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Volunteers Cleaning Communities, a San Fernando Valley based nonprofit, picks up trash in the Valley nearly every single day. All are invited to join.
The backstory: The group started by chance during COVID when founder Jill Mather needed to get out of the house for some exercise. One day she took a trash bag with her, and eventually invited others to join.
What's next: Mather wants more people to join the group that’s grown to some 200 members.
Read on … to find out how you can help.
Most people don’t have picking up trash as part of their retirement plan, but for these seniors in the San Fernando Valley it's how they build new friendships and community.
They’re part of Volunteers Cleaning Communities. You’ve probably seen them around in the SFV wearing vests emblazoned with the VCC logos as they go about cleaning up the Valley almost every morning, including the weekends.
The group started five years ago during the COVID lockdown when founder and president Jill Mather needed some exercise and started walking.
“I didn’t like just walking without a purpose, so I started taking a bag along with me to pick up the trash that I found along the way,” she said.
That’s when she noticed the issue was bigger than what she alone could handle. She posted on social media inviting others to join her.
The first unofficial Volunteers Cleaning Communities gathering had 12 strangers join Mather on her journey.
They separated into groups and cleaned for two hours in different directions.
“We went to coffee afterwards just out of a fluke,” Mather said. That first outing set the tone for what every cleaning expedition since.
Danny Sinclair is one of the longest serving volunteers. He’s spent four-and-a-half years with VCC and fills in as lead, assigning routes and handing out supplies in Mather’s absence.
Sinclair had just moved from Florida and was living with his son when he saw a post about the group online. Being new in town he wanted to get out and meet people.
“So I started doing this. Now I’ve got all new family, friends, everything,” said Sinclair, who volunteers five days a week. “The best thing is the friendships. Everybody’s the same, they feel it’s important that we pick up the trash for environmental purposes.”
The group does more than just pick up everyday litter. They notify 311 about illegal dumping on the sidewalk, report graffiti for removal and tear down signs from street posts.
“I just feel like I’m getting something done, making a difference,” said volunteer Christine Kesilis.
She came to the group about two years ago when she was volunteering at Santa Susana State Historical Park learning how to assist with guided hikes. VCC was part of a crew cleaning up there, one of the many community beautification outings the group does regularly.
“I met them during the cleanup and then I joined them afterwards. I do them more than I go to the park now,” Kesilis said.
A little effort is no waste
Over their five years of growth the group has drawn the attention of local officials for their commitment.
“My councilman calls it his beloved VCC,” Mather said.
That would be Councilmember John Lee, who represents the 12th District in Los Angeles, and used to meet with Mather monthly for updates.
“I’m very proud of what they’ve grown into,” Lee said. “Not only are they cleaning up our communities, they are an example to the rest of the people who live here about how a little effort can make such a big, big difference.”
His office awarded $10,000 to VCC for clean-up supplies in June.
“What once started with just a handful of people has grown to…I don’t even know how big the numbers are,” Lee said.
But Mather knows — she keeps meticulous track of the group's developments. Their newsletter reaches more than 3,000 people and Mather regularly talks to students about their efforts
“In my core group, we have 200 rotating people that will show up over a week for different activities,” Mather said.
But she says a big part of the work is getting more people involved.
“We’ve picked over 650,000 pounds of trash,” Mather said. That’s more than 45,000 bags.
She wants more people to show up and they’ll provide the rest: a grabber, a vest, gloves, bags, and of course, a beloved sense of community.
Volunteers Cleaning Communities is in the San Fernando Valley several times a week between 8 and 10 a.m.
Find dates and locations here and just show up. Gear is provided.
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In what could be a major change in oversight of L.A. homelessness spending, the City Council’s homelessness committee is recommending the city start shifting some programs away from the L.A. Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) over the course of the upcoming fiscal year. Which programs and who would oversee them remains to be seen.
The context: The move comes a year after the county decided to pull its funding from the joint city-county agency in response to multiple audits that found LAHSA failed to properly track and manage billions of homelessness dollars. Officials are also warning homelessness services may have to be cut due to ongoing, years’ long delays on LAHSA’s part in reimbursing service providers for their work.
The recommendations: On Wednesday, the council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee voted to recommend multiple changes to city homelessness spending, including a recommendation to shift management of some city programs away from LAHSA during the next fiscal year that starts July 1. Another recommendation advanced by the committee is to pursue negotiations to give the city “a clear majority” in the governance and decision-making control at LAHSA.
What’s next: The recommendations now go to the full City Council for a decision.
In what could be a major change in oversight of L.A. homelessness spending, the City Council’s homelessness committee is recommending the city start shifting some programs away from the L.A. Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) over the course of the upcoming fiscal year. Which programs and who would oversee them remains to be seen.
The move comes a year after L.A. County decided to pull its funding from the joint city-county agency in response to multiple audits that found LAHSA failed to properly track and manage billions of homelessness dollars. Officials are also warning homelessness services may have to be cut due to ongoing, years’ long delays on LAHSA’s part in reimbursing service providers for their work. The committee’s chair, Councilmember Nithya Raman, describes LAHSA as “plagued with scandal” in her mayoral platform.
On Wednesday, the council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee voted to recommend multiple changes to city homelessness spending, including a recommendation by Raman to shift management of some city programs away from LAHSA during the next fiscal year that starts July 1.
Another recommendation advanced by the committee, which was proposed by Councilmember Tim McOsker, is to pursue negotiations to give the city “a clear majority” in the governance and decision-making control at LAHSA — including over federal funding meant for 84 other cities in L.A. County. Currently, LAHSA’s governing commission is split 50-50 between city and county appointees. Starting next year, the city will be by far the largest funder of LAHSA.
[Click here to read the recommendations a majority of the committee voted to make.]
The recommendations call for city officials to send the council a report by July 1 analyzing which city programs make sense to shift away from LAHSA and instead be managed by the county, the city or another entity. If approved by the council, $450,000 would be budgeted to hire consultants to advise the city about the funding shift, and city officials would be directed to update the council every 30 days about the transition.
The recommendations now go to the full City Council for a decision.
Mayor Karen Bass has expressed concern that moving too quickly to shift funds from LAHSA could harm services for unhoused people. That concern was echoed at Wednesday’s committee meeting by Gita O’Neill, who is serving as LAHSA CEO during a year-long leave from being an attorney at the city attorney’s office.
“ I would just ask this committee to take their time to look at the issues. Sometimes when things are rushed and hurried, unfortunately our unhoused folks fall through the cracks,” O’Neill said. “Seeing it go really quickly, sometimes things can get lost, sometimes contracts can get lost.”
Councilmember Heather Hutt, who is on the council’s homelessness committee, said Wednesday she does not support shifting spending yet to the county or in-house.
“It's too premature, too early and too rushed,” Hutt said. “Given the actions of the county and the federal government, we need to make sure our system is stabilized over the next two years before we think about what a longer transition looks like.”
She voted against Raman’s recommendations to start shifting funding over the next fiscal year, and voted for McOsker’s recommendations to try to beef up city control of LAHSA.
The full City Council is expected to decide on the recommendations at a future meeting. Regardless of what the city does, all of the county’s funding of services through LAHSA will be pulled as of July 1 and moved to full county control.
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East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress on Tuesday, days after sexual assault and misconduct allegations against the Democratic front-runner upended California’s wide-open governor’s race. Swalwell dropped out of the race on Sunday and resigned from Congress on Tuesday. Here’s what happened and what it means for the June 2 statewide primary and the future of Swalwell’s congressional seat.
What's next: Gov. Gavin Newsom quickly set Aug. 18 as the date for a special election to fill Swalwell’s seat. Whoever wins will fill the seat for the remaining months of Swalwell’s term, which ends in January. Swalwell’s departure stands to further shake up what has long been an unsettled race — and California’s first wide-open campaign for governor in two decades. Prior to Swalwell dropping out, he, Porter and Steyer were the top-polling Democrats. It seems likely that Porter and Steyer could now attract some of his supporters.
East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress on Tuesday, days after sexual assault and misconduct allegations against the Democratic front-runner upended California’s wide-open governor’s race.
Swalwell dropped out of the race Sunday and resigned from Congress on Tuesday. His exit comes as a new accuser came forward Tuesday, alleging that Swalwell drugged and raped her in 2018. Gov. Gavin Newsom quickly set Aug. 18 as the date for a special election to fill Swalwell’s seat.
Here’s what happened and what it means for the June 2 statewide primary and the future of Swalwell’s congressional seat.
Swalwell, 45, is accused of sexually assaulting two women and harassing others.
On Friday, he was accused of raping a former staff member twice, when she was too intoxicated to consent, and of harassing three other women, including by sending nude photos and making unwanted physical advances.
Those allegations were detailed in a San Francisco Chronicle investigation and a subsequent report by CNN. The latest allegation was made by another woman, Lonna Drewes, who told reporters at a press conference Tuesday that Swalwell drugged and raped her in 2018 in a West Hollywood hotel.
Swalwell has denied the allegations since they broke April 10, and his lawyers sent the women accusing him cease-and-desist letters demanding they retract their claims. In a video message Swalwell posted late Friday, he seemed to acknowledge he’d been unfaithful to his wife.
On Tuesday, after the second allegation of rape, Swalwell issued a statement through an attorney, which the lawyer posted on social media. It said that Swalwell “categorically and unequivocally denies each and every allegation of sexual misconduct and assault” and calls them a “calculated and transparent political hit job." His lawyer, Sara Azari, also went on News Nation on Tuesday night and said that “regret is not rape.”
The most serious allegations involve a woman who worked for Swalwell’s presidential campaign and in his congressional office, a job she began at age 21. She told the Chronicle that Swalwell, who is 17 years older than she, began pursuing her within weeks of joining his office in 2019, sending her explicit pictures on Snapchat and asking for nude photos in return.
She alleged that in September 2019, she went out drinking with a group, including Swalwell, in Pleasanton and woke up the next day naked in his hotel room, feeling the effects of vaginal intercourse.
The woman also described a similar alleged assault in 2024 in New York City after a night of drinking, recalling portions of the night, including being in Swalwell’s hotel room, pushing him off of her and telling him no. She said she woke up alone in his hotel room with vaginal bleeding and bruising.
Swalwell is also facing possible criminal investigations in both New York and California. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said Saturday that it is looking into the alleged 2024 assault, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office said over the weekend that prosecutors there are “evaluating whether any alleged criminal conduct occurred within Alameda County.” And on Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said it is investigating Drewe’s allegations.
Swalwell represented California’s 14th Congressional District, which includes the East Bay cities of Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore and Hayward. He submitted his resignation Tuesday. The seat is now vacant.
Gov. Gavin Newsom quickly called a special election this summer to replace him. Whoever wins will fill the seat for the remaining months of Swalwell’s term, which ends in January. In the meantime, the district has no voting representation in Congress, only the staff who have remained to assist constituents.
Meanwhile, the election cycle for the next term, beginning in January, continues on its regular schedule, with the June 2 primary and a potential runoff in the November general election.
Swalwell is not on the ballot for his congressional seat because he was running for governor. However, his name will still appear on the June ballot for governor, since it’s legally too late to remove it.
Newsom has scheduled a special election to fill the remainder of Swalwell’s term. First, a special primary election will be held June 16. If a candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, they would win outright and immediately take his seat in Congress.
If no candidate clears that threshold, the top two finishers will advance to a runoff election Aug. 18. Whoever wins will serve only the remainder of Swalwell’s term until January.
That means that if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in both the statewide primary and the special primary, voters in Swalwell’s East Bay district could potentially cast four separate ballots for their congressional representative this year.
Nine candidates already were running to succeed Swalwell in the 14th District in the June 2 primary for the full term set to begin in January. State Sen. Aisha Wahab is the only one with statewide elected experience. Former Dublin Mayor Melissa Hernandez, who serves as president of the BART Board of Directors, also is running.
Those candidates also may run in the special primary election.
The top-polling candidates in the crowded field include two Republicans: businessman Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. Two Democrats other than Swalwell also have been enjoying double-digit support in most polls: former Orange County Rep. Katie Porter and billionaire Democratic activist Tom Steyer.
Other Democratic candidates include Xavier Becerra, who previously served as U.S. Health and Human Services secretary and California attorney general; San José Mayor Matt Mahan; former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; California Superintendent for Public Instruction Tony Thurmond; and former state Controller Betty Yee.
Swalwell’s departure stands to further shake up what has long been an unsettled race — and California’s first wide-open campaign for governor in two decades.
Prior to Swalwell dropping out, he, Porter and Steyer were the top-polling Democrats. It seems likely that Porter and Steyer could now attract some of his supporters.
California has a “top-two” primary system, meaning the two candidates who receive the most votes in June, regardless of party, will move on to a November runoff. That means two Republicans or two Democrats could face each other in a runoff election.
There’s been concern among Democrats that because no Democratic candidate has consolidated support, Hilton and Bianco could make it into the runoff, shutting out Democrats and resulting in a Republican governor. That seems less likely now, especially since Hilton recently received President Donald Trump’s endorsement, which is likely to play well among Republican voters. The state GOP failed to endorse either candidate at their convention this weekend, though Bianco did get more votes than Hilton from party insiders.
If Hilton surges ahead of Bianco, the race could come down to a contest between Porter and Steyer for a second spot in the runoff.
Election Day is June 2. The last day to register to vote is May 18.
Counties will begin sending out mail-in ballots May 4, and in-person early voting starts May 23.
To register to vote, contact your county elections office. The official state information guide is available here.
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LACMA is previewing new $720-million galleries designed to break the mold of the traditional art museum. Instead of white walls, there's exposed concrete, and instead of little, if any natural light, there's floor to ceiling windows.
Why it matters: LACMA is the largest museum in the western U.S., organizes groundbreaking art exhibits, and welcomes many L.A.-area school children through their education programs.
Why now: LACMA’s new galleries have been 20 years in the making and took six years to build.
The backstory: LACMA’s David Geffen galleries are open to members only from April 19 to May 3, then to the general public after that.
Go deeper: This new LACMA Van Gogh is making LA a destination for Van Gogh paintings.
After about two decades of planning, six years of construction and a cost of $720 million, L.A. County Museum of Art officials gave a preview of the new David Geffen museum galleries on Wednesday.
“This museum is very experimental,” said Michael Govan, LACMA’s CEO. “It's very new, it's very fresh. It's a new way to think about our history and being more accessible at the same time that I think it's more meditative."
Gone is LACMA’s 1965 iconic, boxy gallery building, replaced by an exposed concrete and glass structure distinguished by a soft, curved profile.
“You can stand in the building and know where you are, not in a box… you are here in the city, you can look around the perimeter and know exactly where you are,” said Diana Magaloni, LACMA’s senior deputy director overseeing conservation, curatorial and exhibitions.
The feeling of knowing where you are is due largely to the acres of open space and plazas next to the building and ground level, as well as the floor to ceiling windows in the galleries’ second level that allow you to see L.A.’s mountains and urban skylines.
LACMA officials say the design by renowned minimalist Swiss architect Peter Zumthor will better serve the public’s interaction with its massive art collection that spans 6,000 years and cultures from around the globe. The collection includes Southeast Asian sculptures, paintings by Diego Rivera, as well as contemporary art by Southern California artists.
“One of the nice things about this building is there are many new works of art and then there are old friends,” said Stephanie Barron, head of modern art at LACMA, as she stood next to a 12-foot-tall by 18-foot-wide piece by Henri Matisse.
The 2,000-pound work features multicolored leaves made of ceramic. It’s well known to LACMA’s visitors because it hung for years near the old gallery’s entrance. Now, the work faces northwest toward the Hollywood Hills and the Pacific Ocean.
Success, Govan said, will be measured by visitors’ reactions to seeing art in this new setting, as well as what the setting does to people visiting by themselves or with groups of people.
“The way this building works, the way you can wander through galleries, the way the light works, the way it brings collections and thinking together, the way we’re collaborating” centers human interactions, Govan said. “It’s a launch pad, not an end point.”
LACMA’s David Geffen galleries are open to members from Sunday April 19 to Sunday May 3, then to the general public after that.
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The naming contest for Jackie and Shadow's new eagle chicks is officially open!
The backstory: Big Bear third graders will make the final call on the chicks' names. But they'll use a computer-generated list of finalists from the naming contest to vote on the winners.
The rules: You'll have to make a small donation to Friends of Big Bear Valley, the nonprofit that runs the popular livestream of Jackie and Shadow's nest. One entry is $5. Three entries will cost $10. And 10 entries will set you back $25. Names also have to be gender neutral because it's not known yet whether the chicks are male or female. And this probably goes without saying, but any inappropriate, explicit or derogatory names will automatically be disqualified.
How to enter: You can find more information on the contest here. Friends of Big Bear Valley is accepting suggestions until 11:59 p.m. Sunday, April 26.
