The Courier Salutes Steve Kessler For 40 Years Of Service
BEVERLY HILLS VOLUME: LII
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WELCOME HOME — Greg Krentzman, a Beverly Hills High School alum who was injured in the terror attack in Nice, France last July, returned home to Beverly Hills for the first time since the attack on Thursday afternoon with wife Sophie and daughter Lola. Greg suffered 12 leg fractures that required a skin graft and Lola broke her ankle in the attack. The Krentzman family, which has been in Nice recovering since the attack, was met Thursday at LAX Airport by seven FBI agents who escorted them to a waiting vehicle. The family convened at the El Camino Drive home of Greg’s mother Sandy, where the streets were lined with pink ribbons donated by Vice Mayor Nancy Krasne. “We’re so excited to be home, back on home turf and seeing all our old friends. It’s a really surreal feeling.” Greg said. Pictured, from left: Lola, Sandy, Greg and Sophie Krentzman. Photo by Matt Lopez
THIS ISSUE
The Courier talks to Reza Pahlavi, Crown Prince of Iran. 4
The BHHS boys basketball team won this week on a wild last-second shot. 14
A group of past PTA & BHEF Presidents gathered for lunch at The Palm. 15 •Health & Wellness •Birthdays •Letters to the Editor
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City Council Candidates Hold First Debate At Beverly High By Laura Coleman Seven of the eight candidates running for the upcoming City Council election on March 7 got their first taste of the debate season Vice Mayor Nancy Krasne addresses the audience at yesterday during Thursday’s City Council debate at BHHS’ m o r n i n g ’ s Cherney Lecture Hall. Also pictured in the front row, issues forum, from left, fellow candidates: Les Friedman, Vera Markowitz, Robert Wunderlich, John Mirisch, Frances hosted by the Bilak and Eliot Finkel. Beverly Hills Democratic Party has endorsed PTA inside the Jon Cherney Lecture incumbent Nancy Krasne, Les Hall at Beverly Hills High School. Friedman, and Vera Markowitz. The forum–the first time the Further, the West candidates have appeared together Hollywood/Beverly Hills in public this election season–was Democratic Club endorsed Krasne, a very gentle easing into a race that Friedman and Robert Wunderlich. is likely to become increasingly Later on Thursday evening tense as candidates hone their (after press time), the candidates chops and the community grows were scheduled to speak at the more savvy in determining just Beverly Hills City Hall Municipal which questions to ask to keep the Gallery. contenders on point. (see ‘DEBATE’ page 16) Already, the L.A. County
SINCE 1965
Beverly Hills City Council Seeks Balance On Rentals By Victoria Talbot The Beverly Hills City Council voted 5-0 Tuesday for an urgency ordinance that will protect renters from annual 10 percent rent increases, add meaningful relocation fees to assist in no-cause evictions and create a database and a registry of the apartment inventory to enable the City of Beverly Hills to monitor building conditions, rent increases, evictions and the rental market. The new ordinance goes into effect immediately, holding rents to three percent and staying the evictions of tenants who have not exceeded their 60-day notice of eviction. It will establish relocation fees commensurate with those in Santa Monica, which includes special compensation for families with disabled, elderly and minor tenants. Estimates place the population of renters between 5560-percent of the City’s residents. Many moved to the City for the schools and are families with children who are being forced to move away, said tenants at Tuesday’s meeting. Changes to the City’s rental ordinances have been under discussion at City Council for several years. The problem has grown more acute as the county’s housing shortage has tightened the rental market. During the recession, many homeowners downsized into apartment housing. As the economic environment eased, the swelling property values have continued to fuel a robust rental demand, especially on the Westside of Los Angeles. But the City has been operating with rent controls enacted during the Carter adminis-
The Swearing-In Ceremony Of Our Commander In Chief Was The Second Highest Rated In Nielsen’s Inaugural History... MSNBC’s Chris Matthews Went Bananas “Off Mike” Over The First Lady’s Beauty & Poise.
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By Laura Coleman For the first time since anyone who has been at El Rodeo can recall–one man’s memory dates back 40 years-City parking officials have ceased to look the other way when dispensing parking violation tickets to teachers and staff members who park on City streets. On Monday, Beverly Hills traffic officers doled out 10 $55 parking violation tickets to El Rodeo employees (one woman’s car was ticketed twice) according to El
Rodeo Principal Kevin Allen. All of those ticketed had clearly displayed their Beverly Hills Unified School District placards while parking in the four hour section of Whittier between the scout house and Lomitas Avenue. Dismayed over what had suddenly transpired, the following day, on Tuesday, Allen went before the City Council to express his frustration with the situation. “We have always parked on (see ‘TEACHER PARKING’ page 17)
Celebrity Photo Agency/Scott Downie
City Warns El Rodeo Teachers: We’ll Ticket Cars On Streets George Christy, Page 6
January 27, 2017
tration when the nation was experiencing double-digit inflation and high interest rates. There have not been changes since the mid-1980s. Inflation is well under control and interest rates remain low, making the 10-percent increases an onerous burden on renters, often used by landlords to drive out tenants voluntarily. Several renters told councilmembers that their income could not keep up with the 10 percent increases. One parent shared that he would be forced to move his family and take his kids out of the school, though both he and his wife were fully employed and earned a good living. Other tenants talked about no-cause evictions, in some cases after decades of residency, growing old in a community long-regarded as their home. To date, landlords have no relocation fees for tenants who are evicted except Chapter Five residents. The new fees, commensurate with fees in Santa Monica, will start at $9,050 for a single, increased to $10,350 for a household with disabled, children or seniors. One bedroom will be $13,900 or $16,000 for special needs, and two or more bedrooms will be $18,850 or $21,650 for special needs. Chapter Five tenants, who have been in their units for decades, are estimated to be less than 1,000 residents. Relocation fees for these residents were $2,000 for a bachelor unit, $2,250 for a single and one or more bedrooms was $3,000. For seniors, handicapped or terminally ill (see ‘RENTALS’ page 8)
A FRIENDLY GROUP — Aubrey Plaza, at left, with Jay Baruchel and Katie Findlay along with Oona Chaplin, the great granddaughter of the legendary Charlie Chaplin. They attended the FX Starwalk at the TCA Winter Press Tour at The Langham in Pasadena.