Melrose Heights Magazine issue number 8 by Amy Delaporte

MELROSE HEIGHTS MAGAZINE

Legendary QUINCY JONES

Explorer DR. ALLEN S. COUNTER “GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER” STANLEY KRAMER

ISSUE 8

FASHION COUTURE COVER GIRL CONTEST PHOTO CONTEST

Fotograf CURTIS WILLIAMS

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Quincy Jones Inks Two Book Deal with Insight Editions

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Quincy Jones with Ray Charles on Merv Grifith Show 14

Quincy Jones Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones, Jr. is the most prolific living music producer and the creative force behind many of the iconic moments in contemporary American popular culture. As one of the most awarded entertainers and philanthropists of all time, Quincy has the distinction of being the most nominated Grammy artist ever, having received twentyseven Grammy awards and a record seventy-nine nominations. Additionally he has earned seven Oscar nominations, as well as an Emmy for his work on Roots. His debut as a filmmaker occurred in 1985 when he co-produced Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, which earned 11Academy Award nominations. Quincy also co-produced the Tony award-nominated Broadway play The Color Purple. His philanthropic accomplishments include the era-defining benefit concerts, We Are The World, Net Aid, and We Are The Future. Harvard University named him Mentor of the Year in 2007. He is the only American musician to receive France’s Commandeur de la Legion d’Honneur. In 2001, Quincy was named a Kennedy Center Honoree, for his contributions to the cultural fabric of the United States of America; and most recently was recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts as a Jazz Master, the nation’s highest jazz honor. Composer, producer, performer, philanthropist, and infinitely gifted musician — a true

Quincy Jones with Studio Musician

Quincy Jones renaissance man — Quincy has orchestrated the sounds of Frank Sinatra; co-produced with and set the ambiance for Steven Spielberg, cultivated the talent of Michael Jackson, and introduced the world to Oprah Winfrey and Will Smith— just to name a few. He founded Qwest Records, Qwest Broadcasting, and Vibe Magazine. Quincy is the composer of more than thirty-eight film scores and is a multi- platinum-selling musician. A paragon of humanitarian thought and action, Quincy played an active role in Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Operation P.U.S.H., helped found the Institute for Black American Music and the Black Arts Festival. He created The Quincy Jones Foundation in partnership with Harvard School of Public Health After Foundation, which spearheads several humanitarian initiatives to benefit Africa and children in global conflict zones. In honor of Quincy Jones’ seventy-fifth birthday, he is opening his private archives for the first time ever, offering an intimate look into his imagination, enterprise, and humanity in The Complete Quincy Jones: My Journey & Passions. “The length, breadth, and diversity of Quincy Jones’ career may only be known for the first time through this comprehensive and visually stimulating volume,” explains Raoul Goff, Publisher and CEO of Insight

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The Deﬁant One; STANLEY KRAMER by Karen Kramer and Etta Jenkins

Many of the young people today may ask....”Who was Stanley Kramer?” Many

from the baby boomers and on, remember only too well, that Stanley Kramer was one of the first true independent filmmakers to pave the way for the rest of us. He put his financial security and reputation on the line countless times. He was defiant against

the establishment, injustice, bigotry, mans inhumanity to man and the excessive

abuse of power. He brought to the screen ﬁlms of content and subject matter that we as a culture wanted to ignore. We were not prepared for change. In fact, he was the frontrunner on many unpopular subjects particularly the subject.... of civil rights. 21

In 1947, one of Stanley Kramer’s earliest ﬁlms, “Home of the Brave,” dealt with the subject of an African American soldier feeling the suppression and bigotry from an all white platoon in the Army.

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Originally, “Home of the Brave,” was a Broadway play. The story revolved around a Jewish soldier feeling the threat of discrimination from his Army peers. Stanley Kramer made a definitive decision to change the leading character to an African American. He knew that the stakes would be high but he took on the fight for civil rights. He made the film in secret, asking the cast and crew not to reveal to anyone that an African American would be the star of the film. The actor was James Edwards. When the film was released Stanley was highly criticized. It was extremely controversial and is still considered to this day the most picketed film in the history of motion pictures. 1947 seems like a very long time ago. It’s difficult to fathom today, that just 60 years ago the African American actor was only allowed to play shoe shine boys or waiters on trains, etc. In reality, the discrimination was so rampant that they were not allowed to frequent our theaters, our restaurants, drink from the same water fountains, or use our restrooms. This was reserved for whites only! Intolerable as that seems today, an African American actor literally had no future. Stanley Kramer could not tolerate bigotry and discrimination. He risked his future to “Change that Perception.”

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Stanley’s love for the oppressed had largely to do with the fact that he was born in “Hell’s Kitchen” New York in 1913. “Hell’s Kitchen” has been referred to as the “armpit of America.” In 1913 it was full of gangs and not a safe place to live. Stanley’s father left his mother the first year of marriage. He was raised by his mother, a single parent, which was most unusual for that era.

SPENCER TRACY - SIDNEY POITIER - KATARINE HEPBURN 23

She had strong values that served her son very well. There were few options for someone living in New York during the early 1900’s. Your future had few choices....you could become a priest, a prize fighter or go to prison. It seemed that these early years shaped his values in the right way. He entered New York University at 15 and graduated at 19 at the top of his class where he was later inducted into New York Universities Hall of Fame in 1968. During those years, Stanley was greatly influenced by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt. While a teenager, Marion Anderson., an African American Opera Star was to sing the National Anthem for an organization called, The Daughters of the American Revolution. Eleanor Roosevelt was invited to attend. The committee ruled against Ms. Anderson singing based on one fact...and one fact alone....she was black. Mrs. Roosevelt realized the situation and withdrew her name to attend. She was quoted as saying “As long as I am First Lady, Ms. Anderson will sing.” She invited her to sing at the White House! The Roosevelt’s were very influential in recognizing civil rights and that made a huge impression on a young Stanley Kramer. He knew only too well, what it was like to live with bigotry because he was Jewish. He felt a kinship to anyone who suffered unjustly based on externals. Stanley wrote Eleanor Roosevelt and she wrote him back and in time became his mentor. Stanley’s mother and “Hell’s Kitchen” stand as a testimony to all single parents that environment does not qualify as the deciding factor to what someone can achieve in life.

”THE DEFIANT ONES” TONY CURTIS and SIDNEY POITIER

Stanley Kramer was the first to break the black list (a list of writers, actors, producers that were seemingly criticizing the American way, which was considered subversive) During the 1940’s and early to middle 1950’s Senator Joseph McCarthy was conducting hearings against the entertainment industry for seeming associations with unAmerican activities which deeply effected the careers of motion picture writers, directors, producers and actors. These people were black-listed which meant they were not allowed to make a living or work in our industry. Many of these black-listed artists left the country, lost homes, lost all support, were ostracized and many committed suicide. This was a very bleak and embarrassing time in our country. If a producer wanted to hire a writer who had been black- listed, they would often change their names on the credits. They would meet in out of the way coffee shops as not to been seen, because they were afraid of the association and would not pay them their normal salary. No filmmaker was allowed to hire anyone who had been black-listed. Stanley Kramer was the first to break the blacklist in 1957 by hiring 2 blacklisted writers. He not only paid them top-dollar he used their real names and then brought them onto the studio lot and he hired them as actors in the film. These two blacklisted writers were the two truck drivers who transported Sidney Poitier and Tony Curtis to jail in “The Defiant Ones.” In the credits where it says screen play written by, Stanley zooms in on their close ups and places their names right under their picture. He defied the system and fanned the flame. The film was extremely controversial. It was the first time an Anglo Saxon and an African American depicted escaped prisoner, chained together who settled their differences culturally and socially and subsequently bonded together in lasting

friendship. In 1967 Stanley made another classic ﬁlm, “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” dealing with the subject matter of interracial marriage starring Sidney Poitier,

SPENCER TRACY

STANLEY KRAMER

“IT’S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD” Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. At the time the film was made interracial marriage was against the law in 16 states. Stanley’s life was threatened because of the making of this film and yet he was very proud of the fact that this film helped change the law in 16 states. It was nominated for many Oscar Awards and it was the highest grossing film of all time. Sidney Poitier ask Stanley, “are you sure the country is ready for this type of subject?” Stanley said no, defiantly…”but we’re going to make it anyway.” There is a moment in the film where Spencer Tracy’s character asks Sidney Poitier character, “aren’t

KAREN SHARPE KRAMER and STANLEY KRAMER you worried about having children, interracial marriage is against the law in 16 states?” Sidney Poitiers character replies, “Of course there’s going to be children, we think he will be President of the United States or at least Secretary of State…” How prophetic was that? Stanley Kramer believed so totally in what he was doing and what the country should stand for… the equality of all men. One statement that sums up Stanley Kramer from his ﬁlm, “Judgment at Nurenberg,” the line spoken by Spencer Tracy’s character at the summation of the Nurenberg trial, “Let it be noted that this is what we stand for, Truth, Justice and the Value of a single human being.” That was Stanley Kramer. 29

THE KAREN SHARPE KRAMER STORY A Tele-Play in Three Acts by Robert Cohen ACT ONE The time, a year or so after World War II. The place, Los Angeles. Karen Sharpe, age 12, born and raised in Texas and already a champion ice skater, convinces her parents to let her travel by train to Los Angeles to visit her aunt and uncle so she can meet movie stars. She does just that, meeting her movie hero, Larry Parks (the star of The Al Jolson Story) and his wife, actress Betty Garrett in the lobby of the Beverly Hills Hotel. Karen visits with them at their Beverly Hills home the next day and has them autograph her scrap book of The Jolson Story. (They become life long friends.) At age 14, Karen moves, on her own, to Los Angeles, to pursue her dream of becoming a star. She attends Hollywood Professional School during the days (with fellow classmate James Dean) and performs in the L.A. theater scene at night, learning her craft and style as an actress. At age 15 she has her first major studio screen test. It is a disaster; she is undeterred. She is blessed with extraordinary beauty, great talent, intelligence, and most importantly incredible energy and determination. She perseveres with great enthusiasm. At age 20, she has already starred in several movies and is awarded the Golden Globe Award for her role in Hollywood’s first, full fledged disaster movie, The High and The Mighty, starring John Wayne. Between the mid-50’s and mid-60’s she is one of Hollywood’s most active and sought after leading ladies in scores of top tv series, live dramas and specials. She is a star and hugely popular both inside the industry and outside the industry with movie and television viewers. But acting is not enough. She meets, falls in love with and marries internationally loved and renown director/producer Stanley Kramer. She gives up her remarkably successful career — one that she has focused on, almost exclusively, for decades.

ACT TWO Karen Sharpe Kramer is born and so are the Kramer’s two daughters, Katharine and Jennifer. Karen devotes herself to her family and begins producing, not acting in, movies with Stanley. Karen and Stanley travel the world, producing controversial, brilliant, always poignant and meaningful movies. On a whim she decides to move the family to Seattle so that their children can grow up away from the spotlight and pace of L.A. The family becomes an important fixture of the Seattle arts and theater community. As usual Karen is unstoppable, immediately offering master classes in acting, theater and film at a local major university, importing major stars such as Jane Fonda to lead special classes and symposiums and developing local talent into major stars including Brendan Fraser. The years pass on, the girls grow up, Stanley’s health declines and the family moves back to Southern California for Stanley’s final years. ACT THREE Karen is now alone. But not really. She has her daughters, she has her health, and she has her memories. But she has more — much more. She still has her boundless energy and desire for the world to be a better place and for the next generations to enjoy and learn from Stanley’s incredible body of magical and spell binding motion pictures that questioned man’s values and mores. And she is especially proud of the social themes and controversies that Stanley’s movies explored decades ahead of their time. She produces The Stanley Kramer Film Collection with Sony Pictures. She produces a remake of High Noon. She maintains and oversees the Stanley Kramer Library and establishes the Stanley Kramer Award at the Producer’s Guild and the Stanley Kramer Award in Directing at UCLA. She oversees the creation of the Stanley Kramer Theater at the Sunset Gower Studios (formerly Columbia Pictures) — a special screening theater that is the most exclusive and state of the art screening room in Hollywood. And, she decides to resume her acting career that has been in suspended animation for 41 years! 41 years since the release of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. Yes, it is finally time for an African American to do anything in the world that he wants to do— even be President of the United States. And it is time for Karen to get back in front of the camera.

(Note to Tele-play Director : Tele-play is to be in black and white; because that’s the way Stanley would have done it.) 32

Glynn Turman celebrates Emmy: Glynn Turman, veteran actor, who has a career that spans ﬁve decades, was awarded his very ﬁrst Emmy at this year’s 60th Annual PrimeTime Emmy Awards, as Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. Turman’s pivotal role as Alex Sr. in HBO’s critically acclaimed series In Treatment made the viewing public stand up and take notice. The former ‘A Different World’ star beat out other heavyweights such as Robin Williams, Stanley Tucci, Charles Durning, Robert Morse and Oliver Pratt for the coveted honor. Turman shared, “I feel honored, certainly humbled and most

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deﬁnitely blessed. I have been able to support myself, raise a family and at times contribute meaningful commentary to our society as a whole and it has made this ride very fulﬁlling.” With his love for theatre, in the midst of it all, he has just completed a one month run as the lead in August Wilson’s original Broadway play “Two Trains Running” and has a recurring role on the new season of the proven successful series In Treatment.

Celebrates EMMY 35

Hilliard Elkins It’s difﬁcult

to say the name, Hillard Elkins, and not think of such Broadway productions as; ‘Oh Calcutta’, ‘Golden Boy’, ‘A Street Car Named Desire’ and ‘The Rothschilds’. His early films include; ‘Richard Pryor Live in Concert’ and Arthur Penn’s ‘Alice’s Restaurant’ just to name a few. Mr. Elkins has produced numerous plays as well as developed careers such as; Steve McQueen, Claire Bloom, Sammy Davis Jr., James Coburn, Louis Gossett Jr., Glynn Turman and the list goes on. Mr. Elkins is a pillar in the theatre community, a maverick if you will of uncommon pedigree. Even in his latter years, he exudes a confidence that is only granted to those who have taken many turns in life and made the journey. He continues to build careers from the ground up, ensuring that potential is molded into authentic talent. “As an agent you find talent, work with talent and ultimately get jobs for talented individuals. You also negotiate their deal which is not unlike producing; where you acquire a property and develop it and go through the steps of producing it.” Mr. Elkins’ career longevity can be attributed to several things, a Godgiven talent to make an individual a star, the ability to change-as do times and seasons and thirdly, sheer hard work. He began in theatre at the City Radio Workshop in the early 40’s, where he learned the ins and outs of acting and producing, sound engineering and the day to day operations of a stage hand. The workshop opened up a whole new world to Hilly (as he is affectionately known). His love for the theatre existed within him with no struggle, it is his organic specific, and nothing would satisfy like it. With an affinity for theatre, tools; mouth, hands and brain, Mr. Elkins set out to build an empire from the ground up. He realized that aside from being a good announcer, he also enjoyed putting things together. The young Mr. Elkins made his way to the William Morris agency where he quickly made friends and climbed the ladder at a rather swift pace. Case in point, “A young actor walks into my office that I didn’t know and says, “May I audition for you?” and I said, “Of course.” He was wonderful, I introduced him to the other guys and we signed him. He has and continues to have a phenomenal career. I still represent him today. At the time I believe, we were both 17 and a half, His name is Robert Culp.” Mr. Culp was responsible for writing the “I Spy” episode which won Bill Cosby his first Emmy.” From the mid 50’s to the early 60’s, Mr. Elkins ran his own personal management firm, representing such clients as; Lee Adams and Charles Strouse (3 time Tony award winning composer and lyricist), Mel Brooks (Actor and grand master of movie satire), Gypsy Rose Lee (actress, writer), James Komack (actor, writer, producer of Chico and the Man, Welcome Back Kotter and singer on the ‘Nat King Cole Show’), Steve McQueen (Classic American Legend), Herbert Ross (Choreographer, director Footloose and Funny Girl, producer), Mike Stewart (writer for ‘Bye Bye

Hilliard Elkins A TASTE OF HONEY Birdie’ and ‘Hello Dolly’), Ben Vereen (2 time Tony Award winning actor) and Georgia Brown; who came over from England with the Beatles and was featured on the same Ed Sullivan show ( Mr. Elkins received a Drama Critics Circle Award for his presentation of Georgia Brown in her one-woman show “Georgia Brown and Friends.”) The list of individuals as well as accolades goes on. The sixties were a tumultuous time for every industry, including Hollywood. The country was divided by racial lines and man’s ignorance of mankind. There was a ‘Voice’ in the South preaching equality for every man, admonishing us to love our neighbor and judge no man by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character. Mr. Elkins heard that voice and responded. While producing Golden Boy, he decided to change the leading role from and Italian kid searching for his break to a black man searching for his future. “One day I get a call from Harry Belafonte. He said, “Hill we need some help.” I said, “What do you need?” Harry says, “We’re going down to Selma, Alabama with Dr. King and we would like you and Sammy to come with us.” I said, “No problem, I’ll go talk to Sammy and I’ll call you back.” I go down stairs to Sammy’s dressing room. I said, “Sammy I just got a call from Harry, Dr. King is giving a speech in Selma and they want us to come.” Sammy says, “No Way Am I Going to the South, NO WAY!” I say, “Sammy, this is Dr. King.” He said, “I know and I respect him, but no way am I going to the south!” I said ok and went back upstairs to my office. I called him back and said, “Harry, we have a problem,” he said, “what’s the problem?” I said, “Sammy doesn’t want to go south and he asked me to tell you that I couldn’t afford to close the show. (Sammy was starring in Golden Boy at the time)” He said, “Could you afford to close the show?” I said, “Of course,” he said, “tell him I bought the night.” I go back down stairs and say, “Sammy we got a problem,” he said, “what’s the problem?” I said, “Harry bought the night.” Sammy was livid! “So it’s Me, Sammy, Charles Strouse, Sheila Sullivan (my then-fiancée and leading lady understudy), Lee Adams, and George Rhodes (Sammy’s conductor). As we were preparing to go, George put his hand up and said, “See Ya,” he wasn’t going down south. Charlie said, “I can conduct.” “We boarded the plane and within 5 minutes we heard the n-word flying around the cabin. This was 1965 with a plane full of southerners headed south. As we are getting off the plane, Sammy’s in deep conversation with Sheila as they head out the door together. I say, Sammy, Sammy, remember where you are.” He looked at me with this I told you I didn’t want to come in the first place look and said, Ok.ok.” “We got into the car and started driving. The first thing we heard on the car radio was “This is ABC- The White News.” The first thing we saw was a huge bill board that read ‘HELP KEEP THE U.S. OUT OF THE UN’! (giving an idea of the mindset of the region). There we were a car full of white liberals headed for a black hotel, which was the only place we could stay. We got up the next morning and boarded the buses and headed to the sight where the speech was to be held. We looked and we 38

Hilliard Elkins were surrounded and protected by the Alabama National Guard (which was not all that reassuring). We exited the buses and assembled ourselves. Dr. King gave his historic speech. Sammy admitted later he was glad he had attended.” Mr. Elkins teamed with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to produce, ‘Broadway Answers Selma.’ Shortly thereafter Mr. Elkins was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play Producer for the double Tony Award winning South African play, ‘Sizwe Banzi is dead’ and ‘The Island,’ both by the critically acclaimed playwright and director, Athol Fugard. Mr. Elkins was nominated for Best Musical Producer of The Year in 19701971. In the late 80’s it took Elkins a year to convince Hal Prince that the world was ready for a Black Phantom. World renowned actor Robert Gillaume, who earned rave reviews as the lead in ‘Phantom of the Opera,’ was also a client of Mr. Elkins. Mr. Gillaume blazed the trail to become the first African American actor to play the lead character in that role. Mr. Elkins partnered with Jeff Stetson and director Bill Duke who was a client to produce the American Playhouse presentation of ‘The Meeting’ - an apocryphal meeting between Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. The production received the prestigious Ohio State Award. The die was cast, Hollywood had made a statement. Today, Mr. Elkins is just as active as the day he set foot in the offices of the William Morris Agency. Identifying, shaping and launching the next generation of movers and shakers, he labors to secure the industries integrity, in order that we the audience might be profoundly and indelibly moved by the artist performance. Talia Shire( who’s currently working on a play with Elkins producing), Barry Corbin, Kit Carson (writer, actor currently recording The African Diaries, with African children for digital use with the Sundance Channel), Matthew Penn, Kent Faulcon and Bima Stagg (author of ‘Inside’ which Hilly produced, is the story set in the Apartheid period directed by Arthur Penn, which brought Hilly to love South Africa and was shown at Cannes at the Directors Fortenight twice, and Stander about a South African Police officer) represent just a few more of the talented individuals assigned to Mr. Elkins’ “Repertoire of the Great.” With 2 new projects on the horizon; in collaboration with, Appian Way Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company, entitled “Cat’s Cradle” based on the Classic novel by Kurt Vonnegut; and “The Timothy Leary story, there doesn’t seem to be a limit to Mr. Elkins’ passion for his craft. Hilly states, “Getting an actor to fall in love with what they are doing and convincing them to go as far as they can, is a never-ending task.”

Photo by Curtis Williams

Dr.Allen Counter

was paddling a dugout canoe down the Rio Cayapas in the rainforest of Ecuador in 1993 when he came across a tribe of Amerindians who were apparently suffering from possible mercury poisoning. These rainforest Indians lived in an area where gold prospectors regularly mined for gold and used mercury to separate the gold ore from alluvial sediment. Many of these villagers were questioning why their children were so sick and had not associated their illness with mercury poisoning. Dr. Counter immediately set out to do something to help the people in the village. He later met with Ecuadorian government ofﬁcials and informed them of the suffering of their indigenous people from what was clearly a preventable medical problem. Dr. Counter is a professor of Neurology and Neuroscience at Harvard University, where he has worked for over 20 years. He has been called by Spain’s respected PUBLICO magazine, “The Indiana Jones of Neurology.”

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Dr. Counter returned to the Ecuadorian interior each year thereafter, often more than once per year, to visit the indigenous populations. In 1995, he entered the village of El Teja, in the Cotapaxi mountain area of the Andes, some 15,000 feet above sea level, where he was greeted by numerous cheerful and smiling children. Upon closer examination, Dr. Counter observed that these beautiful Qetcheua children had permanent black stains on their teeth, a sign of severe lead poisoning. When he questioned the parents about the childrens’ black teeth, he realized that neither the children nor the parents understood the serious medical implications of this symptom. Lead and mercury exposure may cause severe brain damage, including neurocognitive impairment, especially in the developing brains of children. The local schoolmaster in one village said that about 70 percent of the children in his school had learning disabilities, possibly from lead exposure. Again, Dr. Counter set out to do something about this desperate medical situation and help these clearly lead intoxicated children. He had had little success in getting government sponsored medical support for the children with mercury poisoning, so he was determined to get

DR. COUNTER SAVES A VILLAGE both Ecuadorian and American doctors involved with medical intervention for these children. Dr. Counter met with doctors at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador and recruited them to join him in his effort to save the children of El Tejar from the heavy metal poisons. He and his Ecuadorian medical team took blood, urine, and hair samples from hundreds of children in the village and brought them back to America to be analyzed for their lead and mercury content. To their surprise, the samples showed the children to have lead and mercury levels that far exceeded those of children in the US or even adults who worked with lead and mercury. Many had potentially fatal levels of lead in their blood that required immediate medical intervention. Moreover, many of the nursing mothers were found to have toxic levels of lead in their breast milk. Dr. Counter then assembled an international medical team to investigate lead and mercury exposure among the indigenous populations in the Ecuadorian mountains and rainforest. In one village, where most of the women of child-bearing age work with lead extracted from car batteries to be used in the glazing of ceramics, he found a six year old girl with a blood lead level of 128 micrograms per deciliter of blood, which is more than 10 times higher than the Centers for Disease Control health risk threshold of 10 micrograms per deciliter. Such high levels of lead poisoning were astoundingly common in many children in her village. In another village, where gold mining with elemental mercury is widespread, he found a young Saraguro Indian boy with a blood mercury level of 89 micrograms per liter, which far exceeds the World Health Organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s level of 10 micrograms per liter as a threshold of danger.

DR. Allen S. Counter

DR. COUNTER SAVES A VILLAGE

After determining the prevalence of heavy metal poisoning among these villagers, Dr. Counter established a program for the treatment of the lead and mercury intoxicated families and an educational program to teach the people of the villages about the hazards and risks of lead and mercury exposure. He wrote to numerous international pharmaceutical companies to request donations of the most effective and current medicines for the chelation therapy that is required to reduce the lead and mercury poisoning in the children. He was able to get one company, Sanoﬁ Synthelabo, to provide him with over twenty-thousand dollars worth of the latest medicine used in the treatment of lead and mercury poisoning. He then transported this medicine up the mountains of Ecuador, and with the help of Ecuadorian doctors and local nurses treated scores of lead

and mercury poisoned children. Over the past few years, Dr. Counter has witnessed a signiﬁcant decline in lead and mercury poisoning in the children and adults of these contaminated villages, as a result of his medical treatment program and his educational intervention. The success of his 12 years of biomedical work with the lead and mercury poisoned children of Ecuador prompted the director of Harvard’s Rockefeller Center for Latin American studies to remark at a recent Harvard gathering, “Dr. Allen Counter has saved an entire Latin American village.”

Nadia Duguay On the Mission Field As a teenager Nadia Duguay wanted only one thing from her future,

to become a missionary. Without any idea of what it could imply, the concept of donating ones life for the poorest well burned on her consciousness. Nadia begins her studies in this direction.

Nadia Duguay’s

Life being what it is, in 1999 she lost everything that was dear to her, a profound questioning was necessary. She made a directional change towards the world of visual arts, completed a bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts and Medias, and was a tour round performer, videographer, VJ and artistic director for cultural events. But still something was missing. In 2005 Nadia Duguay made the acquaintance of François-Xavier Michaux. Part of his life had always been given to social engagement, the other to the arts and culture. What if the combination of the two was more meaningful than it looks? The idea went through its process and several meetings later they consolidated this reﬂection and gave it beautiful wings. Today they share not only their lives but also the direction of Exeko. François-Xavier armed with a dual master’s degree in engineering and project management joins the socio-cultural background of Nadia Duguay for what might be called the Exeko adventure. This organization specializes in the development and realization of sociocultural projects co-founded in 2006. The general idea; create value by ﬁnding creative solutions to social problems often seen and perceived as immutable and unchanging. They oscillate from the idea that all projects have a similar base; Management and Networking: that is the capacity to surround itself with competent persons supporting the same human values. And also to add a touch of meaning to management, they put forward the idea of responsible project management or better yet, ethical project management, a concept which includes the impact on social, environmental and more widely; human conditions.

Nadia Duguay This idea reflects itself in any project they undertake but also in managing daily operations and collaborations; their policy of exchange of services and donation of services are a good example. Exeko operates as a dual structure: the Non-Profit Organization is responsible for humanitarian projects and a private company to achieve a broader spectrum. But be careful, even the private company has a clear policy of profits and redistribution. Exeko, in this sense, is in the new wave of social enterprises. The aim is clearly not to raise a personal fortune but rather to use the resources, the professionalism and the tools, that are especially present in the world of private business, to generate what might be called the social benefit. In addition combining business with social causes is not an impossibility... Projects are multiplying as are meetings with good people as well. From the beginning, artist, thinker, psychologist and businessman, Wayne Schoenfeld became a partner of exceptional value. Schoenfeld and Exeko continue to partner in multiple projects. From the coordination of exhibitions to the production of the documentary movie ‘The Memory Box’; the first one of a series designed to recognize and give a voice to various initiatives in cooperation with local and international development throughout the world. All this, through the production of contemporary work and newly developing a humanitarian tourism project will immerse in this documentary. The next project for Exeko; Art, Culture and Society. This is a key project which aims social integration of people in difficult circumstances; in particular youth and inmates, by teaching reflexive tools and critical thinking. This program is a mix of theory in philosophy, sociology and art in popularized words and totally accessible to all. Moreover Nadia pointed out that these theories have always identified solid benchmarks for the development of man and society, why would it be more accessible to the rich or more educated?

Nadia Duguay

Among the realizations of Exeko we can still cite a program of therapeutic humanitarian clowning that was also born from the collaboration with Schoenfeld and that are now in partnership with Dr. Clown, Canada and Patch Adams. The project sends therapeutic clowns into medical humanitarian missions to provide a complement therapy through laughter and games for children who have lost much of the opportunity to live their childhood out simply.

And the future in all this? Nadia Duguay identifies it as open and especially moving! The ideas, determination, commitment and innovation as ideas for projects flood in. While it could be summarized in a single desire, and why not ... Changing the world. She notes that with more human and financial resources, mountain moving would certainly be possible. For more information on Exeko and Nadia Duguay’s projects: www.exekoproject.com

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Universal Plant Medicine We are living in an age of globalization. The gap between culture and traditional medicine is being bridged like never before. Plant knowledge from the Amazon to the Himalayas, are being used by modern herbalists. Along with this shared knowledge comes the obligation to preserve our planet’s natural resources. Many species of beneﬁcial plants will never be ‘discovered’ due to deforestation and encroaching populations. Other species of herbs, such as wild panex, ginseng and cordyceps, are endangered due to overharvesting and high consumer demand. Many companies recognize this plant medicine crisis and have taken steps to reverse the cycle. This includes organic farming, fair trade to indigenous farmers and public education. We now can ﬁnd Chinese herbs grown organically in California and endangered Napalese mushrooms being farmed in Oregon. Whole communities in Peru, China and North America, are being supported by organic farming of plant medicines. Here is a list of gold standard companies to support; Essential Living Foods, New Chapter, Gaia, Eclectic Institute, Fu Tian Herbs, Amazon

www.ourfarmacy.com

Therapeutics, Secara and Bio Life. All these lines can be found at the Farmacy in Venice, California. Plant medicine is a viable option to many western pharmaceuticals. In fact, many of the strongest western drugs are plant derivatives. Some examples include aspirin (white willow bark), sulfonamide antibiotics (isatis leaves), mevacor (red yeast rice), and morphine (opium shells/husks). Herbs can provide similar results without the side effects from concentrated drugs. This is due to other plant constituents; antioxidents, polysaccharides, aminoacids and plant sterols. These plant chemicals work together to balance the therapeutic effects and are not available once a single compound is isolated into a drug. For example, folium isatidis has known antibiotic effects but also strengthens immunity by increasing t-cell counts. This duel action is what makes herbal medicine adaptable to a broad range of conditions. The demand for herbal medicine is growing exponentially. Along with this demand comes a responsibility to promote sustainable industries. This can be done by seeking out Licensed Herbalists and companies that are pursuing global wellness. Jesse Phelps, M.T.O.M., L.Ac., B.Sc. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Herbal Director, The Farmacyâ&#x20AC;?

www.ourfarmacy.com at The Farmacy Venice, 1509 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice CA 90291, tel. 310.392.3890, The Frmacy West Hollywood, 7825 Santa Monica Blvd., West Ho;;ywood, CA 90046, tel. 323.848.7981, Fax 323.848.7373

The Farmacy Westwood, 1035 Gayley Avenue, Westwood, CA 90024, tel.310.208.0820

JoAnna’s Corner

JoAnna LaForce, R.Ph., CGP, Herbalist Joanna is Clinical Director of The Farmacy(R) She has been a Reg. Pharmacist and Herbalist for the past 30 years and Board Certiﬁed in Geriatric Pharmacy. Her experience with pain management for Hospice Patients enables her to forge the way to a more holistic approach to health and a healthier future for all

I had the great opportunity to travel to Nepal this Fall with my Nepali friends. During the

220 mile trek around the Annapurna Circuit of the Himalayas I observed various healing rituals by the village medicine men. They gather and use locally grown wild medicinal plants and herbs. I was impressed to see Cannabis sativa being harvested along with Ephedra gerardiana and Rhododendron arboreum (yes, the rhododendron is medicinal). Western doctors, prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines are virtually extinct. Like many third world countries, however, knowledge of these natural treasures is being lost. As villagers and young people move into the cities and to other countries, they want the “new”, not the “old”. Luckily, many herbalists and ecological companies are exploring these areas and bringing medicinal plants to the Western World. Good for us! The most important thing I learned on this challenging trek is that Your Health is Your Wealth. At The FarmacyR we are working hard to take the mystery out of global herbal medicines. I know that education is the key. Take the time to visit our shops and clinics in person or learn more on OurFarmacy.com

www.ourfarmacy.com

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LAUREL SCHOOL STUDENTS PRESENTS 88 88

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ART EXPRESSIONS 89

KIDS ART

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AUDIS HUSAR FINE ARTS AN ARTIST IN REPRESENTATION WITH AMY DELAPORTE Tucked in the most unexpected location, in the heart of Beverly Hills, Audis Husar is the curator of a different kind of gallery, where cinematic arts and the works of contemporary artists are combined to provide art lovers and collectors alike a very unique multimedia experience. Audis Husar Fine Art is located at 8670 Wilshire Blvd in Beverly Hills. It is comprised of a Gallery and a 37 seat private screening room that once belonged to none other than Dino de Laurentis. In the past 5 years the Gallery has been host to many exhibits. Some were centered on the art itself and a film was chosen to complement the artists’ vision, others spun from a film and the art came in complement the cinematic content. Audis Husar remembers fondly each, and everyone, of her exhibits but one that has stuck with her was centered on Martin Scorcese’s “The Aviator”, with art from the Howard Hughs Collection, along with sketches and drawings of avionics from the 40’s. In 2008 Audis Husar Fine Arts was looking to do something a little different and so they chose to incorporate fashion with art in an exhibit entitled “Stillness and Motion”. “Stillness and Motion” was set during LA Fashion Week and it featured designer Coco Johnsen’s highly acclaimed Spring/Summer 2009 collection inspired from the magic of Hollywood Glamour of Old. To complement this exhibit Audis presented a show of recent works by Wally Gilbert, a Nobel Prize wining Molecular Biologist turned photographer, whose digital work showcase the artist’s fascination with form, color and texture. Wally Gilbert had a long career as scientist but his new passion in the visual arts has found expression through the eye of the camera. Since the beginning of his journey of artistic discovery, Gilbert has had 17 one-person shows around the world and his current stop is in Beverly Hills, at Audis Husar Fine Art. The

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FEATURNG WALLY GILBERT Exhibit boasts four very different sets that combine candid shots of The Boston Ballet in rehearsals, Madrid bullfights in low-res that stretched to the limit catch even the swirl of a cape, two ten foot hangings of haunting bodies in motion, and intimate still life images from Turkey. Amy Delaporte, who has been a respected and sought-after art professional for over a decade, represents Gilbert. Through her Art Client Services in Santa Monica, CA, she provides a select group of artist, emerging and established, with support and guidance in all aspects of their artwork. Amy defines this exhibit in its eclectic ensemble as an exercise on this intemporal theme of “stillness in motion”. Indeed, Gilbert’s art exploits the play of light and darkness across objects and subjects to produce photographs that capture every vibration and the essence in one fleeting moment in time. As she sits in front of the two prominent ten foot canvas hangings of silhouettes in the sky reflected in a pool of water, Audis Husar speaks so passionately about her artist and his artistic expression. She recalls an exhibit entitled “But Is It Art?” a collection of art and artists involved with some of the greatest music shows and productions in classic and contemporary rock history. The film that spearheaded the exhibit was Andrew Sharper' “Before the Music Dies” and the exhibit drew great reviews. - What will this very inspired woman think of next? Audis Husar Fine Art will be hosting an exhibit on Politics in Art that will be launched on January 17th, 2009. This exhibit will showcase artists whose work has been strongly imprinted with our political landscape in anticipation of a radical change that is now in the coming on January 20th, 2009 – soon but not soon enough. The exhibit has been matched with the extraordinary 2005 documentary on Rev. Martin Luther King, “Doctor Martin Luther King - a Historical Prospective”. Audis Husar Fine Arts is eagerly looking forward to this upcoming exhibit that will follow “Stillness” with all the emotion of an entire nation and the weight of history in motion.

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FEATURNG WALLY GILBERT

Boston Ballet #7

Boston Ballet #9

WALLY GILBERT

Matador - Madrid

Bullfight - Madrid #7

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a carnation, agarden ďŹ&#x201A;ower of various colors; a light crimson color; that which is supremely excellent;

of the color of aterial blood, rubies, glowing ďŹ re. including shades, as scarlet, crimson, orange red and the like. 110

Photography Curtis Williams

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a'vant-garde 1. The leaders in inventing and applying new styles and new techniques in a given field.

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The colours of the universe from one lover to another. To love and be loved. This is the vow of Rendez - Vous Flowers.

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323.655.5959 The V-Cut Smoke Shop, 8172 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046

Dr. Hayk Arakeyan

en ESPAÑOL

from page 62 Localizado en el centro del Districto de �� Fairfax esta la officinal de el dentista y cirugano Dr. Hayk Arakeyan en 6333 Wilshire Blvd. Dr Arakelyan �� es un dentist de practica general y se especialisa en �� odontologia cosmetico, laser odontologia, injerto, y �� tambien offrece unos de los mas advancados technologias �� como minimal interventional odontologia. MID es una �� forma de addressando un problema dental con lo mas �� absuloto minimo cantidad de trauma al diente. Tambien �� al miesmo tiempo dando el minimo dolor MID da el �� maximo cantidad de preservando el diente insurando �� los mejor termo largos resultados por reduciendo los �� resgios de que agrieta Y que zumba que son occurrencias �� commonas en el tradicional de metodos de torniando a �� altos velocidades tolabia usados por muchos dentistas. �� Dr. Arakelyan crea que es importante a escuchar �� al los patientes para entender lo que eyos necesitan de el como�� dentist. Asta que esto este establisado, no es possiblea�� moverse adelante con el plan de tretamento �� optimal. Dentistas tolabian pueden a representar patientes�� con las nuevas advances en technologias que �� pueden mejorar las sonrias con estos minimal invasive �� techincos. A causa del enfoque de Dr. Arakelyan a los �� deseos de sus patientes, no ay sentidaos de estando �� pressuridos a comprar productos y servicios que no �� necessitan. Lo major de todo esto es que todos estos technicas�� advancados estan acsesible a precios Buenos. �� el segunda adentro de unos de los cinco Desde curators �� modernos, tu te das quenta de la attencion �� en detaillo desde la pantalla plana de arriba las sillas �� pacientes conectadas asta el mas alto possible standards �� buscando �� en hygiene. So si estas para �� un�� full�� servicio �� dentist de familias, Dr. Hayk Arakelyan es el mejor �� especiales �� lugar para empiesar. Unos de los servicios �� que estan offreciedos por Dr. Arakelyan son gratis consultos�� initiales, implantos dentales, screenings para el �� cancer oral, laser odontologia, y anti-snoring devices. �� Dr. Arakelyan siege continuando a mejora sus �� offreciemientos por estando adelante en el curvo en la science y�� educacion nessecaria en cambiando el mundo �� de odontologia. Injertos �� Dental �� Dientes se pueden perder por un numero de rasones, �� incluyendo pérdida de hueso por enfermedad �� periodontional. Implantos dental son una soluccion �� excellente para dientes que a perdido. Los injerto sierben por usando la raíz artificial que reemplaza la raíz dental natural. Los injertos de oy sun un bueno investigado soluccion que no solodan dientes que se ven magnifico, pero tambien reduciendo y eliminando pérdida de hueso es lo cerca que vas a benir a tus dientes originales.

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ESPAÑOL Diaz Kitchen and Bath

from page 108 Buscando el mejor en la instalación respetable de la cocina y el baño y la construcción? Entonces mire no aún más que Pablo Diaz’s Cocina y Bano. Pablo Diaz empezó primero trabajar para Home Depot en el departamento de órdenes especiales durante 1 años. El entonces trabajó en Lowes por 6 meses, luego trabajando en Los Contratistas Almacén por 5 años. En Los Contratistas Almacén, él trabajó para la comisión recta, tuvo las #1 ventas regionales, y hacía bien como numero uno en su campo del trabajo. En las tres compañías, Diaz fue la mejor persona para servicios de cocina y baño. El acabaría luego en la Ciudad de Salton, donde él trabajó en más de 70 nuevos proyectos de la construcción de hogar de 1996 a 1997. El ahora tiene su propio negocio, Diaz Cocina y Bano, donde él continúa trabajar para cumplir duramente las necesidades y las esperanzas de sus clientes. Sus clientes siempre estan contentos de su pericia y servicios y nunca vacilan en contactarlo para futuros proyectos. Diaz cozina y baño especializan en la cocina y el cuarto de baño diseña en precios económicos y razonables. Los diseños de los últimos adelanto de Pablo Diaz son cada costumbre diseñada para quedar cada una de sus necesidades calculables de cliente, el estilo, y el presupuesto. La Cocina de Diaz y baño atienden a toda clase de clientes que recorren de contratistas generales a propietarios con necesidades y presupuestos diferentes. Pablo Diaz y su personal trabajan diligentemente, consciente, organizado, y la seguridad cautelosa en cada uno de sus proyectos. El asegurar el proceso de la construcción anda por al día. El es activo en los sitios de la construcción que aseguran de que su tripulación siempre es informada bien y es coordinada. Tan si usted necesita una nueva cocina o una reparación en ese cuarto de baño, Diaz cocina y baño es el lugar de ir.

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Fotograf CURTIS WILLIAMS

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COVER GIRL CONTEST

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ISSUE 8