Topline:
Fernando Valenzuela has died at the age of 63.
Why it matters: Valenzuela made a mark as one of the most popular Dodgers of all-time, drawing in Mexican and Mexican American fans who celebrated the pitching star as a transformative figure in Major League Baseball.
What the Dodgers said: "We profoundly mourn the passing of Fernando,” said Stan Kasten, the L.A. Dodgers president and chief executive. Kasten called Valenzuela "one of the most influential Dodgers ever."
Fernando Valenzuela has died at the age of 63. Valenzuela made a mark as one of the most popular Dodgers of all-time, drawing in Mexican and Mexican American fans who celebrated the pitching star as a transformative figure in Major League Baseball.
"We profoundly mourn the passing of Fernando,” said Stan Kasten, the L.A. Dodgers president and chief executive in a statement announcing Valenzuela's death. Kasten called Valenzuela: "One of the most influential Dodgers ever."
Read more: Thank you Fernando: How a Dodgers legend captured my childhood heart
Valenzuela, who'd worked as a Spanish-language Dodgers broadcaster for more than two decades, had announced earlier this month that he would step away from the booth for the remainder of the season to focus on his health.
When they announced Valenzuela was stepping back, the Dodgers did not make clear the nature of his health issues. The team said at the time: "He and his family truly appreciate the love and support of fans as he aims to return for the 2025 season, and they have asked for privacy during this time.''
Valenzuela made his mark as a pitcher, and debuted at 19 on the mound for the Dodgers. He was a storied member of the 1981 Fernandomania season. That year, Valenzuela won the National League Rookie of the Year honors and the Cy Young award.
Last August, Valenzuela's number 34 jersey was retired by the Dodgers in front of a packed stadium.
As part of the celebration, the pitcher with a vicious screwball who was dubbed "El Toro," threw out the first to pitch to Mike Scioscia, his longtime catcher.
Jaime Jarrin, another legendary broadcaster for the Dodgers, explained Valenzuela's significance when his number was retired.
“He became right away a hero for Latinos following baseball,” Jarrín told LAist. “The most important thing is that he created so many new baseball followers.…people from Mexico, from Central America, from South America that didn’t care at all about baseball.”
Go deeper: ‘Fernandomania’ Returns: The Dodgers are (finally) retiring Fernando Valenzuela’s number
Since 2003, Valenzuela had been a beloved broadcaster with the team. Valenzuela called games for the last 21 years.
That part of his career began after Valenzuela played 11 years, including as a pitcher for the 1981 team that beat the New York Yankees. The two teams, among the most iconic in the MLB, face off this Friday for the first time since then.
Valenzuela was the youngest of 12 children, born in Etchohuaquila, Sonora, Mexico.
Within a year of his 1980 Major League debut, Fernandomania set in after he went on to an unprecedented career-opening run, with complete games in his first eight career starts. Five of those games were shutouts and his ERA was a stunningly-low 0.50.
Valenzuela is survived by his wife, Linda, and four children, Fernando Jr., Ricardo, Linda and Maria Fernanda, and seven grandchildren.
His death prompted an outpouring of memories and support for his loved ones.
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement calling Valenzuela a legend.
"To millions, Fernando Valenzuela was more than a baseball player," she said. "He was an icon that transcended the limits of hope and dreams. He was the voice of a game that we hold close in our hearts. His charisma was palpable, and his excellence was undeniable."
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Valenzuela's "profound impact on the game," will always be remembered, as well as "his spirit that embodied the California Dream."
Major League Baseball sent out a video documenting his rookie year.
Fernando Valenzuela captivated the baseball world in 1981. His unforgettable year included winning the NL Rookie of the Year, Cy Young Award & a World Series title.
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 23, 2024
We honor the memory of the Dodgers icon, who passed away Tuesday at age 63, with a look back at “Fernandomania.” pic.twitter.com/oAGgmddlFB
The Dodgers Spanish-language account on X (formerly Twitter) shared out a video of his final pitch in his first MLB start.
Fernandomanía por siempre. pic.twitter.com/uBeTXr5Zwm
— Los Dodgers (@LosDodgers) October 23, 2024
And tributes at an empty Dodger stadium after new of Valenzuela's death was shared by the team.
34 por siempre. 💙 pic.twitter.com/1Nziz1Aax6
— Los Dodgers (@LosDodgers) October 23, 2024
Topline:
If you’re looking to donate, volunteer or find ways to give back, we’ve rounded up a list to help you get started.
Why now: With the holiday season underway, organizations across Boyle Heights and East LA are seeking volunteers to help distribute food, assemble bicycles, sort toys and sponsor families in need.
Local food distributions: The Weingart East LA YMCA hosts a food distribution every Monday and Wednesday to ensure families have access to nutritious meals. Volunteers are needed for each food distribution from 8:45 a.m. to noon.
Read on ... for other ways to give back on the Eastside.
This story was originally published by Boyle Heights Beat on Nov. 25.
With the holiday season underway, organizations across Boyle Heights and East LA are seeking volunteers to help distribute food, assemble bicycles, sort toys and sponsor families in need.
If you’re looking to donate, volunteer or find ways to give back, we’ve rounded up a list to help you get started.
The Weingart East LA YMCA is hosting its 19th Annual Toy Giveaway on Dec. 18, and volunteers are needed to help prepare toys and provide support. Before the event, volunteers can help by assembling bicycles and sorting and organizing toys on Dec. 17 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Volunteers are also needed to assist on event day from 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Address: 2900 Whittier Blvd., Los Angeles
How to volunteer: https://ymcala.volunteermatters.org/project-catalog/1567
The Weingart East LA YMCA hosts a food distribution every Monday and Wednesday to ensure families have access to nutritious meals. Volunteers are needed for each food distribution from 8:45 a.m. to noon.
Address: 2900 Whittier Blvd., Los Angeles
How to volunteer: https://ymcala.volunteermatters.org/project-catalog/1472
Address: Salesian Family Youth Center, 2228 E. Fourth St., Los Angeles
How to volunteer: Those interested in volunteering can reach out to Celene Rodriguez by phone at (323) 243-5758 or email at celene@visionycompromiso.org.
LAFC’s Expo Originals supporters group is collecting new, unwrapped toys and Venmo donations ahead of its annual community toy drive Dec. 14. Venmo contributions will go toward toy purchases, and the last day to donate is Dec. 6. Toys can be dropped off in person at the locations below until Dec. 13.
Where to donate:
Yeya’s Restaurant — 1816 First St., Los Angeles
Distrito Catorce — 1837 First St., Los Angeles
More information: https://www.instagram.com/p/DRNLVDkj_FM/
Proyecto Pastoral is collecting new jackets to keep its participants at the Guadalupe Homeless Shelter warm.
Where to donate: Jackets can be dropped off at the Proyecto Pastoral office located at 135 N. Mission Road from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Proyecto Pastoral has many opportunities for the community to give back during its Holiday Drive this year. Those interested in fulfilling holiday wishes for a family, child or classroom have until Dec. 1 to register. Proyecto Pastoral will pair sponsors with community members in need to fulfill items from their wish list.
Individual toys also can be dropped off at Proyecto Pastoral’s office. The toys will be distributed to children who participate in Proyecto Pastoral’s youth programs at their end-of-year celebrations.
Where to register: https://www.proyectopastoral.org/holidays
Topline:
Greystar, which manages hundreds of properties in California, has agreed to pay $7 million to settle a lawsuit alleging the company and other landlords used a price scheme to raise rents artificially high.
Background: In January, Greystar was named as a defendant in an antitrust lawsuit filed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, the U.S. Department of Justice and several other states against software company RealPage, which officials say uses algorithmic models to recommend price increases to subscribers.
Bonta alleges that Greystar used RealPage’s system to coordinate rental prices with other landlords by illegally sharing and gathering confidential information. According to his office, RealPage’s “price alignment scheme” affected rentals across the country, especially in multifamily buildings in Southern California, including in Los Angeles, Orange County and San Bernardino.
The settlement: Bonta announced last week that, as part of the settlement, Greystar has agreed to stop using software that uses competitively sensitive information to set rent prices, including from RealPage.
The company has also agreed to cooperate in the federal prosecution of RealPage and the other landlords named as defendants, such as Camden and Willow Bridge.
Greystar statement: Greystar told LAist that it’s “pleased this matter is resolved,” and the company “remain[s] focused on serving our residents and clients.”
Go deeper ... for more information on the case.
Greystar, which manages hundreds of properties in California, has agreed to pay $7 million to settle a lawsuit alleging the company and other landlords used a price scheme to raise rents artificially high.
In January, Greystar was named as a defendant in an antitrust lawsuit filed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, the U.S. Department of Justice and several other states against software company RealPage, which officials say uses algorithmic models to recommend price increases to subscribers.
Bonta alleges Greystar used RealPage’s system to coordinate rental prices with other landlords by illegally sharing and gathering confidential information. According to his office, RealPage’s “price alignment scheme” affected rentals across the country, especially in multifamily buildings in Southern California, including in Los Angeles, Orange County and San Bernardino.
"Whether it's through smoke-filled backroom deals or through an algorithm on your computer screen, colluding to drive up prices is illegal,” Bonta said in a statement. “Companies that intentionally fuel this unaffordability by raising prices to line their own pockets can be sure I will use the full force of my office to hold them accountable.”
Greystar is the largest landlord in the U.S., according to the Department of Justice, managing nearly 950,000 rental units across the country. In California, the company manages about 333 multifamily rental properties that use RealPage’s pricing software, according to Bonta’s office.
Bonta announced last week that as part of the settlement, Greystar has agreed to stop using software that uses competitively sensitive information to set rent prices, including from RealPage.
The company also has agreed to cooperate in the federal prosecution of RealPage and the other landlords named as defendants, such as Camden and Willow Bridge.
Greystar said in a statement to LAist that it’s “pleased this matter is resolved” and the company “remain[s] focused on serving our residents and clients.”
The U.S. Justice Department’s Antitrust Division filed a proposed settlement with RealPage on Monday to resolve its claims against the company.
If the settlement is approved by the court, RealPage would be required to stop using competitors’ private, sensitive information to set rental prices and remove or redesign features in its software that limited price drops or aligned prices between competitors, according to the Justice Department.
RealPage also would be required to cooperate in the lawsuit against property management companies that have used its software and agree to a court-appointed monitor to make sure it complies with the proposed settlement.
Dirk Wakeham, president and CEO of RealPage, said in a statement Monday that the proposed resolution marks an important milestone for the company and its customers.
"We are pleased to have reached this agreement with the DOJ, which brings the clarity and stability we have long sought and allows us to move forward with a continued focus on innovation and the shared goal of better outcomes for both housing providers and renters,” Wakeham said.
RealPage denies any wrongdoing, attorney Stephen Weissman said in a statement.
Topline:
On Monday, Los Angeles officials considered claims that it did not install Measure HLA-mandated mobility upgrades where it should have. But the Board of Public Works rejected most of the claims, meaning the city maintains its position that it has been doing road work largely in accordance with Measure HLA. It was the first hearing of its kind since the city began accepting appeals this summer.
Measure HLA: The ordinance requires the city to install mobility upgrades, like bike lanes and pedestrian signal improvements, when it resurfaces at least one-eighth of a mile of certain streets throughout the city. As of August, L.A. city residents can file appeals claims to the Board of Public Works explaining why they think the city was not complying with Measure HLA. For more instructions and an explanation on that process, you can read LAist’s story here.
First round of appeals: The Board of Public Works partially sided with the appellant in one appeal and rejected the other six. Joe Linton, in his capacity as a resident and not as editor of Streetsblog L.A., filed all the appeals heard on Monday. “It’s the very first time, so we’re kind of throwing a lot of spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks,” Linton told LAist. “Not a lot stuck.”
One appeal approved: Linton partially won his appeal claiming the city did not adequately install pedestrian improvements along a nearly half-mile portion of Hollywood Boulevard that it resurfaced last year. The city said it will publish an “appeals resolution plan” to fix sidewalks there within the next six months. “It was really obvious to me that the city’s justification … was not true, so I was glad that that was acknowledged,” Linton said.
Most rejected: In the other six appeals, the Board of Public Works agreed that the city’s work was properly exempted from Measure HLA because it only involved restriping the road. Linton had argued in those appeals that the city's work should have triggered Measure HLA because it involved reconfiguring lanes, modifying parking and adding new signage.
More appeals to be heard: The Board of Public Works on Monday will hear four additional appeals Linton filed.
Topline:
Newport Beach voters will decide if they want to replace a state-approved housing plan with one that zones for far fewer new homes in 2026.
How we got here: Proponents of the plan called the Responsible Housing Initiative say the state-approved housing plan will negatively affect quality of life.
About the initiative: The initiative rejects the city’s current housing plan — which allows for more than 8,000 homes — and instead proposes just 2,900 homes exclusively for extremely low-, very low-, low- and moderate-income households.
The state-approved city plan: According to California law, Newport Beach needs to build 4,845 new units — 3,436 of which must be affordable for very low-, low- and moderate-income households.
Read on ... for more on next steps and tug-of-war over development plans.
Newport Beach voters will decide if they want to replace a state-approved housing plan with one that allows for far fewer new homes in 2026.
Proponents of the plan, called the Responsible Housing Initiative, say the current plan will make the city overcrowded and negatively affect quality of life.
“This isn’t downtown Los Angeles,” said Charles Klobe, president of Still Protecting Our Newport, which backs the Responsible Housing Initiative.
Last week, city leaders voted to put the initiative in front of voters after the Newport Beach Stewardship Association submitted the Responsible Housing Initiative petition with more than 8,000 signatures. The initiative rejects the city’s current housing plan and instead proposes an amendment to the general plan to facilitate the development of 2,900 homes exclusively for extremely low-, very low-, low- and moderate-income households.
The city’s current housing plan, which has the backing of the state, allows for more than 8,000 homes, including the required affordable housing units.
“ We're against the city building more market rate than the state required. We believe it's a giveaway to developers who will fund re-election campaigns of the council,” Klobe said.
California’s Housing Element Law sets housing targets for local governments to meet, including for affordable units. It allows the state to intervene every eight years to let cities know how much housing they must plan for. The law also requires cities to put together a housing element showcasing how they will achieve the state’s plan. The state then approves of the element or sends it back to cities to reconfigure according to the requirements.
According to California law, Newport Beach needs to build 4,845 new units — 3,436 of which must be affordable for very low-, low- and moderate-income households. According to the city, Newport Beach can’t just plan for affordable housing units “because that would assume all future projects would be 100% affordable, which is not realistic based on previous development experiences.” And so, the city’s rezone plans include more than 8,000 units.
Councilmember Robyn Grant said during the council meeting that she’s not in favor of the state mandate. But, she added, “After extensive legal analysis and public outreach and workshops and hearings and meetings and more meetings, this council approved an updated general plan to bring Newport Beach into compliance and avoid serious penalties, including the loss of local land use control."
Newport Beach did appeal the state’s housing mandates on the grounds that it did not take into account how some of the city’s coastal lands are protected from urban development, but the appeal was rejected.
To learn more about how Newport Beach arrived at its state-approved housing plan, click here.
The Responsible Housing Initiative counts the number of housing units already in development and proposes an additional 2,900 affordable housing units to meet the state mandate.
Klobe said they believe the initiative will receive state backing because “they claim to want affordable housing and our initiative requires it.”
Supporters of the measure contend the city’s current plan will increase the population, result in excessive traffic and disrupt the quality of life. They also sued Newport Beach for not first going to voters, but they failed in court.
To learn more about the Responsible Housing Initiative, click here.
Voters will have a chance to weigh in on the Responsible Housing Initiative in November 2026.
