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• Supervisors
approve PrEP
program. pg. 3
Partly cloudy,
with temps in
the 70s
Volume 25 No. 24
• David Mixner to
appear at the El Rey
pg. 6
Serving the West Hollywood, Hancock Park and Wilshire Communities
June 11, 2015
Marlborough project is one Same-sex weddings usher in Pride month
of biggest in school’s history
n Chinese couples
n Neighboring houses to be razed to make way
wed in advance of
LA Pride Festival
for $24 million in improvements
By Luis Rivas
By edwin foLven
Fences have gone up around five
houses on Arden Boulevard north of
3rd Street that will soon be torn
down as part of Marlborough
School’s plan to expand its athletic
facilities on the east side of its campus.
The plan is one of the largest
expansions in the school’s 125-year
history, and has been in the works
since 1999, when Marlborough
sought city approval to begin moving forward with its expansion.
During the past 16 years,
Marlborough School purchased the
See Marlborough page 21
photo courtesy of Marlborough School
A rendering shows how the parking lot, soccer field, aquatics center and
other amenities will be configured on the campus.
City council backs bridge
plan with one sidewalk
n Advocates called for
more access in retrofit
project over L.A. River
By edwin foLven
The Los Angeles City Council
on Tuesday approved a plan for
retrofitting
the
Glendale
Boulevard-Hyperion Avenue
bridge connecting Silverlake and
Atwater Village that will include
only one sidewalk on the west
side of bridge.
Pedestrian advocates and bicyclists had called for sidewalks on
both sides of the bridge, which
would have forced engineers to
remove a traffic lane.
The bridge, which dates back
to the 1920s and needs seismic
retrofitting, spans the Golden
State (5) Freeway and the Los
Angeles River.
Los Angeles City Councilmen
Mitch O’Farrell, 13th District,
and Tom LaBonge, 4th District,
advocated for a plan that provides
See Council page 21
photo by Edwin Folven
The Glendale Boulevard-Hyperion Avenue bridge retrofit will include
one sidewalk. A pedestrian and bicycle bridge will be built nearby on
existing pilings that once supported tracks for the red car trolleys.
The city of West Hollywood
hosted a special group wedding
for seven same-sex Chinese couples on Tuesday morning at the
West Hollywood Library, just in
time for Pride month and the LA
Pride festival this weekend.
The couples were selected from
more than 400 entries as part of an
online contest by the Chinesebased e-commerce company,
Alibaba. Seven couples were
selected as winners and then were
flown to West Hollywood to be in
a ceremony, officiated by West
Hollywood Mayor Lindsey
Horvath.
The nature of the contest was to
foster tolerance and acceptance of
same-sex relationships in China,
according to Charlie Gu, of China
Luxury Advisors, a partner company for the ceremony.
Horvath met with the couples
and said it was an honor for West
Hollywood to host the ceremony.
“It’s an historic occasion, a
photo by Luis Rivas
West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey Horvath presided over the wedding of Li
Tao and Duan Rongfen, who have been together for 11 years.
wonderful celebration of love and
commitment. And what better
place for this occasion to take
place than in West Hollywood,
which for our entire history has
been committed to protecting and
advancing rights of LGBT people,
and celebrating and advancing in
particular the right to equal mar-
riage,” Horvath said.
For Duan Rongfen and Li Tao,
who have been together for 11
years, the ceremony was special.
Both Tao, Rongfen and Horvath
were moved to tears as Horvath
presided over their marriage ceremony.
See WeHo page 20
Officers carry a torch for Special Olympians
n Torch run ignites
excitement in Hancock
Park, Hollywood
By Luis Rivas
The Olympic Torch made its way
through Hancock Park on Tuesday
afternoon under gray skies and a
light drizzle. Law enforcement officers began their annual run with the
torch this week as part of the
Special Olympics Summer Games
Law Enforcement Torch Run. The
Special Olympic Summer Games
are held every year.
Law enforcement officers in Los
Angeles began running with the
torch Monday morning and will
continue to run through Friday,
when they will hand over the torch
to law enforcement officers in Long
Beach. The torch will be used to
light the cauldron for the Special
Olympics 2015 Summer Games at
California State University, Long
Beach on June 13.
The Special Olympics World
Games, a separate event from the
Summer Games and will take place
in Los Angeles from July 25
through Aug. 2 at the Los Angeles
Coliseum.
Officer Stephanie Nelson, from
the LAPD’s Wilshire Division, ran
photo by Luis Rivas
Officer Stephanie Nelson, of the Wilshire Division, prepared to light the
Olympic Torch carried by Sgt. Paul Hendry, of the Hollywood Division, during the torch run on Tuesday.
with the torch accompanied by fellow officers west on 3rd Street,
north on Highland Avenue, east on
Beverly Boulevard and north on
Rossmore Avenue (which becomes
Vine Street). She handed off the
torch to officers from the LAPD’s
Hollywood Division on Melrose
Avenue and Vine Street at approximately 2:24 p.m. Nelson has been
participating in the torch run for
several years and for her it’s personal.
“My son has special needs so I
do it for him every year,” Nelson
said.
Officers from the division ran
with the torch through Hollywood
and passed it to officers from North
Hollywood Division.
Det. Brodie Seagrave, with the
Hollywood Division, has been
helping out with the Special
Olympics since he was a teenager.
“We’re participating just from
See Officers page 20
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
2 June 11, 2015
Calendar
12 LGBT Art
G
allery 825 presents an art exhibit
titled “Out There” running from
Friday, June 12 through Friday, June
19 in West Hollywood. The special
exhibition celebrates the LGBT experience through art and photographs. A
reception will be held on Friday, June
12 from 6 to 9 p.m. 825 N. La Cienega
Blvd. www.gallery825.com.
Indie Film
I
ndie film fans are invited to screenings of Marcello Zamparripa’s “The
Cain Complex “ running from Friday,
June 12 through Thursday, June 18 at
Arena Cinema Hollywood. The film
tells the story of a man who suffers
from post traumatic stress disorder
and is prone to hallucination, who is
alone when his home is invaded by
four heavily-armed, masked men.
With his wife and children due back
within hours, the situation makes for a
hellish night of mental and physical
combat. Showtime on June 12 is at
8:45 p.m.; check schedule for additional showtimes. Admission is $12.
1625 N. Las Palmas Blvd. (323)3060676, www.arenascreen.com.
duction titled “Tom and Barry” on
Saturday, June 13 at midnight, and
Saturday, June 27 at 7 p.m., at the
Lillian Theater in Hollywood. The
performance art piece is a new adaptation inspired by the novel and film,
“Brothers of the Head”, which details
the lives of two conjoined twins with
a third dormant head as they struggle
with the resentment, stress and success of their lives as rock and roll
stars. Tickets are $15. 1076 Lillian
Way. (323)962-1632, www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/2449.
est Hollywood resident Joe
Praml will read selections from
James Joyce’s novel, “Ulysses” on
Saturday, June 13 from 11 a.m. to
noon at the Porter Ranch Branch
Library. “Ulysses” is considered one
of the great novels of the 20th century.
11371 Tampa Ave., Porter Ranch.
(818)360-5706, www.joepraml.com.
‘Broadway at the W’ ‘A Permanent Image’
roadway at the W’ debuts on
“B
Friday, June 12 at The Loft at
W Hollywood. The show is produced
by Victor Hawks with Broadway
actors and dancers from shows such as
“South Pacific”, “The Producers”,
“The Book of Mormon”, “Motown
the Musical” and “Les Misérables”.
Pre-show festivities begin at 8 p.m.;
performance at 9 p.m. Tickets start at
$10. 6250 Hollywood Blvd.
www.broadwayatthew.com.
Comedy Show
C
omedy lovers are invited to the
“Art Deco Comedy House” show
on Friday, June 12 at 9 p.m. in the
Hollywood American Legion Post
43’s Art Deco Bar. Comedians Mo
Collins, Brian Kiley, Hugh Moore,
Eric Dadourian and others will perform. General admission is $5. 2035
N. Highland Ave. (323)851-3030,
www.facebook.com/events/37528807
2675045.
13 ‘Tom and Barry’
M
atthew Herrmann, Kyle Davia
and Emily Alpren star in a pro-
Advocacy Workshop
L
Joe Praml Reads
From ‘Ulysses’
W
R
ogue Machine Theatre presents
the West Coast premiere of “A
Permanent Image” by Samuel D.
Hunter running from Saturday, June
13 through July 20. The Obie awardwinning play focuses on members of
an estranged family from a small town
in Idaho who gather to bury the family patriarch. Showtimes are at 5 p.m.,
Saturday; 7 p.m., Sunday; and 8 p.m.,
Monday. Tickets start at $30. 5041 W.
Pico
Blvd.
(855)585-5185,
www.roguemachinetheatre.com.
Outdoor Movie
M
ovie fans won’t want to miss an
outdoor screening of “The
Grand Budapest Hotel” on Saturday,
June 13 at the Autry National Center.
The movie by Wes Anderson follows
a concierge at a famous hotel in the
fictional Republic of Zubrowka
between World War I and World War
II, and a lobby boy who becomes his
most trusted friend. Doors open at
5:30 p.m., followed by live music at 7
p.m. and the film at 8:30 p.m. Food
trucks will offer snacks and refreshments. General admission is $12.
of Art. Forbes is a ceramic artist, professor, writer, publisher, photographer and business entrepreneur. The
book encourages readers to take a
fresh look at everyday design in the
man-made world. Admission is free.
LACMA’s Bing Theatre, 5905
Wilshire Blvd. (323)857-6000,
www.lacma.org.
photo by Bill Dow
Conductor Gary S. Greene (pictured), Esq., will lead the LA Lawyers
Phil, Legal Voices and his Big Band of Barristers in a “Salute To
Broadway Musicals” on Saturday, June 13 at 8 p.m. at the Walt Disney
Concert Hall. Actress June Lockhart will make a special guest appearance, and KFI radio host Bill Handel will serve as master of ceremonies.
The program includes an arrangement of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”
for orchestra and big band, Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms” for
orchestra and chorus, and “Jupiter” from Holst’s “The Planets”, as well
as Broadway songs from “The Sound of Music”, “Westside Story”, “My
Fair Lady” and many other productions. Tickets start at $20; 25 percent
of proceeds benefit the L.A. County and Beverly Hills bar associations’
programs for people who cannot afford legal services. 111 S. Grand Ave.
www.LALawyersPhil.org.
4700 Western Heritage Way.
(323)667-2000, www.theautry.org.
Art Exhibit
J
ack Rutberg fine Arts presents an
exhibit by artist Ruth Weisberg
titled “Reflections Through Time”
running from Saturday, June 13
through Saturday, Aug. 29. The exhibit demonstrates Weisberg’s decadeslong interest in re-imagining the
works of masters such as Velazquez,
Watteau, Blake, Titian, Veronese,
Cagnacci, Corot and Giacometti. A
reception for the artist will be held on
June 13 from 6 to 9 p.m. 357 N. La
Brea Ave. (323)938-5222, www.jackrutbergfinearts.com.
14 ‘I Am Already Well’
C
linical psychologist Dr. Denee
Jordan presents her new show
titled “I Am Already Well” running
from Sunday, June 14 through
Saturday, Aug. 29 at the Hudson
Guild Theatre. The show teaches the
value of embracing and accepting
ourselves exactly as we are as a
method of liberation and empowerment toward change. Special showtimes are at 11:30 a.m. on June 14 and
3 p.m. on June 20; regular showtimes
are at 8 p.m., Tuesday and Saturday.
Tickets are $15. 6539 Santa Monica
Blvd. (323)856-4249, www.hudsontheatre.com.
Book Discussion
J
oin Rob Forbes, founder of Design
Within Reach, and Eric Heiman,
creative director of the San Francisco
design studio Volume Inc., as they
discuss Forbes’ new book, “See for
Yourself: A Visual Guide to Everyday
Beauty” on Sunday, June 14 at 1 p.m.
at the Los Angeles County Museum
earn how to become an advocate
during a workshop on Sunday,
June 14 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the
National
Council
of
Jewish
Women/Los Angeles (NCJW/LA)
council house. Ilissa Gold, president
of the Miracle Mile Democratic Club,
and Juan Vasquez, digital organizer
for Nation Builder, will lead a workshop titled “Social Media for
Advocacy”. The workshop is part of a
series, with additional installments on
July 12 and Aug. 2. Tickets are $25.
543 N. Fairfax Ave. Registration
requested to (323)852-8536, or email
[email protected].
16 Book Signing
C
hevalier’s Books is hosting a
reading and book signing with
author Robert Rotstein on Tuesday,
June 16 at 7 p.m. Rotstein will discuss and sign copies of his latest
thriller, “The Bomb Makers Son”.
126 N. Larchmont Blvd. (323)4651334, www.chevaliersbooks.com.
‘Italian Bred’
C
andice Guardino returns in an
encore performance of “Italian
Bred” on Tuesday, June 16 at 8 p.m.
at the Hudson Theatre. The funny and
heartwarming hit production shows
audiences what it’s like to grow up in
an Italian-American family in New
York. Tickets are $10. 6539 Santa
Monica
Blvd.
(323)856-4249,
www.goldstar.com/events/hollywood-ca/italian-bred.
Music of Broadway
E
njoy an “An Evening of Classic
Broadway” on Tuesday, June 16
at 8 p.m. at Rockwell Table & Stage.
The show by Fraser Entertainment
Group includes songs from landmark
musicals and smaller, lesser-known
shows. Tickets start at $10. 1714 N.
Vermont Ave. (323)669-1550 ext. 20,
www.rockwell-la.inticketing.com.
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Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
3 June 11, 2015
Commission rules officer acted ‘out of policy’
n Groups hope decision
in Ezell Ford shooting
will lead to changes
By luis Rivas
At the conclusion of a public
hearing on Tuesday, the Los
Angeles Police Commission found
one of the two officers involved in
the shooting death of Ezell Ford
last August acted “out of policy.
The ruling was initially met with
confusion by people in attendance,
including several members of
Black Lives Matter Los Angeles.
Dr. Melina Abdullah, a professor
at California State University, Los
Angeles and a member of Black
Lives Matter Los Angeles, attended
the police commission’s public
hearing.
“It sounded like nothing was
going to be done. They kept saying,
‘No further action,’ and then as the
meeting adjourned, there was an
eruption,” Abdullah said.
Dozens of spectators began
shouting as the police commission
convened. However, vice president
of the police commission, Paula
Madison, came back to explain to
the crowd the decision.
“What you were looking for, you
got,” Madison said. “A level of discussion has occurred that did not
occur prior to today.”
Madison added that one officer
acted “in policy” the other acted
“out of policy.”
According to Tami Catania,
spokesperson for the police commission, all names of the involved
officers are redacted in the ruling.
However, media reports have
named Sharlton Wampler as the
officer who acted out of policy.
Board of Supervisors approves
plan for HIV prevention drug
departments to be ready in 45 days
n PrEP is considered an to solicit private providers to part-
important tool in
reducing new infections
By edwin folven
The Los Angeles Board of
Supervisors approved a plan on
Tuesday to begin distributing a
drug known as a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) countywide to
reduce the transmission of HIV.
The motion by Supervisor Sheila
Kuehl, 3rd District, specifically
directs the Los Angeles County
Departments of Public Health and
Health Services to return to the
board in 30 days with a plan to distribute the medication. The board
also instructed the Los Angeles
County Sheriff’s Department to
devise a plan to implement the
PrEP program in the jails.
PrEP refers to the medication
Truvada, which when taken daily,
has been shown to prevent the
transmission of HIV. County officials claim the drug has been 96 to
99 percent effective in preventing
the spread of HIV, and the decision
on Tuesday could significantly
reduce the number of people infected countywide.
“We don’t have a vaccine, but
this is a very close second if used
properly,” Kuehl’s spokesman Joel
Bellman said. “The department
tells us that 1,800 to 2,000 people a
year are newly infected, so if we
can eliminate a significant part of
that, we would be saving thousands
of lives directly.”
The motion approved on
Tuesday also calls for the health
ner with the county in distributing
PrEP. County authorities project
that it could allow new access to
6,000 to 9,000 additional people.
PrEP is currently available through
private providers, and Kuehl’s
motion would make it available
through community clinics and
organizations the county partners
with to provide health services.
Mario Perez, director of the division of HIV and STD Programs for
the
Los Angeles
County
Department of Public Health, said
he is optimistic the medication will
make an impact on the number of
new HIV infections in the county.
“We have a pretty good sense as
to who is likely to get HIV, and we
are getting better at targeting people from at-risk groups. There is a
better likelihood we will prevent
new HIV infections,” Perez said.
“The goal is over the next several
years, we won’t have 1,800 HIV
infections each year. What we do
know is PrEP is the best chance to
stay HIV negative.”
Some members of the HIV and
AIDS treatment community have
expressed concern about the county’s plan for PrEP. One of the primary concerns is that for the drug
to be effective, it must be taken
daily under a strict regimen. AIDS
Healthcare Foundation (AHF)
pointed to a study conducted by the
American Academy of HIV
Medicine showing that 95 percent
of doctors polled were concerned
about problems with adherence to
the regimen. AHF also pointed to
See Board page 22
Catania said the commission can
rule in three areas, tactics, drawing
of a weapon and the actual use of
the weapon.
“For one officer, it was determined that he acted out of policy
for all three items. For the other
officer, he acted out of policy in the
drawing of his weapon, so that’s
one out of three,” Catania said.
The police commission’s ruling
was only administrative, she said.
Next, the ruling will go to Los
Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck
who will decide whether or not to
seek disciplinary action against the
officers. However, it is up to the
Los Angeles County District
Attorney to determine if charges
will be filed against the officers.
Abdullah said it is an important
gesture that Madison met with the
crowd to better explain the ruling.
“Once it was explained that we
photo by Luis Rivas
Evan Bunch, of Black Lives Matter, was part of a protest in front of Getty
House earlier this week calling for the removal of LAPD Chief Charlie Beck.
won a small victory, we were
stunned,” Abdullah said.
The police commission’s ruling
contradicted Beck’s earlier comments that both officers acted
appropriately due to Ford posing a
life-threatening danger.
On Aug. 11, LAPD officers
Wampler and Antonio Villegas, of
the Newton Police Division,
stopped Ford as he was walking in
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Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
4 June 11, 2015
Three injured in catering Leads sought in attack on man in WeHo
Victim remains in
truck crash on Doheny
coma after assault on
n
n Police believe brake
failure caused collision
By edwin folven
Three female victims were hospitalized in critical condition last
Saturday after one of the victims
lost control of a catering truck she
was driving and struck a light pole
and a tree on a street in the
Hollywood Hills.
The collision occurred at
approximately 12:21 p.m. in the
1100 block of Doheny Drive,
located just north of the Sunset
Strip. All three women who were
injured were traveling in the truck.
The collision is under investigation by the Los Angeles Police
Department’s West Traffic
Division, which has jurisdiction in
the Hollywood Hills. An auditor
from the West Traffic Division
who identified himself as M.
Norling processed the initial
police reports, and said it appears
the catering truck’s brakes failed,
causing
the
collision.
Investigators will determine
whether any charges will be fired
against the truck’s owner. Norling
said the investigation is ongoing
and said he could not identify the
owner.
The victims suffered broken
bones in the collision and are
expected to survive. No other
injuries were reported.
Los Angeles Fire Department
spokeswoman Margaret Stewart
said a beehive was located in the
tree that was struck, and authorities also had to fight off the bees to
rescue the women. A deputy from
the West Hollywood Sheriff’s
Station who responded to the
scene was stung by a bee and suffered a minor allergic reaction, but
declined to be hospitalized,
Stewart said.
Authorities with the Greater
Los Angeles County Vector
Control District were called to the
scene to remove the beehive,
Norling added.
“Witnesses tried to help, but
there were so many bees,” he said.
“A fire extinguisher was used to
suppress them.”
Norling said the incident
appears to be an accident, and
there is no evidence of alcohol or
drug use. He said he did not know
where the truck was headed when
the collision occurred.
Anyone with information about
the collision is urged to contact
investigators with the LAPD’s
West Traffic Division at
(213)473-0234.
Coroner identifies victim
found dead in WeHo gym
By edwin folven
The Los Angeles County
Coroner’s Office has identified a
man who was found dead on June 4
in a 24-Hour Fitness in West
Hollywood as Jon Cory Quinlan, 60.
Corner’s office spokesman Ed
Winter said the victim’s body was
found by an employee at approximately 1 a.m. in a locker room at the
health club at 8612 Santa Monica
Blvd. Paramedics were called and
pronounced Quinlan dead. Winter
added that the victim was a West
Hollywood resident.
An autopsy was conducted, and
the cause of death was listed as
deferred pending the outcome of toxicology tests. Winter said the death
appears to be from natural causes,
but authorities will not make a final
determination until test results are
returned, likely in six to eight weeks.
Feuer announces crack down
on building contractor fraud
Los Angeles City Attorney Mike
Feuer has announced efforts to
crack down on unlicensed contractor fraud, including the launch of a
public awareness campaign and the
filing of criminal charges against
five individuals.
“Schemes perpetrated by unlicensed contractors can have devastating financial consequences for
homeowners,” Feuer said. “My
office will continue to fight back by
empowering residents with the
information they need to avoid
being victimized and aggressively
seeking restitution for those who
are harmed.”
Joined by representatives from
the Contractor’s State License
Board (CSLB), Feuer rolled out a
new program advising the public on
ways to avoid being scammed by
unlicensed contractors. Tips include
avoiding contractors who only
accept cash and demand an excessive down payment, and those who
request the homeowner get building
permits as “Owner-Builder.”
“The lowest bid is tempting to
accept, but if the person is unlicensed, you may find that once the
project begins, he or she tries to add
on costs,” CSLB registrar Cindi
Christenson said. “Every day, unlicensed contractors are victimizing
unsuspecting homeowners all over
the state.”
Feuer also warned of new emerging unlicensed contractor scams
capitalizing on the drought and upcoming summer heat. The CSLB
has uncovered cases in Southern
California in which landscapers
advertised that they were experts in
removing grass lawns and replacing
them with water-efficient landscaping or synthetic turf, and did not
deliver as promised. In some cases,
the work was shoddy and plants
that were installed were not drought
tolerant. Landscapers who charge
more than $500 for a project must
have a state contractor’s license.
In the past 12 months, the Los
Angeles City Attorney’s Office has
filed 32 cases of unlicensed contractor fraud and is currently collecting restitution on 39 unlicensed
contractor cases. Additionally, the
city attorney’s office is currently
reviewing 35 case referrals from the
CSLB.
For
information,
visit
www.atty.lacity.org.
San Vicente Boulevard
By edwin folven
Investigators in West Hollywood
are asking for the public’s help in
identifying four men involved in
an altercation in West Hollywood
on May 24 that resulted in a victim
striking his head on the pavement
and lapsing into a coma.
The altercation occurred at
approximately 9:30 p.m. on San
Vicente Boulevard, just north of
Santa Monica Boulevard. The victim, Kirk Doffing, 45, of West
Hollywood, was walking northbound on San Vicente Boulevard
when he was approached by four
men, said Det. Michael Berbiar,
with the West Hollywood Sheriff’s
Station. The detective added that
authorities are uncertain about
photo courtesy of Facebook
Police are aserching for four suspects who attacked WeHo resident
Kirk Doffing.
what prompted the altercation.
“One of the four suspects
punched the victim a couple of
times, and he fell back and hit his
head on the ground,” Berbiar said.
“[The suspects] took off running
southbound toward Melrose.”
Witnesses called 911, and
Doffing was taken by paramedics
to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center,
where he remains in a coma.
Berbiar said the incident occurred
near the former West Hollywood
Post Office building at a time when
there were likely a lot of people
present. He is hopeful someone
may have witnessed the incident
and can provide additional information to investigators.
Detectives are also in the process
of reviewing video surveillance
footage in the area, and hope to
create a police sketch of the suspect who struck Doffing.
Berbiar described the suspects as
Hispanic men in their 20s wearing
dark clothing. The suspect who
allegedly struck Doffing was wearing a dark-colored trench coat.
Anyone with information about
the assault is urged to contact
detectives
with
the
West
Hollywood Sheriff’s Station at
(310)855-8850.
Assembly approves bill on hit and run alert system
The California State Assembly
recently approved a bill by
Assemblyman Mike Gatto (DGelndale) to address the epidemic
of hit and run collisions. AB 8
passed the Assembly by a 79-0
vote.
The measure would establish a
statewide “yellow alert” system,
which would allow law enforcement to engage drivers to help
LAFD reduces
water usage
at stations
The
Los
Angeles
Fire
Department has joined a statewide
movement to conserve water by
allowing all grass at its stations to
turn brown. Los Angeles city firefighters will no longer water grass
at fire stations.
The driest years in California history have all been recorded in the
past three years, and January was
one of the driest months on record,
according to Save Our Water, a
statewide program aimed at helping
Californians reduce their everyday
water use.
In conjunction with Mayor Eric
Garcetti’s water conservation programs, the LAFD is working diligently to aid in the city’s water conservation efforts and goals, LAFD
spokesman Peter Sanders said.
To date, 55 Fire Stations feature
drought tolerant landscaping, artificial turf or no grass. Additionally,
the LAFD is working with the
city’s general services department,
as well as community support
groups, to develop a turf replacement program for all fire stations
over the next three years.
“The Los Angeles Fire
Department remains committed to
the sustainability of the entire city,”
LAFD Chief Ralph M. Terrazas
said. “We will undertake all possible measures to conserve water and
are proud to stand with Angelenos
in declaring that brown is the new
green.”
The LAFD also plans to conduct
a survey and seek funding for the
installation of low flow shower
heads and low flow toilets, and has
dramatically reduced the water it
uses during public demonstrations
and during training exercises.
identify and apprehend hit-and-run
perpetrators.
AB 8 would allow for the use of
the state’s existing network of
freeway signs to broadcast information about vehicles suspected in
hit-and-run incidents. Use of the
system would be limited to hitand-runs that result in death or
serious bodily injury. Alerts would
be issued by local law enforcement
when there is a sufficient description of the offending vehicle or the
identity of the suspect is known.
“Yellow alerts” would also be limited to the area where the hit-andrun crime occurred.
When a similar system was created in Denver in 2012, a 76 percent arrest rate was achieved in
cases in which an alert was activated, compared to a previous
arrest rate of approximately 20
percent. The success of the program prompted Colorado’s legislature to implement the program
statewide.
“It’s gotten to the point to where
not a single week goes by without
another hit-and-run tragedy occurring,” Gatto said. “People flee
because there’s little chance they
will be caught and brought to justice.”
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
5 June 11, 2015
Leaders laud
Sole tenant remains after Beverly Grove eviction
programs to
house homeless
veterans
By Luis Rivas
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)
on June 4 applauded the recent
opening of Building 209 at the West
Los Angeles Veterans Affairs
Campus, which will provide housing for homeless veterans. Feinstein
has worked closely with the
Department of Veterans of Affairs to
complete the project.
“[This] is a great day for the West
L.A. VA. The opening of Building
209 has been years in the making
and will provide housing for 65
homeless veterans,” Feinstein said.
“There are more homeless veterans
in Los Angeles than any other city in
the country, and no one who’s
served this country should sleep on
the street. The opening of Building
209 is an important step as we continue toward the goal of ending veteran homelessness in Los Angeles.”
In 2010, Feinstein worked with
former Congressman Henry A.
Waxman and former Los Angeles
County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky
to secure a commitment from VA
Secretary Eric Shinseki to allocate
$20 million for Building 209’s renovation. Over the past five years,
Feinstein has worked with the
department and congressional colleagues, including Sen. Barbara
Boxer, to secure $35.5 million for
the project.
Feinstein, as a member of the
Senate Appropriations Committee,
also worked to include $35 million
in the Consolidated and Further
Continuing Appropriations Act of
2015 for Building 205, which is the
next step in the renovations at West
L.A. VA. Another $35 million for
Building 208 is included in the fiscal
year 2016 Military ConstructionVeterans Affairs Appropriations bill,
which has been approved by the
Senate Appropriations Committee
and is awaiting consideration by the
full Senate.
DWP hosts
Customer
Service
Saturday
The Los Angeles Department of
Water and Power (DWP) will hold its
Customer Service Saturday programs
at four Customer Service Centers on
June 13 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Customers can receive assistance
from staff who can take payments,
process service order requests,
answer billing questions and
resolve billing issues. Information
on DWP programs and services
will be available to customers, as
well as sign-up materials.
In addition, DWP will host customer workshops at its Crenshaw
and Van Nuys locations at 9 and
10:30 a.m. The DWP’s West Los
Angeles Customer Service Center
is located at
1394 S. Sepulveda
Blvd. The Crenshaw Customer
Service Center is located at 4030
Crenshaw Blvd.; the Van Nuys
Customer Service Center is located
at 6550 Van Nuys Blvd.; and the
Watts Customer Service Center is
located at 1686 E. 103rd St.
For
information,
visit
www.ladwp.com/saturdays.
Steve Luftman is the last man
standing. Deciding to stay at his
apartment following the last day of
an eviction issued by the building’s landlord Matthew Jacobs last
Friday, Luftman is now hopeful
that he can continue to stay due to
a filing error. He is the only tenant
remaining at the Flores Street
apartment buildings.
According to Luftman, Jacobs’
company, Bulldog Partners, LLC,
did not file the Ellis Act eviction
paperwork properly with the city.
Luftman will be filing a complaint with the city and is asking
that Jacobs vacate the eviction or
properly refile it under the Ellis
Act.
“I’ve consulted with three layers
and have a neighborhood friend
who has gone through the Ellis Act
eviction process,” Luftman said.
Luftman is receiving free legal
help from a neighbor and land-use
lawyer, John Henning.
Henning said he is confident
that Jacobs cannot evict his tenants
because he did not comply with
the Ellis Act.
“They didn’t do things in the
right order. There’s a very specific
order which they have to do
things, where they file certain
things with the city and then they
serve the tenants and then file with
the city again,” Henning said.
Henning, on behalf of Luftman,
sent a letter to Jacobs and his
lawyers about the errors found in
the eviction paperwork, but has
not heard back from the lawyers or
Jacobs.
“I explained the errors they
made, and I don’t represent
[Luftman] but I do sympathize
with [him]. I wrote to him and said
this is the way in which you violated the Ellis Act. You have to
start the process over again,”
Henning said.
According to Luftman, Jacobs’
lawyers sent an amended eviction
notice. However, an amended
eviction notice does not comply
with the law, Henning said.
“You can’t just send someone a
notice of eviction under the Ellis
Act and send out a new eviction
notice and expect not to re-start the
process all over again,” Henning
said.
Neither Jacobs, nor representatives from his company, Bulldog
Partners, LLC, responded to
requests for comment.
City Councilman Paul Koretz,
5th District, said he will be asking
Jacobs to step down as chairman
of the California Housing Finance
Agency, a state agency that helps
provide affordable housing.
“We are writing a letter to Mr.
Jacobs asking him to resign from
his position with the agency. We
believe this runs against the grain
of what he’s supposed to do as
chair of that agency,” Koretz said.
Additionally, Koretz is advocating for state legislation to amend
the Ellis Act.
“The Ellis Act is pretty far
removed from what it was originally intended for. It was not
intended for developers,” Koretz
said.
The Ellis Act, which was enacted in the 1980s, allows small,
mom-and-pop landlords to sell
their property if they are going out
of the rental business, according to
photo by Luis Rivas
Beverly Grove resident Steve
Luftman is taking a stand in support of affordable housing.
Henning.
“I’m still here. It is a huge
investment of time and energy. It
would have been much easier to
leave and move on with my life,
but I feel this is the right thing.
We’re losing so much affordable
housing. It’s so much easier to not
take a stand against it,” Luftman
said.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
6 June 11, 2015
Gay rights icon takes the stage at El Rey Theatre
By Luis Rivas
Since he was young, David
Mixner made it a point to stand up
for people. When he attended
Arizona State University in Tempe,
in the 1960s, he helped fight for
garbage workers to unionize. Years
later, Mixner began organizing
against the Vietnam War with a
group called Moratorium To End
the War in Vietnam. After coming
out as gay, Mixner continued organizing for social justice and focused
on discrimination against the
LGBTQ community.
From labor rights, the anti-war
movement, LGBTQ equality and
HIV/AIDS advocacy, to working
on political campaigns, Mixner has
lived what he describes as an exciting and noteworthy life. Newsweek
once called him “the most powerful
gay man in America.”
Tonight at a fundraiser benefiting
young LGBTQ students at the El
Rey Theatre, guests have a chance
to hear Mixner and do what he
loves best in his one-man show
“Oh Hell No!” — tell stories.
But, it’s not about him, he insists.
It’s about everyone — especially
everyone who was involved in the
HIV/AIDS epidemic and subsequent support movement, Mixner
said.
“Everybody deserves credit.
Anybody that went through that
time, that went through and
emerged on the other side, handled
themselves with courage and nobility,” Mixner said.
Throughout his years as an
activist, one of the constants in his
life has been a love for writing and
storytelling, he said.
Mixner said he’s working on preserving LGBTQ history, especially
of those that lost the fight against
HIV/AIDS. Many of the people
that went through the early years of
the HIV/AIDS epidemic are now in
their late 60s and 70s, he said.
“If we don’t preserve it, we’re
going to lose it. And I’m working
very hard on that,” Mixner said.
Five LGBT bills advance in
California Legislature
Five bills sponsored by Equality
California (EQCA) that address
serious gaps in civil rights protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender Californians have
advanced from their houses of origin. All five bills focus on the mental or physical well-being of LGBT
adults and youth.
“These bills go a long way
toward reducing many of the disparities in health and well-being
suffered by the LGBT community
compared to the general population,” EQCA executive director
Rick Zbur said. “We’re pleased that
lawmakers understand the importance of making sure that all children are safe and respected, and
that all Californians have equal
access to quality healthcare.”
AB
959,
authored
by
Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San
Francisco) would require government agencies to collect data on
sexual orientation and gender identity whenever additional demographic data is collected.
Collecting the data will help indicate the extent to which LGBT
people are experiencing disparities
in health and well-being and
whether government programs are
reaching those in need.
AB
827,
authored
by
Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell
(D-Long Beach) would create
more supportive and safer learning
environments for LGBT students
by giving teachers new tools to
assist LGBT students in the coming
out process or in combating bullying.
AB
329,
authored
by
Assemblywoman Shirley Weber
(D-San Diego) would update and
strengthen existing law to ensure
that students receive sex education
that is comprehensive, medically
accurate, age-appropriate and
inclusive. EQCA is co-sponsoring
AB 329 with American Civil
Liberties Union of California,
California
Latinas
for
Reproductive Justice, Forward
Together and Planned Parenthood
Affiliates of California.
SB 703, authored by Sen. Mark
Leno (D-San Francisco) prohibits
state agencies from doing business
with companies that fail to offer
transgender employees the same
healthcare coverage and benefits
they offer all other workers. A third
of transgender people report being
denied healthcare coverage.
Another bill authored by Leno,
SB 731, would require child welfare workers placing youth in foster
homes to take a young person’s
gender identity into account. The
bill is designed to ensure that all
foster youth, including those who
identify as transgender, are placed
in appropriate homes where they
feel safe and accepted.
Poll finds voters support
statewide election reform
A statewide survey released by
the Public Policy Institute of
California
(PPIC)
indicates
Californians overwhelmingly support election reforms aimed at
improving voter registration and
voter turnout.
The poll found that 69 percent of
California adults favor registering
all eligible citizens to vote when
they visit offices of the California
Department of Motor Vehicles, as
proposed under the California
New Motor Voter Act, AB 1461.
The State Assembly recently
approved AB 1461, which was
jointly authored by Assembly
members Lorena Gonzalez, Luis
Alejo and Kevin McCarty, and
sponsored by Secretary of State
Alex Padilla.
The poll also found 70 percent
of California adults favor sending
every registered voter a vote-bymail ballot. Currently, California
citizens must request a vote-bymail ballot when registering to
vote.
Additionally, more than eight in
10 California adults said that low
voter turnout is a problem, and 59
percent called it a big problem in
the poll.
Approximately 6.6 million
California citizens are eligible but
not registered to vote.
Mixner has written extensively,
publishing several books, such as
“At Home with Myself: Stories
from the Hills of Turkey Hollow”,
“Stranger Among Friends” and
“Brave Journeys”, which Mixner
co-wrote with Dennis Bailey.
Mixner has also written plays and
screenplays, such as “Dunes of
Overseen”, “Jacob’s Ladder” and
“Fire in the Soul”, which Mixner
also co-wrote with Bailey.
“I’m really very eager to try to
preserve oral histories. I think
we’re on the verge of losing our
history. Many of the young men
who were involved in the 1980s,
many of their families destroyed
any record that they were, in fact,
gay men. So it’s important to tell
those stories,” Mixner said.
Mixner, who will be turning 69
this year, is fueled by activism, he
said. “Oh Hell No!” will blend the
personal, the comedic, the sad and
the political, such as sharing stories
about the height of the HIV/AIDS
epidemic.
“I think all of us would agree that
it was one of the most extraordinary
stories of our times, and certainly
one of the greatest movements, the
AIDS/HIV civil rights movement,”
Mixner said.
It’s the memory of his fallen
friends, many of whom have succumbed to HIV/AIDS, that keeps
Mixner going.
“When you see all of us who
went through that epidemic, and
you see the resilience of the human
being, the ability for people to reinvent themselves … I think when
you’ve gone through that, you realize how fortunate you are to have
the gift of life,” Mixner said. “I’ve
lost hundreds of friends to AIDS.
Each and every one of them would
have given their right arm to be
right here, to be creative, to be engineers, doctors, choreographers.”
Mixner said he is a spiritual person and a follower of liberation theology, a subset of Catholicism that
incorporates a Christian theology
about the poor, that was founded in
South American in the 1950s and
peaked in popularity in the 1960s
and 1970s.
photo courtesy of Nigel Barker
David Mixner will perform in his
show “Oh Hell No!” tonight.
“It has guided my life. Liberation
theology is being at service to others. When you say that, that sounds
See David Mixner page 21
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
7 June 11, 2015
Crew rescues kitten from Bill on water
storm drain in WeHo recycling
moves forward
photo courtesy of the city of West Hollywood
Crews from the city of West Hollywood rescued a kitten on June 3
that was trapped in a storm drain near La Cienega and Santa Monica
boulevards.
An unidentified resident called at approximately 5 a.m. to report
that the feline was trapped. The fire department responded but firefighters were unable to get to the kitten because the storm drain pipe
was too small.
Los Angeles County Animal Control authorities met city staff at the
site to assess the situation. Northbound traffic on La Cienega
Boulevard was blocked while crews opened one of the storm drain
grates. Using a rod with a bucket taped to the end, authorities were
able to coax the kitten out by slowly pulling the bucket behind him
towards the pipe opening.
After being removed from the pipe, the kitten was taken to the
Amanda Foundation for a full check-up. After the feline was given a
clean bill of health, West Hollywood’s code compliance supervisor
Daniel Mick, who helped lead the rescue effort, adopted the kitten,
which he named Stormy.
Open data policy bill advances
The State Senate has approved
Sen. Dr. Richard Pan’s (DSacramento) SB 573, which would
require California to adopt an opendata policy that will foster economic development, boost transparency
and accountability, and reduce
workloads while increasing cost
saving at state agencies.
“California is the nation’s leader
in technology innovation and
development, but we lag behind in
creating a single, efficient data portal that can help data-driven innovation flourish in our state,” Pan said.
“By providing broad access to government data, great opportunities
are made possible.”
SB 573 would create a chief data
officer who would create a more
robust statewide open data portal by
2017. Under the bill, each state
agency would designate a data
coordinator to report to the chief
data officer, who would establish a
series of annual benchmarks for the
amount and type of data published
on the statewide portal.
“Improving open data access at
the state level will complement
efforts already underway by local
governments and assist municipalities improve government efficiency
and responsiveness,” said Abhi
Nemani, chief data officer for Los
Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
SB 573 will be heard next in the
State Assembly.
L.A. City Council recognizes
LGBT Heritage Month
photo courtesy of the 13th Council District Office
Los Angeles officials recently kicked off the city’s 5th annual
LGBT Heritage Month observance with a city council presentation
and reception at city hall. Mayor Eric Garcetti and the Los Angeles
City Council honored pioneers who paved the way for the LGBT community in Los Angeles. Pictured at the event are Suzy Jack (left), of
the Los Angeles Times; Councilmember Mike Bonin, 11th District;
honoree Carolyn Weathers, publisher of Clothespin Fever Press; honoree Alan Bell, publisher of BLK Magazine; Councilman Mitch
O’Farrell, 13th District; honoree Matt Redman, founder of AIDS
Project Los Angeles; Uriel Saenz, of the Los Angeles Times; Danielle
Brazell, general manager of the Department of Cultural Affairs; and
Board of Public Works president Kevin James.
Assemblyman Mike Gatto (DGlendale) is continuing his efforts to
deliver new sources of clean water
during the state’s historic drought
through AB 1463, legislation to help
reduce the barriers for onsite-water
recycling
and
allow
more
Californians to participate in safe and
sustainable recycled-water programs.
The California State Assembly
recently approved AB 1463 by a 790 vote, and the legislation will now
be considered by the State Senate.
The bill would increase
California’s stewardship of water
resources, remove unnecessary barriers and cut costs to consumers.
“This
legislation
allows
Californians to participate in safe and
sustainable water practices,” Gatto
added. “Lowering the obstacles for
residents and businesses to utilize
onsite-water recycling systems will
help the state and local municipal
agencies conserve more water.”
Cyclists cross finish line
in AIDS Life/Cycle ride
photo by Chris Stewart
Approximately 2,350 cyclists completed the 545-mile journey from
San Francisco to Los Angeles last Saturday as part of the AIDS
Life/Cycle ride, which raised $16.3 million to support services at the
Los Angeles LGBT Center. The AIDS/LifeCycle ride is in its 14th
year, but dates back to 1993 when it began as the California AIDS
Ride. Since its inception, the ride has raised a total of $214 million.
Congressman Adam Schiff spoke at the closing ceremonies. The congressman rode in the AIDS Life/Cycle in 2014, and his niece, Rachel,
rode this year, according to spokesman, Patrick Boland. The money
raised by AIDS/LifeCycle funds mental health services, HIV testing,
prevention programs and counseling at the center, added Gil Diaz,
communications manager for the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
8 June 11, 2015
Russian ballet brings ‘Rodin’ to Music Center City officials welcome tower
Lovers of dance-theatre and
visual arts will be wowed by the
much-anticipated return to The
Music Center of Russia’s leading
contemporary ballet company as
Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance
at The Music Center presents
Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg
with “Rodin”. The company, led
by founder and artistic director
Boris Eifman, will perform at The
Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler
Pavilion in a three-day engagement from June 12 through 14.
A full-length work, Eifman’s
“Rodin” explores the tragic nature
of genius through the life and creative work of the sculptor, Auguste
Rodin, and his apprentice, lover
and muse, Camille Claudel.
Siberian-born Eifman, who founded his own ballet theatre, combines innovative movement with
classical Russian choreographic
technique to bring to life the tragic
story of the lives of these two artistic geniuses.
The Music Center vice president
of programming Renae Williams
Niles said that Eifman’s approach
engages audiences with experiences that are theatrically spectacular and intensely powerful.
“As a leading dance making
voice, Eifman has a profound ability to tell the story of love, angst
and loss through extraordinarily
emotional movement that is gorgeously interpreted by some of the
most awe-inspiring dancers. His
distinctive dance vocabulary takes
audiences to another realm, making us feel every bit of pain and
joy that life brings,” Niles said.
Currently the only Russian contemporary ballet company touring
outside of Russia, Eifman Ballet of
St. Petersburg was founded by
Eifman as the Leningrad New
Ballet in 1977.
With Eifman’s early success, the
“new ballet” concept was seen as
photo by Gene Schiavone
The Eifman Ballet company will perform at The Music Center’s Dorothy
Chandler Pavilion in a three-day engagement from June 12 through 14.
breakthrough and the company as
an experimental laboratory, with
advocates of the traditional ballet
school and ballet critics debating
the new dynamics in Russian ballet. Today, Eifman Ballet of St.
Petersburg is renowned among
ballet lovers worldwide and has
become known for works that not
only represent the highest artistic
level of achievement of contemporary Russian ballet, but also
remind audiences of the spiritual
heritage of Russian and world culture that inspire Eifman and his
dancers.
The Music Center’s Dorothy
Chandler Pavilion is located at 135
N. Grand Ave. Tickets start at $34,
which can be purchased at the box
office. For information, visit
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www.musiccenter.org/rodin or call
(213)972-0711.
Hudson Pacific Properties, Inc.
held a celebratory groundbreaking last week for ICON, its nearly
$200 million state-of-the-art, creative office tower located on the
10.6-acre Sunset Bronson Studios
lot on Sunset Boulevard in
Hollywood.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric
Garcetti and City Councilman
Mitch O’Farrell, 13th District,
joined Hudson’s senior management, as well as other business
and civic leaders, at the construction site for the event.
“ICON will be the culmination
of our efforts to transform the
landmark Sunset Bronson Studios
into the country’s premier nextgeneration media and entertainment campus,” said ICON chairman and CEO Victor J. Coleman.
“The project affords industry
leading companies a unique
opportunity to have it all — innovative architecture, sustainable
design and immediate access to
top-of-the-line sound stages and
production facilities at the center
of the world’s entertainment capital.”
Garcetti said the project will
create 520 construction jobs, benefiting Angelenos all throughout
the city.
“Tech, media and production
companies will fill the floors of
Hudson’s ICON office tower and
the larger Sunset Bronson expansion and make ICON a microcosm of L.A.’s diverse creative
economy,” Garcetti said.
Hudson purchased Sunset
Bronson in 2008.
In recent months, the company
has undertaken several capital
improvement projects, including
renovation and return of the former KFWB radio tower to its
original location on the lot and
restoration of the historic Warner
Brothers office building, as well
as comprehensive signage, landscaping and façade improvements.
The efforts have allowed
Hudson to retain more traditional
media companies, such as KTLA,
which has been headquartered on
the lot for nearly 60 years and
recently extended its lease
through 2030, and attract networks like HBO, CBS and
FreemantleMedia.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
9 June 11, 2015
Hammer unveils the Afghan Carpet Project
The­
Hammer­
Museum
announced­a­new­exhibition,­The
Afghan­ Carpet­ Project,­ on
Monday­that­will­feature­six­carpets­designed­by­L.A.-based­contemporary­ artists­ —­ Lisa­ Anne
Auerbach,­ Liz­ Craft,­ Meg
Cranston,­ Francesca­ Gabbiani,
Jennifer­ Guidi­ and­ Toba
Khedoori­ —­ which­ were­ handmade­by­weavers­in­Afghanistan.
The­exhibition­is­the­culmination
of­a­project­that­began­with­a­trip
to­Afghanistan­in­March­2014­to
visit­ weavers­ in­ Kabul­ and
Bamiyan­as­part­of­a­federal­initiative­ to­ stimulate­ the­ Afghan
economy­and­bring­in­business­to
the­region.­
“The carpets they
have made are
extremely
beautiful and
represent a very
special
collaboration.”
-Ann Philbin
Hammer director
Following­ the­ 2014­ trip­ to
Afghanistan,­each­artist­came­up
with­ an­ original­ design­ for­ her
carpet.­The­project­was­originally
initiated­by­the­nonprofit­organization­ AfghanMade,­ along­ with
carpet­producer­Christopher­Farr,
Inc.­The­carpets­will­be­on­sale­at
Christopher­ Farr,­ Inc.­ starting
September.­
A­portion­of­the­proceeds­from
carpet­ sales­ will­ benefit­ Arzu
Studio­Hope,­a­nonprofit­organization­ that­ established­ weaving
studios­in­Afghanistan­to­provide
fare­wages,­education­and­health-
‘Tomorrowland’­comes­to
El­Capitan­Theatre
photo­©Disney­2015
photo­­courtesy­of­the­Hammer­Museum
The Afghan Carpet Project exhibition will be on view through Sept. 27.
care­to­Afghan­women.­The­show
will­also­include­photo­documentation­ of­ the­ trip,­ captured­ by
Lisa­Anne­Auerbach.­This­exhibition­ is­ organized­ by­ Hammer
curator­Ali­Subotnick­with­Emily
Gonzalez-Jarrett,­curatorial­associate,­ and­ will­ be­ on­ view­ at­ the
Hammer­ from­ June­ 13­ through
Sept.­27.
“Although­ there­ was­ some
trepidation­ on­ the­ part­ of­ the
museum­and­the­artists­to­make­a
trip­ to­ Afghanistan­ at­ this
moment­in­time,­ultimately­it­was
impossible­ to­ resist­ the­ opportunity,”­said­Hammer­director­Ann
Philbin.­ “The­ carpets­ they­ have
made­are­extremely­beautiful­and
represent­ a­ very­ special­ collaboration.”
The­Hammer­Museum­is­locat-
­Photo­exhibit­traces­Japan
after­WW­II
photo­courtesy­of­Japan­Foundation
The­ Japan­ Foundation­ is­ presenting­ the­ photo­ exhibition
“Metamorphosis­of­Japan­After­the­War”.­The­exhibition­will­include
the­work­of­11­photographers­who­captured­images­of­postwar­Japan
from­1945­to­1964.­The­exhibition­takes­place­at­the­West­Los­Angeles
College­Art­Gallery­from­Friday,­June­12­through­July­11.
In­1945,­Japan­made­a­new­start­as­a­defeated­and­devastated­country­ after­ World­ War­ II.­ However,­ after­ approximately­ 20­ years,­ the
nation’s­society,­economy­and­culture­underwent­dramatic­transformations.­The­11­photographers­were­each­active­in­the­period­of­dramatic­ upheaval.­ Their­ work­ records­ the­ transformation­ of­ society,­ and
many­of­the­photographs­that­they­took­are­significant­from­an­artistic
perspective­in­addition­to­being­important­records.
The­ photographers­ selected­ are­ Ken­ Domon,­ perhaps­ the­ bestknown­ Japanese­ photographer­ of­ the­ 20th­ century,­ Ihee­ Kimura,
Hiroshi­Hamaya,­Tadahiko­Hayashi,­Shigeichi­Nagano,­Ikko­Narahara,
Kikuji­Kawada,­Shomei­Tomatsu,­Yasuhiro­Ishimoto­and­Eikoh­Hosoe
and­Takeyoshi­Tanuma.
The­ West­ Los­ Angeles­ College­ Art­ Gallery­ is­ located­ at­ 9000
Overland­Ave.­For­information,­visit­www.jflalc.org.
ed­ at­ 10899­ Wilshire­ Blvd.­ For
information,­ visit­ www.hammer.ucla.edu.
The­El­Capitan­Theatre­in­Hollywood­presents­a­special­engagement
of­ Disney’s­ “Tomorrowland,”­ running­ through­ Wednesday­ June­ 17.
Oscar-winner­ Brad­ Bird’s­ “Tomorrowland”­ is­ a­ riveting­ mystery
adventure­starring­George­Clooney.­Bound­by­a­shared­destiny,­former
boy-genius­ Frank­ (Clooney),­ jaded­ by­ disillusionment,­ and­ Casey
(Britt­ Robertson),­ a­ bright,­ optimistic­ teen­ bursting­ with­ scientific
curiosity,­embark­on­a­danger-filled­mission­to­unearth­the­secrets­of­an
enigmatic­ place­ somewhere­ in­ time­ and­ space­ known­ as
“Tomorrowland”.­ Magician­ Greg­ Wilson­ will­ present­ a­ new­ show
titled­ “The­ Magic­ of­ Imagination”­ prior­ to­ every­ screening.­ The­ El
Capitan­Theatre­is­located­at­6838­Hollywood­Blvd.­For­information,
call­(800)DISNEY6,­or­visit­www.elcapitantickets.com.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
10 June 11, 2015
Teachers get raises
For the first time in eight years,
teachers in the Los Angeles Unified
School District (LAUSD) will
receive a raise in their paychecks.
The total raise represents a 4 percent increase retroactive to last
July, plus a 2 percent increase
added in January. The pay raises
amount to $108 million, and were a
key component of the recent agreement concluded between the district and United Teachers Los
Angeles, the union representing
teachers.
Nearly 37,000 union members,
including teachers, guidance counselors, nurses, adult education
teachers and substitutes, received
the increase in their latest paychecks.
“These increases will help our
district to remain competitive and
to continue to attract the best and
the brightest candidates to serve our
students and school communities,”
LAUSD superintendent Ramon C.
Cortines said.
The district’s divisions of information
technology,
human
resources and payroll and worked
extensively over the past several
weeks to ensure the system could
issue the paychecks before teachers
left for summer break on June 4.
Harold Henry Park
dedicated
Los Angeles City Councilman
Tom LaBonge, 4th District, recently presided over the official reopening of Harold Henry Park at
890 S. Lucerne Ave. in Windsor
Village. The re-opening was held
on June 3 after seven months of renovations that began last November.
New playground equipment and
drought-tolerant landscaping was
installed. The project also included
new amenities with improved ADA
accessibility. Community activist,
4th District Councilman and former
City Council president, Harold A.
Henry, created the park in the early
photo courtesy of the 4th Council District Office
1960s by combining two residential properties. The 1.6-acre park is located within the Windsor Village Historic Preservation Overlay Zone.
Mary’s Sweetwater Creek
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Whole Chicken
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323.938.5131
www.marcondas.com
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
11 June 11, 2015
‘Spy’ is a refreshing secret agent film
Director Paul Feig and actress
Melissa McCarthy are an unstoppable force, pumping out a third hit
comedy in a row. You thought they
peaked with “Bridesmaids”, but
“Spy” ascends expectations,
becoming their best film together.
This is the kind of gut-shattering,
laugh house experience we haven’t
seen on the silver screen in some
time. It’s clever. It’s crass. It’s even
action packed.
Susan Cooper (McCarthy) is an
incredible CIA analyst, but the
agency doesn’t quite appreciate her
— not even her partner, Agent
Bradley Fine (Jude Law) who relies
on her intel on a daily basis. But
when Mr. Fine meets a mysterious
demise, all field agents are potential
targets. Susan believes her low profile will allow her to enter the field
unannounced to foes, so CIA director Elaine Crocker (Allison Janney)
begrudgingly OKs her first mission
abroad.
Sadly, Susan’s covers aren’t as
lavish as Fine’s. Profiled as either a
cat lady or an IT professional with
bad hair, Agent Cooper seeks out
arms dealer Rayna Boyanov (Rose
Byrne), hoping to acquire a nuke
before its handed off to some trigger-happy hands. But to complete
her task she isn’t alone. On the
other end of earpiece, meet her
bestie, Nancy (Miranda Hart),
who’s awkward in the most wonderfully British of ways. Her Italian
contact, Sergio De Luca (Bobby
Cannavale), is also quite the handful.
But no one helps — and by helps
I mean hinders — her operation
more than specialist Rick Ford
(Jason Statham). Imagine Statham
as every role he’s ever played all
wrapped into a CIA big shot who
talks big and trips over his own feet
even “bigger”. It’s wonderfully
self-referential. He almost steals the
show.
photo courtesy of Fox Pictures
Melissa McCarthy stars as Susan Cooper, and Rose Byrne appears as
Rayna Boyanov, in “Spy”.
“Spy” is like “21 Jump Street”
but with more heart and twice the
re-watchability. At its core, the relationships between Susan and
Nancy and Susan and Rayna make
the experience so special. You’ve
heard of bromances, well this
“womance” is just as foul mouthed
and funny as anything in your average bromance.
If you expect the same kind of
sexual humor from “Bridesmaids”
move along; “Spy” offers a new
sets of gags to compliment Agent
Cooper’s 007-like gadgets. It’s still
full of McCarthy’s wisecracking,
in-your-face snark, but she’s a very
different character here: more vulnerable, less secure about herself.
Before this film, I’d given up on
McCarthy. Her CBS show “Mike
and Molly” is unfunny and
“Tammy” just had a big “nope” all
over it. I did enjoy Feig and
McCarthy’s second foray, “The
Heat”, but that felt like an end for a
performer bond for Kevin James
and Adam Sandler status. I have
new hope.
“Spy” arrives just in time. It’s
hard to explain what kind of comedy it is. Films like “The 40-YearOld Virgin” and “Role Models” are
largely heartfelt but are very crass
men’s comedies. “Bridesmaids” in
some ways accomplished similar
goals as a women’s comedy. “Spy”
might be an accidentally feminist
comedy that’s both intellectually
photo courtesy of Fox Pictures
Melissa McCarthy, as Susan Cooper, gets stuck in wet concrete during
a high-speed chase in the new comedy, “Spy”.
challenging and flat out hysterical.
More enjoyably, “Spy” doesn’t
have one fat joke about McCarthy.
It’s refreshing to see a film with
body diversity that doesn’t feel
either obligated to reference it or
cheap enough to do so. McCarthy’s
Cooper is just an everywoman who
never quite got her chance to shine
until now.
The only aspect of her physical
appearance on trial here is her role
as a woman in a largely men’s spy
game.
And she kicks some major villainous rump. Of course jokes
blend well in to some fight
sequences, but others actually
showcase
McCarthy.
Some
sequences outdo entire Statham
films. (Sorry Mr. Statham, but
you’re on my bad side after your
recent attack on Marvel.)
This year is looking incredible
for women-empowering films. And
this isn’t a senior thesis project film
concerned more with the point than
the whole thing. Politics aside,
“Spy” is an amazing film. But the
politics make it so much richer.
I’m not sure if Feig and
McCarthy’s
all-women
“Ghostbusters”, also starring
Kristin Wiig, will work, but my
concern has nothing to do with
casting. Feig’s writing and directing
are best in the form of R-rated
comedies with some edge. If the
pair changes its tried-and-true formula now, I fear the outcome.
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Ford said. “It was an extremely
exhilarating day; not only did our
preparations pay off and the surgery
succeed in spectacular fashion, but
this was also a time to put politics
aside and celebrate our national
pride.”
Marian
and
Michelle—
“omphalopagus” twins since they
are connected at the abdomen—are
actually triplets (sister Tamar is
healthy and normal). The two sisters had faced each other since
birth, but recuperated in separate
beds in HUM’s neonatal intensive
care unit. They were ready to be
discharged 12 days after surgery.
The twins are expected to make a
full recovery.
Conjoined twins occur in roughly one in 200,000 births, and
omphalopagus twins represent
about 30 percent of all conjoined
twin births. As triplets, these girls
are considered even rarer, occurring
one in an estimated one million
births. Fused together by the breastbone (or xiphoid bone) in the lower
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This month, the Los Angeles
County District Attorney’s Office
is beginning its #FraudFriday alert
series where experts who prosecute
financial crimes will offer warnings about the latest ploys targeting
consumers in Los Angeles County
— with a special emphasis on safeguarding seniors. Alerts will be
sent out every other Friday.
In an effort to fulfill the goal and
in anticipation of World Elder
Abuse Awareness Day, June 15,
Los Angeles County District
Attorney Jackie Lacey and her
office are dedicating the first
#FraudFriday alert to financial
elder abuse. For information on
scams targeting people ages 65 and
older,
visit
http://da.lacounty.gov/seniors.
Criminals are able to trick many
seniors into sending them money,
according to the District Attorney’s
Office. In the “Grandma Scam”,
con artists use information about
the victim’s family members,
gleaned from social media sites, to
persuade them to send money supposedly to get a grandchild out of
jail.
The District Attorney’s Office
recommends people to be aware of
common scams like the “Grandma
Scam” and to spread awareness.
Additionally, the office recommends people use caller ID or an
answering machine to screen calls
and to not pick up the phone unless
the number is recognizable. If the
person on the other line is claiming
to be a family member in need of
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portion of the sternum, Marian and
Michelle also had
attached livers that
would be separated
during the procedure.
The complex surgical procedure got
underway within 24
hours of the arrival of
the 18-member surgical team of surgeons, anesthesiologists and nurses from
CHLA. The Los
Angeles team was
joined by 12 medical
staff from Centres
GHESKIO, Hospital
B e r n a r d
Mevs–Project
Medishare
and
photo courtesy of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Hopital Universitaire Dr. Henri Ford CHLA’s chief of surgery, is pictured
de
Mirebalais with Michelle and Marian, the formerly conjoined
(HUM), led by Dr. twins.
Maclee Jean-Louis,
director of Surgery at HUM. The described as an international medgroup comprised what Ford ical “Dream Team.”
New alert series help seniors fight financial crimes
"
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L.A. doctors seperate conjoined twins
Physicians and nurses from
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
(CHLA) and Keck Medicine of the
University of Southern California
(USC) led an international collaboration last month to separate a pair
of six-month-old conjoined Haitian
twins, the first such operation ever
performed on Haitian soil.
Marian Dave-Nouche Bernard
and
Michelle
Dave-Nouche
Bernard, born as one on Nov. 24,
were separated after a seven-hour
surgery at University Hospital of
Mirebalais (HUM), in Mirebalais,
Haiti, a poor rural community in the
country’s Central Plateau, about 36
miles northeast of the capital city of
Port-au-Prince.
Henri Ford was the surgical team
leader. He was born in Haiti and is
now the surgeon in chief at CHLA
and vice dean for medical education, professor and vice chair for
clinical affairs, Department of
Surgery, Keck School of Medicine
of USC.
“The girls are doing fantastic,”
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money, verify if it’s true. Call the
grandchild or his/her parents.
Lastly, establish a secret password
with family members so that you
are able to verify it is truly a family member calling.
If you are concerned that a
senior is being scammed, contact
your local law enforcement agency
or the Los Angeles County Elder
Abuse Hotline at (877)477-3646.
Follow @LADAOffice on
Twitter for up-to-date news or
tweet us with #FraudFriday to
share experiences and tips to combat financial crimes.
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Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
12 June 11, 2015
wine
R ESTAU R ANT NEW S
By Jill Weinlein
by kyle rachal
Santa Monica
Grand Tasting
A winning choice
for dad
E
With every
palate
as
unique as the
person, it can
be intimidating
when
selecting wine
as a gift. So for
a day celebrating the greatest of dads, a double gold award
winner is a no-brainer. While I’m
not usually swayed by accolades,
the Mazzocco Cabernet Sauvignon
has been awarded the gold medal
twice in 2014 by Sonoma County
harvest fair wine competition for a
reason. This Dry Creek Cabernet is
showing beautifully at the
moment, with intense flavors of
cassis, cedar and fig in the nose.
Blackberry perseveres, cacao and
cardamom on the palate. The finish
is comprised of leather, juniper and
spice with smooth yet firm tannic
structure. Versatile as it is impressive, this wine is fruit forward with
complex and complementary
earthy notes. It would pair exceptionally well with smoky robust
barbeque, or more delicate Italian
tomato based dishes.
2012 Mazzocco cabernet Sauvignon $23.99
Monsieur Marcel Gourmet Market
Kyle Rachal, a Los Angeles native,
received her psychology degree from
the University of San Francisco before
beginning her work in wine in Davis,
CA. Now, as the wine and spirits buyer
at Monsieur Marcel Gourmet Market
at the Original Farmers Market, Kyle’s
vision for the selection at Marcel’s
focuses on limited production boutique
wines and spirits. She enjoys introducing customers to new and unique bottles, and loves
hearing what people are drinking at
the moment or
what they are
making for dinner.
Stop by Monsieur
Marcel and say
hello.
vian, BADOIT, Whole Foods
Market Santa Monica and The
St. Regis Monarch Beach present
The Santa Monica Grand Tasting
on Saturday, June 13 and Sunday,
June 14 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the
Santa Monica Pier. Chef Susan
Feniger, of Border Grill, will lead
the festivities featuring approximately 100 top chefs and restaurateurs from Los Angeles including
Phillip Frankland Lee, of Scratch
Bar; Raj Dixit, of Michael Mina’s
Stonehill Tavern; Adam Fleischman,
of Tacoteca; David Hands, of
Bouchon; Kimmy Tang, of
9021pho; Matt Dhillon, with
Fattoria del Vicario; and many
more. The festival highlights and
celebrates the diverse culinary offerings in Los Angeles. Free rides will
be offered by Uber.com to event participants. General admission tickets
are $100; $150 for VIP tickets. The
event supports the Chill Foundation.
200 Santa Monica Pier. http://santamonicagrandtasting.com.
Malibu Movie Night
T
he Malibu Country Mart presents the return of a favorite tradition — its free annual summer
movie series. Throughout June and
July, the Mart invites audiences of
all ages to enjoy screenings of family-friendly movies on the lawn.
“The Karate Kid” will be shown on
Saturday, June 13 at 7:45 p.m., followed by “E.T.” on Saturday, June
27 and “Ghostbusters” on Saturday,
July 11. Families, shoppers and
movie fans are encouraged to bring
blankets and picnic baskets.
Audience members can also order
food from Taverna Tony’s, Mr.
Chow-Malibu and Tra di Noi. 3835
Cross Creek Road. (310)826-5636
ext. 222.
Beer Festival with
a Surf Twist
T
he Trek Bikes of Ventura Surf
‘n’ Suds Beer Festival will be
held on Saturday, June 13 at
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Ventura Harbor Village. More than
45 top craft breweries will be featured at the event, as well as the
bands Rising Son, After the Smoke
and DJ Hecktik. VIP tickets, priced
at $65 per person, allow guests
entry at 11:30 a.m. and an opportunity to sample specialized beers not
available to general admission ticket holders. General admission tickets are $50 and allow guests entry
at 12:30 p.m. All guests will receive
a complimentary souvenir logo
glass and samples from more than
45 breweries. Designated driver
tickets are $20. Free trolley service
from the nearby Amtrak station is
available. 1583 Spinnaker Dr.,
Ventura. www.surfbeerfest.com.
Cooking Classes
B
everly Hills-based chef Elana
Horwich, an expert on simple
cooking and easy entertaining,
teaches students how to make interactive dishes in her upcoming cooking classes. A non-pasta class will
be held on Monday, June 15, followed by a Thai paradise class on
Monday, June 22, and a pool party
food class on Monday, June 29. The
classes are held from 6 to 9 p.m.,
and are open to cooks of all levels.
Students prep, chop and stir, and are
taught how to make five to six
items, from appetizers to desserts.
Participants also eat as they cook,
and leave with many new recipes.
The classes, which are held in a private home near Sunset Boulevard
and Doheny Drive in Beverly Hills,
are $100 per course. For informa-
tion and scheduled, call (310)2287565, or visit http://mealandaspiel.com/class-type/all.
shrimp with jasmine rice. 1131
Manhattan Ave. (310)545-2096.
Lobster at BOA
National Lobster Day Steakhouse
O
n Monday, June 15, the
“Maine” culinary attraction in
Los Angeles will be lobster. At
West Hollywood’s Barton G. L.A.,
the chefs are re-imagining classic
comfort foods such as tater tots and
Pop-Tarts by combining them with
upscale ingredients in a creative
presentation. The restaurant’s lobster Pop-Tarts are made with Maine
lobster, gruyere and Pernod mornay
sauce baked in flakey phyllo pastry
with a sprinkling of Tabasco hollandaise and tarragon aioli. The
lobster trap truffle mac and cheese
is made with a one-pound Maine
lobster and pasta spirals in black
truffle three-cheese lobster sauce.
The whimsical lobster tater tots are
made with lobster with cheese,
chives and potatoes that are fried
into croquettes. Other dishes
include lobster apicius made with a
one pound Maine lobster, garlic
seared shrimp and roasted and
grilled market vegetables served
with lobster butter. 861 N. La
Cienega Blvd. (310)388-1888.
Lobster in
Manhattan Beach
T
he Vietnamese restaurant Little
Sister is serving its signature
salt and pepper lobster with butter
fried shallots, fried chilies and garlic. Guests can also enjoy lobster
fried rice made with lobster, lobster
roe, lap cheong (Chinese chicken
and pork sausage) and sweet
I
n addition to serving modern-day
steakhouse fare, the IDG hot spot
BOA Steakhouse uses lobster to
elevate nostalgic side dishes such
as lobster mac and cheese and lobster mashed potatoes. For the
devoted lobster purist, the restaurant also offers its Nova Scotia lobster tail entrée. 9200 W. Sunset
Blvd. (310)278-2050.
Innovative Katana
D
iners can celebrate National
Lobster Day at Katana in West
Hollywood. The Robata-Yaki concept restaurant incorporates Asian
influences and flavors with lobster
in dishes such as lobster tempura,
lobster medallions and baked lobster sushi roll with avocado, asparagus and soy paper. 8439 W. Sunset
Blvd. (323)650-8585.
Detour Bistro Bar
G
uests can enjoy a new happy
hour with new menu items and
extended hours on Mondays from 3
to 11p.m. at the Detour Bistro Bar.
Diners can celebrate with shrimp
tacos, open face BBP toast (burrata,
bruschetta and prosciutto), watermelon salads and Philly steak flatbreads priced at $5 to $10. For the
ultimate happy hour experience,
cocktails are specially priced at $8,
including honey Old Fashioneds
and Summer Splashes. The bar also
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
13 June 11, 2015
Fig & Olive
Maintaining the Mediterranean Diet
R
esearch has shown that the
traditional Mediterranean
diet reduces the risk of heart
disease and cancer, as well as
Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. The key components of the
Mediterranean diet are olive oil,
instead of butter, and a variety of
fruits and vegetables, lean meat,
whole grains, legumes and nuts. A
glass of red wine is also acceptable.
Fig & Olive’s menu offers dishes
that are ideal for the diet, as executive chef Pascal Lorange prepares
his Mediterranean dishes with
herbs, spices and some of the finest
olive oils from the Mediterranean
region. I recently dined with a
group of friends at Fig & Olive on
Melrose Place to enjoy chef
Lorange’s new Mediterranean dishes on the spring menu.
We were seated in the rear dining
room with elegant limestone stucco
walls and green rosemary and olive
trees placed throughout, offering
the essence of the Mediterranean.
Rosemary olive oil bread is served
with small dishes of three distinctive extra virgin olive oils from
Spain, Greece and Italy.
We each chose a glass of wine or
champagne from more than 30
varietals offered from the south of
France, Italy and Spain. I enjoyed a
nice French rosé made with
By Jill Weinlein
grenache/syrah from the Château
La Coste “Cuvée Bellugue” Côtes
de Provence. It was floral, with
hints of white fruit.
The wine paired well with the
different types of crostini. My
favorite was the savory caramelized
onion crostini with goat cheese and
chives. I also enjoyed crostini with
manchego, sliced fig and Marcona
almonds.
Because the Mediterranean diet
traditionally includes antioxidantrich vegetables, chef Lorange’s
menu includes cold gazpacho
Andalucia with minced tomatoes,
bell peppers, cucumbers, red onion,
basil, sherry vinegar and a splash of
basil olive oil. A small scoop of
ayala goat cheese enhances the
dish.
Another enjoyable dish is
Lorange’s rainbow heirloom toma-
Restaurant News
From page 12
offers 22 beers priced from $4 to $6.50, and six wines priced from $6
and $8. The happy hour menu changes weekly and incorporates the
freshest ingredients. 12473 W. Washington Blvd. (424)289-8191.
Barrel Down is Now Open
B
arrel Down, an American beer hall located downtown, offers 40
American craft handles, nitro taps, killer cocktails, wines and extraordinary bar cuisine. The new communal watering hole serves marketdriven cuisine created by chef Derrick de Jesus, formerly of Alma,
Allumette and Union. His menu includes sandwiches and salads and
shared plates. Diners can enjoy crispy cauliflower popcorn with ginger
aioli and chili lime vinaigrette, and the K-town wings with heat from
Jesus’ five-chile sauce. The Barrel Down burger is made with dry-aged
sirloin and smoked white cheddar, zucchini pickles, caramelized onion
and red leaf lettuce. Desserts include apple pie and Bourbon Street bread
pudding with chocolate, banana, brown sugar pecans and bourbon. The
rotating beer list offers craft beers such as Almanac Beer Company’s
Delores Farmhouse Ale, Bell’s Brewing Amber Red Ale and Left Hand
Brewing’s Milk Stout. Barrel Down is open daily at 4 p.m. Lunch service coming soon. 525 W. Seventh St. (213)232-8657.
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%., 7 555 -3,'0.3-./*66$ %.,
to caprese with luscious burrata and
sliced figs, which add a delightful
sweetness. It is lightly dressed with
18-year balsamic vinegar and basil
green olive oil. The crab and heirloom tomato appetizer, which had
the texture of an elegant tuna salad,
is made with jumbo lump crab.
Fish is also an important part of
the Mediterranean diet. Fig & Olive
offers six different pescatarian dishes that include Mediterranean
branzino; Chilean sea bass and yellowfin tuna a la provencale. The
Riviera salmon is also an excellent
choice. Fig & Olive‘s seared
salmon is served with grilled
asparagus and flavorful braised fennel. The dish is drizzled with pea
puree, Koroneiki olive oil emulsion
and a spritz of lemon zest.
The most visually spectacular
dish of the evening was the rosemary lamb chops served under a
glass dome. When the cover was
raised, a smoky vapor of herbs de
Provence was released. The chops
were accompanied with grilled
polenta, braised eggplant, roasted
bell peppers and a dab of rosemary
garlic olive oil.
I’m not sure if the creamy fig and
gorgonzola risotto made with
Arborio rice qualifies as a
Mediterranean diet dish because it
is so rich, yet it’s so satisfying and
worth splurging. The dish is pure
comfort food in a bowl.
Grains are also important in the
Mediterranean diet, so chef
Lorange offers red quinoa salad
with vegetables dressed with
Arbequina olive oil. All of the pasta
and risotto dishes are vegetarian.
However, guests may add grilled
chicken, salmon or shrimp.
Poultry can be consumed twice a
week as part of the Mediterranean
diet. A good
choice is the
Provence roasted free-range
chicken from
Mary’s
farm
marinated with
herbs
de
Provence and
garlic. It is
served with a
side of ratatouille and roasted potatoes.
My favorite
dish was the colorful Fig &
Olive tajine with
photo courtesy of Fig & Olive
Moroccan spiced
Perfect
for
summer
are
Fig
&
Olive’s crostinis and
chicken prepared
with figs, car- refreshing cocktails.
rots, olives, apricots, zucchini, cipollini onions, ounce Creekstone Farms black
tomatoes, toasted almonds and angus chateaubriand; and 36couscous blended with cilantro and ounce cote de boeuf Creekstone
harissa. Arbequina olive oil, an aro- Farms bone-in rib-eye.
Save room for light panna cotta
matic, buttery oil from Melgarejo in
à
l’orange with cookie crumble.
Andalucía, Spain, enhances the
Desserts also include lavender
dish.
Since red meat should be con- creme brûlée with lavender ice
sumed no more than a few times a cream and a crunchy thyme shortmonth
as
part
of
the bread cookie.
The restaurant offers a retail
Mediterranean diet, Fig & Olive’s
filet mignon is an excellent collection of more than 30 types
choice.
The
eight-ounce of extra virgin olive oil ranging
Creekstone Farms filet is marinat- from fruity and delicate varietals
ed with thyme, garlic and rose- from Provence to peppery Tuscan
mary before being grilled and olive oil from Villa Lucia. The
served with farro risotto accented restaurant also sells infused olive
with black trumpet mushrooms oils with truffle, basil and lemon.
Fig & Olive opens for lunch at
and two cheeses — manchego and
mascarpone. A béarnaise sauce for noon, Monday through Saturday.
the steak is made with Arbequina Dinner service begins at 6 p.m.,
Monday through Thursday; 5:30
olive oil.
For guests seeking a romantic p.m., Friday through Sunday.
dinner, Fig & Olive offers table- Sunday brunch begins at 11 a.m.
side-for-two entrées such as a $$$ 8490 Melrose Place.
whole, two-pound branzino; 16- (310)360-9100.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
14 June 11, 2015
Police Blotter
The following crimes occurred in West Hollywood and the areas patrolled
by the LAPD’s Wilshire and Hollywood divisions between June 1 and June
7, 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.
June 1
At 12:01 a.m., an unknown suspect stole a vehicle parked near
the corner of 1st and Manhattan.
An unknown suspect committed a
theft in the 600 block of S. La Brea
at 12:30 a.m.
At 1 a.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 1400
block of Seward.
An unknown suspect committed a
burglary in the 800 block of S.
Bronson at 9:28 a.m.
At 9:30 a.m., an unknown suspect
committed a burglary in the 1300
block of N. Las Palmas.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 500 block of S.
Mansfield at 11 a.m.
At 3 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a burglary in the 7300
block of Santa Monica.
An unknown suspect burglarized a
residence in the 900 block of
Doheny at 4:45 p.m.
An unknown suspect committed a
theft in the 6700 block of W. 3rd at
7:45 p.m.
At 8 p.m., a vehicle burglary was
reported in the 7400 block of
Hollywood.
An unknown suspect committed a
burglary in the 600 block of
Manhattan at 8:30 p.m.
At 8:30 p.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a vehicle parked in the
7900 block of Willoughby.
An unknown suspect burglarized a
vehicle parked in the 900 block of
Crenshaw at 8:50 p.m.
At 9:15 p.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a vehicle parked in the
300 block of N. Van Ness.
An unknown suspect robbed a victim in the 600 block of Westbourne
at 9:21 p.m.
At 9:30 p.m., an unknown suspect
robbed a victim near the corner of
Nemo and Santa Monica.
At 5:20 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 6300
block of W. 3rd.
An unknown suspect burglarized a
vehicle parked near the corner of
Gramercy and Place and 5th at 10
p.m.
A vehicle burglary was reported in
the 1200 block of Gardner at 6:22
p.m.
At 10 p.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a vehicle parked in the
8900 block of Keith.
At 6:50 p.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a vehicle parked near
the corner of Hollywood and
Highland.
June 3
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 8400 block of
Beverly at 7:30 p.m.
At 8 p.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a vehicle parked in the
1400 block of N. Ivar.
An unknown suspect burglarized a
vehicle parked in the 8700 block of
Burton Way at 8 p.m.
June 2
At 8 a.m., an unknown suspect
committed a burglary in the 1400
block of Sycamore.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 8500 block of
Beverly at 1 p.m.
At 2 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 7800
block of Sunset.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 100 block of S.
Robertson at 5:30 p.m.
At 5:30 p.m., a vehicle burglary
was reported in the 800 block of S.
Lucerne.
An unknown suspect burglarized a
vehicle parked in the 800 block of
S. Plymouth at 6:30 p.m.
At 6:30 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a burglary in the 1800
block of Grace.
A theft was reported in the 7000
block of Hollywood at 7:30 p.m.
At 7:40 p.m., an unknown suspect
assaulted a victim in the 7000
block of Sunset.
At 2 a.m., an unknown suspect
committed a burglary in the 7900
block of Santa Monica.
An attempted burglary was reported in the 700 block of S. Norton at
12:15 p.m.
At 4 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 8500
block of Beverly.
An unknown suspect committed a
theft in the 6800 block of
Hollywood at 6 p.m.
At 6:15 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a grand theft in the
8600 block of Santa Monica.
An unknown suspect burglarized a
vehicle parked in the 700 block of
S. Ogden at 7:30 p.m.
At 8 p.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a vehicle parked in the
400 block of S. Burnside.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 7200 block of
Hollywood at 9 p.m.
June 4
At 4 a.m., an unknown suspect
committed a burglary in the 7600
block of Lexington.
An unknown suspect robbed a victim in the 7600 block of Beverly at
1:30 p.m.
At 1:30 p.m., an unknown suspect
robbed a victim in the 7600 block
of Beverly.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 6300 block of W.
3rd at 1:45 p.m.
At 2 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 300
block of S. Doheny.
An unknown suspect burglarized a
vehicle parked near the corner of
Romaine and Orlando at 3 p.m.
At 4:50 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 8400
block of W. 3rd.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 6300 block of W.
3rd at 5 p.m.
At 10 p.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a vehicle parked in the
800 block of S. Detroit.
June 5
At 12:30 a.m., an unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the
1700 block of Hudson.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 100 block of The
Grove at 10:15 a.m.
At 2:50 p.m., a suspect assaulted
a victim during a domestic violence incident in the 700 block of
N. San Vicente.
At 3:30 p.m., an unknown suspect
robbed a victim near the corner of
La Brea and Waring.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 8400 block of
Santa Monica at 4:30 p.m.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 8400 block of
Beverly at 5 p.m.
At 8:30 a.m., an unknown suspect
committed a burglary in the 5700
block of Melrose.
At 5:30 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a theft in the 8400
block of Beverly.
June 7
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft near the corner of 8th
and Hauser at 6 p.m.
At 6 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a grand theft in the
8600 block of Santa Monica.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 6200 block of
Sunset at 7:15 p.m.
At 8 p.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a residence in the
1000 block of Edinburgh.
At 1:30 a.m., an unknown suspect
assaulted a victim in the 6800
block of Santa Monica.
An unknown suspect assaulted a
victim near the corner of Las
Palmas and Santa Monica at 1:30
a.m.
At 2:10 a.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft near the
corner of Whitley and Hollywood.
An unknown suspect robbed a victim near the corner of La Brea and
Romaine at 11:30 a.m.
June 6
At 1:40 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 6300
block of Sunset.
At 2:10 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the in
the 700 block of Vine.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 8500 block of
Beverly at 6:30 p.m.
Defendant convicted for money exchange scheme
The owner of an import-export
business located in the Fashion
District pleaded guilty on May 29
to federal charges stemming from
an investigation into black market
peso exchange (BMPE) schemes
that are often used by international
drug cartels to launder and send
narcotics proceeds out of the
United States.
Xilin Chen, 55, pleaded guilty to
three felony counts of knowingly
passing false documents through a
customhouse of the United States,
conspiracy to launder money and
unlawful procurement of citizenship. Chen owns Yili Underwear
and Gayima Underwear. The plea
agreement requires him to forfeit
hundreds of thousands of dollars in
assets and will result in the loss of
his United States citizenship.
The defendant acknowledged
that he received bulk cash at his
businesses that he had reason to
believe was from illegal activity,
specifically drug trafficking. Chen
further acknowledged that he deliberately avoided learning the truth
about the bulk cash that was being
delivered to his businesses.
The investigation into Chen’s
companies was part of a larger
investigation into BMPE schemes
in the Fashion District. In a typical
BMPE scheme, operatives for a
drug trafficking organization use
money derived from the sale of narcotics to purchase goods, often
using large sums of cash. The
goods are shipped to another country where they are sold, and the
funds are delivered to the drug trafficking organization. The BMPE
schemes — a type of trade-based
money laundering — are often used
by Mexico-based drug trafficking
organizations to collect proceeds
from drug sales in the United States
without having to assume the risk
of smuggling large amounts of U.S.
currency across the Mexican border
and without having to wire the
funds through financial institutions,
both of which carry the threat of
authorities detecting the illegal
source of the money.
Chen pleaded guilty to a customs
offense related to a form he filed
with U.S. Customs and Border
Protection in which he claimed
merchandise imported from China
was worth $86,635, even though
the true value of the clothing was
$175,535. In the plea agreement,
Chen admitted that the purpose of
undervaluing the merchandise was
to defraud the United States out of
the proper duty owed on the merchandise. Because the clothing was
then sold for prices lower than if
the true and correct duty had been
paid, the proceeds of the sales were
illegal and depositing the proceeds
into U.S. banks and then wire transferring some of the funds to China
to pay for additional merchandise
constituted money laundering.
Chen further acknowledged that
on three occasions he accepted bulk
cash as payment for clothing from
an undercover agent posing as
someone using the proceeds of narcotics trafficking to purchase merchandise. Chen admitted the he was
aware, or should have been aware,
of the high probability that he was
accepting money derived from narcotics trafficking, but he “deliberately avoided asking questions or
confirming the truth,” according to
the
plea
agreement.
Chen also pleaded guilty to illegally procuring citizenship in 2012
when he declared he was not
involved in criminal activity, even
though he was involved in customs
fraud and money laundering.
Chen’s son — Chuang Feng Chen
(aka “Tom Chen”), 25, also pleaded
guilty last Friday to conspiracy to
pass false documents through a
customhouse of the United States.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled
on Aug. 24.
Rapper charged with assault for fight at apartment
A rap music artist known as Lil
Twist has been charged with
assault and other charges in connection with an attack last
November at a Miracle Mile apartment, the Los Angeles County
District
Attorney’s
Office
announced.
Christopher Lynn Moore, 22, is
charged with one count each of
criminal threats, first-degree burglary, assault by means likely to
produce great bodily injury, assault
with a deadly weapon, grand theft
and misdemeanor battery.
Prosecutors said Moore attended
a party in the 300 block of Hauser
Boulevard on Nov. 7, 2014. When
the victim asked Moore to leave,
the defendant is accused of punching the man in the face at least
twice.
Moore is also accused of making
a threat before leaving. He returned
approximately 30 minutes later
with four other individuals. A fight
ensued, and some of the victim’s
belongings were allegedly stolen.
The victim was taken to a hospital
for his injuries.
If convicted as charged, Moore
faces up to nine years, 10 months
in state prison. The case is being
investigated by the Los Angeles
Police Department’s Wilshire
Division.
Bank robbery suspect arrested at Sunset Boulevard hotel
An alleged bank robbery suspect
wanted by authorities in Northern
California was arrested in Bel-Air
on June 5 following a joint investigation among federal and local
authorities.
FBI agents arrested Darius
Gilbert, 48, in an undisclosed hotel
on Sunset Boulevard. Gilbert is
suspected of committing at least
nine bank robberies in San
Francisco and Antioch. Authorities
had nicknamed the suspect the
“clean cut bandit” based on
descriptions of his appearance.
Witnesses described the suspect as
having brandished a knife during
some of the robberies, and a hand-
gun in more recent hold-ups.
An arrest warrant had been
issued for the suspect by the United
States District Court in San
Francisco. Recently, investigators
determined that Gilbert had fled to
the Los Angeles area and that he
had been staying at a Bel-Air-area
hotel.
15 June 11, 2015
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
‘Summer in the City’ at L.A. Live Jazz and R&B headlines Playboy Jazz Festival at the Bowl
L.A. Live will host six special
outdoor “Summer in the City”
events throughout the upcoming
months that will feature L.A. Live
popular “Downtown Dark Nights”
and “POPUP Marketplace”, along
with new comedy and family-oriented events, including Round Up
at L.A. Live.
The first ever “Summer in the
City” will have a local happy hourstyle celebration for people that live
and work in downtown Los
Angeles. Most L.A. Live restaurants will be offering $5 food and
drink menus all night long.
On Friday, June 12, at 6 p.m.
“Downtown Dark Nights” will
offer locals the best nights to enjoy
live music and art, street performers
and special $5 food and drink
menus at participating restaurants.
“Teeny Tiny Tuesdays” kicks off
on Tuesday, June 30 at 6 p.m. with
exclusive happy hour celebrations
at participating L.A. Live restaurants followed by a 9 p.m. comedy
night at Club Nokia for only $10.
“L.A. Live Family Day” begins
Saturday, July 11 from 12 p.m. to 6
p.m. where guests can enjoy free
activities and entertainment for the
whole family along with $5 food
and drink specials plus kids menus.
The Minions movie opens at Regal
Cinemas L.A. Live that same
weekend.
On Friday, July 24 from 6 p.m. to
10 p.m. guests can participate in
“Round Up at L.A. Live”, where
there will be a country street party
with a massive cornhole tournament, live bands, line dancing,
mechanical bull rides and $5 food
and drink specials.
“POPUP Marketplace Shop”
opens up Thursday, Aug. 13, beginning at 6 p.m. with more than 60 of
Los Angeles’ best indie makers,
crafters and artists.
Beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday,
Aug. 25 “Downtown Dark Nights”
will offer the best nights for locals
to enjoy live music and art, street
performers and special $5 food &
drink menus at participating restaurants.
L.A. Live will also offer guests
$10 parking in the West Garage via
Gate B for all “Summer In The
City” events. For information, visit
www.lalive.com.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic
presents the 37th annual Playboy
Jazz Festival on Saturday, June 13
and Sunday, June 14 at the
Hollywood Bowl. The festival is
one of the premier jazz events in
the United States and attracts audiences from around the world.
An unparalleled mix of jazz
greats, next generation leaders and
festival perennials will perform.
This year’s headliners include festival alums Herbie Hancock and
Wayne Shorter, who will be performing with the Monk Institute of
Jazz Performance Ensemble.
Festival favorites Tower of Power
and Ozomatli, Grammy Awardwinning jazz and R&B singer
Ledisi, and the Eddie Palmieri
Afro-Caribbean Jazz Band with
special invited guests Ronnie
Cuber, Alfredo De La Fe, Donald
Harrison and Joe Locke will perform. Terence Blanchard will
debut with his new band, the
Terence Blanchard E-Collective.
Additional performers include
Aloe Blacc, The Dizzy Gillespie
Big Band under the direction of
John Lee, Snarky Puppy, King
photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Philharmonic
Sunny Ade and his African Beats,
Jason Moran’s Fats Waller Dance
Party, and the New Orleans and
Preservation Hall Jazz Band. The
Jones Family Singers and the
award-winning Los Angeles
County High School for the Arts
Vocal Jazz Ensemble will also perform,
along
with
the
LAUSD/Beyond the Bell All-City
Jazz Big Band.
A special celebratory tribute will
honor the late jazz giant Gerald
Wilson featuring the Celebrating
Gerald Wilson Orchestra under the
direction of Anthony Wilson,
Gerald’s son.
Tickets start at $20. The
Hollywood Bowl is located at 2301
N. Highland Ave. For information,
call (323)850-2000 or visit www.hollywoodbowl.com/playboyjazz.
LGBT Night at Dodgers Stadium First performance of ‘Phantom’ tonight at the Pantages
The Dodgers announced the third annual LGBT night at Dodger
Stadium will be held on Friday, June 19 vs. the San Francisco Giants at
7:10 p.m. A special event ticket package that includes a game ticket and
an exclusive Dodger LGBT Night T-shirt is available for purchase now
exclusively by visiting www.dodgers.com/LGBT.
LGBT night at Dodger Stadium will feature a special ceremonial first
pitch by Lisa Vanderpump, businesswoman, TV personality, executive
producer, philanthropist and GLADD spokesperson. Dodger alumnus
and MLB’s Ambassador of Inclusion Billy Bean will be a part of LGBT
night. Recording artist Lance Bass will also be on hand. Grammy-nominated multi-platinum artist Ty Herndon will perform the national anthem.
The Dodgers will welcome athletes from the Greater Los Angeles
Softball Association (GLASA). GLASA is a gay and lesbian slow-pitch
softball league committed to providing an opportunity for both gay and
non-gay participants to compete in an environment conducive to the gay
community. GLASA has both men’s and women’s divisions with more
than 60 teams participating in their summer and winter seasons.
Additionally, the Dodgers will recognize members of the Varsity Gay
League (V.G.L.). V.G.L. is California’s largest LGBTQ recreational
sports league. V.G.L. offers year-round sports leagues, tournaments, outside-the-box competitions and gaming activities. With thousands of
members, V.G.L. is committed to connecting players of all ages and skill
levels, gay or straight, with new ways to socialize and play. The Dodgers
are also proud to partner with GYM Sportsbar, the first and only gay
sports bar in Los Angeles, in promoting LGBT night at Dodger Stadium.
June 19 also includes Friday night fireworks with music by DJ
Blacklow. Fans are invited on to the field immediately following the
game for the fireworks show. For information, visit
www.dodgers.com/LGBT.
The Hollywood Pantages Theatre
presents Cameron Mackintosh’s
new production of Andrew Lloyd
Webber’s “The Phantom of the
Opera” making its Los Angeles premier Thursday, June 11 and running
through Sunday, Aug. 2. Opening
Night is Wednesday, June 17.
The production is coming to Los
Angeles following a sold-out tour
of the United Kingdom. It features
new scenic design by Paul Brown,
Tony Award-winning original costume design by Maria Björnson
and new choreography by Scott
Ambler. Overseen by Matthew
Bourne and Mackintosh, the production offers exciting special
effects including the show’s legendary chandelier, as well as the
beloved story and score with songs
such as “Music of the Night”, “All
I Ask Of You” and “Masquerade”.
Tickets start at $29. The
Hollywood Pantages Theatre is
located at 6233 Hollywood Blvd.
For information and tickets, call
(800)982-2787, or visit www.hollywoodpantages.com.
photo by Matthew Murphy
Chris Mann portrays the man behind the mask, ‘The Phantom,’ with
Katie Travis as ‘Christine Daaé in the Los Angeles production of ‘The
Phantom of the Opera”.
Dining &
Entertainment 2015
magazine is now
“LIVE” on our
website!
Read about some of the
BEST dining experiences
LA has to offer.
Explore great summer venues
like the L.A. Zoo, Dodgers
Stadium, the Hollywood
Bowl & the Greek Theatre.
Venture out of the zip code to
Ventura County and even
New Orleans.
It’s all in here!
www.beverlypress.com
http://issuu.com/beverlypress/docs/plnbp-dining-and-entertainment-2015
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
16 June 11, 2015
Crossword Puzzle by Myles Mellor
12. Hoard
13. Blows it
16. Expo presentation
18. Do as directed
22. Phyllis Diller’s “husband”
24. Feline vibrato?
25. Suspires
26. Follow
27. Sonata section
28. Country’s Brooks
29. It might be airtight
30. Brown ermine
32. Accept
33. ___ a high note
34. Stinks
36. Last Greek consonant
37. Bloke
40. Squeezed
41. By and by
46. Analyzed
48. Subcompact
50. Brewer’s equipment
51. Itinerant
52. E.P.A. concern
53. Novice: var.
54. Three oceans touch it
56. Defunct ruler
57. Former Yugoslav leader
58. Lummoxes
59. Clip
60. Charge
61. Extended family
63. Powers that be
64. Blinking light, maybe
See Page 22
Planned Parenthood opens center in WeHo
Planned Parenthood Los Angeles
(PPLA) is responding to the need
for reproductive healthcare services
in Los Angeles by opening of its
20th health center in the heart of
West Hollywood.
Across
1. Gangster’s blade
5. Choir part
9. Investment
14. Topological shapes
15. Certain vendor
17. Rivers
19. Craving
20. Underside
21. Piles
22. Whimsical
23. Go (for)
25. Get sidetracked
28. Bombast
31. Wedding helper
35. Unwrinkle
36. Equivocate
38. Latish lunchtime
39. Rivers
42. Secreted
43. Soldier’s knapsack
44. Corner
45. Incline
47. Chart maker
48. Dawns
49. Difficulty
51. Tonic’s partner
52. Commendation
55. Get
59. Certain refrigerant
62. Rivers
65. Determines one’s relative
position
66. Public assemblies
67. Eggs on
68. Like Santa’s cheeks
69. Big tournament
Down
1. “Don’t move!”
2. Web page
3. Neighbor of Pakistan
4. Namely
5. Bother
6. Extended
7. Blockhead
8. 1952 Olympics site
9. D.C. politico, for short
10. Corrupts
11. Pond organism
WeHo continues Pride
Parade and Festival
West Hollywood’s annual Pride Parade and Festival annually draws
hundreds of thousands of people to the city in June, as shown in this
photograph from the July 2, 1998 issue of the Park Labrea News and
Beverly Press. In the photo, spectators cheered on Long Beach’s entry
that year in the parade, which is held along Santa Monica Boulevard.
Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to converge on West
Hollywood again this weekend for the 2015 LA Pride Parade and
Festival, which will take place from Friday, June 12 through Sunday,
June 14. For information, see page 1.
“... PPLA is
committed to
protecting and
expanding access
to critical health
services.”
-Sue Dunlap
PPLA CEO and president
The new center will provide a full
range of quality, affordable reproductive healthcare to thousands of
women, men and teens. West
Hollywood is greatly committed to
supporting all of its residents with
an array of programs and services.
PPLA is honored to join the city’s
remarkable list of service providers,
and provide non-judgmental, confidential care to the community,
according to PPLA CEO and president Sue Dunlap.
“At a time when reproductive
health care is under siege across this
country, PPLA is committed to protecting and expanding access to critical health services,” Dunlap said.
PPLA West Hollywood health
center will offer a range of reproductive health care, including gynecological exams, cervical cancer
screenings, breast examinations,
STD testing and treatment, birth
control and emergency contraception, as well as counseling and education.
For 50 years, PPLA has been
helping women, men and teens get
the compassionate care they need
and deserve. The largest provider of
reproductive healthcare services in
Los Angeles County, PPLA provided services to 150,000 patients at 19
health centers last year. The new
West Hollywood center will allow
even more Angelenos to get the
high-quality care and information
they need. Appointments can be
made by calling (800)576-5544 or
visiting http://www.plannedparenthood.org. Walk-ins are always welcome.
Ford Theatres reopens in 2016, seeks partners
The Ford Theatres will reopen in
summer 2016 after undergoing
major infrastructure improvements
and amphitheatre stage reconstruction.
Unlike a typical presenting
venue, the Ford Theatres summer
season predominantly features a
wide range of Los Angeles County
artists and producers who participate in the Ford Theatres
Partnership Program.
Applications are now being
accepted for the Ford Theaters
Partnership Program, whose purpose is to support Los Angeles
County nonprofit arts organizations, independent producers and
producing collectives by co-producing and co-presenting their performance in the historic 1,200-seat
John Anson Ford Amphitheatre.
Program guidelines and application are available at www.fordthe-
atres.org/opportunities.
The deadline to apply is Aug.
26.
The Partnership Program provides a shared risk/revenue model,
marketing, front of house and production support and access to skill
building opportunities and practical knowledge necessary to successfully present in a 1,200-seat
performing arts facility.
Program participants are selected through a competitive application process and reflect on stage
the cultural and artistic diversity of
the people of Los Angeles County.
Events selected through the
Partnership Program will be part
of the 2016 Ford Theatres grand
reopening season. Prospective
applicants are encouraged to
attend a gathering to learn about
the application process, financial
structure and requirements of the
program.
This evening of roundtable discussions will take place Monday,
June 15 at 6:45 p.m. Online webinars on how to submit a competitive proposal will take place on
July 8 and July 29, specific information provided on the website.
To register for the gathering and
to sign up for information on the
webinars,
email
[email protected] or
call (323)856-5793.
The Ford is seeking applications
for a broad range of categories
including, but not limited to, altrock, ballet, cabaret, circus, classical music, film, hip-hop, jazz, multimedia, modern dance, theatre,
world and folk music and world
dance. Similar to a grant program,
applications for the Ford Theatres
Summer Season are considered on
a competitive basis.
National Health Foundation helps homeless patients
Hundreds of homeless patients
discharged from Los Angeles area
hospitals are annually receiving
vital transitional housing and
aftercare services through an
award-winning
“recuperative
care” program spearheaded by the
National Health Foundation
(NHF), a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization dedicated to
improving and enhancing the
healthcare of the underserved by
developing and supporting innovative programs.
Since assuming complete control of the program’s overall management and on-site staffing and
operations a year ago, the NHF
“Pathway Recuperative Care”
(PRC) program has served more
than 500 patients from 60 participating hospitals, saved the hospitals nearly $5 million collectively
and found temporary or permanent
housing for nearly 50 percent of
the patients leaving the recuperative care program.
Recuperative care provides hospitals with a discharge option for
homeless patients who are no
longer sick enough to require continued hospitalization, but who are
still too ill to be released onto the
streets or placed in a traditional
shelter. Participating hospitals can
send the homeless patients to a
recuperative care center — where
they receive basic clothing, meals
and shelter — to recover in a safe
and clean setting, receive medical
oversight, obtain support in attending follow up appointments and
connect with supportive services
and longer-term housing.
“This type of program allows
patients to recuperate and receive
treatment for their lingering nonmajor illnesses, which reduces the
probability of relapse and costly
re-hospitalization,” said NHF
president and CEO Kelly Bruno.
The NHF PRC program operates at two locations, one in MidCity LA, the other in the San
Gabriel Valley within La Puente.
“The program was a life saver
for me,” said “Hank,” who arrived
at the Mid-City facility after being
hospitalized for various ailments,
including a severe kidney infec-
tion. “I had nothing, but they
cared for me.”
“This type of
program allows
patients to
recuperate and
receive treatment
for their lingering
non-major
illnesses ...”
Kelly BrunoNHF president and CEO
In Los Angeles County, approximately 6,000 homeless patients
are admitted to hospitals each year,
and many hospitals have typically
kept many patients twice as long
as medically necessary (i.e., four
extra days) because there was an
insufficient availability of appropriate discharge facilities.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
17 June 11, 2015
La Brea Tar Pits debuts ‘Titans of the Ice Age’
“Titans of the Ice Age: The La
Brea Story in 3D” premieres on
Saturday, June 20 in the New 3D
Theater at the La Brea Tar Pits and
Museum, 5801 Wilshire Blvd.
The 22-minute film was customized for audiences at the La Brea
Tar Pits and Museum with recent
footage and interviews with museum
paleontologists. The action-packed
film, narrated by Academy Awardwinning actor Christopher Plummer,
provides an immersive portal to the
Pleistocene Ice Age 20,000 years
ago, transporting viewers to the otherworldly frozen landscapes of the
northern hemisphere 10,000 years
before modern civilization.
The film brings the harsh and
beautiful era to life, showing a world
populated by saber-toothed cats,
giant sloths, dire wolves and woolly
mammoths. Audiences will see how
the creatures became trapped in tar,
were preserved in time and are being
unearthed today.
Audiences will also discover the
story of “Zed” — one of the most
complete Columbian mammoth
skeletons ever uncovered. The skeleton was extracted in 2008 from a
parking lot next to the La Brea Tar
Pits. The La Brea Tar Pits provide a
record of Los Angeles 10,000-40,000
years ago, including the flora and
fauna, climate and environment. The
discoveries help scientists understand how climate changes still affect
the population today.
“Titans of the Ice Age has all the
ingredients for a giant screen wildlife
spectacle,” producer Andy Wood
said. “Audiences will experience the
world of these prehistoric animals
with a realism that only this canvas
can provide.”
The new 3D theater and film will
open as part of improvements at the
La Brea Tar Pits and Museum this
summer, including a renovated
museum entrance, lobby and gallery
spaces.
“Titans of the Ice Age” will be
shown every half hour from 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m. Museum admission plus the
film is $16 for adults, $13 for youth,
students and seniors; and $8 for children.
For information, call (213)7633499, or visit www.tarpits.org.
New ‘kids’ kicking around at the L.A. Zoo
The Los Angeles Zoo announced the addition of four
Nigerian Dwarf goats to the Winnick Family Children’s
Zoo. Two male and one female multi-colored goats
were born on May 11 to three-year old mother, Lacey.
One week later, three-year-old mother Glory gave birth
to a single female kid. After spending their first few
weeks in an off-exhibit barnyard with their mothers, the
kids will be slowly introduced to the large family in
Muriel’s Ranch.
Both first time moms, Glory and Lacey were welcomed into the L.A. Zoo family in 2012, along with 13
other goats. The father of the four baby goats is
Spangle, a male Nigerian Dwarf goat that came to the
L.A. Zoo less than a year ago.
The new additions, weighing in at nine pounds each,
are still too young to frolic with the large herd of goats
and sheep since they are still nursing with their mothers. When they reach adulthood, the Nigerian Dwarf
goat species only reach around two feet tall at the shoulders, and adults weigh in between 50 and 75 pounds.
Zoo visitors can now see the new kids in the side
viewing area of the contact yard at the Winnick Family
Children’s Zoo from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to
photo courtesy of La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, Giant Screen Films and D3D Cinema
CHLA ranks No. 1 in report
photo by Tad Motoyama
4 p.m. daily, weather permitting. The kids are scheduled
to join the remaining 15 goats and six sheep accessible
to the public in the main contact yard in late June.
The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens are
located at 5333 Zoo Drive.
For the seventh straight year,
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
(CHLA) has been ranked among
the top 10 children’s hospitals in
the country by U.S. News &
World Report. The ranking is an
honor that acknowledges the hospital’s clinical excellence and the
comprehensive scope of its
patient care. CHLA is one of only
12 children’s hospitals in the
country, and the only hospital in
California, to make the honor roll
in 2015-16.
In all, the hospital placed
among the top 10 in seven specialties measured by the authoritative survey. For 2015-16,
CHLA’s Cardiology and Heart
Surgery team was named third in
the nation, surging four spots
from last year. Diabetes and
Endocrinology went from seventh to sixth place, while Urology
jumped 10 places to tenth in the
nation. Cancer and Neonatology
were ranked eighth in their
respective
areas,
while
Orthopaedics was ranked ninth.
Gastroenterology and GI Surgery
finished in tenth place, matching
the specialty’s position from last
year. Children’s Hospital Los
Angeles’ overall scores placed it
among the top seven nationally,
and the hospital equaled or
improved its national ranking in
four of the 10 categories compared to its performance on the
2014-15 survey.
For
information,
visit
www.CHLA.org.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
18 June 11, 2015
Wilshire Warriors round up
Warriors 11U Blue
The Warriors 11U Blue (9-2-1) team
won two games last weekend and
became the Mid-Valley Spring Club Ball
Champions at the 11U level. During
game one of the semi-final, the Warriors
Blue team beat the first-seeded Rockstars
by a score of 10-2. Warriors pitcher
Kenneth Chung threw his second lightsout performance in a row, allowing only
one earned run and striking out seven
batters over four innings. Chung also
went two-for-three at the plate with three
RBI. Another most valuable player of the
game was third baseman Joey
Wetherbee, who went three-for-three
with two RBI and three runs. Wetherbee,
left fielder Kai Moran, first baseman
Nick Grajeda and centerfielder Boon Fay
combined in the first inning with a walk,
a couple of hits and a ground-out RBI.
Grajeda and Moran each had two RBI,
and Fay and Moran each had two runs in
the game.
During game two of the championship
series, the Warriors Blue team beat the
Toluca Thunder in extra innings. The
Thunder took the lead early off walks, a
wild pitch and a two run home run in
early innings. The game was fairly
uneventful until the sixth and final inning
when the Thunder was ahead by a score
of 5-2. With two runners on base, third
baseman Joey Wetherbee hit a line drive
double to the gap in right center field,
scoring two runs. After Wetherbee stole
third base, power hitting catcher Kenneth
Chung fooled everyone with a sacrifice
bunt scoring Wetherbee to tie the game.
Toluca managed to get two runners in
scoring position in the bottom of the sixth
inning, but pitcher Kai Moran held them
scoreless, leading to extra innings.
League rules call for a “California Tie
Breaker” when games go into extra
innings, and each team starts with a man
on second base. In the seventh inning,
Warriors first baseman Grajeda stole
third base, then third baseman Braden
Lowe was hit by a pitch and stole second
base. Second baseman Connor Rice
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bunted for a single, knocking in Grajeda
for the go-ahead run. Right fielder Cole
Quigley sacrifice bunted, but Lowe was
called out at home on a controversial call,
and Rice advanced to third base. With
two strikes and two outs against shortstop
Aidan Forte, Rice attempted to steal
home and induced a balk from the
Thunder’s pitcher. Warriors pitcher Kai
Moran delivered again and kept the
Thunder to three-up, three-down in the
bottom of the seventh inning for a 7-5
Warriors win.
Moran earned the win, allowing no
runs and striking out six batters over
three-and-a-half innings. Wetherbee went
two-for-three with two RBI and two runs,
Rice went two-for-three with one RBI
and two runs, and Forte went two-for-
three with an RBI and one run.
Outfielders Moran, Quigley and Boon
Fay were instrumental in the win, each of
them making sprinting or diving catches.
Head coach Matt Magallon and assistant
coach Mitch Kellogg pulled out every
creative play in their arsenal and manufactured runs late in the game, leading the
Warriors 11U blue to a championship.
Warriors 8U
The Warriors 8-U team fell to PBA by
a score of 10-3 in its Mid-Valley playoff
game last weekend. The game was close
early, and the Warriors were inches away
from putting five runs on the board in the
first inning. But diving catches by PBA,
uncharacteristic wildness by the
Warriors’ pitchers and catchers, and too
many quiet bats in the late innings lead to
the team’s undoing. Regardless, the team
is ahead of where it finished last year, and
the players finished upbeat and excited.
Ronald McDonald Scholarships awarded
photo courtesy of Daniel Frankel
The Wilshire Warriors 11U Blue team won the Mid-Valley Spring Club
Ball Championship for the 11U level. Pictured are (back row, left) William
Richardson, Michael Cellura, Kenneth Chung, Kai Moran, Boon Fay,
Cole Quigley and Braden Lowe; and (front row, left) Connor Rice, Nic
Grajeda, Joey Wetherbee and Aidan Forte.
School lunches to be served this summer
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California awarded 115 students scholarships for outstanding academic achievement, community service and leadership skills at an awards luncheon at the Dorothy Chandler
Pavilion in downtown Los Angeles. Top Row: Jasmin Serrato, Kaitlin Brown,
Harleen Singh, Erica Son, Amir Teixeira, Luis Torres, Olivia Torres, Kyle
Ybanez, Ricardo Rosales-Mesta. Middle Row: Kristen Himeno, Nhu Quynh
Ho, An Huynh, Danny Li, Hans Li, Gerardo Lira, Annika Liu, Karen Malacon,
Daniel Minassian, Rachel Monconduit, Melanie Montoya, Gabrielle Nájera,
Hana Park, Edwin Pedro, Alison Salazar, Oscar Salazar. Bottom Row:
OluShola Akinrimisi, Viviana Alvarez, Patricia Beltran-Cortez, Keith Daniels,
Alexis Geich, Jose Gonzalez, Hanethzie Granados, Mark Guberman,
Alejandro Hernandez, Max Herrera.
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The Los Angeles Unified School
District’s Food Services Division
has announced that more than
520,000 students in the district
qualify for free or reduced-price
meals under the district’s summer
meal services program.
“Our summer meals program is
a building block in the community
leading to healthy, happy youngsters who are ready to learn,”
LAUSD superintendent Ramon C.
Cortines said. “Our responsibility
to our students doesn’t end when
school lets out. Boys and girls who
get enough to eat and have safe
activities to participate in during
the summer are less likely to get
into trouble.”
The Food Services Division, in
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collaboration with the Beyond The
Bell Branch, the district’s afterschool program, will operate the
summer food program at 301 sites.
The district is also partnering with
the city of Los Angeles Recreation
and Parks Department to provide
meals at 106 additional sites.
For the majority of participating
schools, the summer program runs
from Monday, June 15 through
Friday, July 24, and may be
extended.
The program is operated by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture
and administered by the California
Department of Education. For
information, contact the LAUSD
Food Services Division at
(213)241-6419 or (213)241-6422.
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Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
19 June 11, 2015
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
20 June 11, 2015
Officers support Special Olympics
From page 1
the standpoint of showing solidarity and support for the Special
Olympics,” Seagrave said.
Seagrave added that the Law
Enforcement Torch Run follows
the Special Olympics theme of
team work and cooperation
between departments and divisions.
“We’re all out here running in
solidarity for just the huge breakthroughs that the young men and
women are making in the Special
Olympics, and we’re also raising
some great funds. What’s a better
cause than the Special Olympics?”
Seagrave said.
The summer games will feature
six sports, aquatics, athletics (track
and field), basketball, bocce (an
Italian version of lawn bowling),
golf and gymnastics. The summer
games attract more than 1,100 athletes from Southern California
who compete for gold, silver and
bronze medals and ribbons.
Eloise Crawford, regional director of Los Angeles and San Gabriel
Valley Regions, Special Olympics
Southern California, said the sum-
“Law enforcement
is the largest single supporter or
sponsor of the
Special Olympics
worldwide. This
year we expect
approximately
$1.5 million for the
summer games.”
-Bill Shumard, CEO and
president of the Special
Olympics Summer Games
mer games wouldn’t be what they
are if it weren’t for the help and
participation of law enforcement
throughout Southern California.
“They’re going to raise probably
$1.5 million this year through the
torch run, through selling T-shirts
and a whole wide range of stuff
they do for us. It’s awesome,”
Crawford said.
Bill Shumard, CEO and president of the Special Olympics
Summer Games, said that law
enforcement has raised approximately $40 million around the
world for the Special Olympics.
“Law enforcement is the largest
single supporter or sponsor of the
Special Olympics worldwide. This
year we expect approximately $1.5
million for the summer games. And
it’s all grass roots,” Shumard said.
Irv Isabella, a senior lead officer
in the community relations department of the Hollywood Division,
is responsible for patrolling the
Hollywood
Boulevard
and
Highland Avenue area. He has
been participating in the torch run
for the past several years. On
Tuesday morning, Isabella got to
experience his beat in a very different way.
“I like doing this because I don’t
really have an opportunity to run
through Hollywood Division. I
don’t live out here, so to be able to
run through the areas that I patrol
makes it a lot more fun for me.
WeHo hosts Pride Festival this weekend
From page 1
The couple, who will only be in
Los Angeles for a few more days,
enjoyed a Starline tour of
Hollywood and dinners at West
Hollywood restaurants.
Their translator, Cheri Zhang, of
China Luxury Advisors, said the
couple will have a banquet upon
returning to China.
“They plan on having a child,”
Zhang said. “For them, this was like
a new beginning.”
In keeping with the spirit of
LGBT equality and pride, this
weekend’s LA Pride festival will be
celebrating its 45 anniversary.
“LA Pride is the first permitted
LGBT pride parade in the world and
was created to mark the one-year
anniversary of the Stonewall riots in
New York,” said Patti DiLuigi, co-
president of Christopher Street
West, the company that produces
LA Pride.
The three-day festival begins
Friday and ends Sunday. Kesha, 5th
Harmony and Wilson Phillips will
perform. Guests can also skate in an
outdoor roller rink and enjoy hiphop and youth spaces within the festival.
LA Pride peaks on Sunday with
the annual parade, which will begin
at 11 a.m. where Bert Champagne
will return as host of the parade.
More than 400,000 people are
expected to attend.
Even after the weekend ends, the
city of West Hollywood will continue to celebrate the LGBTQ community with the “One City one Pride”
arts festival, which runs through
Tuesday, June 30, the end of Pride
month. The city is celebrating its
30th anniversary of cityhood.
On Saturday, June 27, the city of
West Hollywood will present a free
day of several theatrical performances in Plummer Park featuring
staged readings and productions by
the Alliance of Los Angeles
Playwrights of the “Annual Gay &
Lesbian Playreading Festival” and
performance artist Yozmit performing a work honoring those who
passed due to AIDS.
For information about the “One
City One Pride” arts festival, visit
www.weho.org/pride
or contact Michael Che at (323)
848-6377 or at [email protected].
For information about LA Pride,
visit www.LAPride.org.
Bill would increase oversight of waste facilities
The State Senate has approved a
bill by Senate President Pro Tempore
Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) to
increase state oversight of hazardous
waste facilities.
The legislations was prompted by
the situation involving the Exide battery recycling plant in Vernon, which
operated unpermitted for decades.
“It’s bad enough that facilities
handling toxins and hazardous waste
are often located in or near underserved communities,” de León said.
“But it is absolutely unacceptable
when they’re allowed to operate
without oversight.”
SB 654 will prevent the
Department of Toxic Substance
Control (DTSC) from allowing hazardous waste facilities to operate
indefinitely without a permit by creating a five-year permit renewal
process. If DTSC has not granted a
permit renewal by the end of the
five-year process, it must declare the
facility illegal.
DTSC
allowed
Exide
Technologies to continue its operations without a permit for more than
30 years despite repeated violations
of environmental and safety standards that led to the contamination of
nearby communities with arsenic,
lead and other toxins, according to de
León.
In March, DTSC and the U.S.
Justice Department ordered Exide to
close. The lapse in the state’s hazardous waste tracking system and
resulting harmful impacts on the public health and the surrounding environment alarmed many organizations.
“By allowing facilities to operate
for decades on expired permits
DTSC has put the interests of the
industry before the interests of communities,” said Ingrid Brostrom,
senior attorney for the Center on
Race, Poverty and the Environment.
photo by Luis Rivas
Officers from the LAPD’s Wilshire Division ran up Rossmore Avenue
with the Olympic Torch.
That’s a lot of fun for me, to be
able to interact with Hollywood
and Highland differently than I
normally would,” Isabella said.
The Special Olympics Summer
Games 2015 will take place on
June 13 and 14 at California State
University,
Long
Beach.
Admission and parking is free. For
information, visit www.sosc.org.
WeHo city council recognizes
Life Group LA
photo courtesy of Mike Pingel
The city of West Hollywood recently recognized Life Group LA
with a commendation presented by social services manager David
Giugni to Sunnie Rose Berger, co-founder and executive director of
the organization. The commendation was presented during a kick-off
party for Life Group LA’s yearly fundraising event, “Saddle UP LA”,
an AIDS benefit horseback trail ride and barbecue that will be held on
Saturday, July 11 at Rockin P Outfitters, 1840 Riverside Drive,
Glendale.
“We are very grateful for the support the city of West Hollywood
has given us since our inception,” Rose said. “They want to help
insure we are here for those who need us, when they need us, and not
only in their city, but in greater L.A. as well.”
Registration is open for the event. The goal is to raise $100,000. For
information, visit www.SaddleUpLA.org.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
21 June 11, 2015
Marlborough begins long-awaited project
From page 1
single-family homes adjacent to the
campus on the west side of Arden
Boulevard, with the final two residences becoming available in 2009.
Plans call for the former homes to be
razed beginning on June 22, said
Nick Hernandez, director of finance
and operations for Marlborough
School.
“It will be transformative,”
Hernandez said. “It certainly will
help the school on a number of athletic fronts.”
The $24-million project will
include a new full-size soccer field,
expanded tennis courts, a new aquatics center and pool, and a fitness
facility. A reconfigured parking lot
for 80 to 90 vehicles will allow for
better traffic circulation in a lot off
3rd Street that is used by visitors and
students.
Plans call for the expansion project to be completed before the 2016
school year. Hernandez added that
one of the biggest benefits will be
the ability of the school to host
aquatics meets and games for its
soccer team.
“To be able to host home games
against private sector schools will be
something we’ve never been able to
do,” Hernandez said. “It will help us
strengthen our athletic programs.”
Hernandez said a new 5,500square-foot garden will be constructed north of the new parking lot and
will provide a place for quiet study, as
well special community events and
receptions. A new soccer field with a
state-of-the-art synthetic surface will
be created north of the garden.
A new aquatics center and pool
will be constructed north of the soccer field. It will allow for inter-school
competitions, and will allow the
school to expand its summer programming to offer more swimming
and training programs. Hernandez
said the new swimming pool will be
twice the size of the school’s existing
pool. The aquatics center will also
house a weight training and fitness
facility, as well as a health and wellness center.
Hernandez said some challenges
may arise during the construction,
and the school will continue to work
with neighbors and the community
to address concerns. He added that
the project has been years in the
making, and will enable the school
to continue its legacy of providing a
Council approves plan for bridge over river
From page 1
access to pedestrians while also
maximizing traffic flow. In addition
to the bridge retrofitting, a secondary pedestrian and bicycling
bridge will be built next to the
Glendale
Boulevard-Hyperion
Avenue bridge.
LaBonge was not available for
comment. O’Farrell issued a statement regarding the decision.
“I have worked on the city’s proposed seismic retrofit plans for the
Glendale Hyperion bridge for more
than a decade, and have participated in numerous community meetings and public hearings. During
that time, I have collaborated with
city engineers and constituents on a
plan that will improve the structural integrity of the bridge and add
amenities that aren’t there today,
including a six-foot wide sidewalk
and pedestrian activated crosswalk,
protected bike lanes, and an exit
ramp off Interstate 5 that will help
reduce cut-through traffic in the
surrounding
neighborhood,”
O’Farrell said. “These features are
in addition to the construction of a
brand new bike and pedestrian
footbridge on the east side of the
historic structure.”
Fourth District Councilman-elect
David Ryu, who takes office on
July 1, had advocated for another
option for the bridge configuration
that would have included sidewalks
on both sides. Ryu spokesman
Rachel Estrada said although the
councilman-elect would have preferred the other alternative, he
respects the council’s decision.
“Councilman Elect Ryu has listened to the community and
weighed in on this issue during
public comment opportunities,”
Estrada said. “However, he does
not take the oath of office until July
1, and until that time, Councilman
LaBonge has the voting power for
the district.”
Senate recognizes Portuguese Mayor announces
nominee to
American community
head airports
photo courtesy of the 32nd State Senate District Office
For the first time in California history, the State Senate has recognized the contributions of California’s Portuguese American community by adopting Senate Concurrent Resolution 62, authored by Sen.
Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia). The Senate declared June 10 as “Portugal
Day” in California, and a special ceremony was held on the Senate
floor following the vote with Portuguese American dignitaries from
throughout the state. Medoza (left) is pictured at the ceremony with
Consul General of Portugal Nuno Mathias.
“The California State Senate paid tribute to the contributions of the
Portuguese American community to the diverse fabric of California,”
Mendoza said. “SCR 62 provides the people of our state an opportunity to recognize the achievements, contributions and history of this
vibrant community.”
In Portugal, June 10 is celebrated annually as “Portugal Day”, which
is officially known as “Dia de Portugal, de Camões e das
Comunidades Portuguesas”. Although officially observed only in
Portugal, Portuguese citizens around the world celebrate the holiday.
The date commemorates the death of Portuguese national literary icon
Luís Vaz de Camões on June 10, 1580. There are currently more than
350,000 Portuguese Americans residing in California.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
has
nominated
Oakland
International Airport’s director
Deborah Ale Flint as the next executive director of Los Angeles World
Airports, the city department that
owns and operates Los Angeles
International,
LA/Ontario
International and the Van Nuys airports.
As Oakland’s aviation director,
Flint is the primary executive
responsible for the operation, management and business development
of Oakland International Airport.
Flint has led significant capital and
customer improvements at the airport, giving passengers more choices and amenities and overseeing the
new BART rail connection which
has grown ridership by 30 percent.
Under her leadership, Oakland
International has the most air service routes in its history.
“We are building a world class
airport system to improve the passenger experience, create jobs,
enhance security and give travelers
the best first and last impression of
our city,” Garcetti said. “Deborah
Ale Flint is the right aviation executive to lead the changes we are
making, including overhauling
nearly every terminal and bringing
rail to LAX, growing passenger
activity at LA/Ontario Airport and
adding new customs service at Van
Nuys Airport. As we invest in our
city’s transportation future, I know
that she will not only focus on
building the best airports in the
world, but also work with the community to ensure L.A.’s airports are
good neighbors.”
photo by Edwin Folven
Five residences on Arden Boulevard will be razed to make way for
Marlborough School’s new athletic facilities.
well-rounded education to its
approximately 530 students.
“It will be one of the biggest pro-
jects in the school’s history,”
Hernandez added. “It is very exciting.”
David Mixner presents
‘Oh Hell No!’
From page 6
very noble but the fact of the
matter is that I have had very
flawed moments. I’ve made mistakes. I wish I had done things
differently. We are all poor vessels for change but we are the
best we have. I’ve done my best.
I had failures. I had triumphs.
But I have never deviated from
attempting to help others,”
Mixner said.
Proceeds from Mixner’s “Oh
Hell No!”, directed by Stephen
Brackett, will go toward one of
Mixner’s favorite organizations,
the Point Foundation, which
offers LGBT students scholarships, mentorships and other
resources to succeed in higher
education.
“[The Point Foundation] gives
full scholarships to dozens of
students — many of them who
have stories of being disowned
by their families, who have
counted on their families to send
them to college, but were disowned. We have had people
become doctors and lawyers, all
giving back to this planet,” he
said.
The El Rey Theatre is located
at 5515 Wilshire Blvd. Doors
open at 7 p.m. Tickets start at
$100. For information, visit
www.davidmixner.com.
City celebrates L.A. River Day
photo courtesy of the 4th District Council Office
The Los Angeles City Council held the 2nd annual Los Angeles
River Day on June 3 in the city hall rotunda. The event raises awareness about the progress and improvements on the L.A. River, and
educates the public about resources available along the 51 miles of
river that run from the San Fernando Valley to Long Beach.
Numerous groups and organizations showcased the events and services they hold along the river. Councilman Tom LaBonge, 4th
District, was honored during the proceedings for his support of the
L.A. River. He was joined by Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, 13th
District, and representatives of the Friends of the Los Angeles River.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
22 June 11, 2015
Commission rules in Ezell Ford case
From page 3
South Los Angeles. A confrontation ensued and police officers
opened fire on Ford, who was
unarmed. According to police,
Ford attempted to grab Wampler’s
gun. Ford was shot three times,
with two fatal shots to the right and
back, and at least one of the shots
being close enough to leave a muzzle imprint, according to the autopsy report.
In a public statement released
Tuesday after the ruling, Beck said
he respected the commission’s ruling.
“The LAPD is known throughout the country for its exceptional
thoroughness and expertise in
investigating officer involved
shootings. Those investigations go
through multiple levels of review
culminating in a final decision by
the police commission,” Beck said
in the statement.
Last Sunday, Black Lives Matter
Los Angeles protesters gathered in
front of Los Angeles Mayor Eric
Garcetti’s house in Hancock Park
to pressure the mayor to fire Beck.
Protesters camped in front of
Garcetti’s home until Tuesday
morning when they left to attend
the
Los
Angeles
Police
Commission hearing.
Kwazi Nkrumah, member of the
Martin Luther King Coalition and
president of the Greater Elysian
Echo Park Neighborhood Council,
joined the protesters on Sunday
and Monday.
“We have such a high number of
killings in the city [by police].
There were 625 in Los Angeles
since 2000. This may be the highest police killings in all of the U.S.
And this is when the LAPD is
being held up in some type of
model of police force? It brings up
extreme contradictions,” Nkrumah
said.
Mark-Anthony Johnson, director
of health and wellness with Dignity
& Power Now and a member of
Black Lives Matter Los Angeles,
said the mayor has been silent on
police brutality against African
Americans, including Ford.
“Los Angeles is one of the deadliest cities when it comes to police
encounters in the nation. That falls
on the mayor. The mayor appoints
the chief. Black folks in particular
are disproportionally killed in law
enforcement interactions,” Johnson
said.
Abdullah said she is hopeful that
justice will be attained by the Ford
family and communities affected
by police brutality.
“I think we are awakening to our
own power. When we speak up,
people can hear us. The victory that
we won [Tuesday] translated into
real substantive change,” Abdullah
said.
Board approves plan for PrEP distribution
From page 3
information that surfaced at the 19th
Conference on Retroviruses and
Opportunistic Infections indicating
that only 5,272 prescriptions for
PrEP have been written between
2012 and 2014.
“There appears to be a real disconnect between the hype around
PrEP and the reality of what doctors
— and patients — actually seem to
be doing with regard to PrEP,” AHF
president Michael Weinstein said in
a statement. “Ninety-five percent of
HIV/AIDS medical providers
expressed concern about adherence
when deciding whether to prescribe
PrEP to their patients, while at the
same time, it appears that only
5,272 formal prescriptions have
been written for PrEP through the
end of 2014. Doctors appear to be
rightly cautious and the public has
not been clamoring for PrEP as a
prevention tool in ways that match
the rhetoric surrounding the issue.
We believe PrEP should remain a
prevention tool used on a case-bycase basis decided upon by a
provider working in conjunction
with his or her patient.”
AHF spokesman Ged Kenslea
explained that AHF doctors pre-
SAG honors actress during
anniversary celebration
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG)
Foundation announced Sofia
Vergara received the inaugural
Actors Inspiration Award, presented at the 6th annual Los Angeles
Golf Classic on last week. As part
of the SAG Foundation’s 30th
anniversary celebration, the foundation honored Vergara as a SAGAFTRA (American Federation of
Television and Radio Artists)
member who has given back to
fellow actors and the community
at large. In addition, the “Modern
Family” star has a long history of
supporting nonprofits and children’s organizations, including St.
Jude and her foundation in her
home country of Colombia.
The SAG Foundation is a
national nonprofit that supports
union performers with vital assistance and free educational programs and inspires millions of
children worldwide through its
signature children’s literacy programs. The foundation’s annual
Los Angeles Golf Classic raises
money for the nonprofit’s
Catastrophic Health Fund and
Emergency Assistance programs,
benefiting SAG-AFTRA professionals and their families in times
of urgent need.
“We are thrilled to present Sofia
Vergara with our first Actors
Inspiration Award as the SAG
Foundation celebrates 30 years of
giving back to SAG-AFTRA performers, their families and communities. Sofia’s support for our
programs, commitment to chil-
Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for the
Screen Actors Guild Foundation
Actress Sofia Vergara attended
The Screen Actors Guild
Foundation’s 6th annual Los
Angeles Golf Classic on June 8.
dren’s literacy and generous charitable giving embody the spirit of
this award,” said SAG Foundation
President JoBeth Williams.
“It is an honor to be recognized
by the SAG Foundation,”
Vergara said. “This group does so
much work supporting and educating the entertainment community and also the general public. I
know how hard it can be to get
work in this town and I’m grateful that the SAG Foundation
exists to help those who are
struggling.”
scribe PrEP, but the organization
does not believe it is the only
approach that should be taken to
prevent the spread of HIV. Kenslea
said more outreach needs to be conducted to ensure people strictly
adhere to the drug, and so people
continue to use other forms of prevention in conjunction with PrEP,
such as condoms. He added that the
drug also does not prevent other
sexually transmitted diseases.
“The highest risk people are also
the people most likely not to adhere
to the daily regiment,” Kenslea
added.
Pageant seeks
contestant from
Beverly Hills
Pageant producers for the Miss
California USA and Miss California
Teen USA pageants are searching for
a representative from the Beverly
Hills area to represent their community in the upcoming state pageant to
be held Dec. 4 through 6 in Long
Beach.
More than $750,000 in college
scholarships and prizes will be
awarded. The state titleholders will
travel throughout the state making
appearances and ultimately get the
chance to compete for the titles of
Miss USA and Miss Teen USA.
Potential contestants for Miss
California USA must be at least 14
years of age and under 27 years of
age by Feb. 1. Potential contestants
may not be married or pregnant. They
must not have ever been married, and
not had a marriage annulled
Interested applicants can apply online
at www.MissCalifornia-USA.com.
photo by Luis Rivas
Demonstrators camped out with tables, chairs, signs and numerous
other items during a three-day protest in front of Mayor Eric Garcetti’s
official residence, Getty House.
Abdullah and Black Lives
Matter Los Angeles continue to
call for their demands to be met,
which include the firing of officers
Wampler and Villegas, as well as
the removal of Beck.
“We’re always hopeful. But
more than hope, however, is recognizing that we have to stay engaged
and create the pressure, and let
them know that we are watching,”
Abdullah said.
Hollywood Museum presents
exhibit on LGBT contributions
Appearing at the Hollywood
Museum is an exclusive new
exhibition — “Reel to Real:
Portrayals and Perceptions of
Gays in Hollywood”, an entertaining and informative retrospective of LGBT images in film
and television throughout the
decades.
The showcase runs through
July 20, coinciding with LGBT
Heritage Month and Outfest LA
(July 10-20). Featuring photos,
costumes, props and iconic
imagery from the past and present, the exhibit provides a
unique perspective on how the
LGBT community has been portrayed in Hollywood from early
stereotypes to modern representations.
The Hollywood Museum’s
presentation of “Reel to Real”
places the exhibit in the historical
context of Hollywood, which is
home to a large LGBT entertainment industry population.
“The museum welcomes the
opportunity to create and showcase this important exhibition,
sharing with the public the artistic expression of the LGBT culture and its transformative
impact on the world through the
entertainment industry,” said
founder and president of the
Hollywood Museum Donelle
Dadigan.
Some of the items displayed in
the exhibition include a photo
wall with images of renowned
actors who have portrayed characters that have been gay icons
over the years, including Annette
Bening; Glenn Close; Jesse Tyler
Ferguson; Eric Stonestreet; Colin
Firth; Jake Gyllenhaal; Heath
Ledger; Sean Hayes; Eric
McCormack; Felicity Huffman;
Nathan Lane; Robin Williams;
Sean Penn and James Franco.
The Roddy McDowall Powder
Room will contain photos and
quotes supporting the LGBT
community
by
Antonio
Banderas, Kristin Chenoweth,
Bette Davis, Rupert Everett, Tina
Fey, Portia de Rossi, Ian
McKellen, Marilyn Monroe,
Daniel Radcliffe, Betty White
and others.
For information about the
exhibit, visit www.thehollywoodmuseum.com or call
(323)464-7776. Tickets for general admission are $15 and can be
purchased online or in person.
The museum is open Wednesday
through Sunday, 10 a.m. through
5 p.m.
Answers From Page 16
photo courtesy of the Hollywood Museum
The Hollywood Museum has opened an exhibit titled “Reel to Real:
Portrayals and Perceptions of Gays in Hollywood”.
23 June 11, 2015
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