3/12/2015 - Beverly Press

Transcription

WWW.BEVERLYPRESS.COM
INSIDE
• Commission looks
at running Greek
Theatre. pg. 3
Sunny and
warm into the
weekend
Volume 25 No. 11
• McKenna outlines
plans. pg. 3
Serving the West Hollywood, Hancock Park and Wilshire Communities
March 12, 2015
WeHo leader off council Yamashiro receives top honor
for first time in 30 years
n Hilltop property
up for sale
n Heilman files to run in upcoming special election
By jonathan van dyke
After 30 years, West Hollywood
Mayor Pro Tempore John Heilman
will no longer be on the city council — but for how long remains to
be seen.
Provisional votes and vote-bymail ballots handed in at the polls
were counted through Friday last
week, and Heilman did not catch up
to candidate Lindsey Horvath in the
West Hollywood city council election.
Mayor John D’Amico received
the most votes (2,309), followed by
candidate Lauren Meister (2,136),
Horvath (2,133), Heilman (2,065),
candidate Joseph Guardarrama
(1,878) and candidate Larry Block
(1,032). The top three will be sworn
in at the March 16 city council
meeting.
The seat previously held by current Los Angeles County Assessor
Jeffrey Prang will be determined in
a special election on June 2. Last
Friday, Heilman decided to file
papers to run.
“I assumed
going into the
election on
Tuesday that it
would be my
last campaign
for any elected
office,” Heilman said. “I
John Heilman
even said on
Tuesday that I wasn’t going to run
again. But I got calls from so many
people asking me to do it and
encouraging me to do it. I changed
my mind based on all those calls
and all those emails. There were
people who were very worried
about the future of this city and felt
I had a good chance of getting
elected if I ran in June. I was still
torn even into Friday morning.”
When it was clear the provisional ballots weren’t going to result in
Heilman’s reelection, he said filing
the special election papers —
which require the signatures of at
least 20 registered city voters —
happened in a whirlwind.
See Heilman page 20
In a gesture last Thursday from
the city of Los Angeles,
Councilman Tom LaBonge, 4th
District, unveiled a commemorative sign honoring the historic
Yamashiro Hollywood restaurant.
The property, located at 1999 N.
Sycamore Ave., sits high above
Hollywood, offering views of the
Hollywood Sign, downtown and
the Griffith Observatory. The sign
read “Mt. Yamashiro” and cited
the restaurant’s elevation at 605
feet above sea level.
“It’s always a beautiful day
when you are at Yamashiro here in
photo by Jonathan Van Dyke
Hollywood,” LaBonge said. Councilman Tom LaBonge was joined by cultural leaders and the own“What an historic restaurant and ers of Yamashiro Hollywood for an unveiling of a sign designating the
location. There are certain places
property as Mt. Yamashiro.
that should be recognized. When
you read signs you get in touch
with community. There is so much — Yamashiro is up for sale.
other family members, many who
history here at Yamashiro.”
Glover’s father, Thomas O. live outside of the area, have
Last year, Yamashiro represen- Glover, who is now deceased, decided it is time to sell.
tatives celebrated the property’s bought the property in 1948. The
“As it stands now, there has
100-year
anniversary. property is currently under control been a buyer decided on, but it has
Owner/manager Tom Glover said of the extended Glover family not been finalized,” Glover said,
it has been an honor to oversee the through an LLC. Tom Glover noting he expects the process to
historic property, but the recent owns the largest share of the LLC conclude in the next couple of
celebrations have been bittersweet but not a majority, he said, and
See Yamashiro page 22
Pending sale of hospital chain falls apart
n Future of St. Vincent
Medical Center
remains uncertain
By Luis Rivas
The deal to purchase a financially struggling California hospital
system fell apart Tuesday when
Prime Healthcare Services declined
to go through with its bid.
California Atty. Gen. Kamala
Harris approved Prime Healthcare
Services’ purchase of the Daughters
of Charity Health System’s
(DCHS) six hospitals on Feb. 20,
but placed several conditions on the
purchase. The conditions included
keeping the majority of the six hospitals open for 10 years, continuing
to provide essential health care services, including reproductive health
care services, continuing community benefits and charity care and
securing pension agreements for
thousands of active and retired hospital workers.
Upon hearing of Harris’ conditional approval, DCHS — owner of
St. Vincent and St. Francis medical
centers in Los Angeles County —
has said the conditions put forth by
the attorney general were “challenging.”
Wesson endorses Ramsay;
votes still being tallied
Los Angeles City Council
President Herb Wesson, 10th
District, endorsed presumptive
4th District City Council primary
election winner Carolyn Ramsay
on Monday.
Wesson lauded Ramsay’s experience as the chief of staff to current Councilman Tom LaBonge,
which he said will allow her to
serve on day one when she is
elected.
“I believe, without pause, that
she is the best qualified candidate,” Wesson said.
Wesson and Ramsay met with
supporters in the Wilshire Park
neighborhood, an area that used
to be within the 10th District
boundaries but is now in the 4th
District following redistricting.
See Wesson page 22
photo by Luis Rivas
St. Vincent Medical Center is one of two Los Angeles County hospitals
that were part of the Prime Healthcare Services deal.
Prime Healthcare Services, in a
statement, said the conditions were
“the most extensive and overreaching conditions in history.”
“Unfortunately, the conditions
placed on the sale by the California
attorney general are so burdensome
and restrictive that it would be
impossible for Prime Healthcare —
or any buyer — to make the
changes needed to operate and save
these hospitals,” said Dr. Prem
Reddy, founder and chairman of
Prime Healthcare.
Prime Healthcare Services’ initial $843 million bid included a
commitment to keep all six DCHS
hospitals open for a minimum of
five years, maintain pensions of
17,000 current and former employees, maintain or increase charity
care and invest more than $150 million in capital improvements. But
See Sale page 21
City Council President Herb Wesson publicly endorsed CD4 candidate Carolyn Ramsay (second from right) on Monday.
Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
2 March 12, 2015
Calendar
12 Alliance for
Children’s Rights
J
oin the Alliance for Children’s
Rights for its 23rd annual
fundraising dinner on Thursday,
March 12 beginning at 7:30 p.m. at
the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Political
activist Yasmine Delawari Johnson
and Matthew Johnson, managing
partner at Ziffren Brittenham LLP,
will receive the national champion
for children award, and Los Angeles
County Supervisor Mark RidleyThomas, 2nd District, will receive
the Francis M. Wheat community
service award. Proceeds benefit the
organization’s programs for children
living in poverty and foster care.
Tickets start at $400. 9876 Wilshire
Blvd. (213)368-6010, www.kidsalliance.org.
Casey, Eileen Shanahan, Patrick
Kavanagh and others. 12006 Venice
Blvd. (310)390-3454, www.lapl.org/branches/mar-vista.
Young Activists
Boot Camp
H
Q
uilters are invited to the 36th
annual “Quilt Show and
Quilter’s Retreat” on Friday, March
13 and Saturday, March 14 at the
Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Quilts
by Glendale Quilt Guild members
and others will be displayed, and
workshops and children’s activities
will be held. Numerous vendors will
also be present, and visitors can
enter to win new sewing machines.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., March
13; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., March 14.
Admission is $10; $15 for a two-day
ticket. 300 E. Green St. www.glendalequiltguild.org.
WHAP! Lecture Series
W
est Hollywood and the
California Institute of the Arts
are hosting a lecture titled “Get
Physical: Digital Installations and
Kinetic Sculpture from Art+Com,
1987-2015 (Berlin)” on Friday,
March 13 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the
West
Hollywood
Library
Community
Meeting
Room.
Joachim Sauter, a pioneer in the use
of the digital arts within urban
spaces, will participate in the discussion with moderator Vanessa
Eckstein. The event is part of the
West Hollywood Aesthetics and
Politics lecture series, also known as
WHAP!. 625 N. San Vicente Blvd.
(323)848-6460, www.aestheticsandpolitics.calarts.edu/lecture-series/whap.
18 Senior Film
ollywood NOW is hosting its
free “Young Activists Boot
Camp” on Saturday, March 14 from
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the West
Hollywood Community Center at
Plummer Park. The program informs
girls 12-18 years old about social justice in a fun and high-energy environment. Rooms 5 and 6, 7377 Santa
Monica Blvd. RSVP required to
[email protected].
13 Quilting Expo
Ten-Minute Play Fest
T
photo by Michael Burke
Join award-winning architect Frederick Fisher and Los Angeles
Chamber Orchestra (LACO) concertmaster Margaret Batjer (pictured)
for concert on Thursday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the Moss Theater in
Santa Monica. Works by Brahms and Crockett will be performed. Fisher,
who has been recognized for his work on the Bergamot Station &
Galleries, the Annenberg Beach House and Descanso Gardens’ Sturt
Haaga Gallery of Art, will join LACO for its “Westside Connections”
series, which pairs musicians with artists to explore connections
between music and architecture. Tickets start at $60. 3131 Olympic
Blvd. (213)622-7001 ext. 1, www.laco.org.
14 Theatre Tour
G
o behind the scenes during a discussion and tour titled “All
About the Theatre at Ace Hotel” on
Saturday, March 14 at 10 a.m.
Representatives of the Los Angeles
Historic Theatre Foundation will lead
the presentation on the 1926 theatre
and the people who built it, as well as
its recent re-birth as the Theatre at Ace
Hotel. Tickets are $20. 929 S.
Broadway, downtown. www.lahtf.org.
Irish Poetry
W
est Hollywood resident and
poet Joe Praml presents “Heirs
of Brighid: Poetry of Ireland” on
Saturday, March 14 from 11 a.m. to
noon at the Mar Vista Branch Library.
The former London-based actor and
stage director will read from his compilation of works by Seamus Heaney,
Eavan Boland, Oliver Goldsmith,
Oscar Wilde, W.B. Yeats, Patrick
Pearse, Eleanor Hull, John Keegan
heatre lovers are invited to the 8th
annual “Towne Street Theatre
Ten-Minute Play Festival” running
from Saturday, March 14 through
Sunday, March 29 at the Stella Adler
Theatre. The theatre company has
selected entries focusing on topics
ranging from marriage and relationships to motherhood, cancer, aging
and rape. Previews are at 8 p.m.,
March 12 and 13. Regular showtimes
are at 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 4
p.m., Sunday. Tickets are $20. 6773
Hollywood
Blvd.
tsttenminuteplayfest.eventbrite.com.
16 French Film Fest
T
héâtre Raymond Kabbaz presents
“A Week of French Language
Cinema in Los Angeles” running from
Monday, March 16 through Saturday,
March 21, with nightly screenings at
7:30 p.m. of critically acclaimed
French films. The series opens on
March 16 with “Bowling Killers” and
“Les âmes de papiers (Paper Souls)”.
The March 16 and March 21 screenings are preceded by receptions at 7
p.m. All screenings are in French with
English subtitles. 10361 W. Pico Blvd.
(310)286-0553,
www.theatreraymondkabbaz.com.
17 Classical Concert
C
formance titled “Susan Svrcek: Oh,
For the Love Of …” on Tuesday,
March 17 at 8 p.m. at the Zipper
Concert Hall at the Colburn School.
Works by Scarlatti, Harrison, Li,
Lesemann, Dufaye, Bacewicz and
Gomelskaya will be performed.
Tickets are $35. 200 S. Grand Ave.,
downtown.
(800)595-4849,
www.piano-spheres.org.
lassical music enthusiasts are
invited to a PianoSpheres per-
J
ewish Family Service of Los
Angeles presents a screening of
Woody Allen’s “Magic in the
Moonlight” on Wednesday, March
18 at 2 p.m. in the Plummer Park
Senior Center. Actor Colin Firth portrays a famous illusionist who meets
a beautiful psychic, portrayed by
Emma Stone. While trying to prove
she’s a fraud, the illusionist falls in
love. Suggested donation is $2. 7377
Santa Monica Blvd. (323)876-1717.
Counseling Center
Benefit
E
njoy a special screening of
Adam Sandler’s “The Cobbler”
at the Maple Counseling Center’s
annual “Car Drawing & Film
Screening” benefit on Wednesday,
March 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts &
Sciences in Beverly Hills. Tickets
are $100 and include a chance to win
a 2015 Fiat 500 Sport or $10,000
cash. Proceeds benefit the center’s
counseling programs. 8949 Wilshire
Blvd. (310)271-9999 ext. 213,
www.tmcc.org.
19 Chamber Music
C
larinetist Fabrizio Meloni and
violist Danilo Rossi will join
pianist Nazzareno Carusi for a performance of chamber music by
Mozart, Schumann and Schubert on
Thursday, March 19 at 8 p.m. at the
Wallis Annenberg Center for the
Performing Arts. Meloni and Rossi
are soloists with the Orchestra of the
Teatro alla Scala and the La Scala
Philharmonic Orchestra. Carusi performs internationally and teaches at
music academies throughout the
United States. Tickets start at $39.
9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd.,
Beverly Hills. (310)746-4000,
www.thewallis.org.
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Read Us Online
3 March 12, 2015
Commission scraps plans Frank Gehry chosen to design 8150 Sunset
for Greek Theatre operator
n Project at Sunset and
n Parks staff will report
on possibility of city
running the venue
The Los Angeles Recreation
and Parks (RAP) Commission
voted to scrap the proposals to
run the Greek Theatre from Live
Nation and Nederlander-AEG
during its Wednesday meeting,
and it will examine the possibility of the department operating
the Greek Theatre itself.
The move comes after the Los
Angeles City Council voted
against concurring with the commission’s recommendation to
enter into contract negotiations
with Live Nation to run the city’s
historic live music venue.
Nederlander has been the venue’s
operator for decades. It teamed
up with AEG during the most
recent RFP process, and their bid
gained widespread community
support, but after the RAP commission initially voted for Live
Nation.
In the same motion, the city
council requested that the RAP
commissioners “consider preparing, in consultation with the community and the arts, parks,
health, aging and river committee, a new RFP for concessions
and operations of the Greek
Theatre to be released after
review and approval by the city
council.”
The Greek Theatre, located at
2700 Vermont Ave. in Griffith
Park, was officially dedicated in
1929. In 2014, the venue generated more than $27 million in gross
receipts and paid $1.9 million in
revenue sharing to the department, according to a staff report.
RAP staff members recommended the commission consider
beginning a new RFP process
after further community input —
or it could consider operating the
Greek Theatre as an open venue
managed by RAP staff.
During the Wednesday meeting, staff was given permission to
prepare a report on self-operation, which RAP officials said
would need to be considered, at
least for the short term.
Nederlander’s contract is up on
Oct. 31.
“Self-operation might be a
viable option while a new RFP
is processed and completed,” the
staff report read. “Self-operating
the Greek Theatre as an ‘open
venue’ would enable RAP to
maintain control of the programming calendar while providing
open access to all promoters on
a non-exclusive basis.”
The staff report notes that Red
Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver,
Colo. operates as an open venue,
and it is “one of the leading open
and profitable models.” The
staff report also said eliminating
the intermediary contractor
could increase revenue to the
department, allowing its staff to
maintain the theatre.
The initial bids by Live
Nation and Nederlander-AEG
were for management of the
Greek Theatre for potentially 20
years — 10 years upfront with
the possibility of two five-year
renewals. Live Nation’s proposal received a higher score from
third-party consultant Strategic
Advisory Group, which prepared the RFP for the Greek
Theatre. Nederlander-AEG officials argued that the process did
not fairly compare the two proposals.
McKenna sets sights on
lowering dropout rates
George McKenna was relieved
that he didn’t have to watch the
polls during the city’s March 3 primary election. Running for office
was never something he really considered before last year, he said.
In August, McKenna won a special election over education policy
advisor Alex Johnson to replace
Marguerite LaMotte, who died on
Dec. 5, 2013, while representing
District 1 on the Los Angeles
Unified School District (LAUSD)
Board of Education. Less than one
year into the term, McKenna was
up for reelection, but this time
nobody came forward to oppose
him.
Instead
of
campaigning,
McKenna has been meeting with
parents and education stakeholders
in a series of town hall meetings.
The last meeting was held on
Thursday night at John Burroughs
Middle School.
“I’m not trying to be Marguerite,
I can only be me,” he said to a
See McKenna page 20
LAUSD board member George McKenna outlined his goals during a
town hall meeting on March 5 at John Burroughs Middle School.
Crescent Heights still
needs city approval
Townscape Partners announced
on Monday that architect Frank
Gehry has been selected to design
its proposed mixed-use development at 8150 Sunset Blvd.
Townscape’s partners Tyler
Siegel and John Irwin said their
vision is to create an environmentally sensitive building that complements and contributes to the historic architecture in the neighborhood.
Gehry is a Pritzker Prize-winning architect based in Los Angeles
who is also known for designing
the Walt Disney Concert Hall and
the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
He said this is an opportunity to
reshape an important corner of the
city and design a critical urban
infill project along one of the city’s
major thoroughfares. He has started
the initial design development
process and plans are expected to
photo courtesy of Townscape Partners
Aesthetic changes will likely be coming to the 8150 Sunset project,
shown in a preliminary rendering.
be released this spring.
“After listening to the high priority placed on design by civic leaders in the city of Los Angeles and
the local community, we knew
there was only one choice for the
preeminent architect of our time,
and he happens to be local,” Siegel
said. “Frank Gehry’s deep understanding of the property, its history
and the context will elevate the project to the iconic and timeless status
that it deserves. It is exceedingly
rare to have the opportunity to work
with an architect of this caliber on
See Gehry page 21
4 March 12, 2015
Leads sought in murder Suspects arrested after botched burglary
Police are looking into
of homeless woman
whether incident is
n
n Victim was found
stabbed to death
at bus shelter
By edwin folven
Police are searching for a suspect who stabbed a homeless
woman to death at a bus shelter
in the 4000 block of Wilshire
Boulevard, near Norton Avenue.
Det. John Skaggs, with the Los
Angeles Police Department’s
West Bureau Homicide Unit, said
two pedestrians noticed the
women was unconscious on a
bus bench at approximately 9:20
a.m. on Feb. 28, and walked to a
nearby fire station to report what
they saw. Paramedics arrived at
the bus stop and determined the
41-year-old
woman
was
deceased.
Los Angeles County Coroner’s
Office officials conducted an
autopsy, and determined the victim had died from stab wounds.
Police are asking that anyone
who may have been in the area
and observed something suspicious overnight between Feb. 27
and Feb. 28 to
contact investigators.
“The motive is truly
unknown,”
Skaggs said.
“There was
no evidence Najat Pennell
of robbery; no
evidence of anything.”
The victim was identified as
Najat Pennell, a native of Belize.
Skaggs said the investigation has
determined that Pennell had been
homeless and living in the
Wilshire and Koreatown areas
for at least the last seven years.
Residents in the surrounding
neighborhood said she had been
staying near the bus shelter for
approximately three weeks prior
to her death. The victim had also
been known to stay near the
intersection
of
Wilshire
Boulevard and Highland Avenue,
Skaggs added.
Anyone with information
about the incident is urged to
contact detectives with the
LAPD’s West Bureau Homicide
Unit at (213)382-9470.
Model found dead in WeHo
By edwin folven
Model and actor Dirk Shafer was
found dead inside a vehicle in West
Hollywood on March 5. Authorities
are still trying to determine the exact
cause of death.
Los Angeles County Coroner’s
Office spokesman Craig Harvey
said an autopsy was performed, and
although there were no signs of
external trauma to Shafer’s body, the
cause of death was listed as
“deferred” until toxicology tests are
completed. Harvey said a resident
saw Shafer’s body in a vehicle
parked at 1356 Laurel Ave., and
notified authorities.
“He was in his vehicle seated in
the front passenger seat, slumped
forward,” Harvey said. “A passerby
apparently observed the victim in
the front seat on March 4 at about
5:30 p.m., and then saw the vehicle
in the same location the next day and
called 911.”
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department’s Homicide Bureau is
investigating the case, and the results
of the investigation are pending until
toxicology reports are returned.
Harvey said foul play is not suspected, but the toxicology reports are
necessary to determine if there may
be factors other than natural causes.
“Additional tests are needed to
rule out additional causes of death,”
Harvey said. “They will determine
if, for instance, he was taking prescription drugs for another illness.”
Shafer, 52, appeared in a holiday
issue of Playgirl magazine in 1992,
and was later chosen by readers as
the magazine’s “Man of the Year”. It
helped launch a career in the entertainment business, and he later wrote
and appeared in a 1995 film about
his experiences titled “Man of the
Year”. He also appeared in an
episode of “Will and Grace”, and
wrote a 2001 film titled “Circuit”.
Anyone with information about
the death is asked to call investigators with the Los Angeles County
Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide
Bureau at (323)890-5500.
Beverly Hills Board of Education
president charged with assault
By edwin folven
Police in Beverly Hills arrested
the president of the Beverly Hills
Unified School District Board of
Education on Monday for
allegedly assaulting an 18-yearold woman in an elevator in a residential building in the 200 block
of Tower Drive.
Dr. Brian Goldberg, 42, was
taken into custody at approximately 7:45 p.m. at the apartment
building, according to Lt. Lincoln
Hoshino, with the Beverly Hills
Police Department. He was cited
for misdemeanor assault and battery and released at approximately 8 a.m. on March 10.
According
to
Hoshino,
Goldberg and the unidentified
female victim live in the same
building, and became involved in
an argument in an elevator over
Goldberg’s alleged unsafe driving
in the building’s subgarage. The
victim alleged that Goldberg
shoved her, causing her to strike
her head against the interior of the
elevator. She also alleged that
Goldberg pushed her through the
doors of the elevator when they
opened, causing her to fall to the
ground.
The victim called 911 and paramedics treated her at the scene.
She also made a citizen’s arrest
against Goldberg, who was taken
into custody without incident,
Hoshino added.
Goldberg is scheduled to
appear for an arraignment on
May 4 in the Los Angeles County
Superior Court’s Airport Branch.
related to other break-ins
By edwin folven
Two suspects were arrested for a
botched burglary that occurred on
March 7 at a medical marijuana
dispensary near the corner of Pico
Boulevard and Spaulding Avenue.
Det. D. Nolan, with the Los
Angeles Police Department’s
Wilshire Division Burglary Unit,
said police received a call at
approximately 5 a.m. from the dispensary’s alarm company, and were
simultaneously notified via telephone by the owner. Nolan said the
owner has a cell phone app that ties
into surveillance camera footage
from inside the store, and he was
watching as the break-in occurred.
“One suspect attempted to go
through a skylight, and fell approximately 20 feet and landed on his
back. The suspect then went into
the cash register and can be seen
removing cash, and then put the
photo by Edwin Folven
Two suspects were arrested for a burglary that occurred on March 7 at
a medical marijuana dispensary on Pico Boulevard.
cash back,” Nolan said. “The suspect is also seen knocking on the
door [from the inside] while [the
second suspect] was outside trying
frantically to free his accomplice.”
Police arrived a few minutes later
and arrested one of the suspects a
short distance away from Canna
Health Caregivers at 5658 Pico
See Suspects page 22
5 March 12, 2015
Hackers claiming to be ISIS Hospital scrambles to contain ‘superbug’
Four patients are
target retailer’s website
infected, 67 others
n
n FBI is investigating
incident involving
WeHo-based company
By Luis Rivas
On Sunday, a West Hollywoodbased luxury furniture and design
company’s website, Duroque.com,
was targeted by hackers who transformed the website’s homepage to
show an image of the Islamic State
(ISIS or ISIL) black flag and white
text, reading “Hacked by Islamic
State (ISIS). We are everywhere.
:)”, followed by a URL to a nonoperational Facebook link.
Duroque owner, Olga Rechdouni,
discovered the website had been
hacked on Sunday morning and
notified the website’s maintenance
company, RG Pacific. By Sunday
afternoon, the website was operating normally.
Since the cyber attack, RG
Pacific has been in contact with the
FBI, which said that cyber attacks
Pedestrian dies
after being
struck on
Wilshire Blvd.
By edwin foLven
A 58-year-old man who police
said was jaywalking was struck and
killed on March 5 at approximately
8:55 p.m. while crossing Wilshire
Boulevard mid-block, just west of
Crescent Heights Boulevard.
The Los Angeles County
Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Dennis Rollins. He was taken
by paramedics to Cedars-Sinai
Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Det. Olin Osborne, with the Los
Angeles Police Department’s West
Traffic Division, said the victim had
a previous address in Santa Monica,
but police believe he was a transient. Rollins was struck by a westbound vehicle as he walked southbound across Wilshire Boulevard.
The driver was not cited.
“The driver stopped. They rendered aid and called 911 and stayed
at the scene, as required by law,”
Osborne said. “The driver had a
valid driver’s license and there was
no evidence of drugs or alcohol
involved. As a formal procedure
moving forward, we will present the
case to the D.A.’s office, but there
are no charges. Based on the preliminary information, it appears to
be an unfortunate accident.”
Osborne said there was other traffic in the area and the collision
occurred at night, which may have
been a factor in the driver not seeing
the pedestrian. He said it is becoming an all too common occurrence
for pedestrians to jaywalk or cross
mid-block without using a crosswalk.
“That’s one of those things that
unfortunately, we’ve had quite a
few,” Osborne said. “I don’t have
exact numbers, but I am seeing a lot
of pedestrian-related fatalities.
People have got to be aware of their
surroundings.”
Anyone with information about
the collision is urged to contact
investigators with the LAPD’s West
Traffic Division at (213)473-0231.
by people claiming to be ISIS is not
uncommon.
According to news and FBI
reports, similar attacks occurred in
Ohio, Montana, Missouri, New
York, Massachusetts and California.
Additionally, websites were targeted in Canada and Europe. Most
websites showed the same ISIS flag
and text.
“The FBI is aware of recent website defacements and we have both
been in contact and are working to
identify those who have been
impacted. These types of incidents,
whether disruptive or merely distracting, highlight the prolific nature
of cybercrime. The FBI will continue to work with our public and private sector partners to identify and
hold accountable those who pose a
threat in cyberspace,” the FBI said
in a statement.
The FBI has not commented on
whether or not the attacks are by
ISIS members or sympathizers.
“The investigation into group(s)
See Hackers page 22
may have been exposed
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
has discovered that four patients
were infected with a “superbug”
from a contaminated medical
scope.
Officials said 67 other patients
might have been exposed to the
duodenoscope in question, which
was used for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
(ERCP). Patients were exposed to
carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE) — more commonly known as a superbug.
“Despite the fact that CedarsSinai meticulously followed the
disinfection procedure for duodenoscopes recommended in
instructions provided by the manufacturer (Olympus Corporation)
and the FDA, the medical center’s
infection-control
specialists
announced [March 4] that their
photo by Edwin Folven
Four patients who were treated at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have
been diagnosed with an infection commonly known as CRE.
investigation has identified a total
of four patients who had a CRE
transmission linked to an ERCP
procedure,” a statement from
Cedars-Sinai read. “The same
duodenoscope was used in all four
patients, whose ERCPs occurred
between August 2014 and January
2015.”
Cedars-Sinai officials said one
of the four infected patients died,
but for reasons unrelated to CRE.
The other three patients were discharged. According to health
experts, CRE is highly resistant to
See Cedars-Sinai page 21
6 March 12, 2015
photo courtesy of Caruso Affiliated
Caruso Affiliated has proposed 333 La Cienega, a project that would
include 154 units within a 19-story building.
Caruso plans residential tower
along La Cienega Boulevard
photo by Luis Rivas
World-renown street artist El Mac works on a mural located on the side of Allan Jeffries Framing.
n Development would
be 19 stories high
By edwin folven
Developer Rick J. Caruso
publicly announced plans this
week to build a 19-story residential tower on a triangularshaped property located south
of the Beverly Center. The site
currently houses the now-closed
Loehmann’s department store
building.
The project, known as 333 La
Cienega, would be located
between 3rd Street and San
Vicente and La Cienega boulevards. It would replace the
Loehmann’s building with 154
luxury housing units above
ground-floor retail space.
The development would be
located just north of Caruso’s
8500 Burton Way residential
property, which opened in 2012.
Caruso also built The Grove,
The Americana at Brand in
Glendale and numerous other
developments in Southern
California.
“More than 25 year ago, I
built my first-ever retail project
at the intersection of La Cienega
and San Vicente. Now, we are
ready to reinvent this landmark
site as 333, that will provide
unparalleled luxury lifestyle living featuring best-in-class service and amenities,” Caruso
said in a statement. “[The project] also will reflect our
decades-long commitment to
the surrounding neighborhood
through significant streetscape
and walkability improvements,
including 10,000 square feet of
open space anchored by a grand
fountain. Together, with 8500
Burton Way across the street,
this intersection will truly
become the iconic gateway
between Los Angeles and
Beverly Hills.”
Civic leaders and community
representatives said they will be
monitoring the project as it
moves forward. Many people
are optimistic about the changes
they believe the project will
bring to the neighborhood.
“I have seen some of [the
plans], and I am positive about
them,” said Harald Hahn, president of the Burton Way
Foundation, which represents
homeowners in the area. “It’s
going to be a top luxury building. All it can do is increase our
property values.”
Hahn said he is concerned,
however, about traffic and
pedestrian safety. He said
Caruso and representatives of
his company, Caruso Affiliated,
have been meeting with the
Burton Way Foundation, and
have promised to work with the
community to create a project
that will fit in well with the surrounding neighborhoods.
Los Angeles City Councilman
Paul Koretz, 5th District, said
he is monitoring the project,
which is in the very early stages.
He said the original plan was for
a residential tower that was
approximately 23 to 26 stories
tall, but Caruso Affiliated lowered it to 19 stories to make it
more compatible with nearby
structures.
“I am excited about the general concept,” Koretz said. “I
don’t think it would be a bad fit
if it works for the community.
We want this to work for everybody. If it can, it will be great.”
Cary Brazeman, chair of the
Mid-City West Community
Council’s (MCWCC) Planning
and Land Use Committee
(PLUC) and a local resident,
said he is cautiously optimistic
about the proposal. The PLUC
is scheduled to review the project on April 21.
“It is my understanding that
there will be a variety of community benefits provided by the
project,” Brazeman said. “We
look forward to hearing about
it.”
Caruso Affiliated is referring
to the 333 La Cienega project as
a “sister property” to 8500
Burton Way, which is 100 percent leased and has a waiting
list. Residents in the new 333 La
Cienega project will have
access to amenities such as a
sky deck pool, fitness center,
concierge and valet.
Community benefits include
space for a grocer and restaurant/café on the ground level, as
well a 10,000-square-foot
“park-like” open space with
greenery and a fountain.
Brazeman added that the
property would need to be rezoned to accommodate the
tower, and to fit in with the
Wilshire Community Plan. He
said in addition to specifically
considering the 333 La Cienega
project, the city should update
the community plan, which
serves as a blueprint for development in the area and hasn’t
been updated in nearly 20 years.
“It would require the city to
look at development holistically, including potential traffic
impacts and other impacts
across a whole area, instead of
looking at sites individually or
piecemeal,” Brazeman said.
See Mixed-use page 9
Framing shop receives masterpiece mural
n Artists collaborate on
shop’s mural project
By luis Rivas
Two world-renown street artists
have completed a project turning
the side of Allan Jeffries Framing
shop into a mural after more than a
week of work.
The artists, known as El Mac and
Kofie, began working on the
Sweetzer Avenue side of the framing shop in Beverly Grove last
Monday, March 2, and completed
the painting early in the evening on
March 9.
The mural’s primary image
depicts a woman’s closed-eyed profiled face in a sea of dark red —
with black, white and gray geometrical shapes and lines surrounding
the main image. The mural covers
the entire side of the store’s wall,
stretching from West 3rd Street to
the store’s edge at the alley behind
the shop.
El Mac, whose real name is
Miles MacGregor, is known for his
huge, surrealist murals that often
depict people, heavily influenced
by Chicano and Mexican culture.
Originally from Los Angeles, he
grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, lived
a short while in Las Cruces, New
Mexico, and then moved back to
Los Angeles. His work is displayed
in several U.S. cities and countries
such as Mexico, Switzerland,
Vietnam and Canada.
Kofie, whose real name is
Augustine Kofie, grew up in Los
Angeles. Kofie is known for his
more object-and-line-centric work,
which has been described as “vintage futurism”, influenced by architectural design and typography. His
work is featured throughout the
world as well, such as Morocco,
See Shop page 9
Cathedral Chapel places
in academic decathlon
7 March 12, 2015
L.A. helps with same-sex marriage case
n Family visits before
going before the
U.S. Supreme Court
photo courtesy of Cathedral Chapel School
Cathedral Chapel School recently placed in 9th place out of 115
teams in the Catholic Archdiocese
of Los Angeles’ Academic Junior
High Decathlon, held on March 7 at
the Los Angeles Sports Arena.
Pictured with the school’s team at
the event are head coach Barbara
Moldavon (left), teacher Roman del
Pozo (second from left), principal
Tina Kipp (third from right, rear
row), and teacher Long Pham
(right). This year marked the 25th
anniversary of academic decathlon.
Although the students from
Cathedral Chapel School came in
9th place overall, they earned a 5th
place finish in SuperQuiz (47 out of
50 questions). The team also placed
in three individual categories, 5th
place in math (Nicholas Terry, 7th
grade), 6th place in current events
(Andrew Sung, 8th grade), and 7th
place in English (Grace Kim, 8th
Kuehl leads charge
opting into foster
payment program
Last week, the Los Angeles
County Board of Supervisors
passed a motion co-authored by
supervisors Sheila Kuehl, 3rd
District, and Don Knabe, 4th
District, instructing the director of
the California Child and Family
Services (DCFS) to opt into the
Approved Relative Caregiver
(ARC) program, which makes
state funds available to counties
that want to better support foster
children in placement with relatives.
Authorized by California Senate
Bill 855, the ARC program was
established to address the disparity
of rates paid to relative caregivers
for children ineligible for the federal Aid to Families with
Dependent Children-Foster Care
(AFDC-FC) and those who are eligible.
State law now provides counties
with the option to participate in the
ARC program, providing non-federally eligible relatives with supplemental
ARC
payments.
According to the latest guidance
from the California Department of
Social Services, counties have
until June 30 to opt-in to the ARC
program. However, for certain
payments to be eligible retroactive
to Jan. 1, counties must opt-in
before or during May and implement by June 1.
County participation in the program will commence at the earliest
possible time, officials said, and no
later than June 1, to ensure retroactivity for eligible program participants.
grade).
“We are proud of our students
and thankful for the support of our
principal and coaches,” Moldavon
added.
Cathedral Chapel School is located at 755 S. Cochran Ave. For information, call (323)938-9976, or visit
www.cathedralchapelschool.org.
Los Angeles is playing its part
leading up to a potentially landmark same-sex marriage ruling by
the U.S. Supreme Court.
On April 28, attorneys are set to
argue the merits of allowing
same-sex marriage across the
country, or allowing states to
enact same-sex marriage bans.
On Friday, the case arrived at
the doorstep of the law office of
Allred, Maroko & Goldberg, with
a visit from April DeBoer and
Jayne Rowse, a same-sex couple
from Michigan whose case is one
of four being examined by the
Supreme Court.
“It’s amazing to us that our case
in Michigan, that was an adoption
case that turned into a marriage
case, is getting attention all the
way out in California,” DeBoer
said. “I don’t think we ever imag-
Civil rights attorney Gloria Allred welcomed the DeBoer-Rowse family
to her law office during their visit to Los Angeles.
ined that we would be here, and
we are proud of where we stand.
We look forward to standing in
front of everybody, hopefully, in
June with the prospect of being
able to get married.”
DeBoer and Rowse are nurses,
and they have adopted four chil-
dren (Nolan, Jacob, Ryanne and
Rylee, none older than 6), but
Michigan law only allows married
couples to adopt jointly.
Individuals can also adopt. With
no marriage license, there is no
legal guarantee that DeBoer or
See Michigan page 11
8 March 12, 2015
Mendoza introduces daycare vaccine bill
In an effort to protect California
children in daycare from contracting
serious diseases, California State
Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia)
introduced a bill which would
require all family daycare workers to
be vaccinated against measles, pertussis and influenza, among others.
As recently as the year 2000, the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control
(CDC) had declared that measles
was eliminated from the United
States. This was made possible due
to a highly effective vaccination program and better measles control,
Mendoza said.
However, from Dec. 28, 2014 to
Feb. 20, 2015, there have been 117
confirmed cases of measles in
California according to the CDC.
The outbreak likely originated from
a traveler who became infected
overseas with measles and visited
photo by Deen van Meer, courtesy of Disney
Actor Steve Blanchard plays Joseph Pulitzer in the upcoming production of “Newsies” at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre.
Award-winning ‘Newsies’
visits the Pantages Theatre
n Actors revel in the
production’s roles
By Luis Rivas
The Tony Award-winning
musical “Newsies” is coming to
the
Hollywood
Pantages
Theatre from March 24 through
April 19 for its Los Angeles
premiere.
The production is a partnership between Disney Theatrical
Production and the Nederlander
Organization.
Some of the featured actors
include Dan DeLuca as “Jack
Kelly”, the newspaper boy protagonist, Steve Blanchard as
“Jospeh Pulitzer”, the greedy
newspaper publisher antagonist, and Stephanie Styles as
“Katherine”, the reporter who is
sympathetic with the newspaper-selling boys, known as
“Newsies”.
Blanchard and Meredith
Inglesby, also appearing in
“Newsies”, are the production’s
married
acting
couple.
Blanchard has played the role
of “Beast” in Disney’s “Beauty
and the Beast”, which is where
he and Inglesby met. The married couple is touring with the
production around the country,
while raising their 2-year-old
daughter, Wren.
Fortunately, the company and
crew have been supportive and
helpful in what could have been
an otherwise stressful situation,
Inglesby said.
“We couldn’t do it without
the company’s help. Everyone
is awesome. It’s very weird
being on the road with a baby.
Your life is strange as a touring
actor anyway, but I’m making it
work. It’s kind of turning out to
be a fun family adventure,”
Inglesby said.
Inglesby is playing the role of
Pulitzer’s secretary, “Hannah”,
as well as other minor roles.
Although Hannah’s role is
small, she revels in it as the pestering and quirky secretary that
is constantly trying to persuade
“Pulitzer” to appeal to reason
— but, as the story goes, she
doesn’t have much power over
him.
“I think it’s pretty easy to be a
pest to my husband,” Inglesby
said jokingly.
From “Beast” to “Pulitzer”,
Blanchard enjoys playing the
role of the complicated, vilified
antagonist.
“These roles are so juicy.
Generally, villains are juicy.
There are so many facets to
play. These roles can be
extremely rewarding because
there are so many places to go
in the character, so many
avenues to explore. You don’t
have to worry about being
nice,” Blanchard said.
Set in New York City during
See Pantages page 9
Disneyland while contagious.
“Children under
the age of 5 are
one of the most
vulnerable age
groups for
contracting
infection...”
-Tony Mendoza
California State Senator
“One child’s death is one too
many, especially when it may be
preventable,” Mendoza said. “With
the recent deadly outbreaks of
measles and influenza, we must do
everything in our power to protect
California’s children who spend
time in daycare.”
Beyond requiring that daycare
workers to be immunized against
influenza, pertussis, and measles, the
bill will also specify that these workers must comply with the broader
recommendations for adult immunizations by the U.S. Centers for
Disease’s Control (CDC) Advisory
Committee on Immunization
Practices (ACIP). Currently, there
are no immunization requirements
for daycare workers.
“Children under the age of 5 are
one of the most vulnerable age
groups for contracting infection and
developing complications from
these very serious diseases, so it is
critical that we use all available
methods to protect them,” Mendoza
said.
Shop enjoys public art
From page 8
England and France.
After hearing that Allan Jeffries
Marion, owner of Allan Jeffries
Framing, was looking to do a mural
at the shop, the framing shop’s
assistant manager Sean Martinez
suggested that they invite El Mac
and Kofie.
“[Martinez] has known them
from 15 or 20 years ago. They go
way back to when they were all
teenagers … when they were
designing skateboards. So he contacted them and I sponsored it,”
Marion said.
Marion covered the artists’
expenses, including paint, supplies,
lifts and time.
“They will go out
of their way just to
say how much
they like it.”
-Allan Jeffries Marion
framing shop owner
“It actually took a year to get
them together at the same time, in
the same country and city. They
travel out of the country all of the
time, and then one day they called
and said they would start right
away,” Marion said.
But this wasn’t the first time that
Marion’s shop has been turned into
a canvas for street art. In 1991, Los
Angeles artist Lawrence Day painted the “World Peace Now” mural
on the very same wall. Then in
2014, the U.K. artist known as Snik
painted a 20-foot depiction of a girl
in blue, surrounded by black and
red, titled “Souls Apart.”
MacGregor has collaborated with
other artists in the past, probably
most notably with the artist Retna,
with murals featured in different
parts of Los Angeles, from Santa
Monica to downtown Los Angeles.
MacGregor has a hard time
describing his own work, but when
he has to, he describes some of it as
photorealism.
“It’s realistic, representational
images of people, portraits, but
done in a stylized way with these
repeating, rippled, contoured lines,”
MacGregor said.
However, the finished mural juxtaposed El Mac’s trademark soft,
spray paint-centric portrait with
Kofie’s sharp, structuralized,
abstract shapes and lines.
“It’s like fire and ice,”
MacGregor said.
The surrounding community has
responded positively to the new
mural, as they have done to all the
previous murals as well, according
to Marion. El Mac and Kofie’s
mural has already received a lot of
attention and compliments.
“People have already begun posing with the mural and taking photos. People are always coming
through our doors into the shop just
to pay us compliments for the
mural. They will go out of their way
just to say how much they like it,”
Marion said.
Marion has been propositioned
for years to use the wall for advertising purposes but has consistently
declined due to what he said is a
respect to maintain the aesthetic of
the neighborhood.
“We see it all the time in Los
Angeles, painting for movies,
advertisements for Reebok and
other companies on walls, advertising their products or companies.
Some of the companies offered
$3,000 to keep their ad up on our
wall for a month. But out of a
respect for the neighborhood, we
did not agree to it. It’s not about the
money. It’s about maintaining the
beauty of the neighborhood,”
Marion said.
Allan Jeffries Framing is located
at 8301 W. 3rd St. near The Beverly
Center. The mural is on Sweetzer
Avenue.
Theatre welcomes musical
From page 8
the late 1800s, “Newsies” tells the
story of young boys, in many
cases orphaned and homeless,
who sell newspapers to make a
living. The boys, led by Jack
Kelly, struggle for fair pay and
treatment against New York
World publisher, Pulitzer.
The story is based on the true
story of the “Newsboy Strike of
1899” where, like the musical,
newsies organized a labor strike,
which in real life lasted two
weeks.
The story first inspired a film
adaptation in 1992 by Disney,
titled, “Newsies,” which featured
Christian Bale as Jack Kelly and
Robert Duvall as Joseph Pulitzer.
The film was then turned into a
stage musical which debuted on
Broadway in 2012, and had a twoyear run, closing on Aug. 24, with
1,005 performances. More than
one million people attended the
Broadway show, which grossed
over $100 million.
The performances schedule for
“Newsies” is Tuesday through
Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2
p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 1
and 6:30 p.m. On opening night,
Thursday, March 26, the performance will be held at 8 p.m.
For tickets and information,
visit the theatre’s website at
www.hollywoodpantages.com/ne
wsies.
Mixed-use complex planned
From page 6
Koretz added that he is an
advocate for updating community
plans, not only for the Wilshire
area, but throughout the city. He
said the challenge is finding funding for the planning staff necessary to overhaul community
plans.
“I think we are in deep need of
an update for a number of com-
munity plans,” Koretz said. “The
big hurdle is the budget. It takes
planners to do that.”
The 333 La Cienega Project is
currently in the preliminary phases of consideration by the city’s
planning department, and an
exact timeline has not been established. Caruso hopes to complete
the new development by 2017.
9 March 12, 2015
Ocular syphilis cases concern AHF
The
AIDS
Healthcare
Foundation (AHF) has expressed
concern about recent cases of
ocular syphilis — a sexually
transmitted disease that has led to
blindness in some individuals —
that have been reported in men
who have sex with men in
Washington state, San Francisco
and Los Angeles.
As many as 15 cases have been
confirmed since December and
are currently under investigation.
In December and January,
Washington state health officials
reported that six people have been
diagnosed with ocular syphilis —
including two who have suffered
blindness — according to recent
Washington Department of
Health public warnings. Four
cases were reported in King
County, where Seattle is located,
including three men who have sex
with men. Three of the individuals were also HIV-positive.
On February 20, the San
Francisco Department of Public
Health issued a health advisory on
ocular syphilis that reported seven
cases since December. Five of the
affected individuals are men who
have sex with men, and six were
HIV-positive. The Los Angeles
County Department of Public
Health (LAC DPH) also issued an
advisory on March 5 about two
cases of ocular syphilis that are
currently under investigation.
“These new cases of ocular
syphilis highlight the importance
“These new
cases ... highlight
the importance
of ... regular
check-ups...”
-Michael Weinstein
AHF President
of ongoing, regular check-ups for
sexually-active individuals who
feel they may be at risk, particularly men who have sex with
men,” AHF president Michael
Weinstein said. “We call on the
Los Angeles County Department
of Public Health to step up and do
more to alert and educate medical
providers about ocular syphilis.
County officials should also
develop a strategic plan for reducing syphilis cases, including
putting out a monthly update to
the media as well as running the
monthly update as an advertise-
ment in LGBT publications to
educate the public.”
Ocular syphilis is typically a
complication of primary or secondary syphilis, and some strains
of Treponema pallidum, the bacterium that causes syphilis, may
be more likely to cause eye or
central-nervous-system disease. A
recent Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention report on
sexually transmitted disease
determined that California’s
syphilis rate was second in the
United States only to Georgia.
In November, AHF launched a
billboard campaign in Los
Angeles County — which the
CDC also named in its recent
report as having the highest number of primary and secondary
syphilis cases of any county in the
nation.
The billboards featured a warning, “Syphilis Explosion”, and
promote www.freeSTDcheck.org,
a website with locations for free
STD testing and affordable care
for the treatment of chlamydia,
gonorrhea and syphilis through
AHF. The organization also
recently released an online video
as part of the campaign at
http://youtu.be/2hwJaPAxUrU.
For information, visit www.aidshealth.org.
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For St. Patrick’s Day!
6333 W. Third St. • Farmers Market • 323.938.5131 • www.marcondas.com
Family Owned at the Farmers Market for 72 Years
We’ve got everything you need to make
your next party or event a success!
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!
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Letters to the Editor
Marijuana dispensary
not the cause of
recent problems
[Re: “Police crack down on
pot sales outside dispensary”,
March 5 issue], the people
protesting are seriously saying
that “alcohol is safer/better than
marijuana.” Really, that should
be the end of my statement, but
No, I am not finished. If anyone
declares this opinion to be accurate in their own beliefs, so be it,
but I have to differ considering
the many patients who use medical marijuana as a pain reliever,
and a cure to numerous illnesses.
The shop that is being referred to
is a well known place to get
medication that does what it is
supposed to. The workers/owners/volunteers do not have any
authority to patrol the streets
nearby, but we do what we can
as a team to ensure all of our
patients have safe access in and
out of the business. It is not in
my job description to make sure
there are not underage children
hanging out around the corner,
waiting for someone. Natural
Remedies Caregivers complies
with Prop. D and California state
laws. The people that need to be
reached out to are the parents of
the community and the LAPD?
Truth be told, Natural Remedies
should be the least of anyone’s
concern. Other than supposed
said persons who are complaining and protesting the neighboring businesses. Ask around.
the can down the road. It will
have to be dealt with at a later
time, when the use of economic
sanctions may not be nearly as
effective as they are today. In
view of the available facts,
including Iran’s vigorous support of terrorist Muslim groups
such as ISIS and Hezbollah, and
the public statements made by
Iran’s theocratic leaders, one
might reasonably conclude that
the only reason Iran has agreed
to sit down and negotiate was
that the somewhat limited sanctions had severely impacted its
economy.
There may be good reasons
why Netanyahu was hesitant to
offer a better solution, but it
doesn’t take a genius to recognize what needs to be done. Has
anyone asked Netanyahu? After
all, he is a brilliant man (MIT
graduate) and well understands
the ramifications of what is happening in the Middle East.
Congressman Schiff asks
whether there is a “plausible
alternative to military action.”
Yes, there is. Many in Congress
recognize this but the White
House has its own ideas.
Meanwhile, the current negotiations are highly questionable, to
say the least.
We owe Netanyahu our thanks
for highlighting the issue,
whether or not the White House
agrees. The welfare and lives of
our children and grand children
(indeed, the whole world) may
depend on the decisions on how
best to deal with the dangers of
the goals of Iran’s Muslim radicals who are literal dictators.
Lindsey Nicole Williams
Natural Remedies Caregivers
Los Angeles
George Epstein
Detroit Street
Iran deal requires
a full examination
WeHo voter turnout
is a local travesty
[Re: “Schiff cautious regarding Iran deal”, March 5 issue],
thanks to the Beverly Press for
keeping us informed of issues
and news that concern the people in our community. Your
report on Congressman Adam
Schiff’s analysis of the speech to
Congress by Netanyahu, the
Israeli prime minister, was the
best I have read anywhere. It is
reporting at its best — as contrasted with the biased “journalism” we find too often elsewhere
in the media.
Rep. Schiff has voiced the
main objection to the negotiations underway with Iran, related
to its nuclear development
efforts. Apparently, as Schiff
points out, it has a serious flaw:
the deal would be limited to just
10 years, after which Iran would
be free to move ahead as it wishes. That’s tantamount to kicking
[Re: “Voters approve changes
to WeHo city council, March 5
issue], the meager 16 percent
voter turnout is an example of
how a few can seriously alter the
political scene. That low figure
is a travesty and a betrayal of the
promises in our Constitution,
Bill of Rights and the intent of
the founders of our country. In
West Hollywood, when the final
count is revealed, a decided 90degree turn may change the
direction of city politics for quite
some time. But only 16 percent
of registered voters went to the
polls. This is shameful, regardless of how one views the outcome. The remaining 84 percent
of the city will now take their
marching orders from the minority.
Carleton Cronin
West Hollywood
Torrance refinery investigation requested
Last week, U.S. Rep. Ted W.
Lieu (D-Calif.) and Rep. Maxine
Waters (D-Calif) sent a letter to the
chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso of
the U.S. Chemical Safety Board
(CSB) requesting that the agency
investigate the root causes of the
Feb. 18 explosion at the
ExxonMobil refinery in Torrance,
and make recommendations to
increase refinery process and public
safety.
The February incident, which
hospitalized four workers and covered the surrounding residential
neighborhoods with “catalyst dust,”
was the third explosion in the
Torrance refinery’s history and the
third explosion at a U.S. refinery
this year.
A CSB investigation would contribute to Congress’ understanding
of why U.S. refineries have a significantly higher accident rate than
those in Europe, the representatives
said.
11 March 12, 2015
Michigan same-sex couple visits L.A.
From page 7
Rowse would retain legal custody
of the children should something
happen to either of them.
“The right for us to adopt is the
most important thing,” Rowse said.
“We want to be recognized as a
legal family.”
For the time being, DeBoer
adopted two of the children and
Rowse adopted the two others.
They hope that a Supreme Court
ruling will close the legal gap in
their family.
“They do have two parents, and
they need two parents,” DeBoer
said. “There is nothing in our home
that is any different than any twoparent household.”
Civil rights attorney Gloria
Allred, who worked on the case for
the first same-sex marriage in Los
Angeles County, said it is important
for people to hear the two women’s
story.
“Their case is DeBoer v. Snyder
and the decision in their case will
have an impact on marriage equality nationwide, because in granting
the petition for writs of certiorari,
the U.S. Supreme Court said it
would answer the following question: ‘Does the 14th Amendment
require a state to license a marriage
between two people of the same
sex?’” she said.
Allred filed suit for Robin Tyler
and Diane Olson in 2004, and won
the case in the California Supreme
Court, which allowed the women in
2008 to be the first same-sex couple
married in Los Angeles County.
Allred, along with Tyler and
Olson, invited the DeBoer-Rowse
family to Los Angeles to help garner more support for their cause.
They hosted a special reception on
Friday night at the Founders
Metropolitan Community Church,
which doubled as a way to raise
money for the National Marriage
Challenge nonprofit, which is helping pay for the legal costs of court
cases challenging same-sex marriage bans.
“They do have two
parents, and they
need two parents.
There is nothing in
our home that is
any different than
any two-parent
household.”
-April DeBoer
lawsuit plaintiff
“What you are doing is great and
you’re going to cross the finish line
for us,” Tyler said. “We want to
show them that Los Angeles loves
them, that Hollywood loves them
and that we appreciate all they have
done.”
Dana Nessel, one of the attorneys
representing DeBoer and Rowse,
commended local residents and
officials for their support.
“It is our fervent hope that by the
end of this court’s term, that our
clients April and Jayne will be the
last couple and the last family to
have to stand before a court of law
here in the United States and argue
why their family should not be relegated to second class citizenship,”
she said.
Also on Friday, supporting amicus briefs were due from interested
parties regarding the case. Los
Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer
prepared a brief with the National
League of Cities, the U.S.
Conference of Mayors, the
International Lawyers Association
and the Freedom to Marry group.
There were 226 mayors (including
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
and West Hollywood Mayor John
D’Amico) and 39 cities that signed
onto the brief.
“Being able to marry who you
love is a fundamental civil right,”
Feuer said. “I’m proud our office
has played a leading role in representing such a diverse coalition of
municipal leaders, cities and organizations in unequivocal support of
marriage equality. This is an historic cause whose time has come.”
Los Angeles County Supervisor,
Sheila Kuehl, 3rd District, helped
the family acquire tickets to
Universal Studios, a welcome distraction, they said, as they attempt
to clear the last hurdle of making
their family whole.
“We’re very proud, as people call
us, to be the face of the marriage
challenge,” Rowse said. “I think
we’re the face of family, because
everything we do is about our
kids.”
12 March 12, 2015
St. Patrick’s Day
Festivities & Dining
Paddy O’Party at
Whiskey Red’s
T
he 3rd annual “Paddy O’ Party”
returns to Whiskey Red’s in
Marina del Rey on Saturday, March
14 at 5 p.m. In early celebration of
St. Patrick’s Day, diners in their
best green gear can enjoy 180degree views of the harbor and a
festive St. Patrick’s Day menu with
$4 green beer, $5 whiskey shots, $6
Guinness beers and $7 Irish car
bombs. Guests can also enjoy a jig
contest, photo booth, flash tattoos,
dancing, a DJ and music by Jack of
Hearts. Advance tickets are $10;
$15 at the door. Parking is free with
validation for two hours in the
Fisherman’s Village lot next door to
Whiskey Red’s. 13813 Fiji Way.
(310)823-4522, www.paddyoparty2015.eventbrite.com.
Irish Pub
Tom Bergin’s
T
om Bergin’s is celebrating 79
years of St. Patrick’s Day festivities with an indoor and outdoor
bash on Tuesday, March 17 from 6
a.m. to 2 a.m. the following morning. Revelers can enjoy an Irish
breakfast, live music and plenty of
Irish cocktails and beers. Tom
Bergin’s will roll the festivities out
to the parking lot from 11 a.m. to
midnight, and guests can enjoy
pours of Guinness Blonde and Harp
Lager from a Guinness tap truck.
The pub’s signature Bergin’s Brew,
green-dyed Miller Lite, and
Guinness selections are $8 per pint.
Irish coffee, old fashioneds, Irish
car bombs, “whiskles” (a pickleback made with Tullamore DEW
and housemade pickle juice) and
green-dyed shamrock shakes
(Tullamore DEW, Irish cream,
Guinness and simple syrup) are $10
each. Early morning revelers can
sidle up to the horseshoe bar from 6
to 10:30 a.m. to enjoy traditional
Irish breakfast with two eggs,
bacon or bangers, Irish beans,
grilled tomato and toasted sourdough for $12 Festive pub fare,
including Bergin’s dogs, grilled
chicken sandwiches, corned beef
sandwiches and Irish grilled cheese
sandwiches with Tullamore onions
will be available for $8 to $12 from
11 a.m. to 11 p.m. A special St.
Patrick’s Day “Shamrock Hour”
with $6 Miller Lites will also be
held from 5 to 7 p.m. Los Angeles
Mayor Eric Garcetti is scheduled to
make a special appearance during
the festivities. First time Uber costumers can receive a $25 credit by
entering the promo code TBERGINS. 840 S. Fairfax Ave.
(323)936-7151.
Sweet Rose
Creamery
C
elebrate St. Patrick’s Day at
Sweet Rose Creamery with
lemon mint sundaes made with
lemon chiffon ice cream, housemade mint syrup, whipped cream
and cookie crumble, and a decorated shamrock sugar cookie and mint
leaf. Other spring-inspired, green
offerings include matcha green tea
ice cream with candied chestnuts,
minty peas ice cream, dairy-free
kiwi sorbet, and fresh mint ice
cream with homemade chocolate
chips. Additional seasonal treats
include shamrock sugar cookies
and lime “meltaway” cookies. 7565
Beverly Blvd., (310)844-0944; 225
26th Street, Ste. 51, (310)260-2663;
826 Pico Blvd., (310)260-2663.
Molly Malone’s
Irish Pub
Square, downtown. The Celtic-rock
band Swagger will perform, and
guests can enjoy food trucks and a
beer garden. The parade will start at
4th and Hill streets, proceed south
on Hill Street to 7th Street, west on
7th Street, and north on Olive Street
to Pershing Square. Admission is
free.
532
S.
Olive
St.
www.laparks.org/pershingsquare/s
aint-patrick.
Laugh Factory
Celebrates
Laughing Irish
S
T
he Celtic music starts at noon on
St. Patrick’s Day at Molly
Malone’s with bagpiper Thomas
Allen performing in the authentic
Irish pub. The music continues from
3 to 6 p.m. with the Rambling
House Band. Talkback takes the
stage at 7:30 p.m., followed by Rap
Scallions at 9:30 p.m. and The
McNaughstys at 11:15 p.m. Tickets
are $10 and are available at the door.
575 S. Fairfax Ave. (323)935-1577.
tand up comedians Brad
Williams, Neal Brennan and
others will perform at the Laugh
Factory on Tuesday, March 17
beginning at 10 p.m. in celebration
of St. Patrick’s Day. Guests who
dress in green will receive special
perks, and drink specials will be
offered. Admission is $20. 8001
Sunset Blvd. (323)656-1336 ext. 1.
Hard Rock Café
St. Patrick’s Day
H
ne of the biggest St. Patrick’s
Day parties in Los Angeles
runs from 6 a.m. on Tuesday,
March 17 to 2 a.m. the following
morning at the Casey’s St. Patrick’s
Day Street Festival. General
admission is free before 3:30 p.m.;
$10 afterwards. Visitors can enjoy
food, drinks, games and music by
some of L.A.’s finest DJs. 613 S.
Grand Ave.; entrance near the corner of Wilshire and Hope.
www.213nightlife.com/st-patricksday.
ard Rock Cafe Hollywood will
celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on
Tuesday, March 17 with limited
edition Irish-themed fare. Guests
can celebrate with Irish reuben
sandwiches with slow-cooked,
hand-carved corned beef brisket,
crispy sauerkraut, thousand island
dressing and aged Swiss cheese on
salt-crusted pretzel rolls. The sandwiches are served with crispy fries
and citrus-spiked coleslaw. Guests
can also enjoy Irish mule cocktails,
an Irish twist on an old favorite
made with Jameson whiskey, ginger beer and lime.
6801
Hollywood
Blvd.
www.hardrock.com/cafes/hollywood-on-hollywood-blvd.
St. Patrick’s Day at
Pershing Square
Crossroads
New Brunch
E
C
Casey’s St. Patrick’s
Day Street Festival
O
njoy a parade and free outdoor
concert on Tuesday, March 17
beginning at 10:30 a.m. at Pershing
find a version that was up to par.
Once Crossroads launched its
brunch, Ronnen was determined to
create his own bagel and lox that
taste like those he remembered
from home. Diners can enjoy the
Crossroads bagel and “lox” sandwich featuring new nut milk-based
cream cheese that is part of
Ronnen’s Kite Hill Cheese line, to
be sold at Whole Foods Market in
the coming months. The “lox” is
made by smoking the core of heirloom carrots, rolling the carrots in
nori powder and baking them in the
oven, which produces a tender
“taste of the sea” in which the carrots capture the soft texture of cured
salmon lox. The sandwich is served
on a housemade “everything” bagel
with Ronnen’s Almond Milk Kite
Hill Cream Cheese, and topped
with red onion and capers. To complement the meal, diners can order
from a tableside bloody Mary cart.
8284 Melrose Ave. (323)782-9245.
Continental
C
onstructed in 1958 as the original home of the International
House of Pancakes chain, the building housing Continental in Toluca
Lake has been home to iconic
restaurants
frequented
by
Hollywood stars and residents for
more than 60 years. In the 1970s,
IHOP closed to make way for
Hampton’s, a legendary moviebusiness hangout that boasted Paul
See Restaurant News page 15
Erin Go Bragh!
It’s Your
Day!
We have all the supplies you need to
make your St. Patrick’s Day
Celebration
a Pot of Gold!
party favors • paper goods
balloons • banners • buttons
good luck charms •
shamrocks galore & more!
5969 Melrose Ave.
(corner of Wilcox)
(323)467-7124
hef Tal Ronnen grew up on
bagels and lox, and since moving to Los Angeles, he could never
Everybody’s Irish
on St. Patrick’s Day!
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13 March 12, 2015
paghettini and the Dave Koz Lounge
Fine Dining With World-Class Music
I
Architects to create an open restaurant and live music venue with an
exposed wood beam ceiling and
leather booths. Guests dine at tables
with white tablecloths and porcelain serving plates. The owners also
hired an extremely personable staff
that is informative and cheerful,
creating an upbeat dining experience.
They lured executive chef Scott
Howard, from Brick & Bottle in
San Francisco, to serve as the culinary director for both restaurants.
Not only does he prepare some of
the signature Spaghettini dishes
from the Seal Beach restaurant —
such as the parmesan crusted
Chilean sea bass — he has created
some new innovative dishes for discerning foodies.
We arrived for a 7:30 p.m. reservation and were immediately led to
a raised semi-circular booth that
was roomy enough for four guests
and had a great view of the show. A
housemade baguette and sliced
toasted Parker House rolls were
served first with three condiments
in small dishes. There was a
delightful jam made of strawberry,
raspberry and rose water to spread
with caramelized onions and
can’t think of a better way to
spend an evening than with an
enjoyable dinner and toe-tapping music. After learning that the
new Spaghettini and the Dave Koz
Lounge opened in Beverly Hills,
my husband and I made a reservation for dinner and were looking
forward to the neo-ragtime sounds
of the talented singer Dessy Di
Lauro.
The sophisticated supper club is
the second dining and entertainment destination by restaurateurs
Cary Hardwick and Laurie
Sisneros, who also own Spaghettini
in Seal Beach. With 26 years of
success in Orange County, they
joined Grammy nominated saxophonist Koz to create a top-notch
restaurant
offering
refined
California-inspired Italian cuisine
in a state-of-the-art music venue.
The platinum-selling Koz has
performed with Burt Bacharach,
Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Celine
Dion, Kenny Loggins, U2, Barry
Manilow, Luther Vandross and Rod
Stewart. He is also known as a
humanitarian, entrepreneur, radio
host and instrumental music advocate.
The trio hired Eric Rosen
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By Jill Weinlein
unsalted butter — a sweet yet
savory starter.
Additional starters on the menu
include creamy, white burrata with
strawberry jam and wild rocket
arugula; ahi tuna tartare with Yukon
chips; and meatballs in creamy
polenta. We ordered the carnaroli
rice medium-grained risotto with
mushrooms, a splash of Madeira
wine, shaved parmigiano and reggiano, and chopped chives. It was
pure comfort food — rich and filling.
The dish could have been a meal,
along with a flute of Nicolas
Feuillatte brut rosé. The sparkling
wine is blended from 90 percent red
grapes and a pour of chardonnay. It
has a vivid pink color with flavors
of raspberry, strawberry and red
currants. The bubbles offset the
creaminess of the risotto.
We also ordered the heirloom
apple and arugula salad with
frisée, champagne vinaigrette,
pecorino cheese and chopped walnuts. The chef adjusts some of his
dishes weekly, and the salad was
previously made with Point Reyes
photo by Jill Weinlein
The spaghetti and meatballs with San Marzano tomato sauce is a sweet,
zesty pasta dish with excellent flavor.
blue cheese instead of pecorino
cheese. I liked the pecorino; it’s a
widely used, sharper alternative to
parmesan cheese with a hard texture and sharp salty flavor. It is
excellent grated over pasta and salads.
The spaghetti arrived with five
medium-sized meatballs and
topped with slightly sweet, garlic
San Marzano tomato sauce. The
San Marzano tomatoes are thinner,
stronger and sweeter than other
tomatoes used for sauces, and they
are less acidic.
Chef Howard also prepares bucatini with cheese, and fiery bucatini
with shrimp. His trotolle pasta is
served with lamb bolognese with
feta, and the spaghettini is topped
with dungeness crab, shrimp and
uni butter. Another savory dish is
Howard’s pappardelle mixed with
short rib sugo and blistered cherry
tomatoes.
We ordered the restaurant’s signature lightly crusted parmesan
Chilean sea bass served with
asparagus and potato puree, and a
pleasant Meyer lemon butter sauce.
We paired the dish with a glass of
Dave Koz chardonnay — a fruit
forward wine with grapefruit and
golden apple aromas, offering a
hint of vanilla and an oaky finish.
Koz recently partnered with preSee Spaghettini page 15
14 March 12, 2015
Police Blotter
The following crimes occurred in West Hollywood and the areas patrolled
by the LAPD’s Wilshire and Hollywood divisions between March 2 and
March 8, 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.
March 2
March 4
At 2:30 a.m., an unknown suspect
burglarized a vehicle parked in the
1200 block of N. Sweetzer.
At 12:30 a.m., an unknown suspect burglarized a residence in the
1200 block of Harper.
A bicycle theft was reported in the
1600 block of N. Poinsettia at 7:30
a.m.
An unknown suspect committed a
burglary in the 900 block of S.
Rimpau at 8 a.m.
At 10 a.m., an unknown suspect
7900 block of Norton.
committed a petty theft in the 800
block of Westmount.
An unknown suspect stole a bicycle near the corner of Fairfax and
Wilshire at 10:30 a.m.
An unknown suspect assaulted a
victim in the 6200 block of W. 3rd
at 8 a.m.
At 4 p.m., an unknown suspect
100 block of N. Norton.
At 2:50 p.m., an unknown suspect
block of Vine.
theft in the 5800 block of
Hollywood at 4:30 p.m.
grand theft in the 8600 block of
Olympic at 2:10 p.m.
stole a vehicle parked near the
corner of Yucca and Wilcox.
committed a theft in the 8400 block
of Sunset.
A vehicle burglary was reported in
the 6200 block of DeLongpre at 6
p.m.
burglary in the 200 block of N.
Windsor at 2:30 p.m.
1300 block of N. Vine.
block of Santa Monica.
burglary in the 200 block of S.
Muirfield at 9:30 p.m.
petty theft near the corner of 6th
and McCadden at 3:25 p.m.
March 3
stole a vehicle parked near the
corner of Detroit and Beverly.
committed a burglary in the 1200
block of N. Poinsettia.
burglary in the 8600 block of West
Knoll at 6:55 a.m.
900 block of Westbourne.
A grand theft was reported in the
5200 block of Wilshire at 9 a.m.
burglarized a vehicle parked near
the corner of Hollywood and La
Brea.
An unknown suspect burglarized a
vehicle parked near the corner of
The Grove and Beverly at 1 p.m.
block of La Brea.
petty theft in the 5700 block of
Wilshire at 3:30 p.m.
At 3:30 p.m., a vehicle burglary
was reported in the 300 block of N.
Curson.
block of N. Cahuenga.
An unknown suspect stole a vehicle parked in the 7200 block of
Fountain at 8 p.m.
stole a vehicle parked in the 700
block of N. Cherokee.
An unknown suspect robbed a victim near the corner of Fairfax and
Wilshire at 10 p.m.
vehicle parked in the 500 block of
Flores at 8:45 p.m.
900 block of N. Highland.
grand theft in the 6200 block of W.
3rd at 9:30 p.m.
assaulted a victim during a domestic violence incident in the 600
block of Westbourne.
March 5
At 12:05 a.m., an unknown suspect stole a vehicle parked near
the corner of Selma and Schrader.
burglary in the 6700 block of
Sunset at 12:30 a.m.
block of Hauser.
vehicle parked near the corner of
Melrose and Croft at 11 a.m.
burglarized a vehicle parked near
the corner of 6th and Fairfax.
petty theft near the corner of La
Jolla and Wilshire at 11:30 a.m.
block of Orange Grove.
theft in the 6700 block of
Hollywood at 4 p.m.
block of N. Martel.
Hollywood at 4:30 p.m.
700 block of S. Orange.
vehicle parked in the 1700 block of
N. Orange at 9:30 p.m.
March 6
block of S. Burnside.
Keith at 10 a.m.
At 11:45 a.m., an unknown suspect burglarized a vehicle parked
near the corner of Wilshire and
Fairfax.
A theft was reported in the 6700
block of Sunset at 11:50 a.m.
At 12:30 p.m., an unknown suspect stole a vehicle parked in the
400 block of N. Hayworth.
Melrose at 5 p.m.
block of Sunset.
March 7
assaulted a victim in the 600 block
of Robertson.
victim in the 8800 block of Santa
Monica at 1:30 a.m.
At 11 a.m., a burglary was reported in the 400 block of S. Burnside.
victim in the 900 block of N.
Fairfax at 2:30 p.m.
stole a vehicle parked in the 7100
block of Willoughby.
An unknown suspect stole a vehicle parked in the 1700 block of N.
Fuller at 5 p.m.
1400 block of N. Ivar.
March 8
At 12:30 a.m., an unknown suspect assaulted a victim in the 1700
block of N. Vine.
ICE enforcement arrests 218 L.A. foreigners
A known gang member with a
prior robbery conviction is among
the 218 foreign nationals arrested in
the Los Angeles area by U.S.
Immigration
and
Customs
Enforcement (ICE) as part of a
five-day operation targeting atlarge criminal aliens and public
safety threats.
Nationwide, the enforcement
action, dubbed Operation Cross
Check, resulted in a total of 2,059
persons being taken into custody,
with the Southland accounting for
the largest number of arrests by any
local jurisdiction. Hundreds of ICE
Enforcement
and
Removal
Operations (ERO) officers across
the country participated in the operation, which commenced March 1
and concluded late March 5. Those
arrested are from 94 countries and
more than half have felony convictions,
including
voluntary
manslaughter, child pornography,
robbery, kidnapping and rape.
The Los Angeles-area arrests
occurred in six counties — Los
Angeles (101); Orange (51); San
Bernardino (24); Riverside (22);
Ventura (16); and Santa Barbara
(4). Nearly two-thirds of the foreign
nationals taken into custody locally
had prior convictions for serious or
violent crimes, such as child
molestation, grand theft and
firearms violations. Fourteen of
those arrested had ties to street
gangs. While the vast majority of
the criminal aliens arrested in the
Southland were originally from
Mexico (167), a total of 18 countries were represented, including
Peru, Egypt, Armenia and South
Korea.
Those arrested last week by
ICE’s Fugitive Operations Teams in
the Southland include a Mexican
national Sureño gang member
taken into custody March 3 near his
home in Pomona. Databases indicate the 26-year-old man, who has
been deported multiple times, has a
criminal history dating back eight
years, including prior convictions
for robbery, willful discharge of a
firearm, and false impersonation.
The man is now facing prosecution
by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for
felony re-entry after deportation, a
violation which carries a maximum
penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
Also taken into custody locally
during Operation Cross Check was
a Mexican national male whose
case history includes six prior
deportations and criminal convictions over the course of three
decades for drug offenses, evading
a peace officer, carrying a loaded
firearm in a public place, grand
theft and DUI. After recently serving an 18-month federal sentence
for felony re-entry after deportation, the 51-year-old man was
transferred to the custody of the
Ventura County Sheriff’s Office
based on an outstanding local arrest
warrant. Despite the existence of an
ICE detainer, the sheriff’s department released the man onto the
street. He was rearrested by ICE
Fugitive Operations officers March
4 at his Oxnard residence. He is
currently in ICE custody awaiting
removal to Mexico.
ICE officials said the Oxnard
arrest was not an anomaly. More
than one-fourth of the at-large criminal aliens arrested by ICE Fugitive
Operations Teams in the Los
Angeles area last week had recently been released onto the street by
local authorities despite ICE detainer requests. Records checks reveal
59 of the 218 at-large criminal
aliens detained by ICE during the
enforcement action had been the
subject of immigration detainers.
Three found guilty of clothing store robbery
Three men were found guilty last
Friday for their roles in an armed
robbery at a Westchester clothing
store where more than a dozen
employees were held hostage, the
Los Angeles County District
Attorney’s Office announced.
Jurors deliberated for more than
a day before finding Raymond
Sherman Jr., 36, guilty of 17
counts, including forcible rape,
kidnapping and second-degree robbery. Troy Marsay Hammock, 31,
was found guilty of 14 counts of
second-degree robbery, while
Everett Oneal Allen, 26, was found
guilty of 14 counts of seconddegree robbery and one count of
assault with a deadly weapon.
Deputy district attorney Cynthia
Barnes of the Major Crimes
Division prosecuted the case.
On Jan. 10, 2013, the defendants
stormed a clothing store at
Promenade at Howard Hughes
Center at approximately 11 p.m. A
spouse of an employee reported the
robbery. A SWAT team responded
and surrounded the store.
During the robbery, most of the
employees were forced to strip
down to their underwear. At one
point, Sherman forced a female
employee into a room and sexually
assaulted her, Barnes said. Allen
held a knife to a worker’s neck,
piercing her skin, the prosecutor
added.
The three men managed to
escape and the employees were
freed several hours later.
Sentencing is scheduled for
April 8. Sherman faces a maximum sentence of more than 120
years to life in state prison, while
Hammock and Allen face up to 45
years and 39 years in prison,
respectively.
Man sentenced to life for Metro bus driver murder
A 44-year-old man was sentenced March 4 to life in state
prison without the possibility of
parole for killing a Metro bus driver
in West Hollywood nearly three
years ago, the Los Angeles County
District
Attorney’s
Office
announced.
Deputy district attorney Marna
Miller said Anthony Craig
Chambers was found guilty on
March 19, 2014 of one count of
first-degree murder with the special
circumstance allegation of murder
of transportation personnel.
Los Angeles County Superior
Court Judge Elden Fox of the
Airport Branch additionally sentenced Chambers to 25 years to life
in state prison.
Alan Thomas, 51, was driving an
empty bus on Santa Monica
Boulevard in West Hollywood on
May 20, 2012 when Chambers
came aboard, the prosecutor said.
Evidence presented at trial showed
Chambers chose Thomas’ bus
because he was the sole occupant.
Shortly after getting on the bus,
the defendant drew a shotgun from
a suitcase, approached the victim
and shot him twice, the prosecutor
added.
The case was investigated by the
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s
Department.
15 March 12, 2015
Jazzy, tasty
Spaghettini
From page 13
Simply diVine Food & Wine Festival
T
he Los Angeles LGBT Center presents “Simply diVine”, a premier
food and wine event benefiting center programs, on Saturday,
March 28 from 5 to 9 p.m. on McCadden Place in front of The Village
at Ed Gould Plaza. Guests will sample food and beverages from many
popular Los Angeles restaurants, food trucks, wineries, distilleries,
breweries, juicers and coffee roasters. People looking for a more intimate experience can receive exclusive access with a Club VIP ticket to
the courtyard inside The Village, where tastings of rare, high-end wines
will be held, and guests will enjoy savory bites prepared onsite by
celebrity chefs Susan Feniger (Border Grill and Mud Hen Tavern),
Mary Sue Milliken (Border Grill), Kajsa Alger (Mud Hen Tavern),
Suzanne Tracht (Jar) and Kris Morningstar (Terrine). Additional featured restaurants include The Black Cat, Border Grill, BrilliantShine,
Choctál, Coolhaus, craft Los Angeles, Fabiolus, Gracias Madre, the
Grilled Cheese Truck, Hudson House, KYE’S, Mud Hen Tavern,
Petrossian, Phorage, PONO Burger, RAO’S, Sabroso, Scarpetta, Sotto,
Terrine and The Village Idiot. Wineries, craft beers, spirits, specialty
coffees and juicers include Angel City Brewery, Barefoot Wine &
Bubbly, Bolthouse Farms, Boutique Sake, Central Cal Wines, Chopin
Vodka, Classic Wines of California, Diageo Wines, Figueroa Mountain
Brewing Co., Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Intelligentsia, J.
Lohr, Ludlows Cocktail Co., LVP Imported Sangria, Maddalena
Vineyards, Mosaic Wine Alliance, Pasquini, Perrier, Pochteca,
SelvaRey Rum, South Coast Winery, Stoli, Tanner Dafoe, Virage Napa
Valley, XXIV Karat and Wine Wine Situation. General admission is
$100; Club VIP Tickets are $500. 1125 N. McCadden Place. simplydivinela.org.
mium Santa Barbara vintner
Terravant, Whole Foods Market
and California Pizza Kitchen to
introduce a new quartet of Koz
wines. All proceeds from sales of
the wine benefit the Starlight
Children’s Foundation.
Other entrées include branzino,
salmon with baby artichokes, lamb
chops with cilantro and mint pesto,
pork chops with maple jus, New
York steak with bordelaise, and
braised short ribs. Side dishes are
available, however most entrées are
accompanied by a vegetable.
Around 9 p.m., the wood walls
toward the back of the room slide to
the side, and musicians walk onto
the stage. There isn’t a bad seat in
the house. The show started around
9:15 p.m., as we ordered coffee and
dessert. The price of show tickets is
added to the bill. For those only
interested in the live music, there is
a cover charge and two drink minimum per person. Seating is first
come, first served. Guests are
encouraged to check in with the
hostess to be placed on the waiting
list. Seating for the show begins
around 8:45 p.m.
The stunning Di Lauro was
backed by a stellar seven-piece
band with a horn section, and two
talented tap dancers. Her musical
director/pianist Ric’key Pageot
played keyboard and accordion.
Special guest saxophonist, composer, producer and vocalist, Eric
Darius, also joined Di Lauro, as did
Corned beef, green beer and Irish folk tunes
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday, March 17 at the Original
Farmers Market, corner of 3rd and Fairfax. Visitors will enjoy live
music and traditional Irish fare, as well as green beer served by 326 and
EB’s Beer & Wine.
Magee’s Kitchen will serve its world famous corned beef, cabbage
and potatoes special all day. For those who like to “do-it-themselves”,
Marconda’s Meats and Huntington Meats and Sausage are offering
brined corned beef.
Music lovers will enjoy Glen the Bagpiper, who will stroll through the
Market from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., and appear at Magee’s Kitchen from 6
to 8 p.m. Irish folk sensation, Jerry McLean will take the stage on the
West Patio from 7 to 9 p.m.
The Original Farmers Market is located at 6333 W.3rd St. For information, call (323) 933-9211, or visit www.farmersmarketla.com.
rapper Anon.
Spaghettini and the Dave Koz
Lounge serves lunch every
Tuesday through Friday from
11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., with
California starters, salads, sandwiches, pastas and entrées. The
restaurant also offers a sidewalk
patio.
On Sundays, brunch is served
from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and guests
can enjoy live jazz, with 94.7 The
Wave broadcasting from the
restaurant. Koz’s protégé, Vincent
Ingala, is the resident musician.
Spaghettini and the Dave Koz
Lounge also offers a social hour
every Tuesday through Friday
from 5 to 7 p.m., with bar bites,
rotating cocktails and select wines
by the glass, including those from
Koz’s label. Dinner service begins
at 6 p.m. every day except Sunday,
when dinner service begins at 5:30
p.m. $$-$$$ 184 N. Canon Drive.
(310)424-4600.
Restaurant News
From page 12
Newman and other stars as regulars. In 1995, Jay Sadofsky bought the
establishment and created Mo’s, a neighborhood joint that served as the
unofficial commissary for Warner Bros. Studios for more than 20 years.
Now, founding partner Sadofsky, and new partner and executive chef Jesse
Genovese, introduce Toluca Lake’s newest dining and drinking destination. Genovese is a globetrotting chef who worked in Hawaii, Spain,
London and New York before coming to Los Angeles. His specialties
include Thai seafood bouillabaisse with fresh shrimp, scallops, calamari
and vegetables, cooked in a creamy coconut, lemongrass and kaffir lime
broth. The restaurant also offers a variety of salads and sandwiches along
with hearty entrées. Bar manager Chet Abbott has created a delightful
cocktail menu, and Continental partnered with Doug LaGambina, owner
of Spin the Bottle Wine Studio in Toluca Lake, to curate the restaurant’s
new wine list. Continental is open for lunch and dinner, Monday through
Thursday, and open for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, Friday
through Sunday. 4301 W. Riverside Drive. (818)845-3009.
Angel City Beer Tasting at
Fleming’s Beverly Hills
D
iners can enjoy an exclusive beer tasting at Fleming’s Beverly Hills
on Thursday, March 19 at 7:30 p.m. The handcrafted beers from
Angel City Brewery complement hors d’oeuvres created by chef partner
Miguel Bernal. Beer
selections include Angel
City IPA, Angel City
Pilsner, Angel City West
Coast Wheat, Angel
City Social IPA, Angel
City Trojan Amber and
Angel City Eurika Wit.
Bernal’s dishes include
mini L.A. street dogs,
sesame wings, beef
stuffed dumplings, fried
pickles
and
crab
taquitos. The cost is $50
per person. 252 N.
Beverly
Drive.
(310)278-8710.
Pr e m u i m P o s i t i o n s
Ba c k C o v e r :
$1 5 00
Inside Front Cover: $ 1 35 0
I ns i de B a ck C o ver : $ 13 50
M od u l ar S i zes
Fu l l p ag e :
3/ 4 pa ge :
Ha l f p a ge :
1/ 4 pa ge :
$1 1 00
$9 0 0
$7 0 0
$4 0 0
Publishing in June 2015!
An all-new edition of the
ENTERTAINMENT
& DINING GUIDE 2015
16 March 12, 2015
Crossword Puzzle
Across
1. “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”
writer
6. Shower or pond topping
10. Bowlers
14. Brunch serving
15. ___ sandwich
16. Passing mention?
17. Across the globe
20. Student overseer
21. Pelvic bones
22. Certain ridge
23. Complete halts
26. Insect genus
29. Depletes
33. Bad looks
34. Fraternity letters
37. Gasteyer of “Saturday Night
by Myles Mellor
Live”
38. Wartime prisons
42. Bearded antelope
43. Of long duration, in Scotland
44. Comet’s path
45. Certain Asian
48. Ivory’s partner in song
49. Direct popular votes
54. Enough! (Spanish)
57. Profligate
58. Tops
62. Well-known “Service”
65. Disapprove
66. Capital on a fjord
67. Fancy tie
68. Disney dog
69. Difficult situation
70. Narc’s find
Down
1. Litmus reddener
2. Marine flier
3. ___ good example
4. Start shooting
5. Price word
6. Play for time
7. Skin
8. Eastern Christian church member
9. ___ Zedong
10. Raspy
11. Equipped
12. Knight fight
13. Eye sore
18. Naught
19. Is off guard
24. Cold war initials
25. Give the heave-ho
26. Adjust, in a way
27. Tubular pasta
28. In a lather
30. Martial art
31. Remove a brooch
32. Hardly ruddy
34. Low-fat meat
35. Old addr. book entry
36. Conjunction
39. Artless one
40. Open to all
41. Medieval missile launcher
46. Angioplasty target
47. Cordelia’s father
50. Clear the boards
51. Dinner sides
52. Continental money
53. Known formerly as
54. Tab
55. Small bovid
56. Style of poker
59. Copacati worshipper
60. Pairs
61. The third son of Adam
63. ___ de guerre
64. Anatomical duct
See Page 22
Robert Plant and others to
perform at the Greek Theatre
The Greek Theatre has launched
its annual subscription program —
Premier
Access
Season
Subscription (PASS) — and has
announced the 2015 PASS lineup
offering a variety of music and
entertainment for fans of all ages.
PASS members can create their
own concert series with access to
artists and exclusive amenities
without membership fees.
Little Dragon kicks off the subscription series on May 16, followed by Jason Bonham’s Led
Zeppelin’s Experience on May 31.
Additional artists scheduled to
perform include Robert Plant &
The Sensational Space Shifters on
June 2, The Doobie Brothers featuring special guest Don Felder on
June 6, Tedeschi Trucks Band’s
“Wheels of Soul” tour with soul
sensation Sharon Jones and the
Dap-Kings on June 10, and
acclaimed guitarist Doyle Bramhall
II on June 10.
Indie pop singer-songwriter,
Ingrid Michaelson, takes the Greek
Theatre stage on June 11, the country group, Little Big Town performs
with special guests David Nail and
Ashley Monroe on June 18, and the
legendary Brian Wilson, cofounder of The Beach Boys, performs on June 20 with Al Jardine,
Blondie Chaplin and special guest,
Rodriguez.
Boy George with Culture Club
will perform at the Greek on July
24, followed by comedian Jim
Gaffigan on July 25.
Also this season, British electronic band, Hot Chip, violin phenomenon Lindsey Stirling and
Bento finalists display their art
From past to present,
St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated
The Consulate-General of Japan
in Los Angeles and BentoUSA
recently co-hosted an online contest to see who could create the
cutest, best decorated bento
(Japanese box lunch) characters.
Contestants submitted photos of
their cute and creative bento characters decorated in food containers,
and The Japanese Consulate and
BentoUSA along with honorary
judge Ochikeron, a Japanese
YouTube personality and bento
expert, selected the top 10 finalists.
From March 13 through March
28, the Japan Foundation, Los
Angeles, and the Consulate-
General of Japan in Los Angeles
will hold a photo exhibition of
the10 finalist entries.
The opening reception on Friday,
March 13, will begin at 1:30 p.m. in
the JFLA’s auditorium and will
include a lecture by Sirinut “Jee
Jee” Donham of BentoUSA, followed by a bento arrangement
demonstration by Yoko Isassi.
The exhibit will be open through
March 28. The JFLA auditorium is
located at 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Ste
100. Admission is free. To attend
the opening reception, guests are
required to RSVP by going to
http://www.jflalc.org.
World artists showcase their work
An advertisement for Tom Bergin’s Old Horseshoe in the March 6,
1958 issue of the Park Labrea News encouraged diners to enjoy an Irish
coffee at the tavern and restaurant on St. Patrick’s Day.
Tom Bergin’s has been known as a St. Patrick’s Day destination for
79 years, and this year will be no different, with festivities held inside
and outdoors in the parking lot.
For information on St. Patrick’s Day dining and festivities throughout the Los Angeles area, see page 12.
Group 39 of the MAK Center’s
Artists and Architects-in-Residence
program present the results of their
six-month stay in Los Angeles
tonight at the Mackey Apartments
and Garage Top.
Berlin-based collaborators Eric
Bell and Kristoffer Frick have
focused on how the pursuit of comfort is a key part of the psychological experience of the built environment, emphasizing air, ventilation
and climate-controlled environments.
Bell and Frick will exhibit work
made together with L.A.-based
artist Nate Hess incorporating 3D
scans of succulents.
Additionally,
Vienna-based
architects Elisabeth Haid and Josef
Schröck’s work will also be on display.
Since day one of their residency,
Haid and Schröck have studied how
the position of the L.A. River has
been distinctly related to the city’s
image of itself throughout its development history.
Brussels-based
architects
Bernhard Luthringshausen and
Evelyn Temmel offer a unique
mock-open house at the MAK
Center, serving as commentary to
the real estate agency open house in
Southern California.
Berlin-based artist Mirjam
Thomann will present unit #3 of the
Mackey Apartments, where she has
lived and worked during the past
six months.
The windows of the apartment
will be altered to reference the window splashes one finds on commercial storefronts all across Los
Angeles.
The exhibit opening will be today
at 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. After that, guests
can stop by March 13 to 15, from
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Mackey
Apartments and Garage Top, located at 1137 South Cochran Ave.
Admission to the exhibition is free.
Latin superstar Gloria Trevi make
their Greek Theatre debuts.
Nederlander Concerts and AEG
Live will also launch the new “At
The Greek” Community Plaza
Series featuring cultural programming, live music, arts presentations
and food, in association with Grand
Performances, Artisanal LA, the
LA Street Food Fest and others.
Local and international artists
who reflect the best in global culture and entertainment will be featured, and Artisanal LA and the LA
Street Food Fest will showcase
culinary talent, workshops, chef-led
demos and more.
Additionally, PASS members
will have the opportunity to purchase tickets before the general
public to special events at other
venues promoted by Nederlander.
The PASS subscription program
order deadline is Saturday, March
21.
For information on PASS, call
(323)665-5786,
or
visit
www.GreekPass.com. For a complete 2015 schedule of events, visit
www.GreekTheatreLA.com.
17 March 12, 2015
Blomkamp’s new film ‘Chappie’ disappoints
In the beginning, director Neill
Blomkamp was the savior of sci-fi
films. But the futuristic renaissance
might have ended with his freshmen feature, “District 9”.
“Elysium” seemed like a worthy
sophomore release, but only the
graphics held things together. Strike
three. That’s the consensus on
“Chappie”, an odd South-African
tale of a robot developing a conscious. And it’s hard to disagree.
“It’s an old story
worth retelling,
but ‘Chappie’ does
little to update
what should be a
healthy, ongoing
topic of debate. If
only the
conversation and
the film were
equally
memorable.”
I must credit Blomkamp for creating one of the most tonally
obscure films in theatres now. In a
story that channels “The Iron
Giant” and “Crank”, it’s difficult to
tell the goal. “Chappie” has everything — too much of everything:
artificial intelligence, a dystopian
cityscape in need of some wannabe
RoboCops and even a philosophical debate about transcending
human consciousness.
Set in Johannesburg, a private
tech company solves the city’s
crime problem: police robots. But
their creator, Deon (Dev Patel),
wants more from his bots. After
three years, he reaches a breakthrough. His new software allows
these tin cans to think for themselves. They can paint and write
poetry, but Deon’s boss, Michelle
(Sigourney Weaver), only cares
about weapons development, forcing our Dr. Frankenstein-in-training to take his work home.
But before Deon can declare,
“It’s alive,” a few lowlife thieves
kidnap him and force him to turn a
discontinued cop-bot into their
henchman. Once active, the newborn Chappie (voiced and
motioned captured by Sharlto
Copley, the lead of “District 9”),
engages the world with childlike
wonder. He experiences the old
“He-Man” cartoon, pets a dog and
learns how to “be cool” in an unfortunate sequence where he struts.
While Deon encourages Chappie
to live a good life — become an
autonomous subject — thieves
Ninja and Yolandi (their real
names) parent him in the ways of
the streets. Rather quickly (shockingly and unbelievably quickly),
Yolandi changes her tune and
begins mothering her metal, surrogate child. She reads him bedtime
stories and encourages his moral
and intellectual development. But
Ninja just sees him as a profit
source. They need one final score
or else local crime lord Hippo
(Brandon Auret), rocking the most
ridiculous hair, demands the $20
million they owe him.
And then there’s Vincent Moore
(Hugh Jackman in short shorts and
with a mullet), who disagrees with
the entire concept that A.I. law
enforcers need souls — just as God
intended. Imagine Col. Miles
Quaritch from “Avatar”, but make
him a stereotypically religious nut.
His robots are entirely controlled
by humans, but they’re more suited
for World War III than drug busts.
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For a third time, Blomkamp sets
his story in a cultural climate riddled with turmoil. The privileged
few control the public face of justice, unchecked by government regulations. It’s an old story worth
retelling, but “Chappie” does little
to update what should be a healthy,
ongoing topic of debate. If only the
conversation and the film were
equally memorable.
You’ve heard of product placement, but “Chappie” might be the
most shamelessly obvious promotional tool for Ninja and Yolandi
Visser’s South African rap group,
Die Antwoord, a truly weird musical experience. Throughout the
film, Ninja dons a T-shirt of himself
or his partner. And then there’s the
soundtrack — lots of their peculiar
beats to match the uneven film pacing.
But plugging popular rappers is
photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Sharlto Copley voices and motion captures, Chappie, in the new film
from director Neill Blomkamp.
less distracting than the over acting
at work by all the human actors
involved. Nobody shines. Not
Jackman, Weaver or “Slumdog
Millionaire’s” Patel. Not any of the
awful bit parts, and definitely not
the Die Antwoord folks. Between
Ninja’s rattail and Yolandi’s
painfully forced performance, it’s
difficult to understand how anyone
thought this was a good idea.
I want to believe Blomkamp is
better than this, but he’s one for
three. And with “Alien 5” next on
his docket, I’m more worried than
ever. He doesn’t seem to understand what made “District 9” such
an incredible film, incredibly acted
by Copley. Even worse, I fear
“Chappie” will infect my enjoyment of his only redeeming contribution to cinema.
18 March 12, 2015
Benefit for Cops 4 Causes Philanthropist couple donates to hospital
honors NHL Hall of Famer
Philanthropists Gene P. and
Mindy Stein, through the Tikun
Olam Foundation, have made a $1
million gift to establish the Stein
Tikun Olam Infant-Family Mental
Health Initiative at Children’s
Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA).
Funds will be used to support families struggling to bond with their
newborn during an extended hospitalization for their child just after
birth.
“We are incredibly
grateful for this
donation, which
will allow our team
of infant-family
mental health
professionals to
infuse mental
health principles
into the care of
the most fragile
infants at CHLA.”
photo courtesy of Harlan Boll
National Hockey League Hall of Famer Luc Robitaille and his wife,
Stacia, will be honored at the “Golden Ticket” show featuring “Frank
Marino’s Divas Las Vegas” (pictured) on Friday, March 13 from 6 to
9:30 p.m. at The Avalon Theatre in Hollywood.
FOX 11 LA anchor Christine Devine will host the event, which is a
benefit for Cops 4 Causes’ “Golden Ticket” initiative, which assists
foster youth and their families. The show features female impersonators performing as icons such as Joan Rivers, Diana Ross, Cher,
Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Katie Perry, Liza Minnelli, Reba
McIntyre, Bette Midler, Tina Turner and others.
“Luc & Stacia Robitaille truly embody the mission of our Golden
Ticket program and have empowered countless foster youth via their
Echoes of Hope foundation,” Cops 4 Causes president and founder
Christopher Landavazo said. “As an organization representing 1st
Responders, we are thrilled to have Luc and Stacia join us at our
Golden Ticket benefit and to honor them both for their tireless efforts
to help foster youth achieve great heights. They, have been strong
advocates for foster youth and we are honored to have them be a part
of this special night to help support LA County foster youth.”
In 2007, the Robitailles founded the non-profit organization, Echoes
of Hope. Stacia Robitaille serves as board chair for the organization,
which assists emancipated youth and young people in need by providing resources, knowledge, skills and support to reach their full
potential.
Tickets start at $25, and are tax deductible. The Avalon Theatre (formerly The Palace) is located at 1735 Vine St. For information, call
(323)462-8900, or visit www.Cops4Causes.org.
-Marian E. Williams
inaugural director for the
Stein Tikun Olam
Infant-Family Mental Health
Initiative
Building on existing programmatic success, this recent gift will
permit the hospital to provide a
bridge of support for parents as
their babies transition home from
the Newborn and Infant Critical
Care Unit (NICCU) and into follow-up care in the High Risk Infant
Follow-up clinic (HRIF), each of
which treat large numbers of
infants.
It will also support additional
photo courtesy of CHLA
Gene P. and Mindy Stein donated a $1 million gift establishing the Stein
Tikun Olam Infant-Family Mental Health Initiative at CHLA.
training for staff members who play
a critical role in serving this vulnerable patient population and their
families.
“We are incredibly grateful for
this donation, which will allow our
team of infant-family mental health
professionals to infuse mental
health principles into the care of the
most fragile infants at CHLA —
those receiving care in the
Newborn and Infant Critical Care
Unit and the High Risk Infant
Follow-up clinic,” said Marian E.
Williams, inaugural director for the
Stein Tikun Olam Infant-Family
Mental Health Initiative.
Inspired by studies that have
shown that early intervention is
critical in lowering the risk for
mental health disorders, substance
abuse, mental and physical abuse
and violence later in life, the Stein
Tikun Olam Infant-Family Mental
Health Initiative aims to provide
direct services to more than 100
infants annually.
The majority of the infants are
patients who have severe medical
conditions requiring inpatient treatment in the NICCU and outpatient
care in the High-Risk Infant
Follow-Up (HRIF) clinic.
The Steins’ gift will support four
psychologists and two home visiting therapists in caring for families
with infants served by CHLA.
This gift will also support training on infant-family mental health
and trauma-informed care for medical professionals.
Families often experience psychosocial stressors, trauma and
postpartum depression during an
extended hospitalization for an
infant born with a serious medical
condition and these challenges
often continue after discharge from
the hospital.
CHLA’s infant-family mental
health services help families to
develop a strong and growth-promoting attachment with their newborn despite these challenges.
For more information, visit
www.CHLA.org.
19 March 12, 2015
‘Lifeboat’ tells the story of courage CD4 candidate celebrates
The Wallis Annenberg Center for
the Performing Arts and Catherine
Wheels Theatre Company of
Scotland are holding a production
Nicola
by
“Lifeboat”,
of
McCartney, running from Friday,
March 13 through Sunday, March
22 in the Lovelace Studio Theater.
The show is recommended for ages
9 and older.
“Lifeboat” is a story of courage,
survival and enduring friendship set
during World War II.
In September 1940, a ship called
the City of Benares set sail from
Liverpool for Canada.
On board were 90 evacuees trying to escape the relentless bombing and dangers of war-torn Britain.
Four days into the journey, the
ship was torpedoed and sank.
Only 11 of the evacuees survived, including two 15-year-old
girls, Bess Walder and Beth
Cummings (played by Ashley
Smith and Hannah Donaldson,
respectively).
Bess and Beth spent 19 terrifying
hours in the water on an upturned
lifeboat during a relentless storm.
Purim at temple
photo by Eoin Carey The production “Lifeboat” will be running from March 13 through March
22 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.
Through
their will to survive, they endured
to tell their story.
Tickets start at $25. The Wallis
Annenberg Center for the
Performing
Arts is located at located at 9390 N.
Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills.
For information, call (310)7464000, or visit www.thewallis.org.
Armenian Genocide remembered at library
The Los Angeles Public Library
is welcoming “They Shall Not
Perish: The Story of Near East
Relief,” a traveling exhibit curated
by the Near East Foundation, to
recognize the Centennial of the
Armenian Genocide (1915-1930).
The exhibit is on display through
April 30 at the Central Library.
The 14 panel exhibit chronicles
the story of the Near East Relief
(NER) organization, and how the
United States assisted refugees of
the first genocide of the 20th century. Entirely funded by the American
people, Near East Relief (NER)
rescued and provided assistance to
hundreds of thousands of men,
women and children who were displaced by the Armenian Genocide.
Mandated
by
President
Woodrow Wilson and legislated by
Congress, humanitarian efforts
included orphanages, refugee centers, clinics, hospitals and schools
The exhibit is free and open to
the public during library hours and
is co-sponsored by Los Angeles
mayor Eric Garcetti, Councilman
Paul Krekorian, 2nd District, and
the Los Angeles Public Library.
“America, We Thank You” is an
Museum honors Jewish leader
The United States Holocaust
Memorial Museum’s “2015 Los
Angeles Dinner: What You Do
Matters” on Monday, March 16
will honor Michael Berenbaum,
Ph.D., with its National Leadership
Award for his signature contributions to establishing the Museum
and preserving the history of the
Holocaust at The Beverly Hilton
Hotel in Beverly Hills.
“And while much
has been done,
there’s so much
more to do in light
of rising
anti-Semitism,
ongoing genocide
and intolerable
hate around the
world.”
-Michael Berenbaum
honoree of
National Leadership Award
Honorary chairs are Morgan
Freeman, Sir Ben Kingsley and
Liam Neeson.
Honorary dinner committee
members include Kelly and Ron
Meyer, Wendy and Barry Meyer,
and Steven Spielberg.
Dinner co-chairs are Sheryl and
Ken Pressberg and Stacy and Jesse
Sharf.
The event will support the museum’s comprehensive campaign led
by honorary chair Elie Wiesel,
which will allow the museum to
make critical investments to keep
Holocaust memory alive in the 21st
century.
More than 1,000 guests are
expected to attend.
Michael Berenbaum, a writer,
lecturer and teacher specializing in
the conceptual development of
museums, is the director of the Sigi
Ziering Institute: Exploring the
Ethical and Religious Implications
of the Holocaust at the American
Jewish University. From 1988 to
1993, he oversaw the creation of
the museum, serving as project
director, and later as director of the
U.S. Holocaust Research Institute.
“This honor takes me full-circle
in being a part of the original plans,
its implementation and successful
public programs and profound
impact over the past 21 years,”
Berenbaum said. “And while much
has been done, there’s so much
more to do in light of rising antiSemitism, ongoing genocide and
intolerable hate around the world.
We must continue to focus on education and make every effort to
combat injustice through the
Museum’s mantra: ‘Never Again’.”
The United States Holocaust
Memorial Museum will have its
“2015 Los Angeles Dinner: What
You Do Matters” on Monday,
March 16 with a reception at 6 p.m.
and dinner at 7 p.m. at The Beverly
Hilton Hotel, 9876 Wilshire
Boulevard, Beverly Hills.
initiative of the Armenian National
Committee of America, Western
Region. The Los Angeles Public
Library serves the largest population of any library in the nation—
more than 4 million people—
through its Central Library, 72
branches, collection of more than 6
million books, state-of-the-art technology accessible at www.lapl.org,
and more than 18,000 public programs a year to provide everyone
with free and easy access to information and the opportunity for lifelong learning. The library is located
at 630 W. 5th St.
photo courtesy of Andrew Friedman
Council District 4 candidate Carolyn Ramsay (second from left)
recently celebrated Purim at Congregation Bais Naftoli with retired
Sheriff Lee Baca (left), attorney Andrew Friedman and his wife,
Chanie.
The Purim party included the reading of the Megillah, which signifies the triumph of the Jewish people over a Persian despot. Purim
dinner with hamentashen was served.
Josh Alpert, aka “Mr. Shabbos”, performed music, and guests also
enjoyed magic by Allen Oshiro.
‘Wyatt Earp’ costume on display
In honor of the 70th anniversary
of the show and in celebration of
Hugh O’Brian’s 90th birthday, the
Hollywood Museum will be featuring the “Wyatt Earp” costume that
O’Brian wore in his performance in
the hit TV series, “The Life and
Legend of Wyatt Earp.” The costume will feature original guns,
hostler, hats, boots and suit. The
Hollywood Museum is located in
the Historic Max Factor Building.
The Hollywood Museum houses
over 10,000 real show business
exhibits, the most extensive collection of Hollywood costumes, star
cars, props, posters, photographs
and memorabilia in the world,
showcasing more than 100 years of
Hollywood history. The Hollywood
Museum is located at 1660 N.
Highland Ave.
20 March 12, 2015
McKenna strives to keep students in school
From page 3
crowd of dozens. “I’m interested in
your critique. I’m here as your
board member to be of service to
you.”
McKenna began his career in the
LAUSD in 1962 as a teacher. In
1979, he became principal of
George Washington Preparatory
High School. He is well known for
his reform efforts at the school,
which at the time was known as one
of the most violent in the city. Many
of those policies were duplicated
across the district and country.
On Thursday, McKenna used the
town hall format to unveil some of
his plans for his tenure on the board.
His most ambitious plan, he said, is
a zero dropout policy for the district.
“A policy, not a suggestion,” he
added. “The child who drops out is
an environmental disaster.”
McKenna noted that special
needs students are allowed to stay in
the school district through their
early 20s. McKenna wants district
staff members to research the cost
of preventing students from dropping out, and how to best implement the policy.
“For me, it’s about the dropout
rate,” he said. “If we can come
together as a matter of policy and
say no student will leave without a
diploma — I don’t care how long
we have to keep them — that to me
is the beginning.”
He added that the school district
needs to focus on grades 3-7, and
especially middle school. A focus
on those grades will help students
be better prepared for high school,
he said, and it might be prudent for
the district to take students who are
struggling aside during those grades
and perhaps consider smaller class
sizes targeted for them.
“A child can literally fail every
class from kindergarten to middle
school, and he or she will still end
up in high school,” McKenna said.
“If we can come
together as a
matter of policy
and say no
student will leave
without a diploma
— I don’t care how
long we have to
keep them — that
to me is the
beginning.”
-LAUSD board member
George McKenna
“Let’s cost [a zero dropout policy]
up. Is it too expensive? At least we
will know. Maybe we can start a
pilot with a few schools. If we don’t
try it, we’ll just say it can’t be done.
I know I can’t overcome poverty,
but we can overcome mis-education.”
McKenna said he would sponsor
a motion on the zero dropout policy
this year.
The District 1 board member also
stumped for vocational classes,
which have often been phased out
due to budget constraints.
“Every child should have some
connection to a vocation,” he said.
“I would like our students to have
jobs that they know about before
graduation. Not all of our kids are
going to college.”
McKenna spoke briefly about
charter schools, which was a common topic of discussion during the
primary election.
“I have no problem with charter
schools,” he said. “I just don’t
advocate for them.”
He added that when charter
schools succeed in the same area as
a public school, it proves a school
can work in the area.
Regarding the iPad program initiated by former LAUSD
Superintendent John Deasy,
McKenna said technology is here
to stay, but he said he was unsure if
every student needed his or her own
device.
An audience question relating to
lower enrollment at Los Angeles
High School prompted McKenna
to discuss the need for public
schools to market themselves.
Earlier in the evening, John
Burroughs Middle School principal
Steve Martinez presented a
PowerPoint on his school’s
progress and programs — something all schools should be prepared
to do in order to market themselves,
McKenna said. He also said the district should consider hiring a marketing expert to help teach school
administrators.
“We need marketing plans for all
schools,” McKenna said.
School officials in attendance
said they are optimistic about
McKenna’s role with the district.
“I look forward to working with
Dr. McKenna and sharing best
practices,” Martinez said. “We are
only as good as our partners and I
welcome [him].”
Joyce Kleifield, executive director of The Harrison Trust at Los
Angeles High School, said she is
optimistic about what she has seen
from McKenna since the special
election.
“We got to know him a little bit
there and we were very impressed,”
she said. “I think I’m very pleased
because I think he is a pretty good
blending of the old and the new. I
think he has a lot of the old emotions that go along with what teaching should be, and he recognizes
the need to bring in new things to
address society today.”
Heilman plans to run in special election
From page 1
“Once I put out the word that I was
going to run, we had 30 people [at
city hall] in a half hour, all very
enthusiastic,” Heilman said.
Four candidates qualified for the
special election: planning commissioner Heidi Shink, public facilities
commissioner Cole Ettman, Block
and Heilman. Shink has been quietly
campaigning for the special election,
even as the general election took
place.
“That was always the seat I was
intending to run for,” Shink said.
“I’ve been preparing for it by talking
to residents and listening to what
they have to say. I wanted to take the
time to get to know them and have
them get to know me. One-on-one is
always a great way to meet with people.”
Aside from her current position as
a planning commissioner, Shink initially gained notoriety as the co-lead
singer with Chaz Bono in the band,
Ceremony. She won U.S. Rep.
Adam Schiff’s “Woman of the Year”
award in 2013. D’Amico has
endorsed her for the special election.
“This last election really signaled
change, a West Hollywood 2.0, if
you will,” she said. “An incumbent
was defeated and the voters spoke
loudly that way. They are looking for
new, fresh voices on city council as
we move forward into the future.”
D’Amico, Meister and Horvath
will be sworn in next Monday, joining Councilman John Duran, who
was not up for reelection.
“I’m grateful the
residents took the
time to listen and
took long
consideration on
who they would
vote for.”
-West Hollywood
Councilwoman-elect
Lindsey Horvath
“It’s been a pretty dramatic week,
I must say,” Horvath said on Friday,
shortly after the final results were
posted. “It wasn’t until the last
precincts [were counted on Tuesday
night] that I went ahead [of
Heilman]. And then it wasn’t until
the last two days until that was finalized. Being within three votes of
second place, that just shows how
every vote does count.”
Horvath was appointed to the city
council in 2009 after the death of
Councilman Sal Guarriello. She lost
reelection in 2011 to D’Amico.
“I think the big difference [from
2011] for me is that people got to
know me in my own right,” she said.
“They heard my story separate from
the other candidates and separate
from what they thought they knew. I
think they really listened.”
Horvath was happy to have fin-
ished the campaign, and said she
looks forward to working with her
future council colleagues.
“It was a pretty surreal experience, but I have to say that each candidate took their time telling their
story and communicating with the
voters,” she said. “I’m grateful the
residents took the time to listen and
took long consideration on who
they would vote for.”
Heilman commended his opponents from Tuesday’s election.
“The only other thing I would say
is everyone should join me in congratulating the new members of the
council and wishing them well, providing them with warmness and
support,” he said. “I know that the
two new council members are very
intelligent and I stand by ready to
help them in any way.”
Looking forward to the special
election, Heilman said he was hoping for the best.
“I think it’s going to be a question
of turnout,” he said. “The turnout
wasn’t great for our regular election.
It will probably be that or lower [for
the special election]. It’s all going to
be about, for all of the candidates,
how to get people to focus on it and
get people out to vote.
Until the special election is settled, Heilman said he would stay
away from city council meetings,
joking that he would probably miss
more meetings between now and
the election than in the past 30
years.
‘NCIS’ star honored on
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce honored actor Chris
O’Donnell with the 2,544th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last
Thursday. He was joined by LL Cool J, his co-star on “NCIS: Los
Angeles”.
The star is in the category of television and was dedicated in front
of Jameson’s Irish Pub located at 6681 Hollywood Blvd.
O’Donnell currently stars as G. Callen in CBS’ hit drama, “NCIS:
Los Angeles”, which is in its sixth season. He made his acting debut
with a performance as Jessica Lange’s rebellious son in the Paul
Brickman feature “Men Don’t Leave”, followed by a memorable
cameo in Jon Avnet’s Academy Award-nominated “Fried Green
Tomatoes”.
In 1993, O’Donnell was nominated for a Golden Globe and won the
Chicago Film Critics Award for his role opposite Al Pacino in “Scent
of a Woman”. O’Donnell then played D’Artagnan in “The Three
Musketeers” and he adopted an Irish dialect to star in the romantic
comedy “Circle of Friends”. He also took the role of Batman’s sidekick, Robin, in “Batman Forever” and “Batman and Robin”. Other
career highlights include “The Chamber”, “In Love and War”,
“Cookie’s Fortune”, “Vertical Limit”, “The Bachelor”, “Kinsey” and
“Max Payne”.
O’Donnell’s television credits include the TNT miniseries, “The
Company”, and “Grey’s Anatomy”. In 2002, O’Donnell made his
Broadway stage debut in Arthur Miller’s play “The Man Who Had All
the Luck”.
O’Donnell dedicates his time to charitable organizations including
St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica and sits on the board of Roberts
Enterprise Development Fund.
Bills introduced to modernize
LGBT state services
Equality California (EQCA) and
Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San
Francisco)
have
introduced
Assembly Bills 959 and 960, which
address concerns voiced by the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
communities regarding services
overseen by state agencies.
AB 959, the LGBT Disparities
Reduction Act, requires specific
state agencies to collect voluntary
information about sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) in
the regular course of collecting
other types of demographic data.
AB 960, the Equal Protection for
All Families Act, modernizes the
state’s assisted reproduction laws
to ensure all couples using assisted
reproduction are fully recognized
as parents.
“These new bills are crucial to
advancing equality for LGBT
Californians,” EQCA executive
director Rick Zbur said. “The
LGBT Disparities Reduction Act
aims to address the substantial
health and well-being disparities
between LGBT people and the
broader community. Having gov-
ernment agencies collect information about sexual orientation and
gender identity, as they do on other
important characteristics, is necessary to assure that LGBT community needs are being met. The
Equal Protection for All Families
Act builds on earlier efforts to
make all families equal in
California. No matter how they
conceive, LGBT parents using
assisted reproduction should be
recognized equally as parents, and
that is what this does.”
AB 959 and AB 960 are expected to have their first policy committee hearings in late March or
April.
“LGBT couples and modern
families
are
invisible
in
California’s family law because of
outdated assisted reproduction
laws,” Chiu said. “AB 960 will
treat them equally by giving all
couples, married or not, the opportunity to grow their family in
California. Fully understanding
LGBT communities and recognizing California’s modern families is
long overdue.”
21 March 12, 2015
Sale of hospital chain scrapped
From page 1
Harris’ conditions proved too great,
according to Prime Healthcare
Services.
“It was with a heavy heart that we
came to this decision, as we had sincerely hoped for DCHS to become a
part of the Prime Healthcare family
and did everything possible to try to
make that happen. We have great
respect for the mission of the
Daughters of Charity and wish the
best for the communities we had
hoped to serve,” Reddy said.
The
Service
Employees
International
Union-United
Healthcare Workers-West (SEIUUHW-West) was one of the most
vocal opponents to Prime
Healthcare Services’ initial bid last
October, preferring the bid by New
York-based private equity firm,
Blue Wolf Capital. Whether or not
Blue Wolf Capital will resubmit a
bid to purchase some or all of the
DCHS hospitals is unclear.
“Blue Wolf Capital has followed
developments at [DCHS] closely.
We remain strongly interested in
playing any constructive role that
utilizes our investment capital and
health care and restructuring expertise to resolve the challenges facing
the system and create a stable health
care provider for the communities
and workers who rely on these vital
safety net institutions,” said
Caroline Luz, spokesperson for
Blue Wolf Capital.
SEIU-UHW-West specifically
cited Robert Issai, president and
CEO of DCHS, as the main factor
in the financial failing of the hospital system. Issai and the union have
battled publically since Prime
Healthcare Services was named by
DCHS as the top pick to purchase
the hospitals.
“This announcement sets the path
for other buyers more compatible
with [DCHS]’ commitment to public health to jump in immediately to
purchase either the entire health system or individual hospitals,” said
David Regan, president of SEIUUHW. “[DCHS] management
needs to move quickly to select a
buyer to continue [DCHS]’ mission
of serving the sick and poor in our
communities.”
In a statement, Issai expressed
dissatisfaction
with
Prime
Healthcare Services’ decision not to
go through with the purchase, as
well as their comments regarding
the conditions put forth on the sale
by the attorney general.
“We strongly disagree with
Prime’s position on the attorney
general’s conditions … Over the
coming days, we have difficult decisions to make and we will communicate those decisions after we have
a change to consult with our advisors, board of directors and the
Daughters of Charity,” Issai said in
a statement.
It is unclear what will happen
with the DCHS hospitals. DCHS
and their supporters were hoping
the Prime Healthcare Services purchase would help hospitals avoid
bankruptcy and closure.
The
California
Nurses
Association (CNA), which represents 1,800 nurses at DCHS hospitals, was supportive of both Prime
Healthcare Services’ bid and the
attorney general’s conditions. But,
according to Martha Wallner, CNA
spokesperson, there may be hope
for the six hospitals.
“Obviously, we’re disappointed,
but we think there are some actions
possibly going on behind the
scenes, behind this transaction. It’s
too early to comment on what’s
going on. We’re really concerned
that these hospitals remain open.
And of course, we’re going to do
everything we can to make sure that
they remain open,” Wallner said.
In a statement released by the
attorney general’s office on
Tuesday, Harris defended the conditions put on Prime Healthcare
Services’ bid. She criticized their
decision to back out of the deal, saying that they had known since
December of the conditions to keep
some of the hospitals open for 10
years since December.
“Prime is choosing to walk away
from this transaction after publicly
stating that it had no issue with the
10-year condition and intended not
to close any of the hospitals or end
essential services. By walking
away, Prime is confirming many of
the concerns heard at multiple community meetings that the continuity
of vital healthcare services in these
communities is not its priority,”
Harris said in a statement.
photo by Luis Rivas
A rally was held on Jan. 6 at St. Vincent Medical Center in support of
Prime Healthcare Services purchasing the hospital.
Gehry to design project on Sunset Boulevard City receives HUD vouchers
From page 3
an infill, mixed-use project, and we
feel very fortunate to have Frank
and his team on board.”
One of the largest contiguous
parcels of land on the Sunset Strip,
the buildings at 8150 Sunset (at the
intersection of Crescent Heights
Boulevard) would combine 249
apartments with greenery and
extensive open spaces connecting
to a central plaza with an emphasis
on pedestrian and bicycle access.
In recent years, the Sunset Strip
has experienced an increase in
hotel, restaurant and nightclub
options, but has been limited in the
creation of a strong residential
community that would solidify the
area as a walkable urban village,
the developers said. At street level,
the development at 8150 Sunset
would provide new restaurants and
community-serving retail spaces,
while residents will also have
access to elevated, open-air spaces
on rooftops.
“The site has had historical significance over the course of the last
several generations, and it is poised
to become the eastern gateway to
the Sunset Strip for future generations,” Gehry said. “The project
has the potential to be something
very special, and I am honored to
be a part of unlocking that potential.”
A citizens group has emerged in
opposition to the project as currently proposed. Save Sunset
Boulevard has called for a smaller
and more responsible development
at the site, and the group is retaining an attorney.
The development’s draft environmental impact report (DEIR)
comment period ended in January.
The final environmental impact
report (FEIR) has not yet been
released. After the release of the
FEIR, the development would still
need to pass the Los Angeles City
Council’s Planning and Land Use
Management Committee and then
the full city council.
Cedars-Sinai
may not be sufficient to protect
patients,” the Cedars-Sinai statement read.
The medical center is offering
the exposed patients a free home
testing kit for CRE that can be sent
to Cedars-Sinai for analysis.
U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.)
joined colleagues in Congress in
sending a letter to commissioner
Margaret Hamburg of the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) seeking further information
and ideas from the FDA on how
best to prevent fatal outbreaks of
superbugs.
“The fact that this outbreak happened at Cedars-Sinai, which is in
my district and is one of the best
medical facilities in the world,
demonstrates how grave this issue
is and how urgently it needs to be
addressed,” Lieu said. “That is
why I met with incoming FDA
commissioner [Stephen] Ostroff
[March 4] to discuss ways to combat superbugs. I was heartened by
the focus and seriousness with
which the incoming commissioner
is treating this issue. I look forward to working with him and
other stakeholders. I am also calling for oversight hearings in
Congress on superbugs. I am
hopeful that these hearings will
take place soon.”
From page 5
antibiotics and can kill up to 50
percent of infected patients.
ERCP is a procedure in which a
fiber-optic scope is threaded down
the person’s throat to diagnose and
treat problems in the digestive
tract, such as gallstones, cancers
and blockages of the bile duct.
The medical center has sent letters to all patients who were
exposed to the scope in question.
The news comes shortly after
UCLA’s Ronald Reagan Medical
Center acknowledged a similar
outbreak.
“Cedars-Sinai removed the particular duodenoscope from use
and is continuing to use enhanced
disinfection procedures for duodenoscopes — above and beyond
the manufacturer’s recommendations — as it has since first hearing reports from other hospitals on
Feb. 19 that the manufacturer’s
disinfection recommendations
WeHo rolls out new ‘Bigbelly’ bins
West Hollywood is rolling out a
new system for garbage and recycling along Santa Monica
Boulevard sidewalks.
The city installed 18 Bigbelly
solar-powered compacting containers, strategically located along
Santa Monica Boulevard in heavi-
ly-walked spots between Doheny
Drive and Fairfax Avenue.
The Bigbelly bins will simultaneously collect trash and recyclables. Bigbelly receptacles have
been used in Glendale and Santa
Monica, officials said. For information, call (323)848-6375.
to help homeless vets
More housing vouchers are
coming to Los Angeles to help the
city’s homeless veterans population.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric
Garcetti on Tuesday announced
that the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) and Department of
Veteran’s Affairs (VA) awarded to
the Housing Authority of the City
of Los Angeles (HACLA) 490
new HUD-Veterans Affairs
Supportive Housing (VASH)
vouchers to house chronically
homeless veterans.
Each VASH voucher includes a
rental subsidy to pay rent and supportive services to help address
physical and mental health and
substance abuse issues. The VASH
vouchers will be used to house 490
homeless veterans who have been
homeless for over 12 months or
four times in the last three years
and have a serious disability.
“Los Angeles is one step closer
to ensuring that the men and
women who served our nation are
not left on the streets,” Garcetti
said. “Los Angeles has the
largest concentration of homeless veterans in the nation. In
2014, Garcetti pledged to end
veterans’ homelessness in the
city by 2016. In the first year of
the pledge, the city housed 3,375
homeless veterans. With a little
less than a year left in the pledge,
the city and its pledge partner,
Home for Good, estimate that
there are 3,154 homeless veterans who will need housing in
2015.
This year’s VASH allocation is
earlier than in prior years, in part
to respond to the city’s efforts to
end veterans’ homelessness by
2016. In prior years, HUD made
the VASH allocations in August
or September. Last fall, Mayor
Garcetti asked that HUD allocate
the 2015 VASH vouchers earlier,
which will allow the city to more
quickly house its homeless veterans.
State launches online tests
California Superintendent of
Public Instruction Tom Torlakson
launched what he called a new era
of student testing in California on
Tuesday, providing online exams in
English language arts/literacy and
mathematics to more than 3 million
students based on the state’s more
challenging academic standards.
Students in grades three through
eight, and 11, can now begin taking
the new California Assessment of
Student Performance and Progress
(CAASPP) in the first statewide
administration of new tests to
replace the paper-based, multiplechoice Standardized Testing and
Reporting (STAR) program. The
new tests allow students to demonstrate their ability to write analytically, think critically and solve
problems along with their knowledge of facts, officials said.
California is among 21 states
nationwide participating in the
Smarter Balanced Assessment
Consortium, a state-led organization that developed new assessments aligned to the Common Core
State Standards (CCSS).
22 March 12, 2015
Yamashiro recognized as L.A. icon
From page 1
months. “My main concern is the
restaurant, the primary work of my
life. It is very successful and it has
been experienced by hundreds of
thousands of people.”
Glover leases the property from
the LLC, and he said he is not optimistic a new owner will extend the
lease and allow Glover and his
family to operate the same restaurant business on the property.
The conflict over selling the
property ended up in the courtroom, Glover said, but his family
was not able to buy the property
from the LLC.
Yamashiro
translates
into
“Mountain Palace” in Japanese.
The property was developed in
1911 by the Bernheimer brothers.
The main building was constructed
to house their priceless collection
of Asian art and antiques. The
property is 250 feet above
Hollywood Boulevard and it was
completed in 1914.
“It is such an historic location
and it has been through many,
many incarnations,” Glover said.
After one of the brothers died,
most of their collection was auctioned off between 1922 and 1925.
Then, in the late 1920s, the property served as a headquarters for the
exclusive 400 Club. An insurance
company operated the property as
public gardens in the 1930s.
When World War II began, and
specifically after the attack on
Pearl Harbor, vandals attacked
Yamashiro, and the owners ended
up disguising the building by
masking its Japanese heritage.
“A lot of people felt [during the
war] that it was a Los Angeles
lookout tower for submarines and
so forth,” Glover said.
At the end of the war, a builder
converted the run down property
into 15 apartments. Then, in 1948,
Thomas O. Glover bought the
property hoping to convert it into a
hotel and apartments.
“It was pretty much in ruins,”
Glover said. “The trees had grown
up so you couldn’t see the buildings and the main building was disguised and hidden as much as it
could be. “[My father] began to
tear off all the coverings and discovered this beautiful woodwork
and silk coverings.”
Thomas O. Glover changed his
mind about demolishing the prop-
erty. Then, he won a city liquor
license lottery. Facing the prospect
of losing the license four years
later, Thomas O. Glover started
serving liquor in a back apartment
— the building handyman acted as
a makeshift bartender.
Early on, Thomas O. Glover
called it the Hollywood Hills Club
and charged $1 for memberships.
Slowly, the cocktail lounge took
over all of the apartments. Helping
his father one New Year’s Eve,
Glover said he began to serve food
at the location.
“I saw that you really needed
that to bring people up,” Glover
said. “And it’s just gradually grown
from there and taken over the
whole building.”
The last apartment was occupied
until the mid-1980s. Since then, the
entire main building has housed a
restaurant that can serve 500 customers.
“To be right in the middle of the
city, but be like a vacation, an oasis
— you come up there at night and
the view explodes before you,”
Glover said.
“There’s nothing like a great
restaurant with a great view,”
The iconic Yamashiro Hollywood restaurant was completed in 1914 and
was originally constructed to house a private collection of Asian art and
antiques.
LaBonge said.
Los Angeles Japanese Consul
General Hidehisa Horinouchi said
the property is a great tribute to
Japanese culture.
“The incredible thing about this
Yamashiro site is that it wasn’t
done by the Japanese government,
or a Japanese company or even
Japanese people,” he said. “It was
created by Angelenos and loved by
the Hollywood people.”
Glover said he doesn’t know
what will happen to his restaurant
and his family’s work restoring the
property. Many parts of Yamashiro,
including the main building and the
gardens, are protected through city
historic-cultural monument status.
“We appreciate the acknowledgement that the city has given to
the business and restaurant,”
Glover said. “It’s been in my family for 66 years. And that’s a long
time, but now we’ll see what the
future brings.”
Suspects arrested for dispensary break-in LAFD launches app to assist
From page 4
Blvd. The second suspect was
arrested inside the dispensary. He
suffered a broken arm during the
fall, and was treated at a hospital.
Nolan said the dispensary is
Prop. D compliant and appears to
be operating legally. He added that
burglars seem to be targeting medical marijuana dispensaries more
frequently. There have been
approximately six burglaries at dis-
pensaries in the Wilshire Division
within the last year.
“We are working on them. It
goes in spurts,” Nolan added.
“Usually they go through the doors,
but [owners] are fortifying the locations as good as possible. It’s
unusual that [the suspect] was
located inside. The owner responded and freed the trapped suspect.”
The suspects were identified as
Devion Smith, 32, and Jayson
Wilson, 35. They are each being
held on $20,000 bail. Investigators
are trying to determine if they are
responsible for any of the burglaries at other locations, Nolan added.
Anyone with further information
about the burglaries is urged to contact detectives with the LAPD’s
Wilshire Division at (213)9228205.
Wesson endorses candidate Carolyn Ramsay
From page 1
They said the location could be a
symbol for how they would work
together in the future.
Ramsay, who received 15.32 percent of the vote last Tuesday, is
waiting to learn who she will face
in the general election on May 19.
David Ryu is currently in second
place with 14.61 percent of the
vote, but he only leads Tomas
O’Grady, who received 14.29 percent of the vote, by 61 votes.
The Los Angeles City Clerk’s
Election Division must still count
43,814 votes — provisional ballots
and vote-by-mail ballots turned in
at polling stations — to finalize the
election results. The first update,
which will include the vote-by-mail
ballots, is expected today. The
clerk’s office has until March 24 to
officially certify the election
results.
“It’s per the election code,” said
Julio Esperias, media coordinator
for the election division. “We have
21 days [after Election Day] for the
election canvas to take place, and
we want to make sure that every
vote gets counted.”
Feuer files lawsuit over DWP billing system
Los Angeles City Attorney Mike
Feuer on Friday announced that his
office has filed a civil lawsuit
against Price Waterhouse Coopers
(PWC) alleging the company fraudulently misrepresented its capabilities to implement a new billing system for the Los Angeles Department
of Water and Power (DWP) in order
Correction:
The article titled, “Program
gives gift of dance to
Parkinson’s patients” in the
March 5 issue erroneously
identified Myra Lurie, chair of
the Beverly Hills Health and
Safety Commission, in a quote
on Linda Berghoff. The quote
should have been attributed to
Myra Demeter, commissioner
of the Beverly Hills Health and
Safety Commission.
to secure a $70 million city contract
that it subsequently failed to deliver.
The complaint alleges that as a
result of the company’s lack of skills
and experience to perform the work
in the contract, the DWP’s system
was unable to properly calculate and
bill tens of thousands of customers,
resulting in the loss of hundreds of
millions of dollars in revenue.
In 2009, the DWP issued a request
for proposals (RFP) in an effort to
modernize its nearly 40-year-old
customer care and billing system.
The complaint alleges that PWC
intentionally misrepresented and
failed to disclose important facts in
its response to the RFP in order to
secure the contract. Specifically, the
complaint alleges PWC overstated
its knowledge, expertise and skills
necessary to convert the DWP’s current billing system and implement a
new software platform for the
department’s customers.
The complaint also alleges that
PWC misled the DWP by stating it
had a “100 percent success rate” in
implementing the billing system and
falsely touting the success of similar
work performed for the Cleveland
Water Department. In fact, PWC’s
failure at Cleveland Water caused
the company to incur severe financial losses as a result of improper
billing of customers.
In addition to allegedly inducing
the DWP to reward the contract to
PWC, the company subsequently
failed to successfully perform several of the key tasks it was required to
perform under its contract, including
successfully completing critical
reports and customer billing conversion programs necessary for the
billing system, officials said.
As a result of PWC’s alleged misconduct, the complaint alleges 11.25
percent of DWP’s meters were rendered unable to function and the
DWP was unable to bill approximately 180,000 of its customers.
people in need of CPR
The Los Angeles Fire
Department (LAFD) has joined
with the PulsePoint Foundation
and The Wireless Foundation to
bring life-saving technology to
Angelenos via PulsePoint, a
mobile app designed to increase
citizen awareness of cardiac
events beyond a traditional “witnessed” area and engage them in
potentially life-saving CPR.
The partnership was formally
launched last week at an event at
Woodrow Wilson High School in
El Sereno where 120 students
became CPR trained.
“This app connects trained
lifesavers who may already be on
scene with people who need
immediate help, when seconds
count the most,” Los Angeles
Mayor Eric Garcetti said. “My
back to basics agenda is focused
on implementing technologies
that can make a difference in
ways that are most important to
our residents, and there is no
greater priority than emergency
response. I want to see this app
activate an army of civilian first
responders across Los Angeles.”
Targeted toward off-duty professionals and citizens trained in
CPR, the PulsePoint app alerts
users when a sudden cardiac
arrest occurs in a nearby public
place, directs them to the patient
location and provides CPR guidance while LAFD paramedic
units are en route to the call. The
app also notifies users of the closest available Automatic External
Defibrillator (AED). Early application of bystander CPR and
rapid defibrillation from an AED
have proven to be crucial in
improving a person’s chance of
surviving, officials said. The free
PulsePoint app is available for
iPhone and Android.
Hackers claim to be ISIS
From page 5
or persons responsible is ongoing,” FBI representatives said.
According to Ray Galan, head of
RG Pacific, these types of cyber
attacks, or hacks, are common but
are not too serious.
“All they do is access the public
files, which are your home page
and simple content pages, and just
inject HTML code which overrides
the display on the page,” Galan
said.
Most small business websites use
shared hosting accounts, which
make these types of hacks possible,
according to Galan. Shared hosting
accounts, which GoDaddy or
Web.com offer, are popular because
of their low-cost of $5 to $20 per
month.
A more secure alternative is
using a dedicated or private server,
according to Galan. However, the
cost
increases
substantially.
Although known for their affordable shared hosting accounts,
GoDaddy also offers dedicated
server accounts from $1,500 to
$2,400 per year.
“I recommend spending a little
more money and getting better
hosting accounts, and to also build
a more secure website,” Galan said.
Representatives of Duroque.com
were not available for comment.
Answers From Page 16
23 March 12, 2015
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3/12/2015 - Beverly Press

Transcription

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