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Returns.
Endorsements.
Americana in the Park
Animal adoptions Discounted.
Democratic Club
MONDAY
Volume 21 Issue 230
08.15.22 Jessica Kim’s journey to becoming the West Regional Youth Poet Laureate
Santa Monica residents supporting caregivers
CHANDLER BRAXTON
Council, school races see nomination deadline extended MATTHEW HALL
SMDP Intern
Jessica Kim, an 18-year-old author and poet, is the 2021-22 West Regional Youth Poet Laureate. Recently, she was the runner-up for the National Youth Poet Laureate. Identifying as visually impaired, writing poems allowed Kim to speak up about her disability and bring awareness to all youth with disability. Kim started writing poetry in early 2020 after her school closed because of COVID-19. Her first work was a re-imagined poem of Maurice Sendal’s “Where The Wild Things Are,” where she wrote about the emotions she felt at the beginning of lockdown. She described feeling constrained and isolated. “Writing poems became a tangible coping mechanism to an uncertain world, and it offered much comfort,” Kim said. “I had found a space of rehabilitation, so that kept me going and made me the poet I am today.” Identifying as visually impaired, Kim has faced a lot of challenges. Growing up, she was reserved and felt different from her other classmates. She was self-conscious about her appearance and wanted to fit in with her peers. Over time, as she got older, Kim discovered that some things that challenged her, such as reading the whiteboard or reading an essay out loud, were simple tasks for everyone else. Seeing her classmates take their SEE POET PAGE 2
Daily Press Editor
strives to provide respite care for caregivers. “No one really knows the sufferings that we [caregivers] go through because they’re so focused on the person that they think is going to pass or that is not able to take care of themselves,” Carletta Cole, founder and CEO of Caregiver Safe Place, said. “We forget about the people taking care
The nomination season for several local elections has been extended into this week after at least one incumbent declined to run in the City Council, School Board and College Board races. The first nomination deadline for local offices was Aug. 12. However, Councilwomen Sue Himmelrich and Kristin McCowan previously said they would not run for reelection and they held to that statement. Incumbent Louise Jaffe did not pull papers to run for College Board and School Board incumbent Craig Foster said he will not run again. There will be at least one individual in the Council and Rent Control races with an “incumbent” title — but in both cases, the November election will be their first actual campaign. Councilwoman Lana Negrete was appointed to Council in 2021 and Ericka Lesley was appointed to the Rent Control board in July of this year. Potential candidates for any of the local races must be 18 years or older and registered voters in the jurisdiction of the agency they are running for. They must pick up a nomination packet from the City Clerk and return it with a least 100 valid signatures from registered voters. Once the extended nomination period closes, the Secretary
SEE CAREGIVERS PAGE 6
SEE ELECTION PAGE 7
ROMPAROUND: The jumper is designed to be simple and versatile to reduce stress BRYNN SHAFFER SMDP Intern
Did you know that approximately 43.5 million Americans identify as informal caregivers? The term describes an unpaid individual who assists in taking care of a loved one. While it may seem obvious to care for “the patient,” the well-being of those who help facilitate that care often goes unnoticed, which can
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have serious consequences to the physical and mental health of caregivers. Sometimes, the role of being a caregiver just falls in your lap, and it can feel overwhelming, especially if you don’t have the proper resources to smoothly navigate it. But two LA organizations are working to take the stress out of caregiving. Founded in 2019, Caregiver Safe Place is a nonprofit that
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