When will clock start to tick again on Blvd. n Experts are perplexed
By Nona Sue Friedman
“It’s a big electrical mystery. It’s just not fixed yet,” said Heather Duffy Boylston, executive director of the Larchmont Village Business Improvement District (BID), referring to the stopped clock. According to Boylston, the city has sent different agencies to assess the situation and BID has also hired an electrician.
But with all of that effort,
Clock, P 12
THE
CLOCK on Larchmont is right twice a day—but that won’t cut it.
Senate bill passes state Legislature
n SB 79: A weakened bill crosses the finish line
By Brian Curran
In my July column I addressed for the second time the threat of Senate Bill 79 (SB 79) to our historic neighborhoods and landmarks and encouraged my readers to contact your elected representatives to oppose this bill. Despite our efforts, the bill squeaked by, having been amended multiple times to
See Senate Bill, P 15
By Suzan Filipek
Get ready to party, in a fam-
ily way!
The Larchmont Family Fair returns for its 60th year with rides and fun for all ages on Sun., Oct. 26 from noon to 5 p.m. on Larchmont Boulevard. The Boulevard will be closed to traffic between Beverly Boulevard and First Street.
By Suzan Filipek
Residents and congregants spoke passionately for five hours at a zoning meeting last month about a proposal to turn a home at 200 S. Orange Dr. into a house of worship for Modern Orthodox Jews.
Longtime residents—some of whom have lived in the Citrus Square neighborhood, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, for decades—said the former duplex had been operating “illegally” as a place of worship for years. Its religious services bring more than 100 people on weekends to the quiet neighborhood.
By contrast, members of Bais Medrash of Hancock
Park—the impromptu synagogue—spoke of how the synagogue has changed their lives. They explained that the synagogue brings a sense of peace as a welcoming space that is open to all and also is a safe haven for Jews, who are being persecuted more and more in the city of L.A.
The meeting was hosted on Zoom Sept. 10 by Associate Zoning Administrator Phyllis Nathanson, who is considering a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for the home.
In October 2024, the owner of the home, Rabbi Yekusiel Kalmenson, applied for the permit to convert the existing building on the 8,000-square-
By Jon Vein
Every 10 years, after the census, America redraws its political map. This redistricting process determines who represents us in Congress, and while it may sound like a technical chore, it is one of the most consequential exercises in American politics. The way district lines are drawn can tilt the balance of power in Washington for an entire decade.
In Texas, Republicans have embraced what critics call “mid-cycle redistricting,” encouraged by President Donald
By Suzan Filipek
Let your voice be heard. No matter what side of the contentious Congressional District Map you’re on, now’s your chance to speak up—at the ballot box.
Voting for the Statewide Special Election begins in early October and continues
TORAH DEDICATION WAS held in mid-September in front of the home at 200 N. Orange Dr. in Citrus Square.
BROKEN
Editorial
Halloween in Windsor Square; let the fun begin!
Over 20 years ago, when we purchased our home in Windsor Square, our now neighbors asked us if we had heard about Halloween “around here?” Assuming that it was like Halloween in most other parts of the city, we simply said, “We love Halloween.” We knew something was different when the doorbell started ringing at 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 31 with the younger trick-or-treaters. By 6:30 p.m. my mother-in-law was dispatched to Rite Aid on an urgent mission for more candy—they were out. She managed to buy a few bags elsewhere. Twenty minutes later, I was running out the door to Pavilions. I bought 2,500 pieces of candy and rushed back home to a street reminiscent of Mardi Gras, with costumes and candy (but no beads). We ran out again by 8 p.m.
We learned our lesson. One piece of candy per trick-or-treater, but also, have a camera ready for all of the great costumes—and go all-out on decorations.
Over the years, we’ve seen those little trick-or-treaters grow into young adults. We’ve watched some of the parents become grandparents. We’ve met people from all over our city who come to our area for a safe and fun place to trick-or-treat and enjoy this time of year. The homemade costumes are amazing and the pride people of all ages clearly take in their work is heartwarming. And almost every person says, “Thank you!” when they come to our door. It’s not about the candy—it’s about the fun of it all, and the community experiencing it together.
There’s been news coverage of the Halloween revelry in our neighborhood with estimates of over 5,000 attendees hailing from all over the city. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.
325 N. Larchmont Boulevard, #158 Los Angeles, California 90004 windsorsquare.org
157 N. Larchmont Boulevard
“He loved October. Had always loved it. There was something sad and beautiful about it—the ending and beginning of things.”
—Jacqueline Woodson, If You Come Softly Wilshire Park Halloween Haunt: Come get the jump on Halloween at our neighbor Wilshire Park’s Halloween Haunt 2024, taking place Saturday October 25th at 4-7pm on the 600 and 700 blocks of South Bronson Avenue. There will be trick or treating, costume contests, food and a silent auction. All proceeds go to the Wilshire Park Association.
o o o
Larchmont Family Fair: Larchmont Boulevard turns fairground in their annual Family Fair taking place Sunday October 26th from 12noon to 5pm. Area families will be out to promenade among the booths representing local organizations, including WSA. Kids will enjoy the rides and treats, while adults will relax in the Beer Garden listening to the live entertainment, while the adventurous join in the competitions and contests!
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SAVE THE DATE: The Annual WSA Townhall Meeting is scheduled for Thursday November 13th. Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto will be attending and speaking.
o o o
REPORT STREET LIGHT OUTAGES: the WSA continues to track street light outages throughout Windsor Square so that they can be properly reported and scheduled for repair. If your street is experiencing an outage please report it by contacting blockcaptains@windsorsquare.org and CD13 representative Mark Fuentes mark.fuentes@lacity.org
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“ARE YOU PREPARED?” The WSA’s one page sheet on preparing yourself, family and A Guide to Neighborhood Disaster Preparedness is now available online. Download your copy at https://windsorsquare.org/safety-security/ emergency-preparedness/
o o o
WE NEED BLOCK CAPTAINS! Be the leader of your block and point person for all that’s going on the neighborhood. The WSA has numerous block captain positions open. A great opportunity to engage with neighbors and community leaders. blockcaptains@ windsorsquare.org
The Windsor Square Association, an all-volunteer group of residents from 1100 households between Beverly and Wilshire and Van Ness and Arden, works to preserve and enhance our beautiful neighborhood.
325 N. Larchmont Blvd., #158, Los Angeles, CA 90004, or windsorsquare.org.
Calendar
Wed., Oct. 1—Yom Kippur begins at sunset.
Wed., Oct. 8— Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council board meeting, at The Ebell of Los Angeles, 743 S Lucerne Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90005, 6:30 p.m., greaterwilshire.org.
Tue., Oct. 21— Mid City West Neighborhood Council board meeting, 6:30 p.m., via Zoom, midcitywest.org.
Sun., Oct. 26—Larchmont Family Fair on the Boulevard.
Thu., Oct. 30—Delivery of the November issue of the Larchmont Chronicle
Fri., Oct. 31—Halloween.
October Events Calendar
5
MADE IN L.A. 2025 opens Sun., Oct. 5, at the Hammer Museum at UCLA and continues through March 1, 2026. The seventh iteration of the signature biennial exhibition showcases works of film, painting, theater, photography, and more, made or conceived in Los Angeles. Visit hammer.ucla. edu.
HOLLYWOOD FOREVER
Living History Tour by the Art Deco Society visits gravesites of early Hollywood stars, movie moguls, and others. Docents will reenact history and tell of scandals from yesteryear on Sun., Oct. 5, 9 a.m. to noon, at 6000 Santa Monica Blvd. Visit artdecola.org.
7
SCREAMFEST HOR -
ROR Film Festival’s 25th annual event is at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres Tue., Oct. 7, to Thu., Oct. 16, at 6801 Hollywood Blvd. For
Larchmont Chronicle
Founded in 1963 by Jane Gilman and Dawne P. Goodwin
Publishers
Hutcheson Publishing Group
Editor in Chief
Hedy Hutcheson
Managing Editor
Suzan Filipek
Staff Writer
Priscilla Duggan
Editorial Assistant
Nathan Rifkin
Proofreader
Mara Fisher
Advertising Director
Wyatt Pershing
Art Director
Max Paek
Circulation Manager /
Office Manager
Nona Sue Friedman
Digital Media Manager
Rhett Hutcheson
Accounting
Irene Janas
606 N. Larchmont Blvd., #103 Los Angeles, CA 90004
323-462-2241
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‘Tell us about a favorite Halloween costume past or present.’
That’s the question our inquiring photographer asked locals.
“Last year in seventh grade, I was Colonel Sanders (of Kentucky Fried Chicken),” said Phoenix. “I was a Rubik’s Cube when I was in fourth grade. I made it myself!” said Jay. Phoenix (left) and Jay Windsor Square
information and tickets visit screamfestla.com.
LAUGHS ON LARCHMONT , a comedy crawl with three shows, three stages, and lots of comedians and clowns, is Sat., Oct. 11, from 6 to 10 p.m. Inspired by the Edinburgh Fringe, the crawl will visit Jeni’s, Beyond Yoga, and Chevalier’s Books. The benefit supports LUNA (Larchmont United Neighborhood Association) and Hilarity for Charity. Tickets are $35. Visit backyardcomedyseries.com.
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AIDS WALK LOS ANGELES kicks off Sun., Oct. 12 at West Hollywood Park. A live performance by “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star Heidi N Closet, DJ sets, and community booths are featured. This year’s theme is “Community is the Cure.” To register for the annual fundraiser, in its 40th year, visit aidswalkla.org.
“I’m going to be Zoey from KPop Demon Hunters!” said Audria. “And I’m going to be Mira,” said Rosie. “I think a lot of other kids will be, too, because the movie is so famous,” Audria added. Alba said, “I don’t know. Something easy, like a witch.” Rosie, Audria, and Alba (left to right) Windsor Square
THE EXHIBITION “Monuments” marks a recent wave of decommissioned monuments with contemporary artworks. The group exhibit was inspired by a national debate following a white supremacist rally in 2017 in the South. At Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, 518 N. Western Ave., through April 12, 2026. Visit moca.org.
22 Letters
Write us at letters@larchmontchronicle.com. Include your name, contact information and where you live. We reserve the right to edit for space and grammar.
Correction
The Larchmont Chronicle first hit newsstands 62 years ago. The headline on Page 1 of the September issue incorrectly said that September 1963 was 52 years ago. We apologize for the misprint.
“There’s more than one night of celebrations, so I’m going to be three things this year: a flight attendant, a pirate, and Tyler Durden from ‘Fight Club.’” Stella Pathak (left) On the Boulevard
“I’m going to be the girl from ‘Midsommar,’ with braids and flowers in my hair.”
Charlie Benjamin(right) On the Boulevard
“When we were little in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, we cobbled together whatever we could for a costume, usually a ghost. But one year I dressed as a hobo, and I carried a sack on a stick, dirtied my face, and sang train songs. I think I sang ‘I’ve Been Working on the Railroad’ all night long.” Millie Perkins Windsor Square
Color Me Mine returns, Scottish film crew cruises the Boulevard
By Nona Sue Friedman
After a very long hiatus, Color Me Mine is back on the Boulevard at 654 N. Larchmont Blvd., just south of Melrose Avenue. The first time the shop was on the Boulevard it was located in the space now occupied by Burger Lounge.
Color Me Mine is a paintyour-own ceramic studio for ages 5 to 95, according to owner Michelle Dix. Participants choose an object to glaze, such as a bowl, a mug, or a platter, and the studio supplies everything needed to complete the project. There’s a paint bar, with multiple glaze colors, a technique wall that demonstrates different ways to apply the glaze, and plenty of finished samples around the store for inspiration. One week after you paint your desired object, you have a ceramic piece that’s been
fired in one of the studio’s two kilns.
The sleek, light-filled space took over two storefronts, knocking down the interior wall, for one large, high-ceilinged space. It’s the perfect place to create.
The store is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. More information is at colormemine.com.
•••
After six years of ownership, Christina Development is looking to sell 124 1/2148 N. Larchmont Blvd. for
$59 million. Known as the Larchmont Mercantile , the building houses Catbird, Suá Superette, and Velvet, among other retailers. The property was purchased from the Charlotte Lipson estate for $23.5 million in 2019. Lipson’s father, Julius LaBonte, developed the Boulevard in the 1920s.
Four kilt-wearing men biking down Larchmont Boulevard with plaid-covered helmets is not a typical sight. However, a Chronicle
reporter spotted these Scottish men doing just that in early September.
The foursome were pedaling down Larchmont to meet with the British consul at Le Pain Quotidien, perhaps for tea?
They were in Los Angeles promoting their documentary, Make it to Munich
The film follows the story of Ethan Walker, who was 17 when he was recruited to play soccer for a college in New York. A few weeks after his
arrival, he was hit by a speeding car and sustained serious injuries. He was flown back to Scotland.
Many professionals didn’t
(Please turn to Page 13)
AN EMPOLOYEE PAINTS a sample at Color Me Mine.
THE AIRY STUDIO is a welcome place to create.
SCOTTISH FILM CREW came to the Boulevard while promoting their documentary, “Make it to Munich.” From left to right are Gordon MacKay, Ethan Walker, Martyn Robertson, and Stephen Collie.
COLOR ME MINE TOOK over two retail spaces on North Larchmont Boulevard.
Not just another pink October, but a message that matters
It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month—although chances are you don’t need the reminder. If you haven’t already, you’ll see the pink ribbons everywhere, printed on yogurt lids, painted onto NFL jerseys, and made into key chains in checkout lines. True, sometimes it can look more like a marketing push than a public health initiative, but here’s the thing: beneath the shiny pink, the message matters.
Breast cancer is the number one cancer diagnosis in women (and yes, men get it too). Screening saves lives. And awareness, for all its commercialism, is still a prod we sometimes need.
Why do we still talk about it? Because the numbers haven’t gone down. One in eight women in the U.S. (13%) will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. That’s
skin deep
by Dr. Rebecca Fitzgerald
Did you know that October is an ideal month for laser treatments? With the northern hemisphere tilted away from the sun, there’s a decreased risk of post-treatment pigmentation. Ah, science!
Fraxel Dual laser treatments on the face, neck and chest address sun damage acquired over the summer. “Dual” indicates two distinct wavelengths: one to stimulate new collagen production, and one to force damaged cells to turn over. Improve everything from pigmentation, pores, lines and wrinkles — even acne scars and precancerous lesions.
New research indicates that Fraxel actually reduces your risk of the most commonly diagnosed types of skin cancer in the U.S. Expect about a week of healing with most patients requiring three to five sessions, two to four weeks apart. For patients who want similar results to Fraxel, but can’t do the downtime, Clear+Brilliant laser treatments spaced four weeks apart are the way to go. With both options, you’ll leave our office with immediate results and see optimal improvement in three months.
Health & Wellness
By Priscilla Duggan
your aunt, your yoga partner, your neighbor, your sister, your daughter—maybe even you. The good news is that outcomes have dramatically grown better because of early diagnosis and treatment advances. Which makes the awareness component more about effective prevention than an unsure feeling: making sure you carve out time to schedule appointments for mammograms, knowing your family history, and paying attention to changes in your body.
If you’re wondering what to do with all this awareness, start small. Call your doctor. Encourage a friend to schedule her screening. Show up for a neighbor going through treatment with a meal or a
ride. These actions might not look flashy on Instagram, but they’re the ones that make a difference.
And if you’re skeptical of pink-washed products that donate a portion of their proceeds to research, you’re not alone. Consider giving directly to organizations in the trenches—be it paying for treatment, assisting patients, or advancing science. (In L.A. alone, Cedars-Sinai, UCLA, and smaller community clinics all have programs that could use your support.)
For breast cancer survivors, October can be complicated. Survivors are not necessarily in the mindset of being billboards on legs, and no one’s experience is encapsulated in a ribbon. Treatment can be depleting and recovery can be long, and the support people need typically looks more like trips to radiation or giving
kids a ride than ribbons on water bottles with messages. Awareness is about seeing the unglamorous side too.
Here in Larchmont, where the neighborhood subsists on its small-town-in-the-city closeness, we’re cut out for the kind of mutual aid and support that’s needed. We know how to look out for each other. We bring soup. We catch when someone isn’t at their Saturday morning coffee perch. That’s what community health really looks like.
So October is indeed pink, and occasionally that pink can be more corporate than compassionate. But it’s also a yearly check-in, a cultural reminder seen on the fridge with a Post-it, maybe, that care is crucial, prevention is crucial, and showing up for one another is crucial. Which—cliché or not—is worth recalling.
OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH and a time to support each other.
Contact our office today to schedule your Fraxel Dual or Clear+Brilliant laser appointment and experience youthful, healthy skin from the inside out. Adv.
Dr. Rebecca Fitzgerald is a Board Certified Dermatologist located in Larchmont Village with a special focus on anti-aging technology. She is a member of the Botox Cosmetic National Education Faculty and is an international Training Physician for Dermik, the makers of the injectable Sculptra. She is also among a select group of physicians chosen from around the world to teach proper injection techniques for Radiesse, the volumizing filler. Dr. Fitzgerald is an assistant clinical professor at UCLA. Visit online at www.RebeccaFitzgeraldMD.com or call (323) 464-8046 to schedule an appointment.
Photo by Ava Sol
Redistricting
(Continued from Page 1)
Trump. Instead of waiting for the census, they are reopening maps midway to entrench partisan advantage. It’s using redistricting as a weapon— aggressive gerrymandering designed not to reflect communities, but to lock in power.
That escalation leaves California at a crossroads. Should we continue playing fair, or should we respond in kind?
Independent commission: choice by the people
California is one of only a few states—including Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, Montana, and Washington—that use independent commissions to draw district lines. Importantly, this wasn’t imposed by lawmakers; it was chosen by voters. In 2008 and 2010, Californians approved ballot measures to take the pen out of politicians’ hands and give it to an independent citizens’ panel.
The result is a 14-member Citizens Redistricting Commission, balanced among Democrats, Republicans, and independents. The commission’s work is widely regarded as among the fairest and most transparent in the country and it stands as a point of civic pride.
But that also makes it politically risky to unwind. If Gov. Gavin Newsom or legislative
GRAPH SHOWS how redistricting clearly benefits one party.
Democrats were to dismantle the commission in favor of partisan map-drawing, they would be overruling the will of voters. A failed attempt would not just collapse politically—it would leave Newsom and his allies with a very visible black eye.
Texas and the new redistricting arms race
Texas has taken the opposite path. Through “packing” Democratic voters into a small number of districts and “cracking” others across multiple Republican-leaning ones, the GOP can engineer a congressional delegation that is far redder than the state itself.
This is not just sharp-elbowed politics—it’s structural manipulation. President Trump and his allies
argue openly that if Democrats in California and other blue states insist on playing fair, Republicans should exploit every opening to secure lasting dominance.
What the numbers show
The consequences of this asymmetry are stark when we run through the numbers: currently the House (2022 maps) numbers 222 Republicans, and 213 Democrats.
If every state gerrymandered aggressively, GOP-controlled states could carve out 15 to 20 additional Republican seats. Democratic-controlled states might counter with 7 to 10 extra Democratic seats. The net effect: roughly +10 seats to the GOP, enough to flip the House even in years when Democrats win more votes nationally.
If every state used independent commissions, seats would align closely with the national popular vote.
In a 50/50 election, the House would likely split about evenly, with only a small tilt either way.
In other words, universal gerrymandering structurally favors Republicans, while universal independent commissions would deliver representation that mirrors the electorate.
Case for staying the course
Supporters of the commission argue that fairness is both morally right and politically wise. Gerrymandering might produce short-term gains, but it corrodes trust, invites endless litigation, and fuels polarization. California’s maps have legitimacy precisely because voters demanded them, and walking away risks looking like a cynical power grab.
Case for fighting fire with fire
On the other hand, unilateral restraint can be costly. If red states like Texas and
Florida keep redrawing maps while California clings to fairness, Democrats will remain at a structural disadvantage. In practice, California’s adherence to principle could amount to permanent minority status for Democrats in Congress, no matter how often they win the national vote.
The bigger picture
For communities like Hancock Park, the issue may feel abstract. Local representation in California is secure and fairly drawn. But the national stakes are anything but abstract. If blue states remain committed to independent commissions while red states escalate gerrymandering, Democrats risk ceding control of the House for a generation.
The road ahead
California’s independent commission embodies both democratic principle and voter choice. Overturning it would be a high-stakes gamble, one that could backfire politically if rejected. But the status quo—where only one side respects restraint—is equally unsustainable. The central question is this: is the moral high ground a sustainable strength in American democracy, or does it risk becoming a liability in a political arms race?
POLICE BEAT
Watch stolen from victim at gunpoint, drunken man arrested
WILSHIRE DIVISION
Senior Lead Officer Tyler Shuck said that crimes have declined recently in the area. LAPD will continue to run extra patrols for burglaries and grand thefts auto for basic car area 7A17, which is approximately La Brea Avenue on the west, Plymouth Boulevard on the east, Wilshire Boulevard on the south and Melrose Avenue to the north.
ROBBERY: A man was walking along the sidewalk of the 300 block of South Citrus Avenue on Sept. 12 at 6:50 p.m. when he was approached from behind by a Black male suspect. The suspect, 5’8”, approximately 200 pounds, age 25, was wearing a black ski mask and black pants and shoes. The suspect brandished a gun and demanded the victim’s watch. A second suspect, who was seated in a black BMW 550 with heavily tinted windows and no license plates, exited the car and joined in demanding the watch. The second
Music therapy for seniors is at Leonard Sept. 30
The Leonard on Beverly, 135 N. Crescent Heights, will host a free hands-on session for seniors, “Aging With Harmony: Music Therapy and Movement,” on Tue., Sept. 30 at 2 p.m.
The program will explore the healing power of music and movement designed to energize and inspire. It will be led by board-certified music therapists and movement coaches from Bodyline Pilates.
Space for reservations is limited. Call 213-497-1295, or email theleonard-marketing@clearwaterliving.com.
First responders honored at Autry Museum block party on Sept. 27
By Julia Guillen
The annual Autry Block Party will celebrate local emergency responders. It will also feature carnival games, live music, a car show, market vendors, and food trucks. A meet-and-greet to celebrate local heroes will also take place.
The main purpose is to thank the community members who aided those in need during the L.A. fires.
The block party will take place Sat., Sept. 27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Autry Museum of the American West, Griffith Park, 4700 Western Heritage Way.
WILSHIRE DIVISION
Furnished by Senior Lead Officer
Tyler Shuck
213-712-3715
40740@lapd.online
Twitter: @lapdwilshire
suspect, also a Black male, approximately 150 pounds, and similar age to the first, was wearing a blue COVID mask, black pants and shoes. Fearing for his safety, the victim handed over his watch. The suspects drove away in the black BMW.
OLYMPIC DIVISION
Senior Lead Officer Chavez said the Division has been conducting extra patrol in the area to prevent crime. They have also been working
OLYMPIC DIVISION Furnished by Senior Lead Officer
Daniel Chavez
213-793-0709
36304@lapd.online Instagram: @olympic_slo1
with the VICE unit to address prostitution concerns in the neighborhood.
TRESPASSING AND DISORDERLY CONDUCT: A drunken white male tried to enter a home through the front door on the 100 block of Wilton Drive on Sept. 6 at 9 p.m. While screaming disparaging remarks through the door to the resident, the intruder continued attempting to enter multiple times. The police arrived and arrest-
ed the suspect for disorderly conduct and trespassing.
GRAND THEFTS
AUTO: On Sept. 5 a white, 2018 Honda Accord was stolen from the street on the 200 block of South Manhattan Place. On the same day at 11 p.m. a black 2011 Mazda was stolen from the 4900 block of Maplewood Avenue.
LOS ANGELES POLICE Department, Olympic Division, join neighbors for a walk through Windsor Square on Sept. 15. The walk was organized by Marcelo Ziperovich, co-founder of SideWalking.org and a Windsor Square resident.
BURGLARY: Two male suspects smashed the rear French doors of a home on
the 400 block of South Van Ness Avenue on Sept. 5 at 3:30 p.m. The suspects took a gun, purses, and watches and fled in a black vehicle.
Celebrate Pink Power Oct. 5
The Margie Petersen Breast Center’s annual fundraiser— POP, the Power of Pink—will take place on Sun., Oct. 5 at the Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath will be honored at the event with the Ruth Weil Spirit of Hope Award. A boutique and reception start at 10 a.m. The luncheon and program follow at noon. The annual fundraiser benefits the Breast Center at Providence St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica. Since 2022, the POP event has raised more than $1
million.
For over 30 years, the Margie Petersen Breast Center has provided treatment options, clinical trials, and patient support services that address patients’ physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being.
Margie Petersen, with her husband, the publishing magnate Robert Petersen, founded the Petersen Automotive Museum in the Miracle Mile. The late couple’s philanthropy extended to several Los Angeles institutions. To attend or support the event visit give. classy.org/POP25.
Celebrate JLLA’s Centennial at Yacht Club event
Join the Junior League of Los Angeles as it celebrates its Centennial at the California Yacht Club on Sun., Nov. 9, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Dining, signature cocktails, a silent auction, and entertainment will add to the vibrant atmosphere.
Community Achievement and Spirit of Voluntarism honorees will be awarded. Mark the date, the JLLA Centennial Gala is March 21, 2026.
Support Wilshire LAPD Cadet program with golf
With the Wilshire Country Club golf course closed, why not spend the day golfing while supporting the Wilshire Division LAPD’s Cadet program? The Division is hosting the golf fundraiser at the Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills on Mon., Oct. 6, at 9 a.m.
The local Cadet program provides personal and professional growth to youth ages 13 to 17 through leadership opportunities, community engagement, physical fitness, and opportunities for critical thinking.
Foursomes for golf are $700, and sponsorships are available. Contact 213-4730200 for registration and additional information.
More ways to get fit at new gym at Center for Yoga on Boulevard
By H. Hutcheson
The Boulevard’s Center for Yoga has opened a traditional gym within the yoga studio with memberships starting at $75 per month. The gym has a plethora of ways to find your workout, with free weights; cardio machines such as treadmill, StairMaster, and a bike; the Nautilus Freedom Rack; an adductor and abductor leg machine; a leg press; kettle bells; TRX straps; and resistance and suspension machines. And guess what? You can wear your shoes from the street all the way into the gym! Of course, there’s air conditioning and a speaker for you to connect your music to.
I ran into Dan Lerman, co-producer of the neighborhood’s Backyard Comedy Series, who told me he has an office just 100 feet away. “I had been thinking the only downside of Larchmont is there is nowhere to lift weights. I was driving all the way to Hollywood—it was messing up my life! I signed up when I heard about it, even without seeing the space. I’m a happy cus-
tomer!”
There’s plans for classes within the gym, and there are two private personal trainers available that clients can book time with. Never fear, yoga-ites, remaining are plenty of yoga classes. There you have it. Another reason to stay on the Boulevard. Center for Yoga, 230 N. Larchmont Blvd. For more information, visit centerforyogala.com.
Original Farmers Market hosts 91st Fall Festival Oct. 18 and 19
Get ready for a weekend of seasonal fun at the annual Fall Festival at The Original Farmers Market, 6333 W. Third St. This free, family friendly event has been taking place since 1934.
This year’s theme is harvest, with a petting zoo focusing on farm animals, equestrian demonstrations, a chance to meet and greet horses, crafts, and live musical performanaces. There will also be storytelling sessions. Satur-
day participants will have the chance to make a scarecrow. Mr. Jack O’ Lanterns Pumpkin Patch will also be on site selling miniature pumpkins to a hundred-pounder and everything in between. The patch will have John Deere tractor rides, pumpkin decorating, pumpkin bowling, and a candy corn hole game. Hours are Sat., Oct. 18 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sun. , Oct. 19, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
GYM MEMBER Dan Lerman walks into the location in his office clothing for a quick workout.
Transparency is key for CD5 Katy Yaroslavsky’s new office
By Nona Sue Friedman
“Welcome to your office. It’s as much ours as it is yours,” Council District Five (CD5) District Director George Hakopiants told attendees at the opening Sept. 14. Councilwoman of CD5, Katy Yaroslavsky, wanted an easily accessible and welcoming space to represent her style of governing. It took two and a half years to transform a former art gallery into her team’s new office, at 5416 Wilshire Blvd.
“The way it’s set up, you want to come in,” said resident Darlene Bel Grayson. Another CD5 resident commented, “It’s a very inviting floor plan.”
The previous office was a dark, and, by all accounts, un-
inviting space nearby on the eighth floor with a security guard at the entrance to the building. Yaroslavsky wanted the exact opposite. “I wanted it to feel transparent. I also wanted to have something joyful in the community at this time,” she said.
The new office has a co-working space taking up the center of the ground floor. CD5 hopes that neighborhood groups and homeowners associations will host meetings in the space. They are also inviting people from various city offices, such as the Los Angeles Fire Department and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, to work in the office once a week so residents can talk to their representatives in person.
CD5 closed the block adjacent to the building and decorated it with a balloon arch to host the festivities. Attendees were invited to visit the face-painting station and enjoy food donated from local restaurants such as Pink’s Hot Dogs, Nagila Pizza, Canter’s Deli, and gelato from Andre’s Italian.
AFTER THE RIBBON CUTTING, Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky (center) stands to the right of her father-in-law and former L.A. County Board of Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. She’s surrounded by her staff.
THE CO-WORKING SPACE and conference area in the new CD5 office.
Hang
Out Do Good is at it again on Van Ness Avenue
By H. Hutcheson
In September neighbors met at Polly Estabrook’s house on Van Ness Avenue to rally the community to speak out to local representatives on environmental issues. Norton Avenue resident Jennifer Levin and Estabrook listed the issues, including Senate Bill 54 (concerning plastic pollution), offshore drilling, preserving the roadless rule to keep 60 million acres of land in the U.S. undeveloped, the EPA addressing
“It’s very grassroots—we listen to things that are bubbling up and are responsive to things that are needed.”
greenhouse gases properly, environmental issues affecting the Los Angeles Harbor, and other pressing concerns in California.
Tables with computers were set up throughout Estabrook’s home, and attendees were invited to email their representatives regarding the issues at hand.
Larchmont Village Neighborhood Association
“The objective and purpose of the LVNA has, since 1987, been the preservation and enhancement of our neighborhood.”
The group Hang Out Do Good (HODG) sponsored the homegrown event. Member Zoe Corwin said, “This all started in [neighbor] Jenny [Levin]’s backyard after the 2016 election. There’s about 20 of us who meet monthly to think strategy and lead different events. It’s very grassroots—we listen to things that are bubbling up and are responsive to things that are needed.”
As you read this, the leaves are changing, and Halloween decorations have gone up all around the neighborhood. October 26 will bring the annual Larchmont Family Fair, please stop by our booth and say “Hi”.
We hope you had the opportunity to attend our joint ZOOM meeting with L.A. Metro featuring their “On The Move” Riders Program, which took place the morning of September 27. If you are a senior, have physical challenges moving around L.A. or just don’t like the hassles of driving, you’ll want to take advantage of the terrific initiatives and programs the city offers. Board member Liz Ryan is taking the lead on this program and can be a tremendous resource if you need help.
The LVNA continues to support the Livable Communities attempt to reform outdated multifamily zoning regulations which stand in the way of both effective housing and neighborhood friendly streetscapes. We believe the City Council’s move to prepare and present a draft ordinance amending the City’s Build Code to allow single-stairway, single-exit, multifamily unit residential buildings of up to six stories, will help spur the construction of new, neighborhood friendly housing and act as an effective countermeasure to the exploitative proposals we are too often seeing in our area.
For over 15 years we have fought to make North Larchmont Boulevard a live/work, walkable zone consistent with the demonstrable success which is lower Larchmont. There’s an interesting idea combining traffic calming and additional diagonal parking which has been circulated for those blocks…. Please reach out if you want to get involved in this issue.
SB 79 has moved forward again, clearing the legislature.
SB 79 would allow 5- to 7-story buildings on any lot within a half mile of a bus stop along a route that has a dedicated bus lane at any point. This potentially would put up to 95% of Larchmont, and most, if not all, of Windsor Square and Hancock Park at risk - destroying the very qualities which make these the neighborhoods we love. There are no exclusions for single-family, multi-family, or historic neighborhoods, and no requirements for infrastructure improvements or supportive transit planning. The State of California has embarked on a disastrous path of usurping local control which threatens to upend development of the very housing they claim to want. If this becomes law, the loss of local control alone is troubling enough as development decisions are more and more being moved from our local area to Sacramento.
If you haven’t already, please reach out to Governor Newsom to voice your opposition to this bill!
Check out unitedneighbors.net for latest updates.
Need to figure out who represents you? There’s a great tool at https://www.laforward.org/who-represents-me
In Larchmont Village there are always new ideas and new opportunities to further enhance our quality of life. If you have an idea or project on which you’re looking for support, we’ll get you with a member who’s got exactly the right combination of interest and knowledge to help you get it off the ground. Reach out at www.lvna. info
You can write to the LVNA at: Larchmont Village Neighborhood Association 325 North Larchmont #294 Los Angeles, CA 90004
You can email the general LVNA box at lvna90004@gmail.com or President Charles D’Atri at lvgwnc@gmail.com
Serving the Larchmont community between Beverly and Melrose, Arden to Wilton Place lvna.info • lvna90004@gmail.com
HODG’s mission is, “to do whatever we can to make our city, state, country, and world better for everyone— and to do that with a sense of joy and fun.” At Levin’s home, on Norton Avenue, she is known for the many lunches provided every Sunday in partnership with Hollywood Food Coalition. Corwin recently led an event she is passionate about, Drag Queen Bingo. Another member dedicates time to youth probation oversight. Members were pleased with the event’s attendance and hope the awareness they bring to these issues will be noticed by their representatives.
ILYSE PALLEMBERG (LEFT) AND PEGAH RASHTI encourage neighbors to find a table and participate.
Ahmansons, Gilman to be honored Oct. 24
Honorees at the Wilshire Rotary Heroes Gala Fri., Oct. 24 are Jane Gilman and William and Karla Ahmanson.
The event will begin at 6 p.m. and take place at the Wilshire Country Club, 301 N. Rossmore Ave.
The heroes were chosen for their spirit of service and lasting impact in the community.
Gilman has been an honorary member of Wilshire Rotary Club for decades, beginning when she was the publisher and owner of the Larchmont Chronicle. After she retired, she voluntarily changed her status from honorary member to a dues-paying regular member of the club.
Family Fair
(Continued from Page 1)
The street fair will feature a children’s costume contest, rides, live music, and cuisine from around the world. Booths will be set up by schools, churches, and nonprofits.
Jane Gilman, co-founder of the fair, (and co-founder of the Larchmont Chronicle), will be honored at the Fair.
Romi Cortier, president of the Larchmont Boulevard Association (LBA), is asking friends and neighbors to share stories of themselves and their families in regards to the fair as part of a tribute to Gilman. To have your comments or stories included in
“She was instrumental in getting our club to serve the homeless and hungry through our support of Hope Net,” Rotary member and past President Elsa Hillham said.
Hillham continued, “She encouraged us to serve the youth by partnering with the YMCA. Throughout the years she has promoted the Wilshire Rotary Club in the Chronicle She is a quiet hero and a dedicated Rotarian at heart.”
Bill and Karla Ahmanson are being honored because “without them, Wilshire Rotary’s pumpkin patch and [holiday] tree lot would not exist. Through their support, our club was able to raise
the tribute, reach out to Cortier at romicortier@yahoo. com.
Also planned is a photo booth near Tailwaggers. Beer, wine and wine spritzers will be poured at a bar outside La Bettola di Terroni restaurant.
The Larchmont Village Farmers’ Market will be open in its usual spot in the Village parking lot, fair organizer Melissa Farwell said.
Businesses, schools and groups from both down the street to far and wide can apply to have a booth at the fair.
All non-profit groups are invited to rent a booth for games, merchandise, or entertainment, and can keep all proceeds for their charitable
funds, which are used 100% for projects in our community and the world. This year will be the 19th year the Wilshire Rotary pumpkin patch and tree lot is at 568 N. Larchmont Blvd. Heroes like Bill and Karla Ahmanson are a godsend.
In addition to their support of our pumpkin patch and tree lot, they have encouraged our club to partner with Operation School Bell to support youth and education and the Los Angeles Police Reserve.”
The fundraiser will include dinner, dancing, and silent and live auctions.
For tickets and more information visit wilshirerotary. org.
organization.
“With an estimated 10,000 visitors, the Larchmont Family Fair is an excellent opportunity to raise awareness and funds for your organization,” Frère said.
To inquire about school or nonprofit booths, email Frère at info@landisstationery.com.
To inquire about having a food booth, reach out to Farwell at larchmontboulevardfamilyfair@gmail.com.
The deadline to apply for nonprofit booths that require a health permit is Mon., Sept. 15. The deadline for all other booths is Wed., Oct. 15.
The Fair has been a staple of the area since it began as a small-town event in the mid60s.
POLLY ESTABROOK (LEFT) AND ZOE CORWIN are pleased with the turnout.
JULIET BURTON (LEFT) SHOWS Margaret Cherene where to send her comments on Senate Bill 54 about plastic pollution recycling.
Festival of Sukkot is a joyous celebration of harvest and renewal
By Helene Seifer
For eight days, starting Mon., Oct. 6, the Friedland family of Windsor Square will not enjoy dinners in their graceful dining room. Craft activities won’t occur around the kitchen table. Instead, they will celebrate the Jewish Festival of Sukkot as tradition requires. Outside. In a hut.
Meaning of Sukkot
Steeped in ancient customs, Sukkot is a joyous celebration of harvest and renewal. It takes place five days after the two holiest days in Judaism, Rosh Hashanah, the start of the New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. During Sukkot family and friends gather for meals and other activities inside a makeshift dwelling called a sukkah.
An imitation of the temporary shelters farmers constructed near their fields during the harvest, the sukkah, which is the Hebrew word for “booth” or “hut,” is required to be a fragile, impermanent structure, often decorated with a bounty of fruits and vegetables. It might include colorful drawings created by a family’s children. A roof of leaves or bamboo and palm fronds create openings that allow the stars to be glimpsed from inside. To honor the diversity of nature, it is customary to make a prayer over a lulav— a bundle of branches of myrtle, willow, and palm trees bound together—while holding an etrog, a bitter cousin of a lemon. Guests take turns shaking them in all cardinal directions to indicate that God is everywhere.
Sukkot is probably based on pagan rituals celebrating earth’s fertility, but it holds spiritual symbolism today. “Sukkot is a holiday of re-
building, because Yom Kippur is the day we enact our death —no eating, drinking, or sex,” explains Michelle Missaghieh, associate rabbi at Temple Israel of Hollywood and resident of Hancock Park. “For Sukkot we build a sukkah, the metaphoric rebuilding of our lives.”
Gather with friends
Neither Bruce nor Toni Phillips grew up with a backyard sukkah, but in 1978, when they bought their house in Carthay Circle, steps from Fairfax Avenue, they thought it would be a nice way to gather with friends. Toni Phillips explained that they used to build theirs from scratch, but now assemble a prefab unit and decorate it with string lights, tapestries collected on a trip to Africa, plastic fruits and vegetables, artwork from their granddaughter, and paper garlands their children made when they were young.
“It’s a way to get together with friends,” said Bruce Phil-
lips. “We usually have five to 15 people every night of Sukkot.” One time they hosted 30 children from their sons’ school for a midday snack.
“Sukkot has many themes,” explained Phillips. “Transience—we build this thing and take it down a week later. Freedom. Inviting guests. Some people also have theoretical guests—who would you like to invite into the sukkah? Who has had an impact on your life?”
Building memories
Both Samantha and Michael Friedland grew up in families that built a backyard sukkah for the holiday, so it was natural to continue that custom when they had their
own family.
“We both have fond memories of the tradition and hope to give that to our children,” said Samantha Friedland. The family bought a sukkah kit years ago and hired high school students to build it. Their children, Emma, Juliette, Hershel, and Lillian, outfit the sukkah with hanging gourds, pomegranates, and homemade decorations each year. Samantha Friedland’s sister and her family often joins them in the sukkah for a roast chicken or brisket dinner. On these nights, Michael Friedland typically brings out his guitar and the group sings songs in Hebrew and English.
“We enjoy the spirit of it all; the friendship and family,” ex-
plained Samantha Friedland. “The feelings that you get from being together reflect positively on the beauty of the religion.”
READY FOR DINNER in the Friedland Sukkah are (from left) Amanda Witman (Samantha Friedland’s sister), her daughter Goldie Speiser (on lap), Jason Friedland (Michael Friedland’s brother) holding the lulav and etrog, and Abe Friedland (Jason’s son).
A SUKKAH FILLED WITH FAMILY and friends at the home of Rabbi Michelle Missaghieh (at left).
CRAFTING IN THE SUKKAH, are (left to right) Chloe Steckler, Juliette Friedland, Hershel Friedland, and Max Reiter.
Pilgrim School runners ready for cross-country season
At Pilgrim School, every student is an athlete.
That sentence begins the athletic section for the small local private school’s webpage. The paragraph goes on to explain how team sports help Pilgrim students improve their strategy and teamwork skills, both of which undoubtedly become extremely important beyond high school.
Team
Cross-country is a team sport the same way track and wrestling are: A team score is kept at dual meets and relays (tournaments), but ultimately, the individual athlete’s priority and responsibility is his or her personal performance. Ask a high school runner or wrestler if they’d rather be an individual state champion or be a member of a state championship team and almost every athlete will choose that individual title.
Cross-country does not draw as many runners at Pilgrim as it does at other schools, but then, most schools are larger than Pilgrim. The prestigious academy, located in Koreatown near Lafayette Park, consists of grades kindergarten through 12, and the combined student population is under 400. Having such a small student body, and especially at the high school level, can make it challenging to field complete athletic squads.
“We didn’t get any girls out for the cross-country team this year,” said Pilgrim Pan-
Youth Sports by Jim Kalin
ther Athletic Director Sam Taub. “The girls’ volleyball season takes place in the fall, so that’s where they ended up.”
At smaller schools, where the athletic talent pool is limited, athletes tend to compete in more than one sport during a school year.
Jaden Ilic and Dominic Chang are both 11th graders at Pilgrim. They are the Panthers’ top runners, but cross-country is not the only sport they participate in.
“I also golf and play basketball,” said Chang.
“Cross-country really helps my endurance, especially during basketball season.”
Ilic also plays basketball in the winter, then somehow competes in both track and boys’ volleyball in the spring.
“Cross-country gives me something to stay consistent with during the summer,” said Ilic, who also likes to rock climb, though it’s a mystery how he can find the time to do that.
Coach Pilgrim’s cross-country coach, Riley Williams, sometimes runs with the team, especially when he holds their workouts in the neighborhood of Koreatown. Williams was a runner at Millikan High School in Long Beach, but at shorter distances. He competed in the long jump and 300 meter hurdles and qualified
for the CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) state tournament his senior year. He placed sixth in the hurdles. He then attended Cal State Los Angeles on a full track scholarship.
“I ran cross-country in high school because my mom wouldn’t let me go out for football,” laughed Williams.
The team also practices on Pilgrim’s campus, where they run the perimeter of the school grounds. Griffith Park is their
home course for competition, and Williams sometimes holds practice there.
“I push the faster kids,” he said. “But we have a few beginners this year, so I’ve been trying to build them up and ease them into the distance running.”
Teammates
Cross-country is hard. It hurts.
“My favorite part of a cross-country meet is the end,” laughed Chang.
“I like the sprint to the fin-
tems, and the flagpole lights are all out of service.
ish,” said his teammate, Ilic.
“I feel really great afterwards,” added Chang. “It clears my head.”
Ilic and Chang are friends. It makes sense: Extreme challenges like cross-country help form bonds. The two are also in a rock band together called Standard Tuning. Wonder if they cover the song “Running on Empty.”
(Continued from Page 1) Democracy
the clock, an iconic meeting point on the Boulevard, still hasn’t been working for a year.
“It’s a bigger problem than any of us thought,” said Romi Cortier, president of the Larchmont Boulevard Association, which works side by side with BID. Cortier said the issue started when the new pay stations in the parking lot at 209 N. Larchmont Blvd. were installed. Now at the lot, the clock, the irrigation sys-
Between the two neighborhood organizations, plus Council District 13, the Bureau of Street Services, and private electricians, none have been able to figure out the issue.
History of the clock
Originally in 2005, the clock was presented as a gift from Wilshire Rotary. The international Rotary organization was celebrating its centennial and wanted each chapter to commemorate the occasion with a special project.
According to John Miron, Wilshire Rotary’s president at the time, there was an undocumented agreement between Rotary and the city of Los Angeles. Wilshire Rotary purchased and installed the clock while the city would supply power. Until last year, it had all been seamless.
Miron said he pulled numerous permits and coordinated the project with the city council district. In all, the clock, the foundation, the hauling, the electrician, and the crane needed to place the clock cost $25,000.
Since the large time piece stopped, Miron has also done some phone work trying to get it to start ticking again. He’s reached out to CD13 and some L.A. city departments, as well as the clock’s manufacturer, Electric Time Company in Medfield, Massachusetts. Remarkably, the same woman who Miron bought the clock from is still working there. She offered some advice on how to possibly repair the clock, but that potential fix didn’t work.
Miron said, “I feel so bad that it’s not working. However, I’m happy that it’s a landmark for Larchmont.”
(Continued from Page 1)
through Election Day Nov. 4.
The measure, Proposition 50, authorizes mid-cycle, partisan gerrymandering and temporary changes to the California Congressional District Map. It is in response to Texas’ recent partisan mid-decade redistricting.
If passed, the legislative constitutional amendment requires new congressional district maps through 2030. It would sunset in 2031, when the state’s independent Citizens Redistricting Commission would resume.
Pros and cons
The ballot argument in favor of Gov. Newsom’s “Election Rigging Response Act,” (Prop. 50) states it is an emergency measure to “counter Donald Trump’s scheme to rig next year’s congressional election and reaffirms California’s commitment to independent, nonpartisan districting after the next census.”
The ballot argument against: “Prop 50 was written by politicians, for politicians. [It] dismantles safeguards that keep elections fair… removes requirements to keep cities, counties, and local communities together, and eliminates voter protections that ban maps designed to favor incumbents or political parties.”
Both sides say Democracy is at stake and on their side.
County elections offices will begin mailing ballots to registered voters by Mon., Oct. 6, and ballot drop-off locations open on Tue., Oct. 7.
The last day to register to vote is Mon., Oct. 20.
Vote centers open for early in-person voting beginning on Sat., Oct. 25. Vote-by-mail ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by Wed., Nov. 12.
Visit www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections
TEAM PANTHERS teammates and coaches.
Dominic Chang
Jaden Ilic
Are the Los Angeles Clippers cap skippers, or are
It can be a momentous event when a professional sports franchise changes hands. Dynasties can end or launch.
Locally, look no further than the Dodgers. Frank McCourt bought the legendary franchise in 2004 and would go on to own it for nine seasons. They won the division three times during McCourt’s tenure and were mired in dysfunction and a messy public divorce. The new owner is the Guggenheim Group; during their tenure the Dodgers have won the division 11 of 12 seasons and two World Series titles. It’s been an incredible run with no signs of slowing down.
Across town, it seemed like one of the most downtrodden franchises in sports might benefit from a new owner. After escaping from the disastrous shackles of Donald Sterling, the Clippers were purchased by Steve Ballmer. Talk about rags to riches.
When Ballmer took over in 2014, armed with more than $100 billion in Microsoft stock, he instantly became the wealthiest owner in the league, and the Clippers ascended from the outhouse to the penthouse.
Ballmer changed everything about the organization. The team hired the best of everything and last year opened their own state-of-the-art arena.
Results came on court too. Sort of. They’ve made the playoffs in nine of his 11 seasons.
The big bold Ballmer stroke came on a July day in 2019, when he and his staff convinced Kawhi Leonard, a top five player in the league, to sign with the Clippers. He even brought perennial AllStar Paul George with him.
Six years later, that coup has not yielded any tangible
(Continued from Page 3)
think Walker would live. However, surgeon Dr. Gordon MacKay saved his life. The two formed a close bond.
Just nine months after Walker’s surgeries, the doctor and patient biked the 800 miles from Hampden, Scotland, to Munich, Germany, for Scotland’s opening match against Germany in the Euro 2024 soccer competition. Walker carried the match pennant on his back the entire journey and delivered it for kickoff.
Visit makeittomunich.com for screenings.
•••
they not?
Chasing Sports by
Chase Campen
result for the Clippers, and they’ve yet to appear in an NBA Finals. But they are unquestionably a top franchise in the sport, one that attracts the best coaches and the best players—salary cap permitting.
Oh yes, about that salary cap. The cap is way too complicated to explain here, but to put it simply, the cap for the upcoming season is $155 million; teams cannot exceed that amount in their total player payroll. Penalties for doing so are severe, and penalties for circumventing the cap are even more harsh. And that is the focus of this column.
Aside from consistent playoff appearances, the Kawhi Leonard experiment has not paid dividends. But now a new problem is emerging. Sports journalist Pablo Torre recently reported that the Clippers paid Leonard an additional $28 million through a now bankrupt company in which Ballmer invested.
A brief timeline: Aspiration, a supposedly eco-friendly financial services provider that also sold carbon credits, received a $50 million investment from Ballmer in 2021. Soon after, the Clippers inked a nine-figure partnership with Aspiration. Along the way, according to reports, Leonard signed a $28 million endorsement deal with Aspiration. The Clippers refute any wrongdoing. But here are some questions to ask.
Ballmer is one of the sharpest, shrewdest businessmen in the world. Would he really risk (and lose) $50 million on an “eco-friendly” financial services company, which also happened to sign a massive partnership with his NBA
A NEW CUSTOM FRAMING BUSINESS is going to occupy 111 N. Larchmont Blvd.
After over a decade on the Boulevard, Lemonade, located at 626 N. Larchmont Blvd., closed in mid-September. Visitors to upper Larchmont will no longer be able to quench their thirst with the multiple flavors of their namesake drink. At press time, no news as to what will fill the space.
team? And then, would that carbon credit-selling firm decide that Leonard, who happens to be a star of those Clippers, is just the man to endorse their product? And worth $28 million to do so? Did Ballmer and Aspiration just make bad business decisions, or was this all a plan to put $28 million into his best player’s pocket, skirting the salary cap? If it’s the latter, the Clippers could face an array of penalties (think USC scholarship cuts) that could, at least for a while, have them resembling the moribund Sterling years.
Neville Anderson
Keith Shopa MD,
SIGNING KAWHI LEONARD was a coup for the Clippers, but are they about to get into trouble?
Synagogue
(Continued from Page 1)
foot lot into a house of worship “filling a vital need for the local Jewish community,” according to the application.
Rabbi Kalmenson’s consultant, Beth Palmer, explained at the hearing that the rabbi seeks to convert the downstairs of the property for prayer and other services.
The property includes a 419-square-foot garage to be used as a children’s play area.
Yekusiel purchased the residence 10 years ago and opened his home to small, daily prayer services of up to 10 people.
As his congregation grew the charismatic rabbi rented a space on nearby La Brea Avenue. He moved services to his backyard when the 2020 COVID pandemic hit, and concerns circling the safety of nearby homeless camps
was coupled with increased threats against Jews, especially like ones targeted towards those who wear the garb that distinguishes the Modern Orthodox sect. The walk to La Brea was also cited as a hardship for some members.
“It’s a three-minute walk to La Brea,” contested Leslie Maisel, who, like many residents who spoke at the hearing, identified as Jewish and questioned why the permit was only applied for after neighbors complained.
“As a neighbor who has watched this home change into a fully programmed synagogue… I am glad to hear that the Rabbi rented space in 2022—I wish they had continued to pray there. However, I take complete offense at the claim that one of the reasons for creating a synagogue on Orange Drive is that older people cannot walk that far.
“This is a zoning issue,
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not a religious rights issue,” said Maisel, adding, the city is following a playbook after a federal law, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) and dating back to Etz Chaim, a synagogue at a corner home at Third Street and Highland Avenue.
Etz Chaim won a lawsuit against the city after its CUP was denied.
“The facts and circumstances surrounding the Etz Chaim
Rabbi responds
The Chronicle reached out to Rabbi Kalemnson who kindly responded. We edited his comments for space.
Q: Are “ALL” people welcome to the services as many noted at the hearing?
A: Yes. Our doors are open to anyone who wishes to attend respectfully, while honoring our traditions and customs. We welcome diversity and are always glad to share the beauty of our services with others.
Q: Other than services, what does the temple host and when? Meals, school for kids?
A: We are currently working closely with the zoning administrator to provide a detailed schedule of activities. In general, our primary focus is prayer services and community gathering on Shabbat and holidays.
Q: If you have members driving from Brentwood, why can’t you continue using the space on La Brea?
A: Less than one percent of our members live outside the immediate neighborhood—
case and this one are very different,” Maisel said.
“This is a case the city should fight to stop, as the number of houses of worship being operated in neighborhoods across Los Angeles continues to grow.”
The Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council and Council District 5 both recommend the CUP, with conditions, including limiting activities to the existing first floor of the house and garage, establish-
over 99% walk to services.
Safety concerns raised during the recent hearing were the primary reason we moved back to Orange Drive.
Q: How many adults come to a regular Shabbat morning service? How many kids?
A: Attendance varies from week to week, but always remains within the occupancy limits established by fire codes and regulations.
Q: Are the kids in services or playing on Shabbat?
A: Some children sit with their parents in services, while others spend time outside the sanctuary in the play area. In those cases, they are supervised by adults.
Q: Do you think you have a good relationship with your neighbors?
A: We enjoy warm relationships with many of our neighbors and are grateful for their friendship. At the same time, we recognize concerns were voiced at the hearing, and we are committed to improving communication and building stronger ties with those neighbors as well.
ing a maximum occupancy and restricting parking on Orange Drive. The organization also stipulated that the dates and hours as well as holidays need to be specified and that the CUP shall expire with change of ownership of the property.Comments are being accepted by Fri., Oct. 10. Write to Alexander Truong, city planner, 200 N. Spring St., Room 763, L.A., 90012; alexander.truong@lacity.org; or call 213-978-3308.
Q: Are you exclusive or do you invite your neighbors to events? If so, how do you communicate the invitation?
A: One of the helpful pieces of feedback we heard at the hearing was that neighbors would like more communication from us. We took that to heart. We’ve already set up a dedicated email account and are working on publishing a community calendar on our website, as well as exploring other ways to keep neighbors informed and invited to participate. This information will also be included in the package the zoning administrator requested.
Q: Why did you continue for years illegally?
A: Hosting prayer services in one’s home is not illegal and does not require a permit. The question, which we’ve discussed extensively with multiple departments, was at what point a permit might be required. After much consultation, we chose to apply for a Conditional Use Permit, and that process is now fully underway.
MAP SHOWS detail of area of eligible stops under Senate Bill 79; USC
Senate Bill 79
(Continued from Page 1) ensure its passage. Even then it barely crossed the finish line. But cross it did, and by the time you read this, in all probability, it will have been signed by the governor into law.
In order to pass, the bill went through a substantial legislative sausage-making process with 13 rounds of amendments, including the removal of bus lines from the bill, which excluded large amounts of the Los Angeles as well as rural and suburban communities from the bill’s scope.
Additional amendments
added labor, affordable housing and anti-displacement provisions, which further softened opposition, including that of our own Senator Maria Elena Durazo, who switched her position in the final vote. Eight counties affected SB 79 now only affects eight counties in the state: Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange, Santa Clara, Alameda, Sacramento, San Francisco, and San Mateo. Each of these counties have a combination of train stations, subway stops, “high-frequency” light rail and commuter rail stops or fixed-route “bus rapid transit” lines. New buildings of up to seven stories can be built within a quarter mile of these
Ecclesia Gnostica Gnostic Christian Church Bishop Dr. Stephan Hoeller
stations and five-story buildings up to a half mile.
Visit uscssi.maps.arcgis.com/home/index.html.
cock Park HPOZ, all which fall into an SB 79 zone. National landmarks, California state landmarks and national historic districts, however all remain unprotected.
There still remains a great deal of uncertainty about the provisions of the law, as many sections are vague and have yet to be parsed out by city planning and the city attorney’s office. There are also no official maps that outline SB 79 zones, keeping concerned citizens and interested parties in the dark. The preservation community will have to map out which historic resources fall into SB 79 zones to determine its possible impact. There is a fear that since many stations are placed in the oldest parts of Los Angeles where historic buildings are that they will be disproportionately affected.
change. Previous celebratory or doomsday predictions of housing legislation such as SB 9 (which allowed lots splits in single-family neighborhoods) has produced little disruption and little housing.
The new law’s repercussions may be similar. SB 79 does not come into effect until January 2027, and Los Angeles’ real estate market is in the doldrums due to, among other factors, high interest rates, measure ULA (United to House Los Angeles), taxes, and a gloomy outlook on the economy.
Sunday Eucharist 11:00am
Sunday Eucharist 11am
The preservation community was able to amend the bill to exclude local landmarks, Historic-Cultural Monuments (HCMs) from redevelopment, but only those designated as of Jan. 1, 2025. There also seems to be limited protection for Historic Preservation Overlay Zones (HPOZs) so long as “sites excluded from the density requirements…do not cumulatively exceed 10 percent of the eligible area of any transit-oriented development zone.” This may add a layer of protection for the southeast corner of Windsor Square HPOZ, the northeast corner of Wilshire Park HPOZ, and the southwest corner of Han-
But do not expect radical
One developer interviewed by CalMatters on SB 79 stated that over the next five years, there may only be 20 to 30 SB 79 projects in the entire state. That leaves a lot of time for adjustment and perhaps tweaking of this law to make it a better fit.
Wednesday Eucharist 8:30pm Lectures • Fridays • 8pm 3363 Glendale Boulevard, Atwater, Los Angeles • 323-467-2685
Wednesday Eucharist 8pm Lectures • Fridays • 8pm 2560 N. Beachwood Dr., Hollywood • 323-467-2685
Dentistry for Children and Young Adults
Pediatric Dentistry
Dornsife Spacial Science Institute.
LARCHMONT VILLAGE CLEANUP, sponsored by Coldwell Banker Realty, took place recently. Front row, from left: Bob Day, Jenny Chow, Margaret Shipmen, Jeannine Yates, Barbara Allen, Anne Loveland, Michelle Hanna. Back row, from left: Anita Newman, Seth Romatelli, Niklaus Lange. The group starts cleaning every Friday morning. Gloves and trash bags are provided. Friends and neighbors are welcome to join. Many thanks to Clark Street and LeVain Bakery for donating pastries at the end of the cleanup. Please call Barbara 323-610-1781.
On Preservation by Brian Curran
Around the Town
SITTING PRETTY: NEW BENCHES REVEALED ON THE BOULEVARD. Page 9
HANCOCK PARK • WINDSOR SQUARE • FREMONT PLACE • GREATER WILSHIRE • MIRACLE MILE • PARK LA BREA • LARCHMONT
Boulevard hosts Taste of Larchmont fundraiser for HopeNet
By Sondi Toll Sepenuk
The Taste of Larchmont, which took place on September 15, filled the Boulevard’s sidewalks from north to south. The fundraiser held every year on Larchmont Boulevard for HopeNet, a nonprofit that operates 13 food pantries in the Los Angeles metro area. Since 1988, HopeNet has helped over three million people, including serving nutritious, free food to over 200,000 people last year alone!
But let’s get back to September 15. Hundreds of people showed up from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on a simply gorgeous evening to stroll along the Boulevard, tasting food from 18 different Larchmont area restaurant favorites. The hundreds of attendees are probably still trying to digest all the incredible food they ate, lamenting the fact that they must wait 365 days to do it all again.
The good news is next year, if you didn’t make it to the taste this year, you’ll wonder how in the world you haven’t been a part of this beloved annual tradition quite yet. In celebration of the unbreakable spirit of Los Angeles, both The Taste of Larchmont and HopeNet look forward to seeing you next year!
PATRONS ENJOY tasting Louise’s Trattoria.
KIKU SERVED UP some delicious sushi choices.
SMILING for the camera are David Kaufman, Lisa Picotte, and Michelle Hanna.
PATRONS ARE ALL SMILES at Larchmont Wine, Spirits & Cheese.
VOLUNTEERS Patti Carroll, left, and Julia Christiansen worked the auction.
VOLUNTEERS CHECK OFF “passports” at restaurant entryways.
GIRLS NIGHT OUT ON THE Boulevard, from right to left, Windsor Square residents Kate Adler and daughter, Eleanor Ziperovich, along with pal Lucy Margolis.
LOTS OF PEOPLE under twinkling lights filled the Boulevard.
COUNCILMEMBER Hugo Soto-Martínez came to support and enjoy the event.
WITH HER POOCH IN TOW, Jennifer Rissier attends Taste.
THE MATLOFF’S are caught on the Boulevard enjoying Taste.
WINDSOR SQUARE NEIGHBORS Marcelo Ziperovich and Alexandra Ryan start their stroll in the pavilion.
Many colored pumpkins will be for sale soon on the Boulevard
By Nona Sue Friedman
Looking to decorate your porch with pumpkins for Halloween? Look no further than the Wilshire Rotary’s pumpkin patch at 568 N. Larchmont Blvd. A portion of the proceeds are donated to local charities.
The pumpkin pop-up opens Fri., Oct. 10, at noon.
The space will be filled with 25,000 pounds of pumpkins, gourds, and squash to peruse. One can find striped, green, white, yellow, and traditional orange pumpkins. Last year there was even a pink one.
The space will host a maze made out of hay bales, a bounce house, and weekend activities staffed by volunteers from Larchmont Charter High School’s Interact Club, a Rotary service club for students.
The pumpkin patch will be open weekdays from noon to 6 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Wed., Oct. 30, or earlier if they run out of pumpkins.
ARDENT SUPPORTERS of
the pumpkin patch Jim and Pat Aldahl travel from Long Beach every year to support Wilshire Rotary.
Zombies join live music at Wilshire Park Haunt Oct. 25
By Azalea Bruns
Wilshire Park Association is throwing a Halloween Haunt Sat., Oct. 25, from 4 to 7 p.m. on South Bronson Avenue between Wilshire Boulevard and Eighth Street.
“This is our 16th year and the event has morphed from a simple front-yard get-together into our major social and fundraising event,” said Wilshire Park Association President Lorna Hennington.
Co-chairs Tom Seeley and Owen Braun are working diligently to continue a neighborhood tradition that has grown year after year.
“As the new co-chairs, we’re trying to keep the great momentum going from the neighborhood leaders who started this event, kept it going during COVID, and then really amped it up the last few years,” Seeley said.
Festivities at the Halloween Haunt include old favorites like wandering zombies, bounce houses, and costume contests (for both humans and dogs), plus this year will feature a stage with live Halloween-themed music from local bands and musicians.
The ever popular silent auction will be returning, and
there will also be a chili cookoff, a bake sale, and hot dogs for those who would like to eat something besides endless amounts of candy.
The association is also celebrating 17 years of the Wilshire Park Historic Preservation Overlay Zone.
Other notable attendees
(not yet confirmed):
LAFD Station 29, if not putting out fires, will make an appearance. This is always a huge hit!
Councilwoman Yaroslavsky and LAPD Senior Lead Officer
Harry Cho will be stopping by. For updates, visit wilshirepark.org/halloween.
Celebration is at Hollywood Forever Nov. 1
After 25 years of hosting large scale Día de los Muertos festivals Hollywood Forever Cemetery will celebrate in a new way this year. The event, on Sat., Nov. 1, at 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., will feature an outdoor film screening, an exhibition of altars, a drone show, and a program on the shared roots of Irish Samhain and Mexican Día de los Muertos. Tickets will go on sale Fri., Oct. 3. Visit hollywoodforever.com.
COLLECTING MINIS IS annual visitor Ashley Rosen.
DISPLAY OF PUMPKINS to peruse and buy on Larchmont Boulevard.
BOO! A ghostly, druidic, and Celtic history of Halloween
By Nancy Redford
As summer turns to autumn, baristas begin to churn out pumpkin spice lattes while folks deck out their homes with spooky decorations to get into the Halloween spirit. But have you ever stopped to consider where the holiday began and why we continue the traditions of wearing costumes, trick-or-treating, and carving pumpkins?
The name “Halloween,” or All Hallow’s Eve, is derived from the word “hallowed,” an Old English word meaning “sacred.” It marks the first day of Allhallowtide, a Christian celebration of the dead spanning three days: All Hallow’s Eve on Oct. 31; All Hallow’s Day, All Saints Day, on Nov. 1; and All Souls Day on Nov. 2.
According to ancient Irish and Scottish lore, ghosts and spirits haunt during the last day in October, foreshadowing the Christian remembrance of the dead. The indigenous people of Gaelic regions held annual festivals known as Samhain (pronounced “sowwin”) at the midpoint between the fall equinox and the winter solstice, the threshold between the end of summer and the arrival of winter’s colder, more isolating days. Druids lit bonfires on hilltops to draw the Celts together for feasting, offerings, and revelry. Early Irish literature mentions that these events took place on burial grounds to allow communication with the dead. It was believed that at this specific time of year,
these sites hold doorways to the otherworld. To confuse evil spirits and keep witches, hobgoblins, and other malevolent creatures from making mischief and doing harm, those in attendance disguised themselves in costumes made of animal heads and skins.
The tradition of children trick-or-treating seems to have evolved from Scottish “guisers,” costumed boys who went house to house reciting verse, singing, or telling jokes in exchange for food or money. There was the threat of mischief if they were turned away, which brought forth the familiar refrain “trick-or-treat.” Homeowners would indicate that revelers were welcome by leaving a hollowed turnip or pumpkin fitted with a lit can-
IRISH AND SCOTTISH IMMIGRANTS brought our current style of Halloween celebration to the colonies—and Larchmont.
dle on their stoop.
There is an Irish myth about the origins of carved pumpkins: a fellow named Stingy Jack played a trick on the devil. It backfired, and Jack was doomed to wander for eternity holding only a turnip carved to hold a piece of burning coal. He was forever known as Jack-of-thelantern or Jack-o’-lantern. To frighten away Jack and other wandering spirits at Allhallowtide, people carved scary faces out of turnips, beets, or pumpkins, and put them in their windows.
Illustration by Paul
Redford
These Halloween customs traveled to North America with the families of Scottish and Irish immigrants. The first published reports of Americans trick-or-treating were in the late 1930s. It wasn’t until the 1950s, after wartime sugar rationing ended, that families switched from offering children homemade cakes and cookies to manufactured candy. Halloween candy sales have since soared. Just last year, Americans spent over $4 billion dollars on individually wrapped sweets to give expectant costumed kiddies.
‘Hidden Paradise’ tour of lavish, historical houses is Sept. 27
The Windsor Square Hancock Park Historical Society’s “Hidden Paradise” docent-led tour will showcase the architecture, interiors, and gardens of four homes on Sat., Sept. 27 from noon to 4 p.m. Two of the homes are on Lorraine Boulevard and one is on Tremaine Avenue.
One of the homes on Rossmore Avenue was featured in many films, including one
starring Jayne Mansfield, “The George Raft Story.” Mansfield graced the location, stopping traffic in a bikini, according to legend.
All of the homes are about a century old and have storied histories.
The society is seeking docents for the tour. To participate, call 323-422-7886. For tickets, visit wshphs. com.
YMCA Soiree, Waggy Awards name honorees; LUNA’s been busy
The third annual Anderson Munger Family YMCA Summer Soiree kicked off with cocktails Aug. 22. The event was held on the YMCA Koreatown rooftop sports deck on one of Los Angeles’ warmest nights of the year. Guests were greeted with a jaw-dropping view of the Los Angeles skyline, hors d’oeuvres, various cheese selections, sangria, and lemonade. After guests mingled with close friends and community members, they were ushered onto the basketball court, which had been transformed into a dinner party fantasyland. Master of Ceremonies Chase Campen welcomed guests to the occasion, reminding them that the YMCA “isn’t just a fitness center. It’s also whatever the community needs.” He was followed by Larchmont Charter High School Youth & Government delegate Everett Moore, who explained the importance of the YMCA’s programs, which teach kids about our systems of government.
Guests enjoyed a catered dinner by Farbar featuring chicken skewers and pork, chicken and beef tacos with plenty of sides and fixings. Honoree speeches and presentations followed.
Around the Town with Sondi Toll Sepenuk
This year’s Social Impact Award honoree was The Koreatown Youth & Community Center for its support of children and families in the areas of education, health, housing, and finances. Larchmont Charter School teacher Daniel Loh, board member of the Wilshire Rotary Club and Anderson Munger YMCA, and advisor of multiple clubs, including Best Buddies, Scholar’s Circle and Bridge Organization, received the Educator Award. LAFD Fire Station 29 received the Public Service & Safety Award for its trusted partnership with the community and its dedication to public service. And John Welborne, who was honored for his decades-long dedication to the history and functioning of the city of Los Angeles, took home the Community Leadership Award. Welborne, the former publisher and editor of the Larchmont Chronicle, is also co-creator of the Wilshire Homeowners’ Alliance and the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, a Los Angeles historic preservationist, and lifelong resident of
our local community.
•
Woof! The Waggy Awards are as fun as they sound! One night a year, supporters gather to celebrate animals, people who love animals, and animal rescue organizations who tirelessly dedicate themselves to saving four-legged and feathered friends who fall into their care. To raise critical and life-saving funds, the September 4 event, held at the Taglyan Complex on Vine Street, was packed to the chandeliers with silent auction items that reflected our favorite furry friends.
Never heard of The Tailwaggers Foundation? Woof! The Tailwaggers Club was a charity created in 1929, of which actress Bette Davis was an early president. By 1930 there were one million members worldwide. One million! When Todd Warner, owner of Tailwaggers Pet Food and Supplies, founded his first store in 2003, he quickly realized the great need that animal rescue organizations faced throughout the city. He reinstated The Tailwaggers Foundation in 2013 and has been successfully fundraising and saving animals ever since. The reality is that most animal rescue organizations spend 50% of
their budget to treat sick and injured animals. This is where the Tailwaggers Foundation comes in. While hundreds of guests dined on a vegetarian Mediterranean spread, video presentations highlighted stories of local animals who have been rescued and saved by grants and the fundraising efforts of the Tailwaggers Foundation. Host and Honoree Kacey Montoya (Emmy Award-winning journalist and KTLA weathercaster) spoke of the work that the foundation has done over the years.
“That’s why we’re all here tonight, to provide the critical financial support and to honor the extraordinary
(Please turn to Page 6)
YCMA BOARD MEMBER Chase Campen, John Welborne, and YMCA Executive Director Rae Jin celebrate Welborne’s Community Leadership Award. Photo by Bryce Ikemura
LARCHMONT CHARTER teacher, Daniel Loh received the Educator Award.
Around town
(Continued from Page 5) rescues who give so much of themselves to save lives,” said Montoya. “Their work is tireless and selfless and truly makes the difference between life and death.” Pasadena Humane was honored for the work they have been performing to save animals that were injured or displaced from the Los Angeles and Eaton fires.
Diane Warren, who could not be in attendance, was honored for The Diane Warren Foundation and Mousebutt Rescue Ranch for their ongoing animal advocacy. Other organizations highlighted included Pups Without Borders and the Stray Cat Alliance.
Todd Warner revealed that the Tailwaggers Foundation has granted over half a million dollars to the lifesaving medical care for animals in need. The night wrapped up with a live auction for a stay at The
A ROOM FULL of animal lovers and rescuers celebrates and fundraises at the 2025 Waggy Awards.
Family Coppola Hideaway in Belize and plenty of take-away swag bags, filled with treats and treasures for the animal friends at home. Meow!
The strength of our community relies in just that… our ability to build and strengthen our community! With that in mind, several neighbors got together in February and
decided to launch a dedicated community organization to focus on the area between Melrose Avenue to the north, Beverly Boulevard to the south, Wilton Place to the east, and Arden Boulevard to the west. They call it the Larchmont United Neighborhood Association (LUNA) and their focus is to address local challenges, foster connec-
tions, and build a stronger, safer, and more vibrant community. The organization has already been met with a ton of interest, with neighbors jumping on board with energy and On Sept. 3, LUNA organized a happy hour at Tu Madre, on the corner of Melrose Avenue and Larchmont Boulevard. Fifty-four friends and neighbors showed up for the all-you-can-eat Mexican food spread (two drinks included) to meet new friends, socialize and support the beloved local business.
Since launching, LUNA has been busy, busy, busy! Director of Membership Annie O’Rourke revealed that since launching, LUNA has hosted three neighborhood cleanups, two Tu Madre happy hours, one online community meeting, a ReadyLA Disaster Zoom, an ice cream social at Jeni’s Ice Cream, and the 2025 Larchmont Spring Block Par-
TODD WARNER speaks to a packed house about the importance of the Tailwagger’s Foundation and thanks supporters for their generosity.
ty. As if that wasn’t enough, the grassroots organization also introduced the LUNA Loyalty Card, which offers deals and benefits for LUNA members at local Larchmont Boulevard establishments. Looking ahead, the group plans to host eight Ready
(Please turn to Page 12)
Paintings of death have a humorous focus Bisa Butler transforms tradition of quilting
By Helene Seifer
Just in time for Halloween, the David Zwirner gallery opens “Destiny,” featuring Josh Smith’s paintings of the grim reaper. The artist had painted the iconic symbol of death before, but this colorful series, made especially for his first solo exhibit in Los Angeles, shows another side of the usually faceless and forbidding character. In these 19 canvases the grim reaper has a face and careens through New York on a bicycle.
Smith explained his inspiration. “A friend asked me to design a pizza box, so I made the grim reaper presenting a pizza that was cut into slices. It looked like a bicycle wheel. It was funny, and I like there to be humor in my paintings.” Smith decided that his reaper should ride a bicycle just as a New York pizza delivery person does.
“I bike for transportation,” Smith continued. “I like mechanical things, motion. Some people love cars or dogs. I love bicycles.” The grim reaper not only acquired a bicycle, but in imitation of the many riders in the city who modify their bikes, the grim reaper does too, riding bikes with bent frames, crazy handlebars or four wheels.
Smith’s oil-on-linen paintings often contain city landmarks in the background—the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, a subway entrance, gas station, a bridge. “I live in an industrial neighborhood in New York,” Smith stated. “I walk a couple of blocks and think, ‘That’s good,’ and
take a picture of it.”
Back in his studio, Smith manipulates the image on his computer until he has a plan for his next painting, but acknowledges, “Just like the game of telephone, things change.
“The grim reaper is an alter ego for me. Everything I do is about me,” Smith admitted. “But it can be about everybody. The paintings are funny. I’m a nice person. I’m not bringing people to hell.”
Born in Okinawa, Japan, Josh Smith grew up in Tennessee. “Destiny” will be exhibited through Sat., Nov. 1 at David Zwirner, 606 N. Western Ave., 310-777-1993, davidzwirner.com.
By Helene Seifer
Quilting has ancient roots. There is evidence that an early pharaoh in Egypt wore quilted clothing, and quilted floor coverings were used in Mongolia as early as A.D. 100-200. Patchwork quilts were popularized in Colonial America, where women would gather for quilting bees to sew scraps of fabric together to make blankets and bed coverings.
Quilts are now appreciated as an art form, and museums have responded with colorful exhibits, including a 2023 display “Fabric of a Nation: American Quilt Stories” at the Skirball Museum.
Artist Bisa Butler, whose quilts were included in the Skirball exhibit, uses quilting techniques to tell the stories of African Americans. Starting with mostly old photographs as the templates for her work, she layers fabrics, building color, texture, and mood with printed cotton, fake fur, velvet, silk, vinyl, and netting. Her first solo exhibit in Los Angeles, “Hold Me Close,” at Jeffrey Deitch, focuses on portraits. Couples embrace, a dapper man wears a straw hat, two children play, and a woman, hand on hip, gazes beyond the edge of the quilt. These appliquéd intimate scenes are adorned with sequins, rhinestones, plastic beads, and glitter.
“This body of work is a visual response to how I am feeling as an African American woman living in 2025,” Butler says in her artist statement. “We lived through COVID and witnessed the uprising of the Black Lives Matter movement, only to arrive at a time when many of the civil rights I grew up with
are being challenged and reversed.” She concludes that we need empathy; we need to hold each other close.
Butler lives and works in New Jersey and holds a bachelor’s degree in painting from Howard University and a master’s in teaching art. She is the recipient of the 2022 Gordon Parks Foundation Fellowship. “Hold Me Close” runs through Sat., Nov. 1 at Jeffrey Deitch, 7000 Santa Monica Blvd., 323-925-3000, la@deitch.com.
JOSH SMITH with his painting “The Magician,” which features a modified bicycle.
BISA BUTLER on opening night of her exhibit “Hold Me Close.”
LA NEGRA TIENE TUMBAO, 2025, by Bisa Butler.
More French blue benches arrive on Larchmont Boulevard
By Nona Sue Friedman
If you haven’t noticed, there are more places to sit on the Boulevard. French blue benches that match the trashcans are spaced along the western side of Larchmont. That’s thanks to Romi Cortier, president of the Larchmont Boulevard Association (LBA), and his desire to make the street more attractive and community-oriented.
On Sept. 2 the LBA hosted a legacy bench reveal and ribbon cutting for five new benches—two in front of Tailwaggers and three in front of the Wells Fargo parking lot. That brings the total of French blue benches on the Boulevard to eight. Cortier has been replacing wooden benches that have been on the street since 1976. There are still two left to replace.
“These are such a wonder-
ful addition to the Larchmont community. We should all take more time to enjoy the community,” said Todd Warner, the owner of Tailwaggers who is also an LBA board member and sponsor of one of the benches.
Residents and organizations can donate to finance a
PERSONALIZED PLAQUE on a new bench.
bench. Each one costs $3,200, which includes installation, bolting to the ground, and a personalized plaque with an inscription.
The family of the late Tucker Carney sponsored a bench in honor of Carney, a father, husband, and local icon. His bench is facing Go Get ‘Em Tiger, his favorite coffee spot. Sheila Tepper, a longtime resident of Windsor Square, sponsored one of the two benches in front of Tailwaggers. “This is exactly what community is,” said Leah Fischer, a Hancock Park resident and member of the Hancock Park Garden Club member. The garden club also bought a bench this time around.
“I already have two or three parties interested in future benches,” said Cortier. He owns a hair salon on North Larchmont Boulevard and said some of his clients have commented that they can’t find a place to sit along the street and find it exhausting to walk without being able to rest. Cortier would like to have the same benches on the east side of the Boulevard. He’s starting to reach out to landlords there.
If you are interested in sponsoring a bench, reach out to Cortier at romicortier@yahoo.com.
FRIENDS AND FAMILY surround the bench memorializing Tucker Carney.
STANDING IN FRONT OF the first bench to be revealed are, from left to right, Hector Vega, CD13 Deputy District Director; and LBA board members Edie Frere, Romi Cortier, Jennifer Audette, Patti Carroll, and Todd Warner.
“DONATED BY THE daughter of immigrants” is the inscription on the bench sponsored by Windsor Square resident Sheila Tepper (center). She is flanked on the left by her daughter Susie Goodman who’s holding her dog Sophie, and Romi Cortier.
Let’s talk trash on the Boulevard—new cans on the way
By Nona Sue Friedman
The French blue theme is continuing down Larchmont Boulevard with six new trash cans coming the first week of October, courtesy of the Larchmont Village Business Improvement District (BID). They will look similar to the ones in place now, but will have a larger opening to accommodate more and bigger items. They match the new benches recently placed on the Boulevard.
One of BID’s responsibilities is to keep the street clean, which includes power washing the sidewalks, removing graffiti, and trash collection. They work in tandem with the Larchmont Boulevard Association (LBA).
The Big Belly garbage cans were replaced because “Peo-
ONE OF THE FRENCH blue trash bins lining the Boulevard.
ple didn’t want to use the Big Belly kind,” according to Romi Cortier, LBA. He said, “Now so much more trash is [put in cans and] picked up.”
BID spends $80,000 annually on keeping the Boulevard clean according to Heather Duffy Boylston, executive di-
rector of the organization. She continued, “It’s a huge part of our budget.” Trash is picked up every night.
With the new open-top receptacles, there has been some grumbling from neighbors who don’t like the smell or seeing the trash overflowing. BID is hopeful that having more cans on the street will keep the cans from overflowing.
If the first trash can a visitor finds is full, Boylston encourages people to walk a few feet down the block to find another trash can. “We all need to do our part to keep Larchmont beautiful. It’s a village and it takes a village,” said Boylston. She’s hopeful that adding more cans will make this easier.
Over the years, she’s asked
businesses along the street to help keep the Boulevard clean by putting their own trash can in front of their store.
Boylston claims that Larchmont Village Wine, Spirits & Cheese, along with Salt & Straw, have always been good neighbors and have accommodated her request.
Q Conditions
Boylston believes that zoning regulations on Larch-
mont, specifically the Q Conditions, are part of the reason there is so much trash. The Q Conditions, imposed in 1992, limit the number of sitdown restaurants and the type of retail outlets permitted on the Boulevard. Coffee shops and to-go restaurants fill in the space.
The retail landscape was much different in 1992.
(Please turn to Page 11)
Real Estate Sales*
Single-family homes
SOLD: This home at 616 N. Gower St. in Larchmont Village sold for $2.295 million in August.
Larchmont Villagers disguise themselves for All Hallows’ Eve
By H. Hutcheson
Last year’s Halloween festivities on Van Ness and Norton avenues saw classic ghouls and viral internet moments come to life. Revelers included, from top right going clockwise, the doomed Titanic, The Brothers Grimm’s grandmother and the Big Bad Wolf, mariachi El Catrin Calaca, postal workers, Dodgers, and cowgirls. Not to mention clowns, ‘70s rockers and numerous TV characters. What will this year bring? We can’t wait to see!
LOOKING BACK
Larchmont Chronicle, October 1992
‘The Other Art Fair’ comes to town Sept. 25
to 28
An alternative to mainstream art fairs, The Other Art Fair aims to democratize art collecting and exhibiting. Independent artists’ works from around the world will be displayed at a more affordable price point—from under $200 to $2,000. Presented by Saatchi Art, The Other Art Fair will be held at Barker Hanger, 3021 Airport Ave., Santa Monica. Entry tickets start at $30. Visit theotherartfair.com/la to purchase tickets.
Talking trash
(Continued from Page 10)
Boylston has walked the Boulevard with Councilman Hugo Soto-Martínez of Council District 13. She has voiced her concerns surrounding these conditions. There’s a possibil-
Korean Cultural Center presents free art film screenings
On Wed., Oct. 22 the Korean Cultural Center of Los Angeles will screen one of a collection of filmed art performances, such as opera and ballet, that take place in Korea. The series celebrates the Seoul Arts Center and honors the 80th anniversary of the Korean National Liberation.
Screenings take place at 5505 Wilshire Blvd., third floor. The events are free, but attendees need to register in advance at kccla.org/events.
ity to review the Q Conditions when the Wilshire Community Plan is updated, but according to Emma Howard, Community Development and Planning Director for CD13, that’s up in the air.
For now, do your part to keep the street clean.
CHRIST THE KING SCHOOL
King Hernandez 8th Grade
It’s the new school year at Christ the King school, and the campus is full of energy. Students have settled into their routines, met their new classmates, and reconnected with their friends. The excitement of the new school year is everywhere, and the school spirit is stronger than ever.
One of the biggest changes this year is that we have a new principal, Ms. Rita Boyadjian. Ms. Rita is passionate about education, leadership, and service, and we are excited to have her guiding our school. With her leadership, everyone is looking forward to a year filled with learning, growth, fun, and meaningful experiences for every single student.
Along with classes, many activities are already happening. The flag football and volleyball teams are practicing hard, the choir is rehearsing well, and the chess club has started meeting again, giving students plenty of ways to get involved in the school community.
Christ the King is full of exciting events. We had our annual Fun Run on September 26. High School Night on Oct. 2 will help middle school students begin preparing for the future, and the annual Halloween Festival is on the 31st. Costumes, games, and community spirit make it one of the best and most memorable events.
With many events happening, October is sure to be a month filled with learning, school spirit, and joy. We are excited to see all the ways the students will continue to grow and shine this year!
Read more from our School News student reporters on page 18.
Flavors satisfy at Firstborn, a Chinese American restaurant
The much-heralded but short-lived Pok Pok restaurant in Chinatown’s Mandarin Plaza closed in 2017, and the space remained empty until March 2025, when Chef Anthony Wang moved in and opened Firstborn, his personal approach to modern Chinese American cuisine. It was worth the wait.
Chef Wang’s culinary pedigree includes stints cooking in some of the most innovative kitchens in Los Angeles, including Michael Voltaggio’s ink., Eric Boost’s Auburn, and Jordan Kahn’s Destroyer. Although those experiences were influential, the glue that makes Firstborn successful is more intimate.
Memories of Chef Wang’s family life infuse every aspect of the restaurant, including its name, which is homage to the fact that he was the first child in his family to be born in America. Wang’s father was in the U.S. military, so the family moved around a lot. His time in Atlanta eating Southern food finds its way onto Firstborn’s menu with peach-glazed pork ribs and
On the Menu
by Helene Seifer
fried chicken. He watched his immigrant mother adapt her native Chinese cuisine to utilize locally available ingredients, which inspired such Firstborn dishes as Wagyu beef tongue slathered with a tingling Szechuan sauce. Before opening his restaurant, Chef Wang visited different regions in China to learn techniques and seasonings of his ancestral home. He then put a modern spin on them.
Firstborn’s décor is airy and serene, although the room gets noisy with chatter when full. Along one wall, large industrial windows overlook the busy street. Pale wood tables and chairs with jade-hued cushions match the jade tiles on an accent wall and lining the bar. Another wall has a calming pale pink and white marble effect. A large, graceful arch divides the dining room from the bar, visually extending the space. My husband and I ate on the string-lit patio. Across the plaza, pa-
trons sipped tea from Steep teahouse at scattered tables. On this night a live jazz band entertained us, courtesy of the plaza.
As always, we started with cocktails. Szechuan peppercorns, lamb fat, and fermented rice were a few of the many intriguing ingredients on the drinks list. My white Negroni was delicious, light, and fragrant from the Vietnamese Song Cai gin, distilled with flowers such as dragon claw and ylang-ylang. My husband loved his “tequila penicillin,” a mezcal-based cocktail with ginger, mellowed with remarkably smooth Suerte Blanco tequila.
Happily sipping away, we perused the food menu, from Salanova lettuce with wood ear mushrooms, turnips, horseradish, and black vinegar to duck breast with rose and prunes. One word of advice: don’t skip on the tomatoes. The simply named heirloom tomatoes starter
Around town
(Continued from Page 6)
Your L.A. Neighborhood (RYLAN) workshops throughout Larchmont and are partnering with Livable Communities Initiative at the Larchmont Family Fair in October. Spotted at the Sept. 3 event were John and Eileen Lanza, Sarita Singh, Natalie Irby, Tati Simonian, Mitchell Colley,
was revelatory: juicy chunks of ripe tomatoes and succulent nectarine cubes nestled in a jasmine tea-scented gelée studded with fig leaves. Refreshing, bright, and luscious, we wished we had gotten an extra to-go carton of this vibrant dish.
Ethereal clouds of tofu dumplings swam in an umami-rich shiitake mushroom broth in our next dish. Like ricotta gnudi or quenelles, the pillowy oval dumplings had a silky texture and light flavor. Artichoke pieces enhanced the broth, and finely chopped raw haricots verts added a needed vegetal crunch.
Half a dozen pieces of crispy-skinned fried chicken were piled atop a spicy chili crisp sauce. The chicken was moist and flavorful, with a kiss of heat. The breading was too crusty for me, but it was my husband’s favorite part. We also ordered the “BBQ” cabbage, a vegetarian version of twice-cooked pork. Layers of velvety cabbage leaves in-
and John Duerler, who enthusiastically remarked that “Finally there is a neighborhood organization like LUNA that is stepping up in times of uncertainty. Everyone is coming together and looking out for each other, which should happen in every community!”
LUNA’s next in-person community meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Sat., Nov. 6, at Van Ness Elementary School.
terspersed with braised leeks made for a slightly smokey, deeply satisfying plate in this deeply satisfying restaurant. Firstborn, 978 N. Broadway (in Mandarin Plaza), 213-537-0142, firstborn.la. Open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday.
The organizers encourage all neighbors, members or not, to attend.
And, now you’re in the Larchmont know!
FIRSTBORN’S chic and airy dining room.
THE SMALL BAR turns out delicious and unusual cocktails.
PERFECT COCKTAILS: white Negroni (back) and tequila penicillin.
TOMATO STARTER with nectarines, jasmine tea gelée, and fig leaves.
Photo by Ron De Angelis
SARITA SINGH, John Duerler and Natalie Irby show up to support the community and meet new neighbors.
JOHN AND EILEEN LANZA raise a glass to LUNA and their close knit community.
FRIED CHICKEN in chili crisp broth.
Photo by Ron De Angelis
Alex Russell’s work explores niche L.A. culture in ‘Lurker’
If you felt like this summer’s box office was a bit of a flop, you’re not alone. “Lilo and Stitch” and “Superman” made impressive splashes but compared to the reign of last year’s “Inside Out 2” and the cultural rift that “Barbenheimer” caused in 2023, this summer has been relatively flat. That’s why I’m highlighting the ever-clever L.A.-based indie film Lurker this month.
What’s the difference between love and obsession?
That question drives Alex Russell’s biting debut film, “Lurker” which follows Matthew (Théodore Pellerin), a wiry retail worker who elbows his way into a rising pop star’s inner circle. The distinction between love and obsession may seem obvious, but for an up-and-coming musician constantly getting smoke blown up their bum, it’s a tantaliz-
by Nalani Ogawa
ing dichotomy. Depending on your generation, picture a clout-drunk “All About Eve” or “Nightcrawler” with better clothes and scene-y parties. Ollie, the artist and god of this world, can’t help but be a doe-eyed, naive celebrity, obsessed with authenticity and validation. He prefers a chosen family over his biological one and brings Matthew into his world after one “meaningful” conversation. But, as with any friend group, there is an unspoken hierarchy among its members, and Matthew is at the bottom; barely an afterthought. He cleans up after the boys, takes out the trash, does their laundry, and is excluded from plans. The average person would even-
tually give up in humiliation. But not Matthew. He begins to manipulate, sabotage, and weasel his way to the top. Initially, he seems like the typical fanboy cherishing his five minutes of fame, until you realize he craves something deeper—something permanent. He is an immovable object in a world where he does not belong. Above all else, he is resilient. In a slightly deranged way, his persistence is almost inspiring—some messed-up version of the American Dream.
I will say: some of the advertising is misleading. This film is laugh-out-loud hilarious, much of that thanks to Zack Fox’s scene-stealing charisma. Pellerin’s Matthew, is a beautifully twisted genius. He, paired with Russell’s tight direction, infuses obscene amounts of tension into what
should feel like lackadaisical environments. Pellerin’s performance is my personal favorite of the year thus far.
Russell may be best known for his writing credits on such iconic shows as “The Bear” and “Beef,” but it’s clear he’s just getting started as a filmmaker. His work jabs you in the ribs—a surprising breath of fresh air people will keep coming back for.
Lurker captures a subculture that has seldom been
explored with such detail and care. Any fans of the L.A. alternative music scene, particularly those under the age of 40, will no doubt have an appreciation for the film (and maybe even speculate about its real-life inspirations).
Parents, this is not a film for children. It’s rated R. However, if you’d like to understand a microcosm of L.A. culture that your kids may have already been exposed to, lurk away.
Love triangle captures cultural moment; Hawaii revealed in ‘Chief’
The Summer I Turned Pretty: This show somehow sucks you in and won’t let go—you could call it a “hate watch.” The third season follows a love triangle between the lead, Belly, played by Lola Tung, and two brothers— Conrad, played by Christopher Briney, and Jeremiah, played by Gavin Casalegno. It all takes place in the fictional Cousins Beach (which appears to be a cross between the Hamptons and Nantucket).
Created by Jenny Han, the show makes one feel as if they’re caught up in the absurd conundrums of adolescents and teenagers, as well as some very real situations that young people have to deal with. The show lures you in, and once it has claws in you, you can’t get away. There are times when you will be embarrassed that you’re watching it. But you will anyway.
Chief of War: Written by and starring Jason Momoa, this show follows the warring islands of Hawaii before they were colonized by mainlanders. It’s an education on the history of the beautiful, mag-
What We’re Watching by
A.R. Johnstone
ical islands from its clothing, to its language, to its culture. Some of the dialogue is in the Hawaiian native tongue, and the show’s depiction of violence is graphic and realistic—even the choice of weapons and fighting styles are notable. The casting of Kaina Makua, a Native Hawaiian, and Temurua Morrison, a New Zealander of Maori descent, leans into the authenticity of the show. The show is not meant to sugarcoat the violent history of Hawaii, and the scenery captures the beauty and ferociousness of the area.
If you have visited Hawaii or plan to, this is a great way to learn more about this enchanted land. Apple TV+.
Katrina: Come Hell and High Water: This threepart docuseries by Spike Lee shows the 2005 devastation of New Orleans, both during and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Some scenes are very graphic and hard to watch. The suffering endured
by the people of New Orleans seems unfathomable, and yet it did occur. The third act is a bit redundant, but the first two episodes shine a glaring light on the inadequacies of our natural disaster response and our politicians at the time. You will find yourself shaking your head and asking, “Why?” on more than one occasion. The response also highlights the problems that
can occur when we don’t have all sects of government working together. Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honoré is the hero of this documentary on Netflix.
Task: Does anyone need another police or FBI, crimetype fictional drama? They seem to keep being generated, as if just to fill dead space. But not “Task.” HBO Max describes the series as follows: “An FBI agent heads a
Task Force to put an end to a string of violent robberies led by an unsuspecting family man.” So is it the actors (Mark Ruffalo, Tom Pelphery, and Emilia Jones), or the writing of Brad Ingelsbury, or the cinematography of Alex Disenhof, or the setting of a working-class neighborhood in Philadelphia that sets it apart? You tell us. But it works.
Holocaust Museum gala set for October 28
Holocaust Museum of LA’s annual gala will take place Tue., Oct. 28 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, 9500 Wilshire Blvd. Four leaders who have spoken out against anti-Semitism and hatred will be honored at the 17th annual event.
Ella Mandel, a Holocaust survivor, and Cindy Crawford collaborated in “Borrowed Spotlight,” an awareness campaign and book of the same title featuring Holocaust survivors’ stories and exemplifying intergenerational advocacy. Mandel was a teenager when she was sent
to a concentration camp. Crawford wrote the book’s foreword.
Crawford, a supermodel whose husband is Jewish, has been outspoken about anti-Semitism, which is on the rise worldwide. “Some of my friends who are Jewish, their kids were changing their last names on their Uber [accounts] because they didn’t want to…identify themselves as Jewish, or they were tucking in their Stars of David,” Crawford said on “The Today Show,” on April 25. Jonah Platt, star of Broadway’s “Wicked” among
other accomplishments, will be honored for his podcast, “Being Jewish with Jonah Platt.”
Marissa Lepor is the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors and is board president of the 3G@HMLA, a community for grandchildren of survivors. She was also named one of “30 under 30” changing the L.A. Jewish community by the Jewish Journal. The reception begins at 6 p.m. and a dinner at 7 p.m. To purchase tickets, sponsor Holocaust survivors, and more, visit holocaustmuseumla.org/gala.
Kent’ to open Sept. 26 at
The Marciano Art Foundation (MAF), at 4357 Wilshire Blvd., opens two new exhibits this fall.
“Corita Kent: The Sorcery of Images” opens Fri., Sept. 26. The late Kent, a Catholic nun until she renounced after 1968, is renowned for her serigraphs. The exhibit looks into over 1,100 images from Kent’s photographic archive from when she was an art teacher at Immaculate Heart College in L.A.
“John Giorno: No Nostalgia” opens Sat., Oct. 25. Giorno, a poet and artist, was active in the New York art scene, collaborating with artists such as Andy Warhol. The exhibit brings together Giorno’s famed “Dial-A-Poem,” which accesses recorded poems, and a selection of Giorno’s work including prints and paintings.
For more information, and to reserve tickets, visit marcianoartfoundation.org.
ARCHIE MADEKWE as “Oliver” and Théodore Pellerin as “Matthew” in Alex Russell’s Lurker. Courtesy of MUBI
Film Review
A fantasy novel for those who think they
To be honest, I’ve never been much of a fantasy reader. However, I recently picked up R.F. Kuang’s latest novel, Katabasis, and to my surprise, I genuinely loved it. I was already familiar with Kuang through her previous novels, “Babel” and “Yellowface,” two completely different reads, both brilliantly written. With “Katabasis,” which was released Aug. 26, Kuang delivers another massive hit. The novel has already claimed the number one spot on the New York Times bestseller list, and before its book debut date, Amazon MGM Studios acquired the screen rights, a strong signal of how a book is likely to perform.
Even for readers who don’t
By Jim Kalin
To note the 25th anniversary of the release of his critically acclaimed masterpiece “House of Leaves,” Mark Danielewksi has unleashed Tom’s Crossing, an even more ambitious novel.
From its foundation, through the complex framework and into the rafter-beams, “Tom’s Crossing” can be classified as a Western. Westerns are about retribution, and this book stays true to the genre. “Tom’s Crossing” includes just about every element of the classic Western, from gunfights to a poker game (though there isn’t a train robbery), but it’s so much more. After all, this is a
Bookshelf by Katie Urban
typically gravitate toward fantasy, it’s impossible to ignore how massively popular the fantasy—and its ardent next of kin— romantasy genres have become. Take Rebecca Yarros’ “Onyx Storm,” the latest installment in her five-book Empyrean series, which just became the fastest-selling adult novel in two decades. Love it or not, there’s no denying that fantasy and romantasy are driving today’s fiction market and showing real staying power. Which makes now the perfect time
work by Mark Danielewski.
Set during an extended Halloween weekend in Utah, 1982, the book opens with instant action, in a paddock where three teenage boys who attend the same high school—though are by no means friends—hold a competition to see who can stay longest atop a scarred and ferocious black mare named Navidad the longest. This sets the tone and starts the parade of fascinating characters, most of whom are alive, but not all (and some of those dead aren’t necessarily human).
“Tom’s Crossing” is about improbabilities rendered believable and heroic, and none
to pick up “Katabasis” and find out what all the buzz is about.
The Premise: Cambridge graduate student Alice Law accidentally kills her mentor, Professor Grimes, after misdrawing a pentagram. Wracked with guilt and desperate to bring him back to life, she sets out on a dangerous journey to hell to find him. Unexpectedly, she’s joined by her academic rival and former crush, Peter Murdoch. Forced to work together to survive, the two must navigate the brutal underworld, which closely mirrors the world they just descended from.
The novel explores themes of grief, loss, and the complexity of human nature, all set in a darkly imaginative version of Cambridge University, where Analytical Magick lets students bend the rules of reality through mathematics, linguistics, logic, and philosophy.
are more amazing than an impossible display of horsemanship one afternoon on a mountainside. It’s a mythological moment, perhaps a miracle, or at least a wink of divine intervention. That ride occupies this novel’s core, and the characters, both villains and protagonists, are caught up in its wake, helpless to avoid the swirling fate that awaits them all.
It’s ludicrous to believe that any reviewer, even if afforded an entire edition of the Sunday Times, could begin to unravel and explain the topics and issues Danielewski successfully folds into this story.
I never read the same book twice. There are just too many great ones out there that I won’t get to, so why spend time revisiting a story when I already know the plot points and ending? Books are unlike songs and movies; I listen to certain Rolling Stones albums over and over, and watching “Rosemary’s Baby” has become a yearly ritual. Sure, I’ll admit to readdressing passages or paragraphs from favorite novels just to understand how the author conjured a magic moment on the page, but I’ve
skeptical about fantasy, this book might change your mind. “Katabasis” paints a hellscape that’s dark, gory, and unrelenting, but the real brutality lies in the sharp critique Kuang points at institutional systems that many readers will recognize all too well. The author maintains a relentless pace throughout this haunting and thought-provoking fantasy, exploring what it means to travel through death in pursuit of life’s deeper meaning.
Final Verdict: If you’re
never reread a book from cover to cover.
That’s until I encountered Mark Danielewski’s most recent novel. I’m one-third through my second reading of this absolute eventual classic, which means I have only 820 pages to go (that’s right, this Pantheon edition tops out at 1,232 pages). It took me 29 days to read my advanced reader’s copy of “Tom’s Crossing” the first time, which averaged out to 42.48 pages per day. I’m forcing myself to go slowly this time so I can figure out how Danielewski achieved such an astounding…. THING! I continue to find it incredible that this immense work has no lulls. I’ve never read anything like it and some of my all-time favorite—and distinctive—books include “Blood Meridian,” “The Bone People,” and “A Clockwork Orange.”
A warning: This is an absolutely crushing, triumphant, melancholy feat Mark Danielewski’s accomplished. I’ll never read another book like it again, ever, and that leaves me somewhat stranded. What to read next? “Tom’s
Home baked treats and books for sale, Oct. 4
Books and home baked treats will be for sale at Wilshire Public Library on Sat., Oct. 4 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 149 N. St. Andrews Pl. This semi-annual Book and Bake Sale raises funds that help support programming and purchase equipment for the library. Visit the event and come away with brownies, cookies, lemon bars and of course plenty of books while supporting this local library. The Italian Renaissance structure was built in August 1927 and recently celebrated its 98th birthday.
Fun Fact: The novel’s title, “Katabasis,” is an ancient Greek word that means “descent.” It’s often used in literature to describe a hero’s journey into the underworld.
Crossing” has set me up for disappointment. What could ever follow such a novel? The literary landscape suddenly looks so desolate.
Mark Danielewski lives in Los Angeles and is known to frequent Larchmont. Chevalier’s Books, 133 N. Larchmont Blvd., will host the release of “Tom’s Crossing” Tues., Oct. 28, 7 to 9 p.m. Presigned books will be available. Cowboy hats optional.
LIBRARIES
FAIRFAX
161 S. Gardner St. 323-936-6191
JOHN C. FREMONT 6121 Melrose Ave. 323-962-3521
MEMORIAL
4625 W. Olympic Blvd. 323-938-2732
WILSHIRE
149 N. St. Andrews Pl. 323-957-4550
HOURS
Mon. and Wed., 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Tue. and Thu., noon to 8 p.m.; Fri. and Sat., 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The library will be closed Mon., Oct. 13 for Indigenous Peoples’ Day / Columbus Day.
Ballerina and businesswoman Matisse Love shares her journey
By H. Hutcheson
Matisse Love is a ballerina. That’s what she wants you to know. “I don’t do ballet! I’m a ballerina. It’s so much more. I’m trying to express that in my performances,” she said.
It’s hard to find a discipline comparable to ballet. It’s a combination of being the highest level athlete, mastering an Academy Award-worthy emotive craft through movement, and having the discipline to keep oneself in peak physical performance. For Love, it’s also a matter of being a strategic, confident businesswoman. She finds her own jobs, negotiates the financials, schedules travel from one country to the next, and hires her own dance partners. Love said, “Not only is the physical side so intense, but the aspect of being this surreal artist is very, very deep and makes me emotional. The hungrier I am to learn things, the more I grow, and the better I become. I can see it in the movements—it’s not from one step to another. It’s the journey and how you get there.” And her journey is worthy of a film.
Currently Love freelances as a dancer all over the world. This fall and winter she will be dancing the “Nutcracker” and pieces from “Don Quixote,” “Paquita,” and “Swan Lake” in Scotland and India. In September, she danced in the SoCal Ballet Scene festival on a Sunday, and the following Monday she started rehearsing for her next performance. Organizing her schedule is always on her mind. She reflected, “How can I travel to this country, train for my next performance, and then make it back in time to rehearse with a different partner, to then go to another country the following week? And all
MATISSE
grew up on Plymouth Blvd. and has returned from Russia to live in L.A. and freelance as a ballerina.
through this, I have to stay healthy and stay strong.”
How did she get here?
Love grew up on Plymouth Boulevard in Windsor Square. She remembers going to The Music Center to see “Swan Lake” performed by The Mariinsky Ballet when she was 9. She told her mother, “I’m going to do that.” At 7 she began training with the local Marat Daukayev School of Ballet and remembers becoming obsessed with the Russian ballet technique, “I lived and breathed Russian ballet.” As a student with Daukayev, she competed as a finalist at the Youth American Grand Prix in New York. After that exposure she decided she was going to dance with the Bolshoi Ballet and live in Moscow. She was 10.
At 13, she got an offer to live in Moscow and train with the Bolshoi Ballet’s academy, but didn’t take it. “My parents said ‘no,’” she recalled. “I’m happy they did. They said, ‘We want you to have a childhood.’ My mom and dad have always been very supportive, and they’re my best friends. I grew as a person in choosing to stay here.”
At 15 she got another offer from Bolshoi and knew then it was the right time. “Now or
never,” she decided.
One of her least difficult obstacles proved to be the fact that she didn’t speak Russian. “I learned just by being there and dancing. I didn’t take any language classes. However, I did learn the alphabet so I could read the rehearsal schedule. Then I quickly learned body parts. A teacher would smack my arm and say, ‘Ruka!’”
Despite all the movies that portray mean ballet dancers, Love said she became friends with the Russian ballerinas. “None of us had our parents there. I made sure to walk in with my chin down, I stood in the back, and I knew I was there to learn. The girls respected me for that. And they saw I had Russian technique.”
At 16 she graduated the Bolshoi, and at 17 she joined the Russian Ballet State Theatre. For the next few years, “I was living my dream! I was working and dancing all through COVID. I got promoted to first soloist. Then the war with Ukraine hit in 2022,” she recalled. Things changed radical-
“The minute you get comfort
able is when you die as an artist. So I live trying different things that can challenge me. And then you grow as an artist. You don’t have to have that motivation everyday, but you need the discipline.”
ly at that point. “I couldn’t believe this beautiful place I lived in was not safe anymore. I looked out my apartment window and saw tanks. I was heartbroken to know what was going on for Russians, Ukrainians. I’m not political.
I’m an artist. So the thing to do was to leave. It was not safe for an American.”
Her parents tried to book her on over 10 different flights and each one got canceled within minutes of booking. “You have to understand, I had my whole life there. My own apartment, friendships. It was very hard for me to leave. One night, I had finished dancing in ‘Sleeping Beauty.’ I’m in hair and makeup. I packed one suitcase and left in a taxi to the airport after the show. I walked up to the ticket counter and said, ‘Get me out of the country.’ I felt I had an angel watching over me—I got the last flight to Miami. I remember my parents were up 24 hours trying to help. But I did it. I got stopped in the airport by security and asked, ‘Why are you here? What are you doing?’ When I touched American soil in Miami, I felt like I could breathe.”
Love immediately had offers to dance with other ballet companies, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to dance at a company again. She rein-
vented herself and came back to Los Angeles and worked freelance jobs, including playing the role of Eli in “Étoile,” a ballet drama series on Amazon Prime.
“I’ve traveled the world. It’s been so fulfilling,” said Love. When asked what’s next in her busy schedule, she replied, “I will be in Scotland with Aaron Smyth from Australia, who danced at the Royal Ballet and Joffrey Ballet. In India I’m bringing my friend and partner Harry Peterson and will be dancing ‘Paquita,’ the ‘Black Swan Pas de Deux from Swan Lake,’ and a part of ‘The Nutcracker.’”
Love truly has the fantasy career for many young ballerinas. “I’m so grateful for every year I dance. I do barre everyday, even when I’m sick or injured, just to move. I’m fine being that 90-year-old doing barre. That’ll be me. Pointe shoes in my grave? Yes, I’m fine with that. That’s me!”
and keeps herself mentally and physically strong.
Book tells of cat’s (mis)adventures
By Suzan Filipek
Doni Whitsett of Park La Brea wrote a children’s book about her cat Sasha’s adventures after she leapt from her pet carrier soon after the pair landed at LAX two years ago.
Sasha, who is now 4, was found 30 days after she disappeared into the whirling world of the airport.
“We were returning from a month in Texas where my daughters live; this was not [Sasha’s] first trip,” said Whitsett. “I refused to leave the airport without her, but after three hours I realized it was useless.
“Every day and night thereafter I went down to LAX, often with dear friends, searching. We put up posters, and I hired a pet detective who brought bloodhounds to follow her scent (twice).
“We put down humane animal traps with food and water around the airport, as well as a wildlife camera. I hired a construction worker to check the traps during the day, and I went
BOOK by Doni Whitsett, here with Sasha, tells of her cat’s adventures.
down every night and on weekends because we caught other cats and had to free them.”
Finally, on July 4th weekend, Sasha was discovered in one of the traps.
“She recognized me immediately,” remembered Whitsett. “She had lost almost half her body weight and was dehydrated but otherwise physically fine.”
The book, “Sasha’s Adventures at the Airport,” is
written from the point of view of the domestic short-haired cat, said Whitsett, a psychotherapist and an emeritus professor at USC.
The backstory, however, is even more compelling, Whitsett’s neighbor Thomas Camacho told us.
“It’s a wonderful story about people coming together and reuniting a human with their four-legged family member.”
The 58-page book includes illustrations.
BALLERINA
LOVE
Photo by Michael King
EVEN AS A CHILD, LOVE was drawn to classical Russian ballet technique.
Photo by Alexander Yakovlev
AS A FREELANCER, Love books jobs, flights, and hotels; hires partners;
Photo by Alexander Yakovlev
CHILDREN’S
Fifty-year friendships renewed at Park La Brea reunion
By Helene Seifer
Back in the halcyon days of kids having unlimited freedom to hop on bikes and explore the world, a group of boys living in Park La Brea bonded for life. They stayed in touch through marriages and moves, but it wasn’t until last summer that nine of the original 12 or so friends (and a few wives) returned to their home turf for a reunion.
“Most of us grew up together in Park La Brea in the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, and beyond,” said Kevin Howe, one of the ringleaders of the self-described band of brothers. In fact, his parents were living there when he and his younger brother Kelly Howe were born, and so was his grandmother. Rob Kaplan, another friend from the group, was a playmate of Kevin’s when he was still in a crib. The others moved in later.
Kevin Howe organized the July 31 reunion, but the idea was suggested by Charles Holloway, who now lives in Atlanta. A fan of Blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa, Holloway realized that the cost of flying to L.A. for Bonamassa’s concert at the Greek Theatre was less than seeing him in Atlanta. Holloway suggested the old gang build a reunion around the music legend.
The first night of the reunion they attended the concert. The second was all
about nostalgia. The friends had all lived in one of two adjacent towers at Park La Brea, and they arranged to hold their reunion in one of those tower apartments, which they noted seemed smaller than they remembered, but had the same parquet floors and kitchen cabinets.
The friends brought photographs and spread them out over the coffee table, prompting a flood of sentimental and humorous stories of hi-jinks, friendship, and freedom. “It was a different time,” said Kelly Howe. “We left the doors unlocked. Nobody thought it wasn’t safe. Park La Brea was like having the world’s largest backyard.”
They attended different schools but met every day at a recreation center. They’d hang out in the Howes’ apartment, because Joy Howe was the “cool” mom— if they left a box of cookie mix on the kitchen counter, fresh-baked cookies would soon appear.
The friends explored the Tar Pits and Town and Country Shopping Center on their Sting-Ray bikes. When older, they’d ride their 10-speeds to Malibu, using dimes to call their mothers from a pay phone to say they’d arrived safely. That was the extent of their supervision. They played basketball at the recreation center and football every Super Bowl Sunday. Most of them worked at a local Italian restaurant and several made deliveries for Chuck’s Liquors, where Kelly Howe, still underage, was the manager.
One night the store’s alarm sounded, and Howe ran over with a baseball bat and chased off the intruder.
They also got into plenty of scrapes. Michael Carrillo remembers that residents would
complain when they would race wildly around the complex playing hide-and-seek on their bikes, but security guard Ed Tawny liked them and just pretended to discipline them—even when they found his walkie-talkie and blasted rock ‘n’ roll music through it. Other times they went to the top of the towers, which wasn’t allowed, and threw water balloons off the roof, which really wasn’t allowed. They went too far when they made a dummy stuffed with newspapers with one of their mom’s wigs stapled to its head and threw it off the roof, horrifying a resident who saw the “person” fall past her window. This time Tawny didn’t look the other way, setting them straight with a tour of the grounds to see places where suicides had really occurred. They continued breaking the rules, though.
“We had our first loves and first breakups together, got stoned together for the first time. All of life’s marker events,” Kevin Howe recalled.
“I don’t think any of us gave a thought to race or religion. We took care of each other and loved each other. We had each other’s backs then and still do.”
THE HOWES at Park La Brea Halloween, circa 1967, (from left) Kelly, mom Joy, and Kevin.
SUPER BOWL SUNDAY football group, circa 1970s, Chris Smith with two photos from past friend games (in front); (second row, from left) Craig Little, Kevin Howe, and Chris Ryan; (back row, from left) Michael Carrillo, Steve Carrillo, Rob Kaplan, and Fran Anderson.
REUNION GROUP outside one of the Park La Brea towers where they lived: (from left) Michael Carrillo, Craig Little, Mark Stevens, Charles Holloway, Kevin Howe, Rob Kaplan, and Kelly Howe (missing, Miguel Dilella and Clay Redwood).
LIFEGUARDS, circa early 1980s (from left) Mark Stevens, Kevin Howe, Chris Smith, Rob Kaplan, Craig Little.
BOWLING BOYS (from left, the four in front) Rob Kaplan, Steven Cornell, Kelly Howe, Michael Cornell.
BREAKFAST at the Original Pantry, circa late 1970s, (from left) Kelly Howe, Craig Little, Charles Holloway.
CHARLES HOLLOWAY (from left) and Kelly Howe in the Holloway PLB apartment.
Spielberg speaks at Academy Museum’s ‘Jaws’ opening
By H. Hutcheson
A press audience sat in the Academy Museum theater listening to ominous bouy bells, then music from surf bands “The Ventures” and “The Beach Boys.” Finally a full orchestra entered and played John Williams’ theme music for Steven Spielberg’s iconic film “Jaws.” Moments later, Spielberg himself came out and spoke about how, long ago, when he was 26 years old, this film was either going to make or break his career. “I thought my career was virtually over halfway through ‘Jaws,’” he recalled, “…and thought, ‘I better give this my all.’”
It wasn’t his last film, as most of the world knows, but this one is still a wild success 50 years later. It reopened this summer over Labor Day weekend and reportedly earned $9.8 million in the four-day
“Jaws” exhibit.
period of its showing.
Spielberg went on to talk about one of the secrets he considers to be the key to the film’s success: “I didn’t intend to make a shark movie—I intended to tell the story about these three polar opposites: Quint, Brody, Hooper, and also Mayor Vaughn…a mov-
THE JAWS EXHIBIT WILL BE FOLLOWED BY a first-time retrospective exhibit of Steven Spielberg’s works, opening in 2028.
ie about characters, not just an iconic shark. That was the right way to start a movie.”
At the event, the museum’s director and president, Amy Homma, announced her own breaking news: the museum will present the first-ever Steven Spielberg retrospective exhibition, set to open in 2028. The announcement was met with big applause and cheers from the audience.
The Academy’s “Jaws: The Exhibition” is the first-ever exhibition of this scale focusing on a single film and includes interactive exhibits. Somewhat humorous was the fact that the shark portion of the interactive exhibit, based on the film’s famous mechanical shark, which had been very problematic during filming, was also not operating properly on this opening day and had two engineers trying to fix it.
“Jaws: The Exhibition” is open through July 26, 2026. For more information, visit academymuseum.org.
In New World of influencers, this critic joins Instagram!
According to a recent New Yorker magazine column (“How Music Criticism Lost Its Edge,” Kelefa Sanneh, Aug. 25, 2025), a critic was, historically “a jerk, a crank, a spoilsport”—and that’s probably being kind.
Clive Barnes could close a Broadway show with a single review. When plays had outof-town tryouts, a stinging critique from Richard Coe at the Washington Post or Elliot Norton at the Boston Herald could damage Broadway presales.
When the L.A. Times was still a paper of substance it had the patrician Daniel Sullivan, the acerbic Sylvie Drake, and the more generous Don Shirley steadily seeing plays (Shirley currently writes an L.A. theater column on Substack.)
Some critics, such as Yale’s Robert Brustein or the London National Theater’s Kenneth Tynan engaged with the theater in practical ways, not just as writers. And there were, indeed, those critics, such as the late John Simon, who took glee in just being snarky. (The actress Sylvia Miles once dumped a plate of pasta on Simon’s head in a New York restaurant because of what he wrote about her.)
I recap this bit of history because, over the summer, The New York Times “reassigned” four of its major arts critics, including theater critic Jesse Green. Sia Michel, the Times’ culture editor, explained in a July memo, “…New generations of artists and audiences are bypassing traditional institutions, smartphones have Balkanized fandoms…, and arts institutions are…looking for new opportunities.” Michel then went on to say that audiences were also looking for new “guides,” and those guides were no longer in the print “space.”
Our own Charles McNulty, of the L.A. Times (who seems to review more plays in London and New York than he does in L.A.), summed it up last December. “The role of tastemaker has, alas, devolved into influencer, where the main qualification isn’t aesthetic judgment but the size of one’s social media following.” (“In Defense of Criticism,” Dec. 4, 2024.)
Theaters not only flog the opinions of influencers and online “content creators,” but also those of audience
members who stand in front of the step-and-repeat show banner and tell us how much they loved the play—or the merchandise. In the Yelp-ified universe of content and opinion, the two become pretty much interchangeable. Recent studies show that online reviews suffer from a “positivity problem,” generally scoring two “stars” higher than a comparable print review. Influencers are nicer than critics because they want the “merch”? Maybe. Which is why I avoid social media. I have no social media accounts, think most of it is a cesspool, and have managed to have a good life without any of it.
Until now! Starting this month, in addition to this monthly print column, I shall be posting brief video reviews to the Chronicle’s Instagram page. As I write this, we have reviews for the high-octane “& Juliet” (now closed at the Ahmanson); the charming, if sentimental, Am I Roxie, written and performed by Roxana Ortega (at the Geffen through Sun., Oct. 5, 310-208-2028); and the ridiculously slapstick One Man, Two Guvnors, an update of Carlo Goldoni’s “Servant of Two Masters” set in London of
the Swinging Sixties! (A Noise Within, through Sun., Sept. 28, boxoffice@anoisewithin. org). While none of the videos have the context I hope to bring to the column, they will give a quick review of the plays without having to wait until next month. O brave new world—I suppose that’s progress!
W2W4 (What To Watch For): The L.A. Opera begins
Music Director James Conlon’s last season with West Side Story, through Sun., Oct. 12; 213-972-8001); CTG presents Manuel Oliver’s one-man play, GUAC, Tue., Oct. 14, to Sun., Nov. 2 at the Kirk Douglas. The play is a rallying cry for Oliver’s son, nicknamed Guac, whose life was cut short by the Parkland High School shootings (213- 628-2772).
ACROSS 1. Thing’s Employer
5. Charlie Brown’s costume
7. Contains a witch’s brew 9. One who needs an invitation to the party
11. Something you don’t want to get caught in?
13. Historic weather event of Halloween 1991 15. British matriarch? 18. It resides within us all 19. Murderous drain dweller’s outfit
20. Goosebumps author
DOWN
2. 12 down’s means of navigation
3. “Halloween” antagonist
4. “The Nightmare Before Christmas”’s _____ scientist, Dr. Finkelstein
6. Irving’s Legend of 8. Candlelit gourd
10. The spirit _____, where souls are transported after death
12. Fuzzy flyer
14. Hit song by The Cranberries 16. Salem _____ trials
17. Confection-inspiring crop
STEVEN SPIELBERG SPOKE at the opening of The Academy Museum’s
ENGINEERS SCRAMBLE to fix a replica of the film’s mechanical shark, which, true to its predecessor, has already had a number of technical issues.
Theater Review by Louis Fantasia
Pop icon Chicken Boy is being considered for monument status
By Helene Seifer
On a busy stretch of Figueroa Street filled with coffee shops, bistros and mom-and-pop businesses, one thing towers above the rest: perched atop Future Studio Gallery is the 22-foot fiberglass half-man, half chicken known as Chicken Boy. It’s fitting that the section of Figueroa St. where this popular pop culture attraction lives is part of historic Route 66.
Future Studio Gallery is owned by Amy Inouye, a printer of books. The store and gallery features, as a sign says, “vintage postcards and weirdo ephemera.” It also hosts a Chicken Boy Museum and gift shop with Chicken Boy sock monkeys, T-shirts, plastic figurines and a Chicken Boy good luck charm vending machine.
Chicken Boy is a popular cluck. He was featured in a 1991 short film titled “Chicken Boy: The Movie” (viewable on YouTube) and that same year, the band “The Chicken Boy Polka” was released by “Those Darn Accordians” with this chorus:
“When I grow up I want to be / Just like Chicken Boy / I want to make a perfect world / For every girl and boy.”
Inouye determined Chicken Boy’s birth date was September 1 (she consulted an astrologer since there were no records of his “birth”).
PILGRIM
Allison
Pak
11th Grade
The date is listed as National Chicken Boy Day in “Chase’s Annual Events” publication, which compiles and approves all holidays and commemorative days and months. The “Chase” entry reads, “The day
celebrates the history and cultural significance of the statue and recognizes its role as a symbol of American pop culture and roadside attractions.”
Chicken Boy achieved pop icon status due to Inouye’s dedication and obsession. The Highland Park resident protected him from certain death in 1984 and has fought for his recognition ever since.
From the early 1960s to the 1980s Chicken Boy presided over an eponymous restaurant on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. When
rapid change. This session explored the challenges teens face and how parents can guide and support them with confidence.
Inouye first saw him, she was smitten. She explained that when she was growing up in the Bay Area, “Our big pop culture icon was the Doggy Diner hot dog stand with its Dachshund mascot.” She and her siblings used to request that their parents drive by it. “When I moved here and saw Chicken Boy, it made me calmer. I would drive by and wave at him.”
When the restaurant closed in 1984 and Chicken Boy’s fate was in peril, Inouye vowed to rescue him. Under cover of night and equipped with a cherry picker, she and a team of workers hauled the heavy mascot to a friendowned warehouse. Chicken Boy was too big to fit in the door. He was moved to an outside storage area. Inouye thought she’d be able to find him another permanent home. “In L.A. it shouldn’t be hard.”
It was hard. She called every museum and garden in Los Angeles, and no one responded. The Smithsonian wrote that they didn’t have room for something that tall. Chicken Boy stayed in storage for 23 years, with the exception of occasional field trips. He made shopping center appearances. At one point, his head was borrowed to decorate the set of a National Public Radio game show despite home listeners’ inability to see him.
Inouye decided she would provide a permanent home for her beloved Chicken Boy. The business space she found in Highland Park had a flat roof, which was crucial. She applied for and received a
SAVIOR of Chicken Boy, Amy Inouye, stands next to the giant statue she rescued.
Community Beautification Grant in 2005-2006 to help defray the installation costs, which required hiring a structural engineer to design and build a massive support structure. Around that time Inouye presented her efforts in the “Three-minute success stories” competition at the California Preservation Conference. She won first place. Chicken Boy was installed in 2007 and has been embraced
by the Highland Park community. Inouye periodically fields calls about him from curious radio DJs and reporters (such as myself). She refurbished and repainted him, receiving the Highland Park Heritage Trust Preservation Award for 2009-2010, Commendations from the City of Los Angeles in 2009 and the California State Assembly in 2010. Also in 2010, then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger gave Chicken Boy the Governor’s Historic Preservation Award. In 2016 readers of Time Out magazine picked Chicken Boy as “Los Angeles’ Most Loved Cultural Venue.”
Inouye, in an effort to secure Chicken Boy’s future, applied again to the Highland Park Heritage Trust. The process takes up to two years, but if Chicken Boy is awarded Cultural Monument status, he’ll always be here to spread a little joy.
Future Studio Gallery, 5558 N. Figueroa St., 323-2544565, chickenboy.com.
Our first week of school has been truly wonderful! Students are settling in beautifully, and it has been a joy to see their excitement as they dive into academics, connect with friends, and engage in after-school activities. We’re thrilled to witness our school community coming together with such energy and enthusiasm for the year ahead.
Back to School Night was a great opportunity to hear more about Pilgrim, meet teachers, and learn about the year ahead.
We are excited to offer Parent Education Presentations with Betsy Brown Braun, a renowned child development and behavior specialist. “Early Education & Elementary Parent Coffee” was in September. “What Children Need: Limits and Boundaries” instructed as to how young children thrive with structure and consistency. This session highlighted what children need to feel secure and flourish, and the vital role parents play in setting limits and boundaries.
“Middle & High School Parent Coffee” was in September. “Permission to Parent: Navigating Adolescence” is a time of
We hope you joined us for these opportunities to connect, learn, and grow together as a school community.
PAGE ACADEMY
Naya Savodivker 6th Grade
Hello Larchmont community!
As we entered September, we celebrated Special Friends Day on Fri., Sept. 12. Students invited parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and close friends, and we all came together for a special lunch and afternoon games. September also marked the re-election of our Student Council representatives for the 2025-2026 school year. The students who wanted to run for president, vice-president, treasurer, and secretary campaigned, and speeches and elections took place on Sept. 24. We are all very excited to welcome our new representatives and can’t wait to see what fun events they will plan for this school year.
As we get into October, we are starting the month with Family Game Night, where students play games with their friends and
family. We are also participating in the Great California Shakeout, Red Ribbon Week, and National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month. Another fun event we have planned is the Annual iJog Fundraiser at the Costa Mesa Campus. We finish the month with my favorite event of the year—our Annual Fall Festival, celebrating the beginning of fall and Halloween! Students dress up in their awesome costumes, play games for prizes and treats, eat great food, and get some scares in our spooktacular Haunted House. Have a spooky October, and we look forward to seeing you at the Larchmont Family Fair on Sun., Oct. 26 at our Page Academy booth!
ST. BRENDAN
Edward Garvan 8th Grade
have a little buddy. As a kindergarten student my favorite thing was getting to hang out with my eighth grade big buddy. Now as an eighth grader, I am honored and excited to be able to spend time and bond with my little buddy.
FAIRFAX HIGH
Joyce Kang 12th Grade
Fairfax High School kickstarted the 2025-2026 school year with a celebratory Welcome Spirit Week.
day. Wednesday was Class Colors Day in which freshmen wore red, sophomores wore green, juniors wore blue, and seniors wore black. On Thursday, students put their Fairfax spirit on display by wearing red, yellow, and black in support of our football team playing against Paramount High School. On the 26th, the senior, junior, and sophomore ASB classes led their respective class assemblies which included engaging games and informational sessions, sparking Lion pride.
ST. JAMES’ EPISCOPAL Sloan Kennedy 6th Grade
Hello and welcome back to school! We had an exciting first week, reuniting
On the first day of school at St. Brendan, we welcomed familiar and new faces into our community with an exciting school assembly. At the assembly, the student council picked a word that they believe describes our school. The chosen word was community. Our St. Brendan community is strong, united, and caring. One way our community becomes better is with little buddies. Every year a middle schooler gets to
On Twin Day, Fairfax students coupled up and coordinated matching outfits with their best friends. On Tuesday, students showcased their ideal types they look for in a partner through Dress As Your Type
(Please turn to Page 19)
AMY INOUYE in her store with Chicken Boy T-shirt and Good Luck Charm vending machine
A small mark makes a big splash: welcoming the Oxford comma
There’s a new presence among us. Some will see it right away, others may simply sense it. It’s small; seemingly inconsequential. But for us at the Larchmont Chronicle, it’s a pretty big deal. Allow us to present the Oxford comma. Also called the Harvard comma or the serial comma, the Oxford comma separates the penultimate item in a list from the last one. Simply put, it’s the comma hanging out after “rattle” in the phrase “shake, rattle, and roll.” And the question of whether to Oxford comma or not Oxford comma has long had writers divided.
Those in favor of this little lick of the pen include the publishers associated with Harvard University and the University of Oxford, from which it gets two of its alternative names. The Chicago
School news
(Continued from Page 18)
friends. We celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with a special lunch that consisted of delicious foods representing several countries, such as Peruvian Papa Rellenas and El Salvadorian Pupusas. Following that was Back to School Night on Sept. 18, where parents reviewed what their students have been working on! On Sept 25, we had our first In-N-Out lunch! Parents were allowed to come during lunch and indulge in their own burgers, too! The St. James’ Fall Carnival on Sept. 28 will be the last event of the month. It will have fairground rides, booths, and sweet treats! Overall, it’s great to be back at St. James!
MARLBOROUGH
Madison McClure 10th Grade
Manual of Style, which is circulated by the University of Chicago and widely adopted by publishers of books and magazines, also advocates for its use. “The Elements of Style” by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White (of “Charlotte’s Web” fame) comes out swinging in defense of the Oxford comma. The second rule appearing in the influential style guide reads, “In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last,” as in, “red, white, and blue.”
But at newspapers, where space comes at a premium (and where every drop of ink and inch of paper adds up), the Oxford comma has
making their way into classrooms. Excitement fills the halls as kids are happy to be back and see all their friends once again.
The Lower School renovations have been completed with new and improved buildings and classrooms—ready to teach the next generation with the most current technology.
The Middle School just returned from three days of outdoor education trips exploring at El Capitan and Big Bear.
High school students are gearing up for a fantastic year! Rising freshmen are excited to make new starts, and sophomores ready to continue studies. As for the juniors, this year is no easy undertaking, with tests and quizzes starting early, all to get ready to begin the college application process.
traditionally been omitted. The ruling out of the comma is canonized in the pages of the Associated Press Stylebook, the guide used in most newsrooms, including ours. After months of queries from many of our readers, however, the Chronicle staff has concluded this small luxury is worth it.
“Comma” originates from the Greek “komma,” or “piece which is cut off,” ultimately from “koptein,” translating to the verb “to strike” or “to cut off.” Sounds harsh, but the comma is actually the lightest of the four basic “stops,” the group of punctuation marks that indicate pauses in writing. Semicolons, colons, and periods round out the category, with the period, of course, being the full stop.
Some argue that the Ox-
walk around and learn about all the new and returning clubs that happen each year. Some include UNICEF, Black Student Union, Girls Build, Journalism, and so much more! Homecoming is also coming up and the theme is “Night on the Bayou.” Students are looking forward to dancing, enjoying the music, and spending time with friends.
IMMACULATE HEART
ford comma is not a question of personal bias but rather a vital utility. A classic example demonstrating its importance is the following dedication in the first pages of an imaginary novel: “I would like to thank my parents, the Pink Panther and Amelia Earhart.” (Insert your preferred characters here.) By excluding the Oxford comma, you’ve written a sentence in which one might mistake you, the author, as the progeny of the animated cat and the renowned aviatrix. You remedy the situation by adding in the Oxford comma, and confusion is averted: “I would like to thank my parents, the Pink Panther, and Amelia Earhart.”
But what about when an Oxford comma actually confounds rather than clarifies? Back to the previous example,
say you became estranged from one of your parents in between rounds of edits of your novel, and you decided to mention only one of them in your dedication. Hoping to avoid any additional mix-ups in your writing, you’ve also now crossed over to the other side, becoming a total adherent of the Oxford comma. You write: “I want to thank my father, the Pink Panther, and Amelia Earhart.” Oops—the Pink Panther is still your dad. The beauty of the serial comma is that it’s simply a matter of taste. Steer clear of issues of ambiguity like the aforementioned flubs, and you can choose the path that best suits you (but stick to it—please). Omit it, include it. Tomato, tomahto. You get the idea. And we’ll be here parting with the extra pennies each month.
tative positions. Fifth and sixth grade students can run for officer positions like secretary, vice president, and president. Sixth graders are the only students that have the privilege of running for president. This year, speeches happened Sept. 24, and elections will be held shortly afterwards. Only third to sixth graders can vote, and on Sept. 25 the elected members of Student Council are announced. Students are excited to go through the voting process and are looking forward to the results!
Marlborough is back and better than ever! With classes being back in full swing for two weeks now. Our varsity volleyball team just went 4-2 at the Whittier Tournament. Off to a great start of Marlborough traditions, the annual middle school sleepover took place! Can’t wait to hear from the lower school about the traditional advisory lip sync battles, late night ice cream and the father pancake breakfast. But don’t worry, the middle schoolers aren’t the only ones having fun, because the upper school grade-wide retreats are taking place soon! Safe to say I can’t wait for high ropes with my fellow Violets.
BUCKLEY
Max Terr 12th Grade
We are back to work at the Buckley School with students
Seniors started the year with the traditional sunrise breakfast marking the beginning of their last year at Buckley. They spent two nights at Camp Surf in San Diego—their last trip together as a grade. Early October and November dates are approaching for seniors to apply to their first choice colleges—essay workshops have been crucial this month.
Lastly our Girls Tennis Team won the Division 3 California Tennis Classic! Congratulations Ladies! That’s all from The Buckley School.
LARCHMONT CHARTER
LAFAYETTE PARK
Ella Wolovitch 10th Grade
There’s been a lot happening at LFP recently! With the start of the new year we had “Clubchella.” This is an event that happens each year where all the clubs at school set up a booth to promote their club and encourage sign-ups. People hand out candy and create posters and boards to communicate the message of their club. Students
Madison Dang 11th Grade Choices! Choices! Choices! Students recently attended Immaculate Heart’s Club Fair to learn more about 30+ school clubs and organizations. Club Fair provides an opportunity for students to join a club and discover their interests. Many longtime favorites returned this year, including “Hearts and Crafts” and Film Society. However, there were new offerings for students to explore, such as “Reach for the Stars,” a club dedicated to astronomy. Affinity groups, like the Asian Heritage Association and the Black Student Association, also drew new and returning members, as well as student publications such as The Bamboo newspaper. Overall, no matter your interest, there is a club for everyone at Immaculate Heart.
HOLLYWOOD SCHOOLHOUSE
Reece Bagley
6th Grade
LOYOLA HIGH SCHOOL Ethan Dumper 11th Grade
er, alongside Evelyn Abrams, whose article you will read next month. One of my favorite classes at school is Tech Lab, which is coming back to Third Street! It’s been really fun, and we’re so happy to have it back. Around this time of year, we hae tons of Halloween fun! Many classes will be doing something for Halloween. Also, we’re welcoming a new teacher named Rachel Park! We’re quite excited to have a new teacher at Third Street.
The Loyola school year kicked off with the introduction of new principal Dr. Paul Jordan ‘88, who previously served as the longtime assistant principal, and new president of the school Mr. Jamal Adams ‘90, who previously served as principal for the past two school years.
Additionally, the Loyola debate team hosted the opening national tournament of the year, with over 100 competitors from nine states, and the water polo team travelled to Honolulu, Hawaii, and became the undefeated champions of the Punahou Invitational, going 4-0 over the course of the tourney. In the coming month, Loyola looks forward to hosting the second dance of the school year on Oct. 17, with more details to come on Loyola’s social media pages.
Speaking of welcoming, the school hosted a Welcome Back to School event last month, inviting new and returning families to Third Street. I hope all the new families have a great time while they’re here!
LE LYCEE DE LOS ANGELES
Cielle Khoury 7th Grade
At Hollywood Schoolhouse, the beginning of the school year is a pivotal moment for every student. One exciting event is the Student Council election. Third through sixth-grade students can run for their homeroom class represen-
THIRD STREET SCHOOL Cole Bigus 5th Grade
Hello! I am Cole Bigus, Third Street Elementary School’s new fifth grade report-
We started back at the Lycée on Tues. Sept. 2, and were all really excited to meet our new teachers, to discover what was new on campus, and especially to see which new students enrolled in our classes. One thing we were also motivated to participate in was the tryouts for the sports leagues, such as soccer, basketball, and volleyball, or the drama auditions. The high school is also looking forward to its homecoming game and celebration on Sept. 24. Additionally, the Lycée was delighted to welcome twoyear-olds into its new French bilingual junior preschool class. Our school now offers programs from early childhood through high school. We are very enthusiastic about the upcoming school year and look forward to several special events, such as the Halloween Carnival, Thanksgiving Feast, and many more. Stay tuned!
