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INSIDE
• Lieu introduces
climate bill. pg. 3
• Spotlight on
Seniors pgs. 16-18
Partly cloudy,
with temps in
the 80s
Volume 25 No. 18
Serving the West Hollywood, Hancock Park and Wilshire Communities
April 30, 2015
Candidates sound their drums at the Autry New WeHo mayor looks
to build on civic pride
n Ramsay, Ryu
debate issues
affecting Los Feliz
n Lindsey Horvath enthusiastically takes the oath
By jonathan van dyke
By jonathan van dyke
Candidates Carolyn Ramsay
and David Ryu continued to spar
over a wide variety of issues during a Monday debate, including
those that most impact the Los
Feliz community.
Dozens of people gathered at
the Autry National Center for the
debate, which was hosted by the
Los
Feliz
Improvement
Association.
“I want to do everything I can to
preserve Griffith Park the way it
is,” said Ryu, who is a community
health director, adding that it is
important for the city staff to
examine ways to add pocket parks
to increase green space across the
4th District.
Ryu also said he was interested
in the possibility of the
Hollywood Central Park project,
which would cap the Hollywood
(101) Freeway to create a new
park in East Hollywood.
Ramsay touted her time as a
member of Councilman Tom
Lindsey Horvath was disappointed in the election that gave her a
seat on the West Hollywood City
Council.
Although she was thrilled to win,
the voter turnout was dismal, and
while knocking on doors she had
met numerous residents who were
disappointed in their city government.
“My sense is that city hall comes
with the best intentions, and sometimes because of a lack of transSee Mayor page 21
photo by Jonathan Van Dyke
Candidates Carolyn Ramsay and David Ryu outlined their plans during a debate at the Autry National Center.
LaBonge’s staff, when she took
the lead in the early part of the
decade to acquire 138 acres of
land for Griffith Park expansion.
She said it is important to keep the
area pristine and free of motorists.
“My vision … is to decrease the
car traffic going into Griffith Park
by adding shuttles and maybe
even limiting access to shuttles
only at certain times of the day or
on the weekends,” she said.
When asked about access to
Griffith Park from Mount
Hollywood Drive, Ryu said he
would wait until results were
available from a recent pilot program regarding traffic on the road.
“I want to be responsible,” he
photo by Jon Viscott
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti congratulated new West Hollywood
Mayor Lindsey Horvath after he administered the oath of office last week.
See Candidates page 22
Council questions plan for city
LGBT groups call for laws on conversion centers to operate the Greek Theatre
n Event hopes to raise
awareness and push for
legislation to be passed
By Luis Rivas
When Rebecca Lopez came out
as a lesbian, her mother really didn’t know how to handle it. Her
mother came from a religious family with preconceived notions about
homosexuality, she said.
“She really didn’t know how to
deal with it. I don’t really know
what was going on in her mind at
the time,” Lopez said.
The next several months would
cast a dark shadow over Lopez’s
life. She spent six months at what
turned out to be a gay conversion
therapy center, undergoing severe
and torturous treatment.
On May 7, the Los Angeles
LGBT Center, along with the
Survivors of Institutional Abuse
(SIA), will be hosting an event featuring Lopez and fellow gay conversion therapy survivor David
Wernsman, whose story is depicted
in the “Kidnapped for Christ” documentary.
The event, titled “Horrors of the
Troubled-Teen Industry and the
New Campaign to Regulate It”, is
photo courtesy of the Los Angeles LGBT Center
Rebecca Lopez was forced into a
gay conversion therapy center in
California for six months.
part of the center’s ongoing community forum, Big Queer Convo,
which focuses on issues relevant to
the LGBT community.
Lopez’s mother, after searching
for teen behavioral help on Google,
discovered a center that called itself
a “teen rescue” facility in
Whitmore, Calif., east of Redding.
“It was worse than prison
because at least in prison you can
talk freely, but at the center we
weren’t allowed to speak to other
people there. We couldn’t say anything,” Lopez said.
Additionally, Lopez underwent
“no touch” therapy, where she was
not allowed to touch or be touched
by anyone until she had convinced
the center’s staff that she was no
longer a lesbian.
The center only allowed visitors
once a month for five hours. When
her mom visited her after six
months, she took Lopez home after
hearing about the abusive treatment.
“Until this day, my mom says
that she’s sorry about putting me
there in the first place. She’s sorry
about what they were doing to me.
She accepts me now. My mom has
come such a long way,” Lopez said.
In addition to Lopez and
Wernsman, “Kidnapped for Christ”
director Kate Logan and SIA president Jodi Hobbs will participate in
the panel discussion.
The event seeks to raise awareness about the abusive ramifications of troubled-teen programs that
seek to change a young person’s
sexual orientation or gender identity through force, often utilizing torture, according to David Garcia,
See Panel page 22
n Members stop short
of blocking proposal
from moving forward
By jonathan van dyke
While many Los Angeles City
Council members chastised the
Los Angeles Department of
Recreation and Parks (RAP) on
Tuesday for its plan to operate the
Greek Theatre, council members
stopped short of overriding the
decision.
RAP general manager Michael
Shull presented the staff’s open
venue plan for the historic Greek
Theatre music venue to the city
council at the request of
Councilman Paul Koretz, 5th
District. The RAP commission
approved the plan earlier this
month.
“It’s so important that you do
the right thing,” said Councilman
Tom LaBonge, 4th District. “You
have the weight of the world on
your shoulders with this.”
See Council page 20
photo by Jonathan Van Dyke
Concertgoers packed the Greek Theatre last Friday during its opening night, possibly the last under the current operating agreement.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
2 April 30, 2015
Calendar
May
1 Book Sale
B
ook lovers can find rarities and
bargains at the John C. Fremont
Library’s book sale on Friday, May 1
from noon to 4 p.m., and Saturday,
May 2 from noon to 5 p.m. CDs,
DVDs, audio books and videos will
also be offered, and proceeds support
the library’s programs. 6121 Melrose
Ave. (323)962-3521, www.lapl.org.
Comedy Pet Benefit
“2
Girls 1 Pup”, a comedy show to
which audiences can bring their
dog, returns on Sunday, May 3 at 7
p.m. at Tailwaggers pet store in
Hollywood. Standup comedians Dave
Anthony, Ester Steinberg, Scott
Boxenbaum and Josh Greenberg will
perform, along with magician and
comedian Justin Willman. The show
benefits the Tailwaggers Foundation,
which assists nonprofits providing
treatment for sick and injured animals.
Admission is $5. 1929 N. Bronson
Ave. www.2girls1pupshow.com.
Chorale Festival
M
ore than 1,000 choir students
will perform in the Los Angeles
Master Chorale’s free “High School
Choir Festival” on Friday, May 1 at 1
p.m. at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Works by Vivaldi, Betinis, Stroop and
others will be performed. 111 S. Grand
Ave.
(213)972-7282,
www.lamc.org/HSCF.
5 Open Mic Session
P
oets, memoir writers, novelists,
essayists, balladeers and playwrights are invited to perform at the
Durant Library’s monthly open mic
session on Tuesday, May 5 at 6 p.m. at
the library. Participants are asked to
arrive early to sign up. 7140 W. Sunset
Blvd. (323)876-2741.
Groundlings Comedy
A
cademy Award-winning screenwriter and Groundlings alum,
actor and comedian Jim Rash is directing a new show titled “Groundlings
Kung Fu Battle Island” opening on
Friday, May 1. New sketches and
improvisation are included in the
show. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.; show
begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20. 7307
Melrose
Ave.
(323)934-4747,
www.groundlings.com.
2 Music of John Zorn
M
acArthur Fellow, composer,
arranger, producer and multiinstrumentalist John Zorn presents a
series of 10 chamber works in the permanent collection galleries at
LACMA on Saturday, May 2 from 10
a.m. to 3 p.m. Ensembles and solo
instrumentalists will perform selections from Zorn’s catalogue in the
Ahmanson and Hammer buildings.
Sets begin every half hour. 5905
Wilshire
Blvd.
(323)857-6010,
www.lacma.org.
Children’s Film Benefit
S
hout! Factory Kids and Children’s
Hospital Los Angeles have partnered for a special benefit screening of
the film “Maya The Bee Movie” on
Saturday, May 2 at noon at the
Laemmle Music Hall Theater in
Beverly Hills. The film is based on a
6 Career Fair
photo by Dorothea von Haeften
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra’s “Baroque Conversations” series continues with a program of concertos by Vivaldi, Haydn, Kohaut and
Falckenhagen on Thursday, May 7 at 7 p.m. at the Zipper Concert Hall,
downtown. Lute and baroque guitar virtuoso John Schneiderman (pictured) will join the orchestra for the performance. A complimentary wine
reception begins at 6 p.m. Tickets start at $56. 200 S. Grand Ave.
(213)622-7001 ext. 1, or visit www.laco.org.
children’s novel and popular animated
series that takes audiences on an
adventure into a macroscopic world.
Tickets are $9; proceeds will be donated to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
9036 Wilshire Blvd. www.laemmle.com/theaters/4.
Comedy at PLB
W
intershaw Enterprises presents
“Comedy In The Park”, a series
of clean stand-up comedy shows,
returning on Saturday, May 2 at 7:30
p.m. at the Park La Brea Theater. The
shows are presented on the first
Saturday of the month and include
comedians from Comedy Central and
HBO. 475 S. Curson Ave.; use the 6th
Street entrance to Park La Brea.
(323)549-5470,
www.comedyatplb.eventbrite.com.
3 10K at The Grove
P
articipants are sought for “We Run
The Grove”, a 10K run/walk being
held on Sunday, May 3 from 9 a.m. to
1 p.m. Hosted by Lance Bass, Michael
Turchin and KTLA’s Christina
Pascucci, the event supports the
Trevor Project, an organization
focused on suicide prevention for
LGBT youth. Refreshments will be
served. Registration is $10. 189 The
Grove
Drive.
www.eventbrite.com/e/we-run-the-grove-131run-walk-tickets-15697671157.
N
umerous companies will be
searching for new employees at a
career fair on Tuesday, May 5 at 6
p.m. at the Doubletree HotelDowntown. Applicants for inside and
outside sales reps, account executives,
retail managers, customer service
reps, managers and other positions are
sought. 120 S. Los Angeles St.
www.hirelive.com.
Cancer Benefit
A
ssociates for Breast and Prostate
Cancer Studies presents its annual “Mother’s Day Luncheon &
Fashion Show” on Wednesday, May 6
at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles
at Beverly Hills. Award-winning
actress, writer and director Chandra
Wilson, and author, model and television personality Brandi Glanville will
be honored at the event, which benefits breast and prostate cancer
research at the John Wayne Cancer
Institute. Luxury boutiques open at
10:30 a.m.; luncheon and awards
begin at noon. Tickets start at $150.
300 S. Doheny Dr. (323)904-4400,
www.abcjw.com.
Japanese Art Talk
J
oin Robert Campbell, Ph.D. for a
free discussion titled “Tales Spun
from Illustrations of Beautiful
Women: Quiet, Unchanging, All to
Myself” on Wednesday, May 6 at 7
p.m. at the Japan Foundation, Los
Angeles. Campbell will discuss the
visual arts and literature of 19th century Japan, when the nation first
opened its frontiers and struggled to
adapt and succeed within the westernled global context of modernization.
5700 Wilshire Blvd. RSVP required to
www.jflalc.org.
Photo Exhibit
A
reception and exhibit of works by
Los Angles-based photographer
Jen Rosenstein will be held on
Wednesday, May 6 at 7 p.m. at Luxe
Rodeo Drive Hotel in Beverly Hills.
Rosenstein’s career has taken her
around the world to photograph musical performers such as Jason Mraz,
Maroon 5 and EchoSmith. 360 N.
Rodeo Dr. (310)273-0300, www.jenrosenstein.com.
7 NCJW/LA Benefit
J
oin members of the National
Council of Jewish Women, Los
Angeles (NCJW/LA) for a fundraising reception on Thursday, May 7 at
6:30 p.m. at the NCJW Council
House. Dana Erlich, of the Consul
for Culture, Media and Public
Diplomacy in Los Angeles, will be
the featured speaker. The reception
benefits the NCJW Israel Granting
Program, which addresses critical
challenges facing women in Israel.
Admission starts at $72. RSVP
requested to Carrie Jacoves at
(323)852-8512,
or
email
[email protected].
17 Vocal Competition
T
he finals for the 43rd annual
Loren L. Zachary National Vocal
Competition for Young Opera Singers
will be held on Sunday, May 17 at the
Wilshire Ebell Theatre. Ten finalists
from the New York and Los Angeles
semi-finals will compete at the concert with orchestral accompaniment.
Doors open at 1:15 p.m.; performance
begins at 2 p.m. Admission is free;
tickets required and seating is
assigned. 4401 W. 8th St. (310)2762731, www.zacharysociety.org.
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Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
3 April 30, 2015
Further state and city water Lieu’s first bill tackles climate change issues
Congressman builds
restrictions ordered
on work of predecessor
n
n Gov. proposes
law to enforce
conservation efforts
By Luis Rivas
State officials and city agencies have recently announced
new restrictions in response to
California’s ongoing drought.
Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday
proposed new legislation that
would help enforce water conservation restrictions and give state
agencies direct oversight to fasttrack environmental review of
local water supply projects.
“These measures will strengthen the ability of local officials to
build new water projects and
ensure that water is not wasted,”
Brown said in a statement. “As
this drought stretches on, we’ll
continue to do whatever is necessary to help communities save
more water.”
The proposed legislation will
increase potential penalties
against people who are found
guilty of wasting water with
penalties up to $10,000 per violation.
The Los Angeles Department
of Water and Power (DWP)
announced on April 23 that it
would increase restrictions for
residents to better respond to
California’s ongoing drought.
DWP’s Board of Water and
Mid-City West
hosts walks
honoring
Jane Jacobs
The Mid-City West Community
Council (MCWCC) is hosting two
walking tours of the neighborhood
this weekend in honor of Jane Jacobs.
The tours will take place on May 2
and 3 and highlight two different
aspects of the area.
“Jane Jacobs is a legendary figure
in urban planning. She identified key
features that made urban neighborhoods work, including short blocks,
density, mixed uses and buildings of
a variety of ages,” MCWCC chair
Scott Epstein said. “All of these features can be found in Mid-City West,
and help make the community safe
and vibrant.”
The events are part of an international festival celebrating Jane
Jacobs. In cities around the world, citizens are encouraged to follow
Jacobs example of showing off what
makes their neighborhood theirs.
The Saturday morning walk will
take people along the Miracle Mile
highlighting some of its oldest buildings, while anticipating some of the
newest projects proposed for the
neighborhood. The tour will begin at
Muse on 8th Street at 10 a.m. and end
at the Los Angeles County Museum
of Art (LACMA) tea ceremony at
noon.
The Sunday morning walk starts at
at 9 a.m. at the Farmers’ Market on
3rd Street and Fairfax Avenue, follows along the West 3rd Street revitalization, up through the historic
homes of Beverly Grove, and ends at
the Melrose Place Sunday Farmers’
Market.
For information, visit www.midcitywest.org.
Power Commissioners proposed
the changes, which would primarily affect outdoor watering,
further limiting watering from
the current three days a week to
two days a week. However, the
proposed changes would not go
into effect immediately.
DWP’s proposed amendments
will create a new Phase 3 in the
citywide water conservation
ordinance, which keeps the same
watering times and other restrictions as Phase 2 but adds a provision limiting watering with sprinklers to two days per week. It
also recommends the use of pool
covers and washing vehicles at
commercial car washes. The
original Phase 3 restricted outdoor watering to one day per
week. The city is currently in
Phase 2.
“A move to a different phase in
the ordinance will require the
mayor’s motion and approval by
city council. We are currently on
Phase 2 and will not speculate
when our elected officials will
move to implement stricter phases,” said DWP spokesperson
Michelle Figueroa.
The Los Angeles City Council
Energy
and
Environment
Committee will examine the proposed changes and submit them
to the full city council and mayor
for review.
The water conservation efforts
See Conservation page 21
Henry Waxman
By jonathan van dyke
U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.)
last week announced the introduction of his first bill to the House of
Representatives, which tackles climate change, a topic that continues
the work of his predecessor, Henry
Waxman.
The Climate Solutions Act of
2015 proposes changes in three
major categories in relation to
environmental and climate change
issues: renewable energy, energy
efficiency and carbon pollution.
“It feels fantastic,” Lieu said of
authoring his first bill. “Part of
what this bill does is to take what
California has done on climate
change and make it nationwide. I
believe the way we solve the climate change crisis is for America
to do what California has done and
for the rest of the world to do what
California has done. In California,
we have grown in population but
our energy consumption has pretty
much remained flat.”
Lieu co-authored the California
Global Warming Solutions Act of
2006, when he was a state assemblyman, which outlined the
California’s climate change priorities.
The first part of the new national bill would empower the U.S.
Department of Energy to set a
renewable energy portfolio goal —
40 percent
of all electric energy
would come
from renewable sources
by
2030,
and 80 percent
by
2050.
“The pubCongressman
lic wants us
Ted Lieu
to invest in
fuels that
never run out,” Lieu said.
Second, the bill would allow the
department of energy to increase
energy efficiency savings targets
starting in 2018, and increasing
each year until 2028.
“It’s not talking about choosing
a certain type of fuel over another
one, it’s just saying that whatever
we are doing now, we just want to
make it more efficient,” Lieu said.
“I think across both sides of the
aisle, people favor energy efficiency.”
The final issue the bill examines
is allowing the Environmental
Protection Agency to set historic
targets for reducing carbon pollution: 40 percent below 1990 levels
by 2035 and 80 percent below
1990 levels by 2050.
Lieu said it was important to
carry on the work of Waxman,
who also championed the environment.
“I’m very honored to be able to
carry on Congressman Waxman’s
legacy of working on the environment as well as climate change,”
Lieu said. “He is a living legend
with numerous laws in place that
are helping Americans.”
Waxman said he has been happy
with Lieu’s work so far, and the
climate bill is important, even if it
might not garner the support it
needs to pass Congress.
“I’m very pleased that he has
introduced this bill and that he is
carrying on the fight to have us
respond in a rational and urgent
way to what I think is an enormous
threat,” Waxman said. “I think it’s
a good bill and I think it is unfortunate that the Republican leadership will probably not even allow
it to be brought up because they
still deny the science of climate
change and have no sense of
responsibility that we should be
doing anything on it.”
Lieu said he believes the conversation is shifting on climate
change, and that the bill is not as
far-fetched as some think.
“Now, it’s those who deny climate change who are ridiculed,”
Lieu said. “This is a bill to push
Congress and continue to build a
movement to act on climate
change as soon as possible. If we
don’t act on this, it’s going to
become more and more destructive
and affect how our grandchildren
will live, and whether they can
live.”
Later this spring, Lieu’s climate
change bill will go before the U.S.
House Energy and Commerce
Committee, which it would have
to pass before full House consideration.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
4 April 30, 2015
Clues sought in residential Serial bank robber pleads no contest
burglary investigation
By edwin folven
By edwin folven
Police are searching for clues
in a burglary that occurred on
April 20 at a residence on
Highland Avenue, near Olympic
Boulevard.
The burglary occurred between
1:45 and 3 p.m. when the homeowner and his wife had left the
residence. Police believe the suspect may have entered through a
dog door at the rear of the residence. Jewelry and cash valued
at more than $40,000 was stolen,
according to Det. Louis
Lavender, with the Los Angeles
Police Department’s Wilshire
Division.
The detective said the residents
returned to find the home ransacked and property missing.
Among the missing jewelry were
watches and a ring, each valued
between $2,800 and $10,000.
U.S. and European currency valued at $10,500 was also stolen.
Lavender added that the investigation is ongoing, and authorities are processing fingerprint
evidence found inside the home.
Anyone with information about
the incident is urged to contact
investigators with the LAPD
Wilshire Division’s burglary unit
at (213)922-8252.
A female suspect who authorities
dubbed the “purse-packing bandit”
pleaded no contest on April 27 to
11 felony charges filed in connection with nine bank robberies and
two attempted bank robberies in
West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and
the Wilshire, Fairfax and Los Feliz
districts.
The defendant, Brianna Kloutse,
47, of Los Angeles, faces 14 years
and four months in state prison
when she returns to court for a sentencing hearing on June 30.
She remains in custody at the
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department’s Century Regional
Detention Facility pending sentencing.
Kloutse was arrested on Aug. 22
following a robbery at a Citibank
branch in the 8400 block of
Wilshire Boulevard. Authorities
had been searching for the suspect
since the robberies began at a
Citibank
branch
in
West
Hollywood on Oct. 20, 2012.
Kloutse was dubbed the pursepacking bandit because she carried
large handbags during the hold-ups.
She also wore a wig and either
claimed she had a handgun in her
purse, or displayed a gun to tellers.
No injuries occurred during the
robberies.
The case was investigated by the
Los Angeles Police Department’s
Robbery-Homicide Division, the
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department’s Major Crimes
Bureau, the FBI and the Beverly
Hills Police Department.
photo courtesy of the LAPD
A bank robbery suspect dubbed
the “purse-packing bandit” was
convicted on 11 felony counts.
Driver dies in fiery collision in WeHo Suspect arrested for homicide in Hollywood
By edwin folven
Authorities have identified a driver who died in a fiery pre-dawn
collision on Sunset Boulevard on
Monday as Brandon Gonzalez, 21.
The collision occurred at approximately 4:15 a.m. in the 8400 block
of Sunset Boulevard, said Sgt.
Kevin Rasmussen, with the West
Hollywood Sheriff’s Station. The
vehicle was traveling eastbound
when the driver slammed into a
mobile construction crane that was
parked in a space at the side of the
boulevard.
“The vehicle caught fire. The driver was pulled out by a couple of
pedestrians,” Rasmussen said.
“Paramedics got there and deputies
tried to put out the fire. The victim
was transported [to Cedars-Sinai
Medical Center] where he later
died.”
The collision remains under
investigation, and it is unclear what
caused it. Rasmussen said Sunset
Boulevard was closed between
Sweetzer Avenue and Olive Drive
until 9 a.m.
Los Angeles County Coroner’s
Office spokesman Ed Winter said
an autopsy is pending. He added
that authorities had notified the victim’s parents, who live in Hacienda
Heights.
By edwin folven
A 29-year-old suspect from
Pacoima was arrested for a homicide that occurred on April 22 in the
1700 block of North Cherokee
Avenue in Hollywood.
Members of the FBI Fugitive
Task Force and the Los Angeles
Police Department located the suspect, Raymond Jackson, at an
undisclosed location in the San
Fernando Valley on April 23, said
Det. John Skaggs, with the LAPD’s
West Bureau Homicide Unit.
The homicide occurred at
approximately 8:40 a.m. on April
22 in a parking lot on Las Palmas
Avenue, north of Hollywood
Boulevard. Jackson is alleged to
have become involved in an argument with the unidentified 27-yearold male victim, and then stabbed
him before fleeing. Witnesses
reported that the suspect fled in a
pick-up truck that was later found
abandoned on Camrose Drive, near
the Hollywood Bowl.
Skaggs said the suspect and victim knew each other. They were
traveling in the pick-up when the
argument occurred, and pulled over
in the parking lot.
“It was over property,” Skaggs
added. “They were coming from
Target. They got into a dispute that
escalated into a physical altercation
that escalated into the suspect getting a knife and stabbing the victim.”
The detective said the victim was
from Inglewood. He did not know
how long the suspect and victim
knew each other, but said they frequented the Hollywood area.
No further details were available
because of the ongoing investigation. Jackson was booked for murder and is being held on $1 million
bail. Anyone with information is
urged to call (323)382-9470.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
5 April 30, 2015
Big Sunday Weekend offers many ways to help
By edwin folven
For people looking to make a difference in their community, a big
opportunity is available this weekend.
Big Sunday, a nonprofit community service organization based on
Melrose Avenue, is holding its 17th
annual Big Sunday Weekend from
Friday, May 1 through Sunday,
May 3.
Thousands of volunteers are
expected to participate at sites
through Los Angeles County. Big
Sunday founder David T. Levinson
said there has been an enormous
outpouring of support and many
people have already signed up for
projects. Participants are still being
sought, however, and can sign up
through the organization’s website
at www.bigsunday.org.
“We call people participants, not
volunteers, because it’s everyone
pitching in,” Levinson said. “The
[recipients] are incredibly grateful.
We try to blur the lines between
who is helping and who is being
helped.”
The theme for Big Sunday
Weekend is “Dirty Hands, Open
Minds, Big Hearts.” Levinson said
participants will work at sites such
as Project Angel Food, Carthay
Center Elementary School and
Covenant House in Hollywood.
Participants are needed at more
than 100 sites.
“It makes a huge difference in the
community,” Levinson added.
“People are never too old and never
too young to help.”
Big Sunday started 17 years ago
as a project of Temple Israel of
Hollywood. Levinson, a Hancock
Park resident and longtime member
of Temple Israel, said the initial
idea was to find ways for the congregation to help in the community.
“Back in 1999, our first year, it
was just people from the temple
going out, but it expanded over the
years,” he added. “There is no religious agenda and no political agenda; just people going out to help.”
Since its inception, Big Sunday
has expanded to San Diego and San
Francisco, as well as cities in
Nevada, Oklahoma, Florida, North
Carolina, Illinois, New York,
Colorado and Massachusetts. For
the second year, Big Sunday
West Hollywood
photo exhibit
West
Hollywood
presents
“WeHo@30: Young City, Vibrant
Heritage”, a photographic exhibition of local historic properties. The
exhibit, which will be on display
through May 15, takes place at
West Hollywood Library, located at
625 N. San Vicente Blvd., and features images by photographer Tony
Coelho.
It was curated by West
Hollywood’s Current and Historic
Preservation Division with guidance from the West Hollywood
Historic Preservation Commission.
To date, the West Hollywood has
designated a total of 83 historic and
cultural resources throughout the
city. The photographic exhibition
— part of a series of arts and culture
projects celebrating the city’s 30th
anniversary — represents a wide
array of architectural styles and
associations with well-known
architects and builders, and it celebrates a variety of unique design
traditions, attributes and cultural
resources, officials said.
Weekend projects will also be held
in Australia, Levinson added.
For people who want to help but
cannot participate this weekend,
Big Sunday accepts donations that
are distributed to social service
organizations. Monetary donations
can be made to the Big Sunday
Emergency Fund, which assists
schools and nonprofits when
unforeseen circumstances arise.
Levinson said “participating” can
be as simple as setting up a lemonade stand and donating the profits.
Young people are also encouraged
to join Big Sunday’s Youth in
Action program, which offers
opportunities for “civic-minded”
children and families.
Levinson added that his passion
for helping others continues to
grow along with Big Sunday, and
he is grateful many people have
joined the effort. He said he is looking forward to the weekend, and
hopes as many people as possible
will join him.
“One of the reasons I love doing
this is that I get to meet people from
all walks of life,” Levinson added.
“Big Sunday Weekend only comes
around once a year, but there are
opportunities to help throughout the
year. We estimate that during the
course of the year, 50,000 participants are helping in some way.”
photo courtesy of Big Sunday
Numerous volunteer opportunities are available this weekend through
Big Sunday.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
6 April 30, 2015
Early results examined in Miracle Mile traffic study
n Consulting firm
concentrates on
8th Street
By jonathan van dyke
photo courtesy of the 28th District Congressional Office
U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff awarded Immaculate Heart High School
senior Lauren Suh (third from the left) for her chalk pastel art piece.
High school senior wins big in
congressional art competition
By Luis Rivas
Of the 64 entries representing
26 high schools, Immaculate
Heart High School senior Lauren
Suh won first place in the 28th
District Congressional Arts
Competition.
U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (DCalif.) announced the winners at
the 28th District Congressional
Art Competition Forum and
Exhibit in Van De Kamp Hall at
Descanso Gardens, La Cañada
Flintridge on Sunday to a crowd
of more than 200 students, parents and teachers.
Suh wasn’t originally planning
to submit her art for the competition. However, when her AP art
teacher told her that another student’s submission was not going
to be accepted since the other student didn’t live in the 28th
Congressional District, Suh and
her teacher rushed to submit her
artwork in its place.
“It was really last minute. I
didn’t hear about the deadline
until the day before. I didn’t think
I was going to win. I thought,
‘Maybe I’ll get third place — if
I’m lucky’. I was really nervous.
I kind of accepted the fact that I
probably wouldn’t win,” Suh
said.
Suh’s submission, a chalk pastel art piece titled “Gussie” featuring a rendering of a friend, was
created as a school assignment
last year. Suh chose her friend
because of her curly hair. It took
her approximately one week to
complete.
“I really liked her hair, so I
took a picture of her. Then I did
the art piece, which is white on
black, so it’s a negative drawing.
It was just for fun,” Suh said.
“Gussie” will hang in the U.S.
Capitol for one year, along with
the artwork from other winners
around the nation.
In addition to Suh, judges
awarded Christine J. Lee, from
Clark Magnet High School, second place, and Emily Hogeland,
from John Burroughs High
School, third place. Avenia
Ghovandia, from Glendale High
School, won the “People’s
Choice” award online contest.
Approximately 2,000 of Schiff’s
constituents voted online, with
Ghovandia’s art piece getting the
most votes.
“Each year, I get the opportunity to see some absolutely amazing artwork submitted by high
school students from across our
district,” Schiff said in a statement. “All of the students
involved deserve recognition for
their hard work and exceptional
talent, and I hope that they will
all continue to enrich our community with their artwork. I particularly want to congratulate
Lauren, Christine, Emily and
Avenia on being named the winners, and look forward to enjoying their artwork in the Capitol
and my offices throughout the
coming year.”
Suh will attend the Art Center
College of Design in Pasadena in
the fall, studying illustration.
“I’m thinking of doing some
freelance work and may teach. I
think that would be fun,” she
said.
Judges for the art competition
included well-known watercolor
artist and actress Kellye
Nakahara, who played “Nurse
Kellye in the TV series
“M*A*S*H”, David Warren,
chair of the board of trustees of
the Hollywood Arts Council, and
artist Janet Workman.
The congressional art competition began in 1982. More than
650,000 high school students
have participated nationwide.
To view art pieces submitted
for the Congressional Art
Competition,
visit
http://schiff.house.gov/mediacenter/photos/2015-congressional-art-competition.
The Miracle Mile Residential
Association (MMRA) wants a
clearer picture of the traffic that
surrounds its community.
“We would get this fragmented
picture in the Miracle Mile that we
typically borrow from traffic studies by major developers,” MMRA
vice president Ken Hixon said.
“You could kind of extrapolate,
but it was always a little shaky.
And we wanted our own baseline
that was fleshed out and complete.”
In October 2014, the MMRA
commissioned
Gibson
Transportation Consulting Inc. to
prepare a neighborhood traffic
mitigation plan for the Miracle
Mile. The boundaries of the study
are loosely La Brea Avenue,
Olympic Boulevard, Wilshire
Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, but
with a special emphasis on 8th
Street.
“We’re getting complaints about
8th Street all the time from our
members,” Hixon said. “It is in
many senses, the main street of the
Miracle Mile.”
The study will include traffic
counts, a review of accident
reports, an inventory of overgrown
foliage reducing sight lines and
recommendations for traffic controls. At the beginning of the
month, MMRA and several city
officials met with Gibson to talk
about early trends and results of
the study.
“It’s a work in progress but we
are impressed by their professionalism,” Hixon said. “We chose
them because they are the traffic
consultants on the proposed
Academy Museum and they are a
highly reputable firm.”
MMRA members said they
focused more on 8th Street
because its vehicular usage has
increased and its usage will likely
increase more as construction projects — such as the Purple Line
Project and Academy Museum —
dominate Wilshire Boulevard.
Preliminary results showed that
there are not enough vehicles in
the 8th Street traffic count to trigger state regulations that would
automatically add new stop signs
or traffic signals.
“I wasn’t surprised, but it was
still disappointing,” Hixon said.
See Traffic page 11
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
7 April 30, 2015
Property left by homeless requires delicate balance
n City aims to help
in any way possible
through services
L.A. will never forget the
Armenian genocide
By edwin folven
A crew from the California
Department of Transportation
removed discarded couches, plants,
shopping carts, trash and debris last
Thursday that was part of a homeless encampment between the Vine
Street offramp from the Hollywood
(101) Freeway and Franklin
Avenue.
California Highway Patrol officer Will Richmond said he had
warned a homeless man to leave the
area because it was unsafe for him
be on the property. As the crew prepared to clean up the site,
Richmond said the trash left behind
illustrates the balance law enforcement and civic officials must consider when dealing with the homeless population.
“It’s state property. We treated it
the same as being a pedestrian on a
freeway,” Richmond said. “If you
go down any offramp on this freeway, you will see the same type of
thing. I had the crew come to clean
it up, but we can only do so much.”
Los Angeles City Councilman
Mitch O’Farrell, 13th District, said
the makeshift encampment is
indicative of a challenge officials
often face in addressing the needs
of homeless individuals. Because
the debris was on state property
next to a freeway offramp and
posed a threat to traffic safety, officials were able to have it cleaned up
immediately. Had it been on city
property, rules enacted under a federal court-imposed injunction
photo by Edwin Folven
Caltrans employees work to remove a homeless encampment between
the Vine Street offramp from the Hollywood (101) Freeway and Franklin
Avenue.
would have precluded the city from
removing the property until an
inspector visited the site and outreach workers attempted to contact
the individual who left the items. A
72-hour notice of clean up would
also have been required to allow the
property’s owner time to collect
their belongings.
The rules were enacted under a
ruling in the case Lavan vs. City of
Los Angeles, which focused on the
removal of belongings left by
homeless individuals on sidewalks
in Skid Row. The rules stipulate
that the city cannot confiscate
belongings without proper protocols unless they present an immediate threat to pubic safety or are evidence in a crime.
O’Farrell said the rules prompted
the city to analyze its approach in
dealing with homeless encampments. Cleaning up property is only
one component, and the goal is to
connect homeless individuals with
resources. Last week, the city council conceptually approved an ad hoc
committee on homelessness to further address issues. The concept
must come back to the city council
for final approval, and committee
members must be appointed, but
the idea is a step in the right direction, O’Farrell said.
“From day one, I have been an
advocate of supportive housing for
the homeless,” O’Farrell added. “I
am really pleased [about] the ad hoc
homeless committee.”
The councilman said current protocols for assisting the homeless
call for representatives of homeless
See Officials page 9
photos by Jonathan Van Dyke
Los Angeles City Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, 13th District, was
joined in Little Armenia by representatives from the city, state and
federal level — including Councilman Tom LaBonge, Assemblyman
Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) and U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (DCalif.) — as they officially unveiled Armenian Genocide Memorial
Square at Hollywood Boulevard and Western Avenue to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide last Friday.
The unveiling was followed by tens of thousands of people walking
the streets of Hollywood along Sunset Boulevard to the Miracle Mile
and Wilshire Boulevard for the annual March for Justice.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
8 April 30, 2015
Hollywood Expo shows
off at the Palladium
photo courtesy of the 4th District Council Office
Councilmen Tom LaBonge, 4th District, and Mitch O’Farrell, 13th
District, attended the 27th Annual Hollywood Expo at the Hollywood
Palladium last Thursday evening. The 2015 Hollywood Expo —
hosted by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and its president
and CEO Leron Gubler — brought new vendors, business partners
and restaurants to the Palladium to enjoy over 100 exhibits from the
best of Hollywood businesses. It also featured the unveiling of
Proper Sightseeing’s new luxury double-decker tour buses that will
drive in locals and visitors to the Hollywood area.
LAUSD shows improved grad rates
The Los Angeles Unified School
District (LAUSD) achieved a graduation rate of 70 percent for 2013-14,
according to figures released
Tuesday by the California
Department of Education. That figure exceeds by three percent the district’s preliminary estimate last
October.
For comprehensive high schools,
the typical option for students in the
ninth through 12th grade, LAUSD’s
final graduation rate of nearly 82
percent is higher than the 77 percent
previously released.
“I congratulate our students for
this improvement, as well as our
administrators, parents and teachers
who encouraged and supported
them,” LAUSD Superintendent
Ramon Cortines said. “I also want to
commend the work of support ser-
vices staff, including counselors as
well as health and human services
personnel.
The entire LAUSD can take great
satisfaction in this accomplishment.”
Cortines also expressed pride in
the two percent rise in graduation
rates among African-American and
Latino students; the four percent
increase in the rate for English learners, and the 10 percent improvement
for students with disabilities.
“Progress requires courage and
bold action. Today confirms the hard
work of our students, parents, community, educators, support staff and
district leadership,” board member
Mónica García said. “Our children
remain the same — students of color
and warriors in challenging socioeconomic environments.”
Loren L. Zachary 43rd National Vocal Competition
GRAND SHOWCASE CONCERT
Los Angeles Performing Arts Orchestra
Frank Fetta, conductor
SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2015 - 2:00 P.M.
Wilshire Ebell Theatre
4401 W. 8th St. • Los Angeles
Finalists: Nicholas Brownlee, bass-baritone; Anthony Clark Evans, baritone;
Jared Bybee, baritone; Michael Adams, baritone; Andre Courville, bass-baritone;
Dominick Chenes, tenor; Sarah Mesko, mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Baldwin,
soprano; Julie Davies, soprano; Chelsea Chaves, soprano
Admission is free - Tickets required.
For tickets, call (310)276-2731
WeHo City Council forms ethics task force
By jonathan van dyke
With election season in West
Hollywood finally coming to a close
on June 2, the city council voted on
April 20 to create a task force that will
examine how to create new rules, that
could be put in place before the 2017
election, concerning how government officials and the community can
ethically act and interact.
“I think it’s an item that is well
overdue, important and a right step
for our community to ensure the
processes we all engage in are ones
we are confident in,” Mayor Lindsey
Horvath said.
Council John D’Amico, who cosponsored the motion with Horvath,
also lauded the creation of the ethics
task force.
“We need to be looking at our systems and how we position ourselves
to the community, so the community
understands that ethical reform doesn’t start at the edge of this woodframed dais, but in fact, it is everywhere in our city and in all we do,” he
said.
In recent months, the city has
endured a contentious city council
election, a council deputy controver-
sy and concerns from residents about
improprieties between the council
and developers of major upcoming
projects.
The ethics task force will be made
up of Bob Stern, a member of the
Center for Governmental Studies;
Joseph Guardarrama, a government
ethics attorney from Kaufman Legal
Group, who also ran during the most
recent city council election; and
Elizabeth Ralston, who is president of
the League of Women Voters of Los
Angeles. Assistant city attorney
Christi Hogin and Guy Vestpoint,
from the West Hollywood City
Clerk’s Office, will serve as staff for
the task force, but will be non-voting
members.
Mayor Pro Tempore Lauren
Meister requested the council consider adding four council-appointed
community members to the task
force, to better include the community, but her idea did not gain enough
support.
“If we are appointing people then
we are politicizing this ethics
reform,” D’Amico said, adding he
had wrestled with the idea when
forming the initial motion. “In my
mind, we backed up to a list of pro-
fessionals whose jobs it is to work on
ethics ideals and reforms.”
“Expanding it to nine people, with
four as political appointees, will possibly take the task force off of its mission,” Councilman John Duran
added.
The task force, which will begin
convening in May, will concentrate
on four topics: governmental ethics,
campaign finance, lobbyists and
ethics
reform
enforcement.
Governmental ethics will include disclosures, recusals and behested payments. Campaign finance will cover
electronic filings, matching funds,
independent disclosures, requirements for signatures and contributions from lobbyists and city contractors. Lobbying will be examined in
regards to reporting and best practices.
Duran said he is happy the motion
had honed in on four major topics,
adding that if the task force’s mission
was too broad, it might “get lost” in
the discourse.
The task force will hold at least
three public meetings, give quarterly
updates to the city council and present a final report by the first quarter
of 2016.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
9 April 30, 2015
Letters to the Editor
Olympia Medical
Center nurses were
unhelpful
[Re: “Nurses protests schedule
changes at Olympia Medical
Center”, April 23 issue], I was a
patient at Olympia Medical
Center for five days after undergoing surgery in 2006. I hardly ever
had a nurse come into my room,
even when I had IVs and [was
wearing] pressure booties.
I would call for help to go to the
bathroom and they wouldn’t
come. I had to undo the booties
myself when I had a fresh surgical
scar on my stomach (bending over
was excruciating) and walk to the
bathroom with my IV myself. The
nurses at that hospital were no use
to me.
Alison Laurie
West Hollywood
Nursing hours bad
for employees
[Re: “Nurse protests schedule
changes at Olympia Medical
Center”, April 23 issue], nurses
have worked their professional, as
well as personal lives, around a
three-day, 12-hour-a-week schedule. Professionally, it has allowed
them to go up the career ladder.
They are able to juggle
school/continuing education, family time and work. Well-trained
nurses are an asset to any hospital,
which redound to good patient
outcomes.
Working five days in a week,
especially in high traffic/intensive
care units like the ER, MedSurg,
Tele, ICU and DOU, will result in
burned out workers. [It’s] not
good for patient care.
Nancy Velayo
North Hollywood
Cheaper alternatives
to robots available
[Re: “Disabled students use
robots to maintain presence on
campus”, April 16 issue], how
much does the VGo cost compared with fixing the elevator?
Why couldn’t Destiny’s secondfloor classes be rescheduled on the
first floor?
New tech is fun to think about,
but U.S. law (both IDEA and
ADA) says that students with disabilities [must] get an education in
the least restrictive environment.
If the only thing blocking Destiny
from taking classes is a broken
elevator, why must she use a robot
for distance education?
Jesse Kaysen
Madison, Wisconsin
Setting the record
straight
[Re: “Kings Road developments worry neighbors”, Feb. 19
issue], the state’s drought has created a lot of concern about how
new development projects will
impact sustainability in WeHo.
Many of my neighbors have been
concerned about the new project
at 826 Kings Road, so having read
the city’s report on the project, I’d
like to set the record straight.
Unlike what some of our neighbors are stating, the building was
lauded by city commissioners for
its sustainability. It has shading
devices, natural daylight, rainwater capture and other elements.
According to local water officials,
it would put zero strain on water
resources. The project even would
feature a public art installation in
the façade designed by a local
artist.
I understand the concerns about
additional development — West
Hollywood is changing and a lot
of new projects are being proposed. They should all be closely
scrutinized. But the ones that
make sense should move forward.
Isn’t this Kings Road project
exactly the kind of development
we’ve been saying for years that
we want to see?
Erick Heikkila
West Hollywood
Project opponents
sound ridiculous
[Re: “Kings Road developments worry neighbors”, Feb. 19
issue], the opponents of the 826 N.
Kings Road project are starting to
sound ridiculous. Some people are
just going to oppose all new
developments, but I have spoken
with the project’s developer on
several occasions and am
extremely impressed by what
they’re trying to do. Residents
asked for a larger setback. Now
the project will be 15 feet from the
street, twice the required amount.
There will also be plenty of landscaping surrounding the property
to ensure it fits in with the neighborhood. And completely contrary
to what the opposition is saying,
the project is fully compliant with
the law. It is building exactly the
size and scope of what is allowed
(and encouraged) in this area.
Yancy Berry
West Hollywood
Kings Road project
not a problem
[Re: “Kings Road developments worry neighbors”, Feb. 19
issue], I’ve been extremely trou-
bled by the outcry from a handful
of residents against the proposed
826 N. Kings Road project.
Opponents seem determined to
throw any argument out there that
might stick: sustainability, parking, traffic, size, etc. The fact is
that this is exactly the kind of project we should be encouraging.
It’s within zoning code. A traffic
study has been conducted. The
developer has added many sustainability elements that few other
projects have (rainwater capture,
natural air flow, etc.), and has a
beautiful design that fits the
neighborhood’s look and feel.
That’s why the planning commission approved it 5-1. At some
point, we can’t just stick our heads
in the sand and block any project
that would let more people live in
the city.
Alexandra Outerbridge
West Hollywood
Proud to live in friendly
West Hollywood
“Friendly neighbors.” I believe
that could be another slogan for
West Hollywood because our
authorities try to do everything
[they can for us] to live in full harmony. One example is our neighborhood night watch [meetings].
I participated in such activities
for years, and every year it got
better and better.
Thank you to our sheriff’s
department, which supports generously with gifts.
Our neighbors appeared so
friendly and prepared delicious
food. Everyone has a chance to eat
something different. I prepared
apple pancakes with jam. I don’t
know who was happier, those who
ate them, or myself, who made
them. Little by little, the neighbors
decided to spend more time with
each other.
I can’t believe that every
evening from 8 to 10 p.m., 12 to
15 people — our neighbors of different religions — gather around a
table in Plummer Park. We discuss different topics, share our
cooking recipes and treat each
other to food we prepare.
Sometimes we forget that it is late
and our sheriff’s [deputies] are
there to remind us.
We only asked to be provided
with a picnic table for more people to feel comfortable. Today, we
have the picnic tables with more
seats. We are proud to live in West
Hollywood, where we have the
opportunity not only for a decent
life, but also for socializing with
our neighbors. We think that such
gatherings for older people like us
is helpful for our longevity. Thank
you, West Hollywood!
Sofia Gelman
West Hollywood
Officials try to help the homeless
From page 7
service organizations to meet with
individuals in the community and
explain resources that are available.
O’Farrell said one hurdle to
addressing the issue is that some
homeless individuals do not want to
accept help because of mental
health or substance abuse issues.
“[Representatives of social service organizations] go out to
encampments and get to know the
individuals and offer them shelter
and a pathway to permanent housing,” O’Farrell said. “We are able to
provide a pathway to permanent
housing right now … if people
accept it.”
In terms of cleaning up encampments, O’Farrell said he will continue to work with service
providers, the city’s bureaus of
street services and sanitation and
City lights up Hollywood
Gateway Sign
law enforcement to address the
issues. He recommended that property owners report the sites to his
Hollywood field office by calling
(213)207-3015, by calling the city’s
general resource hotline at 311 or
by using the MyLA311 smart
phone app.
“The city does pick up abandoned property,” O’Farrell said.
“We do deal with it.”
photo courtesy of the 4th District Council Office
Last Wednesday evening, the lights came out at the Hollywood
Gateway Sign at the corner of Cahuenga Boulevard and Wilcox
Avenue. The 30-foot tall triangular tower was inspired as the culmination of the rebirth of the area from Hollywood Boulevard to
Franklin Avenue and Highland Avenue to Cahuenga Boulevard,
known as the Yucca Corridor. The project was made possible due to
the efforts of Councilman Tom LaBonge, city staff members and the
Yucca Corridor Coalition, a nonprofit group whose focus is to reduce
crime in the corridor and beautification improvements. The sign had
been built but not lit until new energy, community interest and local
financing allowed the project to be truly finished, officials said.
NKLA adoption fair this weekend
Best Friends Animal Society is
holding its NKLA Adoption
Weekend on Saturday, May 2 and
Sunday, May 3 from 10 a.m. to 6
p.m. at the George C. Page Museum
at the La Brea Tar Pits.
Held in collaboration with PetSmart
Charities, it is an adoption event
Best Friends Animal Society holds
twice a year. Best Friends Animal
Society is the only national animal
welfare organization focused on
ending the killing of shelter pets. In
Los Angeles, Best Friends is leading
the NKLA (No-Kill Los Angeles)
initiative, which aims to transform
L.A. into the nation’s largest “NoKill City.”
More than 1,000 pets will be
available at the NKLA Adoption
Weekend, with adoption fees starting at $50. All pets are spayed or
neutered, vaccinated and microchipped, and adopters will receive a
bag filled with toys, treats, coupons
and more.
“Any Angeleno who is looking to
adopt should check out the NKLA
Adoption Weekend. From playful
pups and cute kittens to super sweet
seniors, it’s the perfect venue to find
your new best friend,” Best Friends
Animal Society – Los Angeles
executive director Marc Peralta
said. “You can even bring your dog
along to meet potential canine siblings at the event.”
The family-friendly NKLA adoption weekends are free, and feature
adoptable pets from more than 50
photo courtesy of Best Friends Animal Society
local shelters and rescues.
Numerous celebrity supporters will
entertain, and guests can enjoy cuisine from food trucks. Peralta is
hoping for a record turnout and
number of adoptions at NKLA
Adoption Weekend.
“The sad truth is that 9,000 dogs
and cats are killed in U.S. shelters
every day. Best Friends Animal
Society believes that number should
be zero and adoption is a key component to making that happen,”
Peralta added. “It’s only by working
together that we will Save Them All
and turn LA into NKLA.”
The George C. Page Museum of
La Brea Tar Pits is located at 5801
Wilshire Blvd. For information,
visit www.nkla.org/events.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
10 April 30, 2015
Looking for Friday fun? Try NHM First Fridays
The Natural History Museum of
Los Angeles County (NHM) is
hosting the latest installment of its
“First Fridays” series on Friday,
May 1 from 5 to 10 p.m.
Behind-the-scenes tours titled
“Finding L.A.’s Hidden Wildlife
One Photo at a Time” will be held at
5, 5:30 and 6 p.m. Lila Higgins,
manager of NHM’s Citizen Science
program, will discuss the challenges
of finding hidden wildlife in Los
Angeles, and how residents can
make extraordinary discoveries.
Educator and host of “The Loh
Down on Science” program Sandra
Tsing Loh will participate in a discussion at 6:30 p.m. titled
“Covalent and Ionic Bonding (with
Suzy)”. Loh will be joined by her
12-year-old daughter Suzy to
explore the cultural, societal and
family influences on how science is
taught. The discussion will be moderated by Michael W. Quick, Ph.D.,
vice president for academic affairs
at the University of Southern
California.
A new “Science Salon” discussion will be held at 7:30 p.m. with
the “Nerd Brigade” in the Otis
Booth Pavilion. The “Nerd
Brigade” is group of individuals
with diverse backgrounds in science
and science communication.
Audience questions are encouraged.
Additionally, visitors can enjoy
music from 5:30 to 10 p.m. in the
KCRW DJ Lounge with Raul
Campos and DJ Panamami, as well
as live musical performances that
begin at 8 p.m. General admission is
$18. NHM is located at 900
Exposition Blvd. For information,
visit www.nhm.org.
photo courtesy of Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Center Cut,
Boneless or Bone-In
$6.98 per lb.
Reg. $8.79/ lb.
With This Ad Only! exp. 5/7/15
Niman Ranch Pork is all natural,
humanely and substainably raised on small,
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310.587-1166
www.mrmarcel.com
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
11 April 30, 2015
Traffic a concern for Miracle Mile residents
From page 6
Lindsey Horvath returns to
WeHo City Council
West Hollywood’s new mayor Lindsey Horvath was pictured in the
May 14, 2009 issue of the Park Labrea News and Beverly Press as
a city council member after she was appointed to fill a vacancy on
the council due to the death of Councilman Sal Guarriello. Horvath
served two years and left after an unsuccessful bid for election in
2011. She has now returned, after being elected on March 3, and
was sworn-in as mayor on April 20. For information, see page XX
Crossword Puzzle by Myles Mellor
Gibson said the intersection of
Masselin Avenue and 8th Street
does not conform to the minimum
standards for an adequate line of
sight. Specifically, motorists traveling northbound on Masselin
Avenue must pull too far onto 8th
Street.
The early report also calls for an
update to the intersection of
Cochran Avenue and 8th Street —
the pedestrian signals are not the
modern, countdown models. It
also recommends continental
crosswalks (zebra stripe crossings)
at all four-way stops along 8th
Street to help with pedestrian safety and visibility.
“Our emphasis is safety,” Hixon
said. “We’re going to do whatever
we can to make streets in the
Miracle Mile safer for pedestrians,
cyclists and motorists.”
The final report may include a
recommendation to restrict left
turns onto Olympic Boulevard, at
least during peak traffic hours. It
also calls for preferential permit
parking in many neighborhoods,
which Hixon said the MMRA
Los Angeles City Councilman
Mitch O’Farrell, 13th District, introduced a motion last Wednesday
which directs staff to report back on
how the city can improve on address3. Old literary work
4. Hub of activity
6. Final: abbr.
7. Willingly, in olden times
8. Resound
9. Author Rice
10. Frilly hat of olden days
11. Swedish physiologist Ulf __
12. Blue hue
13. Fertile soil
18. Top dog
19. Can’t stand
23. Agent Orange, for one
25. “Little Women” woman
26. European coal area
27. Mine finds
29. Chivalrous
30. Emphasize
31. Norse thunder god
33. Fiber source
41. Circular
1. Mideast port
42. A shot
5. Mea ___
43. Sesames
10. Breakfast, lunch or dinner
44. Eurasian herb
14. The “C” in U.P.C.
45. Show fear
15. Foreign
48. Quarrel
16. Anise-flavored liqueur
50. Device for examining the ear
17. Old Glory colors
54. Production
20. Desk item
58. Dumas novel
21. Robbers
60. Dry run
22. South African monetary unit
61. Upbeat
24. Shipping weights
62. Astronaut’s insignia
25. Sulk
63. PBS matters
28. Foot part
64. Disadvantaged
32. Continental currency
65. Christmas tree topper
33. Diner features
34. Sweet cherry
35. Middle Earth creatures
36. Pale
38. Punish with an arbitrary penalty
39. Gives hope
43. Attacks
44. Keyed up
45. Terra ___
46. Different
47. Beat
49. Verse
51. Gulf sultanate
52. 100%
53. Latin 101 word
55. Everglades deposit
56. ___ Major (constellation)
34. Former Portuguese colony in India
Down
37. Gummo et al.
1. “God’s Little ___”
40. 3,600 secs.
2. Active one
“But unless you
add more traffic
control, it’s not
going to change in
a major way”
-Scott Epstein
MCWCC board president
One governmental body that
could help in the future is the MidCity West Community Council
(MCWCC).
“Eighth Street really is my main
concern in that area and my main
concern is safety,” MCWCC board
chair Scott Epstein said. “It’s a res-
idential street that is currently
designed for fast traffic.”
Epstein noted that 8th Street
traffic moves quickly because
there are no traffic controls for
three or four blocks at a time.
“The only way to change that is
to change the character of the
street,” he said.
He said the street is part of the
city’s bicycle plan, which can ultimately allow for the installation of
traffic calming measures, such as
traffic roundabouts or additional
traffic signals.
“I think those things definitely
would help,” Epstein said. “But
unless you add more traffic control, it’s not going to change in a
major way. The first way I always
look at this through the lens of
safety and that’s the same for the
city moving forward.”
Currently, the MCWCC has
applied to Metro for traffic calming measures on Rosewood
Avenue, Alta Vista Boulevard and
Formosa Avenue — perhaps 8th
Street could be included in a future
project, Epstein said.
Council motion tackles hoarding
5. ___ terrier
Across
already endorses as a way to combat parking problems brought on
by increases in visitors to the area.
The next step, after the full
report is released later this year, is
to figure out how to lobby or raise
money for possible changes,
Hixon added.
57. Nicholas I or II
59. Little butter?
See Page 22
ing the issue of excessive accumulation — also known as hoarding —
and how the city can better protect
individuals afflicted with this disorder, and those who live adjacent to
such properties.
O’Farrell’s motion directs the Los
Angeles Fire Department, the chief
legislative analyst, the city administrative officer, the department of
building and safety, housing and
community investment department,
the department of animal services,
the Los Angeles Police Department
and the city attorney’s office to
report back on steps that can be
taken to address, evaluate and
improve the fire safety protocols
when dealing with issues posed by
dwellings occupied by individuals
who engage in excessive storage.
“There are disconnects, and a lack
of communication, between departments when it comes to handling
hoarding cases,” O’Farrell said. “I
want to make sure that departments
are properly reporting dwellings
with excessive accumulation of
items so that we can better protect
neighbors and the first responders
when they arrive at the scene of a
fire.”
The motion comes after a dramatic house fire in Atwater Village
made headlines in January. The
home’s yard was packed with vehicles, mattresses, debris and items
covered by a large blue tarp, aerial
video showed. This same location
was also the scene of a fire 13
months earlier.
“Los Angeles city firefighters are
all too familiar with the danger associated with hoarding in residences
throughout our city,” said captain
Frank Lima, president of the United
Firefighters of Los Angeles City.
“These conditions put our firefighters, local residents and the occupants
themselves in great danger in the
event of an emergency.”
O’Farrell also wants city departments to consult with the Los
Angeles County Departments of
Public Health and Mental Health on
procedures and interdepartmental
communications. In addition,
O’Farrell wants to hear from staff
about best practices from other
major metropolitan centers, as well
as recommendations for possible
revisions to the current Los Angeles
Municipal Code.
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Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
12 April 30, 2015
Tipple & Brine
Oysters, Cocktails and a Speakeasy Bar
T
ipple & Brine is the perfect
hideaway for a stimulating
date night or roaring good
time with friends.
Diners are welcomed by a
greeter, who opens the door to the
lively bar and dining room with
reclaimed wood walls, rustic tables
and glossy concrete flooring.
Vintage Edison lights hang from
the exposed ceiling, and the front
windows have a pulley-and-winch
system allowing fresh air inside.
Toward the back of the restaurant, a mysterious closed door
which makes one feel as if they
need to say a secret password for
admission, leads to The Tunnel Bar,
a New York-style underground subway with a brick tunnel archway
bar. Jovial guests sip exotic crafted
cocktails at tables beneath photographs of rock ‘n’ roll icons like
Iggy Pop, Patti Smith and Johnny
Ramone.
Richard DiSisto, principal of
Vantage
Restaurant
Group,
designed the elegant speakeasy
with dim lighting, red leather ban-
quettes, leather covered bar stools
and low cocktail tables.
Tipple means to drink in excess
and Brine is a salty solution in
water. DiSisto’s concept was to create a lively bar and serve fresh from
the sea, briny fare.
The menu also
offers a variety of
enhanced toasts,
including a briny
sea urchin toast
with avocado
mousse, radish
and scallions.
Recently, he raised the culinary
experience with the help of executive chef Marc Johnson, from La
Cañada Flintridge. After a few
years at Wood & Vine, across from
the Hollywood Pantages Theater,
Johnson met DiSisto and left
Hollywood to revamp the Tipple &
photo courtesy of Tipple and Brine
The Tunnel Bar is a lively speakeasy where guests can order classic
cocktails and “nuevo libations,” like the Prosperity, made with vodka, St.
Germaine, sage, sugar, lime, grapefruit and soda.
April 30th - dia del Niño Celebration!
Special Child’s Menu, toys, candies & goodies!
Spectacular Cinco de Mayo Menu
Mariachis, Antonio's tequila girls, special menu and goodies!
Sunday, May 10, Mexican Mother's Day celebration
Mexican & American celebration - cards, Candies
& goodies to all the moms.
Mexican Restaurant
7470 Melrose Ave. • Los Angeles • 323-658-9060
Brine menu. Not only does he run
the kitchen, he is developing a gastropub menu for DiSisto’s newest
endeavor located a few doors down
— Downtown Johnny’s.
We ordered robust Fanny Bay
oysters, briny Sisters Point oysters
By Jill Weinlein
and two larger and creamier varieties from Henderson Inlet. They
were served with cocktail sauce,
fresh horseradish and mignonette
sauce made with champagne, white
wine and rice vinegar.
The menu also offers a variety of
enhanced toasts, including one with
creamy burrata, leeks and fennel
pollen, and briny sea urchin toast
with avocado mousse, radish and
scallions. We enjoyed the earthy
sautéed mushrooms on a thick slice
of yeasty bread with goat cheese,
sweet caramelized onion and aged
balsamic vinegar.
Tipple & Brine’s Brussels
sprouts are made with sweet chili
vinegar, mint, miso aioli and
peanuts. Johnson also assembles
wonderful raw items including
albacore hamachi with green onion
and blood orange, and salmon tartar
with strawberries.
His healthy sea bass has crisp
snap peas, green beans, pear tomatoes, prosciutto and grapefruit gas-
photo courtesy of Tipple and Brine
The brine in Tipple and Brine comes from freshly shucked oysters, like
Fanny Bay and Sisters Point. Three varieties are offered daily.
trique, offering an excellent combination of tart, sweet, salty and
crunchy.
I ordered the fresh halibut with
black lentils, pancetta relish, mustard pearls and herb salad. It was a
delicious union of textures and flavors.
Before venturing to The Tunnel
Bar, we enjoyed a glass jam jar
filled with creamy chocolate pudding sprinkled with sea salt, cream
and a chocolate covered pretzel.
Inside the Tunnel Bar, we discovered another set of stairs leading to
an outside balcony with tables and
chairs. It’s an ideal spot to have an
intimate conversation or gather
with friends under the stars among
the colorful lights of the boulevard.
It’s a hidden gem worth discovering.
The Tunnel Bar is open from 7
p.m. to 2 a.m., Thursday through
Saturday. The space can be rented
for private parties and special
events.
On Mondays, Tipple & Brine
serves oysters for $1 from 4:30 to
11 p.m. in the street-level bar and
lounge. The restaurant is open daily
from 4:30 p.m.; social hour runs
from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. $$ 14633
Ventura Blvd. (818)528-2550.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
13 April 30, 2015
R ESTAU R ANT NEW S
By Jill Weinlein
DineL.A. Happy
Hour Week
T
he Los Angeles Tourism &
Convention Board is sponsoring
dineL.A. Happy Hour Week continuing today, April 30, and Friday,
May 1. Diners can enjoy afternoon,
evening and late-night happy hours
at more than 135 restaurants and
bars throughout Los Angeles. Each
restaurant and bar will showcase a
selection of food and drinks, with
some offering exclusive items only
available during dineL.A. Happy
Hour Week. www.discoverlosangeles.com/what-to-do/events/dinelahappy-hour-week.
be offered. A selection of hors
d’oeuvres will be offered, including
buffalo mozzarella caprese skewers, organic chicken skewers with
peppercorn sauce, burrata crostini,
lobster tempura bites and filet with
blue cheese flat bread. Tickets are
$35 per guest for the tequila tasting,
and $25 for a dining card. Space is
limited. 252 N. Beverly Drive.
(310)278-8710.
Free Drink at CBTL
G
uests at The Coffee Bean &
Tea Leaf can receive a free
Free Leis at Tiki No Kentucky Derby
riday, May 1 is “Lei Day” at the Viewing Party
regular 16-ounce beverage with
the purchase or reload of a $25
gift card from Friday, May 1
through Sunday, July 5. The cards
make great Mother’s Day and
dads and grads gifts. Free Thai
tea, vanilla rooibos and chai teas
are available, as well as Coffee
Bean & Tea Leaf classics such as
original ice blended drinks.
Additionally, Coffee Bean & Tea
Leaf is celebrating National
Teacher Appreciation Day on
Tuesday, May 5 by offering regular 16-ounce beverages for $2 to
teachers and faculty members
who present their school ID. Limit
one free drink per person. 5115
Wilshire Blvd., (323)879-8055;
8735 Santa Monica Blvd.,
(310)659-8207; 7915 Sunset
Blvd., (323)851-8392.
F
Tiki No karaoke bar. Guests
will receive complimentary leis,
and spiked Hawaiian Punch cocktails are $6. Chief Lapu Lapu cocktails will also be available with dark
rum of Jamaica, silver rum of St.
Croix, orange juice, passion juice
and fresh lemon, as well as piña
coladas made with silver rum of St.
Croix, pineapple juice, cream of
coconut and fresh pineapple. The
Aloha Fridays food truck will offer
Hawaiian snacks, and guests can
enjoy hula dancing and a Hawaiian
T-shirt and muumuu contest, with
judging at midnight. Prizes include
gift cards and more. 4657
Lankershim Blvd. (818)766-0116.
F
or those who can’t make it to
Louisville for this year’s
Kentucky Derby, the Brentwood
steakhouse Baltaire is offering a
viewing party on Saturday, May 2
from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Patrons can
view the race on Baltaire’s large
projector screen in the bar and
lounge as and enjoy traditional
Derby cocktails such as the Baltaire
Julep. Executive chef Travis
Strickland will offer his take on a
Hot Brown, the race’s classic
southern sandwich. Guests are
encouraged to dress in their best
derby apparel such as big hats,
See Restaurant News page 15
Plan Check
Happy Hour
T
he modern American eatery
Plan Check Downtown is offering $7 Smokey Juarez cocktails
with Xicaru Blanco Mezcal, blood
orange, lemon juice, simple syrup
and a sprinkle of smoked salt. They
complement executive chef Ernesto
Uchimura’s happy hour menu with
dishes such as tacos hamburguesa
with two ground beef tacos,
habañero salsa, cheese, guacamole
and cilantro for $8; pimento grilled
cheese and bacon with green chilies
and pickles for $8; and southern
fried chicken sandwiches with
Jidori chicken, yam preserves,
smoked milk gravy and pickled
okra for $9. Double cut wings with
housemade hot sauce are also available for $2.50. The specials are
available today, April 30 and Friday,
May 1 from 4 to 7 p.m. 1111
Wilshire Blvd. (213)403-1616.
$
Abigaile dineL.A.
Happy Hour
E
xecutive chef Tin Vuong’s
American brasserie Abigaile,
the only onsite restaurant brewery
in the South Bay, is offering specials for dineL.A. Happy Hour
Week today, April 30 and Friday
May 1 from 5 to 7 p.m. The specials include beer n’ bacon broth
mussels for $10, lengha banh mi for
$9 and porchetta Cubano for $10.
Abigaile is also offering $4 beer, $5
house wine and $6 scratch cocktails. 1301 Manhattan Ave.
(310)798-8227.
!
Fig & Olive
West Hollywood
#
#
D
ineL.A. Happy Hour Week
specials at the French Rivierainspired Fig & Olive include aperitivo selections and seasonal libations. French, Spanish and Italian
inspired tasting plates are $7. Select
cocktails include a new olive oilbased libation, and wines by the
glass are $9. The specials are available through Friday, May 1 from 5
to 7 p.m. 8490 Melrose Place.
(310)360-9100.
323-962-1900
6263 Leland Way,
Hollywood, CA 90028
(one block south of sunset, just east of Vine)
www.offvine.com
[email protected]
Fleming’s Tequila
Tasting
F
leming’s Beverly Hills is offering a tasting of tequilas from
Clase Azul on Friday, May 1 at 6
p.m. Tastings of Clase Azul Plata,
Clase Azul Reposado, Clase Azul
Añejo and Clase Azul cocktails will
"#
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
14 April 30, 2015
Police Blotter
The following crimes occurred in West Hollywood and the areas patrolled
by the LAPD’s Wilshire and Hollywood divisions between April 20 and
April 25, and were compiled from www.crimemapping.com. To report a
crime, the telephone numbers of local law enforcement agencies are: Los
Angeles Police Department, Wilshire Division (213)473-0489 and Los
Angeles County Sheriff’s Department West Hollywood Station (310)8558850.
April 20
At 10 a.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a vehicle parked in the
700 block of N. La Jolla.
An unknown suspect committed a
theft in the 6500 block of
Hollywood at 10 a.m.
At 10:02 a.m., an unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the
900 block of Genesee.
A theft was reported in the 1000
block of N. La Brea at 2 p.m.
At 3 p.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a vehicle parked in the
400 block of N. Martel.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 7900 block of
Melrose at 7 p.m.
At 10 p.m., unknown suspect committed a burglary in the 6500 block
of Colgate.
An unknown suspect burglarized a
vehicle parked near the corner of
Wilcox and Hollywood at 10:30
p.m.
April 21
At 1 a.m., an unknown suspect
robbed a victim near the corner of
Fairfax and Clinton.
At 12:10 p.m., an unknown suspect assaulted a victim in the 300
block of N. Fairfax.
An unknown suspect stole a vehicle parked in the 100 block of S.
Gardner at 4:30 a.m.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 7100 block of
Santa Monica at 1:14 p.m.
At 8:45 a.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 1000
block of Cole.
At 3:30 p.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a vehicle parked in the
1400 block of Ivar.
An unknown suspect committed a
An unknown suspect burglarized a
vehicle parked in the 8900 block of
Keith at 6 p.m.
At 6:30 p.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a vehicle parked near
the corner of Rosewood and
Sycamore.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 4900 block of 4th
at 7 p.m.
At 8:45 p.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a vehicle parked in the
1500 block of N. Cahuenga.
At 10 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a burglary in the 1300
block of N. Curson.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 8400 block of
Sunset at 4 p.m.
At 5 p.m., a vehicle theft was
reported in the 15600 block of
Vine.
An unknown suspect committed a
theft in the 7500 block of Sunset at
5:15 p.m.
At 5:30 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 6700
block of Hollywood.
An unknown suspect committed a
burglary in the 8500 block of Santa
Monica at 7:04 p.m.
At 8 p.m., an unknown suspect
robbed a victim in the 6700 block
of Santa Monica.
An unknown suspect committed a
burglary in the 400 block of N.
Hayworth at 10 p.m.
At 10:08 p.m., an unknown suspect committed a petty theft in the
7500 block of Santa Monica.
An unknown suspect assaulted a
victim near the corner of Fountain
and Gardner at 10:30 p.m.
April 22
At 8 a.m., an unknown suspect
An unknown suspect assaulted a
victim in the 1700 block of N.
Gower at 11 p.m.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 6400 block of W.
Olympic at 9:13 a.m.
A vehicle theft was reported near
the corner of Detroit and Sunset at
11 a.m.
At 4 p.m., unknown suspect committed a burglary in the 5800 block
of W. 8th.
At 9:50 p.m., an unknown suspect
assaulted a victim in the 1100
block of Larrabee.
April 24
An unknown suspect robbed a victim in the 6300 block of W. 3rd at
8:50 p.m.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 600 block of S.
McCadden at 1 p.m.
An attempted burglary was reported in the 6200 block of Wilshire at
8 p.m.
committed a burglary near the corner of Willoughby and La Brea.
At 3:30 a.m., unknown suspect
stole a vehicle parked near the corner of 6th and Norton.
At 1 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 9100
block of Sunset.
At 7 p.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a vehicle parked in the
200 block of N. Irving.
April 23
At 12:01 a.m., a suspect assaulted
a victim during a domestic violence
incident in the 1100 block of
Spaulding.
An unknown suspect committed a
theft in the 6800 block of Sunset at
12:30 a.m.
At 1 a.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft in the 6500
block of Fountain.
An unknown suspect assaulted a
victim in the 8600 block of
Holloway at 1:40 a.m.
At 7:30 a.m., an unknown suspect
committed a grand theft in the
6400 block of Prospect.
An unknown suspect committed a
burglary in the 1200 block of N.
Gordon at 8 a.m.
At 9:40 a.m., an unknown suspect
committed a grand theft in the
9200 block of Sunset.
An unknown suspect stole a bicycle in the 600 block of Masselin at
1 p.m.
At 2 p.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a vehicle parked in the
6300 block of Sunset.
An unknown suspect stole a vehicle parked in the 1300 block of
Laurel at 2 p.m.
At 2:30 p.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a vehicle parked in the
8400 block of Hollywood.
An unknown suspect burglarized a
vehicle parked in the 500 block of
N. Gardner at 4:30 p.m.
petty theft in the 300 block of S. La
Brea at 10:10 a.m.
At 11 a.m., an unknown suspect
committed a burglary in the 600
block of S. Mansfield.
April 25
At 12:01 a.m., an unknown suspect burglarized a vehicle parked
in the 1500 block of Courtney.
An unknown suspect committed a
theft in the 6000 block of
Hollywood at 1 p.m.
An unknown suspect stole a vehicle parked near the corner of
Highland and Franklin at 12:30
a.m.
At 1:30 p.m., an unknown suspect
committed a petty theft near the
corner of Fairfax and 6th.
At 2 a.m., an unknown suspect
robbed a victim in the 6400 block
of Yucca.
An unknown suspect committed a
burglary in the 1600 block of N.
Gardner at 5 p.m.
An unknown suspect stole a vehicle parked in the 600 block of
Selma at 2:45 p.m.
At 6 p.m., an unknown suspect
stole a vehicle parked in the 7300
block of Franklin.
At 4 p.m., an unknown suspect
robbed a victim in the 400 block of
N. La Cienega.
An unknown suspect stole a vehicle parked in the 1400 block of
Poinsettia at 7 p.m.
An unknown suspect committed a
petty theft in the 6800 block of
Beverly at 7:15 a.m.
At 8 p.m., a vehicle burglary was
reported in the 500 block of Lillian
Way.
At 11:45 p.m., an unknown suspect burglarized a vehicle parked
near the corner of Sunset and
Bronson.
Suspects impersonated officers to kidnap dog
The Los Angeles Police
Department’s Rampart Area detectives are asking for the public’s help
in providing any information that
would lead to the arrest of two suspects who took a dog by impersonating officers.
On April 14 at approximately
3:30 p.m., two women, dressed in
what appeared to be green uniforms,
came to the victim’s residence located in the 1000 block of Waterloo
Street. The women represented
themselves as Los Angeles Police
Department Animal Cruelty Task
Force (ACTF) officers. The women
told the victim that there had been
multiple complaints about a dog at
the residence being neglected. The
women handed the victim a flyer
and said they were there to “confiscate” the victim’s dog. The flyer
appeared to be official to the victim
and contained accurate contact
information for the LAPD ACTF
office. The victim believed the
women were officers and felt compelled to give them his dog, even
though the dog has not been neglected or abused.
After the women left with the dog,
the victim called the number on the
paperwork that he was provided.
Officers assigned to the ACTF
advised the victim that they had not
been involved in the incident.
The first suspect is described as a
female Hispanic, 5’, 140 pounds,
approximately 35 years old. The second suspect is described as a female,
White, 5’, 140 pounds, approximately 35 years old.
Anyone with information in
regards to this case is urged to call
LAPD Rampart Area Burglary
Detectives at (213)484-3400.
During non-business hours or on
weekends, calls should be directed
to 1-877-LAPD-24-7. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should
call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222TIPS.
Tipsters may also contact Crime
Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most
keypads) with a cellphone. All text
messages should begin with the letters “LAPD”. Tipsters may also go
to www.lapdonline.org, and click on
“Anonymous Web Tips”.
Man sentenced in scam against elderly motorists
A man was sentenced last week
to 10 years in state prison for scamming elderly motorists by falsely
claiming they were in traffic collisions and then demanding money
from them, the Los Angeles County
District
Attorney’s
Office
announced.
David Stevens, 43, was sentenced
in a Van Nuys courtroom before
Los Angeles County Superior Court
Judge Martin Herscovitz. Last
month, Stevens pleaded no contest
to one count each of residential burglary, two counts of theft from an
elder and one count of bribing an
executive officer.
Deputy district attorney William
Chung of the Elder Abuse Section
said Stevens sought out elderly drivers and told them they were
involved in a traffic collision.
Stevens then pressured the victims
to give money for alleged vehicle
damage or personal injuries caused
by the accident.
Stevens complained about his
health following his arrest and was
taken to a hospital for observation.
He offered to pay off a police officer
at the hospital if the officer would
give him time to escape.
The case was investigated by the
Los Angeles Police Department and
the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department.
Koretz offers $50,000 reward for murder information
Los Angeles City Councilman
Paul Koretz, 5th District, introduced a motion in city council last
week offering a $50,000 reward in
response to the slaying of
Christopher John Paul on April 22
in Palms.
Koretz was joined by Los
Angeles Police Department deputy
chief Beatrice Girmala to discuss
the motion at the meeting.
On April 22, at approximately
2:30 p.m., Paul, a 33-year-old resident of the Palms area, was walking
home to his apartment complex
located on the 3300 block of
Mentone Avenue. As he approached
the rear gate to his apartment, an
unknown assailant shot him from
behind, causing his death.
Anyone with information in
regards to this case is urged to call
LAPD. During non-business hours
or on weekends, calls should be
directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7.
Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at
1-800-222-TIPS. Tipsters may also
contact Crime Stoppers by texting
to phone number 274637.
Detectives seek suspect for gas station burglary suspect
Detectives from the Los
Angeles Police Department’s
Wilshire Division are asking for
the public’s help to identify the
suspect responsible for an early
morning burglary of a business.
On March 11, at approximately
2 a.m., a male suspect climbed
onto the roof of a gas station located in the 1400 block of La
Cienega Boulevard. The suspect
entered the location through an
unlocked roof entrance and can be
seen crawling past an open door,
where a gas station clerk was
working. The suspect entered a
rear office, filled trash bags full of
cigarette cartons and fled through
the roof.
The suspect is described as a
male Black with black hair, 20 to
30 years old and weighing 180 to
210 pounds. He was wearing a
black hooded sweatshirt, grey
sweatpants and black shoes.
Anyone with information about
this incident, or for more information, is asked to call Wilshire Area
Detective Lavender at (213)9228252.
15 April 30, 2015
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
Terrine Keeps
Kitchen Open Late
R ESTAU R A NT NEW S
By Jill Weinlein
Tin Vuong and chef Ken Johnson
will offer $1 dish specials, and
Machismo will perform 3 to 9 p.m.
The Baja surf lodge-inspired eatery
will also serve re-imagined
Mexican specialties including $1
build-your-own chicken, pork and
beef tacos, and $1 street corn with
chipotle mayo, parmesan and
chef’s “magic dust”. Oysters are
also available for $1 each, and the
restaurant will offer an extended
version of its “Bandito” happy hour
from 3 to 7 p.m., with $5 beer, $6
wine and $8 cocktail specials. 1238
Hermosa Ave. (310)379-1829.
From page 13
summer dresses and 1920s-style
suits and bowties. The full lunch,
dinner and beverage menus will
also be available. 11647 San
Vicente Blvd. (424)273-1660.
Boxing Viewing
Party at Beverly
Wilshire
S
idebar at Beverly Wilshire is
hosting a viewing party on
Saturday, May 2 beginning at 6
p.m. for the long-awaited
“Pacquiao V. Mayweather” boxing
match. Chefs Ari Rosenson and
Ken Concepcion have created specialty “fight night” menu items
such as knuckle sandwiches with
crispy pig trotters, pickled red
onion and whole grain mustard
aioli on housemade honey buns.
Signature boxing-themed cocktails
will also be available. The $40
cover charge includes bar admission, one signature cocktail and
unlimited bar bites (sidebar menu
items not included). Tables and
couch seating are available by
reservation. 9500 Wilshire Blvd.
(310)276-8500.
Cinco de Mayo
at Mercado
C
elebrate Cinco de Mayo at
Mercado on Tuesday, May 5
with special appetizers and an
enticing cocktail menu. Guests can
enjoy featured cocktails for $12,
and shots of reposado for $7.
Mercado’s carnitas tacos are priced
at $8 and nachos are $10. The specials are available from 4 to 11 p.m.
1416 4th St., Santa Monica.
(310)526-7121; 7910 W. 3rd St.,
(323)944-0947.
Gracias Madre
Cinco de Mayo
Rock & Brews
Cinco de Mayo
D
iners can get in the Cinco de
Mayo spirit with $5 appetizers
and special cocktails by beverage
director Jason Eisner that include
pop rocks. A snow cone machine
will pour boozy snow cones from 5
to 11 p.m., and a mariachi band will
perform from 6 to 9 p.m. Chef
Chandra Gilbert will serve guacamole and tortilla chips,
empanadas with roasted root vegetables, pineapple habañero salsa,
cumin lentils, cashew crema and
flautas a la carta, made with a rolled
tortillas with sweet potatoes,
caramelized onions, pico de gallo,
guacamole and cashew nacho
cheese. Gilbert also makes tamales
a la carte with sautéed squash,
poblano peppers and onions. Patio
seating will be first come, first
serve. Gracias Madre, 8905
Melrose Ave. (323)978-2170.
R
ock & Brews, a rock-themed
restaurant co-founded by Gene
Simmons and Paul Stanley of
KISS, is celebrating Cinco de
Mayo on Tuesday, May 5 with a
rockin’ fiesta that includes $5 Cinco
de Mayo Mexican draft beers,
house margaritas, red and white
sangria and gourmet chicken quesadillas. 143 Main St., El Segundo.
(310) 615-9890.
Día de Campo
Cinco del Mayo
D
iners can celebrate Cinco de
Mayo on Tuesday, May 5 at
Día de Campo in Hermosa Beach
with a Casamigos tequila tasting
from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Executive chef
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T
errine is offering an after-hours
menu with comforting dishes
priced from $9 to $11, and craft
cocktails from $9 to $10. The bar
menu is available from 9 to 11 p.m.,
Sunday through Thursday, and 10
p.m. to 2 a.m., Friday through
Saturday. Head bartender Ryan
Wainwright will share designated
martini cards, featuring his triedand-true recipes, and will prepare a
classic martini from George
Kappeler’s
book,
“Modern
American Drinks, 1895”. Guests
can create special martinis by
selecting one brand of gin or vodka
mixed with their choice of vermouth in any format. Pricing varies
from $11 to $22, depending on
which brands are selected.
Executive chef Kris Morningstar’s
menu offers hearty, “last meal of
the night” options such as onion
soup poutine; croque cubano with
smoked ham, capicola, gruyère and
pickled Fresno chili relish; and truffled chicken liver toast. 8265
Beverly Blvd. (323)746-5130.
Celebrity Cruises
Wine Festival
O
n Saturday, May 2 from 2:30
to 5 p.m., more than 30
wineries, craft breweries, spirits
companies and award-winning
restaurants will come together for
the “Celebrity Cruises Great Wine
Festival” at the Orange County
Great Park. An online silent auction and live musical entertain-
photo courtesy of Terrine
Delicious gravlax tartine is a perfect brunch item at Terrine with Kris
Morningstar as the executive chef.
ment by the Millertime Boogie
Band will be held. One hundred
VIP tickets are available for $150
for an exclusive wine, beer, spirits
and food tasting from 1:30 to 2:30
p.m., before the general public is
allowed to enter the event. The
event is produced by and will benefit the Legal Aid Society of
Orange County and Community
Legal Services in Southeast Los
Angeles County. General admission tickets are $100. 6950 Marine
Way, Irvine. (714)571-5220,
www.eventbee.com/v/greatwinefestival.
Off Vine Now
Serving Breakfast
H
ollywood’s popular craftsman
bungalow restaurant, Off Vine,
is serving breakfast Monday
through Friday starting at 10 a.m.
Breakfast quesadillas, salmon
scrambles eggs, eggs Benedict and
fluffy pancakes are just a few items
on the menu. Off Vine is open for
breakfast, lunch and dinner and
continues to serve brunch on weekends.
6263
Leland
Way,
Hollywood, (323)962-1900.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
16 April 30, 2015
Senate passes ‘Doc Fix’ bill Bill protects seniors from referral agencies
to reinforce Medicare
U.S. Rep. Tony Cárdenas (DCalif.), a member of the subcommittee on health, of the U.S. House
Energy and Commerce Committee,
said he was pleased to see the passage of “Doc Fix” legislation
through the United States Senate on
a bipartisan basis.
“Thousands of
doctors will have
the certainty of
knowing that
Medicare will pay
them to make sure
that seniors in our
country stay
healthy.”
-U.S. Rep. Tony Cárdenas
(D-Calif.)
The Medicare Access and CHIP
Reauthorization Act of 2015 will
create certainty for patients, doctors
and the Medicare program, eliminating the Sustainable Growth Rate
(SGR) and standardizing the payment structure for Medicare doc-
tors, officials said.
The bill also reauthorized the
Children’s Health Insurance
Program (CHIP) until 2017 and
extends funding for Medicaid and
community health centers.
“Congress is at its best when
compromise and statesmanship
leads to legislation that helps the
American people,” Cárdenas said.
“This bill does exactly that.
Thousands of doctors will have the
certainty of knowing that Medicare
will pay them to make sure that
seniors in our country stay healthy.
That is all that has ever been asked
of this incredible program.”
“Finally, Congress has delivered.
I look forward to President
[Barack] Obama signing the bill
and moving this nation’s health care
sector forward.”
Los Angeles overall will see
$262 million in funding for the centers. Nearly 300 of the community
health centers are in place throughout Los Angeles County to serve
needy patients, officials added.
The bill will also allow Medicare
to continue providing assistance in
covering Medicare Part B premiums for low-income Medicare beneficiaries.
Reform comes to long-term care
Assembly Bill (AB) 332, a measure authored by Assemblyman Ian
Calderon (D-Whittier), which
would create the Long-Term Care
Insurance Task Force and find sustainable options for long-term care
insurance, passed the California
Assembly Aging and Long-Term
Care Committee with bipartisan
support.
“Every day, more than 10,000
Americans are turning 65,”
Calderon said.
“In California, the number of citizens 65 or older is projected to
increase to almost 9 million by
2030, or about 18 percent of the
expected population.”
Currently, California does not
have a sustainable option for
seniors and people with cognitive
or physical disabilities to obtain the
affordable long-term care services
they need, he added, and without
alternatives for people to obtain
long-term care, the aging middle
class must decide whether to spend
down their assets in order to qualify for Medi-Cal and safety net services or exhaust their personal
assets paying for private care services.
The recommendations of the
Long-Term Care Insurance Task
Force would focus on addressing
the needs of a growing senior population through long-term care
insurance and topics such as a
statewide insurance design for eligibility, enrollment, benefits,
financing, administration and interaction with Medi-Cal, and possible
coordination of benefits with existing private health care coverage.
Turning 65? Time for Medicare
“The trouble with retirement is
that you never get a day off”
— Abe Lemons
If you are turning 65, then you
are probably facing choices regarding health insurance.
Jokingly, you may have received
numerous health insurance enrollment kits that you placed in File 13.
You probably also received a
Medicare card, which is commonly
referred to as the red, white and
blue card.
This card entitles the recipient
(Medicare beneficiary) to hospital
and doctor office visits (Part A &
B).
The Medicare program is a
national health insurance benefit
for people age 65 or older (younger
people can qualify also due to being
disabled for 24 months or more).
Medicare didn’t always exist —
President Lyndon Johnson signed
the Medicare Bill into law on July
30, 1965.
Former President Harry Truman
became the first Medicare beneficiary.
The program has become
stronger over the years, and since
2006, has also included a separate
prescription drug benefit.
Despite the success of the
Medicare program, it still does not
cover 100 percent of health related
cost.
As a result, many beneficiaries
do not choose to use Medicare
alone.
Instead, they supplement their
benefit with a Medicare supplement
plan “medigap” policy or a separate
Medicare advantage plan.
These are wise decisions because
medical expenses that fall outside
of what Medicare covers can be a
financial nightmare, and surprisingly affordable options are available.
Contact a licensed insurance
agent to address your health insurance options. For more information, contact Solomon S. Moore,
MBA, at (323)404-1896 or visit
www.solomonSmoore.com
to
schedule a complimentary appointment.
-Solomon S. Moore
The California State Senate
Health Committee recently
approved Senate Bill 648,
authored by Senator Tony
Mendoza (D-Los Angeles), which
will protect seniors and their families from elder care referral agencies that engage in unscrupulous
business practices.
The legislation seeks to
strengthen licensing and financial
disclosure requirements.
As the population of aging
adults who need specialized medical care and support services has
grown, there has been an increase
in for-profit businesses that offer
referral assistance to seniors and
their families to find suitable long
term care housing options in
extended care, skilled nursing
homes, intermediate care facilities
and residential care facilities.
While the agencies often provide a valuable service, current
licensing requirements leave room
for abuse, according to Mendoza.
For example, some referral
agencies advertise their services as
free of charge.
However, they often contract
with care facilities and receive
commissions, incentives and
bonuses for each senior or family
placement.
The financial incentives are
largely undisclosed to the senior or
families being placed, and may
lead to a placement that may be
harmful to the patient.
“I want to ensure that seniors
and their families are not taken
advantage of by strengthening the
licensing and financial disclosure
requirements for referral agencies,” Mendoza said. “This will
help protect against referral agencies that engage in unscrupulous
business practices. My bill
requires a more transparent
process so that seniors will be able
to make a more informed decision
about what long term care options
are available.”
Under current law, only certain
referral agencies are required to be
licensed, and there are no requirements for ensuring that referrals
are made solely to licensed care
facilities.
Mendoza’s bill would ensure
that every placement agency meets
licensing requirements and financial disclosure requirements to
ensure that seniors are not being
referred to facilities that have lost
their license to operate in
California. In 2011, Washington
became the first state in the nation
to regulate elder placement referrals.
“The Consumer Federation of
California is sponsoring this bill to
give the elderly and their families
the information they need to make
good decisions in difficult times,”
said Richard Holober, executive
director of the Consumer
Federation of California.
“They have a right to know
whether a placement agency is
being paid to promote a facility,
whether from fees, commissions
or other considerations.”
The bill now goes to the Senate
Judiciary Committee for consideration.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
17 April 30, 2015
Musical couple honored
with ‘Nica’ award
photo by Don Saban
Mike Stoller and Corky Hale (center) were honored with the “Nica”
Lifetime Achievement Award at the California Jazz Foundation’s
annual fundraising gala titled “Give the Band a Hand” held on April
25 at the L.A. Hotel Downtown. Songwriting legend Stoller, and his
wife, pianist, harpist and singer Corky Hale, were honored “for their
significant far-reaching philanthropic work and astounding musical
output.”
Stoller and Hale were introduced by basketball Hall of Famer Elgin
Baylor (left) and his wife Elaine. They are pictured with actress Sally
Kellerman and vocalist Steve Tyrell, who performed at the gala. The
California Jazz Foundation is a nonprofit organization that assists
jazz musicians in financial or medical crisis. For
information, www.californiajazzfoundation.org.
Senate bill protects patients and
addresses nurse understaffing
Sen. Isadore Hall, III (D-South
Bay) has authored Senate Bill 779,
which would address understaffing
that he said currently places the
lives of nursing home residents at
risk.
The bill is supported by the
SEIU-United Long Term Care
Workers (ULTCW) union.
“CNAs are doing
the best they can
to provide the
highest quality
care patients
require.”
-Laphonza Butler,
president
SEIU-ULTCW
Data from the California
Association of Health Facilities
(CAHF) indicates that skilled nursing facilities are not meeting the
patient-to-staff ratio suggested by a
Congressional study on maintaining the highest physical, mental and
psychosocial well-being of each
resident.
According to CAHF, the average
nurse staffing ratio at skilled nursing facilities in California is 3.73
hours of care per resident day.
A Congressional study recommends 4.1 hours of care per resident day.
Such chronic understaffing of
positions such as certified nursing
assistants (CNAs) creates unsafe,
stressful living conditions, Hall
said.
“Skilled nursing facilities care
for the most important people in the
world — our family members and
those we love,” Hall added.
“I have seen first-hand that the
current staff-to-patient ratio for certified nursing assistants at many
skilled nursing facilities is insufficient to ensure the quality of care
we expect for our loved ones. The
health and safety of patients in a
skilled nursing facility must be a
top priority and we must do more to
ensure better care for them.”
“I am proud to author SB 779 to
improve patient care and modernize
staffing at skilled nursing facilities
to better meet the healthcare needs
of patients.”
CNAs are the first responders to
the needs of seniors and people
with disabilities in skilled nursing
facilities.
Because the facilities are understaffed, residents are at risk, according to Hall.
SB 779 would ensure that skilled
nursing facilities raise the standard
of care for residents and their workers by mandating a staff-to-patient
ratio that affords healthier, quality
care to residents, and allows CNAs
to successfully do their jobs.
“CNAs are doing the best they
can to provide the highest quality
care patients require, but the current
understaffing at nursing home facilities undermines those efforts,” said
Laphonza Butler, president of
SEIU-ULTCW.
“SB 779 would change that by
holding all facilities accountable to
the patient-staff ratios our parents,
grandparents and loved ones with
disabilities deserve.”
SB 779 was introduced in the
Senate Health Committee on April
29.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
18 April 30, 2015
New program helps seniors with dementia
Silverado
Memory
Care
Communities has launched a new
program titled NEXUS at
Silverado, which was created
specifically to help residents in the
early stages of dementia build and
maintain cognitive ability.
The program is based on evidence suggesting there may be
ways to delay the onset of dementia, or slow its progression.
All 30 Silverado Memory Care
Communities throughout the
United States, including Silverado
Beverly Place at 330 N. Hayworth
Ave. in Los Angeles, are offering
the 20-hour-a-week program.
Participants take part in activities
based on six brain-building components supported by recent research
studies.
They include purposeful social
activities, such as volunteering or
teaching a skill to others, which
have shown to modify the effect of
Alzheimer’s disease pathology,
possibly due to growth of an individual’s cognitive reserve of
healthy brain cells. Residents also
participate in physical activity such
as ping-pong, golf and walking,
which has been found to impact the
brain through improved executive
function, cognition and memory.
Another component is stress reduction, such as meditation or tai chi,
which have been shown to activate
the hippocampus — the part of the
brain where Alzheimer’s disease
starts.
Additionally, residents participate in cognitively stimulating
activities early in the course of
Alzheimer’s such as journaling and
word strategy games, which have
been associated with slower cognitive decline. Residents also benefit
from support groups, which are
conducted with multiple memoryimpaired residents at a time, which
may offer psychological benefits by
reducing depression and improving
self–esteem. Digital brain fitness is
also an important component and
involves the use of the Brain HQ
iPad app, which has shown a trend
toward memory improvement for
mild cognitive impairment patients.
Kim Butrum, Silverado’s senior
vice president of clinical services,
and Kathy Greene, vice president
of community operations, are lead-
photo courtesy of Silverado Memory Care Communities
Social activities, such as volunteering or teaching a skill to others, have
shown to modify the effect of Alzheimer’s disease pathology.
A good night’s rest goes a long way
A loss of sleep, or restless sleep,
can dramatically affect an individual’s appearance. The nervous system struggling to perform tasks can
cause lines of tension and strain on
the face. Irritability makes the
expressive muscles taut around the
eyes, nose and mouth.
When “sleep cheating” is habitual, the muscles become fixed from
tension, strain and irritability, and
the ugly lines become permanent.
One of the biggest causes of
sleeplessness is fear. The process of
falling asleep is like the dwindling
“conversation” of the body and the
mind talking to each other. When
the “conversation” stops, an individual is asleep. The mind can be
taught good behavior at bedtime.
Good bedtime habits such as taking a warm shower or bath, lying
down in a dark or semi-darkened
room, listening to music at low volumes and thinking pleasant
thoughts help induce sleep.
The body also has excellent
built-in ways to relax.
The best one is yawning by taking a deep breath that expands the
rib cage, and then expelling the air.
At the end of a yawn, all the muscles of the torso release, which is
the beginning of the body’s normal
relaxing sequence. The impulse to
yawn and stretch is very infectious.
After a short time, all you have to
do is think of the words, and you
will find yourself yawning.
When muscles are tense, they
continue to send messages to your
brain.
Try the swing and sway method
if you are having difficulty with
relaxing.
Stand with your feet apart and
hands hanging by your sides, and
swing your body easily from side to
side approximately 25 times. The
exercise can ease your body into a
comfortable sleep.
Don’t be a slave to anxieties at
bedtime. Remember the motto of
Scarlet O’Hara from “Gone With
The Wind” — when a troubling
thought came to her, she would say,
“Oh! I’ll worry about that tomorrow”.
Betty Guy-Wills is a columnist,
author, beauty and fashion consultant, and motivational speaker specializing in anti-aging. She can be
contacted by sending a self
addressed, stamped envelope to
P.O. Box 10713, Beverly Hills, CA
90213, or email [email protected].
ing the development of NEXUS at
Silverado.
Butrum brought 30 years of
experience when she joined
Silverado in 2014, including clinical expertise in serving individuals
with neurodegenerative disorders
and a strong background in
Alzheimer’s
and
dementia
research.
Greene, a master’s-level social
worker, has more than 20 years of
experience in skilled nursing and
assisted living, and has been instrumental in the development and
implementation of social programs
at Silverado.
“To provide world-class memory
care, we regularly refine our programs based on two things: observations made within communities
and the latest research studies,”
Butrum said. “NEXUS at Silverado
is exciting because it combines
nearly 18 years of observations
we’ve made in our communities —
all of which are exclusively memory care — with cutting-edge studies
from our nation’s top research insti-
photo courtesy of Silverado Memory Care Communities
Silverado Beverly Place at 330 N. Hayworth Ave. offers a 20-hour-aweek program to delay the onset of dementia, and slow its progression.
tutes.”
Although NEXUS was designed
to enhance the lives of residents
with early-stage dementia, it consists of healthy habits and brainbuilding components that are bene-
ficial for everyone.
For information about Silverado
Beverly Place and the NEXUS at
Silverado program, call (323)8529200,
or
visit
www.silveradocare.com/nexus.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
19 April 30, 2015
‘Avengers 2’ is calculated, but still epic fun
Frankly, it doesn’t matter if
“Avengers: Age of Ultron” is
worthwhile or not — it will still
smash box office records we never
knew existed. Already blasting past
$200 million abroad, the pieces are
set for Disney to earn more money
than some small nations will see in
a year.
I don’t wish to sound negative,
but with a budget near $280 million, this is a titan as mad as
Thanos, the soon-to-be villain of
the third and fourth “Avengers”
flicks (he was that hovering purplish dude in “Guardians of the
Galaxy”). But astonishing visual
effects and lavish shooting locales
sans humor, purpose and cohesion
is the realm of director Michael
Bay, not a god-man like Joss
Whedon (“Buffy the Vampire
Slayer”, “Firefly”, “Dr. Horrible’s
Sing-Along Blog”). And that’s why
Marvel Studios entrusted the fanboy director with so much money.
He respects the material and
employs a small army of tools that
lend themselves quite well to superheroes on the big screen. Wit, visual style, political depth — Whedon
is life. Sure, it didn’t hurt that his
first installment was a hulking success, hammering out some $1.5 billion worldwide.
“Avengers 2” can only rocket in
terms of story, action and number
of characters. The rules of escalation demand it, and that it does. In
2012, I worried Whedon might not
be able to juggle so many characters on screen, equally honoring
their importance. But he assembled
his team magically. I’m happy to
report similar success in a film that
introduces three new heroes, adds a
couple already introduced in other
films, features two new villains and
sets up a third for another film.
Somehow, it never feels overwhelming.
If you binge watch TV, you know
how complicated plotlines can get.
“Avengers 2” harnesses storytelling
for the initiated. Remember
“Lost”? Love it or hate it, if you
didn’t start from the beginning,
you’d never understand why people
kept saying, “4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42.”
You can easily survive “Age of
Ultron” without help, but it’s so
much more satisfying if you
embrace the entire Marvel
Cinematic Universe. I’m talking
everything, from the 11 films and
five one-shots to its three television
series (“Daredevil”, which premiered in early April, will change
your life; it’s that good).
Not everything in the Marvel
Cinematic Universe is incredible,
just as “Avengers 2” isn’t the
mightiest contribution, but it’s fun,
and the big wigs at Marvel are starting to realize the potential for diversity if they let filmmakers branch
out from their tried-and-true formula. But round 2 for the Earth’s
mightiest heroes isn’t as groundbreaking as “The Avengers”,
“Captain America 2” or “Guardians
of the Galaxy”, all of which opened
new doors for the franchise. But it
is an incredibly satisfying thanks to
spectacular performances, uncanny
visuals and ant-sized jokes you’ll
miss if you don’t pay attention,
though I must admit mild disappointment with the lack of humor
overall.
An artificial intelligence hellbent
on annihilating humanity is hardly
original, but James Spader’s voice
acting chops bring this CGI-made
robot to life. His humor is very
unexpected. And while the poor
(German?) accents of the twins
Quicksilver
(Aaron
TaylorJohnson) and the Scarlet Witch
(Elizabeth Olsen) might suspend
your suspension of disbelief,
there’s plenty of banter between
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Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and
Captain America (Chris Evans).
Then there are the more complex
roles for Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner)
and Black Widow (Scarlet
Johannson) this time around.
Meanwhile, Hulk (Mark Ruffalo)
and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) contemplate their roles on the team,
and if they should be elsewhere.
Don’t forget about Nick Fury
(Samuel L. Jackson). He’s around,
but just as inconsequential as his
former S.H.I.E.L.D. subordinate,
Marie Hill (Cobie Smolders), who
now works for Iron Man/Tony
Stark at Avengers Tower in New
York (you’d know that if you
watched “Cap 2” and “Agents of
S.H.I.E.L.D.”).
In many ways, “Age of Ultron”
is a transition film. Some team
members will not return. But that’s
how the comics function. The name
remains, but the players come and
photo courtesy of Marvel Studios
The Avengers assemble in the latest Marvel blockbuster, “Avengers: Age
of Ultron”.
go. It’s a wonderful strategy to keep
a film property alive, just as
“Doctor Who’s” physical regeneration ability allows a show to keep
going for more than 50 years.
I’ve attempted to be blunt and
speak plainly about Marvel’s
money-grabbing power. But that
doesn’t mean I don’t find pleasure
in these films. I adore them, and
“Avengers 2” is hardly an exception. It’s not amazing, but it’s topfive material. Marvel might be
drunk on its own power. After all, it
did successfully release a film featuring a tree and raccoon in leading
roles.
I just don’t see why that’s a problem. French Marxist Louis
Althusser believed the greatest
freedom we all have is the freedom
to choose to whom we give our
freedom. I accept Marvel for what
it is: a capitalist entity that cannot
thrive without my money. I accept
my role as a member of the hive,
and give the Avengers my freedom
willingly. Hail Hydra!
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
20 April 30, 2015
Council weighs in on Greek Theatre plan
From page 1
Nederlander Concerts currently
operates the Greek Theatre, located
at 2700 Vermont Ave., and has done
so for decades. Its contract with the
city expires on Oct. 31.
The RAP commission initially
chose Live Nation last October
over a joint bid by Nederlander and
AEG, but public outcry led to the
city council vetoing the decision in
February. With the end of the
Nederlander contract looming in
October, RAP staff recommended
the city operate the venue itself as
an open venue, similar to how Red
Rocks Amphitheatre is run in
Denver, Colo.
Shull said that by cutting out the
professional venue operator, the
estimated profit to the city in 2016
could total approximately $3 million for 50 events and $4.8 million
for 70 events. Some of the profit
would be put into a capital
improvements fund for maintenance and needed renovations.
“I think this is problematic and
somewhat precedent setting in
how a department interacts with
the council,” Koretz said, while
also noting his respect for RAP
staff. “This is just a move that has
me scratching my head.”
When the city council denied the
RAP commission’s decision, it had
requested that RAP tweak its RFP
process and conduct more public
outreach.
Shull said it was not RAP’s
intention to be disrespectful to the
wishes of the council.
“This has been a complicated
matter, not just for the last few
years, but almost the entire history
of [Nederlander’s] contract,” he
said. “There was no way to salvage
anything from that RFP. We had no
choice but to throw it out.”
Since the open venue model was
proposed, Shull said NederlanderAEG and Live Nation have offered
unsolicited bids for the next year
of operation. The NederlanderAEG bid would guarantee the city
$3.5 million and the Live Nation
bid would guarantee the city $5
million.
“It’s not in our best interest to
contract that way,” Shull said.
“That just shows this asset has a lot
of worth, if they’re willing to just
throw that much money at it.”
Shull said the risk would be
“minimal” for the RAP department
to run the Greek Theatre as an
open venue, and it would hire professionals to manage the property.
“This would not be operated by
city staff,” Shull said. “That is not
our intent.”
Shull said, for example, that
there would likely be no difference
in the parking system at the Greek
Theatre under the open venue
model.
“The difference is we would
maintain a majority of those
funds,” he said.
Shull added that this move,
which has been proposed for a
two-year period, still sets the stage
for another RFP process — nothing is being “locked in” long term.
Councilman Mitch O’Farrell,
13th District, who is chair of the
arts, parks, health, aging and river
committee, said he was open to the
new model, but he said it should be
preceded by more public conversation.
“I think it is really important to
listen carefully as to what the community has to say about this,” he
said.
Before the presentation, residents and neighborhood council
representatives decried the open
venue strategy.
“Now, failing to engage the
local communities, the department
is recommending that they operate
the venue,” said Jay Handal, cochair of the Los Angeles Budget
Advocates. “The city does not
‘Paris Photo LA’ exhibit opens
Leica, the iconic camera company, is presenting a weekend-long
exhibition, “Paris Photo LA” May 1
through May 3 at Paramount
Pictures.
Some of the featured photography will include exhibits by
Francois Fontaine and David Alan
Harvey and scultupres of historic
Leica cameras by Daniel Arsham.
Fontaine’s exhibit, “Silenzio!”
will be an homage to cinema. The
series is an introspection on what
the memory of cinema is, but also
on its future.
“Within each individual fixed
shot, I tried to find an element, a particular moment that might trigger an
emotion in the viewer,” Fontaine
said. “That creates hypnotic, at
times sensual images that are not
without certain nostalgia, a melancholy. That’s what strikes people, I
think. Everyone can find their own
Proustian Madeleine in them.”
There will be a book signing at
the Leica booth with Fontaine
Friday, May 1 at 4:30 p.m. To view
Fontaine’s photography, visit
www.francoisfontaine.com.
David Alan Harvey, a Magnum
photographer, will present his
“Beach Games.”
“It’s Sunday and all beach games
are full on,” Harvey said. “Yet Rio is
more than a beach. An eclectic cultural mix flows to the beaches here
and the beach is a literal melting pot.
Democratic. Anybody can go to any
beach. So you see a slice of the
whole demographic in one place.”
To celebrate fine art beyond photography, Leica will also feature
selected works of American artist
Daniel Arsham. Arsham’s sculptures of Leica’s most historic camera models, such as the Leica III
from the late 1930s, Leica CL,
Digilux 2, M3 and M8 models are
cast in geological materials such as
obsidian, crystal and volcanic ash
—all reimagined as relics of a time
past.
Guests also have a chance to win
a copy of the “Eyes Wide Open!100 Years of Leica” photobook each
day during “Paris Photo LA”. A
guest photographer will pick his
favorite photo shared on Instagram
to determine who the lucky winners
will be.
To enter for a chance to win one
of the daily prizes, guests must take
a photo during “Paris Photo LA” on
your smart phone, upload the photo
to your Instagram account, tag it
with #ParisPhotoLA #LeicaEyesWideOpen and share it before
Sunday, May 3 at 6 p.m.
The announcement will be made
on
Leica’s
Instagram
(@Leica_Camera) and Twitter
accounts (@leica_camera and
@LeicaGalleryLA). Prize delivery
information will be provided to winners after the contest has ended.
Paramount Pictures is located at
5555 Melrose Ave. For information,
visit
www.parisphoto.com/losangeles.
have a good track record in operating such venues.”
“We are still opposed and we
would like to see a two-year extension of the current operator contract so that we can go to our
respective corners and calm down
and take a breather and plan this
better,” said Barbara Ferris, board
member of the Los Feliz
Improvement Association.
Ellen Berkowitz, vice president
of the Greek Theatre Advisory
Committee, said she was disappointed in the department’s decision.
“Astonishingly, the department
never sought our input on whether
we thought operation of the Greek
by the department itself was a
good idea,” she said. “We were
never consulted at all.”
The city council did have the
option by Wednesday to invoke
Charter 245, which could override
and possibly veto the RAP commission’s decision, but no member
ultimately decided to invoke it.
During the Tuesday presentation, Koretz said he didn’t under-
photo by Jonathan Van Dyke
Jay Handal, co-chair of Los Angeles Budget Advocates, spoke outside
city hall against the open venue model for the Greek Theatre.
stand why the RAP department
couldn’t move more quickly on a
new RFP, noting “you had two
state of the art proposals” and the
scoring process just needed to be
ironed out. Shull said a new RFP
process would take between 12
and 18 months.
“Please, just do this temporarily
and move forward with an RFP
and pick one great company or
another,” Koretz said.
LaBonge, who will be termed
out before the issue is settled,
requested that the city administrative officer (CAO) report back to
city council in August in regards to
the continued open venue effort.
“I cannot leave my community
unguarded by not having another
eye looking over your shoulder on
this,” he said. “It is a giant step you
are taking and I want to make sure
nobody trips and falls.”
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
21 April 30, 2015
Mayor Horvath outlines ambitious goals
From page 1
parency, it feels like there might be
ulterior motives or things going on
that people in the community don’t
know about,” she said. “But what is
really happening is a lack of transparency.”
Horvath said she hopes to use her
platform as mayor to shed light on
city hall and its inner workings, and
also engage disenfranchised voters
who did not go to the polls in
March, particularly her own generation. Horvath is 32.
“I want to make it very relatable
and accessible,” she said. “I think it
will change the way people see that
seat. And then maybe it will change
the way they see government, and
maybe they’ll even want to get
involved with it.”
She has spearheaded the creation
of a 21st Century Leaders Task
Force as a way for West Hollywood
city government to engage younger
people and cull diverse opinions.
“That [engagement] could
change West Hollywood’s future in
a significant way,” she added.
Horvath is originally from Ohio,
and she said her small-town,
Catholic upbringing had a big influence.
“I came from a very small town
— you kind of saw everyone you
knew at church every Sunday,” she
said. “So I think in some way it
really helped shape my sense of
community and how people were
looking out for each other. At the
end of the day, that’s what I love
most about West Hollywood.
People generally care about each
other here as people first.”
Her family moved to Las Vegas
when she was 15, and then she
went to the University of Notre
Dame as a political science and
gender studies double major.
“I think it’s always been in my
heart to be of service,” Horvath
said. “I was born and raised
Catholic and I’d like to think I got
the good parts of the church.”
Horvath said her passion for
advocacy really took off during her
time at Notre Dame, specifically
with her involvement with a campus production of “The Vagina
Monologues”.
“It really kind of set my activism
afire,” Horvath said. “It really
helped me learn how to challenge
systems and have appropriate conversations about things that were
really important.”
Shortly after graduating, Horvath
moved to Southern California.
Although she has dabbled in several different fields — including
working for John Kerry’s grassroots presidential campaign —
Horvath has primarily worked in
creative advertising.
In 2004, it was “The Vagina
Monologues” that connected her to
West Hollywood — that year West
Hollywood Mayor Abbe Land was
“I am excited to
work with my
colleagues to
build a community
and bring people
together.”
-West Hollywood Mayor
Lindsey Horvath
involved in the production.
“I had come from a place where
I was almost kicked out of school
for
doing
‘The
Vagina
Monologues’, and now I had
moved to a place where the actual
mayor was going to be doing it,”
Horvath said.
Horvath became a member of the
West
Hollywood
Women’s
Advisory Board. Her local profile
and resumé became impressive
enough that she was appointed to
the West Hollywood City Council
in 2009 after the death of
Councilman Sal Guarriello, but she
failed to win election in 2011.
“I understood that people were
upset about not having the ability to
vote for the person who served in
that seat,” she said. “When I didn’t
win my election, it was a really
tough experience and I learned a lot
from it. But it didn’t discourage me
from wanting to be of service and I
continued to care about my community and wanted to be involved.”
She joined the city’s transportation commission.
“[It] seemed like the best place to
do the most work in the city,” she
said. “For the people who didn’t
know me well or feel comfortable
voting for me, it wasn’t because
they hated me, it was because they
didn’t know me.”
In the March election, Horvath
received the third most votes
(2,133), just three votes behind
Mayor Pro Tempore Lauren
Meister.
Councilman
John
D’Amico received the most votes,
and the election saw the defeat of
John Heilman, who had served on
the council since the city’s inception.
“I do think it means people are
open to change, and they will see
that with the council we have,”
Horvath said. “But they also voted
for something that was a little
familiar.”
The council, along with
Horvath, has been working to
regain the public’s trust.
“I think the past few election
cycles have created some divisions
in the community that aren’t
healthy,” Horvath said. “I think
disagreement is healthy and sharing different points of view is
healthy, but I’m not sure the ways
that’s been done are entirely
healthy. I am excited to work with
my colleagues to build a community and bring people together.”
D’Amico and Horvath introduced a motion to create an ethics
task force to address some of those
public concerns.
“It felt like it is an effort that was
long overdue,” she said. “When
you do it right, people trust their
government more. And when they
trust their government more, they
might get more involved.”
Horvath said she plans to push
alternative modes of transportation
during her tenure, and she has
already begun talking with county
officials about how the Metro subway system can stretch to West
Hollywood someday. She said it is
also important to build relationships with neighboring cities such
as Beverly Hills and Century City
to help work on transportation
issues and strategize how those
cities can work together to move
traffic. She also plans to support a
bicycle share program, new pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and
other innovative programs like the
Pick-Up shuttle.
To deal with parking, Horvath
added that the city should examine
incentivizing private businesses to
open public parking spaces during
off-hours, and other creative re-use
ideas.
Horvath said it is important to
steer West Hollywood in the direction of sustainability, both environmentally and in regards to allowing
residents “to age in place.”
“As people continue to get older,
how are we supporting them?”
Horvath said. “What kind of support do they need and where can
they go?”
In regards to development,
Horvath said she would continue to
push for affordable housing, but
acknowledged the need for balance.
“People don’t want to feel as
though every area of the city at all
times is under development, but we
do need to find places where we
can create viable options for people
to affordably live in our city, otherwise we will lose the people who
make this city great,” she said,
adding that part of accomplishing
that goal is creating easier access to
alternative modes of transportation.
Horvath said West Hollywood is
an exciting city because it is small
enough for creative ideas to take
hold, and she plans on the city
making news.
“There is a lot that can be done
because we are such a small city,”
Horvath said, added that she would
be reaching out to residents with a
special Sunday neighborhood walk
program. “I don’t want the points
of engagement [with city government] to be only every four years.”
Zoo offers a chance to adopt for Mother’s Day
The Los Angeles Zoo is offering
a unique gift idea for Mother’s Day
encompassing two opportunities in
one: ADOPT-ing an L.A. Zoo animal in your mother’s name while
also helping to save endangered
species.
With all the zoo’s adorable new
babies born recently, animal
ADOPT-ers have the option to
choose a mother animal or simply
your mother’s favorite animal.
Priced at $60, the Mother’s Day
package includes a personalized
certificate, a photo-factsheet, a window decal and a 4-inch-by-6-inch
magnet framed photo of the animal
taken by one of the zoo’s awardwinning photographers. The
ADOPT program, which stands for
“Animals Depend On People,
Too”, is a personal way to help the
Los Angeles Zoo in its wildlife
conservation efforts. Funds from
the program help the Los Angeles
Zoo participate in more than 40
international conservation programs that help endangered species
thrive in the wild and build populations in captivity to hedge against
extinction.
Additional one-of-a-kind benefits are available at higher levels,
which range from $35 to $1,000.
ADOPT-ing an animal is tax
deductible. The Los Angeles Zoo
and Botanical Gardens is home to a
diverse collection of 1,100 animals
representing 250 different species.
For information, call (323) 64460, or visit www.lazoo.org/support/adopt or 5.
City program seeks to
sustain biodiversity
photo courtesy of the 5th District Council Office
To celebrate Earth Day, City Councilman Paul Koretz, 5th District,
was joined by representatives from the Urban Wildlands Group, the
Nature Conservancy, the Council for Watershed Health, the Natural
History Museum, the Audubon Society, the Natural Resources
Defense Council and others to launch a year-long effort in partnership
with Mayor Eric Garcetti’s sustainability team to assess the biodiversity in the Los Angeles region and institute a biodiversity program to
protect threatened species.
According to officials, Los Angeles lies within the California
Floristic Province, which is globally recognized as one of 35 biodiversity hotspots on the planet and the only hotspot in the continental
United States. Koretz added that the initiative was important because
the city provides habitat for a range of native vegetation including
chaparral, coastal sage scrub, vernal pools and coastal marshes, along
with native wildlife including hundreds of resident and migratory bird
species.
Conservation efforts continue
From page 3
are intended to improve the city’s
ability respond to the state’s continuing and severe drought,
according to DWP.
“However, we know that DWP
customers are doing their part to
reduce water use. Since our water
conservation ordinance was implemented — and never lifted since
— in 2007, Los Angeles’s water
reduction is at 22 percent,”
Figueroa said.
But some Los Angeles residents
don’t think DWP’s proposed
amendments to Phase 3 are good
enough.
Mid-Wilshire resident and small
business owner, Cindy Ramsey,
believes water conservation efforts
are focusing too much on individuals and not enough on corporations and the agricultural industry.
“It’s an imbalance. The majority
of water usage is not residential.
It’s something like 20 percent, and
agricultural is 80 percent. It doesn’t make sense to go after the little
guys, like small businesses and
residents,” Ramsey said.
DWP’s efforts to reduce water
usage are a smoke screen, according to Ramsey.
“They just want to go and say,
‘See, we’re making a difference,’
but we’re in tons of trouble,”
Ramsey said.
Originally from Fresno, Ramsey
said she regularly visits East
Porterville, approximately 70
miles south of Fresno, where wells
have dried up and residents are
almost completely out of water,
relying on charity to obtain drinking water, according to reports.
East Porterville has a population
of approximately 7,000, and has
been the focus of several news
reports in which hundreds of residents have complained about not
having access to running water.
“We’re going to have to take a
serious look at agriculture. We
have to see which are the most
important crops, and sustain those.
We’re going to have to cut down
the overuse of water. Yes, every little bit helps. But by focusing on all
those little bits, and on the little
people, it’s not enough,” Ramsey
said.
According to University of
Southern California associate professor Sarah Feakins, in the department of Earth sciences, in addition
to restricting water usage for city
residents, monitoring agricultural
water usage is important.
“Cities can make a priority to fix
leaks, and to consider where nonessential water uses can be cut.
Agriculture is important for growing our food for California, the
nation and the world, but we can
do better: monitoring agricultural
water use, improving irrigation
systems and growing low water
crops — there is a lot of room for
improvement,” Feakins said.
People in the city have to
remember that rural communities
are without water due to dried-up
wells, according to Feakins.
Additionally, Feakins conducted
research on the history of climate
in California, which has revealed
data that shows droughts lasting
decades, and up to hundreds of
years.
“Knowing this, we might be
more inclined to reduce our personal water consumption on nonessential water uses,” she said.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
22 April 30, 2015
Candidates discuss issues in Los Feliz
From page 1
said. “The study is being done and I
want to find out what it says.”
Ramsay said she didn’t need to
wait.
“I do not support opening Mount
Hollywood Drive for parking,
period,” she said.
The candidates presented similar views regarding issues involving the Greek Theatre and who
will run it in the future. Currently,
Nederlander Concerts is running
the venue, and has done so for several decades, but the Los Angeles
Department of Recreation and
Parks is moving forward with a
plan to run the site itself as an open
venue.
“I’m very concerned about the
current status of the Greek
Theatre,” Ryu said, adding that he
would
support
extending
Nederlander for one more year
while the department figures out
an updated request for proposal
(RFP) process. “If we truly want to
say the community input means
more, then we make sure the
[RFP] scoring [emphasizes it
more].”
Ramsay said the issue boils
down to traffic, noise and safety
issues. She touted her time at
protests and at city hall, working
on behalf the community.
“I stood with this community in
city hall for Nederlander,” she
said.
Candidates expressed a variety
of ideas regarding how parking
could be improved in the area.
Ramsay said she would work to
add more parking spaces and
extend parking hours at meters in
Los Feliz Village to two hours. She
added that the city or county
should invest in a transportation
system that could move people
from the Hollywood Hills to the
Metro station, whether that be a
bus — “or even a rickshaw” —
which would encourage those residents to leave their cars at home.
Ryu said the underlying problems with the area’s parking and
traffic stem from improper city
planning.
“People don’t see a bike rack
and say, ‘I’m going to sell my
car’,” he said, alluding to the fact
that large developments have
received parking exemptions that
allow them to swap parking spots
for bicycle racks. Ryu also proposed the possibility of the city
creating a universal charge card
that could be used on buses, for
bicycle share program kiosks and
parking meters.
Ramsay said she would work
with neighboring cities and the
department of transportation to
move traffic off main streets and
onto the Hollywood (101)
Freeway, redirecting traffic with
signage where necessary.
Ryu’s pledge to refuse developer
money came up again at the Los
Feliz debate. He said he didn’t
want it to be thought of as a gimmick, so the pledge has been made
for his entire time in city council,
if elected.
“This is a gimmick, I’m glad
David called it out as such,”
Ramsay countered, adding that she
has pledged to be as transparent as
possible during her term, including
on developer money and district
discretionary funds.
Ryu countered that he is glad
Ramsay is following his lead in
regards to transparency and discretionary funds, but he vowed to go
a step further by creating a community task force to advise him on
how to use the money.
Ryu said he would examine
ways in which the city could
streamline multiple infrastructure
projects at the same time.
“I’m so happy my opponent has
endorsed my ‘dig once’ philosophy,” Ramsay said, alluding to her
policy that the city should combine
infrastructure and environmental
efforts whenever possible.
Ryu countered that the “dig
once” philosophy was not new,
adding that he and other candidates in the primary had mentioned similar ideas.
Both candidates put forth creative solutions to the city’s homeless problems.
Ramsay spoke of adaptive reuse
projects as a solution, such as converting old and vacant hotels into
homeless housing.
“These are the creative solutions
we need going forward,” she said,
adding that she has experience
negotiating with the county and
community to find the right
answers.
Ryu said it is important to
increase police training in regards
to the homeless, perhaps creating a
mandatory class in the police academy. He also called for an increase
in Smart Teams — pairing police
officers and mental health professionals to go into the community,
find homeless individuals and connect them with the proper services.
Ryu said he plans to be just as
energetic as LaBonge, but with
more follow through and with an
outsider’s perspective.
“I’ll meet with you once, twice,
three times and again and again
until we get it right,” he said. “We
need a systematic approach, and
even if I don’t see it, I still want to
make sure it’s picked up.”
Ramsay said her community
connections from years of service
would be an asset, adding that
almost everyone already has her
cellphone number.
“It’s a partnership, that’s the
way I’ve always operated,” she
added.
Panel to focus on ‘troubled teen’ centers
From page 1
Los Angeles LGBT Center director
of public policy.
Garcia and his policy team at the
center have been working to have
state legislation passed to regulate
these treatment facilities.
“What we found in the state of
California is that all these centers
have to do [to operate legally] is to
file a private school affidavit. All
that means is that they are telling
the state that they are teaching
these young people a curriculum
… and that’s all they need,” Garcia
said.
The centers are private, and
often religious institutions to
which parents are paying up to
$45,000 to send their children,
Garcia said.
Senate Bill 524 (SB 524), which
was introduced by Sen. Ricardo
Lara (D-Bell Gardens) on Feb. 26,
Answers From Page 11
would put the California
Department of Social Services in
charge of overseeing all private
treatment centers, mandating that
the centers be licensed by the state
and that programs be accredited by
an approved organization.
“[Wernsman] was taken to one
of these institutions. Sadly, he was
taken to these so-called ‘troubled
teen institutions’ simply because
he was gay. He was taken simply
because of his sexual orientation,”
Garcia said.
After Garcia and his team
researched gay conversion therapy
centers, they discovered that there
were approximately 12 centers in
the state.
“We started to hear stories, horrific stories. One young man talked
about being rolled up in a carpet and
only given water. He was there for
weeks at a time. It was horrific,”
Rock ‘n’ roll icon recognized
with star on Walk of Fame
photo by Jonathan Van Dyke
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce last Thursday honored prolific singer, songwriter and producer Jeff Lynne with the 2,548th star
on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located near 1750 N. Vine St. in
front of the iconic Capitol Records building where the stars of Lynne’s
friends and co-musicians, The Beatles and Roy Orbison are cemented.
Tom Petty (left) and Joe Walsh helped emcee the event with
Hollywood Chamber president and CEO Leron Gubler.
Born and raised in Shard End, Birmingham, England, Lynne has
been making music for almost four decades. He came to prominence
as the leader and creative force of Electric Light Orchestra — better
known by its initials, ELO. He has also collaborated with such contemporaries as Petty and Walsh, and resurfaced as a performer in 1988,
when he became a member of the Traveling Wilburys together with
Harrison, Orbison, Petty and Bob Dylan.
Garcia said.
Hobbs said that although she is
optimistic that SB 524 will be
approved, she hopes for federal legislation.
“This is a [national] problem, so
California is just one place across
the United States. We want to make
sure that children are protected not
just in California, but elsewhere
too,” she said.
U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.)
will be introducing a bill in midMay that would, in many ways,
complement Lara’s bill, by providing minimum federal standards for
behavioral treatment facilities.
“You can have a center in one
state, and then it closes down and
pops up in another one, so we hope
to bring about some uniformity
with a minimum of standards, prohibiting abuse and regulating conduct in these facilities, as well as
enforcing a reporting mechanism
so that these places are held
accountable,” Schiff said.
The center’s May 7 event will
take place at The Village at Ed
Gould Plaza at 1125 N. McCadden
Place. Admission is free, but reservations are recommended. For
reservations, call (323)860-7300 or
visit lalgbtcenter.org/theatre.
23 April 30, 2015
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
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