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INSIDE
• WeHo council
deputy files
lawsuit. pg. 3
Partly cloudy,
with temps in
the 70s
Volume 25 No. 22
• Gas leak closes
Wilshire pg. 4
Serving the West Hollywood, Hancock Park and Wilshire Communities
May 28, 2015
WeHo voters head to polls Mansion project more pleasing to neighbors
to fill final seat on council
n Paint altered at
n Candidates take aim at issues and each other
at forum prior to June 2 election
By Bonnie eslinger
A debate last week between four
candidates vying for the fifth seat
on the West Hollywood City
Council drilled down on a handful
of hot-button issues including
development, affordable housing,
traffic, parking and historic preservation.
Former
West
Hollywood
Councilman
John
Heilman
appeared to be a clear target for the
other candidates. He was voted out
of office last month and is seeking
to make a quick return to the dais
via next month’s special election.
The June 2 balloting will fill the
seat vacated by Jeffrey Prang when
he was elected Los Angeles County
Assessor. Voters in March’s regular
election also selected Lindsey
Horvath and Lauren Meister for
two available council seats. Abbe
Land did not seek re-election.
In addition to Heilman, the other
candidates running for the open
council seat are small business
owner Larry Block, a member of
the city’s disabilities advisory
board; public facilities commissioner Cole Ettman, the CEO of a
law firm specializing in labor and
employment issues; and planning
commissioner Heidi Shink, an
author who has worked in the entertainment industry.
The two-hour May 20 candidate
forum was organized by the League
of Women Voters of Los Angeles
and moderated by the nonpartisan
organization’s president, Elizabeth
Ralston. Candidates were given
one minute to respond to most
questions and 30 seconds for follow
up responses, a format that created
confusion in keeping track of
speaker order and frequently resulted in repetitive statements.
See WeHo election page 21
Chandler mansion
after complaints
By Dana Bell
Community activists are calling
it a victory for historic preservation. Just a few months ago, the
mansion formerly owned by Los
Angeles cultural icon Dorothy
Chandler, which she named “Los
Tiempos”, was being painted
bright white — and that didn’t sit
well with local community members. Now, renovation on the
house is continuing with historically appropriate paint.
The house is a Beaux Arts-style
building with a large portico, manicured lawn and sculpted topiaries. It was the home of Chandler,
the wife of Los Angeles Times
publisher Norman Chandler. They
purchased the home in 1950 and
she lived there until her death in
1997. Chandler was also an avid
supporter of the arts. She contributed to the reopening of the
Hollywood Bowl during a financial crisis and did a bulk of the
photo by Dana Bell
The Dorothy Chandler mansion in Windsor Square is undergoing renovations by its owner, Nigerian businessman Robert Oshodin.
fundraising for the Los Angeles
Music Center, which includes the
Dorothy Chandler Pavillion.
The mansion was purchased
last June by Nigerian businessman
Robert Oshodin for $9.5 million.
He began renovations on the
house, including an application of
a fresh coat of white paint.
For resident Randy Esada, a
member of the Windsor Square
Concerned Citizens League, the
white paint was inappropriate for
a Beaux Arts house. The renovation project became the focus of a
website and petition to protect the
historic character of the house.
For Esada, the house has important meaning to members of the
See Mansion page 22
Sunset and Gordon tenants remain — for now LaBonge looks back on 14 years
representing 4th Council District
n Court of appeals
allows residents to stay
pending new ruling
n Councilman
By Dana Bell
After the Los Angeles Board of
Building
and
Safety
Commissioners upheld an earlier
order to vacate the Sunset and
Gordon apartments in Hollywood
last month, the tenants are now
being allowed to remain in their
apartments — for now. An appellate court issued a stay of the order
to vacate, allowing the tenants to
remain in their apartments while
the court issues a ruling.
Some residents are already leaving, according to one former tenant.
The tenant, who wished to remain
anonymous, confirmed that he and
several other residents had reached
a settlement with the owners of the
building, CIM Group, and were
moving out despite the decision
from the court. CIM Group
declined to comment.
The saga surrounding the Sunset
and Gordon apartments started in
2012 when the La Mirada
Neighborhood Association filed a
lawsuit against CIM Group for tearing down a historic façade at the
Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant at
the site, which was supposed to be
preserved.
to leave office
on June 30
By eDwin folven
With the 4th Council District
election over and Councilmanelect David Ryu preparing to take
office on July 1, termed-out
Councilman Tom LaBonge is
looking back on his 14 years in
office.
While LaBonge said he plans
to spend more time with his family after he leaves office on June
30, he is not slowing down during his final weeks. He added that
he is proud of many accomplishments during his tenure, and
hopes to be remembered as a
civic leader who tried to do his
best for constituents. He also
congratulated Ryu on his victory
over
Carolyn
Ramsay,
LaBonge’s former chief of staff
who was hand-picked as a successor for the 4th District seat.
See LaBonge page 20
photo by Dana Bell
Residents in the Sunset and Gordon tower can remain until another judicial ruling is issued, but some are leaving voluntarily.
Until the stay was issued last
week, the court and building and
safety department actions had supported vacating the building. A
lower court determined that the
building did not have the proper
permits for construction, which the
CIM Group appealed. Following
that decision, the department of
building and safety commissioners
determined that because a temporary certificate of occupancy had
expired and was no longer valid,
the board would need to issue an
order to vacate “as a natural course
of things,” according to building
and safety department spokesman
Luke Zamperini. CIM appealed the
decision to the department’s commissioners, which voted 5-0 to
uphold the decision of the department.
The current court decision is a
stay on any order to vacate, but that
does not worry Doug Haines, a
member of the La Mirada
Neighborhood Association.
“Target did the same thing and it
was denied,” Haines said, referencSee Residents page 22
photo by Edwin Folven
Councilman Tom LaBonge said the Purple Line Extension project will
transform the Miracle Mile over the next decade.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
2 May 28, 2015
Calendar
28 Spiritual
‘Folktronica’
V
ocalist Azam Ali and multiinstrumentalist Loga Ramin
Torkian, of the group “Niyaz”, will
perform on Thursday, May 28 at 8
p.m. at the Skirball Cultural Center.
The Iranian duo performs a unique
style of spiritual “folktronica”.
General admission is $30. 2701 N.
Sepulveda Blvd. (310)440-4500,
www.skirball.org.
30 Rep. Karen Bass
Community Meeting
C
ongresswoman Karen Bass (DCalif.) is holding a community
meeting on Saturday, May 30 from
10 a.m. to noon at the Memorial
Branch Library on Olympic
Boulevard. The meeting is part of
Bass’ “Congressional Conversation
Series”. She will discuss federal
issues, foreign policy, immigration
reform and Metro funding. 4625
Olympic Blvd. RSVP requested to
(323)965-1422,
www.bass.house.gov/midcity.
‘Institute of
Memory’
M
edia artist Lars Jan and his
company Early Morning Opera
will perform a piece titled “The
Institute of Memory (TIMe)” running from Thursday, May 28 through
Sunday, May 31 at the Roy and Edna
Disney CalArts Theatre. The multidimensional performance focuses on
how memory changes. Vocalist
Mariana Sadowska composed music
for the program. Tickets start at $10.
Showtimes are at 8:30 p.m.,
Thursday through Saturday; 3 p.m.,
Sunday. 631 W. 2nd St., downtown.
(213)237-2800, www.redcat.org.
31 Photo Exhibit
L
os
Angeles
Visionaries
Association member Kristin
Bedford will display and discuss and
her photography exhibit titled “Race,
History & the Divine” on Sunday,
May 31 from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at the
Library Bar, downtown. Bedford is
known for photographs about the
legacy of the African-American religious leader, Father Divine. The
work focuses on issues of race,
American religious history and
enduring faith. 630 W. 6th St.
(213)373-1947,
www.lavatransforms.org/salon515.
29 Indian Film
E
njoy a free screening of the film
“Chittagong” held by the Indian
Film League on Friday, May 29 from
7 to 10 p.m. in the Park La Brea
Theater
. Filmmaker Bedabrata Pain
will speak after the film at a reception, and Indian cuisine will be
served. Tickets to the reception are
$10. 475 S. Curson Ave. (323)5495470. www.eventbrite.com/e/hollywood-indian-film-league-chittagongtickets-16992771838?aff=eac2.
‘The Waterfall’
T
he Pasadena Playhouse presents
performances of the production
“The Waterfall” running from
Friday, May 29 through Sunday,
June 28. The epic love story is set in
Bangkok and Tokyo between 1933
and 1939 as a monarchy falls in
Thailand and Japan is on the brink
of war. A young Thai student falls in
love with the American wife of a
Thai diplomat, and the story of their
forbidden love parallels history.
Showtimes are at 8 p.m., Tuesday
through Friday; 4 and 8 p.m.,
photo courtesy of Christoph Bull
First Congregational Church of Los Angeles presents a free pipe organ
concert by Christoph Bull titled “Organica” on Sunday, May 31 at 3 p.m.
Bull, an organist, scholar and UCLA faculty member, will perform innovative interpretations of works by Philip Glass, Johann Sebastian Bach,
Olivier Messiaen, Louis-Claude Daquin and Maurice Ravel, as well as
his own works. Live painter Norton Wisdom will add a visual element to
the performance. 540 S. Commonwealth Ave. (213)385-1341,
www.facebook.com/events/596138490516553.
Saturday; 2 and 7 p.m., Sunday.
Tickets start at $47. 39 S. El Molino
Avenue, Pasadena. (626)356-7529,
www.PasadenaPlayhouse.org.
‘Brother’s Keeper’
I
ndie film fans won’t want to miss
a screening of “Brother’s Keeper”
running from Friday, May 29
through Thursday, June 4 at Arena
Cinema in Hollywood. The film tells
the story of twin brothers who find
themselves fighting for survival
after a terrible twist of events in a
small town. Tickets are $12; check
schedule for showtimes. 1625 N.
Las Palmas Blvd. (323)306-0676,
www.arenascreen.com.
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L
earn how to become an advocate
during a workshop on Sunday,
May 31 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the
National Council of Jewish
Women/Los Angeles (NCJW/LA)
council house. Public relations specialist Chastidee Davis will lead a
workshop titled “Taking Charge of
Media Relations”. The workshop is
part of a series, with additional
installments on June 14, July 12 and
Aug. 2. Tickets are $25. 543 N.
Fairfax Ave. Registration requested
to
(323)852-8536,
or
email
[email protected].
Hope Levy
S
inger and songwriter Hope Levy
will perform on Sunday, May 31
from 7 to 9 p.m. at Spaghettini’s and
the Dave Koz Lounge in Beverly
Hills. Levy will perform music from
her
new
recording
titled
“Menagerie”. 184 N. Canon Drive.
(310)424-4600.
June
S
TAXI
'
D
r. Joshua Fisher and Laura Feye
Tenenbaum, of NASA’s Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, will discuss
their latest research on climate
change during a lecture on
Wednesday, June 3 at 6 p.m. at the
Church of Scientology Los Angeles.
They will be joined by Joni
Ginsberg, executive director of The
Way to Happiness Foundation
International. 4810 Sunset Blvd.
(213)514-2651
or
email
[email protected]
Greek Film Fest
T
he 9th annual Los Angeles
Greek Film Festival is running
from Wednesday, June 3 through
Sunday, June 7 at the Egyptian
Theatre in Hollywood. Thirty-five
new films from Greece and Cyprus,
as well as movies by international
filmmakers of Greek descent, will
be shown. The festival will launch
on June 3 at 7:30 p.m. with a screening of director Pantelis Voulgaris’
“Little England”. 6712 Hollywood
Blvd. www.lagff.org.
W
riter and director Blake
Edwards’ “Victor Victoria”
will be shown on Thursday, June 4
at 2 p.m. as part of the “Classic
Movie Matinee” series at the West
Hollywood Library. The film stars
Julie Andrews, James Garner and
Robert Preston. 625 N. San Vicente
Blvd.
(310)652-5340,
www.weho.org.
‘The Claw’
C
omedy theatre lovers are invited
to a production titled “The
Claw” running from Thursday, June
4 through Sunday, June 21 at
Theatre West. Love is volcanic and
the unimaginable is possible in the
zany comic mystery. “The Claw”,
written by Chris DiGiovanni, is part
of Theatre West’s “Writers-In-Rep”
presentations, featuring world premieres by Theatre West’s writers.
Showtimes are at 8 p.m., Tuesday
through Saturday; 2 p.m., Sunday.
Advance tickets are $20; $25 at the
door. (323)851-7977, www.theatrewest.org.
2 Senior Poker Class ‘Halfwits’ Last
eniors are invited to join the
Claude Pepper Seniors Poker Hurrah’
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3 Climate Change
Advocacy Workshop 4 ‘Victor Victoria’
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before-released pairings with legends such as Ella Fitzgerald and Nat
King Cole, has 38 Top 40 hits and
has sold more than 45 million
records worldwide. Tickets are $45.
800 W. Olympic Blvd. www.grammymuseum.org.
Group for a new class focusing on
“The Art of Bluffing” being held
every Tuesday from June 2 through
30 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Claude
Pepper Senior Citizens Center.
Fairfax District resident and poker
expert George “The Engineer”
Epstein will lead the class.
Registration is $40. 1762 S. La
Cienega Blvd. (310)559-9677, or
email [email protected].
Open Mic Session
P
oets, memoir writers, novelists,
essayists, balladeers and playwrights are invited to perform at the
Durant Library’s monthly open mic
session on Tuesday, June 2 at 6 p.m.
at the library. Participants are asked
to arrive early to sign up. 7140 W.
Sunset Blvd. (323)876-2741.
Pat Boone
L
egendary vocalist Pat Boone will
discuss his life and career during
an interview with Grammy Museum
executive director Bob Santelli on
Tuesday, June 2 at 8 p.m. at the
Grammy Museum at L.A. Live.
Boone, whose newest project is
titled “Duets” and features never-
F
our Clowns returns with an
evening of comedy, music and
mayhem in “The Halfwits’ Last
Hurrah” running from Thursday,
June 4 through Friday, June 26 at the
Lillian Theatre in Hollywood. Part
vaudeville tribute and part showbiz
farce, the show features a fame-hungry showman and his troupe of
halfwits who struggle to keep their
variety show alive. Showtime is at
8:30 p.m. on June 4; check schedule
for additional showtimes. Tickets
start at $12. 1076 Lillian Way.
www.bit.ly/halfwits.
Children’s Chorus
Auditions
L
os Angeles Children’s Chorus is
holding auditions for boys and
girls ages 8 to 12 from Thursday,
June 4 through Sunday, June 7 in
Pasadena. Candidates must demonstrate the ability to match pitch, follow instructions and thrive in a
structured learning environment.
Previous singing experience is not
necessary, but audition appointments are required. 585 E. Colorado
Blvd. (626)793-4231, www.lachildrenschorus.org.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
3 May 28, 2015
WeHo council considers
minimum wage increase
n City conducts study
on impact to workers
and businesses
By dana Bell
West Hollywood Mayor
Lindsey Horvath and the West
Hollywood City Council are considering an increase in the minimum wage, and Horvath said it
might be even higher than Los
Angeles’ recently approved wage
increase. The city council of Los
Angeles voted last week to raise
the minimum wage in the city to
$15 by 2020, and Horvath spoke
about the possibility of raising
the minimum wage in West
Hollywood even more than that
and at an earlier date. But an
increased minimum wage in
West Hollywood has not been
finalized and it depends on studies and discussions with the business community, according to
Horvath.
“Given that our cost of living
in West Hollywood is higher than
the rest of Los Angeles, we need
a minimum wage that is commensurate with the cost of living,” Horvath said.
Genevieve Morrill, president
of the West Hollywood Chamber
of Commerce says businesses are
willing to consider a raise in the
minimum wage as well.
“We know there needs to be an
WeHo to offer
free rides to
the polls on
election day
The city of West Hollywood’s
Special Municipal Election will be
held on Tuesday, June 2. As part of
the city’s efforts to make polls
accessible to all residents who wish
to vote, transportation will be provided for any resident needing a
ride to the polls.
West Hollywood Dial-A-Ride
will provide free direct transportation on June 2 from 7:30 a.m. to
5:30 p.m. Residents may request a
ride by calling (800)447-2189 to
reserve a ride.
Additionally, West Hollywood
Cityline, the city’s free local shuttle, stops at many of the city’s
polling places, including senior
buildings, parks and the West
Hollywood Library. For information, visit www.weho.org/cityline.
The city’s elections website at
www.weho.org/elections also provides detailed election information
and links to the California
Secretary of State’s Voter
Registration page, the Los Angeles
County Registrar/Recor-der’s website, and specific links for polling
places and sample ballots.
Residents can find a polling place
at www.lavote.net/locator.
For more information, call the
West Hollywood’s City Clerk’s
Office at (323)848-6409, visit
www.weho.org/elections.
For additional information on
polling places and voter registration, call the California Secretary
of State’s Voter Hotline at
(800)345-VOTE.
increase but we want it to be
equitable and we want it to work
for businesses,” Morrill said.
To that end, the city council
has commissioned an economic
study on the potential impacts of
a minimum wage increase for
businesses and employees alike.
The study, initiated by former
Mayor Pro Tempore John
Heilman, examines the climate
and impacts of an increased minimum wage, “with a primary
focus on typically low-wage
workers such as restaurant support staff, food service workers,
laborers, housekeepers, store
clerks and the like.”
“When we’re talking about
raising the minimum wage we
want to make sure that peoples’
work is properly valued,”
Horvath said.
The study will examine the climate of doing business in West
Hollywood, which has numerous
micro-businesses with 2 to 4
employees and a large hospitality
industry, according to Morrill. As
a region with several hotels,
restaurants and bars, the issue of
a minimum wage for tipped
employees is at the forefront of
the chamber of commerce’s concerns. Morrill said she is concerned that restaurants might cut
jobs for employees who earn tips
in favor of computer ordering
systems.
See Lawsuit page 22
Council deputy files lawsuit against city
n WeHo Councilman
John Duran is also
targeted in suit
By jonathan van dyke
West Hollywood City Council
deputy Ian Owens has filed a lawsuit against the city and
Councilman John Duran, alleging
unfair treatment, sexual harassment
and soliciting bribes.
The lawsuit was filed by the law
firm Rushovich Mehtani LLP on
behalf of Owens on May 20.
“In short, Mr. Owens alleges that
he has been subjected to protracted
sexual harassment at the hand of his
boss — West Hollywood City
Councilmember and former Mayor
John Duran,” the lawsuit read. “He
also alleges that the city suspended
his employment and initiated a
sham criminal investigation into his
misconduct when he raised concerns about potentially unlawful
monetary contributions by developers as well as other unlawful
and/or inappropriate activity.”
The city of West Hollywood
released a statement regarding the
lawsuit on Thursday.
“The city of West Hollywood is
aware that a complaint has been
filed by council deputy Ian Owens
in superior court naming the city
and councilmember John J. Duran
as defendants. The city’s outside
investigation of the events that gave
rise to this complaint has not yet
been completed. The city’s legal
team has not yet had an opportuni-
ty to review
the complaint
and has no
comment on it
at this time
other than to
note that the
city
prides
itself on proCouncilman
viding
a
John Duran
workplace
free
from
harassment and discrimination.”
Owens was put on administrative
leave in late January after he went
public with allegations against former Councilman John Heilman’s
deputy Fran Solomon.
At the time, Owens alleged that
Solomon was illegally conducting
campaign activities for Heilman on
city time. Once he was suspended,
Owens also alleged sexual harassment by Duran.
The lawsuit details both allegations and additionally implicates
the city in soliciting bribes from
developers.
According to Owens, in October
2013, Solomon, Owens and other
deputies were part of a planning
committee for the West Hollywood
Community Housing Corporation
Annual Gala. He detailed a specific
call in the lawsuit.
“On that call, Ms. Solomon suggested that the committee solicit
certain wealthy developers for
money because those developers
had pending business in front of the
council,” the lawsuit read.
Owens said he was dismissed
from the committee when he ques-
tioned the call as soliciting a bribe.
“In regards to the allegation of a
bribe, I would say that is not true,”
said West Hollywood City Attorney
Michael Jenkins, adding he would
not comment further until the legal
team had thoroughly examined the
lawsuit.
Owens alleges that Solomon
began campaigning for Heilman
from her office in November 2014,
and that he made this known to
Duran and city manager Paul
Arevalo several times over several
months.
When he was put on leave, the
West Hollywood City Attorney’s
Office and Los Angeles County
Sheriff’s Department began to
investigate the situation — including allegations that Owens recorded or wiretapped Solomon’s calls.
Owens counters in the lawsuit,
claiming his allegations were the
result of “overhearing” Solomon
because city hall has “extremely
thin walls” and his office is directly
next to Solomon’s.
“Importantly, at no time did Mr.
Owens ever record any conversations of anyone at city hall or otherwise break any laws,” the lawsuit
read, and later in the document,
“The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department has confirmed that
there is simply no evidence of any
criminal misconduct or any type of
‘wiretapping’ by Mr. Owens.”
Owens said the city unfairly suspended him, and to show fairness,
should have at least also suspended
Solomon.
See lawsuit page 22
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
4 May 28, 2015
Suspect sought in shooting at pot dispensary
n Victim suffers gunshot
wound to his leg
during robbery
By edwin folven
photo by Edwin Folven
Wilshire Boulevard was closed between Sycamore and Mansfield
avenues while a crew repaired a broken gas line on Wednesday.
Natural gas leak closes
Wilshire Boulevard
After the gas leak was repaired,
n An unrelated fire also firefighters
returned to the area
erupts in building
across the street
By luis Rivas
A natural gas leak was detected
early Wednesday morning in the
5100 block of Wilshire Boulevard
that led to the evacuation of residences and nearby businesses,
according to Los Angeles Fire
Department
spokesperson
Margaret Stewart.
Firefighters arrived at the scene
at approximately 6:45 a.m. and
closed Wilshire Boulevard for
approximately two hours until the
gas line was repaired. Traffic was
allowed through at approximately
9 a.m.
Southern California Gas (SoCal
Gas) received a call earlier alerting them of the natural gas leak.
They sent workers immediately in
response to repair the leak.
“SoCal Gas received a call that
a third-party contractor damaged
a small, two-inch natural gas main
at the intersection of Wilshire
Boulevard and Orange Drive,”
said SoCal Gas spokesperson
Javier Mendoza.
Abbie McDonald, shift manager at the Coffee Bean and Tea
Leaf in the 5100 block of Wilshire
Boulevard, arrived at work at 5:30
a.m. and could immediately smell
the gas leak.
“When people opened the door,
you could smell it,” McDonald
said.
At approximately 9:15 a.m. the
gas leak was repaired and the area
was re-opened and declared safe,
according to Mendoza.
“The priority is to safely repair
the damage as quickly and safely
as possible. We’re still investigating exactly how everything happened. That’s going to take some
time,” Mendoza said.
approximately an hour later after
receiving a call about a fire on the
second floor of Avalon Wilshire, a
residential and commercial building at 5115 Wilshire Blvd.
Residents and workers in the
buildings were evacuated after the
building’s fire alarms sounded.
Light smoke emanated from the
second floor and filled several
floors.
Mia Rogers, a resident at the
building for 10 months, was parking her car in the building’s
garage when she heard the fire
alarm and rushed outside with her
daughter. At first, Rogers thought
it was a false alarm “because it
has happened almost regularly
before,” she said.
“There have been five false
alarms since I’ve been here. It
used to be about twice a month.
But then we smelled the smoke,”
Rogers said.
Rogers, her daughter and husband waited outside until firefighters allowed residents to go
back inside and employees
returned to their businesses on the
first floor.
LAFD Capt. Mark Martinez, of
Fire Station 61, said that it was a
small kitchen fire.
“Someone had left a cutting
board down in the broiler. That’s
all it was,” Martinez said.
SoCal Gas recommends that if
residents detect a gas leak, they
should call (800)427-2200.
“SoCalGas reminds residents
and business owners to ‘call 811
before you dig’ in the yard or at
construction sites. Calling 811, or
Underground Service Alert, will
help avoid possible injury or damage to hidden gas lines or service
interruption while digging,”
Mendoza said.
For
information,
visit
www.socalgas.com/safety.
Police are searching for three or
four suspects who robbed a medical marijuana dispensary on Pico
Boulevard on May 24 and shot an
employee in the leg.
The robbery occurred at
approximately 7 p.m. at the
Natural Way of L.A. dispensary in
the 5800 block of Pico Boulevard.
The dispensary is operating in
compliance with Proposition D,
the city’s medical marijuana ordinance, according to investigators.
“There were three to four suspects,” said Det. Ryan Moreno,
with the Los Angeles Police
Department’s Wilshire Division.
“We are trying to figure out exactly what happened. They demanded cash and marijuana.”
Moreno explained that there is
only a vague description of the
suspects. Employees said they
were African-American men in
there 20s, and no vehicle was
seen.
photo by Luis Rivas
Police are searching for three or four suspects responsible for a violent robbery at a medical marijuana dispensary on Pico Boulevard.
The victim was hospitalized
and treated for a gunshot wound.
He is expected to recover, Moreno
added.
The detective said there have
been no similar violent robberies
at dispensaries within the Wilshire
Division, but added that the shooting is indicative of violence that
can occur at the locations.
Anyone with information about
the shooting is urged to contact
Wilshire Division robbery detectives at (213)922-8217.
Authorities investigate cause of fatal fire in WeHo
n Sheriff’s department
looking into whether
foul play was involved
By edwin folven
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department detectives are investigating the death of a man who was
found unconscious on May 21
inside a burning building in West
Hollywood.
Authorities believe the victim,
identified as Eric Von Young, 53,
was a transient who had been living inside the vacant structure at
9080 Santa Monica Blvd. The
building, located just west of
Doheny Drive, had been vacant
for several years, according to
Inspector Chris Reade, with the
Los Angeles County Fire
Department.
Witnesses called 911 shortly
before midnight to report the
blaze. Firefighters arrived to find
“heavy smoke and flames” coming from the roof of the two-story
structure, Reade said. Firefighters
attempting to enter the building
encountered “pack rat conditions”
that hampered their efforts. After
moving aside debris, they located
photo by Edwin Folven
A fire that erupted on May 21 in a vacant building in West Hollywood
claimed the life of a victim who authorities described as a transient.
the victim, who was in cardiac
arrest.
“Firefighters dragged the person
out to safety and did CPR,” Reade
added. “They transported him to
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center,
where he died.”
Because of the debris inside the
building, firefighters had a difficult time reaching the flames,
which spread into the walls and
attic, Reade said. The fire was
extinguished at approximately 1
a.m. No cause or damage estimate
was available.
Detectives with the sheriff’s
department’s homicide bureau and
arson/explosives detail are investigating the death to determine if
foul play was involved, or if the
victim accidentally started the fire.
Anyone with information about
the incident is urged to contact
detectives at (323)890-5500.
Suspect
shot
by
police
after
altercation
in
Hollywood
Murder suspect commits suicide n Foot beat officers
during standoff in Koreatown saw armed suspect
By edwin folven
Detectives with the Los Angeles
Police Department’s West Bureau
Homicide Unit are investigating a
murder and suicide that occurred in
Koreatown.
On May 9 at approximately 8:10
p.m., officers from the LAPD’s
Olympic Division responded to a
call about a shooting at a bar near
14th Street and Western Avenue.
Police and firefighters responded
and pronounced 36-year-old Siria
Imelda Portillo dead.
The suspect was later identified as
the victim’s estranged husband, 40year-old Bob Leonel Duran.
A murder warrant was issued for
Duran’s arrest. On May 26, he was
located inside an apartment in the
200 block of North Kenmore
Avenue. At approximately 2:15
p.m., the suspect barricaded himself
inside and SWAT officers were
summoned. The suspect fired shots
at officers, but no officers were
injured and they did not return fire.
Following a lengthy standoff, officers discovered the suspect dead
inside the apartment from a selfinflicted gunshot wound.
on Cherokee Street
By edwin folven
A 33-year-old suspect is recovering after being shot by police on
May 24 in Hollywood following an
altercation in which he pulled out a
handgun.
The shooting occurred at approximately 2:10 a.m. on Cherokee
Street, just north of Hollywood
Boulevard. The suspect, identified
as Tegan James Stephens, of Las
Vegas, was involved in an argument with three unidentified individuals when police walking a foot
beat noticed the altercation.
After exchanging words with the
other men, Stephens walked to an
SUV parked in a lot on Cherokee
Avenue and recovered a handgun
from the rear of the vehicle.
Stephens then approached the three
individuals while wielding the
handgun, and the officer-involved
shooting occurred.
The incident is being reviewed
by detectives with the Los Angeles
Police
Department’s
Force
Investigation Division, and no
additional details are available. It is
unclear how many officers were
involved and how many times the
officers fired.
Stephens was hospitalized and is
expected to survive. He was arrest-
ed and booked for exhibiting a
firearm in the presence of a police
officer.
The investigation will be
reviewed by the chief of police, the
LAPD Office of the Inspector
General and the Board of Police
Commissioners. Additionally, the
Los Angeles County District
Attorney’s Justice System Integrity
Division routinely conducts a comprehensive review of all officerinvolved shootings.
The foot beat officers have been
stationed in Hollywood for the past
two years to proactively address
crime. Anyone with information is
asked to call investigators with the
LAPD’s Force Investigation
Division at (213)486-5230.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
5 May 28, 2015
Diver reaches new heights at state competition
n Immaculate Heart
senior is also preparing
for Olympic trials
By edwin folven
Immaculate Heart High
School senior Olivia Rosendahl
reached a new high in her budding career as a diver after taking
first place on May 22 in the
California
Interscholastic
Federation (CIF) State Diving
Championships.
“It’s really exciting because it
was the inaugural state championships for swimming and diving,” Rosendahl said. “It’s great
to set a precedent. It was a great
experience.”
Rosendahl won after accumulating 517 points in 11 dives on
the one-meter springboard. No
other female diver out of 28 competitors scored in the 500-point
range. Rosendahl was also the
only diver to score perfect 10s on
any dive, and she received a
medal.
The state diving competition
was held at the Clovis Olympic
Swim Complex near Fresno. To
“I am in awe of
her talent and
energy, and I am
so honored to be
her high school
coach.”
-Immaculate Heart
athletic director
Maureen Rodriguez
qualify for the event, the top six
divers from all CIF divisions
competed on May 16, with
Rosendahl clinching the top spot.
Rosendahl said she remained
focused on winning throughout
the competition, and didn’t lose
her focus when she made mistakes. One mistake came during
a reverse one-and-a-half twist.
“In one of the dives, I led a little bit and my feet slapped the
board, and I didn’t have as good
a dive as I would have liked,”
Rosendahl said. “You have to
move past it to do well.”
Rosendahl has already qualified for the Olympic Trials next
year and is the first Immaculate
Heart athlete to win a state title.
“I am in awe of her talent and
energy, and I am so honored to be
her high school coach,”
Immaculate Heart athletic director Maureen Rodriguez said.
Rosendahl
will
attend
Northwestern University next
year and will dive for the
school’s NCAA Division 1 team
this fall. She was ranked first in
the nation in her age group following her performance last year
at the USA Diving National
Championships. She won the
junior national title in synchronized platform diving at the
event, and later place second at
the Senior Nationals in synchronized platform diving and third
in the nation on the individual
10-meter platform.
Rosendahl also represented the
United States at the 2014 FINA
World Junior Championships in
Penza, Russia, and at the Pan
American Olympic Festival in
Mexico City.
The diver will also join the
U.S. team for competition at the
World University Games, to be
held in Gwangju, Korea this
summer. The games are considered second in importance only
to the Olympic Games.
Rosendahl has also qualified
for the 2016 Olympic trials, and
she will train for the trials as she
competes for Northwestern
University.
“I
am
so
excited,
Northwestern is a great school, a
very good athletic school,” she
said. “I am looking forward to
the Olympic trials. It’s a great
opportunity.”
Rosendahl’s younger sister,
Brighida, is also a diver for
Immaculate Heart. The freshman
diver placed 5th at the recent
CIF Division 3 Diving
Championships.
Another
Immaculate Heart diver —
junior Anora Denison — placed
third in the competition.
Rosendahl said she hopes her
success will inspire other young
people to pursue a career in diving, and added that anything is
possible when people apply
themselves. She added that coming in first at the state competition was a highlight for 2015.
“It was fun and eye-opening,”
she added. “I’m looking forward
to the next competition.”
photo courtesy of Immaculate Heart High School
Diver Olivia Rosendahl, a senior at Immaculate Heart High School, took first
place on May 22 in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) State Diving
Championships.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
6 May 28, 2015
Boy Scouts to potentially
allow gay scout leaders
n L.A. troops are
supportive of
possible change
By luis Rivas
The Boy Scouts of America
(BSA) will soon be reversing a
policy by allowing gay men to
become members, according to an
announcement by the organization’s leader made on May 21.
During a national meeting in
Atlanta, BSA president Robert M.
Gates announced that changing
the membership policy to allowing gay men to join would be in
the best interest of the organization’s future and sustainability,
which is more than a century old.
Although no official change in
membership policy was voted on,
a final decision will be reached
later this year, no later than the
BSA’s national executive board
meeting in October, according to
BSA officials.
The recent announcement
comes on the 2nd anniversary of
the BSA lifting its ban on gay
youths.
Several BSA councils throughout the country have been allowing gay men into the organization
for years prior to Thursday’s
“The Los Angeles
Area Council has
had a policy of
nondiscrimination
for many years,
including
nondiscrimination
on the basis of
sexual
orientation.”
-Los Angeles Area Council of
the Boy Scouts of America
president Gerry Morton
announcement. The Los Angeles
Area Council of the Boy Scouts of
America welcomed the announcement.
“The Los Angeles Area Council
has had a policy of nondiscrimination for many years, including
nondiscrimination on the basis of
sexual orientation. We have also
been a leading voice for change in
national policy,” Los Angeles
Area Council of the Boy Scouts of
America president Gerry Morton
said in a statement.
According to BSA’s national
membership policy, gay men are
not allowed to become members.
“While the BSA does not proactively inquire about sexual orientation of employees, volunteers or
members, we do not grant membership to individuals who are
open or avowed homosexuals or
who engage in behavior that
would become a distraction to the
mission of the BSA,” the BSA’s
“Membership
Standards
Resolution” read.
Stuart Hall, who has been
involved with the BSA for 20
years in Los Angeles as well as the
Cub Scouts, a division of the BSA
for younger children, is supportive
of the new proposed policy.
“Personally, I don’t have an
issue with it at all. To be perfectly
honest, I’m sure there have been
many gay leaders participating in
the scouts in this country for a
long time,” Hall said.
Hall added that many BSA
chapters, known as troops, do not
inquire about sexual orientation.
His troop practices that policy.
“In my opinion, it’s nice that
they will come out in the open
about it,” Hall said.
However, Hall said that it may
be best to allow local councils to
decide for themselves if they want
gay men in their troops, since
many troops have churches that
sponsor them, especially the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints (Mormons).
The church is a strong supporter
with many members of BSA,
according to Hall.
“There are going to be councils
where people have very strong
religious beliefs. For troops that
are sponsored by a [Mormon]
church, I don’t know that I would
See Boy Scouts page 21
Beverly Hills to install new red light cameras
By edwin folven
The city of Beverly Hills has
announced plans to reactivate nine
red light cameras and install six
new cameras at intersections in
the city.
Nine of the cameras have been
in place for more than 15 years,
but were de-activated in October
while the city searched for a new
contractor to operate the cameras.
The city is now contracting with
Xerox on the program. Eight of
the cameras will be activated as of
June 1, while the remaining camphoto by Talia Ralph
eras will be in service on June 15. The city of Beverly Hills is installing new red light cameras at a time when
“We believe these are an effecthe city of Los Angeles has discontinued its use of the devices.
tive safety tool for us, and a force
multiplier,” said Lt. Mike Foxen,
with the Beverly Hills Police motorists who are ticketed during Olympic-Spalding, and SunsetDepartment. “Studies have shown the first 30 days of operation will Hillcrest. The cameras to be actithat red light cameras are effective receive warnings. Citations issued vated on June 15 include Beverly
to violators at intersections moni- Drive-Wilshire, South Santa
in improving safety.”
Benedict
The red light cameras in tored by red light cameras average Monica-Crescent,
Canyon-Sunset and CrescentBeverly Hills are being installed at $498, Foxen said.
The cameras that are going to be Sunset.
a time when the city of Los
In 2014, 11,566 citations were
Angeles has discontinued use of activated on June 1 are located at
Olympic- issued by the city of Beverly Hills’
similar cameras because of the Wilshire-Whittier,
Olympic-Roxbury, red light cameras, Foxen said.
expense involved. Foxen said Doheny,
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
7 May 28, 2015
Vaccination bill Loyola marks anniversary
approved by with congressional prayer
State Senate
The California State Senate has
approved SB 792, authored by Sen.
Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia), on a
bipartisan vote. The bill will protect
California children in day care from
contracting serious diseases by
requiring family day care home and
day care center workers to be vaccinated against measles, pertussis and
influenza among others. The bill
now goes to the State Assembly for
consideration.
“One child’s death is one too
many, especially when it may be
preventable. With the recent deadly
outbreaks of measles and influenza,
we must do everything in our power
to protect California’s children who
spend time in day care,” Mendoza
said.
The bill will also specify that the
workers comply with the broader
recommendations for adult immunizations by the Federal Centers for
Disease
Control
Advisory
Committee on Immunization
Practices. Currently, there are no
immunization requirements for day
care workers.
“The health officers want to thank
Senator Mendoza for introducing
this groundbreaking bill,” said Kat
DeBurgh, executive director of the
Health Officers Association of
California, which sponsored of the
bill. “This bill will help protect our
most vulnerable citizens — infants
and small children — from lifethreatening communicable diseases,
some of whom are too young to be
vaccinated.”
Children in day care settings have
close, intimate contact with each
other and with the staff who work
there. Until they are fully vaccinated, children rely on those around
them to maintain their immunizations to stop the spread of disease.
Many of the children are too young
to be fully immunized against
potentially serious communicable
diseases, Mendoza said.
Brown appoints
three judges to
court of appeal
Governor Brown appoints three
justices to the Second District Court
of Appeal.
Gov. Jerry Brown Jr. has
announced the appointment of
Elwood G. Lui to Division One,
Lamar W. Baker to Division Five
and John L. Segal to Division Seven
of the Second District Court of
Appeal.
Lui, 74, of Los Angeles, has been
of counsel at Jones Day since 2014,
where he was a partner from 1987
to 2013. Lui fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Justice
Frances Rothschild to presiding justice, Division One of the Second
District Court of Appeal.
Baker, 37, of Washington, D.C.,
served as special assistant and associate counsel to the President at the
White House from 2013 to 2015.
Baker fills the vacancy created by
the retirement of Justice Orville A.
Armstrong.
Segal, 54, of Los Angeles, has
served as a judge at the Los Angeles
County Superior Court since 2001.
Segal fills the vacancy created by
the retirement of Justice Frank Y.
Jackson.
Loyola High School of Los
Angeles is celebrating 150 years,
and its sesquicentennial celebration
hit a high note on May 19 as school
president, Fr. Gregory Goethals,
SJ, presented the opening prayer as
guest chaplain in the U.S. House of
Representatives. The historic
moment for Loyola was shown live
via C-SPAN. Goethals was recommended by Congressman Xavier
Becerra (D-Calif.) in honor of
Loyola High School’s 150th
anniversary celebration. Goethals
(second from left) is pictured with
Becerra, House Speaker John
Boehner and Rev. Patrick J.
Conroy, SJ, chaplain of the U.S.
House of Representatives.
“Father Goethals is one of Los
Angeles’ finest examples of service
to the community,” Becerra said.
“It’s a great honor to welcome a
distinguished Angeleno dedicated
to educating the next generation of
leaders to the House floor to deliver the invocation.”
Loyola High School is located at
1901 Venice Blvd. For information, visit www.loyolahs.edu.
photo courtesy of Loyola High School
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
8 May 28, 2015
Paramount employees
hold day of service
photo by Adam Pantozzi/Paramount Pictures via Bernstein Associates
Paramount Pictures held its annual Viacommunity Day on Friday,
May 15, mobilizing more than 1,200 Viacom and Paramount employees around the world for an international day of service to the community. In Los Angeles, more than 750 employees participated in projects at Helen Bernstein High School (pictured), Le Conte Middle
School, Van Ness Blend Elementary School, the Los Angeles LGBT
Center and Los Angeles Zoo, as well as for organizations such as Best
Friends Animal Society and the Los Angeles Beautification Team.
“Viacommunity Day is a long-standing tradition for us at
Paramount and we are grateful to be part of a global initiative that provides the opportunity to collaborate with local organizations to create
a real and lasting impact on those who need it most in our community,” Paramount Pictures chairman and CEO Brad Grey said.
Letters to the Editor
More should be done
about helicopter noise
‘Superbug’ outbreaks
could be prevented
[Re: “Helicopter noise issue
reaches impasse”, May 21 issue],
I live on the border of West
Hollywood and Los Angeles. I
have to contend with both county
and Los Angeles city helicopters.
They are LOUD. I would say
they are the biggest problem
around here, except when there is
something big going on [along]
Hollywood Boulevard. Then,
there are multiple hovering helicopters, for hours. It is enough to
drive you out of your mind.
[Re: “Helicopter noise issue
reaches impasse”, May 21 issue],
has there been any discussion, or
is there any way to better muffle
the engine noise of helicopters?
Where I live, the biggest noise
makers are law enforcement aircraft, second to hovering news
aircraft. Commercial fixed-wing
aircraft (A380, 777, 747, etc.) are
often quieter than a helicopter.
[Re: “Hospital scrambles to
contain ‘superbug’”, Mar. 12
issue], UCLA and Cedars-Sinai
are both excellent hospitals and I
think that this outbreak has do to
with the international and diverse
patients that are going to these
two hospitals for treatment.
Diverse people carry diverse bacteria and viruses, that is a reality.
The
carbapenem-resistant
enterobacteriaceae (ERCB) that
caused this outbreak originated in
Southeast Asia and according to
the PBS program “Frontline”,
there was a major outbreak at the
NIH hospital in Bethesda
Maryland. It might not be a bad
idea to do testing for this bacteria
in patients who are having ERCP
or other endoscopic procedures
prior to the procedure. This bacteria is particularly nasty and
resistant to most antibiotics
except colistin, which is very
toxic. The development of bacteriophages and vaccines for this
bacteria would be a real breakthrough.
Craig Harvey
Montebello
Patrick Movsessian
Los Angeles
Alison Laurie
West Hollywood
Legislation amended to boost trade with Nepal
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (DCalif.) offered an amendment to
grant trade preferences to Nepal as
part of trade authority legislation
now under consideration. The
amendment would allow for the
duty-free import of textiles and
apparel products from Nepal and
mirrors the Nepal Trade Preferences
Act, which Feinstein introduced in
January.
“Nepal has been devastated by
recent earthquakes and will need
significant help to rebuild,”
Feinstein said. “One step Congress
can take is to remove tariffs on
Nepal’s textiles and garments, a
move that would mirror how many
developing nations in Africa are
treated. While these products
account for only .02 percent of total
U.S. apparel imports, this modest
bill would provide a big boost to
Nepal’s economy. With the cost of
recovery in the billions of dollars,
the least we can do is approve this
bill to help this struggling country.”
After the 2005 elimination of the
global garment quota, the Nepal
garment industry declined significantly: since 2005, the number of
people employed in that sector
dropped from more than 90,000
people to fewer than 5,000 today.
Textile and apparel exports by volume from Nepal to the United
States fell from approximately 19
million square meters in 2005 to 4.6
million in 2014. Despite being an
impoverished country, Nepal’s garments are subject to an average U.S.
tariff of 11.7 percent and can be as
high as 32 percent, officials said.
The amendment authorizes the
LAUSD to host arts festival
The Los Angeles Unified School
District’s Arts Education Branch is
inviting members of the public to its
“Let’s Celebrate!” arts festival on
Thursday, May 21 from 6 p.m. to 8
pm. at the Robert F. Kennedy Los
Angeles High School for the Arts.
Celebrity guests will include actors
Hal Linden, Jr. and Andio
Manguray, actress Maria Olsen and
president to provide duty-free treatment to products from Nepal if it
meets the same eligibility requirements outlined in the African
Growth and Opportunity Act. It
stipulates that 35 percent of the
value of covered articles must be
derived from Nepal. This will prevent goods from simply being
passed through Nepal to the United
States. It defines the eligible products as textiles and apparel wholly
assembled in Nepal as well as hand
loomed, handmade, folklore articles
and ethnic printed fabrics. It initially limits the total volume of dutyfree imports at 1.5 percent of total
U.S. textile and apparel imports,
and only permits a .33 percent
annual increase thereafter. It authorizes the duty-free treatment for up
to 10 years.
actor Azim Rizk, an alum from the
Cortines School of Visual &
Performing Arts.
The celebration will be held at the
Robert F. Kennedy Los Angeles
High School for the Arts, located at
701 Catalina Ave. For information,
visit www.lausd.net.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
9 May 28, 2015
Bill to protect children in day camps approved
The California State Senate has
approved SB 476 authored by
Sen.Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia), on
a unanimous bipartisan vote of 390. The bill will protect the wellbeing of California’s children by
ensuring that day camps in the state
are held to the same standards as
resident camps where children stay
overnight. The bill now goes to the
State Assembly for consideration.
“Every year, thousands of children throughout California attend
day camps. It is astonishing that
day camps operate with almost no
oversight. It is critical that these
camps adhere to the same health
and safety standards as overnight
camps. SB 476 protects the well-
being of children who attend day
camps by requiring that they follow
the same regulations as overnight
camps,” Mendoza said.
Current law and regulations only
cover the health and safety requirements for resident camps. As a
result, there has been confusion
related to who has jurisdiction over
the operation of day camps and
what health and safety requirements they must follow. SB 476
will define “day camps” in statute
by adding them to the organized
camp section of the Health and
Safety Code (Section 18897) that
currently provides requirements for
operating resident camps. It will
provide a definition of day camps
and specifies requirements for registering and operating a day camp,
including providing a local health
department with a notice to operate.
The bill will also clarify policies
related to field trips and staffing,
and require approval of operational
plans unless a camp is accredited
by
the
American
Camp
Association. It will require carbon
monoxide detectors in camp buildings that have a fossil fuel burning
heater, appliance, fireplace or an
attached garage and require that
bows and arrows be added to the
list of sports equipment that must
be stored in a locked cabinet when
they are not in use for authorized
camp activities.
City college unveils new
Kinesiology building
Legislation introduced to protect school children
U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein
(D-Calif.) and Roy Blunt (RMo.) recently introduced the
Helping Schools Protect Our
Children Act, which would allow
schools to use Title II Elementary
and Secondary Education Act
funds to provide training to personnel on detecting sexual abuse.
According to data collected by
the Administration for Children
and Families, more than 865,000
incidents of child abuse, including nearly 61,000 incidents of
sexual abuse, were reported in
2013.
The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention reports
that more than 12 percent of
female rape victims and nearly 28
percent of male rape victims were
first raped at age 10 or younger.
The National Child Abuse and
Neglect Data System reports that
61 percent of reports of child
abuse and neglect are made by
professionals that work with children.
However, only 17.5 percent of
reports are submitted by teachers
Israel, Beverly
Hills join efforts
The Beverly Hills City Council
and the State of Israel have
announced a partnership that will
focus on cooperative projects
involving water conservation, technology, public health, disaster preparedness, security, terrorism and
art and culture.
Beverly Hills Mayor Dr. Julian
Gold and Israeli Consul General
David Siegel have begun preliminary discussions; and a detailed
agreement, including a list of specific projects, will be presented to
the Beverly Hills City Council in
June.
“This new partnership will bring
tremendous benefits to Beverly
Hills,” Mayor Gold said. “Israel is a
global leader in many areas that are
of great concern and interest in our
community. I look forward to learning from their experience and of
finding ways we can get to know
and help our friends in Israel.”
“I welcome this partnership with
great enthusiasm,” Siegel added.
“The combined strengths of Israel
and Beverly Hills will be highly
impactful as we work together to
address our shared challenges. In
particular, we are eager to share our
solutions for water conservation
and assist the city during this severe
drought.”
“I am thrilled that we will be
sharing knowledge and expertise on
these all important issues,” said
Beverly Hills vice mayor John
Mirisch.
and other education professionals, indicating that they need
training to better recognize signs
of abuse.
“Given the amount of time
children spend in school, teachers
and other education professionals
are often in the best position to
identify sexual abuse and report
it. However, they typically do not
receive any training on how to
recognize signs of abuse,”
Feinstein said.
“The earlier abuse is detected,
the easier it is to minimize the
long-term effects on children,
which is why we should give
schools the flexibility to use federal education funds for this type
of training.”
photo courtesy of the 4th District Council Office
Los Angeles City College (LACC) recently held a grand opening for
its new state of the art Kinesiology building with a ceremony that
included Councilman Tom LaBonge, 4th District.
After the ribbon cutting, officials said LACC students will now have
a building that will encourage them to study the mechanics and
anatomy of the human movement and promote health and fitness.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
10 May 28, 2015
R ESTAU R ANT NEW S
By Jill Weinlein
Music at the Market
T
he Original Farmers Market,
corner of 3rd and Fairfax, presents the return of its free “Friday
Night Music Series” running from
Friday, May 29 through Friday,
Aug. 28. The series kicks off on
May 29 with a performance by The
Four Fabs, a Beatles tribute band
that includes famed Ed Sullivan
impersonator Michael Sherman.
The Jazz Leaders, composed of Dr.
Bobby Rodriguez, Ryan Cross,
Billy Mitchell, Paul Kreibich,
Rickey Woodard and Bobby
Matos, will perform on June 5, followed by a tribute to Motown
music with Otis Hayes, a seasoned
jazz musician who has toured with
James Brown, The Temptations and
Martha Reeves, on June 12. The
series is held every Friday beginning at 7 p.m. on the West Patio
stage. Additional highlights include
a July 10 performance by Dakota
Horvath in tribute of Frank
Sinatra’s 100th birthday. The
California Feetwarmers will perform on Aug. 7. The band was
nominated for a Grammy this year
for a song recorded with blues artist
and three-time Grammy-winner,
Keb’ Mo’. The Original Farmers
Market is located at 6333 W. 3rd St.
Call (323)933-9211, or visit
ww.farmersmarketla.com.
Beer and Cheese
K
ing Harbor Brewing Company
is collaborating with Kerry
Gold Cheese for a weekend of beer
and cheese pairings beginning on
Friday, May 29 from 5 to 9 p.m. in
the tasting room. The event is free
and open to the public. Visitors will
enjoy a limited edition beer and
cheese flight. Cheese and beer pairings will also be available for purchase and include sweet cheddar
paired with King Harbor’s Storm’s
a Brewin’; gouda paired with
California Saison; Dubliner cheese
with stout paired with IPA; and
aged cheddar with whiskey paired
with Swirly. The exclusive beer and
cheese pairing will also be available on Saturday, May 30 and
Sunday, May 31 at the King Harbor
Brewing Company tent at the
LAWineFest. 2907 182nd St.,
Redondo Beach. (310)542-8657.
LAWineFest
L
AWineFest, Los Angeles’ signature wine celebration, will be
held on Saturday, May 30 and
Sunday, May 31 from 1 to 5 p.m. at
the Raleigh Studios in Hollywood.
The festival offers fresh experiences from new wineries, breweries, wine delivery companies, and
food and wine purveyors, as well as
winery awards. L.A.’s largest and
longest-running consumer winetasting event aims to make the
world of wine fun and accessible
for Angelenos. Guests can enjoy
See Restaurant News page 12
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Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
WeHo gets ready for Pride
with arts festival
11 May 28, 2015
Supreme Court justices honored at luncheon
The Beverly Hills Bar
Association (BHBA), in conjunction with the Beverly Hills Bar
Foundation, is hosting the 61st
annual Supreme Court Luncheon
honoring the justices of the
California Supreme Court on
Tuesday, June 2 at 11:30 a.m. at
the at Montage Beverly Hills.
All seven justices are scheduled
to attend, including Chief Justice
Tani Cantil-Sakauye, who will
discuss the current state of the
judiciary, and Associate Justices
Ming W. Chin, Carol A. Corrigan,
Mariano-Florentino
Cuéllar,
Leondra R. Kruger, Goodwin H.
Liu
and
Kathryn
Mickle
Werdegar.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim
McDonnell will deliver the
keynote speech.
Recently retired Associate
Justice Marvin R. Baxter, who
served on the court for 24 years
until January, is being recognized
by the BHBA. “We are honored
to recognize the
California Supreme
Court Justices at
the Beverly Hills
Bar Association’s
annual luncheon.”
- Linda Spiegel,
BHBA president
More than 50 other judicial officers and other dignitaries are
scheduled to attend.
Scholarships are also being presented to five economically disadvantaged law students involved in
public service.
The BHBA’s annual Supreme
Court Luncheon, a tradition that
began in 1954, provides Southern
California lawyers and jurists an
opportunity to get together outside
of the courtroom.
“We are honored to recognize
the California Supreme Court
Justices at the Beverly Hills Bar
Association’s annual luncheon,”
BHBA president Linda Spiegel
said.
Tickets to the luncheon are
$220.
The Montage Beverly Hills is
located at 225 N. Canon Drive,
Beverly Hills. For tickets and
information, call (310)601-2422,
or visit www.bhba.org.
School and teachers’ union reach labor agreement
“Eternal Lovers” painting by Tino Rodriguez
Each year, the city of West Hollywood celebrates June as Pride
month through the artistic achievements of its community with the
One City One Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival, running through the end of
June.
This year, as part of West Hollywood’s 30th anniversary of cityhood, One City One Pride will spotlight the impact of AIDS on art and
culture with “WeHo@30: Art AIDS WeHo”, which opens to the public on June 6. “WeHo@30: Art AIDS WeHo” continues through Sept.
13 with extended exhibitions at the West Hollywood Library, ONE
Archives Museum & Gallery and Museum of Contemporary Art, Los
Angeles at the Pacific Design Center (MOCA-PDC) .
At 3 p.m. “Tongues Untied” will be shown in conjunction with the
exhibit of the same name at MOCA-PDC.
The film will be introduced by Jamillah James, assistant curator of
the Hammer Museum. The screening will be held in the City Council
Chambers/Public Meeting Room at West Hollywood Public Library.
On June 6 at 6 p.m. the “Art, AIDS, America” exhibition co-curator Jonathan D. Katz and exhibition artists Rudy Lemcke, Joey Terrill
and others will debate the thesis of the exhibition.
It will take place in the City Council Chambers/Public Meeting
Room at West Hollywood Public Library.
Later at 7:30 p.m. there will be a presentation by historian Glenne
about a new street banner and historical research project called
“Dancers We Lost” in the City Council Chambers/Public Meeting
Room at West Hollywood Public Library.
At 8 p.m. there will be a screenings of “Some of Your Best Friends”,
“Nancy From East Side Clover” and “L.A. A Queer History”.
Also on June 6 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., participants can take part in
the West Hollywood LGBTQ Mobile Tour.
Stuart Timmons, co-author of the historical compendium of “Gay
LA” and author of “The Trouble with Harry Hay”, had planned to
write three historical walking tours of different neighborhoods in the
L.A. area. He suffered a stroke before his West Hollywood tour was
completed. Now, thanks to a team of helpers, the tour will launch with
a colorful cast of characters dressed from different eras and armed
with historical knowledge, stationed along the route.
Beginning at 11 a.m., tour groups/shuttles will leave from the main
entrance of the West Hollywood Library approximately every 15 minutes, with the last shuttle leaving at 1 p.m. Information about selfguided tours may also be found after June 6 at www.weho.org/pride.
Bill will delete ‘lynching’ from law
Assembly Bill (AB) 629, a measure to correct a reference to the
term “lynching” in California’s
penal code by deleting it, has been
approved without dissent by
California State Senate.
“To most people ‘lynching’ is
what a mob does when it seizes
and kills a person without a trial,
usually by hanging — and it has
been especially heinous in the history of African Americans,” said
Sen. Holly J. Mitchell (D-Los
Angeles), who introduced the bill.
“But California law defines lynching as illegally removing someone
from police custody during a disturbance. Whether obsolete, perverse or just wrong, it’s time for
that law to change.”
Historically and in most legal
jurisdictions, lynching is the term
used for the infliction of violent,
often fatal punishment by selfappointed commissions, mobs, or
vigilantes, Mitchell added, on per-
sons for presumed criminal
offenses, without due process of
law.
It’s estimated that 3,500 African
Americans and 1,300 Caucasians
were lynched in the United States
between 1882 and 1968, according to state officials.
California’s Penal Code §405
(a) and (b) currently defines
lynching as the taking by means of
a riot of any person from the lawful custody of a peace officer.
Mitchell’s bill leaves the substance of the law intact, but
deletes from it any reference to
lynching.
The penalties would not be
eliminated or reduced for illegally
interfering with or improperly preventing an officer from detaining
a suspect in the course of his or
her lawful duties.
The practice of killing a person
by mob action would remain a
felony.
The Los Angeles Unified
School District (LAUSD) and the
California School Employees
Association Local Chapter 500
(CSEA), which represents 3,900
office technicians, library aides,
financial managers and other professional clerical and office
employees of the district, have
reached a three-year successor
agreement.
“I want to thank
CSEA for their
professionalism
and dedication to
our students.”
-Vivian Ekchian,
LAUSD’s chief labor
negotiator
The agreement provides union
members with access to new
employee orientation; participation in an evaluation pilot;
improvement
in
processes
through payroll optimization and
provides members with important
protections with layoffs.
Additionally, members will
receive a 2 percent salary increase
in 2014-15, a 2 percent increase in
2015-16 with a living wage
adjustment to $13 an hour for
those who make less than $13 an
hour, and a 2.5 percent increase in
2016-17 with a living wage
adjustment to $15 an hour for
those that make less than that.
The agreement allows for a
salary reopener option in cases in
which other units negotiate and
receive a higher base salary
amount.
“I want to thank CSEA for their
professionalism and dedication to
our students. This agreement continues to honor our joint commitment to serve the students in our
district while at the same time
respecting the rights of our
employees,” said Vivian Ekchian,
LAUSD’s chief labor negotiator.
“In the ongoing spirit of collaboration between the California
School Employees Association,
Local Chapter 500 and LAUSD,
we have reached a very historic
agreement that honors the rights
of employees while educating students,” the union’s negotiating
Chorale names its new president
New York Arts executive Jean
Davidson has been named president and CEO of the Los Angeles
Master Chorale (LAMC), the
nation’s largest professional chorus
and Walt Disney Concert Hall resident chorus led by artistic director
Grant Gershon.
“... We are
enormously
pleased to
welcome Jean
Davidson as
LAMC’s next
president and
CEO.”
-David Gindler,
LAMC chair
Davidson has served since 2011
as executive director and CEO of
New York Live Arts, an internationally acclaimed interdisciplinary
performing arts center under the
artistic direction of Bill T. Jones. Guiding its phenomenal growth
and success since its inception, she
was instrumental in leading the Bill
T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance
Company through its merger with
Dance Theater Workshop to create
New York Live Arts.
Davidson is cited for her forward-thinking management style,
fostering artistic innovation, developing and expanding creative partnerships with disparate educational
and cultural organizations, and
overseeing tremendous revenue
development and programmatic
growth. Davidson replaces LAMC
president and CEO Terry Knowles,
who will step down at the end of the
season following a 15-year tenure
with the chorus.
“As the Los Angeles Master
Chorale launches a new era of artistic expansion under the inspired
vision of Grant Gershon, we are
enormously pleased to welcome
Jean Davidson as LAMC’s next
president and CEO,” LAMC chair
David Gindler said.
The chorale’s 2015-16 season,
which will be its first with
Davidson as president and CEO,
features numerous national, regional and international premieres as
well as semi-staged and multimedia concerts designed to provide
immersive experiences.
team said in a statement.
The agreement will go into
effect upon ratification by unit
members and adoption by the
Board of Education.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
12 May 28, 2015
R ESTAU R ANT NEW S
By Jill Weinlein
hundreds of wines and beers al fresco at the studios. LAWineFest’s
partnership with Drizly, a new alcohol sales and delivery service,
allows attendees to purchase
exhibitor products for delivery
throughout Los Angeles County
within 48 hours after the event
ends. Additionally, “Sideways”
author Rex Pickett will sign copies
on Saturday and Sunday of his new
book, “Sideways 3 Chile”, the third
and final novel in the trilogy. The
new Quini wine tasting app can
also be downloaded for guests who
wish to vote in the first
LAWineFest Popular Choice
Awards.
Numerous new main stage shows
will be held, including “Master of
Wine” Dr. Patrick Farrell on “How
To Taste Wine”; Alex Ourieff offering “The Future Classics of
American Artisan Cheese”; and
sommelier Clare Tudor discussing
“Australian Wine Today”. Guests
who purchase a $20 add-on ticket
will be given access to the Boutique
Wine Garden, where they can taste
exclusive pours from notable
small-batch wineries. A limited
number of tickets are available for
the Boutique Wine Garden. New
wineries at the event include Fetzer,
Bodega Norton, Cambria, Byron
and Black Ink from Napa.
Numerous new breweries have also
been added, including Sierra
Nevada, Stella Artois, Claremont
Craft Ales, Fireman’s Brew
Beverages, King Harbor Brewing
Company, Reel Brewery, 101 Cider
and Washington Gold Hard Cider.
The charitable beneficiary of the
festival is the Sunshine Kids, a nonprofit organization assisting children with cancer. Single tickets are
$85; $160 for couples and $15 for
designated drivers. Admission price
includes a complimentary glass,
unlimited beverage tasting, bottled
water and coffee. 5300 Melrose
Ave. www.LAWineFest.com.
Music on the
Meadows
T
erranea Resort is kicking off
summer with its annual oceanfront concert on Sunday, May 31
from noon to 6 p.m. Guests can
enjoy an afternoon of performances
by musical headliners such as the
Old 97’s, The Dustbowl Revival
and Tyler Hilton. General admission tickets are $25; $75 for VIP
tickets which include a meet and
greet with the Old 97’s and a private reception from noon to 2 p.m.
VIP tickets also include hors d’œuvres and a complimentary bar with
a four drink maximum. Concert
guests may also choose from
“farm-to-Terranea” signature dishes, wines and craft beers such as
Smog City, Fat Tire and Sierra
Nevada. Terranea is a full service
resort; no outside food and beverages are allowed. 100 Terranea
Way. For information and room
specials, call (310)265-2771, or
visit www.Terranea.com.
24 Sips of Summer
T
he Nest at WP24 will be open
from Monday, June 1 through
Tuesday, Sept. 1, offering guests an
incentive to uncork curated and
specially priced bottles starting at
$36. Guests can enjoy sauvignon
blanc from Marlborough, New
Zealand and malbec from
Mendoza, Argentina, as well as
soon-to-be favorites from areas
such as Kamptal, Austria and
Piedmont, Italy. Nest’s staff will
also offer insight on wine pairings
for summer dishes, and provide
tasting notes that allow guests to
apply
their
newly-acquired
oenophile skills. The Nest at WP24
also offers a dedicated menu of
Asian-inspired snacks, appetizers,
sushi and large plates for pairing
with the seasonal specialties. Hours
are Monday through Saturday from
5 p.m. to midnight; 5 to 10 p.m.,
Sunday. 900 W. Olympic Blvd.
(213)743-8824.
course dinner on Wednesday, June
3 at 7:30 p.m. at Obica LA Century
City. Bellaccini will also answer
questions throughout the evening.
Diners can start with a Chianti
Classico San Felice 2011 paired
with pizza pomodoro e mozzarella,
followed by a Rosso di Montalcino
2012 paired with crostini di patè di
fegato. A Gran Selezione “Il
Grigio” 2010 will be paired with
tagliatelle ai funghi and a Brunello
di Montalcino Campo Giovanni
2010 will be paired with tagliata di
filetto. Guests can finish with a
glass of Pugnitello Toscana 2010
paired with parmigiano reggiano.
The wine dinner is $80 per person.
10250 Santa Monica Blvd.
(310)556-2452.
New Restaurant in
West Hollywood
Tam O’Shanter
Meet the Winemaker Trivia Night
at Obica
L
eonardo Bellaccini, of San
Felice Winery in Tuscany, will
pour classic Tuscan wines at a five-
T
am O’Shanter is inviting guests
to use their brains and bond
with teammates while enjoying a
good-hearted competition during
$ &
!
#
#
!
Trivia Night, held every Tuesday
from 7 to 9 p.m. The Tam serves
craft beers, unique cocktails and
delicious pub fare. Tuesday Trivia
Night is perfect for hanging out
with the guys, girls’ night out or fun
with friends. Hosted by King Trivia,
participants can assemble a team or
join one that has already formed.
Next, pick up answer sheets from
the quizmaster and grab a drink and
food before competing. The Tam
also features a late night happy hour
every Sunday through Thursday
from 9 to 11 p.m., with $5 drafts and
well drinks. Additionally, the Tam
hosts live music every Friday and
Saturday. 2980 Los Feliz Blvd.
(323)664-0228.
! !#
!
E
.P. Asian Eating House recently
opened at Melrose Avenue and
La Cienega Boulevard. The restaurant is a new multi-level modern
Asian dining destination developed
by Australian restaurateurs David
Combes and Grant Smillie, of
Botanical Hospitality. E.P. Asian
Eating House showcases contemporary Southeast Asian cuisine.
Executive chef Louis Tikaram’s
culinary direction and menu is
influenced by his Fijian-Chinese
heritage and native Australian
roots, showcasing healthy, seasonal
ingredients with smoky notes from
a wood grill, high heat wok stir-fry
and basket steaming. His dishes
include seaweed ceviche with fresh
coconut milk, lime and chili; spiced
salmon with lemongrass, kaffir
lime leaf and Vietnamese mint;
wood-grilled Fijian tuna with green
mango, roasted coconut and Thai
basil; and chili and black beauty, a
dessert made with black puffed
sticky rice and ice cream, cucumber
cream and Szechuan cotton candy.
The E.P. Rooftop offers late al fresco dining and handcrafted cocktails
by beverage director Alex Straus.
Adjacent to E.P. is Frankie’s bar, an
intimate venue for private gatherSee Restaurant News page 15
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Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
13 May 28, 2015
The District By Hannah An
Distinctive Vietnamese Cuisine
V
ietnamese cuisine is more
than just pho noodle soup,
fried spring rolls and banh
mi. Hannah An, from Crustacean in
Beverly Hills and San Francisco, is
educating Angelenos about other
special Vietnamese dishes at her
new restaurant, The District by
Hannah An.
Located across from CedarsSinai Medical Center in the space
of the former Barefoot Café Bar,
the two-story elegant restaurant
serves more than traditional
Vietnamese food. Her menu is a
culinary map of the different districts in northern, central and southern Vietnam. In Ho Chi Minh City
(formerly Saigon) there are 24 different districts, each offering distinctive culture and food that varies
by region. Some districts have
Chinese and Cambodian influences, while others have a French
fusion.
An designed the interior of the
restaurant with a sand and ocean
French colonial theme. Large
Edison
bulbs
representing
Vietnamese lanterns hang in the
dining room. Cut wood squares
representing sand are lined up
along a wall, and tables give a
reflection reminiscent of the ocean.
It’s visually serene and beautiful.
As the eldest daughter of five siblings, An’s dishes have distinctive
flavors that reflect balance. She
uses a minimal amount of oil, and
pairs herbs and vegetables with
meat using recipes that include
lemongrass,
ginger,
mint,
Vietnamese mint, Saigon cinna-
By Jill Weinlein
mon, bird’s eye chili, lime and basil
leaves. All dishes are made with
fresh ingredients, as she does not
own a freezer.
I recently joined An and a few of
her guests to taste 13 distinctive
plates and enjoy her craft cocktails.
We started with crispy spring rolls
— a very popular snack in the
northern district of Vietnam. An
adds sea bass to her spring rolls.
The dish is a perfect harmony of
fresh herbs, vegetables and fish.
Instead of traditional peanut hoisin
sauce for dipping, An serves
exquisite tamarind, garlic and lime
dipping sauce.
We also enjoyed her signature
Chilean sea bass. It’s another example of her yin and yang cooking
style. A dill and turmeric sauce
blends beautifully with the fresh
fish topped with hot onions and
served over cool rice noodles.
Crispy white rice crackers sprinkled with black seeds add a delightful crunch.
The shaken beef is made with
filet mignon cooked traditionally in
a wok with red onions, garlic, toma-
to and Thai basil. It’s served with
crisp Chinese broccoli. A must to
order are An’s noodles with luscious garlic sauce. The dish can
also be enhanced with flash-fried
lobster.
The restaurant offers craft and
classic cocktails made with freshly
squeezed fruit juices and housemade agave drinks. The Saigon cinnamon agave and peach rooibos
agave are made in-house. The rim
of the glass of the Guava Rita is
coated with kaffir lime leaf salt.
Other drinks have colorful names
such as Side Car to Vietnam, Hot
Asian and Face Down in Saigon.
Wines by the glass or bottle from
France, California, Italy, Greece,
New Zealand, Portugal and
Argentina are also available. Beers
include two selections from Japan,
two from the United States and Hue
lager from Vietnam. Japanese sake
is also served.
One of the restaurant’s most popular salads is An’s salmon Caesar
salad. After massaging the kale
leaves, the chef sprinkles quinoa
and tops the salad with a generous
piece of wild Norwegian salmon.
It’s dressed with light Hannah’s
District lime Caesar dressing. The
chef said she wants guests to see the
salmon and not hide or mask it with
heavy sauces.
An said the tamarind black cod
dish is a traditional Vietnamese
favorite cooked in a clay pot. She
also serves ca kho with seared bok
choy in Vietnamese tomato herb
broth.
An wanted us to try a few of the
brunch dishes. I highly recommend
the Morning Star oatmeal with
sliced starfruit, mango and papaya.
An adds avocado, which I have
never seen served with oatmeal.
photo courtesy of The District
Coriander crusted lamb chops are served with curried Brussel sprouts
and Vietnamese mint pesto.
The luscious and creamy fruit is the
star of the dish. It tastes great with a
drizzle of wild honey and
Vietnamese cinnamon.
I also enjoyed her banh xeo
crepe, which was slightly crispy on
the outside and filled with chicken,
shrimp, red leaf lettuce and mint
sprigs, and sprinkled with fish
sauce.
During brunch, the restaurant
serves bottomless guava mimosas
and bloody Marys that pair perfectly with The District Benedict or
crab Benedict, made with a bao
bun. Instead of a traditional English
muffin, An flash fries a bao and
tops it with fresh crab or thick-cut
applewood smoked bacon, as well
as light lemongrass sauce.
I enjoyed lunch so much that I
started telling everyone about An.
Four nights later, my husband and I
went back with guests for dinner.
The interior is even prettier in the
evening, with candles and the
Edison hanging lights providing a
romantic atmosphere. I discovered
new District delicacies by ordering
both of An’s calamari dishes. Her
Saigon calamari is robust with wok
fried squid, Thai basil and scallions.
It made a big impression on our
guests, as did An’s signature wok
lobster, chicken curry, Chilean sea
bass and homemade noodles. We
finished with flavorful Vietnamese
coffee with condensed milk.
Each dish delighted our senses
with intriguing fresh ingredients.
The District By Hannah An is a
culinary adventure that I look forward to enjoying again soon.
The restaurant opens at 11:30
a.m. for lunch every Monday
through Friday; and daily at 5 p.m.
for dinner. Brunch is served on
Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
$$$ 8722 W. 3rd St. (310)2782345.
photo courtesy of The District
Decor at The District is sleek, with a ocean French colonial theme .
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Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
14 May 28, 2015
Police Blotter
The following crimes occurred in West Hollywood and the areas patrolled
by the LAPD’s Wilshire and Hollywood divisions between May 19 and May
25, 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)855-8850.
May 19
At 2:30 a.m., an unknown suspect
committed a burglary in the 7700
block of Melrose.
An unknown suspect committed a
theft in the 8600 block of Sunset at
4 a.m.
At 4 a.m., an unknown suspect
stole a vehicle parked near the
corner of Oakwood and Fairfax.
An unknown suspect committed a
theft in the 1100 block of N. La
Brea at 5 a.m.
At 6 a.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 1800
block of Wilcox.
An unknown suspect assaulted a
victim in the 200 block of N.
Ridgewood at 8 a.m.
At 1:45 p.m., an unknown suspect
stole a bicycle near the corner of
La Brea and Beverly.
A suspect burglarized a vehicle
parked in the 100 block of N. La
Cienega at 2 p.m.
At 4:15 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft near the
corner of Fairfax and Melrose.
An unknown suspect robbed a victim near the corner of Van Ness
and La Mirada at 7:30 p.m.
At 10:30 p.m., an unknown suspect assaulted a victim in the 6000
block of Hollywood.
An unknown suspect robbed a victim near the corner of Formosa
and Lexington at 11:32 p.m.
May 21
At 9 a.m., an unknown suspect
committed a burglary in the 600
block of Seward.
At 11 a.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 600
block of S. Detroit.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 900 block of N.
Las Palmas at 10:20 a.m.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 300 block of S.
Fuller at 11 a.m.
At 10:30 a.m., an unknown suspect committed a burglary in the
400 block of N. Crescent Heights.
At noon, a theft was reported in
the 7800 block of Beverly.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 1000 block of N.
La Cienega at 11:30 a.m.
At 11:30 a.m., a suspect burglarized a vehicle parked near the corner of Vista and Franklin.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 100 block of
Robertson at 12:15 p.m.
At 12:45 p.m., an unknown suspect committed a grand theft in the
8100 block of Melrose.
A suspect burglarized a vehicle
parked in the 600 block of La
Cienega at 3:26 p.m.
At 5:15 p.m., a suspect burglarized a vehicle parked in the 1200
block of Flores.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 8500 block of
Sunset at 7:20 p.m.
At 8 p.m., a suspect burglarized a
vehicle parked in the 1400 block of
N. Gardner.
An unknown suspect robbed a victim in the 1700 block of Whitley at
8:55 p.m.
At 10 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a burglary in the 100
block of S. Detroit.
May 20
At 9 a.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft near the
corner of Crenshaw and Wilshire.
An unknown suspect committed a
theft in the 5600 block of Sunset at
10 a.m.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 700 block of Vine
at 1:30 p.m.
At 3:29 p.m., an unknown suspect
assaulted a victim near the corner
of Fairfax and Beverly.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 4600 block of
Olympic at 3:30 p.m.
At 4 p.m., an unknown suspect
assaulted a victim near the corner
of Sycamore and Rosewood.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 1300 block of N.
Hayworth at 6:15 p.m.
At 9 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft near the
corner of Sunset and Vine.
A suspect burglarized a vehicle
parked in the 400 block of N.
Orange at 10:30 p.m.
May 22
At 3 p.m., an unknown suspect
stole a vehicle parked near the
corner of Sunset and Orange.
A suspect burglarized a vehicle
parked in the 100 block of S.
Orange at 6:30 p.m.
At 6:45 p.m., a theft was reported
in the 7900 block of Santa Monica.
An attempted robbery was reported in the 6800 block of Lexington
at 7 p.m.
At 9 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 8900
block of Santa Monica.
May 23
At 1 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 500
block of N. Bronson.
At 1:30 a.m., a suspect burglarized a vehicle parked in the 8200
block of Blackburn.
An unknown suspect robbed a victim in the 700 block of S. Citrus at
1:30 p.m.
An unknown suspect assaulted a
victim in the 9200 block of Sunset
at 1:30 a.m.
At 1:30 a.m., a suspect committed
a theft in the 100 block of N. La
Cienega.
A suspect burglarized a vehicle
parked in the 8400 block of Sunset
at 2 p.m.
At 3:45 p.m., an unknown suspect
stole a vehicle parked in the 600
block of N. Gardner.
A suspect burglarized a vehicle
parked near the corner of Seward
and Fountain at 2:40 p.m.
At 3:40 p.m., an unknown suspect
assaulted a victim near the corner
of Hollywood and La Brea.
A suspect burglarized a vehicle
parked near the corner of Seward
and Waring at 5 p.m
May 24
At 1:25 a.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 1400
block of N. Ivar.
An unknown suspect assaulted a
victim in the 6700 block of
Hollywood at 2:09 a.m.
At 4:50 a.m., unknown suspect
robbed a victim near the corner of
Clinton and Fairfax.
A suspect burglarized a vehicle
parked near the corner of Kings
and Waring at 10 a.m.
At 1:15 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 7500
block of Beverly.
An unknown suspect stole a vehi-
cle parked near the corner of Lodi
and Fountain at 1:30 p.m.
At 5 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a grand theft in the 400
block of Almont.
A suspect burglarized a vehicle
parked in the 600 block of N.
Wilton at 7:30 p.m.
At 10 p.m., an unknown suspect
stole a vehicle parked in the 400
block of S. Curson.
A theft was reported in the 6800
block of Hollywood at 11 p.m.
May 25
At 2:45 a.m., an unknown suspect
robbed a victim in the 8700 block
of Santa Monica.
Defendant convicted in Medicare fraud case
The former owner of a Los
Angeles-based medical supply
company was sentenced on May 26
to seven years in prison for his role
in a fraud scheme that resulted in
$3.3 million in fraudulent claims to
Medicare.
Hakop Gambaryan, 55, of East
Hollywood, was convicted following a jury trial on March 20 of four
counts of health care fraud. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S.
District Court Judge Otis D. Wright
II, of the Central District of
California, ordered Gambaryan to
pay $1.7 million in restitution.
The evidence at trial showed that
Gambaryan, the former owner of a
durable medical equipment supply
company, fraudulently billed more
than $3 million to Medicare for
durable medical equipment, such as
power wheel chairs, that was not
medically necessary. Medicare paid
approximately $1.7 million on
those fraudulent claims.
The evidence demonstrated that
between March 2006 and
December 2012, Gambaryan paid
cash kickbacks to medical clinics
for fraudulent prescriptions for
durable medical equipment, which
the patients did not need.
Gambaryan then used these prescriptions to bill Medicare for the
unnecessary equipment.
Gambaryan personally delivered
power wheelchairs to many beneficiaries who were able to walk without assistance. In one instance,
Gambaryan carried a power wheelchair up a flight of stairs for a
woman who lived in a second floor
apartment with no elevator. In
another instance, the power wheelchair would not fit inside the beneficiary’s home, so Gambaryan put it
in the beneficiary’s garage. The
evidence also demonstrated that
Gambaryan generated false documentation to support the fraudulent
claims, including fake home
assessments when no home assessments
actually
occurred.
Additionally, Gambaryan photocopied beneficiaries’ signatures
hundreds of times to create the
appearance that the beneficiaries
consented to ongoing equipment
rentals, when they did not. At least
two of the beneficiaries had passed
away prior to the date they supposedly signed the rental agreements.
The case was investigated by the
FBI and the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services Office
of Inspector General, and was
brought as part of the Medicare
Fraud Strike Force, under the
supervision of the Criminal
Division’s Fraud Section and the
U.S. Attorney’s Office of the
Central District of California.
Since its inception in March
2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike
Force, now operating in nine cities
across the country, has charged
nearly 2,100 defendants who have
collectively billed the Medicare
program for more than $6.5 billion.
For information about the Health
Care Fraud Prevention and
Enforcement
Team,
visit
www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.
Suspect sentenced for robbing elderly victims
A 38-year-old man was sentenced on May 21 to five years in
state prison after pleading guilty to
robbing elderly women who had
just withdrawn money from their
banks, the Los Angeles County
District
Attorney’s
Office
announced.
The defendant, Dewayne Taylor,
entered a plea to two counts of robbery and admitted the special allegations of inflicting great bodily
injury on a person over 70 years
old, and committing a crime against
someone over the age of 65. Los
Angeles County Superior Court
Judge David Horwitz immediately
sentenced Taylor and ordered the
defendant to pay nearly $8,500 in
restitution to the victims.
Deputy
District
Attorney
Michelle Dodd, of the district attorney’s office’s elder abuse section,
said Taylor robbed an 85-year-old
woman last September on her way
to her home after conducting business at a bank. Taylor fled in a vehicle after he grabbed the woman’s
purse. The victim fell to the ground
and was injured.
Several days later, Taylor robbed
a 67-year-old woman in the 3000
block of 10th Avenue after she withdrew money from her bank. Taylor
stole the woman’s purse, pushed her
to the ground and drove away. The
victim suffered minor injuries.
The case was investigated by Los
Angeles Police Department, the Los
Angeles
County
Sheriff’s
Department and the Santa Monica
Police Department.
Former firefighter pleads guilty to assault, battery
A former Los Angeles firefighter
was found guilty on May 21 for the
beating of a woman who cared for
stray cats in their neighborhood, the
Los Angeles County District
Attorney’s Office announced.
Jurors deliberated for less than
two hours before determining Ian
Justin Eulian, 39, was guilty of one
count each of battery with serious
bodily injury and assault by means
likely to produce great bodily
injury.
Deputy district attorney Joshua
Ritter said Eulian approached the
woman, who was inside her parked
car, on Sept. 14, 2013, leaned into
the car and yelled at the woman
who threw cat kibble at him. The
defendant then punched the victim
twice, pulled the victim out of her
car and struck her again as she fell
to the ground, where she remained
unconscious.
Video surveillance camera
footage showing the attack was
played during the trial. Sentencing
is scheduled for June 30. Eulian
faces up to seven years in state
prison.
LAPD investigators search for clues in shooting
Detectives with the Los Angeles
Police Department’s West Bureau
Homicide Unit are asking for the
public’s help in indentifying a suspect responsible for the shooting
of a 19-year-old man in the
Olympic Division.
The shooting occurred on May
25 at approximately 11:15 p.m.
Olympic Division officers were
flagged down by a citizen who
directed them to the victim, who
was lying on the ground near the
intersection of 7th Street and
Shatto Place. The officers found
the victim unresponsive. He was
taken by paramedics to a hospital,
where he is listed in critical condi-
tion. Witnesses reported that they
saw a dark sedan leaving the area.
The suspects wee described as
Hispanic men.
Anyone with information about
the shooting is urged to contact
detectives with the LAPD’s West
Bureau Homicide Unit at
(213)382-9470.
15 May 28, 2015
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
Crossword Puzzle by Myles Mellor
21. Soak up again
22. Theoretical physicist
25. English race place
26. Dig
27. Get ready for something difficult or unpleasant
29. Be crazy about
30. Feather, zoologically
31. City on the Ruhr
32. Casual attire
33. Bangladesh’s capital, old
name
34. Journeys
36. Pit contents
38. Easy task, slangily
39. The “p” in r.p.m.
41. Type of oil
46. Bivalve mollusk
48. Grave
49. Vaulted
51. Squarely
52. Makes lace
53. Offended
54. Great Lakes city
55. Jerk
56. Even
57. Chant
58. Oomph
59. Wife in “Finnegans Wake”
60. File
Restaurant News
From page 12
ings with a handcrafted cocktail
program. The restaurant opens
nightly at 6 p.m. 603 N. La
Cienega Blvd. (310)855-9955.
Across
1. Radiate
5. Shots, for short
9. Young pigeon
14. Anatomical sacs
15. Froth
16. Rid
17. Mae a powerful kick
18. Mysterious letter
19. High wave
20. Possess without debt
23. “Indeed”
24. Suffix with ideal
25. Pop-ups, e.g.
28. Woodworking tool
32. Insect killer
35. Scrape
37. Melt
40. Absence of guilt
42. Dominated
43. Neck ache
44. Abbr. before a number
45. Pressure, in a way
47. Family heads
48. Wood-shaping tool
50. Peke squeak
52. Criminal’s declaration
61. Gold, in Roma
62. Not say directly
63. Elbow-wrist connection
64. Humdrum
65. Allocate, with “out”
66. Grandmothers, in the U.K.
67. Mount with spirit
68. Fragrance
69. Hill crest
Down
1. Come back
2. ___ Mix
3. Representation
4. Chewy candy
5. All over again
6. Grimace
7. Latino rock group
8. Doomsayer’s sign
9. Glasses
10. Misgiving
11. Egg on
12. Must-see city for a tourist in
India
13. Miller, for one
CHAYA
Downtown’s New
Chef
C
HAYA welcomes new executive chef Joji Inoue to its
downtown Los Angeles restaurant.
Inoue’s redesigned menu and new
Kaisen raw bar includes lamb
tsukune skewers prepared on
Chaya’s yakitori grill from Japan.
The chef also prepares Osakastyle battera sushi and seafood
from the famed Tsukiji Fish
Market
and
the
Kyushu
Prefecture. Also new at the restaurant is the whole fish served tableside offering diners elegant service and presentation. 525 S.
Flower St. (213)236-9577.
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Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge was pictured with his
wife, Brigid, and his children Charles and Mary-Cate, during an election night party four years ago in this photo from the March 10, 2011
issue of the Park Labrea News and Beverly Press. LaBonge’s tenure
as city councilman for the 4th District will end on June 30, and he
said one of his priorities will be to spend more time with his family.
For information, see page 1. (This headline sounds familiar to one on
Wednsday, Nov. 7, 2012 on the front page of the Los Angeles
Times.)
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
16 May 28, 2015
Organization partners with County encourages mothers to keep healthy
celebrity chef to aid seniors
Nearly 50 percent of families living near senior relatives recently
acknowledged in a study that they do not have enough sit-down dinners with senior loved ones, and that the figure has decreased since
their childhood. Seniors tend to have a better mealtime experience
– both nutritionally and emotionally – when they share a meal with
a companion.
Home Instead Senior Care has partnered with celebrity chef and
mother of four, Melissa d’Arabian, to develop easy, nutritious
recipes that all generations can enjoy.
Additionally, Home Instead of Los Angeles is offering free tools and
resources to foster deeper engagement within a family, including
tips on how to involve seniors in meal planning, preparation and
pre- and post-dinner activities, as well as conversation starters and
activities.
As an incentive to encourage families to commit to having a sitdown dinner with loved ones, the Home Instead Senior Care
Foundation will donate $1 to Meals on Wheels America for each
person that commits to regularly sitting down to dinner with their
family at www.SundayDinnerPledge.com, up to $20,000.
Through submitted pledges, residents will help ensure aging adults
will have a quality and nutritious meal, a friendly visit and a safety
check delivered by Meals on Wheels.
For
information,
call
(310)590-1685,
or
visit
www.SundayDinnerPledge.com.
LGBT Center hosts music night
The Los Angeles LGBT Center’s
Senior Services program presents the
inaugural “Golden Summer Concert
Series” running from Monday, June
8 through Thursday, Aug. 27 at The
Village at Ed Gould Plaza in
Hollywood.
A wide range of musical styles
will be featured, including keyboardists, jazz pianists, guitarists,
vocalists and more. The concerts will
take place at 6:30 p.m. on June 8,
July 14 and 31, and Aug. 27 in The
Village’s courtyard. Admission is
free and open to all ages.
“We want to bring energy to The
Village and fill the courtyard with
beautiful music and harmonies,” said
Anthony Bright, manager of pro-
grams and administrative oversight
for the center’s senior services programs. “We encourage all families
and music aficionados of all ages to
support our local musicians and be
entertained by their musical talents
under
the
stars.”
The series launches on June 8 with a
performance by Lewis Kane/Sue
Jim. Brian Frank performs on July
14; Maestro/Alex Lane and Carl
Clever perform on July 31; and
Cynthia Wang and Tanya Witt perform on Aug. 27. The Los Angeles
LGBT Center’s Village at Ed Gould
Plaza is located at 1125 N.
McCadden Place. For information,
call (323)860-5830, or visit www.lalgbtcenter.org/senior_services.
Alzheimer’s patients receive help
Facing memory loss or
Alzheimer’s? You are not alone
Alzheimer’s Association’s toll-free
Helpline provides around-the-clock
information and support.
Imagine that you or a loved one
is having memory problems. How
can you tell if it’s normal aging, or
is it something more?
What if someone you care about
is having mood or personality
changes? Could it be Alzheimer’s
disease or dementia? What are the
treatment choices? How can you
prepare? Even with a diagnosis,
your doctor might not be able to
answer every question. Fortunately,
there is help.
The Alzheimer’s Association
operates a toll-free Helpline that
that can be reached at (800)2723900, with answers to questions
about Alzheimer’s, dementia and
memory loss. Knowledgeable staff
and trained volunteers are available
to answer questions and address
concerns of family members, caregivers, health care professionals
and members of the public.
The staff is trained to answer
callers’ questions about medications and treatment choices; aging
and brain health; the skills necessary to provide quality care and
how to find the best care from professionals; as well as legal, financial and living-arrangement decisions; and referrals to community
programs, services and ongoing
support programs.
A free translation service in more
than 140 languages and dialects is
also available through the helpline.
For information on the Alzheimer’s
Association, California Southland
Chapter, visit www.alz.org/socal.
The Los Angeles County
Department of Public Health
(Public Health) encourages
women, especially mothers, to
keep personal health a priority.
The department’s office of
women’s health recently launched
a campaign to promote the
Women’s Health Hotline and
remind mothers to take care of
their own health needs, in addition
to the needs of their family.
“We want mothers to remember
that it is crucial for them to make
their own health a priority so they
can be there for their loved ones in
the years to come,” said Cynthia
Harding, interim director of the
Department of Public Health.
“Moms are great at multitasking.
They make sure to take their children to their doctors’ appointments but, ironically, they often
forget to schedule their own. This
campaign is a call to action. It’s a
reminder for L.A. County moms
to take time out to focus on their
own health and well-being for the
benefit of the whole family.”
The office of women’s health
operates a free multi-lingual
Women’s Health Hotline at
(800)793-8090. “It’s a reminder for
L.A. County moms
to take time out to
focus on their own
health and
well-being for the
benefit of the
whole family.”
-Cynthia Harding,
interim director of the
Department of Public Health
The information shared remains
confidential.
This resource is free and available to all individuals, with or
without
health
insurance.
Services provided include free or
low-cost appointments and referrals for pap tests, breast exams
and mammograms, information
and referrals for health insurance,
and referrals to local health care
resources.
“Seeing a health care provider
is important at any age but, as
women age, their bodies change
and they have specific health
needs,” said Dr. Rita Singhal,
medical director for the office of
women’s health. “Screening tests,
such as pap tests and mammograms, can find cancer early when
it is easier to treat. Also, identifying and treating other health conditions, such as hypertension and
diabetes, can lower the risk of
developing heart disease.”
Hotline hours are Monday
through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6
p.m.
During all other times, callers
may leave a voicemail and a hotline operator will return the call
during regular business hours.
Email messages may also be
sent to [email protected].
For
information,
visit
www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/o
wh.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
17 May 28, 2015
Unique sculptures to be displayed at LACMA
“Noah Purifoy: Junk Dada” is
opening at the The Los Angeles
County Museum of Art (LACMA)
on June 7. It is the first monographic exhibition dedicated to the late
California-based artist Noah
Purifoy. The exhibition is co-curated by Franklin Sirmans, Terri and
Michael Smooke department head
and curator of contemporary art at
LACMA, and independent curator
Yael Lipschutz.
Purifoy (1917-2004) lived and
worked most of his life in Los
Angeles and Joshua Tree. A founding director of the Watts Towers Art
Center, his earliest body of sculpture, constructed out of charred
debris from the 1965 Watts
Rebellion, was the basis for 66
“Signs of Neon”, a landmark group
exhibition about the riots that traveled to nine venues between 1966
and 1969.
In the late 1980s, after 11 years
of public policy work for the
California Arts Council, where
Purifoy initiated programs such as
Artists in Social Institutions, bringing art into the state prison system,
Purifoy moved his practice to the
photo courtesy of Noah Purifoy Foundation
The sculpture “Ode to Frank Gehry” is one of many pieces made by
Noah Purifoy, who created 10 acres of sculptures using junked items.
photo courtesy of Barbara Meltzer
Mojave desert. He lived there for
the last 15 years of his life, creating
10 acres of large-scale sculpture
constructed entirely from junked
materials. The exhibition explores a
pivotal yet under-recognized figure
in the development of postwar
American Art. The exhibition was
organized by LACMA and made
possible by The Andy Warhol
Bill helps children of ailing parents
California State Assemblyman
Mike Gatto’s (D-Glendale) legislation to provide reasonable accommodations for adult children who
want to visit an ailing parent was
approved by the Assembly by a 770 vote. The legislation, AB 1085,
will provide legal recourse when
children are being denied access to a
parent by their parent’s current
spouse or another family member.
With divorce and remarriage
common, there is a possibility of
conflict between a subsequent
spouse and a child from an ailing
parent’s previous marriage. Current law provides no mechanism for children or relatives to petition a court for visitation when they
are denied access. Nor is there an obligation for such
caretakers even to inform family
members when an elder dies.
AB 1085 would give judges
authority to direct, or grant, a conservator the power to enforce
senior’s right to receive visitors,
telephone calls and personal mail. It
will be an important mechanism for
families attempting to connect with
elders for what is often the last
time. The measure also will require
caretakers to give notice of an
elder’s death to certain family members. “Conflict among family members
is the last thing our loved ones want
to see as they approach their final
hours,” Gatto said.
Assemblyman Gatto has been
working to develop the legislation
with several adult children who have
been denied access to their ailing
parents, including radio and television personality Kerri Kasem, current co-host of the show “Protecting
Your Family” on KABC Talk
Radio. Kerri is an advocate of visitation
rights for adult children as a result of
her struggle to see her father, broadcasting legend Casey Kasem, who
struggled with poor health before his
death last year.
What’s your plan for long-term care?
“Ageing seems to be the only
available way to live a long life.”
- Daniel Francois Espirit Auber
Life expectancy has increased
over the years, making longevity
financial tools like long-term care
insurance and lifetime income annuities essential planning tools.
Long-term care is custodial care
for physical needs lasting longer
than 90 days. Specifically, the assistance is with ADL’s (Activities of
Daily Living) such as transference,
toileting, bathing, dressing and eating. Long-term care can take place
in settings such as the privacy and
comfort of an individual’s home, in
an assisted living/residential care
community, adult day care or skilled
nursing facility (SNF).
The average cost for longterm
care services varies by state and
county, but can easily cost upwards
of several thousands of dollars per
month. Unfortunately, neither
Medicare nor regular health insurance will pay for it (a fact that surprises many families). California’s
Partnership for Long-Term Care has
sponsored several informative stud-
Supervisor Kuehl has
breakfast with senior leaders
ies on the topics and maintains a
website at www.ruready.ca.gov to
provide consumers with information
and to connect them with a partnership of trained professional like
myself to discuss long-term care
pre-planning options.
Why is having a plan to address
future long-term care needs important?
Aging and its challenges are part
of the natural progression of life.
Surprisingly, most retirees (threeout-of-four) will require long-term
care at some point in their lifetime.
Pre-planning for this highly possible
future need can make a world of difference for many reasons, including
familial, emotional and financial
reasons.
If you are doing well healthwise
and financially today, consider that
these options do not go on sale, so
there is really no benefit in waiting
to take action.
I simplify the process for clients
and together, we design a plan for
the long-term.
For more information, contact
Solomon S. Moore, MBA, at
(323)404-1896
or
visit
www.solomonSmoore.com.
Foundation for the Visual Arts and
the National Endowment for the
Arts. Additional support is provided by Peter Morton, in memory of
Gil
Friesen;
the
Dedalus
Foundation; and the Wallis
Annenberg Director’s Endowment
Fund. LACMA is located at 5905
Wilshire Blvd. For information,
visit www.lacma.org.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, 3rd District, recently
hosted a breakfast for her appointed commissioners at the Los
Angeles County Hall of Administration.
Joining Kuehl (second from left) were West Hollywood resident
Barbara Meltzer, Fairfax District resident Bernard Weintraub and
Kathleen Sullivan, all of whom serve on the Los Angeles County
Commission for Older Adults. Additionally, Meltzer serves on the
West Hollywood Human Services Commission, and Sullivan is in
charge of senior services at the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
18 May 28, 2015
Hollywood youth center reopens to seniors
By Luis Rivas
After more than a year of being
closed, the Weingart Youth Center
in Hollywood will be opening its
doors again to the community on
Monday, June 1. However, the center is looking for funding assistance
for its newly-refurbished gymnasium.
The Weingart Youth Center,
founded in 1996, is a program of the
Salvation Army in Hollywood that
focuses on after school and youth
resource programming, including
sports and homework assistance for
middle and high school students in
the Hollywood area.
The center is open to boys and
girls. Most of the youth served at the
center come from underserved communities and single-parent households.
With the new renovations to the
center’s gymnasium, including its
basketball court, representatives are
hoping to attract more community
members of all ages, including
seniors.
“We want to service seniors as
well. It’s going to be all-around program for all ages. There will be
some sports, use of the computer
room, bingo for seniors and ESL
classes,” said Weingart Youth
Center program and ministry leader
Carlos Gonzalez.
Some of the center’s new guests
will come from the Salvation
Army’s Silvercrest senior-living
home is next door.
In addition to bingo and a computer room, seniors may also play
pickleball, which is a combination
photo by Luis Rivas
The Weingart Youth Center’s newly-refurbished gymnasium, including
the basketball court, will be available to youth and seniors.
of tennis, badminton and ping-pong.
The center, which served more
than 20 families when it opened,
was closed due to plumbing issues
and the gym was subsequently damaged, according to Gonzalez.
Gonzalez has asked for financial
support from the Hollywood United
Neighborhood Council to purchase
sports equipment for use in the
gymnasium.
“Basically, since we are starting
from scratch, there wasn’t much
here as far as equipment. We have a
few basketballs, but we’re hoping to
get more basic equipment to get the
program up and running, such as
handballs, volleyballs and volley-
Community leaders honor doctor
More than 800 leaders in entertainment, politics, business and
medicine came together at the
Beverly Hilton Hotel on May 6 at
the Tower Cancer Research
Foundation’s “Tower of Hope
Gala”. Dr. Kenneth Adashek was
honored at the gala along with cancer survivor James Belardi, who is
chairman and CEO of Athene Asset
Management LLC and Athene
Holding Ltd.; and Skechers USA.
Additionally, more than $2.3 million in research grants were awarded at the gala, including a $1 million
Discovery Fund grant to create an
innovative mesothelioma study in
Southern California. The event
raised more than $1.2 million to
fund cancer research.The Tower
Cancer Research Foundation was
founded in 1996 and is based in
Beverly Hills.
The foundation provides grants
for innovative research, patient support and community education to
promote more effective treatments
for cancer.
For information, visit www.towercancer.org.
Food bank helps young and old
The Los Angeles Regional Food
Bank (LRFB) will launch its 10th
annual Summer Meal Program on
June 1.
The program, which has nearly
doubled in size over the past three
years due to increasing need, will
run until school begins, providing
nutritious lunches to children who
would normally access their midday meal at school.
LRFB provides enough food to
feed 280,500 clients monthly, some
of which is distributed through summer programs throughout Los
Angeles County in accordance with
the Summer Food Service Program
(SFSP), which also operates during
the school year.
In 2015, the program — which
reaches children most in need during the critical summer months,
when volunteerism and donations
are at their lowest — will serve
more than 6,000 meals a day from
more than 100 distribution sites,
including boys and girls clubs, summer school locations, community
centers, the Salvation Army and
some public libraries. The updated
list and income guidelines for 2015
Shirley Temple remembered
at Santa Monica museum
provide the closed and open sites
available, the types of meals
offered, meal service start and end
dates, meal service times and
income requirements for closed
sites. Open sites are places where
any child can receive a meal.
Registration is required at closed
sites. For a full list of 2015 summer
meal sites for children, visit
http://bit.ly/summermeals15. For 42
years, LRFB has worked to mobilize resources in the community to
alleviate hunger.
With a vision that no one goes
hungry in Los Angeles County,
LRFB has distributed more than 1
billion pounds of food since its
inception.
LRFB collects food from hundreds of resources, which — with
the help of 27,000 volunteers annually — it distributes through a network of more than 690 partner
agencies at more than 1,000 distribution
and
program
sites.
Additionally, 97 percent of funds
raised and in-kind donations go
directly to programs. For information or to get involved, visit
www.lafoodbank.org.
ball nets and cones to do drills.
Luckily we have some basketballs,
they’re pretty beat up but useable,”
Gonzalez said.
Residents can sign up for a yearlong membership at the Weingart
Youth Center by visiting the location at 5941 Hollywood Blvd. or by
calling (323)960-0643. For children
ages 6 to 18, the membership fee is
$7.
For people ages 18 and up, membership is $10; $8 for seniors.
“We’re going to start off with
what we already have. It’s been
closed for such a long time that we
want to open with what we have to
the community,” Gonzalez said.
photo courtesy of Theriault’s
Legendary actress Shirley Temple’s personal childhood collection
of movie costumes, dolls and memorabilia will be on display as part
of the “Love, Shirley Temple” nationwide museum tour, running at
the Santa Monica History Museum from June 4 through 10.
Temple grew up in Santa Monica and was the most famous child
star in the world during the 1930s and 1940s. Her family has preserved a historic collection of her extensive childhood wardrobe and
memorabilia, and it will be seen for the very first time. The first-ever
nationwide museum tour, “Love Shirley Temple” is sponsored by
Theriault’s. The tour will highlight Temple’s famed childhood years
from 1928 through 1940 in select cities from New York to California.
The collection includes a child-sized racing car given to Temple by
her close friend and co-star Bill “Bojangles” Robinson; a Steinway
baby-grand piano inscribed to her by Theodore Steinway on behalf of
his family; her autograph books and a myriad of Temple’s cherished
dolls, playthings, signed letters and more. The exhibition will also
include many paintings and illustrations created for her by famed
artists, animators and cartoonists of the period. The Santa Monica
History Museum is located at 1350 7th St. in Santa Monica. For information, visit www.santamonicahistory.org.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
19 May 28, 2015
‘Pitch Perfect 2’ falls flat compared to the original
Remember 2012? We bore witness to some incredible films:
“Silver Linings Playbook”, “The
Avengers”, “Perks of Being a
Wallflower”, and even “The Cabin
in the Woods”. And an unexpected
diamond in the rough emerged,
packaged like a “Step Up”
wannabe.
“Pitch Perfect” was, well, a perfect blend of cleverly crass jokes
and head-on hilarious ones. The
music was chill too, but second fiddle to the on-screen chemistry of so
many leading ladies.And now
comes the sequel and all the muchdeserved hype. With Elizabeth
Banks upgraded from executive
producer to director, how could anything go wrong? And yet it does. It’s
not an abysmal failure, but I kept
reliving “Hangover Part II”
throughout each recycled joke and
far too many forced attempts at
humor.
The stakes are greater, but they
just don’t feel that important. After
three years on top, the Barden
Bellas rule collegiate a cappella. But
a wardrobe malfunction during a
performance for the president ends
in public disgrace and an indefinite
suspension. Nobody believes Fat
Amy (Rebel Wilson) would forget
she’s commando and let loose the
dogs of war while hanging from silk
sheets 20 feet high.
Chloe (Brittany Snow), who’s put
off graduating several times, is distraught, but Beca (Anna Kendrick),
always the outsider, doesn’t seem to
care. She’s got her man, Jesse
(Skylar Astin, who’s largely absent
in this film), and a new internship
that could lead her to a career in
music producing.
And what about the next generation of Bellas? Fresh-Bella Emily
(Hailee Steinfeld) desperately wants
the college experience her mother
(Katey Sagal) promised, but the
whole gang is too wrapped up in
their own problems to notice.
Regardless, the toughest Pitches out
there must get over themselves if
they want to rebuild their name at
the world championship. But can
they beat the German favorites,
DSM, or Das Sound Machine, lead
by Kommissar (Birgitte Hjort
Sørensen), a towering nemesis who
sexually confuses Beca (it’s not as
funny as it sounds).
“This is
particularly sad in
a film franchise
that boasts an
ensemble of
characters who
bring so many
different things to
the screen.”
Perhaps the most uncomfortable
addition is Flo (Chrissie Fit), a
Guatemalan Bella who helps bring a
dash of acrobatics and spectacle to
their performances.
Fine so far. But her every line is a
trite joke about her third-world
problems, in the most stereotypical
ways possible. “Modern Family”
can pull that off, not “Pitch Perfect
2”. There’s also an odd moment
where quiet Lilly (Hana Mae Lee)
sports some ninja skills. Again, not
funny.
At least Fat Amy’s funny right?
You’d think. Mermaid dancing and
horizontal exercise were great in
“Pitch Perfect”, but she doesn’t
have much to do here — not even
her romance with Bumper
(“Workaholics’s” Adam DeVine)
can evoke more than a courtesy
chuckle.
And Steinfeld as an awkward
newbie is too much of a stretch.
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She’s an Oscar nominee, but comedy might not be her area.
I hate to admit it, but KeeganMichael Key is the funniest thing
about “Pitch Perfect 2”, but only
because he plays the same kind of
character we see every week on
“Key and Peele”.
This is particularly sad in a film
franchise that boasts an ensemble of
characters who bring so many different things to the screen. Here,
nobody’s really funny.
Not even the banter between John
(John Michael Higgins) and Gail
(Elizabeth Banks), who so wonderfully commentated the first film’s
musical showdowns, can bring back
the magic.
Unlike other performance-based
films, “Pitch Perfect” didn’t feature
the best singers or even the most
inventive arrangements. They
lucked out with the actual radio hit
photo courtesy of Universal Pictures
Cynthia Rose (Ester Dean), Ashley (Shelley Regner), Jessica (Kelley
Alice Jakle), Emily (Hailee Steinfeld), Beca (Anna Kendrick), Chloe
(Brittany Snow), Stacie (Alexis Knapp), Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) and Lilly
(Hana Mae Lee) are the Barden Bellas in “Pitch Perfect 2”, the follow-up
to 2012’s surprise hit.
“Cups” — a reworking of the classic “When I’m Gone” — akin to J.
Law’s “The Hanging Tree” from
“Mockingjay”. The cast made the
film something special, but now
they’re rarely in the same room
together.
At least part two ups the music
game. Das Sound Machine are
especially entertaining. Their finale
number is something special. I wish
I loved this film. I adored the first so
much. It’s perhaps one of the most
watchable films I own.
As of now, I’m in repair mode,
just hoping the sequel doesn’t affect
my love of the first. At least the
Green Bay Packers’ cameo is funny.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
20 May 28, 2015
LaBonge looks back on service to community
From page 1
“First of all, congratulations to
David Ryu,” LaBonge said. “I’m
very sorry on the other hand.
Carolyn Ramsay is a tremendous
individual who is not going to be
able to serve our district, but the
election was held and the people
voted. Mrs. Ramsay is a tremendous asset to this city and that
opportunity will be missed. But I
want Mr. Ryu to be successful for
our district.”
LaBonge said there are still multiple issues that will shape the district in the coming years, particularly the Purple Line subway construction. He acknowledged that
construction will take years and
there will be impacts on the community, but he said the subway
extension will be worth the wait.
“There will be traffic challenges,
mobility challenges, but in the
long run, it’s going to be one of the
greatest assets ever to come since
Mr. [A.W.] Ross came out here
and developed the Miracle Mile,”
LaBonge said. “It’s the top issue
for the immediate area.”
LaBonge said as a former member of the Los Angeles County
Metropolitan
Transportation
Authority Board, he helped facilitate a plan that allowed subway
tunneling underneath Wilshire
Boulevard. He credited former Los
Angeles County Supervisor Zev
Yaroslavsky
and
former
Congressman Henry Waxman for
moving the plan forward, and now
Metro is moving full steam ahead
with the project.
“This will be the most profound
change of our lives in our area
when the subway gets built,” he
“I’ll miss the
people. When
people walk up
and thank me for
what I was able to
do, it is a big
honor.”
-Councilman Tom LaBonge,
4th District
added.
LaBonge said “mansionization”
is another issue currently affecting
the district, and he has supported
plans to prevent developers from
tearing down houses and replacing
them with new homes that some
believe are out of character with
older houses in the community. He
said he supported five Historic
Preservation Overlay Zones
(HPOZs) to protect existing homes
in Windsor Square, Hancock Park
and surrounding neighborhoods,
and hopes his successor will continue the effort.
“The great thing about our district, and many parts of the city, is
its neighborhoods,” LaBonge said.
“Many neighborhoods now have
extra pressures. Because of the
housing costs, people tear down
beautiful old homes to try to
[build] out the property with a
larger home. Not just mansionization, but neighborhood transformation. I am extremely proud of
the HPOZs that have come to our
area, and more needs to be done to
protect these neighborhoods.”
LaBonge said another change he
helped facilitate in the Fairfax
District is the establishment of a
new senior center in Pan Pacific
Park, as well the expansion of the
Fairfax branch library on Gardner
Street. A former multi-purpose
building in the park was re-configured in the mid-2000s into a senior
center, which “the seniors of the
area now call home for their daily
activities,” he said.
LaBonge, who is an avid hiker
in Griffith Park, said one of his
proudest accomplishments is preserving Cahuenga Peak for future
generations. The land around the
peak near the Hollywood Sign was
formerly owned by developers
from Chicago who hinted at building on the 138 acres land.
LaBonge marshaled an effort to
acquire the land. In 2010, the land
was purchased through a publicprivate partnership and incorporated into Griffith Park.
“I feel really good that I fought
hard for that land to be public,”
LaBonge said. “Once it’s public
park, it’s public park forever.
Many, many people helped and
assisted, but I was the quarterback
that was able to drive the team
over the line and bring us that great
goal of that public land. And I
hope in the future that the appropriate trails and access to that land
is developed, because I just didn’t
buy that land for people to look at.
I want people to hike on it too.”
LaBonge said he is also proud of
his connections to the community,
including the Los Angeles County
Museum of Art, the Original
Farmers Market, The Grove, Park
photo by Edwin Folven
Councilman Tom LaBonge (right) stopped by the offices of the Park
Labrea News and Beverly Press on May 21, and met with publishers
Michael and Karen Villalpando.
La Brea and the Miracle Mile
Chamber of Commerce — iconic
entities whose representatives he
said provide leadership in the community.
He added that during his final
weeks in office, he will continue to
push for increases in staffing in the
city department of recreation and
parks, and for more programs to
help seniors. He added that he will
also oversee a plan to repair some
badly potholed intersections in
Hancock Park with concrete. The
councilman said there was previously a lack of staffing and funds
dedicated to repairing the intersections, but plans are now in place
for repairs.
“It’s unfortunate we weren’t
able to solve the problem sooner,
but now it’s getting solved,” he
said.
LaBonge said after leaving
office, he plans to spend more time
with his wife, Brigid, his son
Charles and daughter Mary-Cate.
He also plans to travel, work with
the city’s sister cities program, and
possibly volunteer with the Special
Olympics World Summer Games
in Los Angeles this summer.
LaBonge was first elected after
the death of Los Angeles City
Council President John Ferraro in
2001, and is a lifelong Angeleno
whose interest in politics and community was sparked as a teenager
when he served on Mayor Tom
Bradley’s Youth Council. Before
being elected as councilman, he
served as chief of field operations
for Mayor Richard Riordan.
“It’s a great district,” LaBonge
said. “I’ll miss the people. When
people walk up and thank me for
what I was able to do, it is a big
honor.”
Hollywood Museum exhibit focuses on Marilyn Monroe
In honor of Marilyn Monroe’s
birthday, The Hollywood Museum
has brought international collectors
together to showcase an unprecedented exhibit from June 1 to Sept.
6.
Among the items on display will
be items from Monroe’s childhood,
film costumes, public appearance
gowns, personal clothing, jewelry,
furniture, make-up and other memorabilia.
The Hollywood Museum is located in the Historic Max Factor
Building and houses more than
10,000 showbiz treasures and the
most extensive collection of
Hollywood costumes, star cars,
props, posters, photographs and
Crime writers
forum to be held
in Beverly Hills
The “Beverly Hills Forum Series”
brings together prize-winning
authors Craig Faustus Buck, Jeri
Westerson, Gary Phillips, Naomi
Herahara and Leslie Klinger on
Monday, June 1 at 7:30 p.m. for a
panel discussion titled “Crime
Writing Today: A Presidential
Summit”.
The president and four presidents
emeritus, respectively, of the
Mystery Writers of America,
Southern California Chapter, will
lead the discussion. The free lecture
will take place in the council chambers at Beverly Hills City Hall, 455
N. Rexford Drive.
For information, call (310)2856830, or visit www.beverlyhills.org.
memorabilia in the world, showcasing more than 100 years of
Hollywood history.
The museum spotlights the glamour of Hollywood legends from
Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks
and Rudolph Valentino; to the
Golden Era’s Joan Crawford, Judy
Garland and Katharine Hepburn; to
movie idols Monroe, James Dean,
Carey Grant, Clark Gable and Elvis
Presley. Items from today’s
Hollywood stars, including Brad
Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Leonardo
DiCaprio, J. Lo and George
Clooney are also on display. Guests
can visit Hannibal Lecter’s jail cell
movie set from “The Silence of the
Lambs”, the historic photo gallery
and the official Walk of Fame
exhibit. The Hollywood Museum is
also home to Factor’s world-famous
makeup rooms where Monroe
became a blonde and Lucille Ball
first donned her signature red hair.
Donelle Dadigan, founder and
president of The Hollywood
Museum and owner of the Max
Factor building, has purchased and
secured the copyrights to hundreds
of never before seen rare photos of
Monroe, uncovered by the son of
Monroe photographer, Milton
Greene.
The Hollywood Museum is located at 1660 N. Highland Ave. For
information, visit www.thehollywoodmuseum.com.
photo courtesy of the Hollywood Museum
The Hollywood Museum is showcasing its collection of Marilyn Monroe
memorabilia.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
21 May 28, 2015
WeHo election to be held on June 2
From page 1
In her opening statement, Shink,
a 21-year resident of the city, said
new leadership would yield better
results for West Hollywood. She
noted that she was the only candidate from the city’s east side.
“Year after year we’ve been talking about reckless development,
excessive traffic, lack of parking,
and more and more rent control
evictions, and year after year these
problems continue to get worse,”
Shink said, promising to “give a
voice to the east side residents who
have never had representation on
the council while serving the needs
of the entire city.”
Ettman, who moved to West
Hollywood seven years ago, said
current residents should have the
most say about what goes on in the
city, not “special interests and bigpocket developers.”
“If you feel the existing system is
working for you, then by all means,
you know who to vote for, Mr. John
Heilman,” Ettman said. “[But] If
you are tired of not being able to
park in your own neighborhood, or
having to cut through traffic in front
of your own house, it’s time for a
change. And if you’re ashamed, as
I am, about a city government consumed in scandal and paying handpicked
political
appointees,
employees hundreds of thousands
of dollars, double and triple, more
than what we pay teachers and firefighters, police officers, then it’s
time we stepped in and restored the
confidence in government.”
Block a 30-year resident of the
city, began his opening comments
by criticizing the West Hollywood
Chamber of Commerce for not
hosting a debate and backing
Heilman’s campaign. He portrayed
himself as a candidate that could
“work best with the other four
councilmen” as well as an “independent voice on the city council.
Somebody who can forge a new
majority and a new middle for our
city council so all your voices can
be heard.”
Heilman, a 35-year resident of
the city, said he was proud of “what
we’ve accomplished” during his 30
years on the council, including the
construction
of
the
West
Hollywood Library and parking
structures, expanded social services, added funding for law
enforcement, the city’s rent control
ordinance and new affordable
housing. Future plans include
bringing mass transit to the city,
building a new recreation facility at
West Hollywood Park and raising
the city’s minimum wage.
“It’s not about the past, it’s about
the future,” Heilman said. “I remain
committed to the city, I love the
city.”
The first question the candidates
faced was about the city’s historic
preservation efforts.
Shink said the city should do
more to protect historic structures
and took aim at Heilman for voting
to demolish Plummer Park’s Great
Hall/Long Hall building.
“It exemplifies the hubris that
has come to this previous city council, which is to tear down the actual
soul and very nature of what West
Hollywood stands for,” Shink said.
Ettman also referred to Plummer
Park as an example of the city not
listening to the will of the people.
There should be an “adaptive
reuse” plan for such buildings, he
said.
Block noted that he is the only
candidate on the West Hollywood
Preservation Alliance but doesn’t
believe the Plummer Park buildings
are as valuable to the community as
the park improvements slated for
the site.
Many properties throughout the
city have been preserved as a result
of the city’s Historic Preservation
Ordinance, which he initiated,
Heilman said.
“But when you preserve somebody’s property, or declare it historic, you are limiting that property
owner’s options and it should be
something that should not be
undertaken lightly,” he added.
Asked about how to encourage
the growth of small businesses and
walkability in the city, Ettman said
he would implement new incentives and reduce red tape for people
who want to open shop in West
Hollywood.
Block said free
Sunday parking, lower special
event fees and support for a business association would help.
Heilman said the city was already
supporting small businesses.
“Mr. Heilman, you must be tone
deaf to what small businesses are
saying,” Shink responded, adding
that she would seek a façade
improvement program, a plan to
revitalize eastside businesses and a
reduction in the night parking meter
hours.
Asked about how to create more
parking for residents and visitors,
Block suggested an “all-city parking pass” to encourage residents to
patronize West Hollywood businesses. He said the city is too
aggressive in its parking enforcement, a point echoed by Shink, who
also said new developments need to
include more parking. Heilman
said while there is a shortage of residential parking, there is enough
commercial parking in the city.
Ettman said the parking shortages
could be mitigated by reducing the
amount of development in the city
and building more parking garages.
Asked about zoning variances
that allow developers to exceed
density and height limits if they
include affordable housing, green
building practices or other elements
to the project, Heilman called multiple bonuses an “unintended consequence.” Shink and Ettman
countered that the city could create
laws to prevent some of the impacts
such as height limitations. Block
said affordable housing is a worthy
tradeoff for some variances.
A question about allowing developers to proceed with a project that
has environmental impacts if city
officials deem there are overriding
benefits yielded similar responses.
Block noted that fees paid by developers for projects fund public services.
During a round in which candidates were allowed to ask each
other questions, Shink asked
Heilman, “Do you regret voting for
the excessive amount of development that’s been going on all
around the city and that’s resulted
in the eviction of 700 families that
have not all been relocated and
that’s exacerbated our traffic problems parking deficit and radically
changed the historical and unique
character of our urban village?” He
responded by touting the benefits of
some of the development, including affordable housing and “600
jobs and sales revenue” from the
Target building.
Heilman asked Shink why, as a
planning commissioner, she
changed her support for an apartment development on Kings Road.
“How can we understand what
your position is going to be on
development when you vote for
something and now say you don’t
support it?” he asked.
Shink said she changed her mind
after receiving more information
about the project.
In response to questions from
audience members, all candidates
agreed that the city should have a
higher minimum wage, yet cautioned how it could be implemented to lessen the impact on small
business owners.
“I figured out the increase in
minimum wage is going to cost me
$2,800 a month,” said Block.
“How do we mitigate the problems
that small business would face so
we don’t lose mom and pops?”
Asked about the fiscal wisdom of
the new $18 million, 200-space
parking garage behind city hall, all
candidates said more parking
garages were needed, but Shink and
Ettman questioned the price. Block
pointed out that it was paid for with
bonds that would be reimbursed
through parking revenues.
In their closing statements,
Heilman said he was willing to
endure the rigors of a campaign to
regain his seat, because, “I really
love the community. I love all that
we’ve accomplished.”
Block said while “Heilman’s
service to this community is second to none,” he believed he could
bring a fresh perspective and “look
at some of the things that we’ve
even done great to do them even
better.”
Ettman noted that “voters sent a
message loud and clear in the last
election. Let’s continue the
momentum and elect new independent leadership.”
Shink had the final word.
“I think it’s clear that everyone
up here loves our city. It’s about
who has the solutions and the qualifications to take the city forward
and who can be innovative independent voice on the council.”
Boy Scouts
of young boys appears unsafe
which is a misconception, according to Hall.
“In my mind, a homosexual is
not a pedophile,” Hall said.
Zach Wahls, executive director
of Scouts for Equality, an organization made up of former and current heterosexual and gay BSA
members that seeks to end the ban
on gay members, said the recent
announcement is a big change.
“What we do know is that this
was a 180-degree shift from where
they were a year ago,” Wahls said.
“It was [Gates’] view that they
should not worry about [gay membership]. But what we see now is a
full endorsement reevaluating the
membership policy.”
Wahls, however, said that the
official membership policy has not
been changed as of yet.
“But we’re optimistic. Our work
isn’t done until the Boy Scouts are
fully inclusive,” he said.
From page 6
want to deny them their religious
freedom as well,” Hall said.
Many people have misconceptions about the gay community,
according to Hall. For some, the
idea of a gay man leading a troop
BBBSLA recognizes
‘innovators’ at gala
photo by Vince Bucci
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles (BBBSLA)
recently held its annual “Accessories for Success Spring Luncheon &
Fashion Show” at The Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Nicole Lorey, vice
president and chief communications officer for Transamerica
Brokerage received the “Innovator Award” and Kate Nichols, digital
marketing producer for CBS Marketing was honored with the
“Rising Star Award”. Actress Amber Valletta hosted the event.
Pictured from left are Tiffany Siart, president and CEO for BBBSLA;
Lorey; Nichols; Laura Lizer, chair of the BBBSLA Board of
Directors; and Valletta. Proceeds will benefit BBBSLA programs.
For information, visit www.BBBSLA.org.
photo courtesy of NHM
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is hosting the season finale of its “First Fridays” program on June 5.
‘First Fridays’ program offers
music, learning and fun
The Natural History Museum
of Los Angeles County (NHM) is
hosting its First Friday season
finale on June 5 from 5 p.m. to 11
p.m.
The season finale will feature
outdoor sets by Hanni El Khatib,
Chicano Batman, Avid Dancer,
KCRW DJ Raul Campos and
Captain Planet
In addition to music, First
Fridays offer tours of NHM, such
as the “Finding L.A.’s Hidden
Wildlife One Photo at a Time”
tour starting at 5, 5:30 and 6 p.m.
Guests can join Richard Smart, of
the NHM Citizen Science
Program, to explore wildlife that
has eluded scientists for years by
either being too secretive, hidden
in plain sight, or tauntingly out of
reach on private property.
Through citizen science, guests
can explore uncharted territory.
The capacity for the tour is 15
people. Tour tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-served
basis.
At 6 p.m., guests can join selfdescribed
“mathemagician”
Arthur Benjamin, a numbers wizard whose impressive act mixes
mathematical brainpower and
magic in “The Magic of Math”.
Lastly, at 6:30 p.m. guests can
join bird lover Rick Bonney and
learn more about birds through
the eBird citizen science bird-data
collection project.
The millions of observations
recorded each month, logged into
a central database at the Cornell
Lab of Ornithology, are enabling
a global understanding of thousands of species of birds.
The information is used by scientists and others to document
changes in bird distributions, pinpoint bird populations in need of
conservation, and locate places to
find new birds. Bonney will trace
the origin, evolution and current
use of eBird and show how it is
being used — spanning from the
greater Los Angeles area to
around the globe.
The discussion will be moderated by Michael W. Quick, Ph.D.,
provost and senior vice president
for academic affairs at the
University of Southern California.
Access to all activities, including tours and lecture, are available
on a first come, first served basis.
General admission is $20; Free
for museum members. For tickets
and
information,
visit
www.nhm.org/firstfridays.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
22 May 28, 2015
Lawsuit filed by WeHo council deputy
From page 1
“Mr. Owens alleges that certain
key decision makers in the city
retaliated against him because he
raised concerns to them about
unlawful activity on the part of Fran
Solomon, who is Mr. Heilman’s
deputy and longtime confidant,”
the lawsuit read, and later in the
document, “That is, certain decision makers were ready to ruin Mr.
Owens’s life rather than acknowledge his grievances and risk their
own political careers.”
Owens said that Duran should
have defended him, but didn’t.
“This is because of another matter that has been bothering Mr.
Duran for a long time; namely, Mr.
Owens’s refusal to respond to Mr.
Duran’s repeated sexual advances,”
the lawsuit read.
Owens alleges that Duran made
sexual advances or was sexually
suggestive “well over” 100 times
during his employment at the city
since August 2012. Owens said
Duran would make sexually explic-
“Mr. Owens never
accused me of
sexual
harassment until
he was caught
and walked out of
city hall for his
wrongdoing.”
-West Hollywood Councilman
John Duran
it comments and also that the councilman talked graphically about his
sexual life in explicit terms.
In April 2012, Owens met Duran
on the dating smart phone app
Grindr. They had sex once the first
day they met, but both he and
Duran said they have never had
sexual relations again. However,
they remained friends and in touch,
and Duran eventually offered
Owens the deputy job.
“Mr. Owens never accused me of
sexual harassment until he was
caught and walked out of city hall
for his wrongdoing,” Duran said in
a statement. “The city has hired an
independent investigator and I
know my name will be cleared.
This sexual harassment claim
against me is meant to deflect attention away from his own misconduct
at city hall.”
Owens countered in the lawsuit
that his complaints were not taken
seriously.
“Even in light of the tolerant attitudes of the city’s residents and
their elected officials, the city’s
response to the alleged ‘male on
male’ sexual harassment here has
been inappropriately and dishearteningly dismissive and combative,”
the lawsuit read.
Owens returned to work in
March. A court date has not yet
been set.
Mansion project preserves historic attributes
From page 1
community.
“Windsor Square is defined by
its architecture and the architecturally most important building is
the Dorothy Chandler House,”
Esada said.
Esada started a website and collected signatures on a petition
demanding the city take action to
force the owner to reverse changes
that were not defining characteristics of Beaux Arts architecture.
Esada said that he collected
approximately 100 signatures on
the petition.
Meanwhile, the city was working with the owner to change the
color of the paint.
“Our staff and the cultural heritage commission has been following up regardless, but the concern from the citizens was known
by the owners representatives,”
said Ken Bernstein, manager of
the office of historic resources.
“Our office has
been in contact
with the owner’s
consultant and
their design team
regarding the
painting colors
and overall
rehabilitation
project. ”
-Ken Bernstein, manager of
the office of historic resources
“Our office has been in contact
with the owner’s consultant and
their design team regarding the
painting colors and overall rehabilitation project,” Bernstein said.
Part of the confusion comes
from the classification of the
house. While it is designated as a
historic-cultural monument, that
does not necessarily protect
against painting, which is more
easily reversed than demolition,
according to Bernstein.
In this case, cooperation from
the owner would be required for
an action like painting. According
to Bernstein, Oshodin’s design
team has been preparing a new
color scheme for the office to
evaluate.
The cooperation is great news
for Esada and the members of the
Windsor Square Concerned
Citizens League.
“Eventually it worked because
now over the weekend, and, really
beautifully, on Memorial Day, we
looked up and they started painting it the right color,” said Esada.
“I’m going to send them flowers today,” he said.
New jaguar habitat opens at Los Angeles Zoo
Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical
Gardens officials have announced
the opening of a new habitat for the
zoo’s three jaguars, offering guests
the opportunity to see jaguars in a
new environment and marking the
completion of the $180 million
Master Plan Phase.
The jaguars’ new home is
designed for specific needs and natural behavior of the species, incorporating design and technology to
provide superior living spaces for
the animals, maximize safety and
keeper management and accommodate changes in zoo populations,
including births. To celebrate the
opening, the zoo is presenting a
three-dimensional street painting
by chalk artist Ever Galvez depicting jaguars that provides visitors
with an interactive photo opportunity. Additionally, the zoo is offering a “Family Fun Fridays” fourpack (two adults and two children)
available online only, valid Fridays
from June 5 through September 25
(except July 3) for $54. A 10 percent discount on retail merchandise
at any zoo gift shop on the day of
the visit is included
The 7,100 square-foot jaguar
habitat, built on a hillside on
Rainforest of the Americas’ north-
photo by Jamie Pham
A new jaguar habitat has opened at the Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical
Gardens that was designed for the specific needs of the species.
west end, features a waterfall and
pool in which the animals can
swim, deadwood trees on which
they can climb, and landscaping
through which they can wander,
such as tall grasses, shrubs, ficus
trees and banana plants. The exhibit also offers upgraded zoo visitor
experiences by optimizing viewing,
with two glass areas allowing
opportunities to see the animals upclose, and engaging interpretive
graphics, designed to inspire appre-
ciation for preservation of one of
the iconic animals of the rainforest.
Since 1900, jaguars, which are
“near threatened,” have disappeared from much of their range
due to persecution by livestock
ranchers, degradation of habitat,
and human hunting of jaguars.
The Los Angeles Zoo and
Botanical Gardens is located at
5333 Zoo Drive. For information,
contact (323)644-4200, or visit
www.lazoo.org
photo by Matt Sanderson
CIM Group did not preserve the façade of the former Old Spaghetti
Factory restaurant when it built the Sunset and Gordon tower.
Residents allowed to stay
until new ruling is issued
From page 1
ing a nearby development where
construction was stopped after
residents sued.
At this point, though, it’s all
speculation and the future of the
building depends entirely on the
court’s decision, according to
Zamperini. Should the appellate
court side with the lower court,
the CIM Group may have to go
through the entitlement process
again and get new permits. If it
rules in favor the CIM Group, the
department of building and safety may issue a new certificate of
occupancy.
“As far as the building goes,
there’s nothing wrong, nothing
deficient in its structure or
mechanical things. It can be
occupied,” Zamperini said.
The CIM Group is also
allegedly renting out rooms on
the Airbnb website, which it is
also not permitted to do. As of
Wednesday, there was at least
one ad up for Airbnb that used
the intersection and a photo of
the outside of the apartment
building and listed the room at
$288 a night, plus fees. The
department of building and safety issued an order to discontinue
the hotel use, but CIM has also
appealed that decision and will
be heard tentatively at a hearing
on June 15, according to
Zamperini.
Jerry Herman Awards return to
Hollywood Pantages Theatre
The Nederlander Organization
and Hollywood Pantages Theatre
recently announced preliminary
nominees for the 4th annual “Jerry
Herman Awards”, a celebration of
the achievement and excellence in
high school musical theatre in Los
Angeles.
The annual awards show will be
hosted by KABC-7 Reporter
George Pennacchio at the
Hollywood Pantages on Monday,
June 1 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the
awards celebration are $25 and are
available
at
www.JerryHermanAwards.com,
www.HollywoodPantages.com/JH
A2015, www.Ticketmaster.com or
by phone at (800)982-2787 or at the
Hollywood Pantages Box Office.
Group tickets are available at
www.PantagesGroups.com or by
calling (866)755-3075, Monday
through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5
p.m.
This year’s recipient of the Ed
Lester Lifetime Achievement
Award is Los Angeles Arts
Educator, and L.A. opera legend,
Suzanna Guzman, who will be
receiving the award from last year’s
recipient, Paul G. Gleason.
Following in the tradition of
years past, the Jerry Herman
Awards has invited four high
schools to perform musical numbers during the awards program.
Palos Verdes Peninsula High
School will perform “Transylvania
Mania”
from
“Young
Frankenstein”; Oak Park High
School will perform “And the
Money Kept Rolling In” from
Evita; New Community Jewish
High School will perform the opening number from “The 25th annual
Putnam County Spelling Bee” and
Chaminade College Preparatory
High School will perform “Gaston”
from Disney’s “Beauty and the
Beast”.
For a full list of competing high
schools and nominations, visit
www.JerryHermanAwards.com.
LAYN hosts gala
Answers From Page 15
The Los Angeles Youth Network
(LAYN) will host the 30th anniversary Key of Hope Gala on
Wednesday, June 3 at the Greek
Theatre. A silent auction, live auction and raffle will be held.
Cocktails will be served at 6:30
p.m. and the dinner and program
will begin at 8 p.m. Dinner will be
served on the stage of the Greek
Theatre. For information, visit
www.layn.org.
23 May 28, 2015
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
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