BHCourier E-edition 010518

Page 1

Dow Industrials Hit 25,000 For The First Time Ever!

BEVERLY HILLS NUMBER 1

www.bhcourier.com

GOLDEN GLOBES DAY— Beverly Hills Mayor Lili Bosse was joined by comedian and Sunday’s Golden Globes host Seth Meyers and President of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Meher Tatna on Thursday morning in a ceremony in which they literally rolled out the red carpet, kicking it open across the automobile court reception area in front of The Beverly Hilton. The ceremony was in honor of Sunday’s milestone 75th Anniversary of the Golden Globe Awards, which will be held at The Beverly Hilton. In recognition of that achievement, Mayor Bosse has issued a proclamation officially naming Sunday, January 7, 2018 as “Golden Globes Award Day in Beverly Hills.”

THIS ISSUE

The Cultural Heritage Commission will consider a new tenant for the former Kate Mantilini site. 4

Rosey is a Havanese poodle who is looking for her forever home. 4 • Sports • Birthdays • Letters to the Editor

17 18 27

The Many Historical Errors In The Crown And The Post Are Detailed By The Wall Street Journal’s Politically Savvy Peggy Noonan. She Finds Them “Vulgar, Dumb and Careless”

CLASSIFIEDS • Announcements • Real Estate • Rentals • Sales • and More

21

January 5, 2018

BHUSD Superintendent Bregy Promises Action In Wake Of Alleged OnCampus Sexual Assault New principal, assistant principal poised to greet Beverly Vista students from winter break on Monday

Community Asked To Weigh In On Future Of Beverly Hills School District By Laura Coleman With Beverly Hills Unified School District projected to deficit spend upwards of $5 million next year, according to the latest BHUSD financials, the Board of Education is tasked with making serious changes to how the school district operates. While the school district, which derives the bulk of its funding from property taxes, does have sufficient reserves in its Fund 17 to keep it afloat for perhaps two more years until it begins an obvious slide into state receivership, the Board of Education has been vocal about its commitment to improving aca-

demics while cutting costs. After months of working toward consensus about just what the future of Beverly Hills schools should look like, the 22 members of Beverly Hills Unified’s Future Focused Schools Team (FFST) are slated to make a presentation to the school board at a Special Board Meeting on Jan. 23 at 5 p.m. In anticipation of that meeting, two community forums are scheduled to take place next week at Beverly Hills High School’s Salter Theatre on (see ‘BHUSD SCHOOLS’ page 11)

Traffic & Parking Commission To Reconsider South Santa Monica Boulevard Culture, Parking

George Christy, Page 6

SINCE 1965

By Victoria Talbot An item before the Traffic and Parking Commission intended as a rubber stamp for one of two alternatives to keep traffic flowing on South Santa Monica Boulevard and restore some street parking was turned around Thursday by one local business owner. Instead of making a decision that would have been business as usual, commissioners were compelled to dig deeper into the culture of the street and whether speedier traffic was the desired result or a more pedestrian-friend-

ly, resident-facing “village” environment that would promote the small businesses that have traditionally made up the venue. Poised and ready to make a decision that would enhance traffic flow, the Traffic and Parking Commission switched course and requested more information, delaying a decision on the matter after public comments revealed the real price businesses along the street have paid. Parking meters on South (see ‘SOUTH SANTA MONICA’ page 20)

By Laura Coleman In the wake of the Beverly Hills Police Department’s investigation into alleged student-on-student sexual assault at Beverly Vista – which a previous Beverly Hills Unified School District report referred to as “sexual harassment” – at 8 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 2, the Board of Education met in closed session for almost three hours to discuss just one agendized item: “PUBLIC EMPLOYEE DISCIPLINE/DISMISSAL/RELEASE.” “This is clearly a very serious and sensitive issue at Beverly Vista and it has my full attention,” said BHUSD

Superintendent Michel Bregy. “I’m working on taking action.” Bregy told the Courier that he expected to be sending out a comprehensive letter to staff, students and parents later today informing the community about the district’s immediate and future response to the incidents at Beverly Vista now that he and the board had been made fully aware of what had transpired. “Effective, January 8 an interim administrative team will be placed at Beverly Vista School,” he subsequently wrote. “Beyond that, I hope (see ‘BEVERLY VISTA’ page 20)

Loma Linda Fire Turnaround Includes Lowering Street To Accommodate Developer By Victoria Talbot When the City Council approved the dedication of easements adjacent to 1184 and 1193 Loma Linda Drive November 7, there was no mention of the upcoming engineering that will lower the street. At the developer’s cost, the City is planning to “lower the street” approximately 6-8 inches. The grade of the street is being adjusted, according to Beverly Hills Associate Planner Edgar Arroyo, “to provide the area necessary to accommodate an improved fire truck turn-around and provide the slope necessary for drainage to the catch basin (our emphasis).”

Silvia Mautner

VOLUME: LIII

While the adjustments provide for the safety of the residents, the slope has nothing to do with the fire turn-around and everything to do with enabling the developer, Loma Linda Trust, to build a by-right project by solving a thorny drainage problem that could require a redesign of the project by raising the garage and constructing proper drainage. It would be politically unpopular to refuse a dedication for a fire turn-around, especially in the wake of the disasters that have befallen California this fire season. It appears that a turnaround is a means to relinquish (see ‘LOMA LINDA’ page 12)

A PASSION FOR MUSIC — A fourth generation Californian, John Hotchkis grew up with a love for his Golden State and a passion for music. He has been a loyal and major philanthropist for the L.A. Phil over the years. He is photographed here with his wife Joan Hartley and L.A. Phil conductor Gustavo Dudamel during an opening night gala. For more photos, see George Christy’s column on page 6.


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