunted,’ but it did often feel ...” she accepted a suggestion of the word “occupied.” “You could really feel the history of the place all around you.” One of the pleasures of the Art Center show is getting to stand in front of the actual paintings that appear in many of the photographs of the Red Victorian It gives the exhibition a bit of a scavenger hunt energy encouraging a heightened sense of awareness and discovery as you move from display to display “There’s been a lot care in the creation of this exhibit,” Majano acknowledged “This was the set up in all of the rooms at the Red Victorian,” she said gesturing to where the table stands beneath a large portrait of Sunchild and another painting a depiction of a pink chair in the downstairs meeting area of the hotel “She always wanted people to be able to converse over a table she came up with what she called the six ingredients of a good conversation.” As reproduced in a helpful card that Sunchild distributed and which remains at the heart of the Peaceful World Foundations conversation project: “Differences (new points of view) Similarities (shared feelings and experiences) not persuasion) and Brevity (keep it short and to the point).” Sunchild’s legacy carries on through the organization she founded which now primarily shares her emphasis on human connection through public events and an active grant-making program Nonprofits who’ve received grants from the Peaceful World Foundation include the Hawaiian dance company Hālau o Keikiali‘i we forget the power of conversation and communication,” said Majano “It’s one of the reasons we wanted to do this exhibit and why it was important to include this table and chairs I’ve actually seen people sitting here talking and learning about Sami’s life and what she created By Katherine Leal Unmuth In addition, there were many theories batted around at the time of his disappearance. CITY OF NEWBURGH — A group of young people crowded the front table of 2 Alices Coffee Lounge on Monday night to mourn Rebekah Grohl a young activist who died Sunday after fighting the flu virus was the campaign manager for Orange County Legislator Kevindaryán Luján and also worked on campaigns for state Sen as well as other local political campaigns She was fondly remembered Monday as a fearless fighter for human rights "Rebekah Grohl personified the City of Newburgh's vibrancy “May she rest in peace and may her fearless legacy live on for generations to come." Grohl was a Newburgh Free Academy graduate and earned an associate's degree from SUNY Orange Grohl was manager of Newburgh Open Movement a monthly program of improvisational dance who was friends with Grohl since their elementary-school days in Newburgh had been dating her for the past two years he described through tears Grohl's selflessness and empathy “She would go the extra mile without hesitating,” he said Grohl was diagnosed with the flu on Friday and an ambulance took her to Montefiore St where the decision was made to fly her to Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla they decided to drive her there in an ambulance,” Majano said “They got as far as Good Samaritan Hospital (in Suffern).” Majano said her brain was swelling and she suffered multiple heart attacks but she rallied until Sunday — when her condition was past the point of operating Grohl had been involved in all that was good and helped with Safe Harbors of the Hudson and Newburgh Illuminated She campaigned the next year for Chris Eachus and last year helped Majano in his first run for City Council Luján joined the group at 2 Alices on Monday “She had a world view of everything that could be good; she was the best of us.” to help with a future memorial service at Washington's Headquarters and a scholarship fund in Rebekah Grohl's memory https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-memory-of-rebekah-grohl?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link-tip&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet