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BEVERLY HILLS NUMBER 24
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UP THE LADDER– Firefighter Adam Meinhardt (pictured left) was one of many Beverly Hills Firefighters who balanced on a ladder as guests entered the ballroom at the Beverly Hilton for Tuesday evening’s Backdraft Ball. Mark Hein was honored at the event as Beverly Hills Firefighter of the Year. Actor Steven Webb emceed the evening and firefighter Chad Beery sang the National Anthem. Though all receipts are not yet in, organizers say it appears this year’s event raised more money than ever. The event is the Beverly Hills Firefighters’ Association's main fundraiser of the year and supports the Post-Retirement Medical Benefit Trust Fund for the BHFA, which provides medical insurance for city firefighters and their families after they retire.
THIS ISSUE
Marcus leads this week’s list of Freshpet adoptable pets of the week. 4
UCLA’s Hannah Carter Garden sold for $12.5 million.
L’Ermitage Gets 5-Star Conditional Use Permit From Beverly Hills City Council By Victoria Talbot The Beverly Hills City Council granted the Viceroy L’Ermitage Hotel a new Conditional Use Permit that retains most of the interim ordinance from the May 2 Special Meeting of the Planning Commission, altering only six of the conditions. The new CUP allows the hotel to continue to operate the patio restaurant and have rooftop events unless the hotel receives five violations. Changes include the following enhanced conditions:
• The new entrance to the Avec Nous Restaurant will be reviewed at the end of a one-year trial period when the CUP comes up for renewal.; • The rooftop maximum occupancy is now 250 guests for events (previously no maximum occupancy was specified), and rooftop events must end at 9 p.m. (prior was 10 p.m.), with all guests having exited the rooftop by 10 p.m. (prior was 11 p.m.). (see ‘L’ERMITAGE’ page 21)
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The Playboy Mansion sold this week to its neighbor for $100 million. 8 •Health & Wellness •Birthdays •Letters to the Editor
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Beverly Elder: Joan Benny, Born Into A Comedy Dynasty Part 72 in a series on Beverly Hills residents who have
George Christy, Page 6 Shera Danese Falk Reveals How To Save A Mallard Duck, And Queen Elizabeth II’s Exclusive 30Page Portfolio With Her Nearest And Dearest In The July Vanity Fair
CLASSIFIEDS • Announcements • Real Estate • Rentals • Sales • and More
ROCK THE VOTE — Beverly Hills residents took their voting to the streets Tuesday, as volunteers spent hours helping residents vote outside of their polling place at The Paley Center, which was closed and not allowing voters inside. See page 4 for the full story. Photo by Danielle Berris
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grown with the Centennial City By Laura Coleman That she is Jack Benny’s daughter is very much secondary to this week’s Beverly Hills Elder Joan Benny, a truly independent woman with an indefatigable zest for life and a passion for the arts. “I had a wonderful childhood–being the daughter of a celebrity had its perks,” she described. “Our 1000 block on Roxbury was celebrity heaven,” she added. Agnes Morehead and Ira Gershwin (see ‘JOAN BENNY’ page 17)
Joan Benny
SINCE 1965
June 10, 2016
District Court Judge Opens Gate For Metro To Answer $200 Million Question By Laura Coleman Yesterday morning, downtown in Federal Courthouse Room 10, U.S. District Court Judge George H. Wu assured attorneys for the City of Beverly Hills and Beverly Hills Unified School District that the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) would soon be on the hook to answer the question as to just why it is willing to expend “hundreds of millions of dollars more” to build the Constellation Station in Century City than an alternative station as part of the Purple Line subway extension. Judge Wu said he planned to rule at 4 p.m. July 1 in his courtroom on Beverly Hills Unified Sch. Dist. v. Fed.
Transit Admin., et. al. As part of the ruling, Metro will be required to include a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) which will include a period for public comment. Questions that the public might pose include: What health impacts will there be to Beverly Hills High School students and staff from the removal of two cumulative miles worth of asphalt and earth through a portal 10 feet from the school? What are the risks of building a subway tunnel that travels through fields of potentially explosive methane pockets? Why did Metro settle on a station that will cost $200 million more than its other top (see ‘METRO’ page 17)
Parrent Smith Selected As Private Investigators Of Toxic Tree Cutting By Victoria Talbot The Beverly Hills City Council selected Parrent Smith Investigations in a 3-2 decision with Mayor John Mirisch and Councilmember Julian Gold dissenting Monday, as the firm chosen to investigate events surrounding the cutting down of 196 trees on Parcels 12 & 13 on Nov. 21-22 last year. Initially, Mirisch and Gold interviewed six firms under consideration for the position, and at the May 10 City Council meeting, they recommended the firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP. Then, Vice Mayor Nancy Krasne and Councilmember Lili Bosse re-interviewed the remaining four firms, including the Channel Law Group, LLP,
Celebrity Photo Agency/Scott Downie
VOLUME: LI
Parrent Smith Investigations & Research Private Investigators, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP and Castellón & Funderburk LLP. Channel Law Group withdrew from consideration. The two councilmembers recommended Parrent Smith and with the confirmation of Kathy Reims to fill the seat vacated by former Councilmember Willie Brien, a potential 2-2 tie was broken. The private investigation firm is a departure from all previous recommendations as the City traditionally defaults to law firms. After much consideration, said Bosse, she felt strongly that a private investigation firm was the best fit. Vice Mayor Krasne, who (see ‘PARRENT SMITH’ page 15)
PARTY TIME — Jon Cryer and Lisa Joyner joined the celebrities at the Television Academy 70th Anniversary Gala and Opening of the state of the art Saban Media Center. More attendees included Lassie, Chelsea Handler, Allison Janney, Lea Michele, Suzanne Somers, Bob Newheart, Eric Stonestreet. For more photos, see George Christy’s column on page 6.