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BEVERLY HILLS VOLUME XXXXVIIII NUMBER 47 $135 PER YEAR - $1.25 PER COPY •
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THIS ISSUE
School Board Pressures Beverly Hills High To Improve Academics
Yankee is a 2-year-old, 10pound silky terrier looking for a new home. 4
The Courier’s Evelyn Portugal was named president of the Filipino American Press Club of L.A. 4
HOLIDAYS IN BEVERLY HILLS—Rodeo Drive lit up on Sunday evening for the annual Rodeo Drive holiday lighting ceremony. Beverly Hills kicked off the Holiday Season Sunday evening as only Beverly Hills can, with Santa Claus repelling down the Luxe Hotel, “snow” confetti falling, the music of Night Shift, Aria and Kat Perkins, Hip Hop’s Nu Nations, ice skating sensations Jennifer Don, Chris Trefil and Nicole Glavas and the beautiful glow of 150,000 lights in Baccarat Crystal chandeliers lining Rodeo Drive. See page 16 for photos from the event.
By Laura Coleman It was a different world when Bram Goldsmith, City National Corp. chairman emeritus, first came to Beverly Hills in 1953 with his wife, Elaine, and two young sons and took up residence in a small home on Rodeo Drive that his in-laws rented for them. “My first night in the house I looked out the window and saw horses cantering down Rodeo - that was my first impression of Beverly Hills,” he recalled of the historic Rodeo Drive bridle path, which officially closed in 1958. Today, Goldsmith, 91, sits at the helm of one of the 25
Coldwell Banker handed out 420 turkeys to The Salvation Army. 5
Supreme Court to decide whether this Bel-Air lot is buildable. 10 •Health & Wellness 12 •Birthdays 20 •Holiday Gift Guide 21
UP IN ARMS—Protesters marched from south Los Angeles into Beverly Hills on Monday, protesting a Missouri grand jury’s decision not to charge police officer Darren Wilson in the killing of teenager Mike Brown. Pictured: protesters block traffic at Wilshire and La Cienega. Photo by Abraham “Avi” Ross
Impact Of Ferguson Grand Jury Decision Reaches Beverly Hills
Editorial from Rabbi Pressman AND MORE
CLASSIFIEDS • • • • •
Announcements Real Estate Rentals Sales and More
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(see ‘BHHS ACADEMICS,’ page 18)
By Matt Lopez The furor over a Missouri grand jury’s decision not to indict police officer Darren Wilson reached Beverly Hills streets on Monday. The grand jury decided not to press charges against Wilson in the death of Mike Brown, an 18-yearold unarmed black teenager, sending Ferguson, Mo. back into a state of unrest and causing protests in many cities across the country. Some 30-40 protesters marched from south Los Angeles, eventually hitting Beverly Hills late Monday evening. The non-violent protests shut
down traffic in the heart of the City before eventually reaching Rodeo Drive, where the protesters staged a “sit-in”. BHPD Lt. Lincoln Hoshino confirmed there was no damage caused from the protests. Hoshino said the department received intelligence from LAPD that protesters may be headed toward the City. “We had a tactical operations plan in place and mutual aid partners on standby,” Hoshino said. “We escorted them through our City to handle their walk and exercise their first amendment rights. They were not overly disruptive.”
Bram Goldsmith
largest U.S. banks in the nation (the seventh largest independent bank in California)–and (see ‘BRAM GOLDSMITH,’ page 18)
LEGS, LEGS, LEGS — The fashionable Fergie, Olivia Munn and Heidi Klum strut their stuff during the 2014 American Music Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live.
Celebrity Photo/Scott Downie
Glancing At The L.A. Opera’s Program For Florencia En El Amazones We Find Many Players, Designers and Artists Creating A Round-Up Of Major Talents From Far And Wide
By Laura Coleman The Board of Education came down hard on the Beverly Hills High School administration on Tuesday night when it decided to table approving a federally-mandated plan for student achievement during its formal meeting. The “Single Plan for Student Achievement” is a state and federal accountability document that ensures compliance with Education Code regulations and state law. Board President Noah Margo said the next formal Board meeting on Dec. 9 would likely be the final opportunity the board has to give its approval before the
Beverly Hills Elder: Bram Goldsmith, 91, Businessman, Philanthropist
The BHFD served Thanksgiving lunch for seniors this week. 5
George Christy, Page 6
November 28, 2014
For more photos, see George Christy’s column on page 6.