BHCourier 05152015 E-edition

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Don’t Forget To Visit The Beverly Hills ArtSHOW This Weekend!

BEVERLY HILLS NUMBER 20

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THIS ISSUE

Mikey, a havanese mix pup, is one of this week’s Freshpet adoptable pets. 4

Eunice Hosted an evening honoring the late Hal David on Wednesday. 5

Hold Your Water By Matt Lopez “Brown is the new green,” declared Councilmember Nancy Krasne last week. Since then, it has become the rallying cry in reference to harsh new laws on water restrictions hitting Beverly Hills and other parts of Southern California. The Beverly Hills Unified School District is prepared to put that to the test. The school board gave direction Tuesday night to immediately cease watering the lawns at all five BHUSD schools – yes, including

the iconic front lawn at Beverly Hills High. The move came at the urging of student boardmember Josh Schenk, who asked the item to be added to the agenda after claiming many of his fellow seniors at Beverly Hills High had been discussing ways to cut back on water usage on the heels of new laws drastically cutting water usage in the City by 36-percent. “We have directed staff to stop watering our lawns at each (see ‘BHUSD WATER’ page 16)

Infiniti of Beverly Hills hosted a successful fundraiser for Karma Rescue. 5

Jackie Applebaum & Stephen Sheanin hosted Veuve Clicquot in B.H. •Arts & Entertainment •Sports •Birthdays

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Sumner Murray Redstone Is Profiled In The June Issue Of Vanity Fair, He Lives With Two Girlfriends, With Gossips Wondering Who Will Succeed Him As The Powerhouse Controlling CBS and Viacom. Editorial from Rabbi Pressman AND MORE

CLASSIFIEDS • • • • •

Announcements Real Estate Rentals Sales and More

ANTONOVICH AND THE ARTS — A dedication ceremony was held on May 12 for the Antonovich Amphitheatre at L.A. County High School of the Arts for L.A. County Supervisor Michael Antonovich after his $850,000 donation to celebrate the school’s 30-year anniversary. Pictured (from left): L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonnell, The Courier President/Publisher Marcia Wilson Hobbs, Ollie Blanning (special deputy to Antonovich), Antonovich, school cofounder Stuart Gothold and Margo Leonetti O'Connell, daughter of School Co-Founder and Beverly Hills Caroline Leonetti Ahmanson. For more photos from the event, see page 31. County of LA, CEO-Photo Unit, Henry Salazar photographer

David Orgell - Family Owned Luxury On Rodeo Drive Since 1958 This year, The Courier celebrates 50 years in the community. Throughout

George Christy, Page 6

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May 15, 2015

BHUSD Seeks Clarification On Scout House Land Issues

Beverly Hills School District to immediately stop watering all five school lawns The Beverly Hills Fire Department hosted Fire Service Day last weekend. 4

SINCE 1965

the year, we will honor the legacy of excellence in Beverly Hills’ heritage businesses that have called the City their home since 1965 or earlier. By Matt Lopez Believe it or not, one of Beverly Hills’ oldest luxury retailers actually started in England. That’s the story of David Orgell, the high-end jewelry, timepiece and gift shop that has graced Rodeo Drive since 1958. That 57 year history is just the tip of the iceberg for David Orgell, however. The store’s history dates back to the late 1800s in England, where the Orgell family developed a clientele that included, among others, the Royal family. The Orgells immigrated to the Rahim, Zahra and Korosh Soltani (see ‘DAVID ORGELL’ page 16)

By Victoria Talbot The planned closure of the Scout House and subsequent demolition and takeover of the property by the Los Angeles Country Club has hit a major snag. Digging into their 80year relationship with Beverly Hills Unified School District and their shared lot lines has turned up some skeletons in the closet, including questions about ownership of the three cabins and the property beneath them. In closed session Tuesday, the Beverly Hills Unified School District spoke with Scoutmaster Joel Ordesky of BHSHA Inc., the Charter Organization for Troop 33 representing the troops and the El Rodeo Scout House and Cultural Heritage Commissioner Noah Furie. Now, it seems, under scrutiny from Joel Ordesky for BHSHA Inc., the School Board, the Los Angeles Country Club (LACC), preservation organizations including Beverly Hills Heritage and the Beverly Hills Cultural Heritage Commision, the City of Beverly Hills and

the Boys and Girls Scouts, the situation has grown complicated, indeed. After receiving information from Furie and Ordesky, the board directed the counsel to look into boundary issues and if necessary, obtain a surveyor to settle any disputes over property rights, reported Board of Education President, Brian David Goldberg, PhD. “The board is committed to working with the Scouts, the City of Beverly Hills and the Los Angeles Country Club on a solution that maintains the Scout House and accommodates the needs of the country club. We hope for a speedy resolution that allows this important resource to continue in its present location for the scouts and school district,” said Goldberg. Goldberg was responding to a surprise twist that seems to have revealed issues with encroachment from the LACC on El Rodeo-BHUSD property. According to planning maps, the two smaller buildings that form part of the (see ‘SCOUT HOUSE’ page 16)

School Board To Discuss Program Improvement Status Saturday By Matt Lopez The Beverly Hills Board of Education has called a special board meeting for Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. to hash out the district's future in Program Improvement status. Beverly Hills High entered program improvement status in October because of California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) scores that failed to meet the requirement of 100 percent proficiency. One way BHUSD can get

Celebrity Photo Agency/Scott Downie

VOLUME: L

out of Program Improvement status, aside from raising its scores to 100-percent proficiency, is to reject Title I funding from the federal government. That was the topic of discussion at Tuesday's board meeting, where the school board couldn't come to a decision on whether or not to move Title I funds from BHHS to Horace Mann, which would move BHHS out of Program (see ‘CAHSEE SCORES’ page 16)

PITCHES ON THE RED CARPET — Elizabeth Banks, Anna Kendrick, Bella Thorne and Rebel Wilson paraded on the Red Carpet during the world premiere of Pitch Perfect 2 presented by Universal Pictures and Gold Circle Entertainment at the Nokia Theatre L.A For more photos, see George Christy’s column on page 6.


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