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2021-07-24
In-N-Out Touchless Drink Dispenser
On the way home from Camp Wolfeboro, it is a tradition in Troop 834 (and other troops) to stop at In-N-Out on the way home, which is often appreciated after a week of eating at the mess hall. When my car stopped at the Stockton In-N-Out to pick up lunch, I saw touchless drink dispensers that I hadn't seen before. Above each nozzle that dispenses soda there are two small bumps, and putting a finger between the two bumps, without touching them, causes the soda to flow. While we were there, we also saw some Scouts from Troop 7062, in American Canyon. -
2021-07-19T11:41
Trading Post Maximum Occupancy Sign
This photograph shows a sign at the Camp Wolfeboro Trading Post that says "Trading Post Maximum Occupancy: 5", with the Camp Wolfeboro logo before it. The sign also accompanies a nut allergy sign that is present every year. The Trading Post only allowed five people to enter at a time, and any overflow had to wait outside for someone to leave the building. Masks were also required in the Trading Post, regardless of vaccination status. The photograph was taken on July 19, 2021 at 11:41 AM. -
2021-07-23T16:08
Forest Service Burn Pile
These are three photos of a set of logs, located between the archery range and shotgun range at Camp Wolfeboro. In all of the photos the Handicraft building is visible on the left in the distance. According to the in-camp president of the Wolfeboro Pioneers, the pile of logs was created as a burn pile by the Forest Service. At the 7:30 Pioneer meeting on Monday evening, July 19th, 2021, a Scout proposed clearing the burn pile as part of the Wolfeboro Work Party, an hour-long work party running from 7:30 to 8:30 on every Tuesday night at camp where each Scout troop helps clean up part of camp. He didn't know the pile was made by the Forest Service, so the president said so and said the camp couldn't clear it. The photographs were taken on Friday, July 23, 2021 at 4:08 PM. -
2021-07-14
California woman first to face federal charges over fake COVID immunizations, vaccination cards
A homeopathic doctor in California became the first person in the United States to face federal charges over fake COVID-19 immunizations and falsified coronavirus vaccine cards. Juli A. Mazi, 41, of Napa was arrested Wednesday and charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of false statements related to health care matters, the Department of Justice said in a press release. "This defendant allegedly defrauded and endangered the public by preying on fears and spreading misinformation about FDA-authorized vaccinations, while also peddling fake treatments that put people’s lives at risk. Even worse, the defendant allegedly created counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination cards and instructed her customers to falsely mark that they had received a vaccine, allowing them to circumvent efforts to contain the spread of the disease," said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. -
2021-07-14
Los Angeles Covid Cases Up 500% Over Past Month; Test Positivity Rises Nearly 700% As Delta Variant Takes Hold
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed 1,103 new cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday. It’s the fifth consecutive day cases have been over 1,000. For perspective, one month ago, the 5-day average of cases was 201. Today the 5-day average is 1,095; this is an increase of more than 500% in just one month. That increase has come even as testing has dropped precipitously, which means the actual rise of infections is likely much greater as there are fewer chances to identify cases. -
2021-07-10
Manzanar
As a historian, US History teacher, and mother of two Asian-American children, I make a point to expose my children to all aspects of America’s history: good, bad, and ugly. Thanks to COVID, we had the opportunity to show the kids one of the country’s ugliest moments - Japanese internment. The desolate desert in the middle of our home state is an area I had never driven through before COVID, despite having lived in CA my entire life and being (supposedly) 8th or 9th generation Californian on my dad’s side. However, there is no way I’m putting my family on an airplane during a pandemic, which limits vacation options. So into the car for an eight hour drive to Tahoe. A drive that goes right past Manzanar, the Japanese American World War II concentration camp. Unlike last year, when we made the same drive for the first time in my life, the exhibits, buildings, and visitor center were open with masks and social distancing. As we stood in the barrack in the 106 degree temperature, I told my kids to never forget how uncomfortable they felt and to consider the fact that they were feeling awful from the heat as tourists. I told them to imagine living in this heat as a prisoner though you committed no crime except having ancestors from Japan. They may be young, but they are old enough to understand human rights. Visiting Manzanar was overwhelming. I am not a very emotional person, but I was taken aback by the fact that this history is so recent. My best friend’s dad was born in Tule Lake, where Japanese-Americans who refused to take the forced loyalty oath were sent. That is only one generation before mine. Seeing and experiencing second hand through family and friends the hatred directed toward Asian-Americans during this pandemic made the experience in Manzanar extra raw. Though I refuse to thank COVID for anything because I think that’s a bit tone deaf for all who have lost and suffered during this pandemic, I am grateful that the circumstances that led us to drive to Tahoe instead of fly led us also to a place of reflection on prejudice and race, especially in the climate of today. -
2020-11-14
Diwali rangoli at City Center Bishop Ranch
This is a photograph of a rangoli at City Center Bishop Ranch I took on November 14, 2020. That date also happens to be Diwali, a Hindu holiday on which some people make rangoli. Rangoli are made of various dyes and powders. -
2020-07-12
Whole Foods cash register
This is a photo I took on July 12, 2020, at the local Whole Foods, of a cash register. There is a plexiglass shield at the register, and a sign announcing a change in hours. The sign also promotes a biweekly special shopping session for the elderly and those at high risk for COVID-19. -
2020-04-30
Minions!
A family in San Ramon made a cutout of two minions wearing masks and put it in front of their home. The sign says "THANK YOU ❤️ HEALTHCARE WORKERS ❤️ FIRST RESPONDERS ❤️ ESSENTIAL WORKERS WE ❤️ U". The photo was taken on April 30, 2020. -
2021-06-25
English, Spanish, Mandarin, Tagalog COVID signs in SF
On June 25th, I saw this set of posters next to a bathroom in Japan Center, a Japanese shopping center in San Francisco. The posters are in English, Spanish, Mandarin, and Tagalog. -
2021-06-16
Get vaccinated at SFO airport
The SFO airport is now offering 1-shot vaccines at a medical clinic. I never would have imagined in 2019 that you could get vaccinated in an airport, but clearly the priority is on increasing the number of vaccinated people in the U.S. It sounds convenient, as no appointment is needed. -
2021-06-19
Museum of the San Ramon Valley
The Museum of the San Ramon Valley is well on its way to being back to normal. On June 15th, California officially reopened, which amongst other things meant there were no restrictions on how museums could operate. This means we can finally operate at full capacity. Even when we could only operate at 25 percent capacity we never hit our upper limit of guests, so capacity wasn't ever really a problem. That is something that concerns me as the museum reopens; that we will have low attendance. I was able to work at the museum a few times in the middle of the pandemic, and I never worked a day where we had more than thirty total guests (including people who were merely looking for a restroom or asking for directions to something, who did not pay to look at the exhibits - we had probably no more than 20 or so paying customers per day). We also don't need to impose mask mandates as of June 15, but the museum's board of directors decided to keep our mask mandate. However, if someone comes in without a mask and doesn't want to take a free one then we will still allow them into the museum. I am not concerned by this because I am vaccinated, and even if I wasn't there is a very low likelihood of getting sick. We have not done any exhibits related to COVID yet. Starting last year and continuing this year we have an exhibit on the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, with a focus on our local area. This is in addition to our regular exhibits. Starting today (June 19) we also have our train exhibit for a month, which is a model train display with models of local historical buildings (and other things, like a UFO and more non-history-related things). The model train exhibit always brings in little kids with their families, so hopefully that improves museum attendance. Most of our attendance comes from families with little kids, older Baby Boomers, and the elderly. The museum needs to improve on attracting people in their teens and twenties in order to earn more. Hopefully, a COVID exhibit can do that by making history more personal. On our website, we have a story collection form for people to share stories of COVID, much like JOTPY, but I do not know what we will be doing with those responses. When I physically work at the museum next I have a bunch of items from last year (inspirational painted rocks, city council and school board campaign materials, masks) that I will donate, and hopefully, those and other items find their way into an exhibit. -
2021-06-12
Mask trash Golden Gate Bridge Park
Several disposable masks littered the grounds around the Golden Gate Bridge Park on the north end of the bridge. This photo shows a blue disposable mask near a lookout. -
2021-06-12
Mask trash San Francisco
While visiting the Golden State Bridge, I came across this blue fabric mask with a penguin print. -
2020-06-27
San Ramon community protests SRVUSD spending and issues with remote learning
This is a news article I wrote about a protest for my school newspaper. The protest was convened to support the ability for students in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District to be able to return to school for the 2020-21 school year, and to oppose raises for district management and certain purchases made by the district. The protest occurred on June 23, 2020, at the SRVUSD offices in Danville, California. -
2020-11-11
Pandemic Street Art: I VOTE
On November 11, 2020, my middle child and I went for an art walk in midtown Sacramento to celebrate her birthday. Amongst the murals, many of which were put up during Wide Open Walls events of the past few years, we came across a new collection on the WEAVE building. The mural collection commemorates 100 years of the 19th amendment. WEAVE (Women Escaping a Violent Environment) is "the primary provider of crisis intervention services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Sacramento County." The artist of these murals is Maren Conrad, a Sacramento artist. She put these up during the pandemic, in October 2020. -
2021-04-22
CA Colleges to Require Vaccine
Numerous times in the past couple of months, we’ve been wondering if CA colleges would require the vaccine. Today it’s official - the answer is yes. To be transparent, this Californian who has friends and family employed by the UC system is extremely happy. I realize there is vaccine hesitation but I am relieved for the safety of students and staff that the universities are taking this step. And it’s not just the UC system, the Cal State system and Stanford are also instituting the same requirement (actually Stanford announced first). The UC system is often a trend setter - if it does something, other universities follow. I’m hoping this will begin a trend, not only in higher education but at the K-12 level. I know, super controversial, but schools already require other immunizations, why not this one? Public health, people! -
2021-04
Pandemic Street Art: Lauren YS/squidlicker and #stopaapihate
Los Angeles-based artist Lauren YS, aka squid.licker, is well known world-wide for their mural street art. During the pandemic, they put up a mural at 1700 Naud Street in Los Angeles that reads, "Stop Asian Hate Crimes" and "Protect Our Elders." Also shown are "Stop Asian Hate" posters, with proceeds going to @stopasianhate and @squidtropica. -
2021-04-10
Black Lives Matter, Artist and Craftsman Supply in San Diego
It's still pretty rare that we go anywhere other than a grocery store or the occasional gas station, but it was necessary to re-up on art supplies (green pen, eraser pencil, sketch books, and the like). At one of our favorite supply stores, the Artist & Craftsman Supply in the Hillcrest neighborhood of San Diego, we found the goods. There were limited customers, all with masks. The plexiglass in front of the register kept employee-artists and customer-artists that much safer, as did the gallon-sized dispenser of hand sanitizer. As we left speedily, we noticed several "Black Lives Matter" signs posted in the windows. -
2021-04-14
California teachers are getting one-time stipends as incentives and hazard pay
As much as there are "reopening schools" supporters, there are about as much hesitant to do so. You might hear the hesitations from concerned parents and children, but school employees experience it as well. Schools are typically crowded and people are in close quarters at almost all times of the day. Although California regulations are to remain 3-6 feet apart in and out of classrooms, it continues to be a difficult challenge. Moreover, such precautions might lessen the spread but they're not guaranteed. This is where aid funds in the form of stipends come in. These stipends are displays of gratitude, used as an incentive and, unfortunately, hazard pay. More than $2 billion will be distributed across 42 K-12 school districts in the San Diego region. Stipends vary, however. There are one-time stipends for Lakeside school district teachers who have taught since October 1, 2020 of $450 to $900. Special education teachers in the same district will receive more, about $500 to $1000. Despite the incentives, there is an ongoing conflict over who is eligible for the stipend (to my personal surprise). One argued that only employees returning to campus are eligible, while there was a debate over whether those teaching since Fall 2020 should even be compensated for. If this were the criteria, it should simply be an incentive to return as the act of “being appreciative” would not exclude any teachers who have and will continue to work during the pandemic. -
2021-04-18
What made California’s vaccine rollout so difficult?
The Golden state only recently received news that “50% of all eligible Californians have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine." It’s progress and it’s most certainly hope. What gives people even more hope is how they expanded vaccination eligibility to 16 and over as of April 15. Schools are already reopening, but this is good news for those who are still hesitant to return — and for good reason. What made California’s vaccine rollout so difficult? One of the most obvious answers is the size of the state. Its population was recorded to be over 39 million in 2020. Even with an increase in vaccines, with roughly 2.4 million doses in the first week of April alone, it was not enough to accommodate even the 50-64 age group — a population of roughly 7.2 million. Santa Clara County Executive Officer, Jeff Smith, was also quoted to have cited the state's governor for perpetuating the pandemic — that his pandemic approach was “disorganized and petulant.” Although affordable healthcare services is a nationwide pandemic in and of itself, California also deals with fragmented healthcare responsibilities. Distribution is “split up among 58 county governments.” Issues in communication, planning and transportation of vaccines are all major factors impacted by the overwhelming lack of unified leadership. https://twitter.com/CAgovernor/status/1383132361148100609 https://www.gov.ca.gov/2021/04/01/as-california-expands-covid-19-vaccine-eligibility-to-all-californians-50-governor-newsom-receives-vaccine-in-los-angeles/ -
2021-04-15
At least 5,800 Americans infected despite vaccination; California, Washington open up vaccine eligibility
At least 5,800 people who were vaccinated have contracted COVID-19. Of the 5,800, 400 were hospitalized and 74 died. Since the vaccines are only 90% effective, such infections were expected. The use of the J&J vaccines has been suspended until research into a rare blood-clotting side-effect is complete. -
2020-11-06
Día de los Muertos 2020 with SPARC Art
Traditional celebrations of Día de los Muertos include family and communities gathering to celebrate their loved ones that have passed on. To pivot with the pandemic experiences, SPARC Art hosted a livestream event and virtual ofrenda. -
2020-06-25
Pandemic Street Art - When Windows Become Canvases: Street Art for Social Justice
This video by SPARC Art shows a variety of social justice-themed street art in the United States. -
2021
Vaccine Eligibility Expanding to Adolescents, Californian Parents React to Schools Reopening
California is soon expanding their vaccine eligibility to 16 and older on April 15, 2021. The plans for expanding it even more aren't expected to be for sometime. However, the announcement from Pfizer-BioNTech stating that the vaccine is safe and effective for 12 and older does give some hope for a quicker time frame. The is a focus on giving children and adolescents back their youth. There are schools opening with hybrid instructions (online and on-site instruction), but there the on-site hours are always rotating students to minimize crowd interaction. The article goes on to include opinions from parents of adolescents, which emphasized the importance of getting everyone (school faculty and students alike) vaccinated. Everyone seems eager to get back to pre-pandemic life as soon as possible, so the eligibility expansion does receive as good news and gives the public hope. Naturally, however, it’s not all good news as people need to remain informed and cautious. The article reminds us that variants of the virus have the potential to harm younger children. Notably, it’s the B117 strain that’s been said by Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, that can be “50% to 60% more contagious than other strains of Covid-19” from his observations of Minnesota schools. -
2021-04-10
Child Care Concerns Persist Despite Returning to In-Person Instruction in Californian Schools
Californian schools are opening back up, but there continue to be concerns over employees and their families. Although there have been some employees working at schools the past year (i.e. custodians), those working remotely (i.e. teachers) continue to face challenges in child care. Due to this, "Los Angeles Unified School District earlier this week announced it would provide a day care stipend of $500 a month for each child under age 5 to all full-time employees, including teachers." The Service Employees International Union (SEIU 1021) did clarify within the article by Sacramento Bee that some demands could not be met. Among the demands was a one-time stipend amount of $1,500 for employees with children aged 3 - 14. This is an ongoing issue with its latest update on April 10, 2021 being: a weekly stipend of $125 for employees with children aged under 14. This represents one of the issues employees of educational institutions are facing. They’re hesitant to return to in-person instruction. Although there’s a fair amount of news coverage of children returning to school, the ones hesitant (especially those responsible for the school to run smoothly) should also be acknowledged. -
2021-04-07
Sacramento: vaccination efforts opening up
Sacramento City Councilmember Mai Vang distributes information about vaccination opportunities in her district. The notice contains information about registering in various languages including English, Spanish, Arabic, Hmong, and Vietnamese. Vaccination clinics have just begun to offer vaccinations to everyone aged 16 and up in Sacramento. -
03/30/2021
Anonymous Oral History, 2021/03/30
Living in military housing with their spouse and two children in California, the narrator chooses to remain anonymous. Throughout the interview, the narrator speaks at length about their COVID-19 pandemic experience. They go on about how they go tackle socialization, especially for their children, as they are not able to travel very far from home. They talk about what precautions they take whenever they leave the house, and how they would not let the pandemic restrictions completely dictate their new norm. Although their children are none the wiser considering their young ages, they continue to create a sense of normalcy that would simulate a pre-pandemic lifestyle. Delving deeper into safety measures, the narrator expresses their thoughts and hopes about how people in their community are taking precautions. This includes how they would hope that everyone is being honest and doing their part in assuring everyone’s mutual safety, such as informing them if they or their children are sick. -
03/30/2021
Alejandra Diaz Oral History, 2021/03/30
Alejandra Diaz lives in Tracy, California with her two children. Throughout the interview, social interaction was brought up frequently. It is a major factor that the COVID-19 pandemic had negatively impacted for herself and her children. As family is an important topic, Alejandra shares how their lifestyle used to be compared to how it was presently. Socialization is prevalent in her common interactions with family, friends, and in her children’s academic lives. As the questions shifts from lifestyle to academics, Alejandra talks about how her children’s education has been like during the pandemic, and about schools reopening in California. Alejandra has good things to say about the teachers as they would help where they could. Even before her children returned, she expresses her support towards in-person schools starting back up. She feels that this is necessary, under the right safety measures, for her children to learn and develop as it can prove difficult in isolation. -
2021-01-17
Bay Area firefighter paramedic deployed to SoCal hospital describes COVID-19 situation
MARIN, Calif. (KGO) -- As COVID-19 cases surge, Bay Area firefighters are getting deployed to hospitals across the state. Bob Craft, a firefighter paramedic from the Central Marin Fire Department is working the nightshift. Two hours into his shift, he intubated a patient in the emergency department who arrived to the hospital with stroke like symptoms and prepped a COVID-19 patient for their flip onto their stomach for the rest of the night. "It's the gamut from really regular people coming to the emergency department to people on ventilators on the ICU who are on the COVID ward," said craft. -
2021-01-14
1 person dies every 6 minutes: How L.A. became the nation's largest coronavirus hot spot
LOS ANGELES — In Los Angeles County, 10 people on average test positive for the coronavirus every minute. Every six minutes, someone dies from Covid-19, according to county public health data. The startling figures come as Los Angeles became the first county in the nation to record 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic. According to county public health officials, roughly 1,003,923 people in L.A. have been infected with the virus and more than 13,000 people have died. The numbers are equally sobering across the state. California has nearly 2.9 million confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 31,000 deaths, according to NBC News counts. A more contagious variant of the virus has also been detected in the region. -
2021-01-16
To stop digital ‘redlining’ and help students, make the internet an essential utility
Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 98 to help ensure that all of our children are able to successfully continue their education virtually through the Internet. Unfortunately, although this requirement on our educators came with significant funding, the California State Legislature did not couple it with any requirements for internet service providers to actually provide service. We have seen this problem manifest acutely in the many school districts around the state that are scrambling to keep students connected. California’s surge in COVID-19 cases means remote education will continue to be the safest way to continue learning for many students in the weeks and months ahead. But the need for connectivity will not end after the pandemic. If we truly want to level the playing field for students in California — to ensure all students have access to the technology and tools that not only help them access their learning remotely but will be needed for success the rest of their lives — we cannot rest until the internet flows like electricity. -
2021-03-30
California's Latino Communities Being Disproportionately Impacted By The Virus
This shares a tragic story of a COVID-19 victim leaving behind multiple dependents, as well as a report of the disproportionate risk for Latinos in California. They lead with a personable story of a mother and guardian in order to put names and faces, featuring Maribel Alvarado, to the statistics that follow. It goes into the risks many Latinos go through in their daily lives; their jobs and communities. -
2021-03-29
School Districts in California Setbacks while Reopening
This explains which and how many school districts in California have reopened. Many have remained closed for a year or more. As the article's title suggests, "A majority of school districts are now open. But not everyone wants to return," they share why they're seeing a slow intake of students. They also reported that the Long Beach school district had their teachers vaccinated earlier, therefore was able to open their schools earlier than the rest of the state. -
2021-03-01
California Parents' Opinions on Schools Reopening
This provides a general impression of California's parents' thoughts towards reopening in-person schools. Surveys selected from the country-wide populace as well as California district-wide populations were considered. They don't only provide demographics. They also provide some context and reasons for why the participants felt a certain way. One of those responses was "Yes (only if the vaccine is readily available)", another being "No (prefer distance learning)" by an overwhelming amount. It helps inform us of the public opinion while vaccines were still in its early rollout stages. -
2021-03-29
Nancy Martinez Oral History, 2021/03/29
This oral history is with 35 year old Nancy Martinez, who identifies as female and Mexican. She tested positive for COVID-19 in January 2021 and shared the physical and emotional impact of having COVID-19. -
2021-04-01
Live theaters get long-awaited reopening guidelines from state, but many hurdles remain
San Deigo County has issued reopening guidelines for theatres. This marks the first time the theatres will be able to reopen in over a year. However, with the new guidelines theatres fear being accused of privacy violations. -
2021-01-25
How California's Learning Loss Disproportionately Impacts Low-Income Families
This emphasizes how the pandemic has created a "learning loss", particularly among students in grades 4-10. It helps explain what the most challenging obstacles to this dilemma are as California continues to undergo food and housing insecurity. Low-income families are getting the brunt of the learning loss, and this shows just how damaging it can be to childhood and adolescent education as they "may never catch up." -
2021-03-24
Bernie chillin' in Oakland
@oaktown4 found Bernie chillin' in Oakland. * * * * * #oakland #oaktown #oaklandloveit #regram -
2021-02-13
Protect Asian American Communities
Cries from within the Asian American community call for protection as the amount of hate crimes against the AAPI community continues to rise. -
2021-03-24
Hate Crime at "Stop Asian Hate" Rally
At a "Stop Asian Hate" rally in Los Angeles over the weekend, a man yelling racial slurs drove his car through a red light to target Asian and Pacific Islander protesters in a crosswalk. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime and is another example of the rising incidents and attempted incidents of violence against the AAPI community. -
2021-02-24
Rate of Coronavirus Cases Among LAPD Officers Plummeting; Mass Vaccination Slated to Begin Next Week
This article discusses the decline in COVID-19 infection rates among LAPD employees and personnel as their vaccination rates increase. This expected correlation demonstrates the efficacy of the early vaccines despite ongoing concerns at that time about an increasing frequently and number of viral variants across the United States. Additionally, the article addresses concerns of officers who choose not to get vaccinated. At the time of this article, 8 LAPD employees had died from COVID-19 complications and, at one point, more than 20 were testing positive with new infections each day. Those infections have dwindled to about 30 per week, and are likely also a reflection of vaccination among the general population as well as among police officers. -
2021-03-02
The 128th Day, aka Day One
For the first time in 374 days, I taught from my classroom today. It is the 128th day of school, we have only one quarter left. As nervous as we are about our community and the COVID risk level, I feel very positive and relieved to be back. COVID numbers have dropped considerably, and though I haven’t always seen eye to eye with my district in the way this entire pandemic has been handled, at the end of the day, I really feel like the right decisions were made Compared to neighboring districts, I feel our safety standards exceed the norm. It is strange still - the largest in person class I will have is seven students and the smallest is zero! Many families in our community have opted to continue distance learning through the rest of the school year, which I understand. We made the same choice for our two kids! Still, it was nice for the first time in over a year to wake up and have somewhere to go. Even though on one hand it seems ridiculous to Zoom an entire class of kids with two kids in the classroom who are sitting far away from me with headphones on and are logged into also the same Zoom meeting, I did feel re-energized to just be back in my classroom. I don’t think I have a greater prayer right now than for the vaccines to continue to work and for the adolescent and pediatric trials to successfully run their course. Wouldn’t it be incredible to have the kids vaccinated by fall? I know it will not be a reality for all students, but I think that piece of the puzzle will be a big part in mitigating the spread. In the meantime, I’ll continue to follow the pleas of the SOS sign that is taped all over the school. Indeed, let’s save our school year and the next one, too! -
2021-03-20
Mask Trash in Our Sacred Places
Mask trash found in a protected habitat area of Muir Beach, California. The area is closed to try and recover habitats in danger. -
2021-03-21
A Year Into COVID-19's Impact on California's Education
A comprehensive timeline of all the major events that occurred related to California's education; K-12 to college-level. It starts on March 4, 2020 with the latest entry at March 11, 2021. -
2021-03-21
"The American Rescue Plan Act – the largest bump in child care funding since World War II."
The pandemic has created an increasing issue in employment rates, and those with children to care for have continued to struggle. "Black and Brown women have lost the most economically, and women in general have been forced to leave the workforce." These women are forced to sacrifice even more just to have basic child care. Hopefully, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) can help financially support these families and services with "nearly $4Billion in child care funding" headed California's way. These funds are being split into two categories. One is towards the child care industry (including staff salaries, safety practices, and supplies), while the other is towards families and child care providers. The legislators are aiming to provide more equal policies and services to all Californians. It's in no way going to solve everyone's child care problems, but it's a start. -
2020-06-24
The New Reality of California's Preschools
"Gone are family-style meals and snacks where children serve themselves. And no more sharing toys." If it sounds grim to you, it sort of is. Children are having to stay six feet away from one another just like any other person. The difference is that a lot of these children are still far too young to understand why. Safety guidelines have been provided from the California Department of Public Health, county departments of public health, and the California Department of Social Services. This is in a notable and admirable attempt to grab some semblance of normalcy back while remaining cautious. Some other changes include, but are not limited to, having toys be sanitized after use, physical touch (i.e. hugging) are kept to a minimum, and children cannot play outside (such as the playground structures). A big problem seems to be with the touch, though. A lot of these children, as young as 2 years old, start crying and need some physical comfort. Although some of these new guidelines are straightforward and simple, they're not easily implemented as it can easily hinder a child's development and understanding of the world. -
2021-03-10
Justice for Angelo Quinto
Tonight AAPIWL joined Angelo Quinto's family + community, the incredible organizers of @justiceforangeloquinto, Civil Rights Attorney @johnburrislawfirm , the mother of Oscar Grant- Rev. Wanda Johnson, @justice4steventaylor grandmother, @robbonta, Cat Brooks @antipoliceterrorproject, Antioch's elected officials, and hundreds of community members from all over the Bay Area to celebrate Angelo's 31st birthday. Tonight we all learned that Angelo was well loved by his family in Antioch and in the Philippines. His family talked about how amazing and special he was, and they were proud that he wanted to pursue his passions in art. We learned more about the powerful community that will continue to support the Quinto family in their fight for Angelo. Thank you again to the organizers for this beautiful celebration and vigil, for uplifting Angelo and his family, the call for solidarity, the need for mental health resources, demanding the end of police violence and the need for accountability for Angelo and the countless men who were also murdered by the Antioch Police Department while having a mental health crisis. We will continue to fight with you all. #JusticeForAngeloQuinto #JusticeForAngeloJusticeForAll #AAPIWomenLead #InSolidarity #StopAAPIHate -
2021-03-11
Cynthia Jensen Oral History, 03/11/2021
Cynthia Jensen is an executive secretary for a Superintendent of Schools office in a rural town in California. In this oral history, she discusses how the pandemic has affected her workplace, coworkers, family, and community, explaining her disappointment with the official response to the pandemic. She also touches on her experience getting the vaccine, and how she feels about the future now that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Cynthia also discusses her concerns from the start of the pandemic, and how those concerns have shifted or grown throughout the past year. She hopes that moving forward, there will be better preparation for outbreaks such as this, and a stronger unified response from the general public. Looking to the next year, she predicts that it will take time for the schools to recover and find ways to best support students and staff. -
2021-02
California mom who vanished during 'pandemic road trip' 8 months ago found dead in desert
It broke my heart to hear that she was found dead. Single mom from San Francisco who just wanted to get out for an adventure on a "pandemic" road trip, went missing several months ago.