05.23.19

PW OPINION PW NEWS PW LIFE PW ARTS
BRIEFS
‘MORE MUST BE DONE’
TRAINERS FORCED TO PUT DOWN
TWO MORE HORSES AT SANTA ANITA,
BRINGING THE TOTAL TO 25
BY ANDRÉ COLEMAN
Despite implementation of several new safety measures,
two more horses suffered injuries at Santa Anita
Park racetrack and were euthanized, one on Friday, the
other on Monday.
On Sunday Spectacular Music suffered an injury to his pelvis during his
debut event at the track and was euthanized the following day.
On Friday, Commander Coli was euthanized shortly after he suffered a
shoulder injury during training, according to the Los Angeles Times. The horse’s
trainer was asked to vacate the stalls after the incident. No official reason was
given for the request by track officials.
Since Dec. 26, 25 horses have been euthanized following injuries suffered
at the track. The track closed after the 21st horse died in March and put new
safety protocols in place, including banning race day medication, increasing
transparency of veterinary records, further regulating approval for workouts,
and increasing reviews of the track’s surface.
“Santa Anita’s new rules have slowed the bloodbath, and now the track is
banning trainers whose actions lead to horses’ deaths — including the trainer
for Commander Coil, who died on Friday,” said PETA Senior Vice President
Kathy Guillermo. “But two dead horses in three days proves that more must be
done to end the training and veterinary practices that lead to broken bones.”
The track had gone through almost 7,000 timed workouts and race starts
without a problem before the latest incidents, according to the Times.
Some experts believe the injuries have been caused by an extra hard track
created by track officials in response to this year’s above average rainfall.
After every rainstorm, officials seal the track by tightly packing dirt to prevent
the rain from oversaturating the running area, according to NBC News. But
some experts believe the process makes the track too hard and unforgiving for
animals that weigh more than a half-ton and run on spindly ankles.
The area experienced light rain both Saturday and Sunday, but it was not
immediately known what impact that had on the track.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney opened an investigation into 22 of
the deaths last month. n
THE FINAL WORD
SUPREME COURT REFUSES TO
HEAR CASE ON WHAT ARE NOW
NORTON SIMON’S “ADAM” AND “EVE”
PAINTINGS
BY ANDRÉ COLEMAN
Norton Simon Museum will retain two multimilliondollar
paintings lost to Nazis during World War II now
Marei Von Saher
that the US Supreme Court has declined to consider a
lower court ruling allowing the Pasadena museum to keep the classic art.
Jewish art collector Jacques Goudstikker was forced to sell his 1,200-
piece collection — including “Adam” and “Eve” by Lucas Cranach the Elder in
1530 — to the Germans at heavily reduced prices in 1940 before fleeing to the
Netherlands after the Nazis invaded.
“We are pleased that the US Supreme Court denied plaintiff’s petition
for review and finally put an end to this lawsuit,” said museum officials in a
statement. “The unanimous decision of the Ninth Circuit is now final, confirming
that the Norton Simon Art Foundation has proper title to these paintings. We
look forward to continuing to display them to the public, as we have for nearly
50 years.’’
Goudstikker’s heir Marei Von Saher has waged a long court battle to get
the paintings back. In 2006, the Dutch courts awarded her restitution of 202
paintings, but not those two.
The Norton Simon Foundation has argued that the title to the works passed
out of Goudstikker’s family when the Dutch government restituted them in 1966
to George Stroganoff-Sherbatoff, an exiled Russian aristocrat who had laid
claim to them. Stroganoff-Sherbatoff in turn sold the paintings to the American
collector Norton Simon in 1971. The paintings have been appraised at around
$24 million.
In 2007, federal proceedings in the US began, but the plaintiffs were
hampered by a major stumbling block: Family members did not act in time to
get the artwork back.
The Ninth Circuit ruled against Von Saher in August. In the court’s opinion,
Judge M. Margaret McKeown wrote that in order for Von Saher to recover
the set of works the court would have to invalidate an official act of the Dutch
government which set a 1951 deadline for claimants to file for restoration of
rights to works recovered after World War II.
Ruling on the Dutch post-war restitution system “would require making
sensitive political judgments that would undermine international comity,” wrote
the judge. n
SEEKING SOLUTIONS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
took on added urgency after police spent 13 hours
successfully talking a jumper down during Labor
Day weekend.
After that encounter, City Manager Steve
Mermell exercised his authority to make an
emergency purchase and spent $295,932 on fencing
to span both sides of the 1,400-foot-long bridge.
“We can’t wait for another year while we grind
our way through the approval process and funding
process. We need to do something,” Mermell said
at the time. “It’s an emergency and we need to
intervene right now.”
Dark History
In 1921, the then-eight-year-old bridge was
prominently featured in the Charlie Chaplin film
“The Kid.” In the movie, Chaplin’s famous Tramp
character successfully saves a young woman before
she could jump to her death from the bridge.
Soon after the film screened, people jumping
off the bridge became something of a common
occurrence. During the Great Depression, which
began in October 1929 after the stock market crash
devastated the nation’s economy and left millions
out of work, 79 people jumped from the bridge.
The Depression formally ended in 1939, and it
was during that period people began calling the
100-foot-tall structure “Suicide Bridge,” a grim
moniker scorned by city officials throughout the
decades.
Temporary fencing was first installed after 12
people jumped to their death in 2015 and 2016.
One of those occurred in late October 2015,
when police spent seven hours attempting to talk
40-year-old actor Sam Sarpong out of jumping.
Sarpong had gained fame as a model and appeared
in the TV shows “My So-Called Life,” “Veronica
Mars,” “Everybody Hates Chris” and “24.” Prior
to his death, he completed filming in an episode
of “American Crime Story: The People v. O.J.
Simpson.” But in spite of all the talking, he still
jumped.
Making an Impact
The increase in jumpers, coupled with concerns
for public safety after the city approved a Habitat
for Humanity housing project underneath a portion
of the bridge’s south side, forced officials to erect
10-foot tall, one-inch thick mesh fencing blocking
access to 20 alcoves on both sides of the historic
bridge. People had used the alcoves to climb off the
bridge and onto the ledge.
Local residents have called on the City Council
to reconsider placing a restroom and a playground
in the Desiderio Neighborhood Park, located
next to a nine-unit Habitat for Humanity housing
development of the same name that opened two
years ago a short distance from the base of the
THE COUNT
As of Monday, 4,100 days after the war in Afghanistan ended …
2,245
American military
service members
(0 more
than last week)
were reported
killed in Afghanistan
since
the war began in
2001, according to
The Associated Press.
1
rocket was fired into
the Iraqi Green
Zone Sunday
night, landing
less than a
mile from the
US Embassy.
According to The
Associated Press, no
one was injured.
bridge. Owners of the newly built homes fear that a
jumper could possibly hit and injure someone living
below.
The housing project and park occupies
the former Desiderio Army Reserve Center,
declared surplus property by the Army and
recommended for closure in 2005. After public
hearings, city officials decided to convert portions
of the property into affordable housing and a
neighborhood park.
“I think the fencing has definitely deterred
people,” said Pasadena Public Information Officer
Lisa Derderian. “We have had a few situations since
the fencing went up where first responders had
to talk people down from the bridge. It’s made an
impact, and the permanent barrier continues to do
so.”
After several public meetings, the Colorado
Street Bridge Task Force concluded that vertical
barriers and fencing at the ends are the only
deterrent measures that physically prevent suicide
attempts from occurring. The task force is made up
of preservationists, engineers and first responders.
Vertical barriers are also considered cost
efficient because of the one-time construction fee,
and require little ongoing costs.
According to the recommendation, barriers will
also lessen the strain on first responders.
Saving Lives
According to Dr. Jill Harkavy-Friedman, vice
president of research at the American Foundation
for Suicide Prevention, barriers are successful
deterrents.
“There are quite a few studies that show building
barriers can save considerable numbers of lives,
and people don’t just go to another location,”
Harkavy-Friedman said in an interview with the
USC School of Social Work.
According to Harkavy-Friedman, suicide rates
decline by 30 to 50 percent when the availability of
highly lethal and commonly used suicide methods
are restricted. And those people whose efforts are
hampered by a bridge barrier usually do not just
drive to another bridge.
“If you limit access, then the crisis will pass,”
Harkavy-Friedman said.
Most people who are considering suicide are
just trying to end the pain they feel in that moment.
Restricting access to lethal means give a person a
temporary reprieve that allows them to move out of
the crisis and allows them a chance to seek help as
their decision-making ability recovers.
Meanwhile, research has not shown a
correlation between merely posting suicideprevention
signs, as had been done previously, and
lower suicide rates. n
1
tweet from President Trump
in response to the rocket
attack contained a
serious warning. In
that tweet Trump
warned Iran not
to threaten the US
again or it would face
its “official end,” according
to Reuters.
0
people were hurt in Syria
on Monday when a
suicide bomber
detonated his vest.
According to The
AP, 8 people were
standing nearby.
— Compiled by
André Coleman
8 PASADENA WEEKLY | 05.23.19