03-02-15

SightS & SoundS of Spring

Downtown Heats Up With Concerts, Exhibits, Events And More PAGES 7-20

MARCH 2, 2015 I VOL. 44 I #9

A FREE

RIDE

Downtown Building Owners Begin Offering Bike Sharing For Renters and Tenants SEE PAGE 22

Another Housing Complex Opens | 6 Meet the Downtowners of Distinction | 24

THE VOICE OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES

photo by Gary Leonard

Get Ready for Election Day | 5

2 Downtown News

DT

AROUND TOWN

Downtown Limerick Contest Returns

S

t. Patrick’s Day arrives in two weeks, and with it comes the return of a tradition: the Downtown News Limerick Contest. We’re looking for Central City workers and residents to come up with their best five-line poetic creation that follows the traditional limerick rhyming scheme.

Any subject is open, providing that 1) it relates to Downtown Los Angeles, and 2) it’s not dirty, because then we can’t print it. So tap your Irish muse, whether it concerns a politician, a Downtown landmark or something else in the community. All entries become the property of Downtown News and may appear in print and online.

There’s another good reason to participate: We’re giving out stuff, including a first place prize of a $50 gift card to Katsuya and a second place prize of $25 to Amante Pizza & Pasta. Limericks are due by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10, and can be emailed to contests@downtownnews.com, with the subject line “Limerick Contest,” or sent to 1264 W. First St., Los Angeles, CA 90026. Winners will be published in the March 16 issue.

Local Barista Is Best in U.S.

D

owntown is overflowing with excellent coffee, as well as people who make excellent coffee. One man, however, can now claim to be the best in the country: Charles Babinski, coowner of G&B Coffee in Grand Central Market,

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS walked away with the top prize at the 2015 U.S. Barista Championship, held Feb. 23-25 in Long Beach. Babinski had been the runner-up in the competition the three previous years. The coffee contest started with a field of 36 baristas.

Babinski took home the trophy with a signature drink that combined Honduran espresso, pine tree honey, juniper syrup and a grapefruit reduction. The win means G&B has a second trophy to add to the case, as co-owner Kyle Glanville was the U.S. champion in 2008. Babinski’s not done yet: He heads to Seattle for the World Championships on April 9-12.

March 2, 2015

TAKE MY PICTURE GARY LEONARD

New Housing on Broadway

I

CO Development, which opened the Historic Core’s Pacific Electric Lofts and Mercantile Lofts, is nearing completion of a third Downtown housing complex: The 1906 Bumiller/Campbell Blake Building, at 430 S. Broadway, has been converted into 58 live/work units. It will have studio to three-bedroom apartments ranging from about 325-1,550 square feet. Rents will be approximately $1,250-$3,500. A gym, garden and grill area are on the rooftop deck and the building will contain 19 parking stalls. There is also a unique original feature: two skylights that bring natural light into the center of the building. ICO acquired the sixstory structure in late 2012 and started construction the following year. The work included a seismic retrofit and the replacement of the plumbing and electrical systems. The ground floor, which once housed swap meet-style shops, offers 3,500 square feet of retail space; ICO is currently negotiating leases with prospective tenants, said Jacob Jalil, asset manager and vice president for the company. He said an opening is expected this month, and hopes the building will help propel

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other renovation projects on the corridor. “Broadway will not be Broadway again until all these smaller empty buildings are activated as residential, offices, anything,” Jalil said.

Website Details Historic Places

H

istory buffs, rejoice: The city and the J. Paul Getty Trust have launched a groundbreaking new website that tracks old buildings, districts, streetscapes and other historic features in Los Angeles. HistoricPlacesLA.org was unveiled last

02/26/2015

week as the first online inventory of such information, and was crafted using information from the city’s SurveyLA, which launched in 2010. The website allows visitors to search for individual historic assets or browse through “featured searches,” such as examples of Modernist architecture or key buildings within the entertainment industry.

Downtown landmarks included on HistoricPlacesLA.org include the Bradbury Building, the Coliseum, the Oviatt Building, the Eastern Columbia Building and the Central Library, among many others. The database will continue to grow as the SurveyLA process continues and other documents are received.

March 2, 2015

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March 2, 2015

EDITORIALS

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

Heavy Downtown Voter Turnout Means Power for the Community

I

n Los Angeles in 2015, many people feel their vote doesn’t matter. That’s just another excuse, among many bad reasons, not to vote.

Some people complain there are too many elections and that we are asked to return to the polls too frequently. Others say it’s hard for working individuals, particularly if someone also has school-age children. While an easy option is the absentee ballot, many people never fill one out because of what often seems like a paucity of choices.

There’s a measure of truth to all the excuses. However, it’s crucially important to hang on to the fact that voting is a privilege that too many people around the world don’t get to enjoy. We do ourselves, the country and the world a disservice if we don’t at least try to inform ourselves of the candidates and the issues and vote. We, the American voters, should lead by example.

Locally, it is particularly important for every voting-eligible resident of Downtown Los Angeles to visit the polls on Tuesday, March 3. There’s another reason in addition to civic responsibility: If a large contingent of Downtowners vote, then it will send a

message to current and future politicians that this is a neighborhood to be reckoned with. That will help us solve the problems we face.

If Central City denizens participate to a far higher degree than other communities in what looks to be a low-turnout election, then the area will benefit for years to come. If we prove to the politicians and special interests that we can shape their futures, then Downtown and its needs will be impossible to ignore.

Sure, this can be said of every community in every election.

However, a few things make the matter different this time for Downtown.

In some ways, Downtown is a political wild card. This will be the first time that voters go to the polls to choose a City Council representative since the 2012 redistricting process. During the last council election, in 2011, Downtown was split between the Ninth and 14th districts. This time, nearly the entirety of Downtown falls within the 14th.

This means the Downtown voting bloc can have more influence than in the past. The Central City has demographics that,

on paper at least, could lead to higher turnout. As the 2013 demographic study co-sponsored by the Downtown Center Business Improvement District and Los Angeles Downtown News showed, the area has a heavy concentration of affluent, welleducated individuals. These are people who are often invested in their communities and who are aware of political happenings.

Plus, many of them can walk to their polling place.

The key will be to get thousands of people out of their homes and to the polls. Really, it may not take all that much to showcase Downtown’s influence. In the 2011 CD 14 election, a total of 17,200 people in the entire district voted for a city council candidate. The numbers were even lower in 2007 — only 13,400 cast a ballot in the council race.

According to the study, Downtown now has more than 52,000 residents. While not all of them are eligible to vote, getting even 10,000 to the polls could prove the area’s influence.

Thus, we urge all Downtowners to vote this week, and to encourage their friends and neighbors to vote. The more Downtowners who participate, the more power Downtown will have.

Endorsement Reminder: José Huizar for City Council

I

n the March 3 City Council election, incumbent José Huizar is being challenged by longtime former County Supervisor Gloria Molina. This is a good thing for the approximately 250,000 residents of the district. Voters have a legitimate choice between two experienced individuals (three other candidates are also on the ballot).

With her decades of experience, strong independent voice and record on key projects,

including helping create Grand Park, we think Gloria Molina could be an effective and very qualified councilmember. However, given his work in the Central City, the achievements he has made and the plans he has in motion, we think José Huizar is the better choice for Downtown and the district. Los Angeles Downtown News endorses Huizar.

Huizar has recorded some worthy gains. His Bringing Back Broadway initiative is making

serious progress on a street where previous officeholders failed. We also see the potential for a bounce in Pershing Square, where Huizar has roped in stakeholders to create a plan for the future of the underperforming park.

Huizar has a large-scale vision of Downtown. He comprehends that the growth of the residential base must coincide with enhanced pedestrian activity and improvements in livability. While we hope he will encourage

market-rate developers to include workforce housing in their projects, we believe he has the opportunity to do this and keep the boom going.

Some people want the change that Molina represents. However, we think Huizar has planted enough seeds for future work, and he deserves the opportunity to move forward and to try to bring some of his long-running plans to the finish line.

March 2, 2015

Downtown News 5

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Fun and Games in the 14th Council District Race

Commission. Independent groups supporting Molina had spent exactly zero dollars.

Interestingly, Huizar is getting money love from business and the unions. At the same time that the sides are tangling over a proposed hike for the city’s minimum wage, they stand united behind Huizar. As of Feb. 27, PACs affiliated with the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce had both spent about $120,000 on mailers, phone banking, precinct walkers and donkeys carrying neon signs promoting Huizar (I made one of those up).

Election Day Arrives in a Campaign That Never Grew as Ugly as Expected

By Jon Regardie ast September, when longtime County Supervisor Gloria Molina announced that she would challenge incumbent José Huizar in the 14th District City Council race, it seemed the fuse had been lit on the most ex-

L

THE REGARDIE REPORT plosive council contest in recent memory. Like Pavlov’s dog with the bell, political geeks began drooling over the expected electoral conflagration.

With election day landing on Tuesday, March 3, it’s clear how far off those predictions were.

Some nastiness has been exhibited, but overall the race has been more fizzle than sizzle.

It’s still possible that this is only a political amuse-bouche, and that the real ugliness could come. In addition to Huizar and Molina, three other candidates are on the ballot, and election watchers are whispering that they could prevent anyone from claiming a majority of the vote. If no one hits 50%, then the top two finishers — that means Huizar and Molina — would move on to a May runoff. Reminiscent of Groundhog Day, there would be eight more weeks of sniping.

If the race does end this week, here’s what we’ll remember.

On Top of Money Mountain: Huizar will go down in history… as the most prolific City Council fundraiser of the millennium. At press time, he had vacuumed up $857,000 in cam-

photo by Gary Leonard

Nadine Diaz (left) and former County Supervisor Gloria Molina are trying to snatch the 14th District City Council seat from incumbent José Huizar. The election is Tuesday, March 3.

paign donations, which not only far outdistances Molina’s $208,000, but is more than twice what anyone running for any council seat has secured (he also has $100,000 in city matching funds). The next closest individual is Council President Herb Wesson, who has notched $402,000 in his 10th District re-election bid. Huizar has more than 10 times the $77,000 raised by Second District incumbent Paul Krekorian.

In fact, Huizar has smashed the 21st century council fundraising record of $773,000 secured

by Antonio Villaraigosa when he successfully ran for the 14th District seat in 2003. I can’t be-

lieve I’m about to say this, but Huizar is a record setter, the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of fundraising.

PAC Mentality: As if Huizar’s war chest isn’t big enough, he’s benefitting from unprecedented “work” by political action committees. Electoral law allows independent groups to spend as much as they want on a race as long as they don’t coordinate with the official campaign.

Special interests have responded by turning on the financial fire hose full blast and spewing cash everywhere. By Thursday, Feb. 27, they had dropped $498,000 on Huizar’s behalf, according to documents filed with the City Ethics

Endorse, Of Course: Molina has three of the most impressive endorsements in the race, in the form of the Los Angeles Times, Sen. Barbara Boxer and former Mayor and Not a Senate Candidate (his new official title) Villaraigosa. The latter especially resonates because AnVil had long been a Huizar supporter.

While those are good for Molina mailers, her campaign goofed by allowing news of the backing of Boxer, Villaraigosa and Councilman Gil Cedillo to slip into cyberspace before they could announce it. The political website MayorSam sniffed out the endorsements and spread the word. Team Molina never got the multiple news cycle bounce she should have enjoyed.

Special Guest Sniper: Candidates Mario Chavez and Nadine Diaz are way behind on the money front, with about $20,000 and $30,000 raised, respectively (the other candidate on the ballot, John O’Neill, has not reported raising any money). While neither is expected to figure heavily on election day, Diaz has shown a willingness to swipe at Huizar, particularly during debates. At Continued on page 6

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6 Downtown News

March 2, 2015

Hanover’s South Park Splash

election, 5 a Downtown Los Angeles forum last month she criticized him for a car accident that the city settled for $185,000. She also led the charge in attacking him for an extramarital affair with a former staffer, Francine Godoy. Godoy later sued Huizar and the city for sexual harassment and retaliation. Though the city allocated spending up to $200,000 for Huizar’s legal defense, the matter was settled privately, and financial details were not revealed.

Still, Diaz took the lead in making it a moral matter.

And a Little Nastiness After All: The gloves in this race never came off like they did in 2011, when Huizar ran against businessman Rudy Martinez, or in 2007, when Huizar’s campaign sent out a biting mailer comparing his competitor to Homer Simpson. Still, things have gotten sharp late in the game. Late last month Molina dispatched a series of targeted mailers that feature residents of different neighborhoods, including Downtown, and the barbed line, “Councilman Huizar’s costly scandals are disgusting. But for me, the real scandal is that people don’t get the help they need when they call his office.”

Huizar, on the other hand, has unleashed a glossy mailer with graffiti-like script reading “Welcome to Gloria Molina’s Los Angeles” and showing photos of rundown homes and dirty areas in her former supervisorial district. “She spent a lot of money on cars, junkets, and raises for her staff, but what did she do for her district?” it asks. Then it helpfully answers its own question with, “Not much, apparently.”

The action ends tomorrow. Unless it doesn’t, and we have two more months of fun and games. regardie@downtownnews.com

Developer Opens the First of Three Housing Projects in the Neighborhood

By Eddie Kim esidential development is booming across Downtown Los Angeles, but there’s nowhere quite like the stretch of Olympic Boulevard between Grand Avenue and Hill Street, where about 1,000 units, divided between four complexes, have been under construction.

Now, the first batch of apartments has arrived, thanks to Houston-based developer Hanover Company. Simply titled Hanover South Park, the building at 939 S. Hill St. brings 284 apartments to a formerly quiet corner. Two additional projects from the company are scheduled to open early next year.

The seven-story structure has a clean exterior design from architecture firm TCA, and melds simply painted stucco, warm stone surfaces and flashes of metallic paneling. Steel-framed glass balconies poke out over the street. Landscaping and fresh sidewalks line the streetscape.

For the developer, the project is a second foray into the South Park residential scene, following the 26-story 717 Olympic apartment tower that opened in 2008. Its success, even in the midst of the recession, motivated Hanover and investment partner Windsor Communities, which owns and manages another South Park building, Renaissance Tower, to further invest in the neighborhood.

“We’ve been believers in Downtown and South Park in particular for over 10 years

R

photo by Gary Leonard

The 284-unit Hanover South Park, at 939 S. Hill St., features studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments. The complex opened in January.

now,” said Hanover development partner Ryan Hamilton. “We like that it’s really a residential neighborhood, coupled with the fact that there is an active business improvement district to help promote the area and keep it clean and safe.”

Hanover South Park features studio and one- and two-bedroom apartments, with floor plans ranging from 500 to 1,260 square feet. There are also three one-bedroom live/work lofts, all about 1,000 square feet. Rents run from $2,500 to nearly $4,000.

The building is roughly 17% leased at this

point, said property manager Trea Chafe.

All apartments are trimmed in materials that have a premium look and feel.

Units feature sleek black-brown cabinetry and stone backsplashes in the kitchen, but tenants can choose from a trio of color schemes for the granite countertops and wood laminate floors. Every bedroom can hold a king-sized bed, and bathrooms are trimmed with stone countertops and large porcelain tiles, both on the floor and in the showers.

Continued on page 21

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Downtown News 7

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

an’t Miss C 0 4 f o n A Rundow, Shows, Events, Concerts nd More Taking Exhibits a owntown Place in D

By EddiE Kim, JacquElinE Fox, dan Johnson and Jon REgaRdiE

photo by Elliot Lee Hazel

Interpol plays the Shrine Auditorium on April 16.

The classic fairyta le gets the staged Roge rs and Hammerstein musical tre atment in a trave ling, Tony Award-winning production. All th e expected ingredients are th ere: the enslave d dreamer of love her dysfunctiona , l half-sisters and a mother figure would make any who social worker’s sk in crawl. This Cind takes its cues fro erella m a new book by American playw Douglas Carter Be right an and promise s to deliver an irreverent revival of the tale origin ally penned by Charles Perrault in 1697. Cinderel la is called Ella here, and is play ed by Broadway veteran Paige Faure. She still loses and ge ts back her glass sli pper, her sisters are meaner than ever, and yes, there’s going to be a ball.

At 135 N. Grand Ave or centertheatregrou p. org.

March 20-JuNe 28 at the GeffeN coNteMporary at Moca

William Pope.L’s upcoming exhibition at MOCA’s Little Tokyo annex is big in more ways than one. William Pope.L: Trinket features an approximately 50-by-20 foot American flag that gets a continuous beating from four ginormous fans set up around the gallery, with the goal of creating a fraying effect that makes a point about democratic ideals and their shortcomings. MOCA senior curator Bennett Simpson is overseeing the installation, which will include other sculptures and performances by the self-proclaimed “fisherman of social absurdity.” Need more proof? In the late 1990s, Pope.L began a nine-year “crawling” installation, called The Great White Way, in which he crawled on all fours across the 22-mile stretch of sidewalk on Manhattan’s Broadway.

At 152 N. Central Ave. or moca.org.

Alvin Ailey AmericAn DAnce TheATer April 15-19 At the Dorothy ChAnDler pAvilion

May 5 at the Regent photo courtesy Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Los Lobos

William PoPe.l: TrinkeT

As the crow flies, it’s not too far a journey from East L.A to The Regent in Downtown. But my, what a ride it’s been for Los Lobos. The band formed at Garfield High School four decades ago is adored by critics and fans for embodying a certain sound and style of L.A. On May 5, the two-time Grammy-winning act delivers its mix of roots rock with a garnish of Americana, Tex-Mex and hearty Chicano flavors. Expect hits from nearly four decades of music, starting with the 1976 album Si Se Puede!, the major label debut How Will the Wolf Survive eight years later and even 2010’s Tin Can Trust.

At 448 S. Main St. or theregenttheater.com.

March 2, 2015

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF SPRING

courtesy of the artist and Mitchell-Innes & Nash, New York

photo b

y Carol R

osegg

8 Downtown News

It’s always a treat when the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns to Downtown. This time, the Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at the Music Center series is offering six shows (including two weekend matinees) on April 1519. There are three different programs, and the highlight is the West Coast premiere of Matthew Rushing’s Odetta, a tribute to singer and civil rights activist Odetta Holmes. Also on the bill are a couple company premieres: Christopher Wheeldon’s After the Rain Pas de Deux and Uprising, by choreographer Hofesh Schechter. Four performances also hold the beloved Revelations, choreographed by Ailey himself. Plan to arrive an hour early for the dance talk.

At 135 N. Grand Ave. or musiccenter.org.

b t h e at e r o u c s l a l C t the Be t a h s e g i p l e Dat F i t l . u M L.A

Former world champion Oscar De La Hoya is bringing regularly scheduled boxing back to the Central City this spring. His Downtown-based Golden Boy Promotions is launching L.A. Fight Club on March 6 at the Belasco Theater, which normally functions as a dance club. The lineup in the ornate Hill Street space (it originally opened in 1926) will feature up-and-coming fighters, and the debut card will be headlined by 2012 Olympian Joseph “Jo Jo” Diaz, Jr., a super bantamweight who is undefeated in 14 fights. L.A. Fight Club will also take place April 2, May 7 and June 4.

At 1050 S. Hill St. or goldenboypromotions.com.

photo by Gary Leonard

DuDamel anD mahler ahler 6 A massive wood box getting hit by a sledgehammer isn’t usually part of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s musical instrumentation, but then again, Mahler’s Sixth Symphony is no ordinary composition. For four performances, Music Director Gustavo Dudamel will conduct the Phil through what is broadly considered one of Mahler’s darkest creations. “Not one of his works came as directly from his inmost heart as this,” Mahler’s wife Alma once said about the dramatic symphony. It just so happens that Dudamel has a particular soft spot for Mahler, which means audiences can expect some extra-passionate conducting from the man with the baton during the two evening and two matinee performances.

At 111 S. Grand Ave. or laphil.com.

MaRch 5-8 at Walt Disney conceRt hall photo courtesy of Los Angeles Philharmonic

March 2, 2015

Downtown News 9

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF SPRING t the celebraBefore you bust ou ould be clear tory poutine, we sh alt rock band ed that long-establish Quebec. m fro t no Of Montreal is id brevity back In a moment of luc , Georgia quinin 1996, the Athens e their fledgtet decided to nam singer Kevin d lea ling outfit after nadian ex. The Barnes’ French Ca scent indie, psyhodgepodge of na borrowed flourr chedelia and othe cking along and ishes has been tru rk and college thrilling the Pitchfo since. On March radio crowd ever ll be stopping by 22, Of Montreal wi ort their 15th The Regent to supp oom. Opening up album, Aureate Gl -analog dance is the tag-team all r. duo Yip Deceive or At 448 S. Main St. . om r.c te ea tth theregen

by Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

Opening April 10 At the nAturAl histOry MuseuM

photo by Tim Summers

Butterfly Pavilion

Zoe|Juniper: BeginAgAin

M Arch 26-29 At reDcAt

photo courtesy Of Montreal

March 22 at The Regent

Everyone loves butterflies, but few get to glimpse them from just inches away. That opportunity arrives April 10, when the Butterfly Pavilion returns to the front lawn of the Natural History Museum. The annual showcase features more than 50 species of butterflies and moths. In addition to ogling their beauty and marveling at the cocoon process, there will be a “Monarch Waystation” outside the pavilion, where NHM staff will teach visitors how to plant the milkweed that monarchs love to eat. The Butterfly Pavilion requires a separate admission than the museum proper. Also, be sure to make reservations in advance.

At 900 Exposition Blvd. or nhm.org.

The creative partnership between dancer and choreographer Zoe Scofield and visual artist Juniper Shuey promises to mesmerize and provoke. The show at REDCAT stars Scofield and Ariel Freedman, whose credits include touring with the Batsheva Dance Company. Melding arresting moves and balletic whirls with ethereal, wistful music, avant-garde stage design and multimedia visuals, BeginAgain aims to transport viewers to a place where all is well and the future is open and forgiving. Then again, it might force you, through audio and visual trickery, to revisit your past by plopping you in the center of it.

At 631 W. Second St. or redcat.org.

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10 Downtown News

Amy Schum er

photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for AEG

thrOugh april 22 at the graMMy MuseuM

photo courtesy Grammy Museum

Hip-hop is now in the spotlight at the Grammy Museum thanks to the exhibition All Eyez on Me: The Writings of Tupac Shakur. Created by the museum and the late rapper’s estate, it focuses on his career and love of words. The exhibit holds handwritten raps and poems, studio notes, interviews, performance footage and outfits such as the Versace suit he wore to the 1996 Grammys. Also on display are items from his time in the group Digital Underground.

It’s a fitting tribute to the artist who was gunned down in 1996 at the age of 25.

At 800 W. Olympic Blvd or grammymuseum.org.

photo by Robert Millard

photo by Justin Stephens

March Orpheu27 at the M theat re

Amy Schumer feels glee in proving that a pretty face can have an incredibly foul mouth.

Fortunately, there’s a lot of hilarious truth behind the expletives and racy subject matter. Experience her wits when Schumer takes the Orpheum stage for 7:30 and 10:30 p.m. performances on March 27. The comedienne has won applause for both her stand-up acumen and a wickedly clever sketch comedy show dubbed “Inside Amy Schumer” (get it?).

Prepare for equal parts raunch and real talk, because holding back for the sake of political correctness is the one place where Schumer falls short.

At 842 S. Broadway or laorpheum.com.

March 2, 2015

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF SPRING

The BArBer of Seville thrOugh March 22 at the DOrOthy chanDler paviliOn L.A. Opera digs into a classic in this revival of a 2009 production. Rossini’s Barber of Seville follows the trials and tribulations of Count Almaviva, a wealthy man in love with the beautiful Rosina.

Too bad, then, that Rosina’s grumpy old guardian Bartolo aims to marry her once she’s of age. Some clever plans from Almaviva’s friend and former servant, Figaro, could change the arrangement.

Grand comedic hijinks and a sweeping, masterful score from Rossini come together in this performance anchored

by Russian baritone Rodion Pogossov in the role of Figaro. Come for the music and stay for the laughs.

There are five shows remaining.

At 135 N. Grand Ave. or laopera.org.

Nearly 30 chefs are coming Downtown for the second year of this foodie extravaganza, which features a slew of events that showcase some of the best cooking talent in the world. Local stars like Michael Cimarusti (Providence), Nancy Silverton (Mozza) and Ludo Lefebvre (Trois Mec) are joining peers from around the country and world to feed crowds their best dishes.

The crown jewels of the All-Star Chef Classic are the French, British and American Masters dinners, which feature a multi1-14 course 1 h meal inspired by said nations. There’s C MAr .A. live also the casual “Grill and Chill” event that alAt l lows diners to try small plates from 20 different chefs, all under one roof.

At 1005 Chick Hearn Court or allstarchefclassic.com.

photo by Elliot Lee Hazel

r A t S l Al ef Ch iC S S A l C SeSame Street Live,

may 30-31 at Nokia theatre

Let’s Dance Are you ready to rock and roll with Bert, Ernie, Cookie Monster and the rest of the Sesame Street posse? Can you believe we just used the phrase “Sesame Street posse”? Whatever the case, Sesame Street Live, Let’s Dance is coming to the Nokia Theatre, with a whopping five performances spread over May 30-31. Elmo, Abby, Big Bird, live performers and many others will aim to get the entire family up and out of their seats and grooving to some “Sesame Street” classics and new songs alike. The plot concerns — well, it doesn’t matter what the plot concerns. The point is, the familiar Jim Henson creations will be on the stage and the kids will be smiling.

At 777 Chick Hearn Court or nokiatheatrelive.org.

Interpol

April 16 At the Shrine Auditorium Interpol made a splash with its 2002 debut Turn On the Bright Lights, melding the post-punk influences of groups such as Joy Division and The Smiths with a decidedly modern feel. No wonder, then, that the band was soon cemented among the indie rock heavyweights of the early 2000s. Thirteen years later Interpol is back on tour with a new album, El Pintor. They hit the Shrine Auditorium April 16 for a concert sure to showcase some new cuts and their back catalog. Prepare for a night of brooding bass lines and indecipherable singing.

At 665 W. Jefferson Blvd. or shrineauditorium.com. photo © 2015 Sesame Street Workshop

Downtown News 11

The Dead Sea Scrolls

entral l c e ib h The Aloud series at t the Central Library brings Thom-

y ar r

March 31 a t

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF SPRING

as McGuane from Montana to Downtown Los Angeles on March 31. The author of 10 novels, including the acclaimed Gallatin Canyon, will read from his latest work, Crow Fair: Stories, his first collection in nearly a decade. McGuane relies on the landscape of so-called dirty realism to weave tales of the American West. He’ll be in conversation with Los Angeles Times book critic David Ulin. As usual, it is one of many Aloud highlights during the season. Other standout events include journalist and author Sandy Tolan on April 21 and musician Ana Tijoux on April 23. Aloud shows are free, but reservations are always recommended.

At 630 W. Fifth St. or lfla.org.

At the CAliforniA SCienCe Center

photo by Darryl Moran/The Franklin Institute

March 2, 2015

photo by Bruce Weber

If you think you know what the Downtown Art

Art WAlk

Multiple DAtes in the historic core Walk is about, you’re probably right. Still, that

doesn’t make it any less fun, and on the second Thursday of every month this spring the streets will teem with locals and visitors (especially visitors). Sure, a lot of people drive down to visit the area bars, but there remains an ample opportunity to check out the creative output of the local populace in a couple dozen Historic Core galleries. The events on March 12, April 9 and May 14 will, as usual, be anchored at the Art Walk Lounge at 634 S. Spring St. Show up there for freebies and maps.

Throughout the Historic Core or downtownartwalk.org.

Back in 1946, some archaeologists and their accompanying Bedouin guides wandered into a series of caves near Qumran in the West Bank. Over two years, they would go on to find nearly a thousand fragments of supplementary Biblical texts known collectively as the Dead Sea Scrolls. Beginning March 10, the California Science Center displays 600 artifacts, including 10 pieces of the scrolls themselves and pages from the oldest known Torah. Complement your visit to The Dead Sea Scrolls: The Exhibition with a screening of Jerusalem 3D at the Science Center’s IMAX theater.

At 700 Exposition Park Drive or californiasciencecenter.org.

photo by Gary Leonard

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March 2, 2015

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF SPRING

Lucha VaVoom

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photo by Jam

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Do you enjoy ethereal hip-hop beats layered with ghostly vocals to powerful emotional and sonic effect? If the answer is even just a tentative “yes,” don’t miss FKA twigs’ April 14 gig at the beautiful Belasco Theater. The English artist sounds like few other musicians, mixing experimental electronic sounds and old-school R&B singing on tracks that feel both singular and modern. There’s a good reason why twigs’ (real name: Tahliah Barnett) full-length debut LP1 won rave reviews from pretty much every music publication, and we can assure you it’s not because she’s supposedly dating Robert Pattinson.

At 1050 S. Hill St. or belascous.com.

You’re locked in a room that looks completely ordinary. You and a team of strangers have one hour to escape. That’s the premise behind Escape Room, which began last winter and takes place several days each week. This is no creepy, Saw-like horror experience. Rather, players must work together and figure out brainy puzzles to unlock clues. The initial Escape Room has an L.A. noir plot with a detective and the mob. Escape Room and Race/LA founder John Hennessy will launch a second room March 25. The new room will put players in the shoes of cave explorers poking around in the ruins of a lost civilization.

At 120 E. Eighth St. or escaperoomla.com.

pho

s g i w t A

april 14 aT The Belasco TheaTer

Through March 22 aaT The Mark Taper ForuM Arthur Miller’s just-opened The Price delivers a dark discourse on the age-old themes of sibling rivalry and power.

Think of it as a sepia-toned love letter to and from a fam family that once was whole and now struggles. While sorting through their deceased father’s estate, two brothers, Vic Victor (Sam Robards) and Walter (John Bedford Lloyd), find themselves simultaneously confronting their past and excavating the reason for their initial estrangement. Although it’s not one of Miller’s more widely known plays, the show that first opened on Broadway in 1968 is under the direction of Tony-win Tony-winner Garry Hynes. The strong cast also in includes Alan Mandell and Kate Burton.

At 135 N. Grand Ave. or centertheatregroup.org

Tan Dun is coming to Downtown Los Angeles to join the Master Chorale for a transformative exploration of music, the sounds of more than 100 voices and, yes, water. The Oscar- and Grammy-winning composer first brought his “Water Passion” to the Master Chorale a decade ago. The performance features 10 water bowls arranged in the shape of a cross, which are used to re-create the literal sound of water in nature and invoke its powers of renewal. Dun will be abetted

by Master Chorale Artistic Director Grant Gershon.

At 111 S. Grand Ave. or lamc.org.

L.A. MAster ChorALe:

WAter PAssion After st. MAtheW April 11-12 At WAlt Disney ConCert HAll

photo by David Johnston

is Cor b ell/ Ken n ista y Kr to b pho photo by Gary Leonard

e c i pr

There are two ways to tell when Cinco de Mayo is here: 1) The calendar says May 5, and 2) Lucha Vavoom brings its conflagration of masked Mexican wrestling, burlesque performances and spicy comedy to the Mayan Theatre.

The lineup hasn’t yet been released, but really, it doesn’t matter: All you need to know is that on May 5 there will be bulky wrestlers, mini-wrestlers and wrestlers in wild costumes. They’ll smack each other in the head, fly off the top rope and perform other physical feats that make your jaw drop. In between the bouts a cadre of the truly talented will prove that not everyone undresses the same way. Sit ringside, if you dare.

At 1038 S. Hill St. or luchavavoom.com.

EscapEThRough Room augusT

Downtowners have just two more months to wander through a massive exhibit built around one of Japan’s most popular exports.

Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty holds hundreds of rare and iconic artifacts tied to the mouth-less, feline-appearing character created by the company Sanrio in 1974. The show has been a hit since opening last October, and in addition to the memorabilia there is a section with artworks inspired by her, including a 12-foot tall fiberglass statue dubbed “Kittypatra.” Keep an eye out for the Hello Kitty motor oil. Supercute runs through April 26.

At 100 N. Central Ave. or janm.org.

The

March 2, 2015

Downtown News 13

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF SPRING

June 3 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

y As

thm

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photo by Gary Leonard

Sufjan Stevens

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At 613 S. Grand Ave. or 213nightlife.com/st-patricks-day.

Re c ord

On Feb. 22, The Grand Budapest Hotel won the Oscar for Best Costume Design. Through April 25, visitors to the FIDM Museum in South Park can get up close to some of the duds from the film, as well as clothes from more than 20 other 2014 movies, including the four additional Oscar nominees. FIDM’s 23rd annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design puts the spotlight on the outfits that help make films believable, and in addition to Grand Budapest, the South Park show holds gear from movies such as Maleficent, Mr. Turner, Selma and the 1970s spectacular Inherent Vice.

At 919 S. Grand Ave. or fidmmuseum. org.

Kit ty

March 17 at Casey’s Irish Pub

Stevens has long disThe eccentric folk artist Sufjan c and ambitious. Just played a proclivity for the epi cept albums themed con look at his discography: Two Illinois; an electronic rearound states, Michigan and of the Chinese Zodiac, cord dedicated to the animals s songs, bit; and a collection of religiou Enjoy Your Rabbit curious t tha of re mo ect Seven Swans. Exp ves at grandiosity when Stevens arri on ilion Pav er the Dorothy Chandl m, albu new a g hin June 3. He’s pus bt dou no ’ll you but ell, ell Low Carrie & gran hear tons of eclectic tunes to ing from electronic-hued pop the for gy eulo y a soft, strumm n childhood of serial killer Joh e is Wayne Gacy. FYI: His first nam ” hn. pronounced “soof-ya At 135 N. Grand Ave. or musiccenter.org.

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rd ing new and wei e days requires try a bies th to t ny en pa m m ni co pa vative opera a live accom no ng in gi e an sin g d in an nn g ph Ru playin y Christo er Le era, that means and the legendar rk Pa g of Re rd Lo er e things. For L.A. Op ild Th bu uron in m featuring body unger readers, Sa zarro 1961 cult fil ula or, for our yo ac e opera singers Dr ur t at un fe ill Co w as s e Vs. Vampire es ul rc (who rose to fam He ganelli while of s ce ck poser Patri Mor ur performannNews m fo co e m Th y fro s). e ng or Ri sc e th Facebook.com/L.A.Downtatow a new s on the Doroth chestra ckling ted World screen un Ha e th in es and a 26-piece or ul rc fore. ario Bava’s film He era has done be Italian director M e anything L.A. Op lik un ow sh a s LikeChDowntown Facebook andler stage. It’News on laopera.org.

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March 2, 2015

March 21-July 27 at MOCA

Elaine Sturtevant has inspired intense debate ab out whether she’s a genius or jus t a pretentious plagiarist. Th at’s because she’s best known for her inexact replicas of artworks from peers like Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns (one of her pieces that echoes his work is shown here) and Roy Lichtenstein. In fac t, none of her creations from 1965 on are technically originals. He r efforts and talent in a huge ran ge of artistic styles stirred conv ersation about the meaning of cre ativity, and the results will be on dis play when MOCA opens Sturte vant: Double Trouble at its Gran d Avenue location on March 21 . The exhibit marks the first com prehensive look at Sturtevant ’s career.

At 250 S. Grand Av e. or moca.org

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photo courtesy MOCA

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF SPRING

Sturtevant:

es r i p m a vilion V . s V a s e l dler P n a u h C c Helr23-26 at the Dorothy

14 Downtown News

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Enjoy a free evening of art, music and entertainment as Pasadena’s most prominent arts and cultural institutions swing open their doors.

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PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS Armory Center for the Arts / Art Center College of Design / artWORKS Teen Center / City of Pasadena–City Hall / Jackie Robinson Community Center / Kidspace Children’s Museum / Light Bringer Project at Day One / Lineage Performing Arts Center / MUSE/IQUE / Offramp Gallery / Pasadena Conservatory of Music / Pasadena Museum of California Art / Pasadena Museum of History / PUSD at The Shops on Lake / Shumei Arts Council / Side Street Projects / USC Pacific Asia Museum

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FREE SHUTTLES Free shuttles, running 6–10 p.m., will loop throughout the evening with stops at each venue. artnightpasadena.org facebook.com/artnightpasadena

For information on ArtNight, please call the ArtNight Pasadena Hotline at 626.744.7887 or visit artnightpasadena.org.

For information on accessibility and/or to request written materials in alternative formats, please call the City of Pasadena at 626.744.7062. Para más información en español, visite nuestra página del internet: artnightpasadena.org.

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March 2, 2015

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF SPRING

Downtown News 15

16 Downtown News

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March 2, 2015

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF SPRING

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Lisa Lampanelli

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April 23-26 at REDCAT Theater company Poor Dog Group is bringing an evocative, movement-based interpretation of Jelly Roll Morton’s 1938 recording to life on April 23-26 at REDCAT. The Murder Ballad is the jazz great’s highly sexualized, if not downright smutty, ballad of a woman’s act of revenge against the lady who bedded her man. This move, naturally, has consequences, and said offender gets some jail time and, eventually, a meeting with her maker. Directed by Jesse Bonnell and starring Jessica Emmanuel as the violent heroine, this little story in dance could either be right up your alley or take you down a street you never wanted to visit.

At 631 W. Second St. or redcat.org.

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Dancing an d science m ay seem m Natural His utu tory Museu m, where th ally exclusive. Don’t te nings of M ll that to th e annual Fi arch 6, Apri rst Fridays e gang at th l 10, May 1 for events series is un e and June 5 that comb d e , rw th in ay. On the e e m g this year is useum is tu e ve“Do-It-Yours allery tours, lectures, rn e d over to the drinking, a elf Science rator of he hipsters nd bands a .” On March rpetology a n d DJs. The 6, that invo bout frogs, called the N theme lves a talk fr geckos and erd Brigad om the NH snakes, a sc e, and perf Sabo will w M’s cuience salon ormances ork the deck from some

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Connecticut’s Lisa Lampanelli has made a career out of insulting others. Her website is insultcomic.com and no one is safe from the Queen of Mean’s vicious vitriol. For a quarter of a century she’s been dropping taboos and racial epithets on stage like sadists drop pennies from the top of tall buildings. On March 14 Lampanelli will fill Club Nokia at L.A. Live with her humorous and harsh disregard for the feelings of others. Don’t be surprised when she slams a figure or subject you cherish deeply.

Better still, don’t be surprised when you laugh heartily.

At 800 W. Olympic Blvd. or clubnokia.com.

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l ing, but “Ale Thanksgiv lik n o io rl it A ad r tr te ea ngwri It may not b by singer/so l as ed n fu h en it p ” fa t, is n h thrie and u ice’s Restaura G to le ab and insepar ril 6, Guthrie Guthrie, is as e pie. On Ap th l to in al n H ki ey p n m the pu e to Dis s ad show com u o ro g m fa in e el th av f tr his iversary o n an th at 50 e th t celebrate th umping even g Day trash-d e th ed ir sp Thanksgivin in , e the draft ad ev e th im f h o helped movie ired the 1969 s sp es in tl n at u th co g son pushed and, finally, m co al ci same name, so rethink their to Americans to ietnam and V in ar w e th to too ts ’s en at mitm e. If th less fortunat se o th g e in th p hel ow that cess, just kn much to pro e base of a th e b ill ng w 18-minute so cal icon. ng the musi il.com, show featuri or nd Ave. laph At 111 S. Gra

April 6 at Walt Disney Concert Hall

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Music Center

April 11 at World City at Disney Hall

With traditional Ukrainian folk music as its canvas, and the bro ad palette of contemporary sounds as paint, Kiev ’s DakhaBrakha has been craf ting sonic portraits of their European home for mo re than a decade. On April 11, they journey to the Music Center for another installment in the World City program, held outdoors at the W.M. Keck Amphi theatre at Walt Disney Concert Hall. While the political future of Ukraine is muddled, World City’s organiz ational acumen has never been sharpe r — another season highlight is the Kulu Mele African Dance and Drum Ensemble on May 9. All World City dates have 11 a.m . and 12:30 p.m. performances. Tickets are free and can be reserved in advance.

At 111 S. Grand Ave. or musicc enter.org.

he cour tesy T

Multiple Dates at the Natural Histo ry Museum

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photo

ost unof the m rock e n o is nts ative ht Be Gia us altern They Mig al and ambitio s, that’s a pretty on . Ye e May conventi e last 30 years will com John f o th f ro o p s photo by Shervin Lai hen band rafted a ut the nez ren’s ption, b trict’s Regent w he duo have c ri c s e to child e” from d k T c M e . is f big lv ro D o e rm e k s d s g n fo l r a o d il e B B -e “ w p g ld g ll n e O in h in n tt n Jo 1 at the John Lin ything from cu e Grammy-win hn and terial Jo rgh and er Flansbu reer playing ev ngs, including th nows what ma r. ve ca so body k ing as e lengthy levision theme dle.” No id M e entertain te d th to n a in s e c n ti tu alcolm eclec how “M ly be as m. the T V s will like eater.co ix h m tt n e e th g t re u e b into, t. or th . Main S At 448 S

Downtown News 17

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF SPRING

Blessing of

the Animals

West Players May 7-June 7 at East

b and blind kid who finds Can the tale of a deaf, dum r ball machine still rock fou refuge and a “voice” in a pin we at wh ok (Lo ws? kno o decades after its debut? Wh s bring the Pinball Wizard did there!) East West Player ent to Little Tokyo on May and all the ancillary excitem interpretation of the 1960s 7-June 7 with an updated k by Who guitarist Pete rock opera based on the boo ff. The show’s musical apTownshend and Des McAnu nshend and fellow Who proach, with tunes by Tow ction of Marc Maclintal. See bandmates, fall under dire it. Feel it. Get the story. eastwestplayers.org.

At 120 Judge John Aiso St. or

photo by Gary Leonard

April 4 at Olvera Street

rs image courtesy East West Playe

The Who’s Tommy

March 2, 2015

You don’t have to be religious to enjoy the Blessing of the Animals. Instead, all you need to do is like animals. On April 4, El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument and the Los Angeles Archdiocese will hold the annual event in which hundreds of dogs, cats, birds, reptiles and other creatures are paraded in front of Archbishop Jose Gomez, who will give them his blessing and sprinkle Holy Water on them. The event at Olvera Street is meant to be a way to thank animals for the companionship they give us mere humans. In addition to the abovementioned creatures, expect to see horses, goats, fish and possibly even a huge albino Burmese pho to b python. yD av i At Olvera Street or elpueblo.lacity.org. dG

arc es

Tania Pérez-Salas Compañía de Danza May 15-17 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

Mexico City’s Tania Pérez-Salas and her contemporary dance company have garnered acclaim for performances of passion laced with eroticism, angst and longing. It’s all told through richly exquisite movement set to an eclectic soundtrack of contemporary and alternative beats. During the three May 15-17 performances at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, PérezSalas will showcase the work that has earned raves not just in her home country, but also throughout the United States, Canada, China and the Middle East.

At 135 N. Grand Ave. or musiccenter.org.

First Church.

First Worship.

Sunday, Mar 8 at 9am A joyful, reflective, worship experience centered on art, music and community.

First Worship is in collaboration with Sacred Faces featuring the photography of Andy Romanoff.

540 S. Commonwealth Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90020 • 213.385.1341 • www.FCCLA.org

18 Downtown News

March 2, 2015

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF SPRING

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Pianist Susan Svrcek’s program “Oh, For the Love” will showcase several classic and contemporary compositions for Piano Spheres, an ongoing series that celebrates the power of the 88 keys. During the show at the Colburn School’s Zipper Hall, Svrcek, who has held solo engagements at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Boston Museum of Fine Art, will perform three sonatas by Italian composer Domenico Scarlatti, as well as a batch of contemporary works. It is one of four Downtown Piano Spheres engagements this spring: Also coming are Gloria Cheng at Zipper Hall on April 21, Nic Gerpe at REDCAT on April 28 and Steven Vanhauwaert on June 2, also at REDCAT. At 200 S. Grand Ave. or pianospheres.org.

March 2, 2015

Downtown News 19

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF SPRING

DT

Dancing With Shakespeare

CALENDAR LISTINGS

R

ave culture and William Shakespeare might seem mutually exclusive.

Don’t tell that to the team at the Loft Ensemble. The Arts District theater company has injected a healthy dose of the electronic dance music scene into a staging of The Bard’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which is now in its final week. The 16th century comedy begins in Club Athens, where a raucous dance party is underway, there’s a psychedelic forest with neon fairies, and the bar staff becomes The Mechanicals, who are controlled and manipulated by the woods’ inhabitants. Then there’s Puck, who bounces between both worlds.

This may not be what Shakespeare intended, but if it gets the kids into iambic pentameter, then he just might approve.

Performances are Saturday, March 7, at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 7 p.m.

At 929 E. Second St. or loftensemble.org.

EVENTS

SPONSORED LISTING

Tuesday, March 3 Did Cuba’s Revolution Fail?

MOCA, 250 S. Grand Ave., (213) 626-6222 or zocalopublicsquare.org.

7:30 p.m.: Cuba, being the hot button topic that it is, demands yet another panel discussion. Zocalo Public Square’s event will examine whether a country with a $68 billion GDP and little if any diplomatic prestige is better for having had a revolution. Expect someone at some time to say the word “Castro.”

Latino Voices Forum REDCAT, 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org.

8:30 p.m.: Director Rodrigo Garcia, LACMA contemporary art curator Rita Gonzalez, hip-hop scholar Jeff Chang and art director Diane Rodriguez chime in on the topic of ethnicity and expression.

Wednesday, March 4 Frank Gehry at SCI-Arc 960 E. Third St., (213) 613-2200 or sciarc.edu.

7 p.m.: Eric Owen Moss joins Disney Hall architect and creator of myriad other wonders, Frank Gehry.

Judith Butler at REDCAT REDCAT, 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org.

8:30 p.m.: The philosopher expounds on a series of ideas that demarcate the intertwined topics of vulnerability and resistance.

Thursday, March 5 The Overseas Capital Influx Discussion 538 S. Flower St., or laheadquarters.com.

5:30 p.m.: The Los Angeles Headquarters Association looks at the flood of international money flowing into Los Angeles, and asks what it all means. Speakers include I-Fei Chang, president and CEO of Greenland USA, the company responsible for the $1 billion Metropolis project, Richard Green from the Lusk Center on Real Estate and Lew Horne from CBRE. KNX 1070 business reporter Frank Mottek moderates.

Friday, March 6 L.A. Fight Club 1050 S. Hill St., (213) 746-5670 or goldenboypromotions.com.

5 p.m.: Oscar De La Hoya launched a new monthly boxing card, this one comprised of young fighters. It’s a unique twist for the Belasco.

Saturday, March 7 Lantern Festival Chinese American Museum, 425 N. Los Angeles St., (213) 485-8567 or chinatownla.com.

12 p.m.: The Chinatown community gathers to celebrate the closing of the Lunar New Year. Again, fireworks are illegal in Los Angeles, but enjoyed by all.

Sunday, March 8 The University of MMA 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or clubnokia.com.

5 p.m.: In case you have one or two functioning brain cells to spare, drop on by Club Nokia and watch some venue-sanctioned violence.

ROCK, POP & JAZZ Blue Whale 123 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka St., (213) 620-0908 or bluewhalemusic.com.

March 2: Maquis Hill.

March 3: Zach Brock, Sam Barsh and Mark Ferber.

March 4: Peter Erskine New Trio.

March 5: David Otis Quintet.

March 6-7: Robert Hurst Group.

photos courtesy Loft Ensemble

Vagabond Cheese @ the Robert Reynolds Gallery 408 S. Spring St., (818) 613-5535 March 5, 7 pm: Vagabond Cheese Company pairs cheese and wine with the art of Robert Reynolds. Tickets at vagabondcheese.com/events.

March 8: Dan Tepfer and Joanna Wallfisch.

Bootleg Bar 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org.

March 3, 8 p.m.: The Kennedy Administration plays tonight.

March 4, 8 p.m.: Folk rock meets bluegrass with Portland’s Fruition.

March 5, 9 p.m.: Leland is really hoping the ’80s pastiche bubble doesn’t burst before he gets his slice of the proverbial pie.

March 6, 9 p.m.: Marco Benevento knows some famous people. He’ll be playing music too.

March 7, 9 p.m.: Dead Meadow and The Warlocks combine their powers to create a mighty morphin’ ranger of psych rock.

March 8, 8:30 p.m.: Dugas are from Winnipeg. What’s that aboot?

Escondite 410 Boyd St., (213) 626-1800 or theescondite.com.

March 2, 10 p.m.: Live jazz with the Gabe Rosen Trio.

March 3, 10 p.m.: Jeremiah & The Red Eyes could use some contact lens solution or something.

March 4, 10 p.m.: The Sheriffs of Schroedingham are laying down the law.

March 5, 10 p.m.: Black Hole Past, a musical tribute to my adolescence.

March 6, 11 p.m.: Long-heralded western indie rock heroes Spindrift.

March 7, 10 p.m.: Step into the ring for a tag-team affair involving Willy Tea Taylor and Chris Doud.

March 8, 10 p.m.: RT N the 44s demand your full inebriated attention.

Exchange LA 618 S. Spring St., (213) 627-8070 or exchangela.com.

March 6: Damaged, Jordan Suckley, Will Atkinson and Arctic Moon.

March 7: Parokya Ni Edgar.

Grammy Museum 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org.

March 4, 7 p.m.: Steve Tyrell and other inductees in the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame will be on hand to discuss penning such classics as “Chapel of Love,” “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” and “Stand By Me.” Redwood Bar and Grill 316 W. Second St., (213) 652-4444 or theredwoodbar.com.

March 3: Mountains of the Moon.

March 5: Thursday Night Booty.

March 6: Shell Corp, Bad Cop/Bad Cop, Bompops, Murderland and Squarecrow.

March 7: The Loons, The Unclaimed, The Sound Reasons and DJ Jason Pandora.

March 8, 3 p.m.: Fools on Stools with Hollywood Destroyers The Regent 448 S. Main St. or theregenttheatre.com.

March 4, 8 p.m.: Is Tuxedo a super-talented, cryptic supergroup playing synthed-up funk music, or an unacknowledged nonentity that chose to name itself something nearly undiscoverable via common Internet search engines?

Seven Grand

515 W. Seventh St., (213) 614-0737 or sevengrandbars.com.

March 3, 10 p.m.: The Makers like jazz. They really, really, really like jazz.

The Smell 247 S. Main St. in the alley between Spring and Main or thesmell.org.

March 6: Slow Hollows and Rexx.

March 7: Alone, The Point, Sacred Destinies and Lilacs.

March 8: Lala Lala, Arjuna Genome, Michael Vidal and Topanga Patchouli.

FILM Downtown Independent 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or downtownindependent.com.

March 6, 7 p.m., March 7, 8 p.m. and March 8, 7 p.m.: That Guy Dick Miller will be regaling audiences with the story of a Hollywood bit player whose talents deserved more than they got.

Grammy Museum 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org.

March 3, 7 p.m.: What the funk brothers were for Motown, The Wrecking Crew were to L.A. Check out the eponymous documentary on the legendary ’60s session players.

IMAX California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 744-2019 or californiasciencecenter.org.

Galapagos 3D. If it was good enough to blow Charles Darwin’s mind, it’s probably good enough for you!

Forces of Nature promises a panoply of nature’s worst destruction.

Experience the gripping story full of hope, crushing disappointment and triumph in Hubble 3D. Regal Cinemas LA Live 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 763-6070 or lalive.com/movies.

See website for schedule.

THEATER, OPERA & DANCE A Midsummer Night’s Dream Loft Ensemble, 929 E. Second St., (213) 680-0392 or loftensemble.com.

March 7, 8 p.m. and March 8, 7 p.m.: Puck will be in full effect as William Shakespeare’s classic receives a modern interpretation from director Kevin Meoak. Through March 8.

The Barber of Seville Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 9727219 or laopera.org.

March 8, 2 p.m.: Figaro hits the scene in the Rossini classic that, inevitably, you have hummed some part of during your life.

Bob Baker’s Something to Crow About Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. First St., (213) 2509995 or bobbakermarionettes.com.

March 7-8, 2:30 p.m.: The puppets are getting downright agrarian as Bob Baker’s marionettes sojourn into the American heartland in Something to Crow About.

Dame Edna’s Glorious Goodbye: The Farewell Tour Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org.

March 4-6, 8 p.m. and March 7, 2 p.m., and March 8, 1 p.m.: So basically this dude Barry Humphries has spent the past 50 years traveling the world performing as an irreverent crossdresser named Dame Edna. Now, he promises he’s going to stop doing it. You’ve got til March 15 to see it.

Zero Hour: Tokyo Rose’s Last Tape REDCAT, 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org.

Feb. 26-28, 8:30 p.m.: Visionary artist Miwa Yanagi presents a new interpretive biography of the famed Japanese-American WWII broadcaster.

The Price Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org.

March 4-7, 8 p.m. and March 8, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: Tony-winning director Gavin Hynes directs this restaging of an Arthur Miller classic. It’s a bang-up cast with Kate Burton, John Bedford Lloyd, Alan Mandell and Sam Robards.

Sleepaway Camp Downtown Independent, 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or downtownindependent.com.

March 3, 9 p.m.: Every Tuesday this irreverent stand-up comedy cavalcade takes up residence at the Downtown Independent.

Washer/Dryer Union Center for the Arts, 120 Judge John Aiso St., (213) 625-7000 or eastwestplayers.org.

March 4-7, 8 p.m. and March 8, 2 p.m.: Farce by the foot as director Peter J. Kuo guides his cast through a tense if humorous story of modern domesticity. Through March 15.

CLASSICAL MUSIC Wednesday, March 4 Late Masterworks With Andras Schiff Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 9727211 or musiccenter.org.

4 p.m.: Tonight’s program of Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn and Schubert won’t be performed by a run-of-the-mill commoner.

Sir Andras Schiff tickles the ivory so well, the queen saw fit to give him a title.

Thursday, March 5 Dudamel and Mahler 6 Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 9727211 or musiccenter.org.

March 5-7, 8 p.m. and March 8, 2 p.m.: No, this isn’t an everlasting sequel like the Rocky franchise. Instead, it’s Gustavo Dudamel conducting Mahler’s 6th Symphony.

Saturday, March 7 American Youth Symphony Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 9727211 or musiccenter.org.

20 Downtown News Continued from previous page 2 p.m.: Alexander Treger conducts the vaunted orchestra in pieces from Dooley, Rachmaninoff and Shostakovich.

Anonymous 4 with Bruce Molsky Bradbury Building, 304 S. Broadway or dacamera.org.

7 and 9 p.m.: The chamber music masters stray a bit from the traditional canon to offer up an evening of songs from the American Civil War. The ditties will be played as their original authors intended: on fiddle and banjo with great emphasis placed on melancholy and patriotic triumph.

Zipper Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-2200 or colburnschool.edu.

7 p.m.: The hyper-mature kids over at the Colburn School gather together to knock out work from Ginastera, Barber and Beethoven.

Los Angeles Master Chorale: Songs of Ascent Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 9727211 or musiccenter.org.

7 p.m.: Shawn Kirchner’s “Songs of Ascent” premieres alongside a double-choir composition from Korea’s Nack-Kurn Paik.

Sunday, March 8 Colburn Orchestra Concert

S I N C E 19 7 2

ople@downtownnews.com

5 OFF

MUSEUMS African American Firefighter Museum 1401 S. Central Ave., (213) 744-1730 or aaffmuseum.org.

Ongoing: An array of firefighting relics dating to 1924, including a 1940 Pirsch ladder truck, an 1890 hose wagon, uniforms from New York, L.A. County and City of L.A. firefighters, badges, helmets, photographs and other artifacts.

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Hundreds of listings of fun and interesting things to do in Downtown Los Angeles can also be found online at ladowntownnews. com/calendar: Rock, Pop & Jazz; Bars & Clubs; Farmers Markets; Events; Film; Sports; Art Spaces; Theater, Dance and Opera; Classical Music; Museums; and Tours.

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SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF SPRING

S I N C E 19 7 2 Los Angeles Downtown News 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 web: DowntownNews.com email: realpeople@downtownnews.com facebook: L.A. Downtown News twitter: DowntownNews ©2014 Civic Center News, Inc. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Civic Center News Inc. All rights reserved.

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LAST WEEKS ANSWERS

March 2, 2015

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

housing, 6 Ten-foot-high ceilings, standard in most units, and large windows give the apartments an airy feel. About half the residences have a full walk-out balcony, while the other half hold smaller “Juliet” balconies with sliding doors that open the living space to the outside.

The main amenity is a courtyard on the west side of the building. It features a small pool and resort-style touches, including massive plush lounge chairs. Attached to the pool area are a 24-hour fitness center and a clubroom with a kitchen, pool table and TV lounge. Up on the sixth floor sit two outdoor decks that provide views of the Financial District skyline and the neighborhood to the south.

“The location is a little bit outside the peak hustle and bustle in Downtown, but it still feels like it’s close to all the action,” Chafe said.

The project also has 12,400 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. No leases have been signed yet, but Hamilton said the company is looking for shops and restaurants that will appeal to the diverse contingent of visitors and residents in Downtown.

The project offers 423 parking stalls, including 55 for visitors.

Bullish on South Park While 284 new units sounds like a big addition, it is little league compared to what is in the pipeline. Not surprisingly, one of the companies most bullish on the neighborhood is Hanover.

A block to the west is Hanover Grand Avenue, an under-construction 274-apartment complex that is slated to open next January. Literally next door to Hanover South Park is the company’s Hanover Olympic, which will bring 263 apart-

Commercial Office Space for Lease

ments when it opens around March 2016.

Hamilton is confident that the company will be able to fill the more than 800 apartments, even at rents that average more than $3 a square foot.

“It’s a very walkable area with easy access to transit, which makes it very appealing,” Hamilton said. “We’ve seen a lot of demand here in the past, and we’re seeing it in the one we’ve just opened. People want to live an urban lifestyle and live where they work.”

Hanover isn’t alone in banking on the neighborhood, which is a short walk to the office towers of the Financial District. A seven-story, 201-apartment project from developer Lennar Multifamily, at the southwest corner of Olympic Boulevard and Olive Street, is scheduled to open by September 2016.

Farther south, developer Mack Urban is building a pair of mid-rise apartment structures on a site bordered by Pico Boulevard and Olive and Hill streets, and is planning two more buildings on a nearby parcel along 12th Street. San Francisco-based Trumark Urban, meanwhile, just broke ground on a 25-story, 151-condominium tower at 1050 S. Grand Ave. The construction rush is great news for Jessica Lall, executive director of the South Park Business Improvement District, which conducts privately funded cleaning and safety campaigns in the community and also handles some neighborhood improvement projects. Lall is optimistic about the future, and said Hanover has been receptive to the BID’s vision for the area.

“The developer is setting a good example for others,” Lall said. “We’re continuing to be in conversation with them about different issues, but they’re interested in learning more about

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Downtown News 21

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Amenities at Hanover South Park include a spacious fitness center and a pool deck. A ground-floor lobby also holds conference and video screening rooms.

our public art projects and working with us on overall retail strategies and streetscape improvements.”

The arrival of more residents also stands to be a boon for businesses in the area, including The Stocking Frame, a restaurant immediately north of Hanover South Park on Hill Street.

Owner Jerry Aschoff is relieved that construction, which blocked off a long stretch of the sidewalk for more than a year, is finally over.

Even better is that he’ll have a whole new customer base to court.

“With the street being redone and open, it’s been great exposure for us,” Aschoff said. “People are walking in who never knew we existed.

We’ve got parking on the street now and I’m sure we’ll get traffic from new residents next door.”

There’s still a long way to go before South Park’s parking lots and old, underutilized buildings are fully activated. Hanover’s project, however, proves that the change is coming, and perhaps sooner than many expected. eddie@downtownnews.com

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

22 Downtown News

March 2, 2015

Building Owners Begin Offering Free Bike Rentals to Tenants

Residents at One Santa Fe embark on a Downtown group ride on Feb. 21, using bikes provided by the Arts District housing complex. One Santa Fe has 50 bikes that can be borrowed free of charge for 24 hours.

Riders also get locks and helmets.

Landlords at Housing and Office Complexes Find That Inhabitants Respond to Two-Wheeled Program

By Eddie Kim ike sharing, in which people rent twowheelers for a short time and then return them to public racks, has taken hold across the country and around the world, including in New York City, Washington, D.C., Paris and Mexico City.

Bike sharing in Los Angeles, however, has long dangled stubbornly just out of reach. After a failed effort to launch a program in the city in 2013, efforts are now underway to start a countywide bike share. That could bring about 1,000 bikes and 65 stations to the Central City by mid-2016 (see sidebar).

In the meantime, however, a few Central City landlords and building operators have opted to take the matter into their own hands, creating free bike sharing programs for their inhabitants. Cycling advocates say it shows a growing willingness to prioritize bicycling as a method of both transportation and recreation.

The biggest private bike fleet in Downtown sits at the recently opened One Santa Fe, the massive white-and-red residential complex on the eastern edge of the Arts District. There, tenants of the 438 apartments can check in at the concierge desk to borrow one of 50 beach cruisers, which all feature a handlebar basket, a carrier rack on the back, a beverage holder and cheery One Santa Fe branding. People are also

B

handed a lock, key, and front and rear lights.

They need to return everything within 24 hours.

The bike share is part of an overall One Santa Fe transportation plan that aims to help residents ditch the car in favor of walking, pedaling and using mass transit, said Charles Cowley, president of Cowley Real Estate Partners, which is a development partner in the $160 million project.

The investment in the bikes — Cowley declined to give a cost, only saying that it is part of the “six-figure” transportation program — not only helps differentiate One Santa Fe from other housing projects, it also helps residents enjoy the neighborhood and surrounding areas more conveniently, Cowley noted. People are using the bikes to shop and dine in the Arts District and Little Tokyo, and the 24-hour timeframe offers the option to visit a friend in other Downtown neighborhoods and stay over without worrying about returning the bike, he said.

On the flip side, building traditional parking for cars is a huge expense, he said.

“To build subterranean parking, you’re talking $50,000-$60,000 a space. And the most you could rent it out for is maybe $150 a month.

That’s a very bad [return on investment],” Cowley said. “To not have that space means we’re better as a mobile society and our rents can stay lower.”

Free bike rentals are also available at devel-

photo by Gary Leonard

oper G.H. Palmer Associates’ 913-unit Lorenzo apartments near the University of Southern California. Residents can check out a bike for up to 24 hours, but need their own lock.

Providing the fleet of 30 bikes was an easy choice, as most of the tenants are students and the complex is about six blocks from the USC campus, said Lorenzo General Manager Laura Nissley. Bikes also let residents explore more freely than just using public transit allows, she said.

“We have a large population of international students that come without vehicles. So for them, it’s not just about going to campus,” Nissley said. “People can take the bikes wherever — to the Fashion District, to L.A. Live, so on. We’ll have groups that go on rides together.”

It’s not only residential complexes that are getting in on the action. The management at City National Plaza, at 515 S. Flower St., started offering bike rentals to office workers last

Bike Share’s Slow Rollout

One of the Citi Bike stations in New York City, where people can rent two-wheelers for a short period.

I

Example: There once was a boy named Huizar During campaigns he traveled near and far He saw stores come to Broadway Felt like king for a day But still he dreams of a streetcar In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we’re looking for supreme examples of the traditional Irish fiveline verse. The catch is that the limerick must concern Downtown. How is up to you, but we expect creativity. Downtown players, places and themes are all fair game.

The winner will be rewarded with a pot of gold. Well not really, but you might get a $50 gift card to Katsuya or a $25 gift card to Amante Pizza & Pasta.

ENTRY DEADLINE: TUESDAY, MARCH 10 @ 5 PM

HOW TO

ENTER

Email your limerick and your contact info to contests@downtownnews.com with the subject line “Limerick Contest” or mail to 1264 W. First St. LA, CA 90026

One entry per person. All or part of the submissions may be published in our St. Patrick’s Day issue (or online), on March 16 and become property of the L.A. Downtown News.

n April 2013, the City of Los Angeles approved a permitting process that would allow a company from Irvine to install and operate a citywide bike-sharing system, with up to 400 rental stations across Los Angeles and 125 in Downtown. The plan, however, soon fell apart.

Now, bike sharing may be back on track on a larger basis, albeit with a slow, measured rollout. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority last year began soliciting bids for a vendor to run a countywide bike sharing program. Responses were collected in late January. Metro is expected to award a bike share contract in June, with implementation of a two-year Downtown pilot program in the spring and summer of 2016.

The pilot program would feature 65 stations, with a total of 1,000 bicycles, placed throughout Downtown. Initial plans call for stations in the Civic Center, at the Music Center, and at multiple locations in the Financial District, the Historic Core, Little Tokyo and the Arts District. Bike stations would also come to the Figueroa Corridor and around

the University of Southern California.

The plan, however, has limitations. The initial proposal would not put bike stations in Skid Row, the Fashion District, Chinatown and City West, according to the Metro bid solicitation, also known as a request for proposal, or RFP. If successful, the pilot program could be expanded to nearby cities such as Pasadena and West Hollywood. Ultimately, Metro said the system could grow to more than 250 stations and 3,800 bicycles.

At this point, the two-year Downtown pilot program is fully funded; last July, Metro allocated $3.8 million through its ExpressLanes toll system to be used for bike sharing in Downtown.

The funding picture for a full regional bike share program, however, remains unclear.

The overall system requires that host cities split costs 50-50 with Metro, according to the RFP. That could prove a challenge for other municipalities and slow its expansion.

—Eddie Kim

March 2, 2015

Downtown News 23

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

month. The 13 bikes can be taken out for three hours and helmets and locks are provided. The initial response has been so strong that building owner Commonwealth Partners is already expanding the program, said assistant property manager Melissa Navas.

“It’s a bridge to make office life better for our tenants, by offering a way to see all the things that are out there,” Navas said. “For Downtown, that’s a great thing. All the major landlords are recognizing that the area is growing as a community.”

Improvements to Downtown’s cycling infrastructure could hasten the spread of bike rental programs and smooth the county’s rollout of regional bike sharing, said Eric Bruins, director of planning and policy at the L.A. County Bike Coalition. There are already a number of bike lanes in Downtown, including on Spring, Main, Seventh and Olive streets.

Still, he said, there is a missing ingredient.

Bruins thinks the area needs more protected bike lanes, which provide either a physical barrier or a wide painted buffer between the cyclist and cars.

“We see these in other cities, and they make people feel more comfortable biking,” Bruins said. “With Downtown becoming more familyfriendly, we need to make sure bike infrastructure accommodates everyone.”

More rental programs could come as building owners start to see the value that investing in cycling can bring. While it’s tough to quantify how much free bikes improve a project’s bottom line, One Santa Fe’s Cowley said that close evaluation at the Arts District complex showed him it was an obvious win-win. eddie@downtownnews.com

Ace Hotel Named Project of the Year Downtown News’ Downtowners of Distinction Awards Celebrates Projects That Improved the Community

By Eddie Kim ine projects, including a restaurant, new residential complexes and a concert venue in a revamped historic theater, were honored at the 14th annual Downtowners of Distinction awards last week. Only one project, however, walked away with the top prize as the most impactful development in the Central City in 2014.

The Ace Hotel, at 929 S. Broadway, was named Los Angeles Downtown News’ Project of the Year for the transformation of a 1927 structure into 182 guest rooms. The project also rehabbed the historic United Artists Theatre into a 1,600-seat venue for concerts and other events. The Ace’s arrival has, in turn, ushered in new crowds, new hipness and new life to a stretch of Broadway that had long been a recreational dead zone.

The Downtowners of Distinction awards were held Tuesday, Feb. 24, at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. The district winners, chosen for the impact they had on their neighborhoods and on greater Downtown, were selected by the editorial staff of Downtown News. The Project of the Year was picked by leaders from each district.

Approximately 300 people turned out for the event, including City Attorney Mike Feuer, former councilwoman and current Econom-

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ic and Workforce Development Department General Manager Jan Perry, and Councilmen José Huizar, Tom LaBonge, Curren Price and Mitch O’Farrell.

The Ace has received attention from national and international media. Still, hotel General Manager Jason Diebler said there is an emphasis on providing amenities for locals, not just travelers.

“You can’t just have a hotel. You need to create a haven for people who are already in the neighborhood,” Diebler said. “To be a part of Broadway, of the Fashion District, and all the historic venues reopening, it’s an amazing feeling.”

District winners came from a variety of fields. The 50th anniversary season of East West Players was awarded the prize for Little Tokyo. South Park was represented by the restaurant Faith & Flower. The renovated Regent theater took the honors for the Historic Core.

The largest project to win was the 438apartment One Santa Fe in the Arts District.

Development partners Bill McGregor, president of the McGregor Company, and Charles Cowley, president of Cowley Real Estate Partners, said the recession made it extremely difficult to forge ahead with One Santa Fe. Yet the effort has been transformative for the

neighborhood, they said.

“We hope one day people come to the Arts District to look at the building just like they would Disney Hall, or the Police [Administration Building], or the Caltrans headquarters,” Cowley remarked.

Other winners included The Emerson apartment tower on Bunker Hill, Skid Row Housing Trust’s Star Apartments in Central City East, the Civic Center’s Hall of Justice and the Financial District’s 8th + Hope apartment tower.

New this year was the introduction of “Notable Projects,” akin to honorable mention prizes, in numerous districts. Recipients included the Courtyard by Marriott and Residence Inn hotel near L.A. Live, the reinvigoration of Grand Central Market, Feuer’s crackdown on homeless patient dumping in Skid Row, and the Broadway streetscape “dress rehearsal” project.

Huizar noted that such an acknowledgment for the improvements along the Broadway corridor was not something he would have expected a few years ago.

Other attendees expressed enthusiasm for the progress in Downtown and urged the community to keep pushing forward.

“Let’s not think of L.A. as a city with no center, but rather think of L.A. having a strong, vibrant center that is a model for the rest of the city,” Feuer said. eddie@downtownnews.com

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24 Downtown News

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TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

Scenes from the Downtowners of Distinction Awards

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photos by Gary Leonard

March 2, 2015

March 2, 2015

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Downtown News 25

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

26 Downtown News

March 2, 2015

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To place a classified ad in the Downtown News please call 213-481-1448, or go to DowntownNews.com Deadline classified display and line ads are Thursday at 12pm.

FORfor RENT All submissions are subject to federal and California fair housing laws, which make it illegal to indicate in any advertisement any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income or physical or mental disability. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

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City of L.A., GSD, Real Estate Services Division is accepting Request for Proposals from parties interested in leasing space at 201 North Los Angeles Street, L.A. Mall, to operate retail business.

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LEGAL civil sUmmons LOS ANGELES COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT CASE NO. BD602275 PETITIONER’S NAmE IS: ELI GOmEz NOTICE TO RESPONDENT: mARIA CORNEjO NOTICE! You have been sued.

Read the following information.

You have 30 calendar days after this “Summons and Petition” are served on you to file a “Response” (form FL-120 or FL-123) at the court and have a copy served on the petitioner.

A letter, phone call, or court appearance will not protect you. If you do not file your Response on time, the court may make orders affecting your marriage or domestic partnership, you property, and custody of your children. You may be ordered to pay support and attorney fees and costs. For legal advice, contact a lawyer immediately. Get help finding a lawyer at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center

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(www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp).

At the California Legal Services website (www.lawhelpca.org), or by contacting your local county bar association. NOTICE: The restraining orders on page 2 are effective against both spouses or domestic partners until the petition is dismissed, a judgment is entered, or the court makes further order. The orders are enforceable anywhere in California by any law enforcement officer who has received or seen a copy of them. Fee Waiver: If you cannot pay the filing fee ask the clerk for a fee waiver form to pay back all or part of the fees and costs that the court waived for you or the other party.

The name and address of the court is: Los Angeles County Superior Court - Central 111 North Hill Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 Case Number: BD602275 Dated: December 10, 2014 Clerk: Sherri R. Carter Deputy: Martha Escobedo The name, address, telephone number, and fax number of the petitioner’s attorney or petitioner without an attorney are: Eli Gomez 8825 Willis Avenue, #5 Los Angeles, CA 91402 Pub. 02/16, 02/23, 03/02, 03/09/2015. fictitioUs BUsiness name FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAmE STATEmENT FILE NO. 2015031741 The following person is doing business as: VERDE THERAPEUTIC BODY THERAPY, 1445 Lemoyne St., Los Angeles,

CA 90026, are hereby registered by the following registrant: Fernando Reyes, 1445 Lemoyne St., Los Angeles, CA 90026.

This business is conducted by an individual. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 02/05/2015.

This statement was filed with Dean C. Logan, Los Angeles County Clerk, and by Joey Spraggins, Deputy, on February 05, 2015.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code).

Pub. 02/09, 02/16, 02/23,and 03/02/2015.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAmE STATEmENT FILE NO. 2015031758 The following person is doing business as: DR. MOJITO BARTENDING SERVICES, 918 W. College St., Apt. 502, Los Angeles, CA 90012, are hereby registered by the following registrant: Mario Pedro Esquivel, 918 W. College St., Apt. 502, Los Angeles, CA 90012. This business is conducted by an individual.

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This statement was filed with Dean C. Logan, Los Angeles County Clerk, and by Kenyon Bradley, Deputy, on February 05, 2015.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code).

Pub. 02/09, 02/16, 02/23,and 03/02/2015.

Police Permit NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR POLICE PERmIT Notice is hereby given that application has been made to the

Board of Police Commissioners for a permit to conduct a CAFÉ ENTERTAINMENT AND SHOW NAME OF APPLICANT: PLAYA LAS TUNAS RESTAURANT, INC. DOING BUSINESS AS: PLAYA LAS TUNAS RESTAURANT LOCATED AT: 1107 S. Alvarado St., #112, LA, CA 90006 Any person desiring to protest the issuance of this permit shall make a written protest before March 3, 2015 to the: LOS ANGELES POLICE COMMISSION 100 West First Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 Upon receipt of written protests, protesting persons will be notified of date, time and place for hearing.

BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS Pub. 02/23, 03/02/2015

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Smoothing Down Sidewalks in South Park

Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore!

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Business Improvement District Spends $70,000 to Fix Cracked Walkways

By Eddie Kim arefully navigating cracked, buckled sidewalks is a fact of life across Los Angeles.

Residents and business owners have complained for years that broken walkways literally and metaphorically hamper pedestrian life. Yet a lack of money and staff has slowed the city’s repair process, with only the most dangerous sidewalk segments

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The South Park Business Improvement District spent $70,000 to level 800 uneven, cracked sidewalks in the district. The work represents the first time a new repair technique called “saw-cutting” has been used in Los Angeles.

prioritized for replacement or fixing.

The South Park Business Improvement District, an organization that uses assessments from area property owners to provide street cleaning, safety and other programs, decided to tackle the issue itself last year.

It analyzed which sidewalks most needed fixing and lobbied the city to employ a technology new to Los Angeles. Construction began in January, and the BID announced the successful repair of 800 sidewalk locations on Thursday, Feb. 26.

“Walkability and access are of chief importance to the BID when it comes to creating a sustainable and livable neighborhood,” South Park BID Executive Director Jessica Lall said during a press conference at 1111 S. Hope St. The BID, which has an annual budget of $2 million, spent $70,000 to fix trip hazards throughout the 32-block district. A total of 1,867 sidewalk hazards were identified, but the BID avoided repairs in areas alongside new projects where sidewalks will be replaced in the near future, and in locations where tree roots caused the buckling, as that would cost significantly more and require additional city approvals.

A technique called “saw-cutting” was used for the first time in Los Angeles. Usually, the city either grinds down the sidewalk or pulls up the concrete and re-pours the walkway, Lall said. In saw-cutting, jutting concrete is chopped and then smoothed with a machine in a proprietary manner from Precision Concrete Cutting, which handled the South Park work.

Lall said saw-cutting saved $180,000 in repair costs.

“We haven’t seen it in L.A. because there was no city permit for it,” Lall noted. “It didn’t fall under a repair or replacement category in the city policies.”

With city staff and funds spread thin, public-private partnerships are critical to improve neighborhoods, said 14th District City Councilman José Huizar. The city in particular “needs to catch up” on streamlining permitting in cases where it cannot tackle repairs and improvements itself, he said.

“We have to be innovative and get away from archaic rules that are more about checking each box than achieving the right result,” Huizar said. “It’s not just sidewalks. It’s the overall way we’ve processed basic services in the city for a long time.”

The BID is examining a second phase of work to fix more sidewalks, including in places where tree roots have severely cracked and pushed up the pavement. The BID may lobby South Park developers to invest additional funds for those repairs, Lall said. eddie@downtownnews.com