Blog Left Sidebar

Embattled US department store retailer Sears Holdings is to shutter an additional 39 Sears and 64 Kmart stores as part of its efforts to return to profitability.

Holiday sales have seen a solid performance at many leading US apparel and footwear retailers, with Target, American Eagle Outfitters, JC Penney, Urban Outfitters and Kohl’s among those who have benefited as consumers opened their purse strings fuelled by strong economic growth, low unemployment and rising home and equity prices.

In one of Southern California’s largest wage theft cases, the state labor commissioner has assessed a chain of assisted living homes $7 million in back wages and penalties for paying 149 workers as little as $2.40 an hour.

Adat Shalom Board and Care, which operates six homes in the San Fernando Valley residential neighborhood of West Hills, required live-in caregivers to be on-call 24 hours a day, but did not grant them overtime, or provide rest and meal breaks, according to the labor agency citations.

“Adult care facilities require caregivers to work around the clock, making workers in this industry vulnerable to wage theft and exploitation,” said Labor Commissioner Julie A. Su in announcing the case Tuesday.

“The live-in caregivers were responsible for monitoring and caring for elderly residents and hospice patients, many of them suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia. The caregivers were paid fixed amounts ranging from $1,500 to $1,800 per month, or $2.40 to $2.88 per hour.”

Pay stubs withheld key information such as hourly rate of pay and total number of hours worked, the agency reported.

On behalf of the chain, Encino attorney Patrick White said, “Adat Shalom vehemently denies that it violated any California wage and hour law. The audit conducted by the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement is wrong. The company intends to appeal and vigorously fight the citation.”

Wage theft is rampant in the homecare industry, according to federal and state officials.

In 2015 and 2016 federal officials audited about 50 home-care companies in San Diego and Orange County, some serving the disabled, others serving the elderly.  “Almost every single one we looked at had violations,” Rodolfo Cortez, director of the U.S. Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division’s district office, reported at the time.

Many of the violators are small businesses with two or three homes. But in one 2016 case, federal officials assessed one of Orange County’s largest chains, Buena Park’s Elizabeth Homes Adult Residential Care, $227,000 in back wages and damages to 138 workers at its 18 homes.

The Adat Shalom investigation, which covered the period of July 2014 to July 2017, was launched after a complaint from the Los Angeles-based Pilipino Workers Center.  The center runs a telephone hotline where employers and employees can ask questions or have their complaints taken, then handled by the appropriate agencies.

Angelica Reingold, Adat Shalom’s owner, reached by telephone, said almost all of her workers are Filipino and a few are Latino.

About 70 percent of her patients, who live six to a home, are paid by the state of California, through Medi-Cal’s Assisted Living Waiver program. The program is designed to allow low-income seniors and disabled adults to live in home-like settings in residential care facilities, rather than in nursing homes, which have been plagued with abuses.

Reingold declined to elaborate on her attorney’s statement on the citations.

RELATED:

Home-care wage sting: In a beleaguered industry, Buena Park chain will pay back wages to 138 workers

O.C. assisted living chain Agape Cottages liable for $195,000 in back wages, overtime

A Southern California homecare workers union fights for worker’s organizing rights

When nursing homes push out poor and disabled patients

Trump Administration relaxes financial penalties against nursing homes

UK fashion retailer Superdry has invested in a product lifecycle management (PLM) solution to support growth and streamline product development.

Although the upcoming debate among Democratic congressional candidates for the 48th District, hosted by HB Huddle, is sold out, the Saturday, Jan. 13 event will be broadcast live on YouTube or can be followed on the HB Huddle Facebook page.

The debate, from 10 a.m. to noon, will feature candidates Hans Keirstead, Laura Oatman, Harley Rouda, and Omar Siddqui at Harbour View Elementary School, 4343 Pickwick Circle.

HB Huddle, a politically-minded community group that grew from the Women’s March movement, so far has staged four Q&A events featuring nine of the 13 declared candidates challenging Rep. Dana Rohrabacher. It has also posted more than 100 YouTube clips of its events, which are available on the HB Huddle YouTube channel.

Saturday’s event features the candidates HB Huddle considers the top four.

According to the group, it “considered the candidates’ performance at the Q&A series, audience turnout, fundraising and other campaign elements to narrow the list.”

“The 48th congressional race is sort of a circus right now,” HB Huddle founding member Bethany Webb said in a statement, “and it’s difficult to have a meaningful debate when you have eight people on stage. After hosting everyone it became very clear that some candidates were simply not viable, so our strategy was to narrow the field in order to offer a better public discourse.”

Information: hbhuddle.com.

From yet another disappointing season, UCLA got two key things: the biggest comeback in school history and the top coach on the market.

A year that started with a thrilling 34-point comeback devolved into the program’s second consecutive losing season after UCLA (6-7, 4-5 Pac-12) gave up a 10-point halftime lead to Kansas State in the Cactus Bowl.

Chip Kelly watched the season-ending collapse from a suite in Chase Field as he plotted the next steps for a program desperate to return to its winning ways of two decades ago.

As the Bruins move into the Kelly era, here’s a look at what happened in 2017 and what Kelly will be working with in 2018:

What went wrong?

For the UCLA defense, the season was one long growing pain. And it was an excruciatingly painful one at that.

The raw talent from a young defensive front was promising during training camp, but was not enough to fill the holes left by three starting defensive linemen and the Pac-12’s leading tackler, who all played significant snaps as NFL rookies.

UCLA finished as the worst rushing defense in the country, allowing 287.4 yards per game, and the worst rushing defense in school history since 1945, the first year for which stats are available. The 3,736 total rushing yards allowed was nearly 1,000 more than the previous UCLA single-season record (2,793 in 2005).

Six defensive linemen played their first Division I snaps this year while injuries took out senior defensive lineman Matt Dickerson and junior linebacker Josh Woods midway through the season, further emphasizing the lack of experience and depth up front.

The defense’s inexperience showed most in the number of big plays the Bruins gave up. UCLA relinquished 32 rushes of 20 yards or longer. Nine were 50 yards or longer as young players, eager to make big plays, often found themselves out of position, compromising a delicate scheme that required pinpoint execution.

What went right?

Josh Rosen’s third offensive coordinator in as many years was the long-awaited perfect match.

Jedd Fisch seemed to truly unlock the junior quarterback’s best qualities as Rosen led the conference with 341.5 passing yards per game, becoming the first Bruins quarterback to do so since Tommy Maddox in 1990. The NFL-bound Manhattan Beach native set the UCLA single-season passing record with 3,756 yards despite missing nearly three full games due to two separate concussions.

Tight end Caleb Wilson was a revelation for the Bruins before the redshirt sophomore suffered a season-ending foot injury during the fifth game of the year. The Serra High graduate had a school-record 15 catches against Texas A&M and finished the season as Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded tight end in the country.

UCLA TE Caleb Wilson was on a tear before injury in 2017, and still finished with our highest grade among all tight ends. pic.twitter.com/OphqBbNDqL

— PFF College Football (@PFF_College) January 7, 2018

Who’s gone?

Rosen will fulfill his long-expected NFL destiny as a likely top-10 pick, leaving the Bruins to find a new quarterback who will be without this past season’s top two receivers. Redshirt junior Jordan Lasley, who both electrified and confounded at times this year, declared for the draft after leading the Bruins with 69 catches, 1,264 receiving yards and a nine-game, suspension-shorted campaign. Redshirt senior Darren Andrews had his final season cut short due to a knee injury, finishing with 60 catches, 774 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The Bruins rolled out the same starting offensive line for all 13 games, but the consistency will be short-lived. Center Scott Quessenberry and guard Najee Toran are graduating, and tackle Kolton Miller will forgo his senior season, forcing the Bruins to rebuild the entire left side of their offensive line.

Tight end Austin Roberts (19 catches, 220 yards) will also skip his final year and opt for the NFL draft.

UCLA’s reward for suffering through a season with a painfully young defense is that most of the key players return with much-needed experience. The Bruins lose safety Jaleel Wadood, linebacker Kenny Young and defensive linemen Jacob Tuioti-Mariner and Matt Dickerson to graduation, but safety Adarius Pickett has already said he will return for his final year, giving the Bruins a key leader.

Who’s in limbo?

Junior cornerback Nate Meadors may still decide to declare for the draft before the Jan. 15 deadline. The San Bernardino native was UCLA’s most reliable tackler this season and didn’t allow a single touchdown pass when targeted, according to Pro Football Focus. He had a team-high 10 passes defended and one interception, his first since his freshman season.

Kelly is still searching for his 10th full-time assistant who will handle offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach duties. Despite Fisch’s successful first year in Westwood, it’s unlikely he would stay in the same capacity under Kelly as the two offensive-minded coaches both relish the opportunity to call their own plays.

Who’s on the way?

UCLA didn’t have a true freshman start a season opener at quarterback until Rosen did so in 2015. The Bruins may have another one now that Rosen is gone.

Four-star recruit Dorian Thompson-Robinson’s dual-threat ability makes him a perfect fit for Kelly’s blur offense. The latest product from prep powerhouse Bishop Gorman is expected to sign his National Letter of Intent in February.

UCLA’s recruiting class was in shambles after Kelly took over as the new coaching staff purged many prospects to find players to suit the unique new system. The Bruins have eight players already locked in with NLIs signed during last month’s early signing period, nabbing important pledges from three four-star wide receivers — Bryan Addison, Chase Cota and Kyle Philips — as well as Stephan Blaylock, a four-star safety from St. John Bosco High.

Kelly also picked up a verbal commitment from four-star offensive lineman Chris Murray last week during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. The 6-foot-3, 300-pound guard from Mater Dei chose the Bruins over Stanford and Notre Dame, giving UCLA a talented prospect at a position of need.

Murray’s commitment bumped UCLA’s 11-man recruiting class from seventh to fourth in the Pac-12, according to 247 Sports’ Composite Rankings.

Kelly has already retooled former head coach Jim Mora’s entire defensive staff, bringing in three coaches with prior coordinating experience. Kelly brought in former Cal defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro for the coordinator position, followed by Don Pellum, a longtime Oregon assistant, for linebackers, and former Arkansas defensive coordinator and Iowa head coach Paul Rhoads for defensive backs. Former 49ers assistant defensive line coach Vince Oghoboaase will coach the defensive line. Angus McClure, Mora’s defensive line coach, is expected to be reassigned to another position on the staff.

From fried alligator to spicy spaghetti and, of course, seafood dishes, seaside dining deals are coming to Redondo Beach this week as the city’s third annual Dine Redondo Restaurant Week kicks off.

The Jan. 12-26 event coincides with Dine L.A., and like the much larger countywide event Redondo’s Restaurant Week features discounts and prix-fixe meal deals at about a dozen restaurants.

Featuring a much smaller group of restaurants than Dine L.A., it’s not too hard to try all in the 15-day Redondo “week.”

But in case you don’t know where to start, these five restaurants will give you a taste of Redondo’s dining scene with a variety of cuisines.

Restaurant: A Basq Kitchen, 136 N. International Boardwalk. 310-376-9215, www.abasqkitchen.com.

Cuisine: Spanish food like tapas and paella from the Basque region.

Atmosphere: Casual waterfront dinning.

Dine Redondo Special: A $29 tasting menu that includes a choice of cauliflower soup or a salad with green beans, candied walnuts and roasted squash for the first course. Second course options include lamb conchifrito (garlic and lemon) or Trout Navarre.

Restaurant: Bettolino Kitchen, 211 Palos Verdes Blvd. 310-375-0500, www.bettolinokitchen.com

Cuisine: Modern Italian with handmade pastas.

Atmosphere: Lively spot with a rustic industrial style.

Dine Redondo Special: The $20 prix-fixe menu includes bruschetta al caprino (goat cheese), tagliatelle ai porcini (mushrooms) and salmone caponata (eggplant dish). The $39 dinner menu has choices including spaghettini alla amatriciana (a traditional Italian pasta sauce) or gnocchi al rosso.

Restaurant: Suburbia, 247 Avenida Del Norte. 424-398-0237, www.eatsuburbia.com

Cuisine: New American with global influences.

Atmosphere: Chic and cool but still casual and family friendly

Dine Redondo Special: The $15 prix-fixe lunch menu includes dishes like spicy spaghetti; made with sliced hangar steak and stir fried with Thai basil, or lemongrass chicken banh mi. The $29 dinner special includes choices like a wild mushroom and polenta dish or a braised pork belly plate with leek fondue.

Restaurant: Sea Level Restaurant and Lounge, 655 N. Harbor Blvd. 310- 921-8950, rb.shadehotel.com

Cuisine: California coastal (think salmon, oysters along with hamburgers and tacos)

Atmosphere: Hip, stylish and laid back with a large and popular patio located at the new Shade Hotel.

Dine Redondo Special: The $20 prix-fixe lunch menu includes plate choices like three oysters over ice and butter lettuce salad for starters. Entree choices are dishes like fish tacos, a crispy chicken sandwich or a jalapeno mac & cheese. The $39 dinner includes options like glazed lamb shank, blackened salmon or pappardelle noodles with wild mushrooms and roasted baby tomatoes.

Restaurant: Ragin Cajun Cafe, 525 S. Pacific Coast Hwy. 310-540-7403, www.ragincajuncafe.com

Cuisine: Cajun

Atmosphere: Fun New Orleans party vibe with a bar that serves some strong drinks.

Dine Redondo Special: The $15 lunch menu gets you two items with choices like hush puppies, a bowl of “gumbolaya” (gumbo and jambalaya), a catfish po-boy and other dishes. The $29 three-course dinner includes starter choices like fried alligator or chicken and sausage gumbo. Main course options include pork chops and gravy or Cajun surf & turf, which is made with filet mignon skewers and jumbo shrimp.

For a complete list of restaurants, go to www.visitredondo.com

If the name Bob Gibbons ever came up in a conversation, almost all who knew him would probably make the same statement: “I still have my marble.”

Bob was 94 years young when he died peacefully in his Huntington Harbour home shortly after midnight Dec. 23. Services are pending.

He was a decorated World War II and Korean War veteran. He served his country through the Michigan National Guard, the Army Air in World War II and the Air Force in the Korean War, attaining the rank of master sergeant.

He was a man of faith, loved his family, and gave so much of himself to help underprivileged children and mentor youth both through church and through Kiwanis.

Bob served as the governor of the California-Nevada-Hawaii District of Kiwanis in 1992-93. He spent many years as a member of the Kiwanis Club of Huntington Beach and was a member of the Kiwanis Club of Fountain Valley as well.

Bob was also my father-in-law. His only child is my wife, Lynn.

Bob’s passion for Kiwanis and what this international organization stood for was well known.

He first joined the Kiwanis Club of Downtown Bakersfield in 1960. Later, he moved to the Bellflower Club. He served as lieutenant governor in 1986-87.

He gave seminars and workshops at numerous Kiwanis conventions and has served in many committee positions at both the district and international levels. He was also an excellent public speaker. Whenever Lynn or I was leading a Kiwanis seminar, we could see him in a back row of the seminar room counting the number of “ahs” that came out of our mouths.

Over the years, Bob loved to be part of hands-on service projects, including back-to-school shopping for needy children at Wal-Mart and the Huntington Beach Easter Egg Hunt.

Kiwanis is the mentoring organization for high school Key Clubs. Many years ago, there was a girls-only high school club called Keywanettes. Bob played a pivotal role in the reorganization of Keywanettes into a second coed high school club called KIWIN’s. All four Huntington Beach Unified high schools have both Key Clubs and KIWIN’s Clubs, as do Fountain Valley High and Los Amigos High.

Having two clubs simply doubles the opportunities for high school students to both perform community service and learn leadership skills.

Bob is survived by his wife of 39 years (and past Cal-Nev-Ha First Lady), Nancy Gibbons; my wife Lynn (a past Kiwanis lieutenant governor; myself, also a past Kiwanis lieutenant governor;  stepdaughter, Kathryn Rau; stepson, James Rau; and grandchildren Kristal, Nicole, Gregg, Pheobe and Jimmy.

Oh, and the marble?

One of Bob’s most inspirational speeches was about the time he was visiting children at a home for the handicapped.

“As we visited with the patients there, we pushed a small boy in his wheelchair. He asked me to put a book into his backpack on the back of the chair because he couldn’t reach it,” Bob told Register columnist Eva Kilgore in a Q&A column several years ago.

“Then, the boy asked me to take his only marble from a sack he had on the side of his chair. He said that was the only marble he had, but he wanted to give it to me as a thank you for helping him,” Bob continued.  “It’s my Kiwanis moment. It’s all about helping other people.”

When he gave that speech, Bob handed out a package containing a marble and a card that explained the marble’s significance. Thousands of Kiwanis Club members own his marbles.

And if you ask, almost all will tell you: “I still have my marble.”

Services for Bob are at 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 18 at St. Peter’s By-the-Sea Presbyterian Church, 16911 Bolsa Chica St., Huntington Beach. We’d love it if you can attend.

Per Götesson wanted to create his ideal men’s wardrobe for fall.
“I always like to explore notions of new masculinity and modern masculinity,” said Götesson. “There is something soft maybe, and then juxtaposed with typical men’s wear cuts and [embroidery] and a bit of accessories.”
The Sweden-born designer staged his first stand-alone presentation at Machine-A in Soho after showing as a part of the Topman-sponsored Man collective.
Götesson described his man as erotic, sensitive, but not afraid as well — serious yet sincere. He focused on separates rather than complete looks and aimed to fill a man’s wardrobe with outerwear, denim and shirting — making everything interchangeable.
He continued to explore denim and proportion and made silhouettes of jeans drapey or tighter cropped. He simplified an oversize coat, which came across pared back as he removed the epaulettes and belt.
He looked at utility and men’s wear items like technical Army vests. Taking details from utility garments, he created Army green thermal leggings which featured cargo pockets. He paired this with a denim zip-up anorak parka with a fleece collar.

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.Read More…

Joseph’s creative director Louise Trotter created a collection packed with all those luxe pieces for which the brand is known. There were military and sartorial touches, plays on proportion and lots of texture in the lineup.
“The collection is always an ongoing story for me,” said Trotter, adding that she looked to uniforms this season and wanted to focus, once again, on the blazer.
Among the highlights was a snappy olive trench done in bonded leather with military-style D-ring buckles, shirts with pointy collars fit for a five-star general, and pleated wool skirts like something Princess Elizabeth might have worn in the Forties.
The collection had a softer side, too, in the form of navy wool trousers with a red racing stripe down the side; a fun, deconstructed Fair Isle sweater and a clutch of fit-and-flare jumbo cords, which Trotter paired with whisper thin merino wool sweaters in sea foam or black.
Toppers were teddy bearish, and included a peacoat made from caramel Mongolian sheepskin, and a longer sheepskin number the color of fresh ricotta. There were enough blazers and jackets to suit an army of women. They came with covered buttons, patch pockets or contrasting military-style stitching.
Trotter’s standout suit was a blue plaid number made

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.Read More…