The Brief

A workplace misconduct investigation found a top Orange County elected official violated gender discrimination and retaliation policies and harassed a subordinate over her medical disability, according to a confidential county-commissioned report obtained by LAist.

According to the investigator’s findings, O.C. Assessor Claude Parrish:

• Downplayed the employee’s chronic medical condition as a “tummy ache”
• Shared her private medical information with coworkers
• Regularly commented on her diet
• Told her to stop taking her prescribed medication 
• Made her “drink baking soda mixed with tap water to ‘fix’ her medical condition” 

The investigator’s final report, filed in 2023, also found that Parrish retaliated against the subordinate because of her disability by moving her to a different department for taking time off for her disability and medical condition.

In addition, the investigator found Parrish regularly used language effectively casting women employees as subservient to their male colleagues.

“It is more likely than not that Parrish routinely refers to male employees as ‘Mr.’ and female employees by their first name, based on their gender,” the investigation found. “The cumulative effect of Parrish's practice of using formal, deferential means of addressing men, while using informal, casual means of addressing women serves to highlight a subservient relationship between such employees, based on their sex.”

While the investigator’s findings were disclosed to county human resources officials in the May 2023 report, they have not been publicly reported until now. LAist obtained the report — which is labeled “confidential” — via a public records request.

At least two Orange County supervisors did not know of the findings until this month — and only found out because the county was preparing to release the report to LAist, according to their offices. Under state law, the Board of Supervisors has an oversight role over Parrish, though it’s limited because voters elected him.

Parrish, who has been the county assessor for 10 years, has continued to serve since the findings against him nearly two years ago. In interviews with LAist, Parrish said he was not at fault, named the former employee and called her a “pathological liar.” According to the report, witnesses corroborated many of her claims and the investigator found she was “generally credible.”

LAist obtained the investigation report after citing court precedent requiring local governments to release such documents under the Public Records Act.

Parrish was told to cease and desist

Citing the investigation findings, the county’s HR director sent a letter to Parrish telling him to stop violating harassment policies.

“The investigator’s findings raise serious concerns about your treatment of Assessor employees,” wrote Collette Farnes, the county’s chief human resources officer. The December 2023 letter was also obtained by LAist in the public records request.

“As the County’s Chief Human Resources Officer, I am obligated to instruct you to cease and desist from any and all conduct that violates County policy.”

Farnes went on to “strongly recommend” Parrish to take a two-hour anti-harassment training.

Parrish told LAist that he does not remember if he did the requested training.

“ I honestly don't remember if I did. It was too long ago, so I don't remember,” he said.

A county spokesperson told LAist that Parrish completed the training recommended in the letter from Farnes.

When asked about what was done in response to the findings, a county spokesperson pointed to the letter’s demands. No further action was described.

Under county policy and state law, all county employees have to complete a workplace harassment prevention training every two years. A county spokesperson told LAist that the requirement applies twice a year to supervisory and management roles.

Parrish told LAist he does not remember if he’s ever done harassment prevention training.

Who oversees the assessor?

Parrish is responsible for overseeing about 250 staff. His department determines the value of billions of dollars of homes and other real estate in Orange County for tax purposes. Parrish first took office in January 2015, in an election that followed his predecessor being charged with (and later convicted of) filing false nomination papers for re-election.

As an elected official, Parrish operates largely independently. The power to hire and fire the assessor rests with the voters, who choose every four years whether to re-elect him. Parrish was most recently reelected in 2022 when he won the primary outright with nearly 71% of the vote.

Under state law, Orange County supervisors’ authority is constrained “to ensuring that the assessor faithfully performs the duties of the office,” according to a state Supreme Court ruling in a case out of Orange County. But the board is not allowed “to control, directly or indirectly, the manner in which the [assessor’s] duties are performed,” according to that same ruling.

“As a County officer, the Assessor is subject to supervision by the Board of Supervisors,” county spokesperson Molly Nichelson said in a written response to LAist’s questions. She pointed to state law.

Parrish responds: ‘Nobody's more employee-friendly than me’

Asked for his response to the HR investigation, Parrish told LAist he’s a kind boss. He said he’d been on the “best terms” with the former employee he later was found to have harassed, until the day he transferred her to a different department in July 2022.

“ Nobody's more employee-friendly than me,” he said, adding that he let the employee take off whatever time off she needed for her medical issues.  “ I was like her best friend, for years.”

“We were on the best terms for the entire time she worked here, except for the last day,” he added. “To this day, to show you what a nice guy is, if she comes and says, ‘I’d like to work here,’ I'd hire her now. Even though she's said all those terrible things about me."

“She just lies, stabbed me in the back,” Parrish said, saying the former employee would “make up all sorts of stories.”

“I’m not mean to anybody,” he added.

While the initial complaint against Parrish did not include allegations of harassment based on gender, those allegations came up as employees were interviewed, according to the investigation report.

As for the findings about how he addressed male versus female employees, Parrish called that “a lie.” He said he referred to one high-ranking male executive — Neil Shah — as “Mr.” because they worked together at the State Board of Equalization.

“ Mr. Shah and I are old time friends from when I was on the Board of Equalization, so I have great respect for him. So that's the deal,” Parrish said.

Multiple employees told the investigator otherwise — saying that in the workplace, Parrish referred to all men as “Mr.” and all women by their first names, according to the report. The investigator found that Parrish’s practice was “gender-based rather than based on their role/title.”

The investigator determined that Parrish violated the county’s harassment policy based on gender.

Investigator found Parrish not credible

The confidential report redacted the names of the complainant and witnesses.

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County Orange County

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The investigator’s report, which redacted the name of the employee with the medical issue, found her to be “generally credible” — noting several witnesses corroborated her claims.

In contrast, the investigator wrote that they “did not find Parrish credible” for several reasons, including that he contradicted himself and “was at times evasive.”

“When the Investigator asked Parrish to respond to an allegation of race harassment and discrimination, his initial response was limited to, ‘Well, that's totally false. If anybody's a racist, it's [name redacted],’” the report states.

In addition, the report said in response to the investigator asking if there was anything Parrish wanted to say about the allegations against him, “he spoke for eight minutes about how he is ‘employee friendly’ as evidenced by his installation of air and ultraviolet filters, conducting air quality testing, and providing Dial soap at the Assessor’s Office.”

During his interview with LAist, Parrish also brought up the air filters and ultraviolet filters for employee computer screens.

In finding that he engaged in disability and gender harassment, the investigation report found that Parrish’s conduct “was not occasional, isolated, or sporadic.”

“Instead, the evidence shows that Parrish engaged in unwelcome conduct directly related to [redacted employee’s] medical condition on a continuous basis throughout her employment,” investigators wrote.

Unprompted, Parrish names employee he was found to have harassed

In the HR director’s 2023 letter, Parrish was instructed not to “ascertain the identity of any complainant or witness” and “not take adverse action, disparage, or otherwise retaliate against any County employee” because of their complaints or participation in the investigation.

The investigation records released to LAist blacked out the name of the former employee whom Parrish was found to have harassed, along with the names of witnesses. In responding to LAist’s records request, the county CEO’s office said they made the redactions because disclosing the names of reporting parties and witnesses “would constitute an unwarranted invasion of the right to privacy and would also have a chilling effect on an individual’s willingness to come forward.”

Parrish handled that differently in his interview with LAist.

Unprompted, Parrish repeatedly identified by first name the former employee he was found to have harassed. And he called her a liar.

“ Candace, bless her little heart, she's a pathological liar. She'd make up all sorts of stories,” he said.

Online records show only one employee in his office with that first name during a timeframe the investigation said the employee worked there.

During the interview with LAist, Parrish also brought up information about the employee’s medical condition.

“Candace was just sick all the time,” Parrish said. He went on to disclose, unprompted, a detail of her medical condition that was redacted from the investigation report.

What the former employee says

The Orange County Assessor's office is located on Main Street in Orange.

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Courtesy Orange County

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In interviews with LAist, Candace Jones confirmed she was the employee who filed the complaint that is the subject of the investigation and report. She gave LAist her account.

Jones said she had been a human resources employee under Parrish for years, until he transferred her out to a different county department in 2022.

Jones told LAist that when she started in her role at the department in 2015, she was in remission for Crohn’s disease, a chronic condition for inflammatory bowel disease. The following year, she said, she complained directly to Parrish and her supervisor alleging medical discrimination. She said they downplayed her complaints and forbade her from escalating the complaints to county-level HR.

When she did report issues within the Assessor’s department to county HR officials, Jones said, Parrish yelled at her “for going over his head.”

“ The stress got so bad where my intestines just completely got ruined, so now I've been left with a permanent ostomy bag, so that will be for the rest of my life,” Jones told LAist, referencing the redacted medical condition Parrish told LAist about. “I don't think I would be in my current situation if I didn't have to endure the stress at the assessor's office.”

Asked about Parrish’s claim that she’s a liar who makes up stories, Jones noted the county-commissioned investigation substantiated her credibility about many of her claims, including that Parrish discriminated against her.

“County HR has long been aware of Claude's behavior towards numerous staff throughout the County, but they have consistently failed to intervene and protect its employees,” she added in a text message.

“I look forward to the County taking the necessary steps to implement meaningful safeguards that protect employees from elected officials who are unwilling or unable to adhere to EEO laws and policies,” referring to equal employment opportunity regulations.

Parrish responds to Jones’ allegations

When LAist asked Parrish about Jones' account, he said her first complaint was about two colleagues with whom she disagreed. He said he tried “to smooth everything down to make everybody happy.”

Parrish said all employees can complain to HR and he couldn't stop them. He also said it was “an absolute lie” that he yelled at Jones for escalating to HR.

“ She's like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It's hard to believe. She's always so nice and always thanking me for everything I do,” he said. “She's having some second thoughts and fabricating stuff and twisting something and it just, it's never ending.”

In the interview, Parrish called himself “an innocent victim.”

Jones, he added, is “vindictive.”

Jones told LAist: “As an elected official, Claude can and will continue to cover up abuse and hostile working conditions without repercussions.”

Through the records request, LAist also obtained a log of when Parrish’s key card was used in his department’s headquarters. The log shows his badge was often swiped multiple days per month in 2021 and 2022, then dropped to only one day per month on average in 2023 and 2024.

In responding to the records request, the county said Parrish’s office “is accessible by physical key only and not through badge access. However, other floors within of the Assessor Department are accessible via badge access. Thus, the records…reflect whether Mr. Parrish’s badge was used to access the elevator or another floor.”

Asked about the drop in how often the log shows him swiping, Parrish told LAist he’s come in every day.

“ I pride myself, since I was elected, I came in — I come in here every day. Even when I'm sick, I come in and I spread the cold,” Parrish said. Asked about his employees, he said: “I don't touch them or sneeze.”

“I never miss. If I'm sick as a dog, I come in,” he said.

He also said he does not miss work except for holidays and official days off.

“ Under penalty of perjury, you could say that. I'm in here every single day,” Parrish said.

As for the badge log, Parrish said that “a lot of times I don't go upstairs. I just stay down [and employees] come to me.”

“ I'll swear on the Bible, I come in every — even when I'm sick,” he added.

He then asked a subordinate, “Would you swear under a Bible that I come in every day?”

The employee replied, “I would.”

“Even when I’m sick,” Parrish said.

“Even when you’re sick,” the employee responded.

OC supervisor says he’s ‘appalled’ by assessor’s conduct

LAist reached out to all five county supervisors for comment on the investigation’s findings.

In a statement, Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento said he was “appalled by the issues that have been brought forward regarding the functioning of the Assessor’s office and his conduct in the office.”

“As shown in recent actions, this Board has not shied away from addressing these issues in our workplace and I hope that county employees and anyone working with the county will feel empowered and supported to bring concerns regarding ethical or discriminatory practices to our attention so they can be addressed,” he said.

The Board of Supervisors recently yanked the investment authority of O.C.’s elected Treasurer/Tax Collector Shari Freidenrich after numerous complaints of mismanagement, some of which was examined and substantiated in a county-commissioned investigation. That investment responsibility was the only power that the county CEO’s office said supervisors had authority to remove from the treasurer.

Asked about Parrish, Supervisor Katrina Foley said she takes allegations of misconduct against county employees seriously and is following up to make sure the findings of the investigation are dealt with properly.

“I will continue to work with County Human Resources to ensure the Assessor's Office addresses and corrects the sustained allegations,” the statement added.

Both Sarmiento and Foley only found out about the investigation findings this month because of LAist’s records request, according to their offices.

LAist asked the county CEO’s office, which central HR falls under, why the findings weren’t disclosed to the Board of Supervisors sooner. Nichelson declined to answer, saying communication between county attorneys and the board are confidential.

Supervisors Don Wagner and Doug Chaffee declined to comment, and Supervisor Janet Nguyen did not respond to requests.

After learning of the investigation's findings, Sarmiento is exploring options to address employee concerns with the county’s attorneys, according to his spokesperson. And Foley told LAist she is looking to implement in-person harassment training.

Los Angeles Unified special education teachers and parents are bracing for another year of large classes when the new school year begins, despite a first-ever limit the union negotiated this spring.

With booming special education enrollment, teachers say the district needs to hire more full-time staff to ensure tens of thousands of students receive the extra support they need — and are legally entitled to — every day.

Under the new contract ratified by the United Teachers Los Angeles, integrated classes with both special and general education students are limited to 20 students per teacher.

Classrooms with only special education students have different ratios, and those teachers qualify for a monthly stipend of $500 to $1,000, depending on how many students over the limit they have.

But teachers say that although the extra pay doesn't hurt, they want the district to focus on making both kinds of classes smaller.

Debby Schneider, a special education teacher and UTLA committee chair, told LAist that it’s not about the money.

“The stipend is to deter the district from overloading us. Really, what they need to do is open more programs and hire more educators,” she said.

Stipends for large classes aren’t new, but Schneider told LAist that in previous years, extra compensation didn’t stop the district from overfilling classrooms. Because of that history, she said she’s concerned this year won’t be any different.

As of July 17, there were 22 open positions for teachers in full-time special education classrooms, and three vacancies for those who work in integrated classes.

There are over 70,000 students enrolled in LAUSD’s special education services, which include support for learning disabilities, autism, and hearing and visual impairments. A district spokesperson wouldn't specify how many integrated classrooms are overfilled. The district is “continuously assessing staffing needs,” the district wrote in a statement, but would not comment on specific plans to hire more special ed teachers for the upcoming year.

A growing need

According to UTLA, the number of students in LAUSD’s special education services has grown over 7% since 2022, even though overall student enrollment is down by nearly 4%.

Emily Kolman, whose kindergartner receives speech therapy services, said that resources are overextended and the district isn’t doing much to help.

Kolman said her son was in an integrated class of 26 students last year. She told LAist that the teacher continuously asked the district to help her work with students in smaller groups. That help only came near summer break, which made it hard to identify students who needed extra support through the year.

Kolman and her son's teacher acknowledged that her son needed additional behavioral testing, but it was “like pulling teeth” to get a screening organized by the district. She’s now paying out-of-pocket to get him tested privately.

“I feel like our students with needs are bothersome or a nuisance for the public school” district, she told LAist.

The challenges of larger classes

LAUSD teachers say they can’t support students in growing class sizes alone.

Margaret Miller, an elementary school special education teacher, recalled that in one large integrated classroom she assisted, a student would climb on the teacher while she gave a lesson.

“When you're getting another student, it's not just a body. It's not just a kid in the classroom. It comes with quite a bit of work,” she said.

Amy Bogartz, a teacher of Deaf students, emphasized that in special-needs settings, each student requires personalized support.

“Every student requires something different. You have a student that you just need to check in on. … Then you have that other student that you need to spend three hours with,” she said.

Teresa Gaines is a parent of an 11-year-old with phonological awareness deficit and “focus issues.” She said her family is feeling the impacts of large integrated class size. She told LAist that her son’s classes have ranged from 21 to 24 students and he has often had to wear headphones to block out the noise to concentrate.

Teachers are burning out too

Some teachers said their colleagues are leaving the classroom because they’re stretched too thin to handle student behavior, or because they don’t feel supported by their school’s administration.

According to EdSource, LAUSD’s special education teacher retention rate dropped from 90% to 77% between 2021 and 2024.

UTLA's Schneider explained that the special education workload is particularly challenging. She said some teachers have duties similar to general education teachers, including writing report cards, on top of the special ed services they provide. With extra students, it can cause exhaustion, she told LAist.

Gaines, the parent of the 11-year-old in special ed, said it’s important for the district to retain teachers who have extensive experience with special education.

“I don't want to lose staff who are already teaching and in the system. I'd rather support them … so that they can further benefit all of our students,” she said.

What’s next

Teachers of classes with only special education students can qualify for the new monthly stipend starting this fall. If their class is two or more students larger than the ratio, they will be paid through a process that includes verifying the class roster.

Contract negotiations for next year will begin in the spring.

There’s been plenty of research lately saying that art is good for you — maybe even better for you than going to the gym! To combine the best of mental health and art, the Getty recently launched a free meditation app that encourages you to take a minute to stop, breathe and think about art. Sign me up!

For your listening pleasure, Licorice Pizza suggests starting your week off on a classy note with classical crossover pop star Josh Groban at the Grammy Museum. On Tuesday, indie icons Rainbow Kitten Surprise take over the Greek Theatre. On Wednesday, the Pacific Amphitheatre time-travels way back, with an oldies pop venue featuring The Association, The Troggs, The Cowsills and more.

Thursday is a big night, with blasts from the past and the present as actress-turned-indie pop chanteuse Suki Waterhouse plays Hollywood Forever Cemetery; Widespread Panic starts their three-night jam at the Orpheum; UK punks Bad Nerves are at Pacific Electric; and then there are TWO options for ‘80s new wave fans: Howard Jones with Wang Chung, the English Beat and Modern English at the Greek, or the Totally Tubular Festival with Thomas Dolby, Tommy Tutone and more at House of Blues in Anaheim.

Elsewhere on LAist, you can get tips on beating the heat, learn about a mystery at the Burbank Library and find the best cheap eats in Artesia.

Events

Mexodus

Through Sunday, Aug. 2
Pasadena Playhouse
39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena 
COST: FROM $40; MORE INFO

It’s not every day that friends recommend a show to me with such unanimous enthusiasm. Do what you can to get yourself to Pasadena Playhouse for Mexodus, a totally original show about the Mexican involvement in the Underground Railroad. The brainchild of Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, the performance includes music looped live on stage and a story about our collective history that’s been overlooked for too long. It comes to us straight from NYC, where it was a New York Times critic’s pick.

40 Watts From Nowhere screenings

Through Wednesday, July 22
Laemmle Theatres NoHo, Glendale and Santa Monica
COST: $18.50; MORE INFO

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Courtesy Laemmle

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I saw 40 Watts From Nowhere at its Slamdance premiere last year and have been anxiously awaiting a wider release — and here it is. Take a trip back to the '90s and early 2000s in L.A., when pirate radio was how new bands went viral and Silver Lake was the epicenter of indie band cool. Our friend Lyndsey Parker from Licorice Pizza Records will host a conversation with some of the folks behind the film, including director Sue Carpenter, music supervisor Mara Kuge, plus DJs Chris Wagganer and Dana Childs on July 22 in Glendale.

Paws & Punchlines Comedy Show

Wednesday, July 22, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Wallis Annenberg PetSpace
12005 Bluff Creek Drive, Playa Vista
COST: $30; MORE INFO

Support rescue dogs and get your laughs in at this special dog-friendly comedy show at the Annenberg PetSpace. Featuring comedian Johnny Pemberton, you can bring your furry friend along to do the barking, er, heckling

Backrooms UCB

Tuesday, July 21, 6 p.m. 
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre 
5919 Franklin Ave., Hollywood
COST: $20; MORE INFO 

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Courtesy UCB

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If you’ve ever wanted to see the inner workings of Upright Citizens Brigade — with a theatrical twist, of course — this is your one-night-only chance. Show up for an escape room like none other, where you’ll be assigned an entry time, get a map and set loose to make your way out of the storied theater while solving puzzles and encountering some unexpected surprises along the way.

Shakespeare by the Sea 

Through Saturday, July 25
Various locations
COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

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Courtesy Shakespeare by the Sea

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The Bard’s best are making their way across the area with performances of Macbeth, for free, outside in various parks and public spaces. Shakespeare by the Sea goes through July 25; this week’s shows are at Roxbury Park in Beverly Hills and Soka University in Aliso Viejo.

iPalpiti Festival

Through Sunday, July 26
Beverly Hills 
COST: FROM $44.80; MORE INFO

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Courtesy iPalpiti

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Called the “UN of classical music,” the iPalpiti Festival is on in Beverly Hills this week with performances from international laureates at Greystone Mansion and the Wallis. Hear works by Schubert, Chopin and many more.

World’s Fastest 

Through Saturday, Aug. 22
Petersen Automotive Museum 
6060 Wilshire Blvd., Miracle Mile
COST: FROM $23; MORE INFO

Vroom vroom over to the Peterson for three exciting new exhibits. First, the world’s fastest cars are on display through August 22, featuring cars that broke speed records from World War II to now. There’s also an art show — Flat Out — by L.A. artist Joshua Vides that imagines cars as black and white outlines in his signature style. And finally, in the vault (which is an extra ticket cost) one of the world’s largest collections of historic French art deco cars from the Mullen Collection is now on display.

Mosquitos are on the minds of Southern Californians a lot these days. Also their ankles.

Although the insects are now a year-round problem in the region, mosquito season kicks into high gear at this time of year, adding a layer of nuisance to barbecues and other outdoor activities.

But the insects are also a more serious concern for public health.

West Nile virus is spreading in the United States at rates not seen in two decades, according to federal public health officials. Scientists are also logging a rise in infected insects in Southern California, where the virus is carried by a native species of mosquito.

Meanwhile, a different, invasive species of the insect is jumping in population. Aedes aegypti can transmit the diseases dengue fever, Zika and yellow fever.

In response, vector control officials around the region are releasing millions of modified mosquitoes to try to reduce overall populations.

West Nile virus

The virus is the most common and serious mosquito-borne disease in the state, according to the California Department of Public Health.

And there are more mosquitos testing positive for West Nile in Southern California this summer than normal. Data from the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District show the number of West Nile-infected mosquitos hit levels in June that weren’t hit until August of 2025.

But it's not yet clear if the higher rate of infected insects will translate to more human cases. Southern California has seen two human cases of the virus this summer — one reported in the Antelope Valley and one in Long Beach.

“Having two cases reported in our area is not unusual. It's already July,” said Dr. Aiman Halai with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. “Our mosquito activity picks up around May and goes on till November, December, and it's typically around this time that we start to get human cases.”

L.A. County has seen an average of 41 cases of West Nile virus per year over the past five years. The actual number of cases is likely much higher, however, as the majority of infected people do not show symptoms.

In cases where symptoms do develop, they can include fever, body aches, rash, nausea, vomiting and headache. Approximately 1 in 150 people also develop serious symptoms, such as brain inflammation and paralysis. West Nile is a neurological virus that attacks a person’s central nervous system.

Public health officials say people over 55, people with chronic health conditions or those who are at high risk of illness are most susceptible to West Nile. There is no vaccine or treatment for the virus.

Aedes aegypti

West Nile virus is transmitted by a mosquito species native to Southern California called Culex quinquefasciatus, a.k.a. the southern house mosquito, which feeds on birds as well as humans.

In fact, West Nile virus can’t be transmitted directly from human to human. It has to be carried by a mosquito from a bird to a human, because birds carry a higher concentration of the virus in their blood.

But that’s not the case for other diseases transmitted by a different mosquito species, Aedes aegypti. The invasive mosquito has made itself more than comfortable in Southern California since it established itself here over a decade ago.

The species was responsible for an outbreak of dengue in L.A. County in 2024.

“We saw local transmission of dengue happening, and that is obviously a great concern to us, and that's something that we're trying to avoid,” said Steve Vetrone with the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District.

Symptoms of dengue fever include fever, body aches, nausea, vomiting and rashes. About one in four people infected with dengue will get sick. One in 20 will contract a more severe version of the disease, which can result in shock and internal bleeding.

Aedes aegypti can also transmit Zika and yellow fever.

Tristan Hallum releases mosquitoes in Bassett Park. The San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District is releasing about 30,000 in the park and the surrounding neighborhood each week.

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Lucas Brady Woods

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LAist

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Don't worry. The males released by San Gabriel Valley vector control officials don't bite.

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Lucas Brady Woods

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LAist

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Sterilized Insect Technique

Public health officials use an array of strategies to manage mosquito populations.

Some of the most effective identify standing water where mosquitos can reproduce, whether that’s a natural pond or water collected in garden pots. Officials will sometimes use satellite imagery to identify unmaintained backyard pools that have turned into mosquito breeding grounds.

Severe situations can be treated with pesticides. Crews will treat gutters and underground storm drains where water can collect, for example.

They are also rolling out a new strategy called SIT, or Sterilized Insect Technique, that specifically targets Aedes aegypti.

The technique involves releasing hundreds of thousands of male Aedes mosquitos that have been sterilized, meaning they can no longer reproduce, using a specialized virus or radiation.

Once released, the male mosquitos will mate with females in the natural population, but since they will not produce viable offspring, the overall Aedes aegypti population decreases over time.

The San Gabriel Valley Vector Control District launched its SIT program this summer. Earlier this month, district scientists began releasing 30,000 sterilized mosquitos each week in Bassett Park and the surrounding neighborhood. They plan to release almost 500,000 in the area by the end of October.

“We are talking about established populations of these types of invasive species in essentially every city across our district,” said Tristan Hallum, a scientist with the district. “So we're seeing them fairly consistently across our area, and we're trying to identify the best possible way to alleviate some of this bite pressure for our residents.”

L.A. County launched a similar program in Sunland-Tujunga in 2024. Orange County’s program has been focused in Mission Viejo.

“People are seeing a good reduction in the number of mosquitoes that are out there, and they're pretty happy with it,” said Miquel Jacobs with the Orange County Vector Control District.

However, as promising as these Southern California SIT programs are, they are only test cases. It remains to be seen if they can be scaled up.

The best thing to do in the short term, officials say, is to get rid of the standing water that mosquitos use to reproduce.

On a Sunday morning, I walked into Coral Cafe in Burbank to have breakfast with a stranger.

Raz, as he prefers to be called, has been meeting with different people — different strangers — over a cup of coffee and French toast almost every week for the past six months.

The idea started when a solo meal turned into a spontaneous shared table with a woman who was also planning on eating alone. Their hour-long conversation left a profound impact on Raz, and a lingering feeling that he wanted to have that kind of connection again.

So, he opened up the invite on Reddit. Nearly 20 neighbors have had a meal with him since then.

“For me, it's never been about who you are or the job you have,” he told LAist. “It's just more about the impact that we have on each other, and the impact that you have on me.”

A little ‘leap of faith’

I didn’t know much about Raz when I first got to the restaurant, not even his name.

I did know I was looking out for someone with shoulder length blonde hair and glasses, but I didn't need to guess much with the waiter in on the arrangement.

The waiter walked me right up to Raz at his usual table, and any of the awkwardness or strained small talk I expected evaporated almost immediately. Although we were more than 30 years apart in age, we had a lot in common.

For our second breakfast, I had bacon and hashbrowns while Raz had his usual French toast and fruit.

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Makenna Cramer

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LAist

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The hour-long breakfast quickly turned into two as we talked about family, politics, relationships, work, childhood, religion and health, to name a few. We made tentative plans to see each other again at Raz’s weekly dance classes, hugged, and parted ways.

“We're a puzzle, right? And all the pieces are everywhere … but if you start laying them down into the puzzle, it starts to create a giant picture,” he told me over another plate of French toast last week. “And that's kind of what it is, you know? It's that connection and disconnection.”

Stories from the series

Raz shares short posts on the Burbank subreddit about each breakfast, but he’s careful to avoid any identifying details of the neighbors he’s dining with or the conversations they have.

Instead, he refers to them as nicknames like the Artist, Captain Max and the Tornado.

Raz described the Artist in his post as a woman with “electric” energy who made the table seem “a little brighter from the moment she sat down.”

There was nothing pirate-like about Captain Max, but Raz wrote that he still found himself “on the ship, sitting on a barrel of rum, listening to our captain spin tales of the sea.”

The Tornado was a smart woman, “like big-brain, med-school smart,” who treated “life like a buffet,” Raz said in his post. After drinking an obscene amount of coffee together, they realized they still hadn’t gotten each other's names, but decided they didn’t need to, for the fun of it.

Southern California can feel lonely at times, which is why Raz said he went to the cafe to begin with. But he said he doesn’t feel that way anymore, at least since having Sunday breakfasts with strangers to look forward to.

“The more I get to know people, the more I want to know more people,” he said. “And to me, that's like a new feeling.”

A tradition in LA

There’s a history of having meals with strangers in Southern California, like with the Los Angeles Breakfast Club.

The club hosts weekly breakfasts at the Friendship Auditorium in Los Feliz — a storied tradition that dates back a century.

Anna Trumbo, vice president of the L.A. Breakfast Club, told LAist people often show up alone, and it’s a great opportunity to meet others outside of your age group.

“Everyone is so welcoming, and just immediately struck up conversations, and now these are some of my best friends,” Trumbo said. “But that first morning where it really was breakfast with strangers, felt very [much] like breathing a sigh of relief.”