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INSIDE
• WeHo looks at
changes to fines.
pg. 3
Mostly cloudy,
with a chance
of rain
Volume 25 No. 19
• Victim robbed in
parking lot. pg. 4
Serving the West Hollywood, Hancock Park and Wilshire Communities
May 7, 2015
Garcetti endorses Ramsay Millennium loses battle in court
as CD4 election draws near
n Judge invalidates
n Announcement comes after candidates
spar again at a major debate
By jonathan van dyke
In the 4th District city council
campaign that is often described by
candidate David Ryu as “outsider
versus insider”, candidate Carolyn
Ramsay continued to pick up
endorsements of political heavy-
EIR for controversial
Hollywood project
By jonathan van dyke
weights, including Los Angeles
City Attorney Mike Feuer, and on
Tuesday, Mayor Eric Garcetti.
“This is somebody poised to be
exactly what we need for the 4th
District and the independent voice
we need in city hall,” Garcetti said
See Candidates page 22
photo by Jonathan Van Dyke
Mayor Eric Garcetti endorsed CD4 candidate Carolyn Ramsay, who was
surrounded by supporters outside her campaign headquarters.
The long and winding story of
the Millennium Hollywood took
another twist last Thursday when
a judge issued a ruling to halt the
$1 billion project, likely forcing
the developer to go back to the
drawing board and create a new
environmental impact report
(EIR).
“We got everything we wanted,” said George Abrahams, who
was the plaintiff in the case and a
member of Stop the Millennium.
“The things we won on were very
solid.”
photo courtesy of Millennium Partners
Los Angeles Superior Court
Judge James C. Chalfant said the A rendering depicts how the Millennium project was proposed to have
city disregarded concerns by been configured around the Capitol Records Building.
Caltrans that traffic on the
Hollywood (101) Freeway would enjoining the city from granting suant to the set aside approvals,”
be significantly impacted by the any authority, permits, certificate Chalfant said in the decision.
development. The judge also of occupancy or entitlements for
The Millennium Hollywood
noted that the project’s description the project pursuant to the city’s project was approved by the city
was overly vague. The decision prior actions, and enjoining council in July 2013. It would be
invalidates the project’s EIR.
Millennium from undertaking built on two sites on Vine Street
“An injunction shall [be issued] construction on the project purSee Judge page 20
Russian community celebrates arts and culture WeHo council turns back
residents’ contributions
Kings Road development
By katharine lotze
n Decision sends
n WeHo hosts festival focusing on
The smell of pierogies and the sound of traditional Russian music filled the air at Plummer Park
in West Hollywood on Sunday, as the Russian Arts
and Culture Festival helped kick off the 14th annual Russian Arts and Culture Week.
The festivities began with the “Bike and Bites:
Russian Edition” tour through the city on Saturday,
and continued Sunday with the Russian Arts and
Culture Festival. The festival, hosted by the city of
West Hollywood, drew thousands of people
throughout the day. It was part of a series of events
planned through May 9, and featured dancers,
musicians, artists and traditional Russian foods.
“The idea of the festival is to share the culture,”
said Tatiana Rodzinek, the Russian community
outreach coordinator for the city of West
Hollywood. Rodzinek said this year will be the first
year that the festivities will be a week-long event,
following a few years as a month-long celebration.
The event started in 2001, with only one stage for
Russian entertainment.
“After that, every year we celebrate Russian culture,” Rodzinek said.
Now, the week-long celebration has expanded to
include theater performances, movie screenings,
project back to
planning commission
By jonathan van dyke
After more than 100 residents
voiced opposition to a new apartment complex slated for North
Kings Road, the West Hollywood
City Council remanded the con-
troversial development back to
the city’s planning commission
for a redesign.
The project under appeal during Monday’s city council meeting was a 34-unit apartment
building planned for 826 N.
Kings Road, which would
replace a single-family residence.
Last October, the planning
commission approved the proSee Council page 21
photo by Katharine Lotze
Children showcased traditional Russian dances before a
standing room only crowd at the 14th annual Russian Arts
and Culture Festival at West Hollywood’s Plummer Park.
concerts, an arts festival and an awards ceremony.
Lana Le attended Sunday’s festival with her son for the
second year in a row.
“I miss Russian culture,” she said. “And I want my son to
See Russian page 20
photo courtesy of Ric Abramson
The 826 N. Kings Road project may be altered after the city council
requested that changes to the building be considered.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
2 May 7, 2015
Calendar
7 Classic Film
F
riends of the West Hollywood
Library is launching its “Classic
Movie Matinee Series” on Thursday,
May 7 at 2 p.m. with a screening of
“His Girl Friday”. The film stars Cary
Grant and Rosalind Russell. The
series will feature a different classic
movie on the first Thursday of each
month in the library’s community
room. 625 N. San Vicente Blvd.
(310)652-5340.
Award recipients will be actress, producer and television host Ricki Lake
and philanthropist Joyce Powell. The
event benefits the Cedars-Sinai
Medical Center Department of
Obstetrics and Gynecology. Luxury
boutiques begin at 10 am; luncheon,
fashion show and awards start at
11:30 a.m. Tickets are $200. 9876
Wilshire Blvd. (323)866-6231, or
email
matthew.karimipouia@cshs.org.
LA Ballet Gala
L
os Angeles Ballet is hosting its
annual gala on Thursday, May 7
at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. The
evening includes cocktails, dining
and a preview performance of choreographer Jírí Kylián’s “Sechs Tänze
(Six Dances)”, set to the music of
Mozart. Los Angeles Ballet supporter
Ghada Irani will be honored with the
Angel Award. A cocktail reception
begins at 6:30; dinner and performance at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at
$500. 9500 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly
Hills. (310)903-8886, www.losangelesballet.org.
Japanese History
A
8 Indie Film
I
ndie film fans won’t want to miss
screenings
of
the
movie
“Bravetown” running from Friday,
May 8 through Thursday, May 14 at
Arena Cinema in Hollywood. The
film tells the story of a New York DJ
who after an accidental drug overdose, leaves the big city and spends a
year with his father in Paragon, North
Dakota. Showtimes for “Bravetown”
are at 6:15 and 8 p.m. on May 8;
check schedule for additional showtimes at Arena Cinema. Tickets are
$12. 1625 N. Las Palmas Blvd.
(323)306-0676,
www.arenascreen.com.
9 Art Exhibit
E
dward Cella Art and Architecture
presents an exhibit titled
“Unbound” running Saturday, May 9
through Saturday, June 13. Works by
artists Joshua Aster, Kendell Carter,
Marc De Luca, Spencer Lewis,
Donnie Molls, Ruth Pastine, Chris
Trueman and Jeffrey Valance will be
displayed. A reception will be held on
May 9 from 6 to 8 p.m. 2754 S. La
Cienega
Blvd.
www.edwardcella.com.
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Classical music lovers are invited to a performance by the Brentano
String Quartet on Saturday, May 9 at 8 p.m. in the Wallis Annenberg
Center for the Performing Arts’ Bram Goldsmith Theatre. Works by
Haydn, Bartok and Debussy will be performed. Tickets start at $39. 9390
N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. (310)746-4000, www.thewallis.org.
10 Vintage Train Ride
H
op aboard a vintage train during
the Fillmore & Western
Railway’s Mother’s Day lunch train
on Sunday, May 10 at 11 a.m.
Passengers will travel through the
Heritage Valley and a special luncheon will be served. The train
departs from 364 Main St., Fillmore.
Adult tickets are $47; $26 for youth
ages 4-12; $22 for children 2-3; and
free for children under age 2.
Reservations required to (805)5242546, www.fwry.com.
Jazz Concert
J
azz lovers are invited to Da
Camera Society performances by
pianist Pablo Ziegler on Sunday, May
10 at 2 and 4:30 p.m. at the Doheny
Mansion, located on the campus of
Mount St. Mary’s College, southwest
of downtown Los Angeles. The Latin
Grammy-winning pianist performs a
hybrid of classic tango and jazz.
Tickets are $75. 8 Chester Place.
(213)477-2929, www.dacamera.org.
11 Mother of the
Year Luncheon
C
edars-Sinai’s The Helping Hand
of Los Angeles presents the 86th
anniversary “Mother of the Year
Luncheon & Fashion Show” on
Monday, May 11 at the Beverly
Hilton Hotel. The Mother of the Year
Laurel School
Open House
L
aurel School in West Hollywood
is hosting an open house on
Tuesday, May 12 at 9 a.m. Parents
can meet teachers and administration
members and tour the school. Laurel
School accepts students in K-8th
grades. To register students, parents
will need proof of residence; a driver’s license or other form of ID; the
new student’s original birth certificate, passport or equivalent; the student’s immunization record; and
proof of dental check-up (kindergarten and 1st grade). 925 N.
Hayworth Ave. (323)654-1930,
www.laurelspanschool.com.
13 Moroccan Film
E
njoy a screening of Moroccan
artist Hassan Hajjaj’s first fea-
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photo courtesy of the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
uthor Janice P. Nimura will sing
and
discuss
her
book,
“Daughters of the Samurai” on
Monday, May 11 at 7 p.m. at the
Japan Foundation Los Angeles. In
1871, five young girls were sent by
the Japanese government to the
United States to learn Western ways
and return to help nurture a new generation of men to lead Japan. Nimura
conducted extensive research in
Japan and the United States in preparation for writing the book, including
researching decades of letters sent
between three of the women and their
American host families. 5700
Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 100. Admission
of free; RSVP required to
www.jflalc.org.
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ture-length film, “Karima: A Day in
the Life of a Henna Girl” on
Wednesday, May 13 at 6:30 p.m. at
the Los Angeles County Museum of
Art. Hajjaj and the film’s characters,
including Karima, will participate in
a discussion following the film.
Admission is free; tickets required.
5905 Wilshire Blvd. (323)857-6010,
www.lacma.org.
HIV Prevention
H
IV prevention providers will
host a discussion on pre-exposure
prophylaxis
(PrEP)
on
Wednesday, May 13 from 7 to 9 p.m.
in the West Hollywood City Council
Chambers. The National Minority
AIDS Council will present the free
forum. 625 N. San Vicente Blvd.
(323)848-6403, www.weho.org.
Phillip Brandon
J
azz, rock and soul fusion singer
Phillip Brandon will perform on
Wednesday, May 13 at 8 p.m. at
Catalina Bar and Grill. Brandon will
perform classic tunes as well as songs
from his self-titled debut recording.
Tickets are $15. 6725 W. Sunset
Blvd. (323)466-2210, www.catalinajazzclub.com.
14 Senior Fraud
Forum
S
eniors can learn to protect themselves at the Los Angeles Senior
Fraud Awareness Day forum on
Thursday, May 14 from 10 a.m. to
1:30 p.m. at the Felicia Mahood
Senior
Multipurpose
Center.
Common scams and frauds will be
covered. Entertainment and refreshments will be provided. 11338 Santa
Monica Blvd. (310)479-4119.
Ebell Art Exhibit
E
bell of Los Angeles presents
“Connections”, an exhibit of nine
artists from “The Loft” Studios and
Galleries of San Pedro, opening on
Thursday, May 14. Paintings, prints,
sculptures, assemblages and neon art
will be displayed. An opening reception will be held on May 14 from 5 to
8 p.m. in the Art Salon of the Ebell,
4400 Wilshire Blvd. Refreshments, a
no-host bar and parking will be provided. (323)931-1277 ext. 131,
www.ebelloflosangeles.org.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
3 May 7, 2015
WeHo candidate Shink under investigation WeHo Council wants to make
n Campaign cites
CA Sec. of State
clerical error
By jonathan van dyke
West Hollywood City Council
candidate Heidi Shink is being
investigated
by
the
West
Hollywood City Attorney’s Office
in regards to her campaign misusing funds.
The West Hollywood City
Clerk’s Office has accused Shink’s
campaign of using money raised
for the March 3 General Election
during the run-up to the June 2
Special Election.
Shink is a current planning commissioner who initially gained
notoriety as co-lead singer with
Chaz Bono in the band Ceremony.
She is running in the special election to replace former councilman
and current Los Angeles County
Assessor Jeffrey Prang.
“Our campaign has not only
complied with the letter of the campaign finance laws set forth by the
state of California and the city of
West Hollywood, but the spirit of
them as well,” the Shink campaign
said in a statement. “Ms. Shink did
not run in the March 3 election
cycle, and absolutely no monies
raised for the March 3 election
have ever been spent on this June 2
campaign; this has been verified
through our treasurer, David Gould
and Co. Our campaign will contin-
ue to talk to
voters about
the
issues
facing this
city and presenting positive solutions
to move West
Hollywood
into
the
Heidi Shink
future.”
In a letter
drafted by West Holly-wood City
Clerk Yvonne Quarker on Feb. 12,
the Shink campaign was told it was
potentially in violation of city law.
“The information contained in
the
Campaign
Disclosure
Statement indicates the campaign’s
intention to spend funds in connection with its campaign for the June
2, 2015 Special Election that were
raised for the March 3, 2015
General Election, in violation of
West Hollywood Municipal Code
2.76.050,” the letter read. “No candidate for city council or committee shall expend contributions
received in connection with a particular election on campaign
expenses associated with a subsequent election.”
In the letter, Quarker said funds
raised between Jan. 1 and June 30,
2014 are under scrutiny do to a
campaign document designated for
the March 3 election. She also stated that “the Campaign Disclosure
Statement for the July 1 through
Dec. 31, 2014 period purports to
retain over $15,000 in campaign
More charges, second victim
emerge in case against teacher
n Former Marlborough
School instructor faces
10 new counts
By jonathan van dyke
Additional charges regarding a
second victim have been brought
against a former Marlborough
School teacher.
Joseph Koetters, 47, pleaded not
guilty on Monday to 10 additional
charges regarding alleged sexual
abuse of a second former student.
In February, he pleaded not guilty
to four charges regarding a first
victim.
The English teacher and Santa
Monica resident worked at
Marlborough, an all-girls school
for grades 7-12 located at 250 S.
Rossmore Ave, from 1999 to 2013.
The Los Angeles District
Attorney’s Office said Koetters
allegedly initiated a sexual relationship for more than a year with
the first victim, then a 16-year-old
female student, starting in 2000. In
February, he was charged with two
counts of oral copulation of a person under 18 and two counts of
sexual penetration by a foreign
object of a person under 18.
The alleged crimes came to light
last
June
when
former
Marlborough student Mikaela
Gilbert-Lurie published an essay
on www.xojane.com, titled “It
Happened To Me: My High School
English Teacher Told Me He
Loved Me (And Nobody Did
Anything)”.
Gilbert-Lurie wrote about her
experiences as a 16-year-old in
2012, when Koetters was her
teacher, which detailed inappropriate moments between the teacher
and the student, including Koetters
brushing his hands against her
knee.
The 10 new counts (five counts
of oral copulation of a person under
18 and five counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object of a person under 18) stem from a second
victim who reported the incident to
police as the first case remained
under investigation. According to
the district attorney’s office, the
second victim was 16 when she
had a sexual relationship with
Koetters between February and
June of 2004.
Koetters was released in
February on $140,000 bail, but the
new charges increased bail to
$490,000. Koetters posted the
complete bail on Monday and was
released again, but he is not
allowed to contact the two victims.
He is scheduled to return to the
Foltz Criminal Justice Center,
Department 31, on June 23 to set a
date for a preliminary hearing.
If Koetters is convicted, he faces
more than 11 years in state prison.
Police continue to investigate the
case.
The victim of the first charges
reported the incident to police last
July after she read Gilbert-Luri’s
online essay. She is represented by
attorney Dave Ring in a civil suit
filed last month against Koetters
and the school, which accuses
Marlborough of ignoring past allegations of wrongdoing by the
teacher.
Ring said that Koetters groomed
and conditioned the girl into having
a sexual relationship with him, and
impregnated her while she was a
senior in high school.
“Mr. Koetters preyed upon his
students to sexually gratify himself
over the years he taught at
See Teacher page 22
contributions received in connection with the general election and
spend those funds on special election activities, in violation of
WHMC Section 2.76.050.”
Listed remedies for the violation
include returning the contributions,
donating the money to a nonprofit
or spending the money in “another
way consistent with the California
Political Reform Act.” The case has
since been referred to the city attorney.
“At this point we are investigating it, and then we’ll proceed with
whatever action is appropriate,”
said Quarker, noting there was not a
specific timeline for action and she
would not make further comment.
Marco Meneghin, Shink’s campaign manager, said the issue was
due to a filing error made by the
California Secretary of State’s
Office, which issued a correction
letter to the campaign from Chris
Reynolds, chief of the political
reform division.
Reynolds said in the letter that
the state “inadvertently issued the
incorrect ID number” for the special election committee formed by
the Shink campaign.
“That inadvertent, but incorrect,
interpretation of the filing as an
amendment to the name of the
existing [general election] committee, which did not include the
words ‘special election’, led staff to
simply add those words to the title
of the existing committee,”
Reynolds said.
West Hollywood City Attorney
Michael Jenkins said the issue is
still under review, and it requires
the examination of “co-mingling”
the two election accounts. He said
the letter from the state did not
address the issue, and would not
comment further until after the
investigation is complete.
parking more user-friendly
n City looks to reduce
some fees and meter
enforcement
By edwin folven
West Hollywood Mayor Pro
Tempore Lauren Meister has
introduced a motion that would
examine the city’s fees for parking infractions. If approved, it
could reduce the cost of some
citations to $36, and more than
double the fees for more serious
parking infractions.
The West Hollywood City
Council on Monday postponed
making a decision about the
motion until its June 1 meeting,
which will give city officials time
to vet the proposal with business
owners and residents. If the
council votes to move forward,
procedure calls for a study to
examine the impacts of changes
to the parking fee structure.
“West Hollywood is a great
place to live, work and play, and
we do many things well,”
Meister said. “Unfortunately, our
city has a reputation of being
user-unfriendly when it comes to
parking. We need to manage our
parking as a public resource,
rather than a revenue source.”
Approximately $9.5 million in
parking citation fees were collected last year in the city. In
addition to changing fees, the
proposal calls for better signage
to alert motorists about regulations, more information about
off-street parking garages, and
more participation by businesses
in employee parking programs. It
could also reduce the hours of
enforcement at city meters from
8 a.m. to midnight to 8 a.m. to 8
p.m. in most parts of the city, and
create free parking on Sunday.
Fees for offenses such as
remaining at expired meters and
parking outside of the marked
pavement lines could be reduced
from $53 to $36. Fines for
exceeding the posted time limits
on streets could be reduced from
$58 to $36.
Fees could jump to $118 for
offenses such as parking in red
zones or no parking zones.
Proposed fees for infractions
such as parking in a bicycle lane
would increase from $56 to $83.
Motorists who park in peak hour
traffic lanes could face an
increase in fines from $63 to
$157.
Meister’s plan could also creSee WeHo page 22
photo by Edwin Folven
Changes may be made to fines
incurred at West Hollywood
parking meters, similar to the
one pictured above.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
4 May 7, 2015
Drug use resulted in model’s death Suspects sought for violent street robbery
By edwin folven
A 52-year-old male model and
actor who was found dead in West
Hollywood on March 5 has been
determined to have had drugs in
his system at the time of his death.
The decedent, Dirk Shafer, was
found dead in the passenger seat
of his car, which was parked in the
1300 block of Laurel Ave. Los
Angeles County Coroner’s officials conducted an autopsy and
toxicology tests, and ruled that
cocaine and methamphetamine
were present and resulted in
Shafer’s death.
“He was using drugs and it was
ruled an accident,” Winter said.
Shafer appeared in a holiday
issue of “Playgirl” magazine in
1992, and was later chosen by
readers as the magazine’s “Man of
the Year”. It helped launch a
career in the entertainment, and he
later wrote and appeared in a 1995
film about his experiences titled
“Man of the Year”.
Coroner investigates death in WeHo
By edwin folven
Los Angeles County Corner’s
Office officials are investigating the
death of a man who was found in a
parking lot last Sunday in the 7600
block of Santa Monica Boulevard.
Coroner’s Office spokesman Ed
Winter said the victim was found by
witnesses at approximately 10:33
a.m., and the situation was reported
to authorities at the West Hollywood
Sheriff’s Station. Winter said the
victim is believed to be a transient.
Foul play is not suspected in the
death. Authorities will conduct an
autopsy to determine the cause of
death.
Winter described the victim as a
Hispanic man in his 20s.
By edwin folven
Two suspects are being sought
for a violent street robbery that
occurred on April 30 in the parking
lot of a former Bank of America
branch at the southwest corner of
Wilshire Boulevard and La Brea
Avenue.
An unidentified man who police
said was in his 60s was assaulted
and robbed at approximately 11
p.m. as he was returning to his
vehicle in the parking lot. Two
African American male suspects
allegedly approached him from
behind and struck the victim in the
head with a baseball bat. Witnesses
provided police with a description
of the suspects.
“They hit him before he knew it.
He was struck in the back of the
head and lost consciousness,” said
Det. Ryan Moreno, with the Los
Angeles Police Department’s
Wilshire Division. “He was carrying a bag, and they probably saw
photo by Edwin Folven
A victim was assaulted and robbed in the parking lot of a vacant bank
branch building at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and La Brea Avenue.
that. Most likely [they were driving
by], or waiting in the parking lot.
He definitely wasn’t followed.”
Moreno said “good Samaritans”
called 911. Police searched the surrounding neighborhood, but could
not locate the suspects.
The victim parked in the lot and
walked a short distance to visit a
friend at a nearby residence, the
detective said. He walked back
from the location with a bag containing electronics that was stolen
during the robbery.
The victim suffered severe head
See Police page 21
Man electrocuted on utility pole Suspected drunk driver crashes into tree in WeHo
By edwin folven
An unidentified man died on May
1 in West Hollywood after he
climbed to the top of a utility pole
and was electrocuted, according to
authorities.
Sgt. Kevin Rasmussen, of the
West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station,
said the incident occurred at 1 a.m.
near the corner of La Cienega and
Santa Monica Boulevard.
Witnesses called 911 when the
man was climbing the pole, but by
the time deputies arrived, the victim
had been electrocuted and had fallen
to the ground. Paramedics took him
to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center,
where he was pronounced dead.
Rasmussen said alcohol was
involved. Los Angeles County
Coroner’s Office spokesman Ed
Winter described the victim as being
in his 50s.
By edwin folven
An unidentified suspect is facing
charges of driving under the influence after he lost control of his
vehicle and crashed into a tree early
last Sunday morning in the 8400
block of Santa Monica Boulevard.
The collision occurred at approximately 3:55 a.m. near Santa
Monica Boulevard and Orange
Grove Avenue, said Sgt. Kevin
Rasmussen, of the West Hollywood
Sheriff’s Station. The driver was
traveling eastbound on Santa
Monica Boulevard when he lost
control of his SUV.
“He came to rest with a tree half
way through the hood,” Rasmussen
said. “He appeared to be under the
influence. He was so drunk he
couldn’t give us a name.”
The driver and two passengers
were transported by paramedics to
a hospital with non-life threatening
injuries. They were treated and
later released.
Sgt. Richard Bowman, with the
West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station,
said the incident remains under
investigation, and a report would be
submitted to the Los Angeles
County District Attorney’s Office
for the filing of DUI charges.
Bowman said the driver is a 19year-old Los Angeles resident.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
5 May 7, 2015
Council looks to bring green space to Koreatown
By edwin folven
The Los Angeles City Council
approved preliminary plans for a
pocket park in Koreatown on the
grounds of the Pio Pico Koreatown
branch library.
The proposal by Council
President Herb Wesson, 10th
District, would create a park in an
area fronting Oxford Avenue that is
currently being used as a parking
lot for the library. Wesson proposed
the park because of a lack of green
space in the neighborhood. The
library is located at the corner of
Oxford Avenue and 7th Street, just
southeast of Wilshire Boulevard
and Western Avenue.
“This is an innovative idea offering an important opportunity to create a new park in a densely populated area of the Wilshire-Koreatown
community,” Wesson said. “The
cost of land has skyrocketed, but so
has the need for open space. This
plan offers a re-imagined and
expanded use of land the city of Los
Angeles already owns.”
The council on Tuesday
approved a transfer of the land from
the city’s general services department to the department of recreation and parks. Wesson also
requested that the Los Angeles
Department of Transportation
explore the possibility of replacing
parking lost from the conversion
with angled parking on Serrano and
Oxford avenues.
The plan for the pocket park is in
the early stages, and a design must
still be created and funding sources
must be identified. No timeline has
been established for the project.
photo by Jonathan Van Dyke
Residents plan to bring forward the historic-cultural monument application for the Farmers Insurance Building at a later time.
Group withdraws historic
application for Farmers
By jonathan van dyke
The group pushing for the
Farmers Insurance Building to be
named an historic-cultural monument has withdrawn its application.
In April, a group of Windsor
Square-Hancock Park Historical
Society (WSHPHS) members
withdrew the application before it
was discussed by the Los Angeles
City Council’s Planning and Land
Use Management Committee. On
Tuesday, the full city council
voted to receive and file the application, noting the application can
be reconsidered at a later date.
The building, located at 4680
Wilshire Blvd., and adjacent land
is owned by CIM Group. Earlier
this year, the ownership group
met with Brookside homeowners
to discuss early plans for the
entire property, which spans from
4622 to 4680 Wilshire Blvd. The
plans call for an adaptive reuse of
the main Farmers Insurance
Building, turning it into a structure housing 54 condominiums.
On the adjacent surface parking
lot, CIM Group would develop
approximately 27 townhomes.
There would also be 38 singlefamily homes, including free
standing and duplex configurations, on the 4622 Wilshire Blvd.
surface parking lot. Parking for
the majority of the new development would be in a subterranean
parking lot.
“We just thought that it might
be better to hold off until we
know what their plans are and
until we see their [environmental
impact report (EIR)],” said Jane
Gilman, a WSHPHS member,
spearheaded the application
process. “We would like to make
sure they are within keeping what
they have told us and at a later
time we will revive the application.”
Gilman said she could not comment any further on why the
group withdrew the application.
The application was approved
by the Los Angeles Cultural
Heritage
Commission
in
February.
The commission voted to only
protect specific parts of the building, including the street-facing
facades and landscaping, which
officials said are character-defining features.
Originally, the commission was
considering the totality of the
building. However, staff members
said, that upon further inspection,
it was clear the interior of the
building was completely remodeled in the 1960s. The backside of
the building has also been heavily
altered from its original appearance.
Larchmont Chronicle sold
By luis Rivas
The
Larchmont
Chronicle
announced on April on the newspaper’s website that it had been sold to
lifelong Larchmont resident John H.
Welborne.
It is the first time in the paper’s 52year history that it has changed ownership.
“I could not be more pleased than
to have John Welborne lead the next
decade of the [Larchmont]
Chronicle,”
said
Larchmont
Chronicle editor, former publisher
and owner Jane Gilman in the editorial. “John has worked with me and
my co-founder, Dawne Goodwin, for
nearly 40 of the paper’s 52 years.
John is a strong believer in the
important role played by small, community newspapers.”
Gilman will continue on as editor.
The Larchmont Chronicle was
founded in 1963 by Gilman and
Goodwin, who passed away on Oct.
14, 2012.
Welborne said the main reason the
monthly newspaper was sold was
due to both Jane and Irwin Gilman
becoming older and wanting to move
on to another stage in their lives.
“They’ve reached a stage in their
lives where it’s a wise idea to plan for
the future. Simply put, they’re not
immortal,” Welborne said.
The newspaper will continue as it
has been originally managed since
the beginning, including publishing
once a month, according to
Welborne.
“The Larchmont Chronicle is very
successful at what it does and as that
old saying goes, ‘If it ain’t broken,
don’t fix it’,” Welborne said.
Welborne is a longtime lawyer in
Los Angeles and has been involved
in several nonprofit work for approximately 20 years. He currently is a
member of the board of directors for
the Windsor Square Association.
“Many familiar names will remain
on the masthead of the paper, and the
community will continue to benefit
from their combined decades of
experience in the news coverage and
advertising of the Larchmont
Chronicle,” Gilman said.
Boxer introduces military whistleblowers legislation
U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (DCalif.) joined a group of her colleagues last week to introduce the
Legal Justice for Servicemembers
Act — legislation to strengthen
protections for military whistleblowers, including sexual assault
survivors, and reform military correction boards to help servicemembers who have been wronged
receive restitution.
Boxer authored the original
Military Whistleblower Protection
Act in 1988 as a member of the
House
of
Representatives.
Although the law has been updated
periodically over the years,
changes have not kept pace with
protections afforded to civilian
whistleblowers, representatives
said.
“Servicemembers who bravely
speak out about wrongdoing or
misconduct-especially
sexual
assault survivors-deserve to know
that they will be protected from
retaliation,” Boxer said.
The
Legal
Justice
for
Servicemembers Act would establish a “clear and convincing” legal
burden of proof standard in line
with federal civilian whistleblower
protection standards. It also would
give the investigating inspector
general the authority to temporarily suspend negative personnel
actions against a whistleblower if it
causes significant hardship to the
servicemember.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
6 May 7, 2015
Thousands of students help save the ocean
By Luis Rivas
photo by Edwin Folven
Forestry experts watch
over Rossmore trees
By edwin foLven
Representatives of the Los
Angeles Urban Forestry Division
are monitoring the American
elms that line Rossmore Avenue.
The trees are approximately 70
to 80 years old, and are predominately in good condition, according to Greg Monfette, street tree
supervisor for the Urban Forestry
Division, which is part of the
city’s Bureau of Street Services.
However, the trees are of a
species that is slower to blossom
during spring, and “a few are in a
declining state,” Monfette said.
America elms are prone to limb
loss in windstorms, and a handful
of the trees have been removed in
recent weeks because of damage.
Monfette said he did not have
an exact number of the trees that
have been removed and said “a
few” more may be in jeopardy.
He added that there are no current plans to remove any more of
the trees, and officials will continue to monitor their condition.
Monfette added that the last time
the American elms on Rossmore
Avenue were trimmed was in
2004 or 2005, and that money
has been budgeted for trimming
along the street in 2016.
The trees have a general life
span of 60 to 100 years, Monfette
said.
Assembly bill bans sale of
e-cigarettes to minors
The California Assembly on
Monday passed Assembly Bill
(AB)
216,
authored
by
Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia
(D-Bell Gardens) to take a stand
against new smoking technologies
meant to entice children. Measure
passed with bi-partisan support 770.
AB 216 would ban stores and
smoke shops from selling any vaping or electronic cigarette device to
anyone under the age of 18 years of
age.
“Unlike candy cigarettes, that
became socially unacceptable,
these products are truly dangerous
for children and act as a gateway to
future tobacco use.” Garcia said.
“These devices are hooking a new
generation on nicotine and are a
gateway to smoking traditional cigarettes and reversing previous successes in reducing nicotine use
among minors.”
Current law only prevents minors
from purchasing vaping devices
with nicotine cartridges. But the
devices, even without nicotine, can
also be used for smoking other substances such as cannabis, or other
herbal substances that are harmful
to children, officials said.
E-cigarettes and vape pens target
a younger audience, using sweet
flavored compounds that carry the
names of kid’s treats, such as
gummy bears and fruit loops,
Garcia said. Although they don’t
have nicotine, these compounds
have been shown to contain other
harmful chemicals, masked by the
candy-flavored vapor. Minors
under the age of 18 years old are
now currently free to purchase vaping devices and use these products.
Studies suggest that adolescents
who use e-cigarettes are more likely to progress from experimenting
with cigarettes, to becoming established smokers.
From 2011 to 2014, substantial
increases have been observed in
current e-cigarette use among middle and high school students, resulting in an estimated 2.4 million
young people today using e-cigarettes.
“The use of vaping by minors is
reaching epidemic proportion and
California must act now, to protect
children’s health and to keep from
producing a whole new generation
of young smokers,” Garcia said.
AB 216 now moves to the
California Senate.
Thousands of children will gather
at Dockweiler State Beach to pick up
litter, create aerial artwork and learn
more about how to keep the beach
and ocean clean next week as part of
Kids Ocean Day.
More than 3,500 students from
approximately 30 schools throughout Los Angeles will participate in
the 22nd annual Kids Ocean Day on
May 14 at 10 a.m. Kids Ocean Day
is a project of the Malibu Foundation
for Environmental Education.
Students and teachers will participate
by picking up litter, recycling and
creating an aerial artwork of fishes
and message that will read, “Unite
for the Ocean” showcasing a Los
Angeles student’s fish design with
the help of aerial artist John Quigley.
Hancock Park Elementary School
has been participating in Kids Ocean
Day for the past five years. Special
education instructor Aileen ChanTabe will bring her 3rd, 4th and 5th
grade students to the event.
“It really creates awareness for the
Earth, for the kids to take care of the
Earth. This is where they live. They
photo courtesy of Kids Ocean Day
Students from Hancock Park Elementary School and more than 3,500
others will gather at Dockweiler State Beach on May 14.
learn what they do in their community directly relates to the ocean,”
Chan-Tabe said. “Everything goes
through the storm drains.”
After last year’s Kids Ocean Day,
Chan-Tabe’s students became more
aware of debris and litter on the
street.
“The kids are noticing different
things now. They’re making the connection with pollution and saying,
‘No, those things will hurt the turtles
in the ocean’,” Chan-Tabe said.
In 1991, former sailor Michael
Klubock founded the Malibu
See Kids page 11
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
7 May 7, 2015
Metro preps for work near Wilshire and La Brea
By edwin folven
The Los Angeles County
Metropolitan
Transportation
Authority (Metro) is moving forward with plans for construction
near Wilshire Boulevard and La
Brea Avenue, leading up to excavation for the Purple Line Subway
project.
The agency will start work on
May 11 on an L-shaped alley that
currently runs south from 6th Street
and east to La Brea Avenue. The
alley will be rerouted to provide
access on Detroit Street instead of
La Brea Avenue. The work will be
followed by demolition of a former
Metro customer service center at
the northwest corner of Wilshire
Boulevard and La Brea Avenue.
“[The alley relocation will] take
three weeks,” Metro construction
relations manager Kasey Shuda
said. “Then, we have to remove the
artwork component [on the former
customer service center] which is
expected to take a week.”
The art piece is a series of threedimensional cubes that are affixed
to the exterior of the building. The
piece was designed by artist Jim
Isermann. Metro spokesman Dave
Sotero said it will be dismantled
and placed in storage until another
Metro property is indentified where
it can be displayed.
Shuda said that Metro is in the
process of purchasing all of the
buildings on the south side of
Wilshire Boulevard between La
Brea Avenue and Detroit Street,
including the Bank of America
branch, a barber shop and a martial
Foster care month
sponsored by
U.S. Rep. Bass
Co-chairs of the bipartisan
Congressional Caucus on Foster
Youth, including U.S. Reps. Karen
Bass (D-Calif.), joined 119 bipartisan co-sponsors in introducing
House Resolution 251, recognizing
May as National Foster Care Month
and encouraging Congress to implement policies to improve the lives of
children in the foster care system.
During National Foster Care
Month, members of the Foster Care
Caucus will participate in activities
to celebrate foster youth and all
those who make a meaningful difference in the lives of foster youth.
These activities will culminate in
Foster Youth Shadow Day, when
more than 60 foster youth from
across the country will come to
Washington, D.C. on Wednesday,
May 20 to share their experiences in
the system with members of
Congress and see firsthand how
Congress works. Youth will also
have the opportunity to share their
thoughts on improvements the system needs, including support for
those graduating out of foster care
and addressing ways to keep families together.
“Foster care month is about more
than words,” Bass said in a statement. “We are taking actions that we
hope will truly make better a system
that needs to work for hundreds of
thousands of young people. This resolution is part of our important work
to improve the foster care system
and provide the best support to the
individuals that come out of it.
Together, we will work to find solutions that support foster families and
children and help foster youth find
permanent and loving homes.”
arts studio. The entire area will
eventually be used as a construction staging area for the subway.
The timeline for the purchase has
not been finalized. After subway
construction is finished, Shuda said
the property would be “available
for development.”
Ken Hixon, vice president of the
Miracle
Mile
Residential
Association, said the organization
has been working with Metro to
keep the community informed, and
has been made aware of the plans
on the south side of Wilshire
Boulevard. He said the hope is
Metro will provide some public
parking near the site.
“That’s going to be the largest
construction site in the Miracle
Mile,” Hixon said. “Parking is a
crisis in the area. With parking, we
hope they are thinking of keeping
as much parking as possible until it
is absolutely necessary [for it to be
removed].”
Preliminary utility relocation
work is ongoing in the neighborhoods around Wilshire Boulevard
in the Miracle Mile. Approximately
90 street trees will be removed as
part of the Purple Line construction. The first phase of construction
from Western Avenue to La
Cienega Boulevard is expected to
be completed in 2023.
photo by Edwin Folven
The former Metro customer service center at La Brea Avenue and
Wilshire Boulevard will be demolished to make way for Purple Line
Subway construction.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
8 May 7, 2015
City files civil suit against Wells Fargo
photo by Luis Rivas
Students from Noble Avenue Elementary in North Hills recorded
inside Studio B at the famous Capitol Records building Tuesday
morning. Their chorus instructor, Avah Ham, arranged the visit.
Students record the hits at
Capitol Records studio
By Luis Rivas
Fourth and 5th grade students
gathered inside a recording studio
at the famous Capitol Records
building in Hollywood on
Tuesday morning to record contemporary and classic pop songs
— thanks to their music teacher’s
connection.
Avah Ham, a music instructor
with the Los Angeles Unified
School District for the past seven
years and chorus instructor at
Noble Avenue Elementary
School in North Hills has been
bringing her students to the
Capitol Records building’s
Studio B for the past three years.
Ham’s longtime friend, Paula
Salvatore, is vice president of
Capitol Studios.
“We’ve known each other for
20 years. One day, we started
talking about bringing my students to record. We’ve been
doing it ever since,” Ham said.
Capitol Records only charged
Ham for the sound engineers
time. The studio time, which is
$400 per hour for a four-hour
minimum, was donated.
The students fundraised hundreds of dollars to pay for the
sound engineers.
The students chose from 10
Beatles songs that Ham selected
for her chorus class to record.
They chose “Eleanor Rigby”
from the 1966 album “Revolver”.
The Beatles recorded most of
their albums on the Capitol
Records label.
Additionally, students recorded
“Shake it Off” by Taylor Swift
and “Best Day of My Life” by
American Authors.
Liat Broome, a pupil services
and attendance counselor at
Noble Avenue Elementary
School, accompanied the students and teachers to the recording studio.
“We have a chorus program at
our school, which the kids love.
These are low-income students
with talent and with parents who
have had limited education,”
Broome said.
Valerie Munoz was one of
nearly 40 students who visited
the recording studio. Munoz said
she loves to sing and was excited
when she learned that she would
be going to the Capitol Records
building to record songs with her
friends.
“I really like singing and being
with my friends. It’s fun,” Munoz
said.
Juanita Valdez, a 1st grade
teacher at Noble Avenue
Elementary School, said Beatles
songs were selected because of
their positive messages.
“There’s no cussing, no sexism. They have messages in the
songs,” Valdez said. “I’m here to
support my students — many of
them were my students in 1st
grade and now they’re in 5th
grade.”
Daniela Hernandez, a 5th grade
student at Noble Avenue
Elementary School, wants to continue singing after elementary
school.
“I really like it. It’s fun. I want
to be a professional singer when I
grow up,” Hernandez said.
Ham said that encouraging students to go into the arts not only
can build a child’s creativity, it
can keep them out of trouble.
“Arts can raise people in their
situation and give them hope for
the future. If they get into the arts,
it could give them a group to
hang with that has positive direction,” Ham said.
Committee passes housing bill
A bill by California Assembly
Speaker Toni G. Atkins (D-San
Diego) to alleviate the state’s housing crisis passed the community
development committee last week.
Assembly Bill (AB) 1335, the
Building Homes and Jobs Act,
would create a permanent funding
source for affordable-housing.
“Affordable housing is one of
California’s greatest challenges,”
Atkins said. “It’s absolutely necessary that we act now to create a permanent source of funding for
affordable housing. Increasing the
construction, building and avail-
ability of affordable housing is
good for the economy and jobs, the
budget and families.”
The Building Homes and Jobs
Act would use a pay-as-you-go
approach and generate hundreds of
millions of dollars annually for
affordable housing through a $75
fee on real estate recorded documents, excluding those documents
associated with real estate sales.
The fee is capped at $225 on a per
parcel, per transaction basis. The
funds generated would leverage an
additional $2 to $3 billion in federal, local and bank investment.
Los Angeles City Attorney Mike
Feuer announced on Tuesday that
his office has filed a civil lawsuit
against Wells Fargo, alleging the
company has victimized consumers
by opening customer accounts and
issuing credit cards, without authorization — then failing to inform
customers of the alleged misuse of
their personal information or to
refund fees for unwanted services.
“Consumers should be entitled to
expect that major financial institutions will treat them fairly,” Feuer
said. “Our lawsuit alleges that in
Wells Fargo’s push for growth, the
bank often elevated profit over its
customers’ legal rights.”
The complaint alleges Wells
Fargo’s business model imposed
unrealistic sales quotas that, among
other things, have driven employees to engage in unlawful activity
including opening fee-generating
customer accounts and adding
unwanted secondary accounts to
primary accounts without permission. These practices allegedly have
led to significant hardship and
financial loss to consumers, including having money withdrawn from
customer’s authorized accounts to
pay for fees assessed by Wells
Fargo on unauthorized accounts
and derogatory notes on credit
reports when unauthorized fees
went unpaid, causing some customers to purchase identity theft
protection.
“Our lawsuit
alleges that in
Wells Fargo’s push
for growth, the
bank often
elevated profit
over its
customers’ legal
rights.”
-Mike Feuer
Los Angeles City Attorney
Furthermore, the complaint
alleges that Wells Fargo failed to
properly inform customers of misuse of their personal information
and failed to refund unauthorized
fees.
“Wells Fargo’s culture is focused
on the best interests of its customers
and creating a supportive, caring
and ethical environment for our
team members,” the San Franciscobased bank said in a statement.
Feuer is seeking Wells Fargo customers’ help asking them to review
their own accounts and answer the
following: Have unauthorized savings and checking accounts been
opened in your name? Have
accounts you’ve closed stayed
open? Have you received debit or
credit cards you didn’t request? Has
a line of credit been opened that
you didn’t ask for? Have you been
charged fees for any of these unauthorized activities?
Wells Fargo customers finding
discrepancies can call the city attorney’s dedicated hotline at (213)9783393.
The city attorney’s lawsuit is
seeking an injunction against Wells
Fargo to prohibit the company and
its employees from engaging in the
alleged practices relating to the
opening and maintaining of bank
accounts. Wells Fargo could also be
assessed civil penalties of $2,500
for each violation.
Bill would combat diabetes and heart disease
California
Assemblyman
Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica)
joined the American Heart
Association and the Latino
Coalition for a Health California in
announcing legislation that would
create a dedicated revenue source
to address the health impacts of diabetes and heart disease.
The legislation, Assembly Bill
(AB) 1357, would establish a twocent-per-ounce health impact
excise fee on sugary drinks which
generate an estimated $3 billion a
year. These funds will be used to
create the Children’s and Family
Health Promotion Program to prevent and treat obesity, diabetes,
heart and dental disease — conditions that are the result of the overconsumption of sweetened beverages.
“Sugar sweetened beverages are
causing Californians to become
overweight and have led to an epidemic of diabetes,” Bloom said.
“The beverage industry is marketing larger sized bottles and fountain
drinks. They are using larger and
larger cups especially when marketing to children. There are zero
health benefits to drinking such a
beverage and public health experts
agree that a reduction in consumption is imperative. My bill aims to
do just that.”
The bill will be heard in the
California Assembly Health
Committee on Tuesday, May 12.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
Letters to the Editor
Developments on
Kings Road are
unsustainable
center of the protest would
stand, 106 affordable units exist.
How many more does one block
need? How many more can one
block sustain?
[Re: “Kings Road developments worry neighbors”, Feb.
19 issue; Letters to the Editor,
April 30 issue], three letters in
support of the proposed 826 N.
Kings Road apartment building
in the last issue of the Park
Labrea News and Beverly Press
pictured the opponents of this
very large building, which
would be taller than any other
between
Santa
Monica
Boulevard and Waring Avenue,
as a few selfish cranks.
The truth is that the opposition consists of residents who
are seriously concerned with
preserving the quality of life in
the city and see it deteriorating
under the weight of the tremendous number of too big, too tall
new buildings the council continues to allow.
No one who lives on North
Kings Road has spoken out in
favor of the proposal; in fact,
none of the few residents who
spoke for it before the planning
commission live on North Kings
Road. The supporters claim that
the project meets all legal
requirements. What they and the
West Hollywood Planning
Department ignore is CEQA,
the California Environmental
Act, which supersedes SB 1818,
the state density bonus law that
allows for zoning concessions if
developers include a certain percentage of affordable units in
their buildings.
It also supersedes local ordinances that seek to avoid conducting environmental impact
studies. Somehow, the supporters believe that 34 apartments
replacing one single-family
home will not have an impact on
traffic and parking, and five stories will not affect light and air.
In fact, unlike what was implied
by one letter writer, no traffic
study was conducted and presented to the planning commission when it voted to approve
the project.
Making
matters
worse,
despite CEQA requirements, the
planning department does not
consider the cumulative impact
of multiple projects within a
limited area, either on the immediate neighborhood or the city as
a whole. The project’s supporters never mention that on the
three blocks between Waring
and Santa Monica Boulevard,
there are three other pending
developments. In total, there
will be a gain of 130 new living
units if all four projects are built
as proposed, and they will provide fewer on-site parking
spaces than necessary to accommodate all of the new residents
plus the commercial customers.
Another factor the supporters
ignore is the city’s success in
providing affordable housing.
The state’s Regional Housing
Needs Allocation for West
Hollywood calls for 77 affordable units to be built between
2013 and 2021. The city brags in
its annual “Housing Update
Element to the General Plan”
that it already has far exceeded
this goal, with 2,567 housing
units now available. On the 800
block of North Kings Road
alone, where the building at the
Robert J. Switzer
United Neighbors for Responsible
Development
Sexual assault bill
would help educate
college campuses
Imagine that you are a college
freshman enjoying the end of
your first year. You decide to go
out to a party and meet an attractive person you enjoy being
around. Later on, you go back to
that person’s place and he pins
you against the bed, groping you
and forcibly removing your
clothes. This continues as you
try to fight them off and the person rapes you. Afterwards, you
leave the room, crying, and run
to the police to report what
occurred.
The police take down notes
and say they will contact you
and you go home, completely
devastated by what had
occurred. Days turn into weeks,
weeks into months, and by midJuly, you still hear nothing. By
August, the police finally report
back that due to a lack of “sufficient evidence,” they cannot
press charges against the person
who raped you, and there is
nothing they can do about it. The
next day, your second year at
college starts and you look to the
back of the first class and that
same person is now your classmate.
When we are asked to change
our viewpoints or actions, many
times we refute the demands by
saying we “grew up in a different time.” This rebuttal has been
used for all types of arguments,
ranging from accepting and
respecting different cultures,
changing our viewpoints on
healthcare, respecting and
accepting the LGBT community.
I was born in 1991, which was a
different time and culture from
2015. However, we cannot use
this same rebuttal when discussing assault, particularly
when it comes to women.
Assembly Bill 1466, authored
by California Assembly woman
Autumn Burke, plans to hold
colleges and university to a
higher standard by having them
develop sexual assault prevention and educational programs
implemented to a high standard
in order to receive funding from
the state. West Hollywood must
take the first steps in supporting
this bill to protect and support
any and all victims of sexual
assault, especially in our educational institutions. No one
should feel unsafe while pursuing their academic goals. Call
your city and state legislators
vote along with Burke to pass
the bill. If you or anyone you
know are a victim of sexual
assault, contact the national hotline of the Rape, Abuse, Incest
National Network at (800)656HOPE. They will believe and
support you, even if no one else
does.
Alex Yamada
Fairfax District
9 May 7, 2015
Water conservation promoted through contest
A new contest in the 13th City
Council District will promote civic
pride and water conservation during one of the worst droughts in
recent history while beautifying the
neighborhood through a community improvement initiative called
Project Parkway.
Councilman Mitch O’Farrell,
13th District, announced the initiative on Monday, which was developed to encourage residents to
become proactive in community
enhancement projects by making
improvements on the parkways —
or the strip of lawn in front of
homes between the sidewalk and
the curb. Residents are encouraged
to replace turf grass with
California-friendly plants, mulch
and permeable pathways.
“Throughout my time in public
service, I have been a firm believer
that good government empowers
people with the knowledge and
tools they deserve to make a positive difference in their community,”
O’Farrell said. “We are in a severe
drought right now, and as we prepare to reduce our water usage even
further in the coming months, now
is a perfect time to educate ourselves on drought tolerant landscaping and the different ways to
improve the look and feel of our
neighborhoods.”
“...as we prepare
to reduce our
water usage even
further in the
coming months,
now is a perfect
time to educate
ourselves on
drought tolerant
landscaping.”
-Mitch O’Farrell
13th District City Councilman
Residents with the best beforeand-after pictures will be presented
with a Project Parkway Certificate
of Appreciation from the council
office. The photos will also be fea-
tured in the O’Farrell’s weekly
newsletter and website.
Project Parkway uses basic
guidelines from the Los Angeles
Bureau of Street Services (BSS)
and the Los Angeles Department of
Water & Power (DWP) that provide residents with a variety of
drought-tolerant and native plants
that will look great while conserving water and saving money,
O’Farrell said.
Participants are encouraged to
choose from a list of city approved
plants and flowers that require no
revocable permit.
Residents may choose more
elaborate designs, but a revocable
permit from the BSS may be
required. Suggested plants, that are
approved for DWP rebate program
in parkways, include: Common
Yarrow,
Woolly
Yarrow,
Chamomile,
Indian
Mock
Strawberry, Dymondia, Beach
Strawberry, Green Carpet, Rupture
Wart, Bird’s Foot Trefoil, Lippia,
Creeping Thyme, Elfin Creeping
Thyme, Minus Creeping Thyme,
Woolly Thyme and Mother-ofThyme.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
10 May 7, 2015
Mother’s Day Dining
Sunday, May 10
By Jill Weinlein
Los Angeles
Moms Love Terrine
M
oms will enjoy chef Kris
Morningstar’s Mother’s Day
brunch pain perdu with vanilla-battered French toast and sea salt
caramel frosting at Terrine. His signature frisée aux lardons will also
be offered, with Benton’s bacon, a
slow-cooked egg and mustard
vinaigrette, as well as spicy fried
chicken and grits with scallions and
maple, and eggs in Purgatory with
spicy tomato sauce, fennel pollen,
basil, pecorino and crostini. Glasses
of bubbly and cocktails are available from the bar. 8265 Beverly
Blvd. (323)746-5130.
L’Assiette Steak Frites
L
’Assiette chef/owner Jacques
Fiorentino, known for his signature frites, will debut new dishes
inspired by his native France on
Mother’s Day from 5 to 11 p.m.
Guests will enjoy complimentary
kir royals. Dishes include the new
sous-vide wild mushroom chicken
breast wrapped in prosciutto and
stuffed with lardon, shallots, shiitake mushrooms and pistachios,
and served with wild forest mushroom sauce. Seared foie gras with
cassis port wine reduction, black
raisins, currants, pistachios and
raspberry coulis is also available.
Moms who love salmon can order
the salmon tartare made with sockeye salmon, cornichon, olives, ginger, chervil and dill served with
chopped cucumber, tomato and
crostini. 7166 Melrose Ave.
(323)274-2319.
Take Mom to Rascal
Mother’s Day is fun day at
Rascal, a gourmet gastropub offering happy hour drink specials and
board games. Roll out rounds of
Yahtzee with mom while enjoying
executive chef Andy Lee’s Atlantic
salmon with Spanish chorizo and
black kale salad. Diners can also
enjoy classic cava royale cocktails
with raspberry syrup, and Hyde
Parks made with City of London
gin. Pastry chef Danielle Keene is
whipping up lavender panna cotta
with fresh raspberries, and chocolate with salted caramel bars for
dessert. Mother’s Day hours are 5
p.m. to 11 p.m. 801 S. La Brea Ave.
(323)933-3229.
Cardamom Mother’s Day
T
reat mom to Indian cuisine for
lunch or dinner on Mother’s
Day at Cardamom in West
See Mother’s Day Dining page 12
Filet Mignon
Whole Roasts or Steaks
4
$ 00
OFF
per lb.
with this ad only through 5/10/15
No rainchecks, no photocopies accepted
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6333 W. 3rd St. • Los Angeles, CA 90036
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1260 3rd Street Promenade
Santa Monica, CA 90404
310.587-1166
www.mrmarcel.com
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
11 May 7, 2015
Happy Birthday Brother Patrick! L.A. City Council observes Denim Day
Last Wednesday marked Denim
Day, an annual national campaign
rally for sexual assault prevention
and education organized by Peace
Over Violence in honor of April as
Sexual Violence Awareness Month.
Members of the city council
wore
denim
during
their
Wednesday meeting as a symbol of
protest against erroneous and
destructive attitudes about sexual
assault and representatives from
Peace Over Violence were present
to discuss trends and issues in sexual assault prevention for survivors.
photo courtesy of the 4th District Council Office
Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge, 4th District, attended the
101st birthday celebration last week for Brother Patrick Corr. As a
member of the Order of the Hospitaller Brothers of St. John of God,
Corr helped establish the St. John of God Retirement and Care Center
in Los Angeles in 1946, and has seen it grow from a single building
with 12 beds to a five-building complex with almost 300 patients. Corr
turned 101 on April 28.
Kids Ocean Day
From page 6
Foundation for Environmental
Education, with the intent of getting
more children involved in environmental issues.
“I’m a sailor. I love the beaches
and oceans. It’s not that complicated.
I was brought up in New England
swimming, boating and enjoying the
ocean,” Klubock said.
Klubock participated in beach
clean ups and ocean conservancy
efforts. However, he saw that there
weren’t many children participating.
After being influenced by other environmental activists, Klubock put
together a slideshow presentation
that highlighted the harm ocean and
beach pollution causes animals.
“I expanded that slideshow with a
lot more animals in it, and I talked
about the storm drain connection
with ocean pollution,” Klubock said.
In the early 1990s, the issue of
rainwater runoff through urban storm
drains carrying debris, oil, fertilizer
and other pollutants began to be a
focus of ocean conservation work,
according to Klubock.
“When kids saw the animals in my
slideshow presentation, they discovered pretty quickly the very real dangers for animals. Kids have an automatic empathy for animals and danger,” Klubock said.
New Los Angeles Charter School
has also been participating in Kids
Ocean Day for approximately five
years.
Assistant principal Kate O’Brien,
of New Los Angeles Charter School,
participated in Kids Ocean Day with
a different school prior to working at
the charter school. When her 6th
grade teachers and students started
discussing ocean conservancy,
O’Brien mentioned her past participation with Kids Ocean Day. The
school has been participating ever
since.
“The students have been really
excited. Part of our mission is
engagement in the community. We
have a social justice focus at the
school. We do a lot of stuff about
how you can help and contribute to
the community,” O’Brien said.
The students are learning how
everyone, no matter where they are,
still impacts the oceans and ocean
animals, O’Brien said.
What started off as regional —
although heavily attended since the
beginning — has grown into an
international event with Kids Ocean
Day events happening in Hong Kong
and Tijuana.
Kids Ocean Day is supported by
the California Coastal Commission
and the city of Los Angeles’s
Stormwater Program, which has
funded the project as part of its public outreach, according to Klubock.
“The oceans are in trouble.
They’re dying. There are big, serious
issues with the plastic in the ocean,
with oil pollution and coral reefs
dying. There’s a crisis going on with
the ocean, and these kids are doing
what they can,” Klubock said.
With Kids Ocean Day only one
week away, Klubock is still looking
for approximately 60 to 70 more volunteers.
For people interested in registering
as a volunteer for Kids Ocean Day,
visit http://kidsoceanday.org/volunteer-explanation/.
photo courtesy of the 4th District Council Office
Brown sets greenhouse gas benchmarks
Gov. Jerry Brown last week
issued an executive order to establish a California greenhouse gas
reduction target of 40 percent
below 1990 levels by 2030 — the
most aggressive benchmark enacted by any government in North
America to reduce dangerous carbon emissions over the next
decade and a half.
“With this order, California sets
a very high bar for itself and other
states and nations, but it’s one that
must be reached — for this generation and generations to come,”
Brown said.
This executive action sets the
stage for the important work being
done on climate change by the
state legislature, Brown. The governor’s executive order aligns
California’s greenhouse gas
reduction targets with those of
leading international governments
ahead of the United Nations
Climate Change Conference in
Paris later this year. The 28-nation
European Union, for instance, set
the same target for 2030 last
October.
“With this order,
California sets a
very high bar for
itself and other
states and
nations, but it’s
one that must be
reached...”
-Jerry Brown
California Governor
California is on track to meet or
exceed the current target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to
1990 levels by 2020, as established in the California Global
Warming Solutions Act of 2006
(AB 32). California’s new emission reduction target of 40 percent
below 1990 levels by 2030 will
make it possible to reach the ultimate goal of reducing emissions
80 percent under 1990 levels by
2050, officials said.
This is in line with the scientifically established levels needed in
the U.S. to limit global warming
below 2 degrees Celsius — the
warming threshold at which scientists say there will likely be major
climate disruptions such as super
droughts and rising sea levels.
The executive order also specifically addresses the need for climate adaptation and directs state
government to incorporate climate
change impacts into the state’s
Five-Year Infrastructure Plan;
update
the
Safeguarding
California Plan — the state climate adaption strategy — to identify how climate change will
affect California infrastructure
and industry and what actions the
state can take to reduce the risks
posed by climate change; factor
climate change into state agencies’ planning and investment
decisions; and implement measures under existing agency and
departmental authority to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
12 May 7, 2015
Mother’s Day Dining
Sunday, May 10
By Jill Weinlein
Hollywood, with crispy onions,
paprika and lentils, and savory
samosas with minced lamb
wrapped in puff pastry and topped
with dates and tamarind chutney.
Guests can pair a bottle of bubbly
with the seafood platters, and enjoy
cheese dumplings in saffron syrup
for dessert. Cardamom is open for
lunch on Mother’s Day from 11
a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; dinner service
runs from 5 to 10:30 p.m. 7233
Beverly Blvd. (323)936-1000.
Andaz West Hollywood
A
ndaz West Hollywood is celebrating summer with the return
of its Rooftop Summer DJ series
every Saturday from 2 to 6 p.m. DJ
J. Roberts spins live music next to
Andaz’s scenic rooftop pool —
dubbed the highest pool in Los
Angeles. Known for his soulful
sounds, the music includes mixes
from James Brown, Donald Byrn
and Funkadelic, as well as classic
hip-hop jams. Guests can enjoy
light fare and hand-crafted cocktails from the poolside bar.
Daybeds and lounge chairs are first
come, first served, and a large
cabana is available for rental.
Guests are encouraged to inquire
about the Moët Ice Impérial cabana
package. 8401 Sunset Blvd.
(323)656-1234.
West Hollywood
Salt’s Cure
C
elebrate Mother’s Day with
brunch or dinner at Salt’s Cure
prepared by chef/co-owners Chris
Phelps and Zak Walters. They
source local ingredients within six
hours of the restaurant, and craft a
revolving menu that supports the
local community. Guests can enjoy
signature brunch items such as oatmeal griddlecakes, house cured
bacon, handmade sausage patties,
and fresh squeezed orange and
grapefruit juice. Dishes can be
paired with a new wine list that
includes small-producer, organic
international selections. Brunch is
available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; dinner is served from 5:30 to 10:30
p.m. 7494 Santa Monica Blvd.
(323)850-7258.
Beverly Hills
The Beverly Hilton’s
CIRCA 55
D
iners are invited to bring mom
to an exquisite traditional
brunch buffet at the Beverly
Hilton’s CIRCA 55 with a sushi and
seafood bar, salads, antipasti,
breakfast, carving station, entrées,
pastas, soups, fruit, cheese and
desserts. The buffet is available
from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mother’s
Day for $79 per adult; $29 for children. Chef Thomas Henzi is offering breakfast pastries and desserts,
a crepe station, chocolate hazelnut
pound cake, beignets, cronuts, macaroons and truffles. 9876 Wilshire
Blvd. (310)887-6055.
FIG & OLIVE
Melrose Place
W
est Hollywood’s olive oil
oasis, FIG & OLIVE, will
offer seasonally-driven, threecourse prix fixe Mother’s Day
brunch menus for $40, and dinner
for $52 per person. FIG & OLIVE’s
signature dishes embody executive
chef Pascal Lorange’s passion for
olive oils and cuisine from the
Mediterranean region. Each meal
begins with a taste of three distinct
extra virgin olive oils served with
freshly baked rosemary olive oil
fougasse bread. 8490 Melrose
Place. (310)360-9100.
Take Mom to Mr. C
Beverly Hills
M
oms will receive a complimentary bellini and flower
upon arrival on Mother’s Day at
Mr. C Beverly Hills. Guests can
also enjoy custom bellinis with
freshly squeezed peach, orange and
strawberry juices, and bloody
Marys with all the accoutrements
from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Executive
chef Giuseppe Manco and the
Cipriani culinary team will serve a
Venetian-style brunch at The
Restaurant at Mr. C, or on the
hotel’s yacht-inspired pool deck,
with wood banquet seating surrounded by olive trees. A buffet
brunch showcasing classic Cipriani
dishes will be served, along with
made-to-order waffles with fresh
fruit, omelets and frittatas. Guests
can also enjoy a carving station featuring freshly sliced prosciutto di
parma and roasted turkey;
European cheeses paired with artisanal breads; and housemade
desserts including mimosa cake
with Chantilly cream and pineapple, and Sicilian cannoli with pistachio and ricotta. The Mother’s Day
buffet brunch is $99 per person;
$45 for children ages 4-12. A bellini and bloody Mary bar is $15 per
beverage. 1224 S. Beverwil Drive.
(310)226-6245.
Century City
RockSugar Pan Asian
Kitchen
R
ockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen is
inviting moms to indulge in a
four-course feast from the Far East
on Mother’s Day inspired by chef
Mohan Ismail. The chef will serve
meals that his mother used to make
at home in Singapore. The
Mother’s Day feast is $58 per guest
for parties of two or more. Hours
are from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
10250 Santa Monica Blvd.
(310)552-9988.
Mother’s Day at the
InterContinental
T
he
InterContinental
Los
Angeles is celebrating mom
from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a
leisurely brunch buffet and live
music. Guests can enjoy fresh pastries, smoked salmon, seasonal
fruit, Belgian waffles, a build-yourown omelet station, assorted dim
sum, carved filet mignon with Jack
Daniels demi-glaze and bone-in
pork chops with port reduction.
Brunch is $65 for adults; $32 for
children. 2151 Avenue Of The
Stars. (310)284-6536.
Culver City
Mother’s Day at The
Detour Bistro Bar
M
oms can enjoy free drinks on
Mother’s Day from 8:30
a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Detour Bistro
Bar. Savory and sweet brunch
plates are also available, such as
Parisienne omelets; Detour scrambles; salmon Benedict; cubano
sandwiches; ahi tuna salad and
French
toast.
12473
W.
Washington Blvd. (424)289-8191.
FIN
F
IN is serving Asian tapas and
succulent dishes such as kiwi
seared scallops and citrus salmon
sashimi truffle on Mother’s Day.
Managing partner and beverage
director Kenneth Whang also offers
two signature cocktails: bubbly
“mom-osas” crafted with Kettle
One vodka, pineapple juice, lime
juice, fresh strawberries and champagne, and Mother’s Kisses with
Rock sake, Veev acai liqueur, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice and
fresh raspberries. Mother’s Day
hours are 5 to 10 p.m. 12223 W.
Washington Blvd. (310)398-8611.
Downtown
Bottega Louie
D
iners can enjoy Bottega
Louie’s lobster hash, salmon
Montage Beverly Hills
T
reat mom to an afternoon tea
service at Parq Bar with soothing music and artisan tea in handpainted china designed by porcelain
artist, Lissi Kaplan. The tea includes
house-made small bites and decadent desserts. Orange creamsicle
profiteroles, strawberries and cream,
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whoopie pies, pink velvet cupcakes
with rose water butter cream and
scones will be served. The afternoon
tea is $75 per adult; $85 for the
Royal Tea, which includes Ruinart
champagne. A special Afternoon Tea
for younger guests is also offered for
$38, and includes champagneinspired “mocktails.” Additionally,
the Rooftop Grill will serve a classic
Sunday brunch and á la carte
Mother’s Day specials in a setting
with sweeping views of the city and
the Hollywood Hills. Guests can
enjoy an interactive bloody Mary
bar for $30 per person, with unlimited bloody Marys and bottomless
mimosas and bellinis. The cocktails
and beverages are offered tableside
for $25 per person. 225 N. Canon
Drive. (310)860-7990.
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Publishing in June 2015!
An all-new edition of the
ENTERTAINMENT
& DINING GUIDE 2015
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
mille-feuille and lemon ricotta pancakes on Mother’s Day, and children can enjoy Belgian waffles,
French toast and a farmer’s market
breakfast. The brunch menu
includes pizzas, salads, sandwiches
and small plates. Beignets, macaroons, éclairs, verrines and tartlets
are served for desert. Sunday
brunch runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
700 S. Grand St. (213)802-1470.
Church & State
C
hurch & State is celebrating
Parisian moms with a Fête des
Meres Sunday supper in the Arts
District, downtown. Chef Tony
Esnault will prepare a prix fixe
menu utilizing organic and compassionately raised ingredients, with
the option of special wine pairings.
Dinner is available from 5:30 p.m.
to 9 p.m. 1850 Industrial St., #100.
(213)405-1434.
Patina
C
hef Paul Lee’s three-course
Mother’s Day prix fixe menu
offers a luxurious take on traditional breakfast dishes. Guests will
enjoy duck eggs sunny-side-up
with asparagus and béarnaise; ricotta agnolotti with English pea soup;
and roasted chicken and buckwheat
waffles with maple syrup glaze. For
dessert, guests can indulge in
chocolate praline bars with blood
orange, and jasmine ice cream.
Brunch is $59 per person; $29 for
children 10 and under. 141 S.
Grand Ave. (213)972-3331.
Wexler Deli
W
exler Deli at the Grand
Central Market is offering
Jewish soul food on Mother’s Day.
“The O.G.” sandwich with pastrami and mustard on rye makes for a
quintessential lunch. Chef/coowner Micah Wexler uses old-fashioned methods to handcraft the
deli’s pastrami and smoked fish. He
cures the meat and fish over apple
wood in-house, and hand slices to
order. Additional menu items
include the “Boyle Heights”, a
sandwich with corned beef and
mustard on rye, and the “Ocean
Avenue”, a tuna salad sandwich.
Fresh bagels with cream cheese,
and smoked fish plates are also
available. Wexler’s Deli is open
from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. 317 S.
Broadway. (213)624-2378.
Faith & Flower
F
aith & Flower chef Michael
Hung is preparing a special
brunch on Mother’s Day, with classic omelets with caviar and fine
herbs; whole branzino baked in
parchment with snow peas, ginger
and spring onion; and grilled ribeye and eggs with green garlic and
béarnaise. The regular brunch
menu is also available. Drink specials are also available, including
the Faith’s Mimosa with Peche de
Vigne, fresh orange and sparkling
rosé. 705 W. 9th St. (213)239-0642.
Three-Course Brunch
at Chaya Downtown
C
haya Downtown is offering a
$45 three-course brunch menu
on Mother’s Day paired with create-your-own bottomless mimosas,
a dessert buffet and live jazz.
Appetizers include Chaya’s seasonably fresh slow-roasted beets and
blood orange salad, and tender
smoked salmon mille-feuille.
Entrées include grilled Atlantic
salmon and Chaya pappardelle,
with Australian wagyu beef-porcini
bolognese and poached egg. A buffet featuring flourless chocolate
cake, butterscotch flan and sea salt
macaroons are available for dessert.
Brunch hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
525 S. Flower St. (213)236-9577.
Fogo de Chão Brazilian
Steakhouse
F
amilies can enjoy an elegant
Mother’s Day dining experience at Fogo de Chão in Beverly
Hills and downtown Los Angeles.
Diners will enjoy a culinary journey through southern Brazil with
fire-roasted meats carved by gaucho chefs, and a colorful gourmet
Market Table with fresh vegetables,
hot side dishes, charcuterie selections, smoked salmon and seasonal
salads such as watermelon, feta and
cucumber salad. Guests can also try
the newly-introduced lighter
seafood selection including mango
Chilean sea bass. Fogo de Chão
welcomes families of all sizes on
Mother’s Day, with extended hours
from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Meals for
children 6 and under are complimentary, and children 7-12 dine for
half price. Additionally, moms will
receive a dining card for a complimentary lunch or dinner on their
next visit. 800 S. Figueroa St.,
(213)228-4300; 133 N. La Cienega
Blvd., (310)289-7755.
Westwood
Mother’s Day at Tanzy
T
anzy executive chef Bryan
Podgorski is preparing three
special dishes on Mother’s Day
including crab louie, red velvet
pancakes with goat cheese
mousse, and strawberry and
rhubarb galette with lemon ginger
sorbet and port glaze. Moms can
also enter to win one of two roses
preserved in 24 karat gold. Every
guest receives a special sweet
treat from the chef. 10840
Wilshire Blvd. (310)307-7004.
Santa Monica &
Venice
Aestus
A
estus, an upscale dining destination in Santa Monica, is
offering a brunch on Mother’s
Day prepared by Chef Alex
Ageneau. His seasonal menu
includes French toast with
almonds, cream and blackberries;
scrambled egg tartine with bacon,
chorizo and avocado; brisket hash
and charcuterie boards with house
made selections. Families can
toast mom with mimosas made
with fresh squeezed orange juice,
as well as selections from
owner/sommelier
Kevin
O’Connor’s wine list and Marissa
Grasmick’s classic cocktails.
Brunch is available from 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m., and dinner is served
from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. 507
Wilshire Blvd. (424)268-4433.
Beach, Bubbles and
Brunch
V
enice Whaler by the beach is
serving brunch dishes made
by executive chef Nick Liberato
for Mother’s Day, including challah French toast drizzled with
chocolate and whipped cream or
bananas and walnuts. Liberato’s
eggs Benedict are served with
13 May 7, 2015
housemade country sausage and
creamy hollandaise. Vanilla panna
cotta with lemon and strawberries is
also available. Bar director Anthony
Settecase will serve craft cocktails
such as Aperol Spritzes and Skinny
Beaches, along with refreshing red
sangria. Guests can also visit the
Venice Whaler take-out window for
acai bowls and juicy Kobe beef sliders. Additionally, mom will enjoy
sipping Venice Queen beverages
made with freshly-squeezed juice of
rose water and cantaloupe, and
Kashmirs with cinnamon, apple and
coconut. Farmer’s market ice cream
soft serve cones are also available
for $4. Mother’s Day hours are from
11 a.m. to 2 a.m. 10 W. Washington
Blvd. (310)821-8737.
Chaya Venice
C
haya’s coastal location in
Venice is serving a threecourse prix fixe menu for $45 per
person, along with champagne specials and punchbowls. Dishes
include Thai quinoa and grilled
shrimp salad; challah French toast
topped with fresh bananas, farmer’s
market berries and organic maple
syrup; and Korean galbi beef and
poached egg drizzled with spicy
sweet soy sauce. For dessert, guests
can enjoy warm chocolate cake,
milk chocolate croissant bread pudding and seasonal farmer’s market
sorbet and fruit. Brunch is served
from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. 110 Navy
St. (310)396-1179.
Art’s Table
C
hef Mark Mittleman, of Art’s
Table, is serving Mama Millie’s
frittata, jumbo lump crab cakes, artichoke heart salads, wild halibut and
mini Italian wedding cakes for
Mother’s Day. All mothers will also
receive a special gift. 1002 Montana
Ave. (310)395-2500.
Los Feliz
Tam O’Shanter and
Burke Williams
M
other’s Day brunch is served
from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at
Tam O’Shanter, and dinner is
served from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Custom bloody Marys and fresh
pastries will be offered, as well as
dishes of rarebit, smoked chicken
soup, brioche French toast, salmon
“scrabble”, spring quiche and lobster filet Oscar. Additionally, Tam
O’Shanter’s classic green eggs &
ham is available, with two poached
eggs, buttermilk biscuits, thinly
sliced prosciutto, herbed hollandaise and brunch potatoes.
Moms can enter a drawing for a
Burke Williams gift card. 2980 Los
Feliz Blvd. (323)664-0228.
Pasadena
Magnolia House
M
agnolia House is offering an
all-you-can-drink champagne
bar on Mother’s Day. For $15,
guests can enjoy bottomless glasses
of champagne accompanied by
fresh berries and fruit purée.
Executive chef Kyu Yi will also
serve brunch specials such as eggs
Benedict, Belgian waffles with
fresh berries, and $3 oysters on the
half shell drizzled with mignonette.
Bar manager Colin Shearn will also
serve Easy Lover cocktails crafted
with vodka for $8, or housemade
bloody Marys for $6. Mother’s Day
hours are from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
492 S. Lake Ave., Pasadena.
(626)584-1126.
Celestino Ristorante
C
hef Calogero Drago of
Celestino Ristorante is serving
vibrant mixed seafood salads and
light and fresh Gamberetti alla
Mediterranea made with marinated
shrimp, sliced tomatoes and
cucumbers on Mother’s Day. Pasta
dishes include angel hair and
creamy risotto with red beets and
goat cheese. Fluffy and sweet
panna cotta is served for dessert.
Hours are from 5 to 10:30 p.m. 141
S. Lake Ave. (626)795-4006.
Osawa
O
sawa in Old Town Pasadena is
offering mom a complimentary glass of champagne on Mother’s
Day, as well as fresh shabu shabu
dishes, king salmon with spicy
miso broth and prime rib-eye steak.
Lighter fare includes rainbow
sashimi salads and ahi tuna tataki.
The dishes can be paired with a bottle of hot or cold sake. Osawa is
open for lunch on Mother’s Day
from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and
dinner from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. 77
N. Raymond Ave. (626)683-1150.
Happy
Tipple
& Brine
Mother’s
Day
San Fernando Valley
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
14 May 7, 2015
Police Blotter
burglary in the 6700 block of
Colgate at 3:15 p.m.
The following crimes occurred in West Hollywood and the areas patrolled
by the LAPD’s Wilshire and Hollywood divisions between April 27 and
May 3, and were compiled from www.crimemapping.com. To report a
crime, the telephone numbers of local law enforcement agencies are: Los
Angeles Police Department, Wilshire Division (213)473-0489 and Los
Angeles County Sheriff’s Department West Hollywood Station (310)8558850.
An unknown suspect assaulted a
victim near the corner of Ogden
and Wilshire a approximately 5:40
p.m.
April 27
At 12:05 a.m., an unknown suspect committed a grand theft in the
8000 block of W. 3rd.
An unknown suspect burglarized a
vehicle parked in the 6600 block of
Yucca at 12:30 a.m.
At 1:20 a.m., an unknown suspect
assaulted a victim in the 8800
block of Santa Monica.
A vehicle burglary was reported in
the 6700 block of Santa Monica at
7:30 a.m.
At 8:30 a.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 900
block of S. La Brea.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 8500 block of
Beverly at noon.
At 8:53 p.m., a suspect assaulted
a victim during a domestic violence incident in the 1200 block of
Flores.
April 28
At 1:25 a.m., an unknown suspect
committed a burglary in the 100
block of Robertson.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 6600 block of
Melrose at 6:30 a.m.
At 10:30 a.m., an unknown suspect burglarized a vehicle parked
near the corner of 3rd and Orange.
A petty theft was reported in the
6500 block of Hollywood at 3 p.m.
At 4:10 p.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a vehicle parked in the
8300 block of W. 4th.
At 12:30 p.m., an unknown suspect committed a burglary in the
500 block of S. Irving.
An unknown suspect stole a vehicle parked in the 1600 block of N.
Fuller at 2 p.m.
At 4 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a grand theft in the 800
block of N. Crescent Heights.
An unknown suspect committed a
burglary in the 900 block of Mullen
at 4 p.m.
At 5:30 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a burglary in the 400
block of N. Harper.
An unknown suspect assaulted a
victim near the corner of 3rd and
Fairfax at 6:33 p.m.
At 9 p.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a vehicle parked in the
600 block of S. Dunsmuir.
An unknown suspect committed a
burglary in the 500 block of
Burnside at 4:45 p.m.
An unknown suspect assaulted a
victim near the corner of
Robertson and Burton Way at 2:30
p.m.
At 5:40 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 8400
block of Melrose Place.
At 2:45 p.m., a petty theft was
reported in the 300 block of S.
Western.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 900 block of Kings
at 6 p.m.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 1600 block of
Vine at 3 p.m.
At 7:30 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 6100
block of Sunset.
At 5 p.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a vehicle parked in the
1000 block of S. Plymouth.
An unknown suspect burglarized a
vehicle parked in the 9000 block of
Beverly at 7:30 p.m.
An unknown suspect robbed a victim near the corner of Wilshire and
La Brea at 11 p.m.
At 9 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a burglary in the 500
block of N. Edinburgh.
May 1
An unknown suspect assaulted a
victim in the 4700 block of Beverly
at 10:55 p.m.
At 2 a.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a vehicle parked in the
5900 block of W. 6th.
April 29
An unknown suspect committed a
burglary in the 7100 block of
Hollywood at 9:30 a.m.
At 1 a.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a vehicle parked in the
1400 block of N. Las Palmas.
At 10:20 a.m., an unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the
69800 block of Hollywood.
A petty theft was reported in the
700 block of Vine at 11 a.m.
An unknown suspect burglarized a
vehicle parked in the 900 block of
Orange Grove at 10:45 a.m.
At 10:30 a.m., a theft was reported
in the 900 block of S. Fairfax.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 8500 block of
Beverly at 11 a.m.
At 2:40 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 8900
block of Santa Monica.
An unknown suspect committed a
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An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 8500 block of
Beverly at 2 p.m.
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At 2:35 p.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a vehicle parked in the
5900 block of 6th.
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An unknown suspect burglarized a
vehicle parked in the 7600 block of
Hollywood at 6 p.m.
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At 6:20 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 1000
block of San Vicente.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 6600 block of
Hollywood at approximately 6:30
p.m.
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At noon, an unknown suspect
robbed a victim in the 6400 block
of Sunset.
May 3
At noon, an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 6800
block of Hollywood.
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May 2
At 4:07 a.m., an unknown suspect
robbed a victim near the corner of
Western and Clinton.
An attempted burglary was reported in the 100 block of S. Arnaz at
noon.
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At 7:30 p.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a vehicle parked in the
1400 block of N. Ogden.
At 7:30 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 1500
block of N. Fuller.
At 11:40 a.m., an unknown suspect assaulted a victim in the 7400
block of Santa Monica.
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At 5 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 300
block of Hauser.
April 30
An unknown suspect burglarized a
vehicle parked in the 1000 block of
N. Gower at 10:25 a.m.
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block of N. June.
A suspect assaulted a victim during a domestic violence incident in
the 1000 block of Martel at 2:45
a.m.
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LAPD searches
for Wilshire area
murder suspect
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The Los Angeles Police
Department West Bureau Homicide
detectives are asking for the public’s help to arrest the person
responsible for the murder of a man
in the Wilshire area.
On April 27, just before midnight, Wilshire officers responded
to a radio call of a shooting in the
1800 block of Longwood Avenue.
When officers arrived they found a
male holding the victim on the
ground in the street.
The
Los
Angeles
Fire
Department arrived and pronounced the victim dead at scene.
The victim is described as a male
in his 40s and his name is being
withheld pending notification to
next of kin.
The suspects were described only
as two black males, wearing white
T-shirts who were last seen walking
southbound on Longwood Avenue
toward Mascott Street. The motive
for the shooting is unknown.
Anyone with information regarding this shooting can contact West
Bureau Homicide detectives at
(213)382-9470. During non-business hours or on the weekends,
calls should be directed to
(877)527-3247. Anyone wishing to
remain anonymous should call
Crime Stoppers at (800)222-8477.
Tipsters may also contact Crime
Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 with a cell phone. All
text messages should begin with the
letters “LAPD”.
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15 May 7, 2015
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
Margulies takes a shine
to Hollywood star
Tourism board touts record year for city
The Los Angeles Tourism &
Convention Board (L.A. Tourism)
announced on Tuesday recordbreaking visitation, visitor spending and tourism job growth for the
city in 2014. The announcement
was made to coincide with this
week’s National Travel & Tourism
Week, an annual nationwide event
established by Congress and organized by the U.S. Travel
Association to celebrate the power
of travel.
Los Angeles welcomed 44.2 million visitors in 2014 — a final total
which exceeds previously reported
estimates and an increase of 4.8
percent over 2013 levels. Total
domestic visitation reached 37.7
million visitors and domestic
overnight visitation achieved 23
million visitors. International visitation reached new levels at 6.5
million visitors, a 5.6 percent
increase over 2013.
Visitor spending was $19.6 billion, an increase of 6.8 percent
from the previous year, generating
$30.2 billion in total economic
impact including the induced and
indirect benefits. International visitors, who tend to stay longer and
spend more during their visit,
accounted for nearly 33 percent of
all visitor spending. Tourism generated $2.3 billion in state and local
tax revenues in 2014.
L.A.’s tourism industry was a
significant driver for jobs in the
leisure and hospitality sector,
which helped support 464,600 jobs
and employed one in every nine
workers in Los Angeles County.
Tourism contributed to the addition
of 25,300 new jobs in the sector
last year, making it the county’s
leading job growth sector.
L.A.’s hotel occupancy and hotel
room nights sold both set all-time
highs in 2014. Hotel occupancy for
the year reached 78.9 percent, surpassing the previous 2013 high of
76.8 percent.
“A shining star of our local economy, the tourism industry continues to thrive, supporting good-paying jobs for our families and generating significant revenue for our
city’s vital public services,” Los
Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said.
“National Travel and Tourism
Week is the perfect time to celebrate
these
record-breaking
tourism numbers and their benefits
to our community. Angelenos
should be proud our city continues
to be a desired destination for millions of visitors from around the
globe.”
Feuer’s lawsuit condemns ‘patient dumping’ practice
photo by Jonathan Van Dyke
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce honored actress Julianna
Margulies last Friday with the 2,550th star on the Hollywood Walk of
Fame, located at 6621 Hollywood Blvd. in the category of television.
Actor Michael J. Fox and CBS president and CEO Leslie Moonves
helped emcee the event with Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
president and CEO Leron Gubler.
Margulies is an Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild
award winner. A native of New York, she started doing theatre and
got her break on the pilot show of “ER”. She currently stars and produces the CBS show “The Good Wife”.
Her other TV credits include a multi-episode guest role in HBO’s
“The Sopranos”; “The Grid”, a mini-series from TNT and the BBC,
for which she received a Golden Globe nomination; and TNT’s original mini-series “The Mists of Avalon”, opposite Anjelica Huston and
Joan Allen.
Margulies has appeared in movies including “Stand Up Guys”, “City
Island”, “The Darwin Awards”, “Snakes on a Plane”, “Slingshot”,
“Ghost Ship”, “Evelyn” and “What’s Cooking”.
Aside from her career, Margulies has been involved in Project ALS
since its inception, Erin’s Law and the rebuilding efforts of the
Rockaways alongside the St. Bernard Project after Super Storm
Sandy.
Continuing his effort to end patient
dumping in Los Angeles, Los
Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer
announced last week that his office
has filed a civil law enforcement
action against Gardens Regional
Hospital and Medical Center alleging the hospital dumped a mentally
ill homeless patient on Skid Row and
failed to provide proper discharge
protocols for the same patient on
multiple occasions.
“Patient dumping is unconscionable and will not be tolerated in
this city,” Feuer said. “We’re continuing to do everything we can to stop
it. Every patient, regardless of housing status, deserves to be treated with
dignity and respect when he or she is
discharged.”
The lawsuit alleges that just before
noon on Sept. 4, 2014, a 38-year-old
homeless schizophrenic woman with
a history of mental and physical
health problems was dumped in front
of the Union Rescue Mission in the
heart of the Skid Row area of downtown from a hospital van bearing the
name of “Tri-City Regional Medical
Center”, the former name of Gardens
Regional Hospital. The patient
allegedly was dressed in hospital
paper tops and bottoms, had no
money, identification or medication
and no arrangements were made for
shelter. As a result, the victim
allegedly wandered aimlessly
through Skid Row before finally
finding assistance.
Based on further investigation by
the city attorney’s office, the lawsuit
alleges Gardens Regional Hospital
had discharged the patient on at least
five occasions between December
2013, and September 2014 with little
to no discharge plan or instructions
for future care.
Feuer is seeking an injunction
against Gardens Regional, their officers, directors and employees, prohibiting them from failing to provide
proper discharge and aftercare plans
for patients and transporting and
abandoning patients in their care.
The hospital could also face additional civil penalties, up to $2,500,
for each violation.
Deputy city attorney Will Pirkey
of the Los Angeles City Attorney’s
Special Litigation Branch is handling
the lawsuit.
The office previously settled three
patient dumping cases in 2014
against Glendale Adventist, Beverly
Community Hospital Association
and Pacifica Hospital.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
16 May 7, 2015
Crossword Puzzle by Myles Mellor
Across
1. Wharton degree
4. Arable lands
10. Blockhead
14. Televise
15. Fuss
16. Clickable image
17. Community events
20. Augury
21. Store convenience, for short
22. Greek H
23. It was founded in 1909
25. Given a term
30. Twist
32. American ___
33. Forum greeting
34. Address
37. Gush
38. Local map
43. Bowls over
44. Certain shark
45. Relations
46. “Monty Python” airer
48. Smooth
52. Blank folio
56. Secondary school in France
57. Prefix with natal
58. Neckpiece
60. Greyish brown eagles
61. “Love ___” (soul ballad)
66. Dam
67. Big citrus fruit
68. Crack
69. Pool agitation
70. Dormitory annoyance
71. Disfigure
Down
1. Some fraternity members
2. Electronic image
3. Unpaid debt
4. Sentence starter
5. Itty-bitty bit
6. Attics
7. English assignment
8. Experiences
9. “Fiddler on the Roof” setting
10. Couch
11. Wood sorrel
12. Campaigner, for short
13. Lt.’s subordinate
18. Boxes
Ringo Starr receives star in front
of Capitol Records
Music icon and former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr was pictured
in the Feb. 10, 2010 issue of the Park Labrea News and Beverly Press
as he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star is
located in front of the Capitol Records Building on Vine Street, next
to the stars of his Beatles band mates Paul McCartney, George
Harrison and John Lennon. The Beatles recorded many hits on the
Capitol Records label. On Tuesday, students from Noble Elementary
School were invited to Capitol Records to record a rendition of the
Beatles’ classic, “Eleanor Rigby”, as part of a program to expose children to the arts. For information, see page Page 8.
19. News bit
24. Water carrier
26. Kind of jacket
27. Family head
28. Continuously
29. Wet, as morning grass
31. Bring home
35. Draw forth
36. U.S.S.R. successor
37. Dogie, e.g.
38. “The Open Window” writer
39. Identical
40. Landlord’s due
41. A little work
42. Lockup
46. Suds
47. Hits just beyond the infield
49. Riot
50. “What fools these mortals be”
writer
51. Prefix with day or year
53. Contest effort
54. Texas battle
55. More elfin
59. Wight, for one
61. Be in arrears
62. Nancy Drew’s boyfriend
63. A hand
64. Came in first
65. Craggy peak
"
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LACMA will be hosting a press
viewing for its presentation of “Ed
Moses: Drawings from the 1960s
and 70s” on Wednesday, May 13 at
6 p.m.
“Ed Moses: Drawings from the
1960s and 70s” will be the first
museum presentation of the artist’s
drawings in nearly 40 years.
Moses’s use of unconventional
materials and techniques led him to
a unique mode of expression
grounded in graphic experimentation, which included large floral
graphite drawings from the 1960s
to his signature diagonal grids of
the 1970s.
“Ed Moses has
been central to the
history of art made
in Los Angeles for
more than half a
century.”
-Michael Govan
LACMA CEO and Wallis
Annenberg Director
“Ed Moses has been central to the
history of art made in Los Angeles
for more than half a century,” said
LACMA CEO and Wallis
Annenberg Director Michael
Govan. “To fully appreciate his
large and diverse body of work, one
must look at the pivotal period of
the 1960s and 1970s, when Moses
was intensely focused on drawing.”
Moses comprises nearly 90
works, more than 40 of which have
been promised as gifts to LACMA
by the artist.
Moses was born in Long Beach
in 1926. He enlisted in the Navy at
17 and served as a surgical technician during World War II. After the
war, Moses studied at Long Beach
City College before transferring to
the University of California, Los
Angeles to train under the expressionist painter Rico Lebrun. The
exhibition will be running though
August 2 at LACMA, located at
5905 Wilshire Blvd.
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See Page 22
Artist’s drawings
displayed
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Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
17 May 7, 2015
Baby kangaroo named ‘Winnie the Roo’ L.A. native wins art contest
After 503 entries, 5,082 votes
and more than 12,000 visits to the
L.A. Zoo’s #NameOurRoo contest web page featuring an opportunity for the general public to
name a zoo animal, the L.A.
Zoo’s Western gray kangaroo
baby has been dubbed “Winnie
the Roo,” a name conceived by
Patricia Beauchamp of Los
Angeles. It was announced May
1.
Along with Grand Prize “naming rights,” Beauchamp receives
a GoPro HERO4 Camera and a
Family Deluxe Membership to
the zoo.
Two runners up — Cody
Grindol,
who
submitted
“Penelope,” and Delia G., who
proposed “Keanu,” — received
Family Memberships to the zoo.
With new kangaroos and all the
zoo’s other adorable newborns,
the contest was an unusual chance
for visitors to “meet our babies”,
including Rosie, the near-legendary baby hippo.
Additionally, guests can see
chimpanzee, giant river otter,
giraffe, howler monkey, colobus
monkey, koala, pronghorn, sifaka
and piranha babies.
Many of these new arrivals are
thanks to breeding programs that
are vital to saving endangered and
vulnerable species by serving as a
hedge against extinction in the
wild.
As an added bonus this spring,
every day through June 30 visitors to the L.A. Zoo receive a
Shutterfly promo card good for a
free, easy-to-make 8-by-10 inch
hard cover photo book.
The promo card, courtesy of
Shutterfly, is available at the
admissions window when purchasing tickets or at the membership entrance.
Limit one per household.
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photo by Jamie Pham
L.A. Zoo’s Western gray kangaroo baby was recently named “Winnie the
Roo” through a naming contest.
Zoo admission is $19 for general admission (ages 13 to 61), $16
for seniors (ages 62 and up) and
$14 for children (ages 2 to 12).
No ticket is required for children under 2. Admission for
Greater Los Angeles Zoo
Association members is free.
The Los Angeles Zoo and
Botanical Gardens, open 10 a.m.
to 5 p.m. daily except Christmas
Day, is located in Griffith Park at
the junction of the Ventura (134)
and Golden State (5) freeways, at
5333 Zoo Drive.
Free parking is available.
For information, contact
(323)644-4200
or
visit
www.lazoo.org.
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The Autry National Center has
announced that Carlos Nieto III’s
“Cultura Nouveau” is the winner
of “High Five Art”, a new public
art contest that encourages artists
to interpret the present American
West.
Nieto will receive $2,500, and
his design will be featured for one
year on a banner at the Autry
National Center in Griffith Park,
where it will be visible from the
Golden State (5) Freeway. Nieto
and contest finalists will be celebrated at a launch party for the
program on Thursday, May 21.
“When I saw the Autry’s High
Five Art contest artist call, I
jumped at the chance,” said Nieto.
Through High Five Art, artists
were encouraged to rethink perceptions of the American West —
including its populations and
landscapes — within a creative
format. A selection committee
chose five finalists based on artistic merit, connection to the theme,
originality and ability to effectively translate works onto a large
banner format. Designs by the
five finalists were displayed
inside the Autry and online from
March 1 to April 15, and attracted
more than 2,600 votes.
The first runner-up is David C.
Bryant’s design, “Sun-Scope”; the
second runner-up is Caitlin
Anne’s “Truce”. Both runner-up
winners will receive $500, and all
five finalists will receive a oneyear Autry membership.
“This was an experiment
designed to better understand how
local artists would interpret the
West as a concept, a physical and
cultural landscape, and a place,”
said Amy Scott, chief curator and
the Marilyn B. and Calvin B.
Gross curator of visual arts at the
Autry National Center. “We were
very excited to see the depth and
breadth of the High Five Art submissions, along with the thought
and execution that went into the
wide-ranging results.”
The High Five Art Launch
Party will be held on Thursday,
May 21 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the
Autry, 4700 Western Heritage
Way. For information, call
(323)667-2000,
or
visit
www.theautry.org.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
18 May 7, 2015
‘Unfriended’ falls short as commentary
As a Marx-reading, first-personshooter-playing fanboy with an
equal affinity for theological discussions and debates about Hulk’s
chances against Superman, I
embrace paradox. I don’t apologize
for loving “Buffy the Vampire
Slayer” or binge listening to
“Serial” while shamelessly eating
McNuggets. My vices are strengths
shielded by guilty pleasures
ascending to sheer joy.
But some things test my limits.
What should I enjoy?
Do I have a responsibility to others? It would be easy to say no, but
if I truly wrote only for myself, I’d
be a narcissist undeserving of an
audience.
To think otherwise is a pretentious sham. So how should I feel
about a tween horror film like
“Unfriended” that feels more like a
gimmick than something watch-
able? Worse. What if I kind of like
it?
How could a movie whose point
of view never leaves the final girl
Blaire’s (Shelley Hennig) computer screen actually provide enough
material for a whole film? That’s
right. It’s all on her screen. We see
the mouse move from program to
program, page to page. We hear her
typing — often editing herself
before hitting send to her friends
and the mysterious person controlling the Facebook account of Laura
(Heather Sossaman), who committed suicide after a cyberbullying
video sent her into a deep depression.
Remember, “The Blair Witch
Project” was a publicity stunt in
1999, but it still launched an entire
subgenre — the found footage film.
I guess we’ll start referring to
“Unfriended” spawns as “screen-
photo courtesy of Universal Pictures
Courtney Halverson stars as Val (clockwise, top left), Jacob Wysocki
appears as Ken, Renee Olmstead portrays Jess, Will Peltz appears as
Adam, Moses Storm stars as Mitch and Shelley Hennig is Blaire in
Universal Pictures’ “Unfriended”.
Elementary students visit
the Charlie Awards
photo by Michael Schwartz
Stars of television, film, music, theater and fine art came together
recently to support arts advocacy and education at the Hollywood Arts
Council’s 29th annual Charlie Awards at the Hollywood Roosevelt
Hotel. Actor Marcus Scribner, from the show “Black-ish” is pictured
at the event with students from Melrose Avenue Elementary School.
“It’s a very exciting time for the Hollywood Arts Council,”
Hollywood Arts Council chair David Warren said. “Like Hollywood
itself, the council is experiencing a resurgence, with leadership welcoming new engaged and dedicated trustees to our board, and our
membership growing on an almost daily basis. The Charlie Awards is
a celebration of our partnerships with those who demonstrate a commitment to the arts in our community, and I am looking forward to
what the future holds for Hollywood.”
Technicolor, Sunset Sound & Sound Factory, Sacred Fools Theatre,
Emerson College Los Angeles, American Academy of Dramatic Arts,
Roschen Van Cleve Architects and Michael Kohn Gallery were honored. More than 300 art enthusiasts, celebrities, artists and community members came together at the event. For information, visit
www.hollywoodartscouncil.org.
cast” films. It’s not alone. You
might remember an episode of
“Modern Family” in February that
did the same thing.
“This is a
millennial film — a
rather insulting
millennial film.”
photo courtesy of Universal Pictures
I know, found footage films are
as original as hiked up 3D prices,
but these things are rarely about
authenticity. And “Unfriended” is
anything but refreshing.
It’s predictable: something or
someone targets six high schoolers
for their alleged involvement in a
classmate’s suicide following a
virally chronicled inebriation.
Once these millennials sign in to
a group video chat, a phantom
member won’t let them sign off.
Noncompliance results in a gruesome suicide.
How, You might wonder? Well,
Jerry, I really don’t know; that’s the
point of a horror film like this: the
mystery.
Original or not, gimmick or not,
“Unfriended” reminds me of the
classic adage by media theorist
Marshall McLuhan, “The medium
is the message.” The content of the
message is less important — as
most horror films prove — than
how the medium delivers that message.
Perhaps that’s an optimistic
approach (or maybe I’m just reading into things a bit) to something
more worried about style over con-
Shelley Hennig stars as Blaire in Universal Pictures’ “Unfriended”, a film
that unfolds over a teenager’s computer screen as she and her friends
are stalked by an unseen figure.
tent, but it’s also the point of most
horror flicks in general.
We care about the how because
the why and what is always the
same.
We don’t tend to determine a horror film’s success based on the
same criteria as a best picture contender. We care about two things,
jolts and other visceral thrills.
Luckily, “Unfriended’s” claustrophobic format lends itself well to
scares and even some subtle
moments. The slightest thud from a
friend’s mic could be innocent or
something more vile.
Of course, the performances and
production need to be watchable
even in something lowbrow. Again,
check.
This is a millennial film — a
rather insulting millennial film.
Millennials must suffer through a
handful of stereotypes. They’re
shallow. They lie. They lack any
moral direction.
Considering generational labels,
I have no home. I just missed out on
Generation X, but I still remember
Kurt Cobain. So as a pseudo-outsider, I delight in “Unfriended’s”
attack on the social media generation’s benign interests.
I don’t think previous generations were any better or worse, but
the ability to tweet or selfie the day
away lends itself poorly to a lasting
legacy. More than a shallow critique of the “Internet’s rotting my
brain” argument, the privilege is
more troubling.
We must endure six spoiled brats
who clearly never branch out of
their safe and very segregated suburbs.
For that reason alone, it’s rather
fun to watch their demise on the big
screen.
And after enough awful stories of
cyberbullying, who hasn’t yearned
for justice? Or just some good oldfashioned revenge from the great
beyond.
This is a classic morality story. It
doesn’t present anything new, but
it’s fun, and for that, I’m thankful.
WeHo wins first-place award in social media expo
The city of West Hollywood was
presented last week with a firstplace award for Best Government
Social Media Campaign at this
year’s Government Social Media
Conference & Expo (GSMCON) in
Reno, Nev.
The city was recognized with a
Golden Post Award for excellence
in its social media efforts to promote pedestrian safety and, specifically, for its “Alice in WeHoLand”
YouTube safety video, which
debuted in October.
It is aimed at encouraging drivers
and pedestrians to pay more attention to crosswalks and to devote
less time to digital distractions.
To date, the video, available at
https://youtu.be/4OCPSYRfT6o
has received more than 780,000
views.
The pedestrian safety video was
produced by the city of West
Hollywood’s Public Information
Division and was conceived by
YouTube sensation Todrick Hall, a
singer, actor, director, choreographer and dancer who rose to the semifinals of American Idol in its ninth
season.
He
received
international
acclaim for his creative role in the
CLIO Award-winning safety video
for Virgin America.
“Alice in WeHoLand” is a West
Hollywood-themed parody of
Taylor Swift’s hit song Shake It
Off.
The dance-filled video offers
viewers a colorful twist on “Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland” set to
new crosswalk safety lyrics, written
by Hall, about curbing smartphone
use and walking and driving safely.
The video features a vibrant cast
of characters with drag queens,
gym-bunnies, models, go-go boys
and dancers who perform choreographed
routine
in
West
Hollywood’s iconic Rainbow
Crosswalks, as well as other recognizable locations in the City.
The city’s pedestrian safety
social media efforts are part of the
education component of a coordinated three-part pedestrian safety
plan for “Engineering, Education,
and Enforcement,” which is currently being implemented by the
city.For information about pedestrian safety, including safety tips, visit
www.weho.org/pedestriansafety.
‘Ford on the Road’ series debuts this summer
The Ford Theatres 2015 summer
season has been pre-empted by renovations at the venue, so the Los
Angeles County Arts Commission
is taking the “Ford on the Road”.
More than 30 free events will be
taking place throughout Los
Angeles County, along with performances in the “Ford Signature
Series”. The “Ford on the Road”
series runs from Saturday, May 16
through Sunday, Dec. 6, and kicksoff on May 16 and 17 with the
Versa-Style Dance Company pre-
senting the “Versa-Style Ten Year
Anniversary Festival” at the East
LA Performing Arts Academy,
4211 E Dozier St.
“While the renovation of the historic Ford Amphitheatre continues,
the Ford on the Road series offers
an alternative to those who have
come to rely on the Ford’s eclectic
mix of programming and provides
a guide to exploring some of L.A.
County’s rich cultural offerings,”
Los Angeles County Arts
Commission executive director
Laura Zucker said. “Take a road
trip with us as we explore the
region.”
The renovations at the Ford
Theatres in the Cahuenga Pass are
expected to be completed in summer 2016.
Programs will be offered in East
L.A., San Fernando, Watts,
Newhall, Pomona, Hacienda
Heights and Rowland Heights and
other cities. For information and
schedule,
visit
www.FordTheatres.org.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
19 May 7, 2015
"
Wilshire Warriors weekend round-up
Warriors 13U
The 13U Warriors (7-1) won their
seventh straight game in defining fashion last weekend, pitching a perfect
game and routing PBA-White by a
score of 12-0. Austin Aguilar was
untouchable on the mound, going three
innings with six strikeouts. Seth
Zermeno completed the perfect game
pitching in the last inning with an efficient five-pitch outing.
The Warriors 13U team led 1-0
going into the bottom of the third
inning, and rallied for 11 runs. Evan
Rake, fresh off the DL, started the
inning with a double down the left field
line. Josh Hernandez and Zermeno followed with back-to-back line drive singles to ignite a rally. Following a
groundout to the first baseman, the
offense had seven consecutive hits.
Steve Lim delivered his second double
of the game in the inning and
Hernandez also collected his second hit
of the inning with a two-RBI double.
Zermeno delivered the knockout blow
with a blast off the left field wall.
Warriors 11U Blue
The Warriors 11U Blue team (4-2-1)
lost to the older 12U Wolves by a score
of 6-1, despite outhitting the Wolves 86. Fielding errors were the biggest differentiating factor for the Warriors
team. Pitchers Braden Lowe, Connor
Rice and Boon Faye combined for zero
earned runs. The only earned runs surrendered came from a three-run homer
off Warriors pitcher Kai Moran. The
Warriors loaded the bases two times in
the sixth and seventh innings, with hits
by outfielders Cole Quigley and Boon
Fay, and infielders Aidan Forte and
Daniel Tovar. The only runs scored,
however, occurred in the sixth inning
when second baseman Rice took home
plate on a passed ball and in the seventh
inning after he knocked in Forte on a
fielder’s choice.
Warriors 9U Blue
After a huge win the week prior
against the Terror, the Warriors 9U Blue
team (4-4) lost a tough game to
Toluca’s Thunder last Sunday in MidValley League play. Toluca jumped out
to a 10-2 lead after three innings, but
the Warriors rallied in the fourth and
fifth innings to tie the game at 10-10.
Pitchers Owen Dufelmeier and Benji
Fernandez were effective on the
mound, and Devin Aure and Joseph
Norris had big hits to rally the team.
The highlight of the game came when
Oscar Noxon, a former Toluca player,
tied the contest in the fifth inning with
a clutch single. Toluca got the final at
bat and with one out, drove in the winning run. The Warriors face the
Thunder again in two weeks.
Warriors 9U Orange
The Warriors’ 9U Orange team (0-8)
continued to struggle in Mid-Valley
League play last Sunday, resulting in a
25-6 decision against the Terror. Pitcher
Cutter East once again started for the
Warriors 9U Orange team, and threw
consistent strikes.
But the inability of the Warriors to
consistently convert outs proved problematic. Orange jumped out to an early
4-0 lead, thanks to Benny Buckley’s
RBI double. Theo Collins, Levi Rice
and Reece Frankel also had hits for the
Warriors.
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Warriors 8U
Runs were at a premium in a game
between the Warriors 8U team and the
Bakersfield Roughnecks last Sunday,
as only three runs were scored during
the entire game. Resulting in a 2-1
Warriors loss to the Roughnecks.
Outstanding pitching from Edward
Maxam, Jackson Eisenhauer and
Matthew Hoegee were the key to keeping the Warriors in the game.
Both runs scored by the Roughnecks
were unearned, and if not for a couple
defensive mishaps, the final score
would have been different. Stellar
defensive plays by Declan O’Malley
and Beckett Hutchens, which both prevented scoring opportunities for the
Roughnecks, were a decisive factor in
the game.
Wyatt Kline and Jack Laffitte continued to have productive at bats, while
Kline drove in Laffitte for the lone
Warrior run in the top half of the fourth
inning. The Roughnecks captured the
lead in the bottom of the fifth inning,
which proved to be the deciding factor
in the game.
The Warriors will pick up again in
two weeks against the East Valley
Eagles.
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He conceived of rock ‘n’ roll as
a powerful force for supporting
humanitarian causes and was
instrumental in the production of
milestone benefit concerts such as
Live Aid (1985) and Human
Rights Now! (1988).
As a promoter and manager, he
worked with iconic artists such as
the Grateful Dead, Jefferson
Airplane, Janis Joplin, Jimi
Hendrix, Santana, Fleetwood
Mac, The Who, Led Zeppelin,
The Doors and the Rolling
Stones. The exhibition’s opening
Special showing of ‘Avengers’
comes to El Capitan
photo Jay Maidment, © Marvel 2015
The El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood presents a special engagement of Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” running through
Wednesday, May 20. The film is the epic follow-up to the biggest
super hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a
dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s mightiest
heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible
Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the
fate of the planet hangs in the balance.
The theatre will also host special “Tiny Tot Tuesday” screenings of
the film every Tuesday at 12:35 p.m., at which parents with small
children may enjoy the movie in a tot-friendly way with lights
dimmed rather than out, and with reduced sound levels.
The El Capitan Theatre is located at 6838 Hollywood Blvd. For
information, call (800)DISNEY6, or visit www.elcapitantickets.com.
is especially timely, because 2015
marks the 30th anniversary of
Live Aid, the 50th anniversary of
the Grateful Dead’s live debut,
and the 50th anniversary of
Graham’s first concert.
Through memorabilia, photographs,
archival
concert
footage, historical and new video
interviews, ephemera and psychedelic art, the exhibit offers a personal reflection on Graham’s life
and an exploration of how
Graham helped transform rock
music.
Photographs and artifacts from
Graham’s early life and career on
loan from the Graham family will
be displayed, many on public
view for the first time.
Also on view for the first time
will be preparatory drawings and
the original artwork from several
iconic Fillmore concert posters.
The public will also be able to
view, for the first time in more
than 40 years, the original apple
barrel that greeted fans with fresh
apples at the entrance to the
Fillmore Auditorium; letters and
gifts from performers and fans;
and remarkable live performance
and backstage photographs from
the Fillmore, Winterland, Day on
the Green, Live Aid and other Bill
Graham Presents concerts. An
installation of “The Joshua Light
Show” — a show conceived in
1967 by multimedia artist Joshua
White that served as a backdrop
to many Graham-produced shows
— will be customized by White
specifically for the exhibition. It
will be one of several gallery
components designed to evoke
the sights and sounds of the era.
The exhibit also illuminates
how Graham’s childhood experiences as a Jewish emigrant from
Nazi Germany fueled his drive
and ingenuity as a cultural innovator and advocate for social justice.
The Skirball Cultural Center is
located at 2701 N. Sepulveda
Blvd. For information, call
(310)440-4500,
or
visit
www.skirball.org.
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Exhibit highlights rock ‘n’ roll industry icon
The Skirball Cultural Center
presents an exhibit “Bill Graham
and the Rock & Roll Revolution”
running from Thursday, May 7
through Oct. 11.
It is the first comprehensive retrospective about the life and
career of music industry impresario Graham (1931–1991), who
is recognized as one of the most
influential concert promoters in
history. Graham launched the
careers of countless rock ‘n’ roll
legends in the 1960s at his famed
Fillmore Auditorium.
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Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
20 May 7, 2015
Russian heritage celebrated in WeHo
From page 1
be exposed to that.”
But exposure to Russian culture
and language outside of the festival
may become harder to find in West
Hollywood as the east side of the
city — where many Russian speakers and their businesses reside —
becomes the subject of new housing developments.
Newly-elected West Hollywood
city council member and mayor
pro-tempore Lauren Meister said
the city would like to keep Russian
culture in the city.
“As we lose affordable units, we
lose this community,” she said.
Meister explained that the Russianspeaking population of West
Hollywood has been in decline in
recent years as many residents
grow older, and their families are
priced out of the increasingly competitive real estate and rental market in the city.
Meister said the planned developments, including the new apartment complexes near the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard
and La Brea Avenue, could have a
huge impact on the Russian-speak-
ing community, and said the city
council wants to protect affordable
housing in the area.
“We hope they’ll stay,” Meister
said, adding that she and fellow
councilmember John D’Amico are
working to put together an item in
the coming weeks that will look at
how to keep affordable housing
affordable, as well as use zoning
laws and approval conditions of
developments to keep neighborhood-serving businesses in the city.
“It’s a problem all over West
Hollywood,” she said, and not just
for the Russian-speaking community. “There’s no easy answer.”
Russian speakers began to move
to West Hollywood in large numbers in the 1970s from the Soviet
Union, in part because of the
affordable housing in the Fairfax
area, according to Rodzinek. Now,
Russian speakers make up “at
least” 15 percent of the city’s population, according to the city’s
website. A 2013 survey of the
Russian speaking community in
West Hollywood found that nearly
11 percent of people identify a for-
mer region of the Soviet Union as
their primary ancestry.
“I think the goal is keeping this
culture,” Meister said. “We need to
preserve our history.”
And it’s Meister’s own history
too. Though she doesn’t speak the
language, she has a personal connection to the Russian-speaking
community, as her great-grandparents immigrated from Russia and
Poland after World War I.
With events like Russian Arts
and Culture Week, the city hopes to
engage with the Russian speaking
community. To show the community’s importance in the city, the
city’s Russian Advisory Board also
presents annual awards to members
of the Russian-speaking community. This year marks the tenth year
of the Russian Community Awards.
The three awards were given out
on Tuesday evening. Award winners were Sofia Fikhman for
Outstanding Community Service;
Aida Vedisheva-Markoff for Role
Model of the Year; and to Lucy
Alex
for
Outstanding
Achievement.
Judge issues ruling on Millennium project
From page 1
just north of Hollywood Boulevard.
The proposed project would have
had 492 residential units, 200 hotel
rooms, 100,000 square feet of
office space, 35,000 square feet of
restaurant space, 40,000 square feet
of sports club use and 15,000 feet
of retail space. It would be built
while preserving the Capitol
Records building. The maximum
height of the two towers would be
39 and 35 stories.
Last fall, a new California
Geological Survey (CGS) map outlined the Hollywood Fault zone,
which overlaps portions of multiple
projects in the city, including the
proposed Millennium Hollywood.
Abrahams said it was a victory
that a new EIR would have to
account for the study. Proponents
of the Millennium interpreted the
judge’s decision differently.
“We are gratified by the judge’s
ruling on seismic issues acknowledging the appropriateness of our
studies,” said Philip Aarons, of
Millennium Partners. “We are considering our options for addressing
[all of] the issues cited by the court
and are fully committed to moving
forward with our project.”
The Millennium was strongly
supported by now-Mayor Eric
photo by Jonathan Van Dyke
The Millennium project proposal is to build two towers on vacant land
around the Capitol Records building in Hollywood.
Garcetti, who at the time represented the 13th District. His successor,
Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, has
also been a supporter, as has the
Hollywood
Chamber
of
Commerce.
“I think nobody wants to see two
empty parking lots,” Garcetti said.
“It’s important that we get something done there. Sometimes taller,
thinner things become more of a
lightning rod, literally, than flatter
shorter things that block views and
take every last space. I hope we can
get something that is reasonable
there, something that is good.”
“Today’s ruling was mixed and
we won’t know the ultimate outcome until the appeals and various
causes of action are heard,”
O’Farrell said in a statement. “This
proposed project has garnered a
significant amount of attention
since it was first announced, none
of it helpful to the economic health,
future and job growth in
Hollywood. I am glad the judge
relied on data in determining the
site does not sit on an active earthquake fault and I applaud the city’s
department of building and safety
for its rigorous review of the geology reports. This will eventually
clear the way for development on
parcels that have been surface parking lots in the heart of Hollywood
for at least 60 years. I will continue
working hard to make Hollywood a
safe, vibrant, high quality neigh-
Read Us Online
photo by Katharine Lotze
Children waiting to perform watch other performers through the window
at Plummer Park in West Hollywood during the 14th annual Russian Arts
and Culture Festival.
The week culminates this
Saturday with a celebration of the
70th anniversary of Victory Day at
Fiesta Hall in Plummer Park, starting at 11 a.m.
The final day of Russian Arts
borhood and world-class tourist
destination.”
Ultimately, city officials and the
developer said it would be up to
local geologists.
“The California map only concludes one thing … that the lines
are an estimate from the state geologist,” said Luke Zamperini, chief
inspector of the Los Angeles
Department of Building and Safety.
“It’s why we require the developers
to bore holes and dig trenches to
demonstrate whether there is an
active fault there. Just because the
state drew a line doesn’t mean
that’s where it is. At the end of the
day, you’ll have physical proof
whether it is there or not. Before
they could get a permit from building and safety, they have to prove
there is not an active fault under the
building.”
Abrahams said he is not in favor
of building anything major on the
land due to seismic concerns, and
added that the city should consider
installing a greenbelt there, similar
to what has been done in Yorba
Linda and Signal Hill.
The judge’s 46-page document
was a tentative ruling that was later
ruled as final except for the plaintiff’ fifth cause of action, which
asked the judge to order the city to
develop a “fair” hearing policy for
its procedures relating to land use
appeals. Another judge will hear
that part of the lawsuit.
Millennium Partners may eventually appeal the decision when it is
entirely final. If the decision stands,
the developer would have to conduct a new EIR for a new proposal.
!
"
!
!
"
and Culture week will feature the
play “Lost in Lvov”, and musical
performances celebrating the
defeat of the Nazi regime in
Germany and the defeat of the
German army in Europe.
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Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
21 May 7, 2015
"
Council sends Kings Road project back
!
From page 1
ject, but Kings Road resident
Cynthia Blatt appealed the ruling to
the city council. Since then, she has
formed the United Neighbors for
Responsible Development citizens
group, which has protested issues
of overdevelopment in the city.
Blatt and other group members
contend that the 826 N. Kings Road
development, coupled with at least
three other major projects scheduled for the street, will cripple the
infrastructure and cause adverse
environmental impacts.
“A broad view of cumulative
impacts is required,” said Douglas
Carstens, an attorney representing
Blatt during the appeal. “The
cumulative impacts will not be captured with a project-by-project
review.”
The main crux of Carstens’ argument centers on impacts the project
would have environmentally —
shading of nearby buildings, added
vehicle traffic, overstrained water
infrastructure and the removal of
trees.
“The property being exempt
from [the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA)] is our primary concern,” Carstens said. “There
are less environmentally damaging
alternatives.”
A 1928 single-family home current sits on the 826 N. Kings Road
parcel. The land backs up to the
historic Charlie Hotel and it’s
across the street from the historic
Schindler House — both reasons,
the appellant said, development
should protect the integrity of the
neighborhood.
However, Kings Road is zoned
Residential 4, which requires higher density projects. The project
would have to include at least 25
units, and the city and state affordable housing laws required an
increase to 34 units.
“The project is fully consistent
with the type of land uses and density called for by the general plan
and the underlying zoning, with the
density bonus permitted by city
and state law,” West Hollywood
associate planner Laurie Yelton
said. “As such, the project is
expected to be adequately served
by all public utilities and infrastructure. The project is well-suited
for this site and the surrounding
high density, residential, multifamily neighborhood.”
Ric Abramson, the architect who
designed the proposed 826 N.
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photo by Jonathan Van Dyke
A single-family residence is currently located on the Kings Road parcel
where a developer hopes to build an apartment building.
Kings Road project, said the developers have tried to work with
neighbors for the best possible outcome. Since the appeal, they found
a way to create six additional parking spaces for guest parking, and
they increased the setback between
826 and the neighboring 848 N.
Kings Road building.
“For us, this project was not only
satisfying the code, but excelling
far beyond so it could be pointed to
as an example for how we conserve energy, how we conserve
water, how we are sensitive to the
environment and how we protect
trees if at all possible,” he said.
As the appeal hearing proceeded, attorney R.J. Comer, who represented the developer, asked for
more time. He said it had recently
come to light that there might be an
alternative method to decrease the
project’s density.
The West Hollywood City
Attorney’s Office said that the city
council could remand the project
back to the planning commission,
where the possibility of off-site
affordable housing could be discussed in a redesign. Comer noted
the possibility of a fee paid to the
city’s affordable housing fund.
City council members said they
were impressed by the community’s engagement on the appeal.
“To Cynthia, you have captured
the imagination of this city for this
moment and I bow down to you,
good for you,” said Councilman
John D’Amico. “It seems that the
best of this building would be even
better at 25 percent smaller.”
Councilman John Duran said it
would be worth exploring a lower
density redesign. He said he’d like
the building to be four stories
instead of the proposed five. He
also warned community members
that a different project might have
different setbacks.
“Will everybody be happy?” he
said. “No, but I think more people
will be happy.”
Mayor Pro Tempore Lauren
Meister said it was likely the council would have to deal with bigger
density issues in the future.
“We’ve already exceeded in that
little area (Kings Road) the proportion of dwelling units that we
thought we would be moving forward with in our general plan for
the next 20 years,” she said.
Ultimately, the council voted to
remand the project back to the planning commission.
On Tuesday, Blatt said the ruling
“keeps us in the game.”
“There is a lot more to be done,”
she said. “It’s not a victory, but it’s
a battle won. We did well last night
and we are cautiously optimistic.”
Abramson said the idea of eliminating the affordable units in some
way, whether through a fee or moving them to another location, was
very new, so it would take time to
figure out the development’s next
step.
“Now, our challenge is how do
we keep that same spirit and bring
it to a smaller project and see if it
will work for the developer, city
and community,” he said. “It’s
going to be a challenging road.”
Police search for two robbery suspects
From page 4
trauma, cuts and abrasions, and
was taken by paramedics to
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Moreno said his condition was not
life threatening, but the victim is
undergoing extensive treatment for
his injuries.
Police are interviewing witnesses and plan to review video surveillance footage from the area. One of
the suspects was wearing a gray
sweatshirt. They are believed to
have fled the scene in a silver
crossover SUV.
Moreno said no similar incidents
have occurred in the area recently,
and he believes it was a crime of
opportunity.
The Bank of America branch
closed last week, and the property
is in the process of being sold to the
Los Angeles County Metropolitan
Transportation Authority (Metro)
to be used as a construction staging
area for the Purple Line subway.
"!
“It is an unusually
violent robbery.
We have them, but
certainly not
frequently.”
-Ken Hixon, Miracle Mile
Residential Association
Parking in the lot had been allowed
at night when the branch was
closed, but the lot is now closed to
the public, Bank of America
spokeswoman Colleen Haggerty
said. Chains have been placed
across the Wilshire Boulevard and
La Brea Avenue driveways to prevent access.
Metro construction relations
manager Kasey Shuda said Metro
will not take possession of the
property until the end of the month.
However, security personnel from
Metro visited the site following the
robbery to ensure there is lighting
in the lot, and plans call for a fence
to go up soon around the property.
Ken Hixon, vice president of the
Miracle
Mile
Residential
Association (MMRA), said the
robbery has caused concern in the
neighborhood, but the consensus is
that it is an isolated incident.
“It is an unusually violent robbery. We have them, but certainly
not frequently,” Hixon said.
Hixon said the MMRA would be
working with Metro and the LAPD
to watch the site. People are
warned to be cautions while walking alone in the area, especially at
night.
Anyone with information about
the robbery is urged to call
Wilshire Division robbery detectives at (213)922-8217.
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Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
22 May 7, 2015
Candidates spar again at debate
From page 1
to a crowd of Ramsay supporters at
her headquarters near the intersection of Melrose and Rossmore
avenues. “Carolyn Ramsay isn’t
bought and paid for by anyone
except for the volunteers and residents of this district who will
depend on her.”
Garcetti said he loved Ramsay’s
idea for a Hollywood Innovation
Zone to bring creative and tech
jobs to the area, and touted
Ramsay’s similar view to his own
on reducing the gross receipts tax
and increasing the minimum wage.
“You need someone with experience that knows how to get things
done, but with the backbone to say,
‘No, my constituents need something different’,” Garcetti added.
Ramsay said the praise should
be directed to her campaign volunteers, but said she was honored.
“In the last two years, [Garcetti]
is leading the city in the right
direction on so many levels,” she
said, noting they would work
together to protect neighborhoods,
build the economy, fix infrastructure and create a sustainable city.
On April 30, more than 100 people gathered at the Forest Lawn
Hall of Liberty as Ramsay and Ryu
were grilled by members of the
district’s neighborhood councils.
Hollywood
Hills
West
Neighborhood Council, UCLA
Government and Community
Relations, NBC4 and approximately a dozen other neighborhood councils hosted the forum.
NBC4’s Conan Nolan moderated
the debate and panelists included
Hollywood United Neighborhood
Council president Susan Swan,
Central Hollywood Neighborhood
Council
president
Milagros
Lizarraga,
Toluca
Lake
Neighborhood Council president
Ryan Altoon and Greater Wilshire
Neighborhood Council member
Jack Humphreville.
Neighborhood council influence
was discussed frequently during
the debate.
Ryu, who is member of the
Wilshire Center Koreatown
Neighborhood Council, said it was
difficult for neighborhood councils
to feel heard.
“We voted against so many projects, but it’s like spinning our
wheels,” he said, pledging to listen
to neighborhood councils’ votes.
“I’m going to tell [developers],
don’t come to me, go to the community first, and not just the
[neighborhood] council, but also
the homeowners associations.”
Ryu added that he does not
believe the neighborhood council
process is broken.
“But when neighborhood councils do great work, do the council
members listen?” he asked.
Ramsay said she supports a larger budget for neighborhood councils, so the groups can fund local
art initiatives, invest in traffic mitigations and work on local school
projects.
“That is the role that binds the
community to the city as a whole,”
she said.
Ramsay said her years of experience on Councilman Tom
LaBonge’s staff allowed her to
build strong relationships with
neighborhood councils and the
community.
In one of the only back-andforth exchanges during the debate,
Ramsay said that Ryu had only
attended three of his own neighborhood council meetings in the
last year.
Ryu didn’t deny the claim, but
said he has been busy running the
campaign and visiting other neighborhood council meetings within
the district. He said that when any
intrusive development came up in
his own council, he made sure to
be present to vote against it.
Development and construction
projects were a focus of the debate.
Ramsay began her candidate
introduction by applauding a decision by a Los Angeles Superior
Court judge to halt further
progress on the Millennium
Hollywood project, which she said
is a project that needs to be scaled
down.
Ramsay said it was important
that the 4th District maintain its
older, affordable housing inventory in the face of increased development.
“I’m committed to preserving
the older apartment buildings
because they are also the fabric of
Los Angeles,” she said.
Ryu said that it is important that
projects such as the Mosaic (at La
Brea Avenue and Hollywood
Boulevard) and 8150 Sunset were
scaled to neighborhood-appropriate sizes.
“We need to engage early and
often [on these projects], not
after,” he said.
He said that the Millennium ruling was a good example of how
the city was not listening and properly engaging with its residents.
“Lawsuits don’t help anyone,”
Ryu said. “At least [with better
outreach] we could have curtailed
a lot of these problems.”
In regards to the Hollywood
(101) Freeway’s Barham offramp,
which is set to close due to an
NBCUniversal (NBCU) expansion, both candidates said they are
committed to working with NBCU
and the community to find a solution to keep it open.
The candidates were asked
about future bicycle infrastructure,
particularly on streets where parking spots might be removed for
bicycle lanes.
“It’s really hard to gauge the
effectiveness of the current plans,”
said Ryu, adding that he believes it
is important to make sure any plan
is relieving vehicle traffic, not further congesting the streets.
“You have to work with the
community and really look streetby-street and ask, ‘What’s the best
road and path?’” Ramsay said.
She said bicycle lanes should be
constructed inside of street park-
WeHo proposal calls for change in fines
From page 3
ate new parking infractions, such
as leaving an animal in a vehicle
under dangerous conditions,
which could result in a $157 fine.
West Hollywood Councilman
John D’Amico, who co-authored
the motion, said the changes
could make the city a more attractive destination for visitors.
“I am hoping to change the perception that there is no parking
available, parking is expensive
and that getting parking tickets is
inevitable,” D’Amico said. “What
we are hoping to do is clean up
some ordinances.”
Genevieve Morrill, president
and CEO of the West Hollywood
Chamber of Commerce, said it is
too early to say whether businesses will support the changes, and
she is looking forward to determining how the proposal would
benefit residents and visitors. The
chamber has 525 members, and
represents the city’s approximately 2,000 businesses.
“There are a lot of things to
study,” Morrill said. “We have to
look at the greater good and
what’s better for the visitors. We
have to do a better job in creating
more comprehensive signage and
finding places for employees to
park.”
Meister’s deputy Scott Olin
Schmidt said another goal is to
lessen the financial impact on
individuals while providing a
deterrent for more serious offenders.
“We want to take a look at the
price of tickets and make sure the
fine reflects the severity of the
violation,” Schmidt added. “For
example, parking in a bike lane of
a crosswalk should have a significantly higher fine than parking a
few inches outside of lines or
missing a meter by a few minutes.”
Bloom bill on ‘microbeads’ approved in committee
A proposed ban of mirco-plastic
particle abrasives, commonly
referred to as “microbeads”, from
being used in products such as
facial scrubs, soaps and toothpaste
passed the California Assembly
Environmental Safety and Toxic
Materials Committee last week on
a 6-0 vote.
The legislation, Assembly Bill
(AB) 888, was authored by
Assemblyman Richard Bloom (DSanta Monica). It would set up the
strongest protections in the country
against the use of these unnecessary
and toxic additives, he said.
“Toxic microbeads are accumulating in our rivers, lakes and
oceans at alarmingly high levels.
We can and must act now,” Bloom
said. “Continuing to use these
harmful and unnecessary plastics
when natural alternatives are widely available is simply irresponsible
and will only result in significant
cleanups costs to taxpayers who
will have to foot the bill to restore
our already limited water resources
and ocean health.”
Microbeads have emerged as a
pervasive form of pollution in
waterways and the marine environment, contributing approximately
38 tons of plastic annually, officials
said. The tiny particles are prevalent in ocean debris piles, the Great
Lakes and were found in the Los
Angeles River last year. Most mircobeads are not biodegradable and
photo by Jonathan Van Dyke
CD4 candidates David Ryu and Carolyn Ramsay addressed questions
from neighborhood councils at a debate on April 30.
ing, so that cyclists would be safe
from opening doors and traffic.
In regards to sidewalk repairs,
Ryu said it might be time to hire
private contractors for one-time
projects that need to be finished
now. Ramsay said it might be
smart to fund sidewalk repairs
through a nonprofit organization to
expedite the process.
Public safety, and specifically
the Los Angeles Fire Department,
were discussed at length.
Ramsay said she is working on
innovative solutions to decrease
response times, including the creation of a cellphone app to help
with evacuation efforts.
Ryu said he would support creating special paramedic units to go
out on specific 911 calls.
Both candidates said they would
find ways to work with the Los
Angeles Unified School (LAUSD)
district and local community colleges.
Ramsay said it was important to
work with school board members
about how they can prepare students for an evolving economy
that includes clean energy and creative jobs.
Ryu touted a community parks
initiative, which invests money to
keep school parks open after-hours
and on the weekends.
The candidates were pressed by
the panelists about curtailing party
houses in the Hollywood Hills and
what they could do about rental
websites like Airbnb. LaBonge
had tried introduced a party house
measure in city council that
stalled.
Ramsay vowed to implement
new regulations and finish what
LaBonge started.
“I’m not asking for a second
chance here,” Ryu countered,
adding that he would push for
changes right away, and work at
passing changes regulating party
houses.
Throughout the debate, Ryu
stressed that he would listen to
constituents and frequently meet
with them. Ramsay did the same,
but pointed to relationships that
she’s already built and the experience she has gained over the years.
She added that she hadn’t really
seen Ryu before he emerged during the campaign.
“It’s so easy to say I’m going to
work with you, it’s much harder to
roll up your sleeves and do this in
earnest,” Ramsay said.
“I never said this is going to be
easy,” Ryu countered. “We [myself
and issue stakeholders] are probably going to be screaming at each
other and you are going to get
some and give some … but it’s
about working at it.”
Teacher faces new charges
From page 3
Marlborough,” Ring said earlier
this year. “The school knew of his
misconduct and tried to sweep it
all under the rug. They did nothing
to protect their students and
should be equally blamed.”
Last November, Marlborough
head of school Barbara Wagner
announced she would be stepping
down at the end of the academic
year.
The announcement followed an
investigation into the past alleged
misconduct of Koetters.
The Marlborough Board of
Trustees formed a special investigative committee when it learned
absorb various toxins such as DDT,
PCBs (flame retardants) and other
industrial chemicals and are ingested or absorbed by a variety of
marine life and other mammals.
Because fish ingest these particles
and absorb the toxins in their flesh,
many in the scientific community
also worry about the impacts on the
fish, crabs, and shellfish that
humans eat.
AB 888 now heads to the
California Assembly Appropriations Committee where is must
pass before going to the full assembly for a vote.
about the situation, and the board
changed its school guidelines
based on recommendations by the
committee.
The committee found that during the years he was at
Marlborough,
Koetters
did
attempt to engage students in
improper conduct, but at the time,
he was only required to attend
counseling.
“Given that Koetters’ actions
are currently subject to both criminal and civil litigation, it would
be inappropriate to comment further at this time,” Marlborough
School officials said in a statement.
Answers From Page 16
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