The Grove’s 24th annual tree lighting celebration Nov. 17 treated thousands of Angelenos to a night of star-powered performances, a drone spectacular, fireworks, and the first snowfall of the season.
Lance Bass hosted the evening. Performers included Nick Carter, Dasha, and Natalie Jane. Cirque du Soleil ECHO and Asher Entertainment’s Toy Soldier Drummers and Dancers also performed.
Santa Claus pulled a candy cane lever that lit a 100-foot tree with more than 300,000 twinkling lights and 10,000 ornaments.
The Grove transforms into a See Grove, P 7
Rotary tree lot on Larchmont
n Christmas trees are on the Boulevard
By Nona Sue Friedman
“Come to the happiest little tree lot on Larchmont,” said Wendy Clifford, the woman in charge of the Wilshire Rotary Christmas Tree Lot for the last 19 years. Find Christmas trees, wreaths, and wooden reindeer at 568 N. Larchmont Blvd.
The lot opens for business Fri., Nov. 28, and remains open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. until the trees are gone. “When we’re out, we’re out,” said Clifford. Noble, Douglas,
See Rotary tree, P 29
Feel good and look great in the New Year with our special section in the January issue of the Larchmont Chronicle . Advertising deadline is Mon., Dec. 8. Contact 323-4622241, ext. 11, or email jesse@larchmontchronicle. com or sandy@larchmontchronicle.com.
Neighborhood rallies to keep Blvd. parking lot
By Nona Sue Friedman
The room on the 10th floor of City Hall was filled to its 90-person capacity on Nov. 13. Attendees were there to plead their case to the volunteer board of Transportation Commissioners to keep lot 694, also known as the Larchmont Farmers’ Market lot, as it is. The audience was a veritable who’s who of Larchmont.
The issue at hand was that the city was planning to sign a long-term lease with Ron Simms, real estate developer and owner of the former
Rite Aid building across the street. Simms intended to develop the parking lot with retail and office space. Over 60 residents, including apartment dwellers, homeowners, block captains representing their entire block, families who have lived in the area for multiple generations, retail shop owners, and newcomers waxed poetic about the parking lot. One speaker referenced the Joni Mitchell lyric “They paved paradise, put up a parking lot,” and continued
By Jon F. Vein
After more than six weeks of stalemate, the federal government has finally reopened. The relief is palpable—from federal employees lining up at ATMs to travelers exhaling at LAX—but so are the bruises left behind. The sixweek shutdown that froze paychecks, snarled travel, and rattled confidence across Los Angeles may be officially over, yet the aftershocks will take weeks or even months to fade.
This is what the shutdown did, what reopening looks like, and what Hancock Park residents can expect next. Air travel: flights resume, but disruptions remain The first and most visible impact of the shutdown was at the airport. By the end of last week, more than a thousand flights at Los Angeles International and surrounding airports had been delayed or canceled due to staffing shortages and FAA-ordered capacity cuts. Now that the
By Margaret A. Ecker
Delayed food stamp funding, inadequate housing, lack of access to mental health resources, and increased cost of health care coverage all converge to aggravate an already arduous existence for low-income and unhoused residents in Los Angeles.
The Soup Kitchen at St. James’ Episcopal Church, located on Wilshire Boulevard near Wilton Place, has been providing services for 40 years. Initially conceived to deliver meals to the homebound living with AIDS, the soup kitchen has become a safe space from the street for unhoused neighbors. Ultimately, it’s a story of community-building for everyone involved.
Three times a week, for a few hours at a time, volunteers offer home-cooked, nutritious meals made using rescued produce secured from Hollywood Food Coalition, Food Forward, and Seeds of Hope. Volunteers also provide donated clothing, books from a lending library, hygiene products, a phone charging station, an art ta-
VOLUNTEER COOKS come out from the kitchen to
Willie Garcia (left) and Sudeep Biswas (right).
Editorial
By Chronicle Editorial Board
No ‘community’ without ‘unity’
Recently, on a rainy Saturday morning, I was waiting in line to order coffee on Larchmont. While I was deep in thought about a myriad of things that I had to do, a man named Taj, who was also waiting, struck up a conversation.
“Nice to have a rainy day and be able to finally relax,” he said. The comment led to a deeper conversation. On his walk over, he had seen a group of children jumping in puddles and laughing, and we talked about how nice it was to be a kid and live carefree. We talked about how more people should just spark up a conversation with a stranger (like we just had), and how if they did, the world would be a better place.
Not everyone has to agree about every topic. Not everyone is “wrong” if they don’t believe what we think is “right.” Some people agree with creating high-density housing in single-family neighborhoods, while others believe it destroys the fabric of that same community.
It’s the holidays. Many can look forward to gatherings, including seeing people we don’t get to see often—and we might not share the same opinions with. But we can listen.
Close-knit communities will lead to the unity that we are all seeking. We just have to talk to each other, and, more importantly, listen to one another. The holidays are a perfect time to start. Taj gave me a hug, and we parted ways.
325 N. Larchmont Boulevard, #158 Los Angeles, California 90004 windsorsquare.org
157 N. Larchmont Boulevard
“How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?”
—Dr. Seuss
WSA 2025 TOWN HALL: Thank you to all that attended the Windsor Square Association’s 2025 Town Hall on November 18th. The WSA was happy to host Mayor Karen Bass, City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto and our Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez. Despite the rain over 100 residents and guests attended making the evening a rousing success. The City of Los Angeles also honored our outgoing President Larry Guzin, who has served us well for 16 years.
o o o
LARCHMONT TOWN SQUARE SAVED! Thank you to all of you who sent letters and emails as well as attended the committees and hearings to voice your opposition to the proposed deal that would have seen Lot 694 at 209 N. Larchmont Blvd leased for development. Your opposition convinced our Councilman Hugo Soto Martinez to take a bold stance and oppose the deal!
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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.
Thu., Nov. 27—Thanksgiving Day.
Tue., Dec. 9— Mid City West Neighborhood Council board meeting, 6:30 p.m., via Zoom, midcitywest.org.
Wed., Dec. 10— Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council board meeting on Zoom, 6:30 p.m., greaterwilshire. org.
Thu., Jan. 1—New Year’s Day. Delivery of the January issue of the Larchmont Chronicle
Letters to the Editor
Larchmont Chronicle
A real town square?!
The good news that Larchmont Parking Lot 694 has been saved is a victory for the community and a testament to how much people here care. In nearly 20 years of living in Larchmont, I’ve rarely seen an issue spark this much passion.
But throughout the effort, the rallying cry was “Save Our Town Square!” And while the Farmers’ Market will continue and the lot remains intact, the truth is unchanged: It’s still just a parking lot.
‘What do you hope is next for the Rite Aid spot?’
That’s the question our inquiring photographer asked locals.
“A great old-fashioned grocery store with a pharmacy. Years ago, there was a grocery store on Larchmont—it was wonderful.”
Molly Shannon
“A space similar to Century City’s Eataly. A center with a wine bar or cocktails in the middle, and around the perimeter might be two or three small restaurants with a community eating area.”
Josh Brown
“Anything to further the culture here in L.A. A place for people to congregate, like an art center—I think that’s at the forefront of America.”
Advertising
This moment gives us an opportunity. Instead of preserving a patch of asphalt, let’s indeed transform it. Not with new buildings, but with public space. Let’s use the energy and unity generated by this fight to create a vibrant, people-centered Town Square worthy of Larchmont.
(Please turn to Page 25)
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.
“I agree—a community center. Like a public Civic Center for people to gather for free events—for arts, a stage, or physical activities.”
“A gym with my brand of athletic wear in it called Oase,” said Barclay. “With Pilates!” added Morizio. Jarcarti Barclay (left), and Serena
Noel Deleon
Alexa Gamez
Morizio
instagram @finnwalkersart by Finn Walker
Diner Max and Helen’s is ‘all in the family’ with Lily Rosenthal
By H. Hutcheson
We’ve all been waiting, and if we’re lucky, we might be visiting the hotly anticipated Max and Helen’s Diner this month for a patty melt—or the Larchmont Slam breakfast—at 127 N. Larchmont Blvd.
The old-school diner is brought to the village by Phil Rosenthal, restaurateur and host of the Netflix show “Somebody Feed Phil,” and renowned L.A. chef Nancy Silverton, who is the executive chef. Both are Larchmont locals. It continues with its stated theme of community inclusiveness and family in that it will be helmed in part by Phil Rosenthal’s newlywed daughter, Lily, as creative director, and her husband, Mason Royal, as head chef and director of operations.
Lily Rosenthal said, “I had
On the Boulevard
one rule for the design, for the branding, for every aspect of creativity that went into this: If [I thought] my grandparents would walk in and say, ‘Oh that’s very nice,’ then it was a go. And if they would say, ‘Oy!’ then it was a no.”
The diner is named for Phil’s parents, who were German immigrants that lived in New York and even made a few appearances on “Somebody Feed Phil.”
If you’ve strolled by the diner location during November, you might have spied the private tasting parties happening there and surely smelled the delectable scents drifting onto the sidewalk. But mood and atmosphere can also make or break our desire to frequent a food spot. “Yes, atmosphere
is such an equal part of the experience,” Lily Rosenthal agreed.
She also remarked that working with their designer, Matt Winter, was exceptional: “He took everything we asked for and went above and beyond: wood, dark tones, maroon, dark green, plaid fabrics, old family photos, and photos of Larchmont in the 1920s. The inside feels like we’ve been here for 100 years.
“Mason and my impact on the restaurant is the culture we’ve created. It’s the community we’re building here at the diner.”
She spoke about how she and Royal are able to work within each of their own strengths: “Mason is an unbelievable leader. He’s organized and admirable with his training sessions for the staff. We really wanted it to feel like a family—a cozy warm place the minute you walk in—
and that starts with the staff. I grew up [in Larchmont], so I know how warmth and patience go a long way. The team and the culture we’ve built here will find its way in the Larchmont community.”
One might think the now creative director was always destined for the world of restaurants, but her early intentions were to work in the world of film and television, having attended USC’s School
(Please turn to Page 19)
LILY ROSENTHAL, creative director, with Mason Royal, head chef and her husband.
SEATED IN MAX AND HELEN’S are (from left) Monica Horan, Lily Rosenthal, Ben Rosenthal, and Phil Rosenthal.
LUNA holds its first in-person meeting; close to 100 attend
By Nona Sue Friedman LUNA
(Larchmont United Neighborhood Association) held its first in-person meeting Nov. 6. The organization’s boundaries are Wilton Place to the east, Melrose Avenue to the north, Arden Boulevard to the west, and Beverly Boulevard to the south. The area’s councilmember, Hugo Soto-Martínez, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and representatives from the Livable Communities Initiative spoke to nearly 100 attendees.
Soto-Martínez, who anticipated spending only 20 minutes with the group, stayed for over an hour. When the Chronicle spoke to him a few days later, he said he was energized by the interaction
SENIOR LEAD OFFICERS
(from left) Daniel Chavez, of Olympic Division; Hector Marquez, of Wilshire Division; and Carrie Mendoza, who is filling in for SLO Tyler Shuck, of Wilshire.
of the meeting.
He began by telling his stakeholders about action items he and his staff are addressing.
He was able to report that homelessness has dropped 50% in Council District 13 since he took office. He has a team dedicated to tenant rental issues and evictions, and he’s proud of the work LAPD’s Unarmed Model of Crisis Response is doing. This response team handles non-violent calls placed to 911, enabling police to stay on task. Calls handled by this team cost $35 per call as opposed to $85 per call for armed personnel to respond.
The councilman opened the floor for questions and the meeting turned into a town hall. Residents brought up prostitution, broken streetlights, and the hazards of
walking the neighborhood because of speeding cars coupled with drivers not obeying stop signs. Some also questioned why he didn’t stand up earlier and stronger to oppose State Bill 79, a bill that Gov. New-
som signed into law that is thought by many to threaten single-family neighborhoods.
The proposed Larchmont Farmers Market and parking lot lease agreement also came up. “We will be on your side and do what we can to protect our town square. Whatever power I have I will use,” said Soto-Martínez. (And he did.)
(See article, page 1.)
Next up, LAPD senior lead officers talked about their role as a bridge in the community. They said they were very aware of the prostitution along Western Avenue and are diligently working to remedy the situation (see article, page 4).
The officers recommend block captains for each block, like Windsor Square Association has organized, to easily and quickly disseminate neighborhood news and crime information. They encourage residents to say hello to everyone they see while walking, whether you know them or not. This can be offputting to potential burglars, akin to saying, “I see you.”
Livable Communities Initiative gave a presentation depicting what Larchmont Boulevard north of Beverly Boulevard could look like with thoughtful and intentional planning.
Prostitution bleeds into neighborhoods
By Nona Sue Friedman
Residents near Western Avenue are outraged by a recent uptick and blatant prostitution problem that plagues their neighborhood nightly. In response to community outrage, Council District 13 (CD13) arranged a meeting on Nov. 12 at their Hollywood field office.
The council district assembled representatives from the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office, Hollywood and Olympic
Divisions of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and Journey Out, a local nonprofit that provides services to victims of sex trafficking.
“Your voices are definitely heard. Substantial efforts are being made to control the situation,” said Deputy City Attorney Kahlil Rasheed. But cleaning up the illegal sex trafficking on Western is a complicated issue.
According to Rasheed, “You can’t prosecute yourself out
A PASSIONATE Michael Bodie addresses the meeting.
of the situation.” Senior Lead Officer Danny Chavez echoed this statement, saying “You
COUNCILMEMBER HUGO Soto-Martínez addresses the crowd at LUNA’s first in-person meeting.
Prostitution
(Continued from Page 4)
can’t arrest yourself out of this situation.” So what is the solution?
One of the biggest stumbling blocks is the repealing of California penal code 653.22 in 2022 with State Bill 357, which made it illegal to arrest for “loitering in a public place with the intent to commit prostitution.” Officers have to catch individuals in the act. Not so easy. A small glimmer of hope begins January 2026 with the partial repeal of SB 357 for Johns, who will be able to be arrested for loitering with the intent to purchase sex.
three days for them to arrive. Right now, Los Angeles Conservation Corps comes to the area weekly, but they don’t pick up hazardous material.
“A small glimmer of hope begins January 2026 with the partial repeal of SB 357 for buyers, as known as Johns, who will be able to be arrested for loitering with the intent to purchase sex.”
Residents also asked for more communication from CD13, which they agreed to work on.
Stabbing, rape, school bus driver assault POLICE BEAT
OLYMPIC DIVISION
BURGLARIES: While a victim was home on Nov. 1 at midnight, a Hispanic male broke the lock on a balcony door, entered, and ransacked the space on the 500 block of Gramercy Place.
WILSHIRE
Even though there are restrictions, police presence makes a difference. Capt. Rachel Rodriguez of Olympic Division said, “It’s unimaginable our children have to see condoms on the street and scantily clad women on their way to school and walking out of their homes.” Officer Chavez said that he’s adjusted his hours to deal with the situation. He’s also told his division that any extra patrols need to cruise through the Western corridor. Vice units go out weekly, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation also visits Western regularly.
Another reason for the meeting was that CD13, after over one year of negotiations, finalized a $150,000 contract with Journey Out. Journey Out gains the trust of the girls on the street and tries to convince them to leave the life of sex trafficking. They have wraparound services similar to a homeless agency. Since the beginning of their contract in October, three girls in the area have been rescued and sent home.
Other ways to combat the situation is by making the neighborhoods less appealing to park in. This includes cutting overgrown trees and fixing broken streetlights, making streets brighter in evening hours. Another method is to ticket illegally parked cars, since a majority of the areas are overnight permit parking only.
Residents also said it would at least make them feel better if someone other than themselves would clean up the area that’s littered with condoms, trash and bottles of urine.
Field Deputy Mark Anthony Fuentes offered L.A. Sanitation’s Watershed Division to come and clean up, but residents have to contact Fuentes each time and it takes one to
Lastly, Rodriguez said the Olympic Booster Association (OBA) is spearheading an initiative to place live cameras with license plate reader capability throughout the major corridors of the Division. These cameras are in place along Melrose Avenue and have been very helpful for LAPD. If you would like to contribute or get additional information, contact OBA president Chang Lee at cytydel@gmail.com.
One or more suspects entered the window of three apartments on Nov. 7 at 1 p.m. The suspect jammed the front door and disabled a camera in one of the apartments before leaving on the 700 block of South Gramercy Drive.
A suspect smashed the sliding glass door at a single-family residence and took purses and watches on Nov. 8 at 4:30 p.m. on the 300 block of North Gower Street.
A home was broken into through its rear door on the 100 block of South Ridge-
DIVISION Furnished by Senior Lead Officer Tyler Shuck 213-712-3715 40740@lapd.online Twitter: @lapdwilshire
wood Place on Nov. 8 at 1:35 p.m. while residents were at a funeral. The suspect took jewelry and $15,000 in cash.
RAPE & AGGRAVATED ASSAULT: During a domestic dispute, a suspect strangled and raped the victim on Nov. 1 at 2 a.m. on the 800 block of South Gramercy Place.
THEFTS: During a domestic argument, a suspect punched a victim and took the victim’s phone on Nov. 1
OLYMPIC DIVISION Furnished by Senior Lead Officer
Daniel Chavez
213-793-0709
36304@lapd.online
Instagram: @olympic_slo1
at 4:30 a.m. on the
BURGLARY THEFT
FROM AUTO: A license plate was stolen on Nov. 14 at 7:30 a.m. from the 4400 block of West Fourth Street.
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT:
An unprovoked Black male suspect slashed a victim’s face with a knife near the 4700 block of Elmwood Avenue on Nov. 1 at 9:15 p.m. The sus-
(Please turn to Page 29)
3900 block of Wilshire Boulevard.
Vinylfest is among holiday events at Farmers Market
The Original Farmers Market at 6333 W. 3rd St offers free festive events and celebrations all this month.
Vinylfest takes place all day Sat., Dec. 6, and Sun., Dec. 7, celebrating music and vinyl records, with DJs spinning on-site.
Next is “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” on Fri., Dec. 12, from 6 to 9 p.m, featuring musical performances, hot cocoa, photo ops, and family fun.
December Events
Calendar
5
CRAFT CONTEMPORARY will host Maker’s Market, a festive shopping weekend in the outdoor courtyard. The event kicks off with a preview night on Fri., Dec. 5, from 6 to 9 p.m. at 5814 Wilshire Blvd. Two days of shopping continue on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Music, refreshments, an open bar, and hands-on workshops will be offered, as well as curated one-of-a-kind contemporary craft and design by L.A.-based artists. The preview night is $15 for members and $20 for nonmembers. Saturday is $9 with museum admission and Sunday is pay-what-you-wish. Visit craftcontemporary.org.
KOREAN CULTURAL CENTER L.A. (KCCLA) will host CineNext: Stories from Korean Academy of Film Arts—three short films and one feature by award-winning next-generation Korean filmmakers. Live Q and A will be taken by film makers Heo Gayoung and Hwang Hyein Dec. 9, 6:30 p.m., and Kim Bosol Dec. 10, 7 p.m. Screenings are at Ari Hall, 3rd Floor, KCCLA, 5505 Wilshire Blvd. Admission is free with advanced reservation through kccla.org.
A Hanukkah celebration with performances, activities, and the building of a giant ice sculpture is Sun., Dec. 14, from 2:30 to 5 p.m.
Yuletide carolers will bring singing to the Market Mon., Dec. 22, to Wed., Dec. 24, from noon to 3 p.m.
LA Film Camera, a boutique selling cameras and film, has opened its second location at the Market. They also offer film development.
Groundbreaking is expected to take place next year. RSVP to the Dec. 17 event by Dec. 8 at angelfood.org/communityday.
9 17 24
PROJECT ANGEL FOOD’S “Back Home Community Day,” Wed., Dec 17, from 10 a.m. to noon at 922 Vine St., will celebrate its brand-new kitchen—doubling the size and tripling its capacity—to help deliver meals to individuals battling critical illness across Los Angeles County. Coffee, pastries, and tours of the new facilities will be offered. The new Chuck Lorre Family Foundation Campus, to include a new kitchen and yet-to-be-constructed community and nutrition center, will be across the street.
Grove
(Continued from Page 1)
holiday spectacle this month with seasonal events at 189 The Grove Dr. Festive décor is featured alongside snowfalls that flurry every evening this month at 6 and 8 p.m.
Santa’s Workshop is located on First Street near Barnes & Noble through Wed., Dec. 24. Visitors can meet Santa, share their wish list, and capture the experience with a keepsake photo.
Jellycat has launched the Ski Club Pop-Up, open through Wed., Dec. 31. Guests can step inside a chalet with exclusive plush characters and designs to shop and take photos. Reserve a “slope spot” online; walk-in availability is very limited. For more information, visit thegrovela.com.
L.A. COUNTY HOLIDAY CELEBRATION returns for its 66th annual free holiday show, Wed., Dec. 24,
from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave. Tickets are available beginning Tues., Dec. 16. More than 20 music ensembles, choirs, and dance companies will perform in this showcase, featuring the artistry and multicultural spirit of Los Angeles. The performance will also be broadcast and streamed on PBS SoCal. Doors open at 2:15 p.m. Ad-
vance ticket holders arriving after 2:45 p.m. will be directed to the standby line Parking is free in the Music Center and Walt Disney Concert Hall garages. Visit holidaycelebration.org.
NICK CARTER performs along with The Rockettes during the Christmas at The Grove 24th annual tree lighting celebration.
Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Caruso
Officials spoke at Windsor Square Town Hall’s 100th anniversary
By Staff Writer
Larry Guzin, president of the Windsor Square Association (WSA), convened the group’s 100th Town Hall meeting at the Ebell of Los Angeles Nov. 17. Speakers included District 13 City Councilman Hugo Soto-Martínez, Mayor Karen Bass, and City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto.
Guzin honored In a surprise presentation, Guzin was given a framed certificate from city officials honoring him for his 22 years of service on the volunteer WSA
skin deep
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board, including as president for the last 16 years. He is retiring from that office at the end of this year.
Parking Lot 694
A main topic at the meeting was the city’s rejection of conveying Lot 694 to Larchmont landlord Ron Simms, which was brought to the community’s attention by the Council District’s office.
Soto-Martínez and the City Attorney explained there never was a deal or a term sheet that would have been necessary to transfer ownership of the city’s property. The only action that had been taken was a letter or two from Simms’ company implying that if the city granted him the ground lease lot it might help avoid litigation over the underground parking structure across the street.
Underground Lot 732
Underground lot 732 was financed with payments from
the city beginning in the late 1980s. The owner (the Simms company) was supposed to turn over the deed to the city around 2011, but he hasn’t. Feldstein Soto said that several of her predecessors have failed to obtain the deed that the city is entitled to, but she plans to pursue it.
Mayor Bass
Mayor Bass sat for a dialogue and Q & A session with Guzin. The topics discussed related to homeless encampments, her Inside Safe program, cleaning dirty city streets, copper wire theft and streetlight outages, tree planting for shade and to increase the urban canopy, and the absence of local crime data on Police Department crime maps.
Regarding the crime data, Bass was unaware of this situation and promised to speak with the Police Chief and find out what was delaying the integration (for more than a
year) of new software.
City Attorney Feldstein Soto briefed the audience about the tasks of her office. With respect to the critical role played by purchasers of stolen copper wire, she said that regional, and probably statewide, laws are needed. If a thief steals copper wire from Windsor Square lights and LAPD is only able to oversee metal scrap purchasers in the city of L.A., the thief can easily sell the stolen
goods in Burbank or any other municipality.
When confronted by audience members about huge sums of public money being spent on addressing homelessness, Feldstein Soto agreed that audits were missing—and needed. But she pointed out that doing those audits is the responsibility of the elected city controller, Kenneth Mejia.
Land Use
Under Land Use issues, association Vice President John H. Welborne gave a brief synopsis about pending projects along Wilshire Boulevard in the Park Mile, including a preliminary proposal that is too tall and includes illegal retail use for the small vacant lot just south of the mayor’s house on Irving Boulevard at Wilshire, as well as the Metro site at Wilshire and Crenshaw boulevards.
(Please turn to Page 26)
WSA PRESIDENT Larry Guzman with Mayor Karen Bass.
Maintaining your balance (and your sanity) this holiday season
December around Larchmont has a certain magic: twinkly lights along the Boulevard, visits to the Christmas tree lot, and sightings of those neighbors seen only at this time of year. It’s also the month when our good intentions get stress-tested by cookie trays, travel delays, family drama, and a social calendar that seems to expand exponentially.
The first thing to remember about sticking to healthy habits is that it doesn’t mean clinging on to some rigid ideal. Health in its best form is flexible, like yoga. It’s not about perfection, but about staying connected to yourself and your community amid all the chaos.
Start with rhythm, not rules
Instead of so much focus on restrictions—no sugar, no carbs, no fun!—set a rhythm that keeps you grounded. This could look like a morning walk before the house wakes up or making sure every gathering includes at least one green thing on the table. Our bodies and minds thrive on consistency, not punishment. A brief daily ritual such as lighting a candle, stretching for five minutes, or simply stepping outside to breathe cold air can anchor you better than any detox plan.
Reclaim rest as an act of care
Between errands, emails, and obligatory parties, rest can start to feel like laziness. But real rest is radical—it’s a quiet refusal to be consumed
Health & Wellness
By Priscilla Duggan
by the season’s productivity pressure. Take a nap when you can. Go to bed early sometimes. Let yourself watch a movie without multitasking. Remember that restoration isn’t the opposite of discipline; it’s what makes discipline sustainable.
Share the load
Lots of us try to take the holidays on as a solo project: cooking, gifting, hosting, coordinating. But health isn’t an individual sport; it’s communal. Invite people to help you cook or clean—even if it feels imperfect. Trade baked goods with neighbors. Let the kids decorate. Something subtle shifts when we collaborate: the season becomes less about impressing others and
Correction
In last month’s issue, captions for two photos about Wilshire
more about enjoying them. Eat joyfully, not anxiously. Food during the holidays is memory, tradition, and love—not a moral test. The healthiest relationship to food is one rooted in gratitude and pleasure. So eat the pie. But savor it slowly and with appreciation, perhaps for whoever taught you how to bake it.
Finally, as the year winds down, resist the urge to treat January like a reset button. You aren’t a problem to be fixed after the holidays—you’re a human being in the middle of them. Maybe real wellness isn’t about control at all, but connection: noticing what feels good, what feels too much, and what’s worth carrying with you into the new year. And if along the way we all start looking out for each other a little more, well, that might be the healthiest habit of all.
THE HOLIDAY SEASON: making a concerted effort to enjoy it while taking care of yourself.
Drawing by Priscilla Duggan
Rotary Heroes were incorrect. They are corrected here.
YMCA Executive Director Rae Jin (center), Daniel Loh (left), Wendy and Scott Clifford (behind), & Patricia Carroll, (right).
OLYMPIC DIVISION Capt. Rachel Rodriguez, second from left, is flanked by Espinoza (left), Bermudez, and Hout.
Festive celebrations honor members and their causes
The Skirball Center played host to the Children’s Institute Inc. (CII) for its 7th annual Cape & Gown Gala Nov. 2. The evening raised over $650,000 in support of life-changing programs that ensure the education, health and well-being for thousands of children and families across Los Angeles. Emmy-winning actress and comedian Loni Love emceed the event, and supporters enjoyed a stand-out performance by the Watts-Willowbrook Music Academy. The hall was filled with good news as CII President and CEO Martine Singer announced a partnership between CII and Saban Community Clinic, which will be opening a new medical facility providing primary care services at CII’s Echo Park campus.
Three community heroes were recognized during the event. The Children’s Champion Award went to motion picture talent agent Lorrie Bartlett for her commitment to children and increasing diversity in entertainment.
John Clarke Mills, cofounder and CEO of fire-tracking
app Watch Duty, received the Community Champion Award for his contribution to public safety. You may know Watch Duty from the Los Angeles wildfires in January.
Chuck Diamond, a criminal defense attorney and former partner at O’Melveny & Myers, received the Lifetime Achievement Award for serving 25 years on the CII Board.
“We meet people where they are and walk with them toward stability, dignity, and hope,” Singer told the crowd.
“The safety net is fraying, but we’re sewing like crazy.”
Bales of hay, a photo booth, beer, whiskey, and high-spirited live music greeted guests Oct. 28 at Chevalier’s Books, Los Angeles’ oldest independent bookstore. They welcomed author Mark Z. Danielewski, plus a couple hundred of his biggest fans, to celebrate the release of his newest novel, “Tom’s Crossing.” The book is a thrilling, bloody western taking place over several days that involves two teenagers, two horses, and an epic metaphysical quest to get the two horses to safety.
Danielewski read a passage from the book to the standing-room only crowd, selling out 150 copies within the first hour. Notables in attendance included composer Danny Elfman and Eric Erlandson from rock band Hole. The evening also included a presentation of artwork from “Tom’s Crossing,” live music trio The
HONOREE, COFOUNDER, and CEO of Watch Duty (left) was introduced by Orange County Fire Division Chief Kevin Fetterman (right).
Rose Valley Thorns, food from Village Pizzeria, and the added bonus of the Larchmont Chronicle’s own, columnist Jim Kalin and his wife, Heidi, singing one of the songs from the novel. Kalin and Danielewski go waaaayyyy back, so maybe it’s no coincidence that one of the novel’s main characters is named Kalin? Hmmmm. “Tom’s Crossing” is an instant New York Times bestseller, as was his previous classic, “House of Leaves.”
The backdrop was sun and sailboats at the Junior League of Los Angeles (JLLA) centennial luncheon and fundraiser at the California Yacht Club in Marina del Rey. The Nov. 9, 80-something-degree day created the perfect setting to celebrate the massive achievement of this 100-year-old community stalwart. Guests wandered the dockside setting, drinking margaritas, noshing on an elegant cheese and charcuterie spread, and bidding on silent auction items to raise money for the impactful women’s
charity. Auction items included a signed Shaquille O’Neal Los Angeles Lakers jersey, an escape to Mykonos Greek for four people, a Raising Cane’s gift basket, and an Enzo Ferrari plate display.
Supporters then enjoyed an outdoor luncheon as they honored two women who have made a huge impact on charity and fundraising in Los Angeles.
Heather Ogilvie Shuemaker received the Spirit of Volunteerism award for her service as Junior League President (1991-1992) as well as on the boards of more than 30 medical, arts, cultural, and civic nonprofits.
Nichol Whiteman, CEO of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, received a boisterous welcome after the Dodgers’ World Series victory. Whiteman received the Community Achievement Award for generating $204 million in funds and investing $74 million in community programs.
She was most excited to
PAST, CURRENT, AND FUTURE JLLA presidents gather for a centennial photo shoot to celebrate 100 years of Junior League Los Angeles.
(Please turn to Page 26)
LARCHMONT LOCALS Eric Haas and Chava Daniela are yearslong supporters of Children’s Institute.
Cape & Gown photos: Daria Taylor Photography
Around the Town with Sondi Toll Sepenuk
CHUCK DIAMOND received the Lifetime Achievement Award after serving on CII’s Board for 25 years.
HONOREE and board member at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) Lorrie Bartlett (left) was introduced by award-winning actress Ruth Negga (right).
DANIELEWSKI wears a cowboy hat along with many others in attendance.
Photos by Alex Welsh
Soup kitchen
(Continued from Page 1)
ble, and even quality time at an electric piano keyboard for those gifted guests who know how to tickle the ivories. Licensed hairdressers provide free cuts. Volunteer doctors with In the People’s Corner set up an informal clinic in the courtyard to field primary care problems. Staff from the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health’s Peer Resource Center mingle with guests.
Volunteers refer to what happens at the soup kitchen as relationship-based service. The approach is described in the church’s Volunteer Agreement: “We build respect by meeting people where they are, rather than trying to bring people to where we think they ought to be.”
The unhoused demographic that shows up can make that approach challenging. A core group of around 100 guests attend week to week. Most have been chronically homeless and living on the street for years. Most struggle with mental health and substance-use disorders. And yet, as volunteers report, their gratitude is almost palpable, even as their problems seem insurmountable.
When someone does get housed, they often continue to show up, a testament to the sense of community that is at the heart of the kitchen’s mission.
All of this is made possible by volunteers who report a surprising revelation that has surfaced in the past year or so: the soup kitchen is as impactful as a source of solace for those who give as it is for those who receive.
The volunteer roles are designed to be flexible, ready to
The soup kitchen receives donated food and cooks on Thursdays feeding the hungry and setting tablecloths, flowers, and china on Fridays and Saturdays. The space used for cooking and serving at St. James’ Church is shared with the oldest Alcholics Anonymous (AA) meet-up group in L.A. As a consequence, Ecker recalls the fun volunteers have due to the time pressure: “Called ‘Cooking Thursdays,’ it’s the day all the rescued produce comes. It’s crazy! Like a reality show; what to cook out of what has arrived, and get it done in two or three hours because the space has to go back to AA by six!”
accommodate a wide variety of skills and predilections.
Don’t like chopping onions? You can help set up the tables.
Don’t like talking to strangers? Head back to the storage shed to help sort donated clothes by size and category.
The approach for those who are served is likewise designed to meet people where they are.
Don’t eat meat? Help yourself to the macaroni and cheese. Having a bad day? Come into the courtyard—let’s see if a cup of coffee and a conversation about the Dodgers will help. Don’t feel like talking to anyone at all? Check out the art table.
It surely helps that the setting is a church. For the record, the vast majority of the volunteers do not attend church regularly—not this one or any other one. The congregation at St. James’ is deeply supportive of the soup kitchen mission and those who make it possible. As the Rev. Kate Cress, St. James’ rector, said, “Don’t apologize about not going to church.
The soup kitchen IS your church!” That adage helps to nurture the message that “All are welcome here.”
Many volunteers are stepping away from full-time jobs, college, or family obligations to make the soup kitchen run well. Even if just for a few hours, guests are able to step away from the stress of homelessness or domestic instability, or from struggles with mental health, substance use, or hunger. Guests and volunteers come together to chat for a few hours on a Saturday morning or a Tuesday evening, nurturing the gifts of human kindness. No judgment. No prerequisites. No clipboards. Really no formal goals beyond making small talk and good company. The gift of community is a greatgift.
Increasingly, an outcome of relationship-based service is the concern for what happens to unhoused people when the soup kitchen is over for the day. Conversations have started taking place about how to build stronger bridges between those served and the services available to them. One promising idea on the table is to raise funds to finance the soup kitchen’s first paid employee. The role would be filled by a person skilled in social work or case management who could build on relationships fostered at the soup kitchen by accompanying people to service destinations, helping to navigate online documents, or giving rides to
not only nutritious, but beau-
the Social Security office or the food stamp office, all helping to build trust where trust has faltered in the past. Raising those funds represents a new challenge for the team.
But for now, the work to nurture community remains.
St. James’ soup kitchen welcomes volunteers and donations, especially during this holiday season, and throughout the year.
To volunteer, visit the online signup at luma.com/user/ greatfood.
To donate online visit secure.myvanco.com/YM5N/ campaign/C-YYWT.
For more information, email GreatFood@STJLA.org.
Margaret Ecker lives in Los Feliz and is the Lead Volunteer at St. James’ Episcopal Church Soup Kitchen. Ecker retired from pediatric nursing in 2011. She told the Chronicle the main source of volunteer recruitment is word of mouth…or paper!
VOLUNTEER COOK WILLIE GARCIA presents his bread pudding, making sure the dish is
tiful.
ANOTHER VOLUNTEER serving the guests with energy and generosity.
VOLUNTEER HAIRDRESSER Maria Lascaibar with regular guest George Orfan(could-be-Clooney!).
HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE
Gift wrapping provided by the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council (GWNC)
Santa paws at Tailwaggers
Carolers from Saint James
Busytown Celebration at Chevalier’s Books
20% off all fine art, mugs, notebooks, and coasters at Romi Cortier Design
Landis Stationary discount on pre-wrapped scented candles
Toys for Tots / city parking lot, organized by the Larchmont Village Neighborhood Association (LVNA)
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2025 11 AM - 4 PM A special thank you from the Larchmont Boulevard Association for coming out to the 60th annual Larchmont fair! Thank you to our sponsors
Complimentary eyeglass cleaners and cloth 11am - 2pm provided by Larchmont Optometrics
Hot Chocolate and photos with Santa from 1pm - 4pm at Page Academy
Live music at Kasimoff Bluthner Piano
Ornaments for Altadena decorating truck next to the clock tower in town square provided by Larchmont Unified Neighborhood Association (LUNA)
Discounts available at Center for Yoga & Louises Trattoria
And so much more! Come join us!
Larchmont Jewelers
Larchmont Pediatrics
Rhodes School of Music
Massucco Warner
Hollywoodland Realty Co.
Larchmont Buzz
Ritz Cleaners Rebecca Fitzgerald M.D.
Willshire Escrow Company
Chevalier’s Books
Los Angeles honors Dodgers with jubilant downtown parade
By Sondi Sepenuk
Wow. What a season. What a month. What a series. What a WIN!!! I find myself still basking in the glow of the incredible Los Angeles Dodgers back-to-back World Series championships, weeks after their heart-stopping comeback win against the Toronto Blue Jays `in an epic seven-game World Series finale.
On Nov. 3., mere days after that timeless showpiece (when they arrived in Toronto two games down but then pulled off the improbable and electrifying comeback win), an estimated 250,000 fans lined the streets of Grand Avenue in downtown L.A. for a parade that ended in a sold-
out rally at Dodger Stadium in Chavez Ravine.
Getting to the parade was, surprisingly, a piece of cake!
Being the Dodgers’ number one fans, my husband, daughter, and I braved the multitudes to join the jubilant crowds. Three cheers for L.A.’s public metro system, which we grabbed at Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue, then disembarked at Pershing Square about 15 minutes later. The parade started at 11 a.m., but when we arrived by train at 9 a.m., the streets were already packed. We found a great spot near the front, at the barricade, then settled in for the two-hour wait. Also making the trek downtown
Holidays sparkle in DTLA all month
Downtown L.A. is jampacked with holiday-themed events this month.
“Black Planetarium: Uncharted Anthologies” runs through Sun., Dec. 14, at The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Ave. The exhibit incorporates textiles, moving images, and virtual reality to bring centuries of African tradition, languages, and dances to life.
Gloria Molina Grand Park will be dressed with “Holiday Lights” through Sun., Dec.
31, at 200 N. Grand Ave. A pink sphere tree, menorah, and sparkling lights evoke the splendor of the holiday spirit.
L.A. Phil showcases “‘Home Alone’ in Concert” from Fri., Dec. 12 to Sun., Dec. 21 at Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave. The comedy classic’s score will be performed live to the film screening. L.A. Phil also stages a “Holiday Sing-Along” on Sat., Dec. 13, at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
CELEBRATING the Dodgers’ World Series win with 250,000 of our closest friends.
were locals John and Eileen Lanza, Daphne Brogdon with children Rex and Vivien, and further down the line, waiting at the stadium, season ticket-holder Susan Kneafsey with friends Shelagh Callahan and Isabel Mayfield, and Jenny and Milan Ratikovich with their son Tyler.
Once the parade started, the crowd erupted. It was pure jubilation, joy, relief, and happiness after a tough year for this city—a win that Los Angeles needed at this exact moment in time. The players, waving from the buses, were equally as joyous, soaking in every bit of the crowd’s energy. Players—some shirtless—pointed to handmade signs, laughed along with the crowds, and
, Jenny, Milan, and Tyler Ratikovich are all decked out in Dodger blue to celebrate back-to-back championships.
even caught a few beers thrown by their adoring fans.
Once at the stadium, the players, owners, and management thanked the Los Angeles fans for their dedication and unwavering support.
“The feeling at the stadium was electric!” relished Susan
Kneafsey. “The fans were so excited to celebrate with the team after winning one of the most exciting World Series in history!” I would agree with her—unless something even more exciting happens in 2026.
Dare we even hope for…a three-peat????
DODGERS MANAGER Dave Roberts hoists the championship trophy leading the parade.
DAPHNE BROGDON (right) of Brookside and children Rex and Vivien, celebrate with the city.
CHEERING ON THE TEAM from Dodger Stadium are (left) Susan Kneafsey, Shelagh Callahan, and Isabel Mayfield.
STADIUM-READY
Diner
(Continued from Page 3)
of Cinematic Arts. She said, “Honestly, my whole life I thought I wanted to be in the film industry, as an actress, a writer, or a director. [But] during this whole process [of working on the diner], I’ve never felt more comfortable in my own skin, or just at peace with where I am in life. This is all I want to do now—open more restaurants with my husband. Oh! That’s so fun to say! ‘My husband’!”
During COVID-19 Rosenthal created Liv a Lil, a nonprofit bringing restaurants and chefs of different cultures and backgrounds
together to create. She said, “It brought the community together at a time when we were all so separated. It really made me excited about the food world in a way I hadn’t experienced before. But, I still felt like an outsider in the restaurant world.
“I have taken a turn I wasn’t expecting. I’ve always loved restaurants in the L.A. food scene, but I was an admirer— going to restaurants, posting about them, influencing—but never truly immersed in the production of a restaurant. Now that is what I’m doing.”
It seems like a natural progression for her, as eating and restaurants are also a form of entertainment. When asked if
Toy donations sought for WBT’s Karsh holiday drive
Join Santa’s helpers to bring the joy of the season to a child in the neighborhood with the Karsh Social Service Center’s annual toy drive.
Donors can buy gifts online, send packages in the mail, or drop gifts off at the center, which is part of Wilshire Boulevard Temple. Games, stuffed animals, science kits, and all kinds of toys for kids toddler age up to 13 years old are sought.
Area families can visit the site between Mon., Dec. 1, and Fri., Dec. 12, to pick out the perfect gift for a loved one.
“With all that 2025 has thrown at our community, most recently with the challenge to SNAP benefits and the difficult financial choices it has forced upon so many, it is our privilege and joy to make sure that an exciting toy or holiday gift is available for the children in the Karsh Center community,” said Elizabeth Green, director of volunteer engagement at
Karsh.
A few suggestions to donors: Toys should be new, in original packaging, and not gift wrapped. There’s an Amazon wishlist to help make purchases.
Toys can be mailed to Toy Drive, c/o Karsh West, 11960 Sunset Blvd., L.A., 90049. To drop off a toy, contact haley@ karshcenter.org to arrange a time.
Visit karshcenter.org/toydrive2025 to learn more. Tax receipt information is also online.
Pediatric Dentistry
creating a great restaurant is not dissimilar to the making of a great film, she said, “One hundred percent! My dad says, ‘This is like your first child!’ This diner is our pride and joy!”
She continued, “My parents always talk about how life presents you with what you’re supposed to do, and it doesn’t always go the way you’ve planned it—sometimes it’s better!”
Max and Helen’s Diner opened last week. “Yes, there are patty melts, malt milkshakes, and breakfast all day,” but also Lily’s Hot Chocolate, which its namesake, Creative Director Lily Rosenthal, describes as, “a thick, Parisian-inspired drink with handmade marshmallow fluff torched on top!” Two of her other favorites include the waffle with maple butter and the Larchmont Slam, which is one pancake, home fries, eggs, and bacon or sausage.
Shop with a purpose at ‘Rainey Market’ Dec. 6
Gifts made by local artisans and designers will be featured at Rainey Market, the Junior League of Los Angeles (JLLA) premiere shopping event “with a purpose.”
The market will be open on Sat., Dec. 6, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at JLLA’s headquarters at 630 N. Larchmont Blvd.
“This will be a special holiday shopping and fundraising event where we will be bringing together 15-20 thoughtful small businesses from in and around the Los Angeles area for a day of shopping and community. Skip the big-box stores and find something truly special!” said JLLA President Dawn Eash Wazzan.
A portion of the proceeds from purchases will go toward funding JLLA’s community initiatives, from improving
the lives of transition-aged foster youth to empowering underserved students across the Los Angeles area.
General admission tickets are $25 for time slots from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. VIP tickets are $50 for exclusive early entry from 9 to 11 a.m.
The market is named after Marjorie Hamlin Rainey, who was JLLA president in 1943. She donated her $1 million estate to fund construction of its permanent headquarters, which opened in 1995. The group is celebrating its centennial. Visit jlla.org.
It’s time for UCLA leadership to step up and play ball
Growing up in South Florida, the UCLA colors always spoke to me—the gold, the blue, the Rose Bowl itself. When I moved here, their football coach was Bob Toledo, and he fielded a bunch of really good, fun teams to watch led by guys like Cade McNown, Danny Farmer, and DeShaun Foster (more on him in a bit).
Since that era ended, in 23 seasons, the Bruins have finished .500 or worse 12 times. It’s led to a common theory that UCLA isn’t a football school and can never be elite: I simply don’t believe that.
Southern California is fertile ground for great high school players, and USC and University of Oregon can’t get all of them. Plus, in this era of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness rules which allow players to profit from their brand),
L.A. is the perfect place for a player to come and maximize his earning potential, whether that’s for the USC Trojans or the UCLA Bruins.
Whenever anyone says a particular school is not a “good football job,” I think that’s lazy. Someone probably would have told current L.A. Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh that before he resurrected Stanford and watched his successor win five Pac 10 titles in his first seven years on the job. People said Penn State was a bad job after the brutal Jerry Sandusky scandal in 2011; six years later they were back in the Rose
Chasing Sports
by Chase Campen
Bowl. Think Vanderbilt can’t win? Last year they beat Alabama. And do you remember the football heyday of the Indiana Hoosiers? I don’t either, but armed with their new coach they are 19-2 in their last 21 games.
Nope. Sorry. There’s no inherent reason UCLA can’t be great on the gridiron. I don’t care that it’s a “basket-ball school,” or that there are budget limitations, or even academic restrictions. There is no shortage of athletes willing to bring their talents to L.A.
No, there’s no inherent reason UCLA can’t reclaim football glory, except one: leadership, and today, that means their athletic director, Martin Jarmond.
Hiring a football coach for a major program is the most important thing an athletic director does, even at a basketball school like UCLA, because football brings in the money.
Of course, UCLA’s football missteps predate Jarmond; that path was laid by his predecessor, Dan Guerrero. His first hire was Karl Dorrell, a woefully unqualified candidate who somehow was given five years, finishing with a 2418 record. He followed that up with Rick Neuheisel, who’s actually a good coach, but his record was even worse than Dorrell’s. Next it was former NFL head man Jim Mora Jr., a
hire that seemed like it could work but didn’t, followed by Chip Kelly, who had three decent years but couldn’t get the team over the hump and grew tired of leading a team in the NIL/free agency era.
Which brings us to Jarmond. He inherited Kelly, whose resignation in February 2024 surely caught everyone by surprise. I’d argue it’s an athletic director’s job to not be caught by surprise, and in fact to have a short list of candidates should such an event occur. But none of that is the big problem.
The problem is who Jarmond hired to replace Kelly. After an exhaustive, national search that spanned a whopping 72 hours, Jarmond named UCLA legendary running back Deshaun Foster as head coach. At the time Foster was the running backs’ coach, but he’d never even been a coordinator, much less a head coach.
While his promotion was exciting for the players, always pumped to see someone they know and love get a shot, the reality is he was in way over his head. The team was heading into their first season in the Big 10 (NCAA Division 1 college athletic conference) and time was of the essence: Caught with his pants down by the Kelly resignation, Jarmond panicked and promoted a popular former player ill-equipped to lead a program like UCLA.
The first year went poorly, and two games into his second year, he was fired—an
admission of a terrible mistake at a time when the school was trying to make a splash in the NIL and Big 10 era.
When they took the field Oct. 4 to play Penn State, UCLA was the only team in the country not to even lead a minute of a game this year. They played that game under their interim coach, Tim Skipper, who appointed for-
mer UCLA quarterback and current tight ends coach Jerry Neuheisel as offensive coordinator days before the game. You know what happened next. They scored 42 and throttled Penn State, then hammered Michigan State the following week. Everything changed by putting actually competent people in
(Please turn to Page 21)
UCLA can also be a football school if competent people are in critical roles. Photo by Clement Proust
Girls’ soccer season arrives for local Larchmont athletes
Here’s an impressive stat: At Immaculate Heart, a local prep school for girls grades six to 12, 100% of the Class of 2025 graduates matriculated to college. Astounding, and yet Immaculate Heart is far from being an academics-only institute.
This Los Angeles school, tucked up against the Ferndell Nature Trail in Griffith Park, was founded in 1906 by the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a Catholic religious order of women who trace their origin to Olot, Spain.
Azalea Bruns’ favorite professional soccer player— Lamine Yamal—happens to be from Spain.
“When he came onto the scene, he was named the youngest player of the 2024 Euro Cup at just 16 years old,” said Bruns. “Because of our proximity in age, he’s shown me, and countless other young athletes, the possibilities of what comes when you aim higher.”
Bruns, a senior at Immaculate Heart, plays varsity center back on the Pandas’ soccer team. She was named the team’s defensive MVP last season. She’s been involved with the sport nearly her entire life, beginning when she was 5, playing AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization) soccer at
, (from left) Haley Oken, Coach Lorena Vazquez, Adriana Cervera, Coach Lee Franck, Mateo Franck, Eric Chung, John Burns, and Jaime Cooper.
St. Brendan students compete in Los Angeles Mock Trial
Middle school students from St. Brendan recently competed in the Los Angeles Mock Trial Program. It was the first time in close to a decade that they entered the mock trial in which some 2,500 students compete at the county level in a simulated criminal trial.
“Although we did not win, the kids put in so much work and effort, and we are so proud of how well they presented their case,” said attorney Lorena Vazquez, of Vazquez Law on Larchmont Boulevard. She was one of the coaches for the St. Brendan students.
“We competed in two rounds. During our first round we competed as the prosecution and during the
Correction
Plymouth director
Diana Conforti is school director of Plymouth School, not the former school director, as was reported in Around the Town in last month’s issue.
Pan Pacific Park. When she was 14, she joined L.A. Surf, an off-season club team that happens to be coached by Kevin Cadenas, who is also the head soccer coach at Immaculate Heart. Cadenas, who is the Pandas’ athletic director, has been at the school 18 years and coaches multiple sports, including equestrian and flag football.
Cameron Palmer, a junior at Immaculate Heart, is a midfielder.
“I love to experiment playing different positions,” said Palmer. “I’ve also played goalie, defense, and forward.”
Like her teammate Bruns, Palmer’s been playing since she was 5. She is not on a club soccer team and doesn’t plan to play in college unless it’s at the intramural level. She attended GALA (Girls Academic Leadership Academy) from sixth through eighth grade, though athletics were not offered to students in the middle school.
“I played outside school,” she said.
Soccer is the only sport she plays at Immaculate Heart.
Hazel Speer and Josie Green are sophomores. Green is a left winger for the Pandas. She doesn’t play any other high school sport, but she does ski during the winter.
Green began playing soccer when she was 4.
“I started because I loved watching my older brother play,” she said. “If I get an opportunity, I think it would be super fun to play soccer in college.”
Green is still undecided on where she’ll attend college after Immaculate Heart.
Unlike her teammates, Hazel Speer is a relative newcomer to soccer. She began playing in eighth grade.
“I thought soccer would make me faster for the upcoming track season,” she explained.
Speer, who plays left back on defense for the Pandas, enjoyed the sport so much that she continued playing in high school. She also joined
a club team and competes off-season.
“My club team practices three days a week, and we have a game every weekend.”
Speer is a multisport athlete at Immaculate Heart. In addition to soccer, she runs cross country and track, which means she participates in sports year-round; cross country is run during the fall, soccer is a winter sport, and track and field takes place during the spring. But clearly, running is her passion, and at Immaculate Heart, the cross country program has experienced success. Since 2003, they’ve been named the Angeles League champions eight times.
“My favorite pro athlete is Parker Valby,” said Speer. Valby is an American long distance runner and is the current NCAA record holder for the women’s indoor 5,000 meters and outdoor 5,000 meter and 10,000 meter races.
“Parker is who I aspire to be somewhat like,” she said. Not a bad goal at all.
second we competed as a defense team,” Vazquez added.
Chasing Sports
(Continued from Page 20)
those critical roles.
That’s the good news. The bad? Those types of results were possible the last two years, but thanks to Jarmond’s judgment, they didn’t happen. He’s the one who needs to pay the price.
And on-field play isn’t the only issue UCLA is tackling. Recently reports surfaced that they were considering moving their games from the Rose Bowl to SoFi Stadium. That would be a massive shift and also entail a costly breaking of their Rose Bowl lease. The Rose Bowl isn’t taking this lying down, recently filing a restraining order against the school in Westwood. The battle for which field UCLA will take is only beginning, making it more critical than ever that they secure steady leadership.
AT COURTHOUSE
Youth Sports by Jim Kalin
Josie Green
Azalea Bruns
Cameron Palmer
Hazel Speer
SCHOOL NEWS
HOLLYWOOD SCHOOLHOUSE
Reece Bagley 6th Grade
Everyone that participated in these events is still raving about them, and they can’t wait for the next one!
THE OAKS
PILGRIM SCHOOL
Allison Pak 12th Grade
One of the most exciting events for students at Hollywood Schoolhouse is outdoor education. Recently, 4th to 6th grade students partook of the adventures that encompass these learning experiences. The 4th graders had the opportunity to visit the Catalina Island Marine Institute where they learned about marine biology, did rock climbing, and snorkeled. The 5th and 6th grade students were able to visit Pali Institute, which is a camp in Running Springs. At Pali, the students did a variety of useful learning activities including pottery, archery, and photography. The students also did team building activities like a gaga ball game and a night hike.
Atlas Tuck 6th Grade
The Oaks School Carnival was two weeks ago!
The Carnival is a school event that happens every year. Kids come, buy tickets, and play games to win prizes. Every Oaks student or Oaks alumni can attend. This is a great way to meet new people and connect with old friends. This is also a great way for prospective families to experience our amazing school community. Kids get really into it, sporting fanny packs and even letting their parents play games for them to get maximum tickets. Even though the Carnival is technically a fundraiser, it’s more focused on building strong, healthy relationships with each other.
Pilgrim School celebrated our National Honor Society inductees, as well as our High Honor Roll and Honor Roll students, this past week. We are so proud of their continued hard work, commitment, and growth as scholars and individuals. Their achievements reflect the perseverance, curiosity, and dedication that define our Pilgrim students.
We also celebrated and learned about Día De Los Muertos, Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month, and Native American Heritage Month.
We also held our first Parent/ Teacher Conferences of the year, which is an important opportunity for families and teachers to connect, share insights, and celebrate each child’s progress and goals.
Open Houses for the 2026–
2027 school year are underway, and it’s been wonderful to meet so many prospective families excited to learn more about our community. If you know someone interested in Pilgrim, please encourage them to contact the Admissions Office at admissions@pilgrim-school.org to reserve a spot. Pilgrim continues to grow and thrive because of the dedication and heart of our faculty, staff, parents, and students. Together, we make Pilgrim the warm, vibrant, and inspiring place it is.
FAIRFAX HIGH
Brendan Christmas program is an amazing SBS tradition where every class fills the church and sings festive songs for all of our community. From TK to 8th, everyone has been working very hard to perfect their songs, and although I can’t speak for the other grades, I know 8th graders are excited to perform two amazing songs for our whole school.
LOYOLA HIGH SCHOOL
Ethan Dumper 11th Grade
Joyce Kang 12th Grade Fairfax High School faced a happy win with the football team successfully making it to CIF playoffs along with the girls’ tennis team’s amazing season. The robotics competition was also a great success with the participation of 15 elementary and middle schools with over 350 students. For the upcoming holiday season, the senior class will host a Senior Holiday Movie Night on Dec. 12 with delicious movie snacks, a festive photo booth, and the beloved movie “Elf.” Some more merry events coming up are Winter Wonderland, an annual event for students to admire the rotunda decorated for the holidays, and the Winter Performance Arts Showcase on Dec. 5, displaying the outstanding musical and artistic talents of Fairfax students.
THIRD STREET
ELEMENTARY
Cole Bigus 5th Grade
Greetings, Larchmont!
At Third Street Elementary, we’re having an abundance of events in December! First of all, there’s a KDLP Winter Performance on Dec. 4 which is guaranteed to be fun! Another huge hit in December is the Book Fair! Books, toys, and more will be on sale in the library from Dec. 8 - 12 for the school and community! Also, Winter Family Night will be taking place Dec. 11 with an unforgettable choir performance, so mark your calendars! Winter Break begins Dec. 20 and ends Jan. 11. Everybody, have an outstanding Winter Break, and happy holidays!
ST. BRENDAN
Edward Garvan 8th Grade
This November St. Brendan School had an action-packed calendar with our middle school open house, Veterans Day flag ceremony, and the end of our first trimester, but throughout all of these fun activities each class has been preparing for the annual St. Brendan Christmas program. Our St.
The Cubs had a busy first quarter of the school year, with Hannon Theatre Company performing their first play of the 2025-26 school year, titled “The Rainmaker.” It marked the debut of new Artistic Director Caroyln Guido-Clifford, who has taken over the Company. In sports, Loyola had a successful November, with big wins from our football, cross country, and water polo teams, all competing in CIF playoffs. Updates for each team can be found on the Loyola Athletics website. Additionally, there were spirit week celebrations held on campus, with food trucks and experiences for students throughout the week, aligning with Halloween celebrations. Looking toward December, students will begin preparing for finals and hope to finish the semester off strong!
MARLBOROUGH
Madison McClure 10th Grade
Marlborough ended spooky season off with a bang with the annual pumpkin day walk, where students can show off their amazing and creative costumes to the school. The seniors also kept up with the tradition of creating a haunted house for the rest of the school. I went in it with my friends, and I can personally say that it was terrifying and the seniors did a great job! On to other exciting news, Grandparents and Special Friends Day is coming up! Personally it is one of my favorite Marlborough traditions. I know so many students who love being able to take their grandparent/friend to all of their classes and getting to show off the school to them. In sports related news, Marlborough’s Varsity Golf has their CIF SOCAL Regional Championships on Thursday. Wishing them the best of luck! Although Marlborough’s fall sports are finishing up their seasons, watch out because our winter sports are just getting started!
CENTER FOR EARLY EDUCATION
Hugo Payne 5th Grade Fall at The Center for Early Education has been a blast! We kicked off the season with so many com-
School News
(Continued from Page 22)
munity events, including Diwali festivities, the annual Halloween parade, and a Día de los Muertos celebration. Diwali is the Hindu festival of light. The Center’s Diwali celebration had dancing, henna art, tasty samosas, and mango lassi, and it featured students and administrators in traditional Indian sarees, lehengas, and anarkalis. Our Halloween parade was equally colorful, with kids of all ages dressing up and showing off their creativity. Costumes varied from Homer Simpson to Happy Gilmore; everyone dressed to impress, and parents joined as we paraded around the field and showed off our costumes. Following Halloween, we celebrated Día de los Muertos with dancing, classic Latin food, and ofrendas or altars where students could write messages to their ancestors. October was a month full of fun and culture for the entire CEE community!
IMMACULATE HEART
Madison Dang 11th Grade
Students participated in collaborative activities, from friendly competitive games to reflective group discussions. Journaling was a consistent theme throughout the retreat, and students were able to walk the grounds and connect with the natural world (including several sightings of deer!) Overall, the juniors had a pleasant time together on the retreat and truly connected as a class.
NEW COVENANT
Evelyn Lee 11th Grade
This past month, NCA hosted its annual Thanksgiving service, bringing the community together during this season of gratitude. To exhibit a heart of gratitude and thankfulness, we took part in an annual canned food drive and donated over 7,000 cans to those in need.
will bring their grandparents and friends for Grand-Friends Day, which includes many engaging activities and crafts, as well as a beautiful chapel service. We also announced our musical this year, which is “Madagascar”! We are all very excited about it! Looking ahead, our whole school community is looking forward to our annual Christmas Pageant filled with festive performances by every grade in several languages, including Korean, French, and Spanish! Along with that, we will have our Christmas Market, including cookies made by our wonderful head of school, Mrs. Rich! And, come see us on Dec. 6 as our St. James’ Carolers add festive cheer for Larchmont holiday shoppers. We can’t wait to enjoy all of these festive and merry treats!
LE LYCEE FRANÇAIS DE LOS ANGELES
Cielle Khoury 7th Grade
Student Council, as a team, is preparing a fundraiser for the I Have A Dream Foundation and cannot wait to meet the Dreamers and create new friendships.
We are also happy to report that the Middle School Girls’ Volleyball Team is currently undefeated and moving on to the playoffs! Go Lions!
CHRIST THE KING
King Hernandez 8th Grade
The last two months of the year were filled with faith, service, and celebration at Christ the King School.
In November, students honored All Saints’ Day on Nov. 6 by dressing up as saints. The day also featured a special Saint Carlo Acutis exhibition with banners, videos, and displays of Eucharistic miracles.
veterans on Veterans Day and enjoyed our Thanksgiving Potluck Feast, featuring both traditional dishes and foods from around the world. Our student council also organized community fundraisers, including a Toy Drive and Pet Drive running through Dec. 15.
December kicks off with our Annual Mexican Dinner, Silent Basket Auction, and Movie Night under the stars. We are grateful to the Larchmont businesses who donated baskets to support our school.
Before Winter Break, we look forward to our Annual Holiday Show, class parties, and gift exchanges. On Dec. 6, we invite neighbors and friends to our Open House to meet our teachers and learn more about our school.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
Amidst the chaotic juggling of schoolwork and extracurriculars, the juniors got a chance to take a break with November’s Emmaus Retreat. The overnight retreat took place at the Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center in Sierra Madre. Surrounded by rolling hills and vast greenery, students got to unwind and relax from the daily pressures of life. Most importantly, the retreat encouraged the juniors to deepen connections with each other.
To kick off another great season for both girls’ and boys’ basketball, NCA hosted a brand new Basketball Mini Camp for two days, where NCA alumni as well as different coaches visited to bring up the basketball spirit. Our students greatly enjoyed and appreciated the extra practice that was provided by the NCA Athletics Department. This month was full of fun, learning, and giving! Happy Thanksgiving!
ST. JAMES’ EPISCOPAL
Sloan Kennedy 6th Grade
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
We all have so many things to be grateful for.
On Dec. 21, all of St. James’
Every day, there is an event on one of our campuses that makes learning at our school even more exciting. It is truly an honor to be part of this vibrant community. The Halloween Fundraiser was a great success, raising more than $15,000. In addition, we were thrilled to welcome Teoscar Hernández, the 2025 World Series Champion, who spoke with our 8th graders about his career. Students crowded with excitement!
In Middle School, we look forward to “Being Thankful Week,” during which we will play fun, collaborative games to bring us even closer together. The
The first trimester ended on Nov. 14.
On Nov. 21, the community celebrated the Feast of Christ the King with a crown-designing contest, joyful songs, and dances. Students also enjoyed a Thanksgiving lunch and talent show featuring music, dance, and creative performances. Throughout the month, families contributed generously to the Thanksgiving Food Drive.
In December, the giving spirit continued with the Christmas Toy Drive and the annual Christmas Pageant before break. These months beautifully reflected the heart of Christ the King—faith, kindness, and community.
PAGE ACADEMY Naya Savodivker 6th Grade
Hello, Larchmont friends!
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a joyful start to the holiday season.
In November, we honored our
Cozy blankets, stuffed animals, toys needed
Doesn’t everyone want something cozy, especially with cooler weather approaching?
The Assistance League of Los Angeles’ (ALLA) Sweet Dreams and Cozy Nights campaign to collect 13,000 toys and stuffed animals and 400 no-sew blankets for children in need is underway.
Donations are accepted through Sun., Nov. 30, at 6640 Sunset Blvd.
There are different ways volunteers can help ALLA reach their goal.
You can host your own stuffed animal and fleece blanket drive at school, your club, or in your neighborhood.
Or, you can purchase items from the ALLA wish list or donate funds to help sponsor the campaign.
To do any of the above, visit campsite.bio/fds26.
Don Kipper of ‘Kip’s Toyland’ taught children to play
Sometimes kids just need to play, Don Kipper told us in a 2020 interview celebrating Kip’s Toyland’s 75th anniversary.
The longtime Hancock Park resident and merchant at the Original Farmers Market has died. He was 79.
His father, Irvin “Kip” Kipper, opened the store in 1945 and moved it to the Market in 1956. A U.S. Air Force pilot who fought in World War II, Irvin dreamed of opening a toy store and bringing families happiness after spending months in a prisoner-of-war camp.
The family-run store, known for its classic toys, is the oldest toy store in Los Angeles. Time seems to stand still at the shop, where nary a plug-in can be found.
PROPRIETOR Don Kipper with his daughter, Lily, buyer and store manager, in 2020.
Its shelves will continue to carry puzzles, board games, and science kits under the tutelage of Don Kipper’s daughter, Lily, who is the store manager and buyer. Besides his daughter, Don Kipper is survived by his wife Vicki, and son, Andrew.
Letters
(Continued from Page 2)
Imagine comfortable seating for outdoor dining, a child-friendly pocket park, a small performance platform for music or readings, and a designated space for periodic food trucks. These are the elements of a true community gathering place—one that would enrich daily life for everyone who loves Larchmont.
The parking lot’s been saved. Now let’s make it a Town Square.
Marc Warzecha Larchmont Village
Sex trafficking, prostitution persist
Editor’s note: The following letters were initially addressed to Council District 13. In response, the council office held a meeting on Nov. 13. Read about it on page 4, Section 1.
I’m writing out of deep frustration and disappointment at a perceived lack of sincere and effective action from [Council District 13] regarding issues our neighborhood has raised repeatedly over the past three years. Despite our many efforts to engage (including hosting meetings, organizing outreach, and leading a neighborhood walkthrough), the problems associated with prostitution and sex trafficking along Western Avenue persist and continue to severely impact our quality of life.
Just this week, we met a new neighbor who was photographing 12 used condoms and other human waste along Council Street between Wilton Place and Western. She was understandably upset about the state of our neighborhood, particularly around our library—an area that should reflect community pride, not neglect. We all agreed that conditions have worsened, not improved. On our own block (North St. Andrews Place between Beverly Boulevard and Council), my wife and I could easily collect multiple used condoms daily. It’s an awful and unacceptable reality.
Neighbors who leave early for work (between 3 and 4 a.m.) report that sex workers now stand openly in the middle of the streets, making no attempt to conceal their activities.
We’ve also repeatedly reported Thai Angel (at Western and Council) to both your team and the LAPD. That bar continues to operate illegal after-hours “lock-ins.” A basic Google search still shows evidence of these ongoing violations.
Recently, as I’m sure you’re aware, the New York Times published an article on sex trafficking along the Figueroa Corridor. We cannot allow Western to become an equally
the library and St Brendan School. It is pretty bad that they are witnessing this activity or the detritus left behind.
We all want this to be under control. Any suggestions on how we can get this under control would be more than welcome. I only know we cannot go on like this. It is not acceptable!
I do not understand why our neighborhood has not had the incredibly important meeting we have all been anticipating. Something needs to be done soon. Please, please, help us!
entrenched corridor of exploitation. What specific steps will your office take to address this problem in our neighborhood?
What timeline will you follow?
For months, we have tried to organize another community meeting with representatives from your office, the City Attorney, and the LAPD—even offering to host it in our home. Yet this has proven nearly impossible, and, frankly, past experience gives us little confidence that another meeting alone will change anything.
At this point, talk is cheap—we need visible, measurable action. Our community deserves results, not promises. We urge you to make this issue a top priority so that we can enter the holidays with hope that 2026 will bring real improvement.
Michael Bodie St. Andrews Square
The problem of prostitution in our neighborhood (St. Andrews Square in Council District 13) and along Western Avenue has become completely out of control.
The last four months have taken a turn for the worse. It is actually shocking to expect our neighborhood to put up with the sex trafficking that is truly rampant on our streets. It reminds me of how dangerous our neighborhood felt during the [1992] L.A. riots. It is that bad. We love our neighborhood. Sadly, it has deteriorated in the last four months, with no end in sight.
There are single women living in the building I own on Manhattan Place. They are afraid to go out to walk their dogs. The sex workers are constantly soliciting from our street. Music is blasting and the cars are waiting in line for favors. It is really dire. It would be so easy to intercept activity on any given night if someone could just be there to see what is going on.
I sent you and our SLOs [senior lead officers] the video taken from my tenant’s window. We were all shocked to see a nude woman getting out of her car and prancing down our street. In what world is that acceptable?
There are so many children in the neighborhood between
and is used by the prostitutes to bring their “Johns” to render their services. The area is literally strewn with used condoms...completely gross. I propose some sort of a hotline for the community to be able to call and report activity in real time so that these people can be caught, as they say, “in flagrante delicto.” Is something like that possible?
Graffitied truck
Patricia Carroll St. Andrews Square
While prostitution has always been an issue, it is particularly flagrant and invasive now. In addition to mornings, I have seen multiple girls in scant clothing working on Council Street west of Western Avenue (i.e., in residential areas) as early as 10:30 p.m., with Johns slowing and doing U-turns with no concern for traffic laws or being seen. I’ll preempt your report that Journey Out now has a city contract to persuade some of these young women to leave street life. That is nice, and my heart breaks for their difficult circumstances, but I really don’t care how you make this stop, whether through arresting Johns, pimps, or prostitutes; fining Thai Angel; enforcing traffic and parking rules; or otherwise—it simply needs to be improved ASAP.
Kate Corsmeier Ridgewood Wilton
Regarding the graffiti’d truck article [“What to do when local rules frustrate residents and the city,” Nov. 2025], that fellow lives on my street and for a time he had a front plate on the truck from California and from [one] another state on the rear.
One time last year, parking enforcement had a tow truck in place and ready to tow but the owner showed up in time to tell parking enforcement he’d move the truck to a private lot. And they called off the tow and the fellow didn’t even bother to move the truck at all; it sat there for days. Nor does he have a place to park it off the street. Instead, he moves it around to various streets in the neighborhood. In fact, he has other trucks/ cars with suspicious registration and plates. He’s a junk recycler and uses the bigger truck for storage of engine parts and things. He’s a hard worker but apparently properly and legally registering vehicles is something the rest of us are supposed to do, not him. It’s just unsightly and unfair that the rest of [us]
have to properly register our cars and trucks. And get tickets or towed when we don’t. Keith Johnson Larchmont Village
In response to the article about the eyesore truck [“What to do when local rules frustrate residents and the city,” Nov. 2025] there were mistakes in the City’s response to the issue.
It was stated that the vehicle does not qualify as a commercial vehicle. There are two ordinances that cover the situation.
The city ordinance uses the term “Oversized Vehicle.” L.A. City Ordinance § 80.69.4 —Oversize Vehicle Restrictions—Prohibits parking of any vehicle exceeding 22 feet in length or 7 feet in height on city streets. This vehicle measures 22.9 feet long and 10 ¾ feet tall. The vehicle may not park over two hours at a time and never overnight on each and every measurement: weight, length, and height.
Marking of tires issue: I’m sure the parking enforcement department is swamped with calls. On one of my calls, a
EYESORE plagues the area by moving from block to block
THE CORNER of First Street and Western Avenue at 4 p.m.
Westside Ballet ‘Nutcracker’ features locals and professionals
By Suzan Filipek
‘Tis the season when “The Nutcracker” will twirl its magic into our hearts.
At the Westside School of Ballet, several Marlborough School students will take the stage, joining professionals from the New York City Ballet.
Los Angeles’ longest-running Nutcracker—in its 52nd year—will offer nine performances from Sat., Nov. 29, to Sun., Nov. 30, and from Fri., Dec. 5, to Sun., Dec. 7.
Performances are at the Eli and Edythe Broad Stage at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center and feature live music by the Santa Monica College Symphony Orchestra.
Marlborough eighth-grader Ivy White will play the role of Clara. Joining her are Marborough juniors Mila Bakhshandelpour, Elle Shim, and Lux Saevitz. Also in the ballet will be Romy Tomich. Saevitz and Tomich live in Miracle Mile.
“The ballet has many student soloists due to the many dance pieces [and roles] that make up ‘The Nutcracker:” Snow Queen, Dew Drop Fairy, and several others,” Westside Ballet Community Coordinator Jewel Solheim-Roe told us.
Mila Bakhshandelpour is the principal in the “Arabian” dance. Shim wears a white tutu with red trim in the acrobatic “Candy Cane” dance.
“Mila and Elle are nearly at the highest advanced level. They train 25 to 30 hours a week, six days a week!” she continued.
New York City principals
New York City Ballet Principals Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia will join the school’s students in the Thanksgiving weekend performances. Los Angeles Ballet dancer Rony Baseman will take the lead in the December shows.
Performances are at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., plus there is one at 7 p.m. on Dec. 5.
Tickets range from $65.50 to $196.50 on Nov. 29 and Nov. 30, when they include a high tea, a behind-the-scenes tour, and meet and greet with ballerina Tiler Peck.
Late councilman salute at Musso’s
Councilman Tom LaBonge, who died in 2021, was posthumously honored with a bronze “Hollywood Community Plaque of Honor” by the Hollywood Historic Trust at Musso & Frank Grill on Nov. 15.
“Because we lived so close, Hollywood was always a go-to place for Tom and his family,” Brigid LaBonge, widow of Tom LaBonge, said at the event.
“Musso and Frank’s is one of the very few places in L.A. where Tom could loosen his tie, relax, and chill and be welcomed with a nice meal.
“He loved Musso’s creamed
spinach and [beloved waiter]
Sergio would make Tom a special drink they both called ‘chocolate milk,’ which was really Kahlua and cream. Tom loved the old school vibe of Musso’s as a Hollywood institution.
“I’m so happy and it’s so great that this new plaque will live inside the walls of Tom’s beloved restaurant, Musso’s.”
You can see the plaque on the wall of the legendary restaurant at 6667 Hollywood Blvd.
In attendence were Larchmont locals Jane Hawley, John Welborne, and Patricia Casado of Lucy’s El Adobe.
THE DEDICATION on Nov. 15 (left to right) were Musso & Frank President Mark Echeverria; Hollywood Historic Trustees Chair of the Board Leron Gubler; LaBonge’s wife, Brigid, and Daniel Halden, former Hollywood Hills Deputy for the Councilman LaBonge.
AS
For tickets and more information about the schedule, visit westsideballet.com/nutcracker.
Around the town
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work with JLLA on its vision for L.A.’s public park spaces. Through the Dodgers Foundation’s Dreamfield project, Whiteman revealed, “We have turned 68 local parks into safe havens where youth can learn, play, and belong, and that’s why your centennial campaign to renovate parks across L.A. resonated so deeply with me. Because when we create beautiful public spaces and turn a simple park into a place of pride, we are doing more than building fields.”
And now you’re in the Larchmont know!
Mayor spoke
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Squeaky Wheel
Welborne and Guzin announced that the winner of the annual Squeaky Wheel Award was Norton Avenue’s Matt Gallagher, for his “Brave Action To Prevent Fire and Protect the Neighborhood.”
Gallagher helped reduce potential threat of fire when he climbed a ladder to trim trees
near a sparking transformer high on a power pole in his and his neighbors’ backyards during the January wildfires. Also during the meeting, Mayor Bass was presented with an honorary membership to the Ebell, a club founded by and for women in Los Angeles in 1894.
They have occupied the historic building at Lucerne and Wilshire since the late 1920s.
AT
AWARD HONOREES Heather Ogilvie Shuemaker (l), Nichol Whiteman (r), JLLA President Dawn Eash Wazzan (center).
DRESSED
A CANDY CANE is soloist Elle Shim (left). Marlborough students (left to right) include Lux Saevitz, Ivy White, Romy Tomich (attends St. Paul the Apostle), and Mila Bakhshandelpour.
Photos by Sarah Madison
Nuclear bomb, rock star, beer and President Garfield on screen
A House of Dynamite: A surprisingly tense political thriller by Kathryn Bigelow on Netflix. The plot centers on the launch of a nuclear weapon and the many inner workings of our government’s response should something like that happen. An ensemble cast and surprises—(which we don’t want to spoil for you)—embody the stress that extreme circumstances and life-and-death decisions can cause, as well as the visceral reactions from the person who has to make those decisions. There is also an examination of how reliant we have all become on technology to help us make those decisions.
Springsteen: Deliver Me
From Nowhere: Not your average music biopic. Jeremy Allen White (“The Bear”) gives some of his best work yet depicting Bruce Springsteen in one of the most trying times of his life. The nuanced per-
Parking lots
(Continued from Page 1)
by saying we want to keep our paved parking lot.
The meeting allotted each speaker one minute to make his or her case. Everyone who spoke at the meeting was in favor of keeping the lot as is. One might think that each person would have the same comment about the parking lot, but that wasn’t the case. Throughout the hour-plus of personal statements, members of the community talked about the legal aspects of the situation, the loss of faith in the city for trying to sneak this transaction past its residents, the impact on the neighboring streets (with 34 fewer parking spaces), and the consequences less parking would have on the block, both to nearby residents and retail shops. Some spoke of the loss of the Farmers’ Market as their go-to for fresh fruits and vegetables and worried where they would shop for them if the market wasn’t there. One person mentioned this is the town for the mayor’s house— how would Karen Bass feel about this?
But the majority relayed the intangible sense of community derived from the parking lot as a town square, the heart of a village with its small town feel in the middle of Los Angeles. Gary Gilbert, of Windsor Square, said, “It’s far more than a parking lot.” Many referred to it as a treasure in a rare single block of community. New residents who moved from Washington, D.C. said, “We hit the jackpot.” Georgea Fenady, a Larchmont Village resident of more than 60 years, said, “[Larchmont]
What We’re Watching
by A.R. Johnstone
formance is not White trying to pretend like he is the famed singer, but more the inner turmoil that many artists feel when they reach a certain level of success. The film is not a retrospective of a huge swath of Springsteen’s career, but rather of the making of his acclaimed album “Nebraska.”
Jeremy Strong (“Succession”) once again delivers a stirring performance, portraying Bruce’s longtime collaborator and confidant Jon Landau, showing true friendship and trust. As of press time, the film is still in theaters.
The Lowdown: Ethan Hawke stars in this noir-inspired drama set in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Hawke’s character is a citizen journalist out to get the truth; in fact, he
is a gem in the middle of Los Angeles and needs to remain that way.”
Speakers mentioned the necessary sunshine and open air the lot provides for the rest of the Boulevard, the multiple charitable and community events hosted there, the ability of kids to wander without supervision along the street. With a smile, Charles D’Atri, president of Larchmont Village Neighborhood Association said, “I commend the developer [Simms] for bringing the entire community together. We’ve never been so completely united for anything in the neighborhood.”
After the meeting, Patti Carroll, a resident of St. Andrews Square and board member for Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council (GWNC), said,
PREPARING FOR THE meeting, (from left) Sam Uretsky,
Larry
calls himself a “truthstorian.” He aims to expose the foibles and crimes of the elite in society and will put himself at risk to get to the bottom of it. Created by Native American writer and director Sterlin Harjo (“Reservation Dogs”), the sensibility is part comedy, part thriller, and part heartfelt drama. The eight-episode season can be seen on FX.
The Pitt: Noah Wyle is back in a medical procedural set in a hospital. While this might seem like a throwback to the old “ER” days, this show is grittier and much more realistic. The ensemble cast includes Tracy Ifeachor, Katherine LaNasa, and Shawn Hatosy; all of whom add to the conflict and drama in a fictional Pittsburgh trauma center. The 15 episodes cover one 15-hour shift and the myriad issues the group has to handle as they attempt to save lives and deal with per-
“I was so proud of our community. The comments were so inventive and it never got boring.”
What is the outcome?
The night before this meeting, the GWNC took the advice of its Land Use Committee and voted unanimously against granting a lease to Larchmont Properties, owned by Simms. That same night, Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez of Council District 13 sent a letter to the Board of Transportation Commissioners vehemently opposing the transaction.
According to the Transportation Board, they received 440 emails. All except for two opposed the possible development of the lot. Additionally, Sam Uretsky, president of LUNA, collected 1,686 signatures, all in favor of keeping the lot the way it is.
Ken Husting, the representative from the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, provided a few alternative locations for the Farmers’ Market. After his presentation, he wasn’t able to answer the limited questions from the board since opposition to the proposal came the previous night, which changed the scenario
(Please turn to Page 29)
sonalities and grief. The show can be streamed on HBO Max and lives up to its multiple Emmy awards.
House of Guinness: A historical drama based upon the Guinness family, Steven Knight (“Peaky Blinders”) created and writes this eight-episode historical drama based on the Guinness/brewing family. Anthony Boyle, Louis Partridge, Emily Fairn, and Fionn O’Shea star as the offspring who must take over. James Norton stands out as Mr. Rafferty the factory foreman and head of security. Exploring the social upheaval of Ireland in the mid-to-late 1800s will make one wonder how much things change but stay the same. See it on Netflix
Death by Lightning, a four-episode drama on Netflix, is a fascinating look into a forgotten period in post-Civil War history, when political corruption was at its zenith. A
mild-mannered Ohio senator and former general, James A. Garfield (Michael Shannon), surprises everyone—including himself—when he becomes the 20th president of the U.S. Two months later Garfield is shot by a delusional, probable sociopath (Matthew Macfadyen), who mistakenly believes he was shunned from a promised job at the White House. It’s one of those truth-is-stranger-than-fiction stories, where, in his short time in office, Garfield took on a corrupt New York political machine in spite of having an equally corrupt vice president, Chester A. Arthur (Nick Offerman), at his side. The excellent cast includes Betty Gilpin as Garfield’s wife, Lucretia. Also worthy are new seasons of The Diplomat, and Nobody Wants This in which you’ll see many of our local hang-outs.
THE MEETING ROOM IN City Hall was filled with neighbors concerned about the Farmers Market parking lot.
president of LUNA;
Guzin, president of Windsor Square Association; Todd Warner, LBA board member; and LBA President Romi Cortier.
A family’s secret of Nazi espionage, and Pearl Harbor bombing
By Katie Urban
What would you do if you discovered that your grandparents were Nazi spies who played a pivotal role in the bombing of Pearl Harbor? This is the shocking premise of Christine Kuehn’s new nonfiction book, Family of Spies published in November. I first heard about it on the New York Times Book Review Podcast as part of their fall book preview, and despite usually gravitating toward fiction, I was immediately drawn in and couldn’t put it down after getting an early copy.
The story begins when the author receives a call from a screenwriter making a documentary about the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor.
Larchmont
Bookshelf by
Katie Urban
He wants to speak with her father about what he knew of his parents’ secret past as German spies. Shocked and believing the screenwriter had the wrong information, she calls her dad, and when he breaks down sobbing, everything she thought she knew about her family comes into question.
Kuehn spent the next 30 years uncovering the full extent of her family’s espionage. She discovered that her grandparents, a prominent Berlin family, had moved to Hawaii in 1936 to spy for the
Japanese government after it was discovered that their daughter, Ruth, had an affair with Joseph Goebbels, a leader in the Nazi party and one of Hitler’s closest followers. For their work, the family received an exorbitant amount of money, the equivalent of over $1 million today.
Kuehn’s father, young and fully embracing America, was surrounded by family members deeply entangled in espionage: a glamorous older sister, Ruth; a brother who remained in Germany as a high-ranking Nazi official. Some revelations, particularly the Kuehns’ connections to Joseph Goebbels, seem almost too wild to be true, yet they are firmly grounded in fact. It is truly one of those you-couldn’t-makethis-up kind of stories.
The verdict: Kuehn’s research and storytelling are nothing short of extraordinary. She could have kept this dark chapter of her family
history private, but instead —after many years of struggling and trying to process this damning family secret— she chose to share it with the world, creating a narrative that reads more like a gripping thriller than a history book. The details about Nazis, Japanese, and the wartime spy network are remarkable, and it’s clear that this was an extremely difficult story for the author to tell. This book has the pacing and momentum of a high- stakes thriller, and I’ve heard that the audiobook is flawless. I’d highly recommend this one, even for those who have read extensively about World War II. I’m certain that by reading this book, you will learn something new.
Chevalier’s-’Buzz’ partnership aims to benefit community
By Helene Seifer
Chevalier’s Books, established in 1940 as a lending library, is both the oldest business on Larchmont Boulevard and the oldest continuously operating bookstore in Los Angeles. After years of fighting to remain solvent in an age of sagging brick-andmortar sales, Bert Deixler and Darryl Holter purchased the bookstore from Filis Winthrop nine years ago. “It was upside down [financially],” noted Deixler. After increasing inventory, enhancing the children’s section with more books and kid-appropriate activities, adding more author’s nights and book clubs, and upgrading the décor—especially after moving into a new storefront across the street— Chevalier’s is on somewhat firmer footing.
In October 2025, in Chevalier’s 85th year, Holter decided to retire. Deixler asked Patty
CHEVALIER’S OWNERS Patty Lombard and Bert Deixler.
Lombard, the publisher of the digital local news source Larchmont Buzz, if she wanted to step into the bookstore business. Lombard thought, “Oh great! Two non-moneymaking ventures together!” Nonetheless, she decided to bite. “I thought it would be an incredible opportunity,” she said. Besides, she pointed out, “I may be the best-selling author in Chevalier’s histo-
ry [“Larchmont,” Lombard’s pictorial history of Larchmont Blvd. from Angel City press].”
Within the month, they announced that the Larchmont Buzz and the bookstore would partner. What will that partnership look like? And how will it benefit the community?
“The Buzz will do more articles about books,” Lombard stated. Deixler added, “From the standpoint of the ownership of Chevalier’s, it’s troubling for people to say, ‘Oh, I didn’t know you had that author in the bookstore.’” The Buzz newsletter, which has 2,000 opt-in readers, will help spread the word, with the aim of getting more people into the store.
“There are three results from people attending an author night,” summarized Deixler. “Some already have
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the book and come in already connected. Half the people who come in buy the book. A third of them come in for a social evening and stay after to chat. That’s the nature of community. Very, very satisfying.”
One of their biggest undertakings will be to collaborate with the Larchmont Business Association. Lombard explained that on Sat., Dec. 6, they are hoping all the businesses participate in turning the Boulevard into a version of “Busytown,” modeled on Richard Scarry’s 100-million-plus-selling children’s book series featuring a busy cast of anthropomorphic animals. Looking ahead to February, Lombard and Deixler are in talks with Sichuan-inspired Sua Superette about celebrating Chinese New Year on the block, perhaps with a parade.
“A bookstore is a third
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place,” explained Deixler. After the comfort of home, people often find community in a café or bookstore, and the new initiatives from the collaboration between Chevalier’s and the Buzz hope to amplify that feeling and ensure the business can be self-sustaining.
“We don’t compete with Barnes & Noble or Amazon,” Deixler admitted. “We provide an experience—a community event.”
Bestselling authors Melissa de la Cruz and Rachel Cohn have united for a delicious literary holiday rom-com, “My Ex-Husband’s Ex-Husband.” While set in Vienna, lavishly decorated for the Christmas holidays, much of the book was written in Larchmont cafés, the authors said. It was also released locally, at Chevalier’s Books, on Nov 18.
The novel tells of Audrey and Ian who were best friends until they fell in love with the same man…each marrying him, years apart, and then each divorcing the charis-
Enjoy thrilling, paranormal fun at the theater, and trust
I did not see “Paranomal Activity,” the 2007 low-budget horror film that gives its name to the play running at the Ahmanson through Sun., Dec. 7 (centertheatregroup.org; 213628- 2772). I did not see any of its sequels or prequels. I am not a fan of the horror genre, especially the modern type of slasher/horror that focuses on sawing up people (inevitably young, handsome, and in their underwear) 17 different ways. But Hollywood, and now the theater, cannot resist a franchise whose original film earned nearly $108 million at the box office (off a budget of $15,000).
I dislike horror because it generally revolves around stupid people. I mean, how dumb do you have to be to go into
Parking lot
(Continued from Page 27) to the board was that he “needed to check with his city family.”
Because the agenda item was labeled informational, there wasn’t a vote for the outcome of the parking lot.
Emma Howard, community development and planning director for CD13, spoke to the board at the meeting and asked for it to “close out this item.”
After the meeting, attendees felt confident the proposal would die in committee. Howard told the Chronicle via email, “If they [the Board] take no action then that means there’s no ground lease, but our office is still looking for something a bit more formal and definitive to ensure the Larchmont community has an answer.”
Ex-Husband
(Continued from Page 28)
matic performer with golden looks.
Two decades have passed by the time that the former friends are drawn back together, to Vienna, home of the university study-abroad program where their love triangle was born.
Only this time, Audrey is in pursuit of the ex, her daughter’s father, who she hopes will walk her daughter down the aisle during her imminent wedding. But he is nowhere to be found.
High on chocolatey Sacher torte and other scrumptious Viennese pastries, and downing a few cocktails along the way, the former besties are on a mission to find the brideto-be’s father and, along the way, their long-lost friendship.
The 195-page book is published by Little A.
that house on Elm Street, let alone stay in it overnight? How dumb do you need to be to go trick-or-treating when Michael Meyers or Jason or Freddy Krueger are on the prowl? Stay home, stay awake, and lock your doors! Ah, the doors! Sometimes— actually, more often than not—the house is evil: Dracula’s castle, Anthony Perkins’ house in “Psycho,” the home in “Poltegeist,” the townhouse in “The Exocist.” The place where you think you are safest is the locus for your greatest fear and biggest threat.
And then there is the ques-
Rotary tree
(Continued from Page 1)
Nordmann, and silver tip firs will be available for purchase. The trees are sourced in Oregon and arrive on the Boulevard within two days. “It’s a very fast process that amazes me,” said Clifford. Over the course of the season, they’ll receive 3,000 trees in three separate shipments, so the trees are very fresh.
Volunteers from the Larchmont Charter Lafayette Park Interact Club, a high school version of Rotary, are instrumental in keeping the lot staffed. Profits from the sales are donated to the Wilshire
Police Beat
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pect was arrested.
ROBBERY: A victim confronted a Black male suspect about previously stolen property. The suspect pushed and attempted to stab the victim on Nov. 15 at 2 a.m. on the 800 block of South Gramercy Place.
WILSHIRE DIVISION
ROBBERY AND STAB-
BING: A woman was waiting at the crosswalk at Wilshire Boulevard and Mansfield Avenue when a male transient
tion of whom can you trust: not the kindly neighbors in “Rosemary’s Baby,” nor the blonde “Village of the Damned” children; not even your own family (vampires, zombies, or serial killers). You are…alone!
So, there you have all the tropes that are squeezed into the hodge-podge of a script that makes up Paranormal Activity now at the Music Center: a young couple (she’s haunted, he’s anguished) move from Chicago to London (into a mansion slightly smaller than Buckingham Palace), where they try to begin their lives anew. And guess what?
The house (and their pasts) won’t let them! The script is serviceable at best, and the four-character cast is solid
(especially Patrick Heusinger and Cher Álvarez as the couple). But no one is going for the acting or writing.
It’s the effects—special, spooky, and stunning—which give the night its thrills and chills (along with some very loud sound effects). So if you enjoy being scared out of your wits, as much of the audience seemed to be, and are willing to suspend your disbelief as to why two apparently young, intelligent, and successful people would stay in a house that is trying to kill them, then “Paranormal Activity” is just the play for you. But don’t blame me if you wake up screaming in the middle of the night.
If you wish for calmer and more traditional holiday fare,
ROTARY lot is open for the holidays.
Rotary Foundation, which supports youth and humanity projects around the globe. Wilshire Rotary will also collect donations of un-
came up behind her on Nov. 11. The suspect swung a 6-inch knife, stabbing her in the shoulder and demanding her purse. The victim kept her purse and ran away.
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT:
A school bus driver became involved in verbal confrontation with another driver, a suspect, near Fourth Street on Highland Avenue on Nov. 10. The suspect pulled out a firearm and pointed it at the bus driver, who fled the area in their vehicle.
BURGLARIES: Three residences were entered, with
Ecclesia Gnostica Gnostic Christian Church
Bishop Dr. Stephan Hoeller
wrapped toys on-site and donate them to the L.A. Red Shield Community Center, where they will be distributed to children in need.
suspects shattering the rear glass doors, entering, and fleeing with property. At one residence, the victim was home and the suspect left through the shattered door. These instances occurred on Nov. 5 on the 300 block of North Las Palmas Avenue, Nov. 6 on the 300 block of
here are some options (several of which are reviewed on the Larchmont Chronicle Instagram account @ thelarchmontchronicle):
The Geffen Playhouse presents the West Coast premiere of Douglas Lyons’ dating comedy, Table 17, through Sun., Dec.7 (310-208-2028); Theater 40 in Beverly Hills continues its streak of classic who-done-its with J.B. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls, through Sun., Dec. 14 (310364-0535).
L.A. Opera has the tragic love story of La Boheme on holiday tap through Sun., Dec., 14 (213972-8001); David Melville brings back his one-man Christmas Carol, through Mon., Dec. 22 (boxoffice@ iscla.org). South Coast Rep (714-708-5555) and A Noise Within (626-356-3100) have their own full-cast Carols, through Sun., Dec. 28 and Wed., Dec. 24, respectively; The Group Rep presents Thornton Wilder’s classic American play Our Town, through Sun., Dec. 21. CASA 0101 Theater closes out is 25th anniversary season with a staging of Dreamworks’ The Prince of Egypt: The Musical, through Sun., Dec. 21. (casa0101.org; 323263-7684);
And the Kirk Douglas has The Enormous Crocodile, a puppet show for children from Fri., Dec., 5 through Sun., Jan. 4, 2026 (213-628-2772). Happy theater-going holidays!
South Mansfield Avenue, and Nov. 14 on the 100 block of South McCadden Avenue.
A suspect picked a lock for a rear door and entered a residence on the 400 block of North Lucerne Avenue on Nov. 15. The suspect took property and left in a car that was waiting outside.
Sunday Eucharist 11:00am
Sunday Eucharist 11am
Wednesday Eucharist 8:30pm Lectures • Fridays • 8pm 3363 Glendale Boulevard, Atwater, Los Angeles • 323-467-2685 307
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Tel: 323.466.9050
Fax: 323.466.1035
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HOURS M-F: 9-6 Sat: 10-3 Sun: 10-3
WILSHIRE
Theater Review by Louis Fantasia
Springsteen ‘Delivers’—a raw look at a musician on top of the world
In the wake of the new feature film “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere,” Jeremy Allen White’s portrayal of Bruce Springsteen is an unvarnished look at the rock musician in a period of his life that was filled with anxiety, depression, and superstardom, along with his difficult relationship with his father. This is all during the creative process involved with writing his sixth studio album, “Nebraska.” It’s a raw look at a man who was on top of the world with his artistry (which had critics hailing him as “the new Dylan”), while his personal life was hitting rock bottom.
It’s hard to fathom, but before Springsteen’s album “Born to Run” album was released in 1975, Columbia Records was pondering whether or not to keep him signed to their label. With the disappointing sales of the initial release of his first two albums, “Greetings from Asbury Park, N.Y.” and “The Wild, the Innocent & the E
RESTAURANT & COCKTAILS
Musical Notes by Steven Housman
Street Shuffle” (both released in 1973), “Born to Run” was Springsteen’s make-or-break album for the narrow-sighted suits at the record label.
As we now know, “Born to Run” exceeded all expectations and ultimately landed Springsteen on the covers of Time and Newsweek simultaneously in the fall of ’75. That had never happened before, nor has it happened since.
In 1974, Jon Landau, played by Jeremy Strong in the film, and who would later become Springsteen’s manager and co-producer on “Born to Run,” attended one of Springsteen’s concerts. He said “I have seen the future of rock and roll and it’s Bruce Springsteen.” Never was a statement about “The Boss” so accurate. Twenty Grammy wins, 51 nominations and 11 No. 1 albums later, Landau’s enthusiasm about Springsteen seems like an understatement.
Lunch & Dinner Every Day of the Year
Restaurant Hours: Mon.- urs. noon to midnight Fri.-Sat.-Sun. noon to 1:00 a.m.
Bar open till 1:00 a.m. Mon.- urs. ~ 1:30 a.m. Fri. & Sat.
NEBRASKA, Bruce Springsteen’s darkest and most personal album, has been re-released as “Nebraska ’82.”
Twenty years ago a threedisc collection was released of “Born to Run” on its 30th anniversary. Now, 43 years after its initial release, “Nebraska,” his darkest and most personal album, has been re-released as “Nebraska ’82.” It is an expanded edition of the iconic album which contains four LPs plus one Blu-Ray disc. The album contains unreleased material from this period, including the “Nebraska” sessions with the E Street Band plus solo home recordings accompanied by a brand new remastered album. There are 15 previously unreleased recordings and a live concert which was filmed at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey. The live concert is also featured on the Blu-Ray disc, which easily shows us why Springsteen earned his status as one of the greatest rock musicians ever to grace a stage with his legendary performances. If you are a fan of Springsteen,
or know of one, the box set is the ultimate gift, especially with the holidays just around
Shutdown
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FAA is fully funded again, air traffic controllers and safety inspectors are returning to work—but it will take time to rebuild normal schedules.
Airlines are warning passengers to expect continued delays and limited rebooking options for another week or two. Crews and aircraft are out of position, maintenance checks are backed up, and the ripple effects are reaching far beyond the terminals. Hotel and hospitality workers who saw hours reduced during the shutdown will slowly see shifts restored as travel rebounds.
Paychecks and jobs:
confidence shaken
Roughly 57,000 federal employees in the Los Angeles metro area are finally set to receive the paychecks they’ve missed since early October. That means an immediate influx of cash into local coffee shops, grocery stores, and service businesses that saw sales slip as workers tightened budgets.
Yet the return of income does not erase the stress many endured. Federal contractors—who make up a significant share of the workforce in aerospace, IT, and security—will likely not receive back pay for lost hours. For them, the shutdown represents permanent income loss. Local businesses depending on contractor spending, from neighborhood restaurants to dry cleaners, may feel the pinch well into the holidays.
During the shutdown, President Trump cast doubt on automatic back pay for some federal workers, saying, “There are some people that really don’t deserve to be taken care of, and we’ll take care of them in a different way.”
While Congress ultimately required back pay for direct employees, those remarks left many uncertain—and the epi-
the corner. This five-disc collection easily earns a five-star rating. Spectacular!
sode may make workers more cautious about spending and saving even now that paychecks are returning.
Food assistance: benefits restarting
CalFresh benefits, part of the federal SNAP program, are resuming after a tense month in which recipients faced conflicting messages and delayed payments. November benefits were ultimately funded by court order, but the gap in communication led many households to rely on food banks and local charities.
Those emergency pantries, from Hollywood to Koreatown, report record demand over the past three weeks. Even with funding restored, agencies warn that processing backlogs could delay December distributions. Families who drained savings to get by will take months to rebuild.
For local grocers and markets, the resumption of benefits will bring welcome relief, but spending patterns may remain uneven until the public trusts that funding will stay stable.
Housing: payments continue; damage done Housing authorities across Los Angeles managed to continue Section 8 voucher payments through the shutdown using obligated funds and reserves. Still, landlords faced uncertainty, and some temporarily froze new rentals or upgrades.
Now that HUD operations are resuming, those delayed payments and approvals are being processed, but the backlog is heavy. Renters who experienced late notices or temporary holds may face lingering confusion about credits and balances. Officials estimate it could take another month to fully normalize housing payment cycles. Courts and services: weeks to clear the backlog Federal courts in Los Angeles scaled back operations in October, prioritizing criminal
LAX slowly gets up to speed as the government reboots.
Hand rolls, small plates at Korean-tinged Japanese restaurant
A block from the Wiltern Theatre in the heart of Koreatown, Norikaya restaurant is quietly making a splash in the popular open-faced hand roll specialty market. The small, stunning restaurant, which is not much bigger than the U-shaped sushi bar that dominates the space, offers a tight menu of pristine temaki (the Japanese word for hand roll) and elegant small plates of raw and cooked fish, vegetables, and the occasional slice of high-quality meat.
A lot of attention went into the design of Norikaya, whose name is a portmanteau of “nori,” the seaweed wrapper around the temaki, and “izakaya,” a succession of small plates. The walls are dramatically painted black with glowing gold paint swishes adding interest and a touch of Japanese design. Diaphanous swirls of white translucent fabric hang above the crisp white counter, and the well where the chefs wield their knifes. But it takes more than
Shutdown
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and emergency cases. Now, judges and clerks are rescheduling hearings, reopening civil dockets, and clearing stacks of postponed filings.
Lawyers estimate it will take six to eight weeks for civil calendars to return to normal. Cases involving business disputes, immigration petitions, and civil rights complaints will likely face extended timelines through the end of the year.
Small businesses: catching up, cautiously For local businesses, the reopening brings cautious optimism. Shops and service firms that saw quieter weeks during the shutdown are already seeing familiar faces return, particularly as federal employees receive lump-sum back pay.
Still, the interruption highlighted how fragile cash flow can be. Many owners had to juggle rent, payroll, and inventory without their regular customer base. Some are holding off on hiring or expansion plans until they’re confident the economy has stabilized. And for those who depend on federal contracting—especially smaller subcontractors—the financial damage may be permanent. What reopening means in the days ahead
The return of funding sets off a flurry of activity. Agencies will spend the next week restarting systems, recalling workers, and processing delayed payments. Travelers should see flight schedules improving by mid-November,
On the Menu
by Helene Seifer
cool décor to make a restaurant hot. Norikaya’s executive chef is Michelin-starred Akira Back, who helms dozens of restaurants from Canada to Dubai, to AK Steak with Norikaya restauranteur Robert Kim, in the Beverly Center. Born in South Korea, Back moved to Aspen, Colorado, where he spent seven years as a professional snowboarder until an injury drove him to try something new. He took a job in a Japanese restaurant and realized that was his calling. In a nod to both his roots and his culinary heritage, Back often fuses a bit of Korea into his Japanese dishes. At Norikaya, kimchee often joins the flavor-mix and soju is served alongside sake on the drinks menu.
For this chilly night out with girlfriends, we pounced on carafes of hot sake and started
with delays tapering as the FAA resumes normal oversight. Federal employees should receive back pay within a few business days, while benefit programs like SNAP and housing assistance will take longer—often several weeks—to untangle paperwork and catch up on missed distributions.
In the near term, local retailers and restaurants can expect a small “mini-boom” in spending as families restock and repay deferred bills. Economists note that some of that surge will offset the lost GDP from October and early November, but not all. Missed work hours, contractor losses, and canceled contracts represent real, permanent hits to the economy.
The long tail Every government shutdown leaves scars. This one may prove especially deep because of its length—and the growing uncertainty about whether future funding fights will follow. For Hancock Park and the surrounding neighborhoods, the economic damage will fade gradually, but the emotional residue may last longer.
Households that spent six weeks living on savings or credit will be slower to take risks or make big purchases. Contractors and freelancers tied to federal work may rethink their exposure. And local businesses will be more cautious about staffing and investment through the holiday season. A cautious return to normal For now, planes are flying again, paychecks are arriving, and phones are ringing at government offices that have been
ordering. There’s a well-priced five-course tasting menu, but we went rogue, discussing the relative merits of each dish before settling on five to share, and we each selected two hand rolls to try ourselves.
We shared excellent yellowtail sashimi. The thin slices of super fresh fish were doused in lemony yuzu soy sauce, topped with serrano pepper rounds and pickled jalapeño, and sprinkled with just the right amount of truffle oil. A
silent for weeks. But as one Larchmont café owner put it recently, “People are back, but they’re still nervous.”
The shutdown’s end brings relief, but not closure. Hancock Park’s streets may look the same, but for many residents and workers, the experience has been a reminder that national politics can reach all the way down to the corner store. Rebuilding confidence—like reopening the government—takes time.
Letters
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message was played indicating that there were 61 calls ahead of me. After someone gets through to make a report, they are told that someone would come out as soon as possible. After they finally come out and marked the tires, they come back after three days to ticket it, but it does not actually happen in three days.
I’ve followed up two weeks later and reported again and was told “We have a report on that already and will come out as soon as possible.” I suspect, but don’t know, that after their backload gets too big, they delete the record, assuming that if it’s still there, there will be a new report. Because of this, the truck ultimately moves to do whatever business that it does. It has two or three favorite spots that it always returns to and stays for a couple of weeks.
If you see it, please report it again! It is a blight on our neighborhood.
Dennis Levin Larchmont Village
perfect way to begin our meal. Crispy rice with spicy tuna is on nearly every sushi menu, but many places either turn the rice into tooth-cracking hockey pucks, or fail to season the chopped tuna properly. This version hit the Goldilocks spot—just right. The rice was crunchy, but pliable and light, and spicy kimchi was added to the tuna for a bright, briny hit of heat.
Adorable little baby corn, commonly thrown into a Chinese stir fry, are grilled on their own at Norikaya, and tossed with grated parmesan cheese and snow cheese powder, a Korean product usually used to season fried chicken. Delicious! Our biggest disappointment was a plate of lackluster rock shrimp. The dish should have been bursting with taste from sriracha aioli, wasabi sesame seeds, and sliced serrano peppers,
but the small fried shrimp did not absorb much of the flavor.
The hand rolls were delectable. The salmon temaki presented pieces of seasoned soy sauce-marinated fish mixed with minced white onion, and Japanese scallions moistened with aioli, then piled onto a white-rice lined square of nori. I usually appreciate simpler preparations of salmon, but the ingredient additions enhanced the flavor.
I order blue crab rolls whenever I see them on a sushi menu, and this one was fantastic. Very good blue crab was tossed with a judicious amount of dynamite aioli (sriracha and mayonnaise) and sprinkled with furikake, a Japanese dry seasoning mix of nori, sesame seeds, and bonito (dried fish flakes). The meaty roll was one of my favorite bites of the night. Next time I might try the blue crab roll variation crowned with pop rocks! Norikaya, 554 S. Western Ave., 213-816-8720, norikaya. com.
STUNNING SUSHI BAR at Norikaya restaurant.
YELLOWTAIL serrano sashimi with kimchi tuna.
BLUE CRAB TAMAKI with salmon temaki and soy sauce.
