Los Feliz Ledger Vol 9. No. 3
Banner Fundraising Confusion At Marshall High
Read by 100,000+ Residents and Business Owners in Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Atwater Village, Echo Park & Hollywood Hills
Griffith Park “Vision” Plan Released After 7 Years By Colin Stutz Ledger Contributing Writer
activity. “The entire site is planned to be developed as a public park for recreational use,” the report states. “This recreational use would be limited to non-organized public activities under the current plan and would not involve the construction of playgrounds, sports fields or. . . permanent structures.” The Headworks site was added to the list of alternative sites for the ball fields due to a written request dated March 6, 2013 from the Friends of Griffith Park (FoGP)—a nonprofit conversation group— according to city Recreation
GRIFFITH PARK—After seven years of writing and rewriting, drawn out meetings and a series of brutal city budget cuts, a plan for Griffith Park’s future has been released to the public. This new “vision” plan is intended to steer the park’s direction in the future and be taken into consideration for any plans and development to come. Among its several recommendations, the most prominent is to define the park with an “urban wilderness identity” similar to Barnsdall Park’s definition as an “art park” and Runyon Canyon’s moniker of an “off-leash dog park.” With that definition, the city’s stated goal is “to preserve, enhance and sustain the rich biodiversity that exists in the Park today,” according to the nearly 70-page document. Additionally, the document calls on establishing a park advisory board of community stakeholders appointed by the city’s Dept. of Recreation and Parks to oversee the implementation of the plan if it is ultimately approved. According to Vicki Israel, an assistant general manager with the city of Los Angeles’ Dept. of Recreation and Parks, many of the city’s parks have similar advisory boards. The Los Feliz Neighborhood Council has already requested a representative seat on the park’s advisory board if it is approved, she said. The plan also outlines long-term goals such as a designated park ecologist and various renovations including re-signing and upgrading trails and replacing open-top garbage cans with closed-top ones around the 4,355-acre
see BALL FIELDS page 4
see VISION PLAN page 6
By Colin Stutz Ledger Contributing Writer FRANKLIN HILLS—Over the past several years at John Marshall High School, the cutting of some of its most beloved elective courses has become an almost predictable trend. Sewing, journalism, culinary arts, dance courses and others have been dropped as casualties of a struggling school district, the constricting budgetary effects of a decreased study body and an administration’s efforts to ensure students meet state general education requirements. But when local realtor Bruce Jay decided he wanted to do something to help address the issue, he said he was stonewalled by bureaucratic see FUNDRAISER page 12
Gang Injunction Sought For Echo Park By Colin Stutz Ledger Contributing Writer ECHO PARK—The Los Angeles Police Dept. (LAPD) is looking clampdown on violence in Echo Park but many in the community are concerned over the repercussions. The city attorney’s office is currently pursuing an injunction against six rival gangs in a 3.8-square-mile area known as the Glendale Boulevard Corridor that includes parts of Silver Lake and Elysian Valley. The injunction would prohibit association with alleged gang members and wearing certain colors, while enforcing already illegal activities with harsher
EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN PARK VISION—The Los Angeles Dept. of Recreation and Parks released a final draft of the master-planning document for the park in July. It can be viewed at lfnc.org. The deadline for comments on the document has been extended to Oct. 2nd. Formal comments can be addressed to: Michael A. Shull, Assistant G.M., Planning, Construction and Maintenance 221 N. Figueroa Street, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90012. In this photo an unidentified man walks his dog in the Ferndell area of Griffith Park. Photo by Juan Carlos Chan/Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks.
Group Requests New Site Considered For Ball Fields, Despite Contamination Concerns By Colin Stutz, Ledger Contributing Writer GRIFFITH PARK — A new site is under consideration for youth baseball fields in Griffith Park, but it brings with it concerns of possible carcinogenic contamination. Along with the park’s Crystal Springs picnic area and North Atwater Park—located across the Los Angeles River—the ground above the Dept. of Water and Power’s (LADWP) Headworks Reservoir project is now being reviewed as a potential site for the ball fields. But according to a November 2010 LADWP risk assessment report of the site there may be unsafe levels of
hexavalent chromium (often called chromium VI or hex chrome) in the soil and groundwater. This carcinogen is the same found in drinking water and fought successfully by Erin Brockovich against the Pacific Gas And Electric, in Hinkley, CA. The report approved limited recreational use at the site for adolescents between 11 and 18 once per week during summer months and school breaks and twice a month during the school year. Younger children were excluded from the study. The study concluded the site was only acceptable for nonorganized, passive recreational
see GANGS page 8
Community News: Lackluster booth leases thus far for 2013 Los Feliz Village Street Fair, page 3
September 2013
People In My Neighborhood: PC Expert Michael Martin does indeed do “windows,” page 8
Real Estate Sales: Inventory and sales up in most local areas, page 12
Back to School: King API scores soar, page 16
Griffith Park “Vision” Plan 2013 available for reading at losfelizledger.com
Los Feliz Ledger [letter from the publisher] The Griffith Park Vision Plan has arrived after seven years of meetings and editing and rewriting. While I have not read the entire document line by line (it is available for reviewing at losfelizledger.com) it appears at first blush to mostly be a compendium enumerating what is available in the park today and providing an overview of users. Recommendations are few except preserving the park’s “Urban Wilderness Identity” and creating an advisory board to ensure the plan’s recommendations are implemented and enforced if approved by the Los Angeles Dept. of Recreation and Park’s Board of Commissioners. (See front cover.) The new plan does recommend a park ecologist, upgrading hiking trails and replacing open top garbage pails. But nowhere in the document is anything about construction of youth baseball fields. In fact, the document claims there are plenty of baseball fields in Griffith Park—just not any that children can use in an organized way. The construction of youth baseball fields at Crystal Springs is vehemently supported by Los Angeles City Councilmember Tom LaBonge. Prop K. funding has been approved for field construction and these neighborhood
councils support such fields at Crystal Springs: Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Atwater Village, Greater Toluca Lake and Greater Wilshire. But the mention of any of this is oddly missing from this document. What is instead in this new plan is text protecting the park’s 10 “historic” picnic grounds and language that when new forms of recreation were previously introduced to the park, these picnic grounds either “vanished or contracted.” The document goes on to read: “[a]ny change of the existing picnic areas should be preceded by an analysis of the current usage of these existing facilities.” The proposed youth baseball fields at Crystal Springs would displace seven Griffith Park picnic tables 250 yards from their current location. The document states that picnickers have “no advocacy group” that speaks for them and therefore it is “incumbent” park managers and the public ensure that picnickers’ needs are balanced with the needs of other users of the park. Exactly. There is a reason there is no advocacy group for park picnickers. While I can picnic with the best of them, my guess is a majority of park picnickers are not local to the area and only picnic in the park infrequently. At the same time, there are 10 elementary schools in the area and three middle schools
filled with area children who don’t seem to have an advocate either. They have no place in the area to play any form of organized baseball, be it Little League, PONY League or some sort of independent league. And now the apparent handful of those opposing baseball fields in Crystal Springs wants the city to review a different site for them that has documented carcinogenic contamination? Story ideas, submissions, advertising rates & inquiries contact: Allison Cohen Ferraro 4459 Avocado St. Los Angeles, CA 90027 Phone: 323-667-9897 Fax: 323-667-1816 acohen@losfelizledger.com www. losfelizledger.com
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Corrections & Amplifications In “Just What Goes In Those Blue Bins,” Keen to Be Green (Aug. 2013) we stated that all plastic containers other than #1 and #2, can go in the Blue Bin. This was incorrect. The column should have read Plastics #1 to #7 are now all recyclable. In Los Feliz Confidential (August 2013), due to an editing error, we indicated that Los Feliz used to be a ranch. There was no ranch called “Los Feliz” and the sentence should have read: “...formerly tranquil ranch community called Los Feliz.” We regret the error.
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September 2013
Los Feliz Ledger [buy local]
Hillhurst Avenue’s Gourmet Ghetto By Kathy A. McDonald, Ledger Contributing Writer HILLHURST AVENUE—Since its opening 5-1/2 years ago, Little Dom’s on has become a local favorite and continued to expand its menu offerings. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday, the New Orleans-flavored eatery and deli now has custom-made, 6 and 9-inch layer cakes for dine-in or take-out. According to executive pastry chef Ann Kirk, the six styles of cakes are best for anniversary and birthday celebrations or small weddings. “The cakes are very celebratory but at the same time I like to keep them simple, with a balance of flavors,” she said. Kirk’s preference is to not make them super sweet, so there’s not “a sugar knock-out” at the end of the meal. Among the five flavor choices for house-made gelato cakes are stracciatella, passion fruit and milk chocolate nib; the chocolate caramel cake comes with a buttercream layer dotted with crunchy chocolate crisps. Kirk—who got her start at Lucques’ kitchen under Suzanne Goin—has worked at Little Dom’s since its opening and also creates the desserts at the 101 Coffee Shop as well as Dominick’s. She also prepares the not-too-sweet finishes for Little Dom’s $15 three-course
Monday night supper (butter pecan gelato was a recent choice). Cakes must be ordered 72-hours in advance. Little Dom’s, 2128 Hillhurst Ave., (323) 661-0055, www.littledoms.com Just southwest of Little Dom’s, McCall’s Meat & Fish Co. will celebrate four years at the location in January. The two-storefront shop recently expanded its menu with the addition of house-made baked goods. Freshly made and available at the counter are Frenchstyle baguettes, multi-grain loaves, hamburger buns, pastries and elegant desserts. Owners Karen Yoo and Nathan McCall’s background is in fine dining. The select condiments and products for sale reflect their tastes. Look for specialty vinegars, oils and dried herbs as well as the best briquettes for barbecuing McCall’s dry-aged rib eye or American Wagyu steak and tri-tip. McCall’s is a lively stop during the holidays; orders for heritage turkeys begin in October and Yoo said she expects to sell-out. She suggests ordering early. McCall’s Meat & Fish Co., 2117 Hillhurst Ave., 323-667-0674, www. mccallsmeatandfish.com
Lackluster Booth Leases Thus Far for September Street Fair
Coming soon to the same stretch of Hillhurst will be Stamp Gourmet Market and Eatery (in the lower level of the Chase Bank and Mess Hall building, former site of the Derby and Louise’s). Details on the menu are expected soon for the latest addition to Hillhurst’s foodie-friendly row.
‘Never Built LA’ Authors Speak at Los Feliz Library Sept. 19th HILLHURST AVENUE—Architectural journalists Greg Goldin and Sam Lubell, authors of Never Built Los Angeles, will be the featured speakers at the Architecture and Beyond Lecture Series Thurs., Sept. 19th from 6:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at the Los Feliz Library, 1874 Hillhurst Ave. The recently published art book explores some 400 proposed architectural projects for Los Angeles that never came to fruition over the past 100 years. Skylights Books will have copies of Never Built Los Angeles for purchase and signing. For information, call the Los Feliz Branch Library at (323) 913-4710.
Symphony in the Glen and the Independent Shakespeare Co. Present Free Concert GRIFFITH PARK—“Touches of Harmony,” will be presented by the Symphony in the Glen and the Independent Shakespeare Company as a free concert Sat., Sept. 7th starting at 7 p.m. at the Old Zoo Picnic area. The concert will pair classical music with readings by the Shakespeare Company. Features musical works will include: Prokofiev, Resphighi,
Stavinksy and Holst. Shakespearean text will be read by Thomas Ehas, Joseph Culliton and Cladia de Vasco. Conducting will be the Emmy Award winning composer Arthur B. Rubinstein. Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket and picnic dinner. For information: symphonyintheglen.org
Charity Run Moved To Burbank Amid AVNC Fears of Street Closures By Tony Cella, Ledger Contributing Writer LOS FELIZ BOULEVARD—A “Runner’s Circle’s” charity run, proposed for October, has been moved from Atwater Village to Burbank after the Atwater Village Neighborhood Council (AVNC) decided not to support the event due to road closures and unwanted interruption to local residents and businesses. At issue for the AVNC was the closure of both Los Feliz and Glendale boulevards to accommodate the 5k-10k race’s course. “I can’t imagine closing both Los Feliz and Glendale [boulevards],” said AVNC boardmember Karen Knapp. AVNC business repre-
sentative Brad Balduff said he was also concerned about the event and its potential economic implications on local businesses as impacted streets would be shut down from 5 a.m. to approximately 12 noon for a day. A Runner’s Circle—a retail shop for Cross Country and track runners—has operated on Los Feliz Boulevard since 2007. The outlet frequently sponsors runs but none have required street closures in the past. Their upcoming event will benefit ABS-CBN Foundation International that raises funds to assist disadvantaged Filipino families worldwide.
By Tony Cella, Ledger Contributing Writer LOS FELIZ—The Los Feliz Village Business Improvement District (LFVBID) has leased 91 booths for the annual Street Fair as of its last board meeting Aug. 14th. According to LFVBID Board President Chris Serrano a minimum of 200 booths would need to be leased for this year’s fair. Of the 91 booths thus far leased, between 25 and 30 are for sponsors. The street fair will be held on Hillhurst Avenue on Saturday, Sept. 7th from 12 noon to 11 p.m. Hillhurst Avenue will close Friday Sept. 6th as early as 10 p.m. to prepare for the even and would reopen no earlier than 6 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 8th. Hillhurst Avenue will be closed from Finley Avenue to halfway down Clayton Avenue, to avoid blocking the fire station. A fire lane will run north on the street, in case of emergency. September 2013
White also said the Los Angeles Police Dept. required additional security for the event in light of the last April’s Boston Marathon bombing. The festival will feature beer for $6 and hard liquor mixed drinks for $8. According to White, the L.A. Bike Coalition Bike Valet service won’t be provided as was done for the 2012 fair. White said, the board decided the service was an unnecessary expense. However, a spokesperson for the Bike Coalition confirmed the LFVBID has yet to be paid by the LFVBID for last year’s services for the street fair. The Los Feliz Neighborhood Council (LFNC) plans on setting up a booth with a dunk tank. Participants will be asked to donate $1 per throw. The council budgeted $1,000 for outreach in the festival, which will be spent on banners, re-usable tote bags and prizes. www.losfelizledger.com
COMMUNITY NEWS
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Los Feliz Ledger
otage construction. city is required to respond to Due to the addition of a Dr. SangDo Park is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon “Every time an additionnew site to review, the projsuch suggestions. and Parks program manager withect’s additional fellowship training in sports medicine and I believe it is al site is added Environmental Impact “We need to evaluate a Neil Drucker. arthroscopic surgery. not to the benefit of the comReport (EIR), expected in from reasonable number of alterna- Dr. Park FoGP has been outspoken received his medical degree Columbia University munity. I believe it is afrom stall October, will be delayed untives to the proposed project,” with the distinction of Alpha Omega Alpha and residency training in attempts to prevent the ball tactic,” said Mark Mauceri, til December, according to he said. “Since we received a fields from being built at Crysthe Los Feliz Neighborhood Drucker. few comments recommending tal Springs. Council’s recreation repreThe construction of youth the Headworks site, we have to Bernadette Soter, a former sentative and an outspoken ball fields in Griffith Park was address those comments, and member of the Greater Griffith proponent of the Crystal approved for funding three at least look at the site carePark Neighborhood CounSprings ball fields. years ago from the city’s apfully enough to determine if cil (now Los Feliz NeighborAs Los Angeles City proved “Proposition K” which it might be a feasible alternahood Council) and a foundCouncil District 4 Councilfunds for the acquisition, imtive.” ing member of the FoGP, • General - orthopaedic trauma, fractures, sprains, muscle and joint pain, member Tom LaBonge has provement, construction, and Dodge and the FoGPand arthritis was quoted in this newspaper put his support to the Crysmaintenance of city parks, and arthritis have expressed concerns over a• Shoulder - fractures, instability, labral/rotator cuff injuries, in TRAUMA 2005 saying there was not ORTHOPAEDIC • ACL - fractures, tendonitis/tendon arthritis ball fields, as well tal and Springs recreation facilities andrupture, otherinstability, FRACTURESenough space •for LIGAMENT INJURIES loss of picnic tables and trees • Elbow ball fields in • Knees - fractures, instability, meniscus/cartilage injuries, ACL and otherabout $500,000 SPRAINS • LABRAL / ROTATOR CUFF INJURIES as promising projects. at the Crystal Springs site and ligament injuries, and arthritis Griffith Park. She said: “[are MUSCLE AND JOINT PAIN • MENISCUS / CARTILAGE INJURIES in funding, Mauceri said the Considering one or more ball fields] the greater use for concern a baseball field there Dr. SangDo Park is board-certified orthopaedic surgeon NSTABILITY • TENDONITIS / TENDON RUPTURE project’s opponents may be ball fields with wereadditional approved for might spook horses along adfellowship training in sports medicine. ARTHRITIS the most people?” trying to delay construction funding more than three Marian Dodge, of the jacent equestrian trails. • M.D. DEGREE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY is termed out of until LaBonge years ago, some who supFoGP and the Los Feliz ImCity officials have stated • RESIDENCY, UNIVERSITY OF office inPENNSYLVANIA 2015. port their construction at provement Assoc. also sent that the Crystal Springs plan • FELLOWSHIP IN SPORTS“I MEDICINE AND believe they think anythe Crystal Springs site see the city a letter, dated Januwould remove 32 trees, reloARTHROSCOPIC SURGERY one who gets elected wouldn’t the new Headworks request, ary 24, 2013, requesting the cate 12 trees, and move seven • PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAM COVERAGE EXPERIENCE: have the same enthusiasm along with the city’s unusual L.A. DODGERS, LAKERS, KINGS, AND ANAHEIM DUCKS for Headworks site be considpicnic tables approximately this project,” said Mauceri. decision to conduct an EIR ered. 250 yards to the south end of “They may also throw support on the project—which norAccording to Drucker, the Crystal Springs. to a candidate who pledges not mally would not have been to move the ball fields project done—as an attempt to sabBALL FIELDS from page 1
Get back into action and start enjoying your life again
DR. SANGDO PARK IS A BOARD-CERTIFIED ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON WITH ADDITIONAL FELLOWSHIP TRAINING IN SPORTS MEDICINE. •
M.D. degree, Columbia University
•
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•
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•
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Dr. Park offers comprehensive diagnosis and latest treatment options in orthopaedic conditions of shoulder, elbow and knees. •
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•
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•
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•
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•
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forward.” In addition to the possible contamination issue, Mauceri also contends that placing the ball fields at the Headworks site—which sits near Forest Lawn Memorial Park and Mortuaries—would be disrespectful to mourners across the road. Additionally, he said, the location no longer serves the greater Griffith Park community of Silver Lake, Atwater Village and Los Feliz, ignoring the project’s original intent to have a local youth baseball field where there is none. The Headworks location is about 3-1/2 miles from Los Feliz. The LADWP’s Headworks project is the installation of a 110-million-gallon underground water tank to replace the Silver Lake and Ivanhoe reservoirs. The installation will be completed in November 2014.
Study Counts Available Parking And Possible “Valet Service” By Tony Cella, Ledger Contributing Writer LOS FELIZ—The first phase of a parking study quantifies the number of parking spaces on Vermont Avenue at 820 and a second phase, with the idea of a possible “Valet Service” in Los Feliz, is expected soon, according to area officials. The 820 parking spots are along Vermont Avenue and bordering stretches of Franklin Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard. According to President
Dr. Park is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon with additional fellowship training in sports medicine.
Elysabeth Peters, with Elysabeth Peters Group, who conducted the study, parking space usage was also analyzed. The data, she said, could help make recommendations for improvement of parking conditions for area residents and businesses. This phase of the study will be available in September. According to Peters, a universal “valet program” could be under consideration, similar to that already in place
on 3rd Street near the Beverly Connection. A valet program would allow drivers to drop off their car at a participating Los Feliz business and have the car delivered to another location by a valet at an estimated cost of $5. The next area slated for study will be Hillhurst Ave.
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September 2013
Los Feliz Ledger [mike gatto]
Tell Your Friends and Relatives: You Can Now Register to Vote Online By California Assemblymember Mike Gatto United States Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once said, “The most important political office is that of private citizen.” I agree. Our form of representative government can only work when citizens participate and ensure their voices are heard. One of the most important and direct ways to voice your opinion, of course, is by voting. While previous generations have used the postal system to register to vote, our children, grandchildren, and new arrivals to California have an exciting new opportunity to register to vote online. California’s online voter registration system, created last year by the state legislature, is an exciting new tool that I hope will increase civic engagement. In addition to being a tool for younger generations that are more accustomed to conducting business online, the system will also assist individuals who may have limited mobility, impaired vision, or require other translational services. Simply having an online voter registration system is not enough. We must encourage those in our community to take advantage of this opportunity and ensure their voices
are heard during election season. If large numbers of us do not vote, then we are surrendering our rights and power to special interests. Step one, of course, is registering to vote. That’s why I’m asking you to have a conversation with your neighbors, your friends, your children, your grandchildren, and others you may encounter about the importance of voting and how easy it is now to register. I am proud to live in a state that embraces advances in technology and the opportunities those advances can provide. I hope you’ll help me spread the word, and help our system thrive. If you or someone you know is not registered to vote, you can find the online registration system at registertovote.ca.gov/ Mike Gatto is the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee in the California State Assembly. He represents Burbank, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Atwater Village, East Hollywood, Franklin Hills, Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz, and Silver Lake. www.asm. ca.gov/gatto
[representative Adam schiff]
Urban Rapids: Restoring the L.A. River By Representative Adam Schiff Earlier this river as part of the Dept. of Development Act bill to enmonth, I took the Interior’s “America’s Great able the Corps to move formy son on a Outdoors” program. Since ward with river construction kayaking adventure. We saw designation, the Army Corps projects upon completion of abundant plant life, navigated of Engineers has been contheir report. For its part, The rapids, almost fell over several ducting the Los Angeles River Los Angeles City Council retimes and watched a blue herRestoration Feasibility Study cently approved a cost sharing on dry its wings. We were not in partnership with the City of motion to support revitalizaon the Colorado River, or the Los Angeles, to investigate option. Nile. In fact, we never left the portunities to restore the river. The Corps will officially neighborhood. We kayaked on The Los Angeles District release a feasibility plan, showthe Los Angeles River, joinof the Corps, citing a schedcasing different alternatives ing countless others for restoration, on this summer as the Sept. 13th. Comfirst Angelinos in 80 munity residents are Since 2007, the Los Angeles River years to do so. encouraged to weigh Revitalization Master Plan has For decades, in on the alternatives envisioned a continuous, functioning residents viewed the during a 45-day pubLos Angeles River ecosystem that supports wildlife, treats lic comment period as an eyesore—a from Sept. 20th until storm water runoff and establishes dry, polluted, conNov. 5th. The altercrete channel, poorly natives vary in scope, a network of parks and trails. maintained and not and river advocates, suitable for recrelike myself, are pushation—a far cry from the oasis ule slip due to excessive review ing for an expansive plan that my son and I experienced. But times, advised the City that will make the river contiguous over the last 20 years, the L.A. it would not be meeting its and includes ecological restoRiver has been reborn. December 2013 report deadration. Since 2007, the Los Anline. This April, I joined Rep. As I paddled along the geles River Revitalization Roybal-Allard in a letter to river, it was hard to imagine Master Plan has envisioned a the Assistant Secretary of the that downtown Los Angeles continuous, functioning ecoArmy, expressing our disapwas only three miles away. I system that supports wildlife, pointment that the deadline hope that the Corps will contreats storm water runoff and would not be met. We urged tinue to work with the city establishes a network of parks the Army Corps of Engineers and nature lovers, to embrace and trails. The restoration is to prioritize the study by rea public-private partnership well on its way, both for the committing to the deadline and complete restoration of species that call it home and and by allocating additional the L.A. River so that the for the residents who enjoy it funds to ensure completion. ecosystem remains strong for recreationally. However, there I also sent a letter to the future generations. is still much work to be done. House Committee on Trans In 2010, I worked with portation and Infrastructure Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) Congresswoman Lucille Royin July urging language be inrepresents the 28th Congressiobal-Allard to designate the cluded in the Water Resources nal District.
[greetings from tom]
Burglaries in Griffith Park Prompt Sign Campaign By Los Angeles City Councilmember Tom LaBonge A recent wave of burglaries from motor vehicles has made its way through Griffith Park park, threatening what is an incredible urban outdoor experience. This month, I partnered with the Northeast Division, notably Captain Jeffrey Bert and Senior Lead Officer Leo Rey, to put up warning signs that may have a part in combating some of this type of crime. The signs read “Lock It, Hide It, Keep It,” and they carry three simple reminders. First, lock your vehicle so that it cannot be easily opened with just a turn of a door handle. Second, hide your valuables so that they are out of plain sight from passersby. Third, keep your dearest valuables with you as you travel through the park. As would-be criminals hunt for victims throughout the park, taking these simple measures can help diminish their number of available targets. Already, this effort is seeSeptember 2013
ing results. In the months of June and July, there were 17 auto-related crimes in Griffith Park, most of which were burglaries from motor vehicles. There were 75 in total this calendar year. In all, 18 signs went up throughout the park on August 1st. Since that date, there has only been one autorelated crime in the park. I was proud to fund this effort, but a series of signs cannot by themselves fix the problem of car burglaries in Griffith Park. We must continue to remain vigilant and heed the warnings that the signs provide. Only 3% of these burglaries are ever solved. Most importantly, however, I want to emphasize that Griffith Park is safe. I am proud to climb to the top of Mount Hollywood each and every morning, and the park is an incredibly tranquil, relaxing experience. So go out and enjoy Griffith Park. It’s waiting for you. www.losfelizledger.com
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“There isn’t a simpler, more cost-effective investment we can make in East Hollywood than taking care of our trees and green spaces.” – Jeff Zarrinnam Chair, East Hollywood Business Improvement District
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POLITICS
Page 5
Los Feliz Ledger [theater review]
“Beethoven and Misfortune Cookies” Explores Inner Struggles at the Met By Marilyn Tower Oliver, Ledger Theater Critic It’s always interesting to get a new take on race and its impact on society. “Beethoven and Misforune Cookies,” a one-person play by Joni Ravenna, tells the true story of Kabin Thomas, a popular African American professor of music appreciation at the University of Arkansas who was
of composer Abel Meeropol’s “Strange Fruit,” a disturbing song about the lynching of black men in the south that she popularized as a singer with Artie Shaw’s white orchestra. Thomas illustrates this with a graphic photo of a lynching and a rope tied noose. A student’s complaint
tor. Veteran actor Ernest Harden, Jr., best known for his extensive career in television and film including recurring characters on “The Jeffersons” and “Santa Barbara “ and roles in many films such as “White men Can’t Jump” and “J. Edgar,” ably portrays Thomas. Watching him act
One-person shows are always demanding for an actor. Veteran actor Ernest Harden, Jr., best known for his extensive career in television and film,… ably portrays Thomas. Watching him act was the best part of the performance that was directed by T. J. Castronovo. fired from his position after 11 years because of his unorthodox teaching methods. As the play opens, he warns his students that his teaching methods include a lot of profanity. He talks about Beethoven’s mixed racial ancestry. His mother was a Moor and his abusive father, German. “[Beethoven] made something beautiful out of misfortune,” Thomas says. “We can do that too.” Thomas then segues into the life of singer Billie Holliday, whose childhood was also traumatic and tells of her famous interpretation
about the incident leads to Thomas’s firing. The second act takes us to Hollywood where Thomas is trying to make it as an actor. A possible gig on a reality show requires him to go into psychotherapy, forcing him to face his own childhood demons. Through a series of flashbacks—which at times are a little confusing—he ponders his father’s mental illness and subsequent suicide. Questioning the meaning of his own life, he, too, contemplates ending his life. One-person shows are always demanding for an ac-
was the best part of the performance that was directed by T. J. Castronovo. The play, however, is somewhat problematic: the time period of the story is vague and the actions and dialog don’t have a context time wise. After the play, I found out the story took place around 2006, but this could have been made clearer through dialog and action. Additionally, the first act that ends with Thomas’ firing could be stronger with further development as to his efforts to retain his position and the underly-
ing causes for his dismissal. If he was so popular a professor, why was one incident the cause of his being fired? The second act seems somewhat detached from the first and tends to get lost in many psychological wanderings. It almost seemed as though there were two stories trying to be one plot. In spite of these problems, the play is interesting and should be of interest to those who desire to see more deeply
into the issues faced by people of color who struggle to make it in a sometimes hostile world. “Beethoven and Misfortune Cookies,” through Sept. 15th at the “Great Scott Theatre” downstairs at the Met Theatre in Hollywood. 1089 N. Oxford Ave. $15; Seniors, students and members of performing arts unions $10.
vision plan from page 1
applied and achieved Griffith Park a historic designation status, that lead to more changes in the plan for compliance. But then, further budget cuts hit the department. And without city staff available to continue developing the plan, the working group decided to shelve it for more than a year. Eventually LaBonge’s of-
ing instead to discuss them in person. That plan, which the group had for about a year, was eventually finalized by the Dept. of Recreation and Parks and sent out to the group in July 2013 declaring it the finalized draft vision plan. Israel said working group members responded asking again to meet to revise text,
“In an ideal world, sure, it would be great to hire several staff people and have them dedicated [only to Griffith Park]. But it’s not going to happen,” she said. “You can’t have your own urban forester solely for the park. Honestly? Great idea. Realistically? No one has the funding for it.” Regarding development
park’s natural landscape and aesthetic. Of the current projects developing at Griffith Park, the Independent Shakespeare Co.’s permanent stage for Shakespeare in the Park is noted in the draft, stating it should be available for other performances throughout the year. Construction of youth baseball fields is not mentioned. According to Israel, any and all future construction projects would be discussed and reviewed by the park advisory board. “A particular subject would go to the park advisory board, there would be pros and cons, you listen and you consult and you discuss it. That’s the democratic process,” said Israel. Public comments and any additional information from the advisory group will be taken through November and any last revisions made, Israel said. Then, the finalized plan will be submitted to the city’s Dept. of Recreation and Park Board of Commissioners for approval. The Griffith Park Vision Plan draft can be found at the Dept. of Recreation and Parks and Los Feliz Neighborhood Council websites.
property. This newest document traces to 2005 when Los Angeles City Councilmember (CD4) Tom LaBonge released a master plan of the park to the public. At hundreds of pages and at a cost of $400,000 the plan was controversial as it included recommendations including parking structures, two aerial tramways, a hotel, restaurant, culinary school and sports complex. In response to the public’s outcry that the plan “Disneyfied” and commercialized the park, LaBonge hand-picked a working—or advisory group—to recommend revisions to LaBonge’s version. The 12-person volunteer working group has since been rewriting the master plan chapter-by-chapter on a nearmonthly basis. What followed were several years of meetings and reviews by the working group and the Dept. of Recreation and Parks, slowed by city budget cuts and the advisory group’s mandate that it meet in person rather than remotely by email to discuss all major changes and edits. As some members of the working group Page 6
Ernest Harden, Jr. in “Beethoven and Misfortune Cookies” at the MET Theatre. Photo credit: Rob Flores.
Regarding development in the park, according to the vision plan, if approved, proponents would need to meet standards that comply with the park’s historic designation. The vision plan states that restoration and new construction must maintain a “character compatible with the urban wilderness identity.” fice asked the department and working group to revisit the plan, and requested they revise it again, chapter-by-chapter, making edits a department spokesperson said were mostly semantics but that some in the group had a difficult time moving past. “Honestly, I really don’t know the timeframe. I kind of lost track,” said Israel. From there, the plan dragged further as the working group failed to edit the city’s redline changes, want-
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
“line-by-line, chapter-bychapter, again,” she said. “And actually the department felt we didn’t need to do that.” Israel said the plan represents the working group’s goals. One of the last items the working group was very vocal about, according to Israel, was the actual governance of the park. But even though it is included in the recommendations, Israel said she doubts the city will hire any additional staff for that purpose.
in the park, according to the vision plan, if approved, proponents would need to meet standards that comply with the park’s historic designation. The vision plan states that restoration and new construction must maintain a “character compatible with the urban wilderness identity.” That means developing palettes for furniture and light fixtures to be used on future construction projects, as well as a list of preferred building materials consistent with the www.losfelizledger.com
(323) 960-5773 or Plays411.com/beethoven.
September 2013
Los Feliz Ledger [eastside eye]
Twenty Feet from Stardom’s Local Connections By Kathy A. McDonald, Ledger Columnist The unexpected feel good film of the summer hits on the lives and times of the unsung heroes of rock and pop music. Twenty Feet from Stardom follows the careers of several talented back-up singers, from Darlene Love who got her start with Phil Spector via numerous 1960s hits to Merry Clayton (known for her searing vocals on the Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter) to Judith Hill who famously sang at Michael Jackson’s TV memorial. Directed by Morgan Neville—his production company Tremelo Productions is located in Echo Park—the documentary takes a look at the careers of musical talents, whose harmonies and refrains are often the most memorable elements of hit songs. The opening night film of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, Twenty Feet from Stardom premiered to a standing ovation and a quickly negotiated a distribution deal via Radius, a division of the Weinstein Company. The film has gone on to become the number one grossing documentary of
the year and among the top 45 grossing documentaries in terms of all box office receipts. “From the first screening, it struck a chord with people on a level far beyond music,” said director Morgan Neville who admits the audience response to film has truly amazed him. “In spite of its successful outcome, this film never felt like a sure thing… We wrestled with the film for two years and slowly pulled together the story from a vast group of characters, stories and music. The hardest part, by far, was cutting things out.” Silver Lake’s Doug Blush was an editor on the film. His credits including editing the Oscar nominated Invisible War. “Although there are some serious moments and questions, the overarching spirit of the film is the joy of creating,” Blush said. Through the interweaving of the characters’ stories, the film looks at artistic satisfaction versus fame and the uplift that comes with true collaboration. Neville said that the area’s
vibrant documentary community and available talent influences his filmmaking process. “I wouldn’t work anyplace else,” he said. Info: twentyfeetfromstardom.com
Eastside Eye Pick for September
A New Sculpturalism: Contemporary Architecture from Southern California at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, now through Sept. 16th. For the architecture fan, a look at creative con-
temporary work from 38 of L.A.’s top architects via architectural models, drawings and renderings. Silver Lake’s Michael Maltzan and Barbara Bestor are among the architects represented. moca.org
[the good life]
Refreshing White Rum By Tara de Lis, Ledger Columnist In recent years, it seems like an extreme heat wave sneaks up on us in September. Sure, it’s hot off and on all summer long—we do live in a desert—but we’re talking record-breaking temperatures. For a little liquid refreshment, the ultimate secret weapon is white—also known as—clear or silver, rum. Whether you’re planning a big backyard Labor Day Weekend party or just want to have a couple close friends over for a simple get together, white rum is an excellent base for all sorts of crisp and delicious cocktails, such as Mojitos, Piña Coladas and rum punches. There’s something about a clear spirit that naturally evokes a daintiness that evades its darker cousins. For many, the go-to white rum is still Bacardi, which had humble beginnings in Havana in the 1860s as a family business and has gone on to become a bestselling brand and
household name throughout the world. But there are many others. Caliche is a Puerto Rican rum named after a type of limestone that is indigenous to the area around the Serrallés Family Distillery. They’ve been producing the spirit for six generations. It’s fermented from molasses and distilled five times, with a distinct vanilla flavor profile. Rhum J.M agricole blanc comes from Martinique and is 40 percent alcohol by volume. The taste is somewhat vegetal, as opposed to sugary, making it an ideal mixer for those who normally find rum too sweet. El Dorado white rum is also 80 proof, and is a product of Demerara Distillers in Guyana—located in South America—directly east of Venezuela. It’s aged for three years in casks that once held bourbon and has a sweet, fruity taste. Tara de Lis is a freelance writer based in Hollywood.
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Los Feliz Ledger (323) 667-9897 September 2013
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Page 7
Los Feliz Ledger [focus on the advertiser]
[los Feliz confidential]
Michael Martin: Los Feliz’s PC Expert
1927: Dinner Party Suicide
By Kimberly Gomez, Ledger Contributing Writer
By Donald Seligman, Ledger Columnist
LOS FELIZ—Whether we use a computer for work or play, own a small business or a large company, or are just someone getting our first computer, we’ve all been at the mercy of technology. We hope a tweak here and there can solve a lot of issues, because talking to a computer technician can be intimidating. Michael Martin: PC Expert can put you at ease. “The most common question I get is, ‘Have I lost everything?’” said Martin. “The best thing I can tell people is ‘Your data is okay.’” The time to be worried about your anti-virus and backup is before you have a system crash. Martin urges good maintenance, automatic cloud backups for critical data and sound security. Small business owners wearing a lot of hats are more likely to be overlooking these issues. The same goes for home clients. “People will run into a burning house to save pictures but they won’t back them up,”
Los Feliz friends and neighbors joined scores of celebrities from the film world at the funeral of the famous director and screenwriter, Lynn Reynolds at the nearby Hollywood [Forever] Cemetery on Feb. 28, 1927. Although Reynolds and his wife actress Kathleen O’Connor had moved to Hollywood five years before from their beautiful craftsman Los Feliz home at 1937 Gramercy Place, they are still thought of as locals. Largely associated with movie westerns, Reynold’s pall bearers included cowboy stars like William Farnum, Hoot Gibson, Tom Mix, and “Slim” Summerville. The shocking news of 37 year-old Reynold’s suicide before dinner guests five days earlier at his new home quickly spread throughout the Los Feliz community. R e y n o l d s had come to Los Feliz in 1914 and began to work initially as a screenwriter, but was soon directing as well. Over the next 12 years, he would script 37 movies and direct 81, ini-
Michael (standing) with client Lon Wahlstrom.
said Martin. Martin has provided affordable personalized computer service from hardware and software installations, retrieving forgotten passwords, to network solutions and tutoring for over a dozen years. His clients span Marina del Rey to Monrovia. Logistically, however, there’s an added benefit for his neighbors in Los Feliz and the surrounding area. “When the clients are local, I can stop by and schedule in an emergency appointment
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Page 8
COMMUNITY NEWS
because I’m always ‘on my way,” said Martin. Locals have been pleased. “He takes the time to explain what he’s doing and how he’s doing it,” said local contractor Lon Wahlstrom, who called in Martin when he was adding a business office to his home. “For me it’s been a constant education. Michael comes in and I learn.” Martin solved all of Wahlstrom’s networking solutions beyond expectations. Since then, he has relied on Martin for consultations on systems upgrades and even personal computer classes for his parents to stay connected during their later years. “I don’t hoard knowledge just so I keep having a job,” said Martin. “I’d rather the customer to know everything.” www.michaelmartin.net
www.losfelizledger.com
tially at Universal and later at the William Fox Studio at 1401 Western Ave. He was Tom Mix’s choice as director for his westerns. His biggest blockbuster was his 1925 production, “Rider’s of the Purple Sage.” In 1921, he divorced his first wife and married the beautiful former Mack Sennett Studio bathing beauty, Kathleen O’Connor (nee Lynn Connors). They had met at Fox in 1918 when the studio began to feature her in their western films. Her first production at Fox was in see SUICIDE page 12
September 2013
Los Feliz Ledger
[real estate]
Short Term Rentals Have Some Locals On A Short Fuse By Colin Stutz, Ledger Contributing Writer SILVER LAKE—The lack of hotel options in Silver Lake has for years made it difficult for out-of-towners to explore what is widely considered the hippest neighborhood in Los Angeles and possibly all of America. But that doesn’t mean tourists aren’t visiting. The popularization of online vacation rental marketplaces such as Airbnb, VRBO and Homeaway has led residents to
rent out their own homes to guests for a night, weekend or longer, giving rise to a cottage industry of cottage rentals. On a given night, more than 200 such rentals are open for business. But as trendy as the services have become, some community members have grown concerned and fed up over what they consider to be visitors’ disrespect for the neighborhood and are pursuing a ban
against these rental services. “We’re not talking about inviting my cousin Louie over for the weekend to sleep on my couch where no money is exchanged,” said AnneMarie Johnson, a member of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council (SLNC). “We’re talking about high end homes in Silver Lake on residential streets that are running a business, charging up to $300 per night to stay in what is basically a mini hotel with all the conveniences of a hotel. That’s illegal, plain and simple.” Johnson and the neighborhood council’s Urban Design and Preservation Advisory (UD&P) Committee are discussing recommending to the Los Angeles City Council that the city prohibit these short-term vacation rentals in Silver Lake and address the issue citywide. But this has been met with resistance. At a UD&P Committee meeting in August, with this motion on its agenda, Committee Chair Scott Plante read
the letter that first brought this issue to the committee’s attention. It was written by a homeowner on Kenilworth Avenue west of the Silver Lake Reservoir who, Plante said, wished to stay anonymous for fear of social retaliation. The UD&P meeting room was packed with Airbnb supporters, many of whom had posted statements to the SLNC agenda site earlier arguing against any regulatory action—36 comments in all, far more than any other agenda items in the past year. The homeowner in question wrote she lived near two duplexes that are leased as a “hotel” with only short-term tenants that have her family and neighbors concerned. “The creation of this kind of rental has made our quiet little block of Kenilworth Avenue suddenly quite transient,” the letter reads. “Check in times at the hotel(s) vary (all hours of the night) and many of the guests have no respect for the neighborhood. Some of the guests
park in front of fire hydrants, block access to residential, pedestrian gates and in some cases, we’ve noticed they’ve even blocked access to one neighbor’s garage. They also come and go at all hours of the night and have had many parties where they hang outside, talk loudly, drink excessively and smoke.” The woman complained of congestion on her already tight section of the street, and a lack of knowledge of who is coming and going. The letter continued: “We don’t believe predator laws wouldn’t apply to this type establishment and that is a concern to us. There are a lot of young children on our street and now a lot strangers and we have no way of knowing who or what is living on our block.” However, the legality of this issue is unclear. Critics, say it’s illegal, siting a city zoning code that states residential property owners cannot operate their houses as hotels or boarding homes for transient occupants. see RENTALS page 10
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Page 9
Los Feliz Ledger [city sleuth]
Rare Disney Artifact Displayed at the Natural History Museum By Diane Kanner, Ledger Columnist W het her imagined by Walt Disney on a crosscountry train ride with his wife Lillian or within the animator’s modest office at 4651 Kingswell Ave., the character of Mickey Mouse remains the most significant film industry icon ever and it originated in the Los Feliz region. Sound had just come to film when Disney and his brother Roy catapulted from being just another Hollywood cartoon production outfit to the world’s favorite animators with the appearance of Mickey in the six-minute “Steamboat Willie” cartoon in the winter of 1928. “The reception was astonishing,” author Neil Gabler wrote in Walt Disney: the Triumph of the American Imagination, which received the 2006 Los Angeles Times book prize for biography. What Gabler calls a “cinematic milestone” was assembled on a modest “animation stand” where thousands of hand-drawn animation “cells” were assembled to suggest that animals could sing and trees could dance. The actual wood device on which Disney and his animators assembled their earliest films, as well as the chair on which they sat, was given to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County in 1938. Today the pair appear in a monumental exhibit on the development of the city of Los Angeles, “Becoming Los Angeles,” which opened in July. Tacked to the bottom of the stand, a yellowing note from Disney warns his animators to refrain from smoking while working. According to Beth
Werling, the museum’s History Collections Manager, a Natural History curator wrote to Disney in 1930 seeking some of the tools of his trade. “We are interested in making a display in our motion picture gallery,” he wrote the animator, who by then was overseeing his operation in a studio at the corner of Hyperion Avenue and Griffith Park Boulevard. Disney agreed to provide animation cells, artwork and reels of cartoons. Then in 1938, he gave the museum the animation stand. “At that point,” Werling said, “the stand was already obsolete. If I had to guess, I would say Disney was thinking, ‘I don’t want this anymore, but it has too much value to be tossed in the dump.’” The “Becoming Los Angeles” exhibit has many such monumental artifacts from the hundreds of years of Spanish, then Mexican and finally American eras. In fact, the Natural History Museum’s Los Angeles-related collection is so large, Werling said, “we could have used the whole building to tell the story of Los Angeles.” The challenge was to tell the story in a 14,000 square foot section of the newly-expanded museum which devotes the majority of its space to natural history displays. According to Werling there will be modifications to the permanent history exhibit over time. For information on admission, parking, or Metro transportation routes, consult nhm.org or call (213) 763DINO. The Museum is located on Exposition Boulevard, adjacent to the University of Southern California and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
RENTALS from page 9
Rather, rentals such must be longterm—a month, at least — and then zoned accordingly. Meanwhile, proponents argue the existing code doesn’t apply specifically to these kinds of rental properties and state no ordinance exists to prevent or even address this issue. Others said they felt the issue was about a right of ownership and privacy. “It’s my home and I’ll do with it what I want,” said Hope Arnold in an interview later, who rents out a room in her Silver Lake house through Airbnb. “There were complaints about people smoking and drinking and partying too late, and I say, you know what? That’s not illegal.” Arnold, who owns a bar in Korea Town, said she was facing foreclosure when she decided to start renting out her house last November. Instead, she restructured her home to accommodate visitors, put many of her belongings in storage and posted her own bedroom online for $76 on weeknights, $86 on weekends, and an extra $20 for two occupants. When people rent the room, she said, she sleeps in the den. And to make sure she is protected and attracting the sort of clients she’s comfortable with, she charges a $1,000 security deposit. With this supplemental income, Arnold said she was able to keep her home until she received a recent loan modification. She said she pays the city’s 14% bed tax for fear of being audited, and by doing so, is contributing to the city’s budget. Additionally, she said, with the additional income, she has been able to put more money into her own property too, painting the outside and making other cosmetic repairs, in effect raising her property value and those
around her. “I just can’t see any negatives at all. You’re going to get a bad seed every now and then in life,” she said. “I own a small bar. I get bad employees sometimes. I fire them. Same thing with a short term renter, you get a bad one and you kick them out.” According to Arnold it’s must more difficult to evict tenants on a year-long lease than those that are shortterm. Another issue, according to the SLNC’s Plante, is some people believe such vacation rentals are driving the cost of long term renting up and causing increased housing scarcity. According to Plante, he has heard of landlords evicting long-term tenants to instead use the property as a full-time vacation rental. And there are also the worst-case scenarios, such
as the Sept. 2012 murder of 81-year-old Catherine Davis by Johnny Lewis of “Sons of Anarchy.” The actor had been staying in a room at Davis’ Los Feliz home known as “The Writer’s Villa.” Davis had rented rooms out of her home for years to artists and entertainers. In other cities, such as San Francisco, New York and Berlin, disputes over zoning and city codes—with support from the hotel industry—against Airbnb have cropped up. The SLNC’s UD&P will have an informational meeting in September to receive more community input on the issue and will then decide if asking the city for a new or revised ordinance on short-term rentals should be brought to the SLNC’s entire governing board for a vote.
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www.losfelizledger.com
September 2013
Los Feliz Ledger [keen to be green]
How Green are Smart Phones? By Meher McArthur, Ledger Columnist I know it’s only a matter of months— weeks maybe— before I break down and buy a smart phone. The monthly fees and a desire to escape emails when I leave home have fueled my resistance to these devices. But recently, as someone who can’t stand clutter, I’m warming to the idea of combining a phone, camera and calendar in one device, and as age or information overload are making my memory increasingly unreliable, owning a small pocket computer has great appeal. However, I still have serious green concerns. The devices are produced using hazardous substances that can harm people and the environment. Many are over-packaged and aren’t recyclable. Labor practices and health monitoring in certain smart phone factories in Asia have been shockingly bad. And there’s the constant
pressure to upgrade phones. So, if I’m going to give in and buy a smart phone, how do I make sure it’s green too? A very helpful starting point is the Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics, which ranks cell phone manufacturers (www.greenpeace.org/ international/en/campaigns/ toxics/electronics/Guide-toGreener-Electronics/). Buying a used model helps recycle someone else’s phone and eliminates packaging concerns, and resisting the urge to upgrade helps prevent waste. Since we don’t yet know the long-term effects of cell phone use on our health, using headphones can minimize potential radiation from the device. And, finally, choosing a phone company that supports progressive causes, such as CREDO credomobile.com can help ensure that those monthly fees are used to help rather than harm the environment.
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Living & Working in Your Neighborhood
NEW LISTING SILVER LAKE $1,249,000
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Lawyer Claims Millennium and City Depts. Knew of Earthquake Issues By Tony Cella, Ledger Contributing Writer HOLLYWOOD—The lawyer fighting the Hollywood Millennium development has claimed the developers and city officials discussed the potential for seismic activity at the sight in emails he has obtained through a public records request. Robert Silverstein said the potential lawsuit could include allegations that the city violated state environmental laws and the due process rights of his clients who oppose the project. According to Silverstein, emails between the developer’s lawyers and the city discuss seismic investigations after a map from the California Geological Survey showed a fault might be located near the property in March of 2012. Additionally, according to Silverstein, emails between the Dept. of Building and Safety and the Dept. of City Planning discussed the need for seismic assessment at the site In another email, according to Silverstein, members of the Dept. of Building and Safety and the developer, also discuss the possibility of a fault crossing the property. According to Silverstein the emails show the developer lied about the proximity of the property to the fault and the September 2013
city allowed false information into the environmental impact report. That report does not include the possibility of the fault running across the property and places the fault around .4 miles from the site. All city employees involved in the email communications refused to comment and deferred calls to public information officers. According to Dept. of Building and Safety spokesman Luke Zamperini, Silverstein’s allegations are “hogwash.” Zamperini said an investigation was underway and was so far inconclusive. The state geological body announced an investigation into the site before city hall approved the project. Los Angeles City Councilmember Tom LaBonge, who said he would not have approved the project had he not been absent when the City Council voted, said the buildings were too tall and emphasized the need for thorough review of proposed buildings because of Los Angeles’ history of seismic activity. Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell (CD13), who represents the area, declined to comment as did Los Angeles Mayor and former CD13 councilmember Eric Garcetti. www.losfelizledger.com
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Su Casa REAL ESTATE Page 11
Los Feliz Ledger SUICIDE from page 8
[real estate]
Inventory Up and Sales Up or Stable in All Local Areas But Echo Park By Allison Cohen Ferraro Southern California home $385,000, the same as in June ern California home buyers sales surged in July, rising to an and up 25.8% from $306,000 continue to put near-record eight-year high for that month in July 2012. amounts of their own money as inventory increased, accordThe June and July 2013 into residential real estate. ing to DataQuick, a real estate medians are the highest for In July they paid a total of reporting firm out of La Jolla, any month since April 2008, $5.39 billion out of their own CA. The median “July home sales came in very strong, and we think sale price held steady with the pria lot of the increase in activity can be chalked up to or month but rose a rising inventory of homes for sale. . . The market nearly 26% from a continues its rebalancing act, with more and more year earlier, marking the seventh people who’ve been ‘underwater’ now able to sell their consecutive month homes at a profit, or at least break even.” with a year-over— DataQuick President John Walsh year gain exceeding 20%, according to DataQuick. The median price paid when the median was also pockets in the form of down for all new and resale houses $385,000. payments or cash purchases. and condos sold in the sixIn a sign of continued That was up from $5.25 bilcounty region last month was market confidence, Southsee REAL ESTATE page 17
FUNDRAISER from page 1
buck-passing and rigid confusion over district policy. Jay grew up in Los Feliz and attended Marshall in his youth. He now has a son enrolled there who, much like his father was, is interested in the performing arts. At the threat of such courses being cut, Jay attempted to organize a community business banner campaign similar to those at Ivanhoe and Micheltorena elementary schools that have successfully boosted funding. The banners would be uniform and understated in the same colors, sponsored by local businesses in exchange for placement on the school’s fence. The fundraised money would be tagged specifically to support arts in the school. For Jay, at a time when schools can use all the help they can get, this seemed like a win-win. “All we want is the privilege to raise money for the kids so [they] can have musicals once a year,” he said. “They have no money, they have a terrible auditorium. They don’t have a sound system. They’ve got nothing really.”
So when Jay’s attempt to raise what he estimated would be about $20,000 of renewable annual income was met with resistance from the school administration, he was shocked. Instead, Jay said, Marshall’s principal, Daniel Harrison, told him the Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) policy prohibited on-campus “advertisements.” Harrison cited Board of Education Rule 1251, which states, “the advertising, or sale to students or employees of any article whatsoever” is prohibited on school premises. But in 2010 the rule was amended to provide some latitude on banner advertising on school grounds. It reads, “Sponsorship recognition through temporary signage that does not include a ‘call to action’… shall be allowed when there is clear benefit to the school and or District, has a clear sunset date, has minimal impact on school operations or classroom activities, and is not located within the classroom.” Jay said he discussed this all with Harrison, as well as Harrison’s supervisors, including LAUSD Board Member
Page 12 Su Casa REAL ESTATE
Bennett Kayser’s office, but said he saw little action. He said he and principal Harrison even toured the school to map out where banners could go, but nothing came of it. “Quite frankly I’m appalled that Marshall doesn’t have the enthusiasm that I have. Because they don’t feel it. I feel it very emotionally. It’s very much a passion,” he said. “Hollywood High School does things like this, I don’t know why Marshall can’t. Banners are up at [Helen] Bernstein High School, I don’t know why Marshall can’t.” According to a spokesperson at Kayser’s office, the rule in question is a “guideline” not “policy” and is at the discretion of the principal of any school, in this case Harrison. But according to Jay, Harrison places the final word for such a program instead with the LAUSD. Harrison did not respond to requests for comment.
“Ace High,” a film Reynolds directed. O’Connor enjoyed a successful career as a western heroine until she retired from film in 1924. After the marriage, O’Connor moved to Reynolds’ Gramercy Place house from her own nearby residence at 1723 Garfield Avenue. The details of the tragedy have recently come to light. Three weeks before his suicide, Reynolds went on location to Mammoth Lakes for an expected three-day shoot of his new production, “Back to God’s Country,” starring Renee Adoree. Unfortunately, due to a lengthy blizzard, the entire crew became immediately snowbound, and Reynolds was unable to
return to Los Angeles until Feb. 23rd. O’Connor commemorated her husband’s return that day with a dinner party, but the couple soon fell into an argument over rumored “indescretions” between Reynolds and Adoree. Although later denied by O’Connor, witnesses claimed that Reynolds beat his wife with a pistol and then shot himself in the head. Reynolds died the next morning at a nearby hospital. O’Connor did claim that she wanted to return to the screen after her husband’s suicide in 1927. But she left for Europe with Tom Mix one month later and never returned to the movie industry. She died in Los Angeles in 1957 at the age of 63.
Look for the October edition of the
Los Feliz Ledger on October 3rd
ity.
Jay is just looking for clar-
“They’re saying it’s a rule, and now I’m hearing it’s a suggested guideline and I’m not sure where exactly it stands,” said Jay. “If it’s just a guideline and you don’t have to follow it, then the principals feel they can’t get in trouble. I think it’s all about who gets in trouble.” Los Angeles City Councilmember (CD4) Tom LaBonge also stands behind the banners. LaBonge is a Marshall alumnus whose wife, Brigid, was instrumental in starting Ivanhoe elementary school’s banner program. “The Los Angeles Unified School District is in dire need to raise money for the extra programs that they need,” said the councilmember. “And over the years there has been a variety of efforts on local schools to put together banner programs. I support this because it helps the school. Any-
www.losfelizledger.com
thing you can do to help local schools is a good thing.” Susan Phillips, founder of the local profit College Path LA that helps students with the college application process, became involved with Jay’s mission to bring banners to Marshall after experiencing similar difficulty donating $11,000 to save the school’s musical theater class earlier this year. Eventually she was successful. But she believes the issue is bigger than just advertisements at the school. “I think the banner policy kind of represents a larger issue,” she said. “District-wide it’s very difficult for community groups to find a way to work successfully with schools, and this is an example of that. . . As the district has lost funds, you would think they would be much more welcoming and ask the community, ‘What kind of resources can you provide to help make up some of the cuts we’ve had?’”
September 2013
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As we enter the second half of 2013, we are excited about the market and are grateful to our neighbors, friends and clients. We remain the local brokerage of choice with over triple the sales volume of our nearest competitor in the local marketplace of Hollywood Hills East, Los Feliz, and Silver Lake-Echo Park.* IN ESCROW
NEW LISTING
LOS FELIZ | 1961 DE MILLE DR | web: 0285150 | $3,498,000 Coveted gated Laughlin Park arch. 5bd/4.5ba, library, media room and sitting rm, formal dining room, home w/knockout views of city/mtns, pool/spa. Rosemary Low 323.660.5885
PASADENA | 976 HILLSIDE TER | web: 0276987 | $2,695,000 This stately New England Colonial with 4bd suites and 6ba is traditionally styled with an enviable list of recent upgrades and custom craftsmanship. Mia Coveny 310.871.1607
NEW LISTING
LOS FELIZ | 4028 BRAEBURN WAY | web: 0285229 | $1,899,000 Classy “Penthouse” vibe. Top of Los Feliz. Simo Design. 3 bedroom and 2 ½ bath. Views. Open living. Indoor/Outdoor. Must be seen. Boni Bryant | Joe Reichling 323.854.1780
NEW LISTING
LOS FELIZ | 2400 MORENO DR | web: 0285228 | $1,699,000 Modern take on California Classic. Latest from Simo Design. Totally done. 4 bedrooms and 3 ½ bath. Yard. Views. Ivanhoe School District. Boni Bryant | Joe Reichling 323.854.1780
GLASSELL PARK | 3645 KINNEY PL | web: 0285216 | $799,000 Mid-Century modern architectural gem in the hills with breathtaking jet liner city, mountain views and large balcony. Manvel Tabakian | Nadia deWinter 323.376.2222
NEW LISTING
NEW LISTING
SILVER LAKE | 826 KODAK DR | web: 0285219 | $699,000 Designer-done home features 2 bedroom and 2 bath along with a converted garage space that works as a great home office or 3rd bedroom. Rob Kallick 323.775.6305
SOLD
SILVER LAKE | 1109 CORONADO TER | $675,000 This Craftsman Bungalow includes 3bd/2ba, one of them a large master suite with sitting room, a large kitchen, living room, and den. Joseph Lightfoot 213.700.4438
NEW LISTING
LOS FELIZ | 3832 EDENHURST AVE | web: 0284463 | $599,000 Original character and charm with modern amenities throughout. 2bd/1ba with spacious living room, formal dining, bright kit with custom cabinetry. Stephen Placial 323.854.7355
SOLD
SILVER LAKE | 2516 IVAN HILL TER | Price Upon Request 4 bedroom, 1.75 bath, approx. 2,400 sq.ft. custom-built 1928 American Foursquare-style home has views from every room. Represented the buyer. Joseph Lightfoot 213.700.4438
HOLLYWOOD HILLS | 6316 IVARENE AVE | web: 0285220 | $1,970,000 ‘Villa Leone,’ circa1923 Italianate architectural 3bd/2ba + den. Restoration of country estate on large flat grounds. www.villaleonehollywood.com Rick Yohon 323.270.1725
NEW LISTING
SOLD
LOS FELIZ | 3792 VALLEYBRINK RD | $725,000 Spanish details that you’ll appreciate every day - wood floors, tiles, arches; a fireplace in the living room; a spacious eat-in kitchen with a retro vibe. Joseph Lightfoot 213.700.4438
NEW LISTING
SOLD
GLASSELL PARK | 3800 YORK BLVD | $535,000 2bd/1ba floor plan with a spacious living room anchored by a fireplace; formal dining room; bright kitchen; separate laundry; large pantry; and pool. Joseph Lightfoot 213.700.4438
GLASSELL PARK | 2053 ROME DR | web: 0285171 | $689,000 Architectural gem designed and remodeled by Architect Fritz Haeg in 2007. Approx. 9,601 sq.ft. lot sits this unique 2bd/2ba, plus office w/views. Stephen Placial | Luisa Ferrante 323.854.7355
SOLD
GLASSELL PARK | 3926 FILION ST | $599,000 Functional 2bd/2ba split floor plan, with dedicated living and dining areas. Renovated in 2009 and has been fastidiously maintained and taken care of. Michelle St. Clair 213.304.4943 | Joey Kiralla 323.702.7001
NEW LISTING
HOLLYWOOD HILLS | 3480 BARHAM #323 | web: 0285215 | $300,000 Situated in the Lake Hollywood, this complex given inspiration by nature. Lush park like grounds w/ferns & bamboo. Recently remodeled and turnkey. Gisele Plouffe 323.662.3800
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Los Feliz Ledger [senior moments]
Moving Beyond the Car By Stephanie Vendig, Ledger Columnist A scene in the 1991 movie, “L.A. Story,” starring Steve Martin resonated with me on how much Los Angeles was preoccupied with the car. When Mr. Martin’s character leaves his house to talk to a neighbor, he jumps in his car and drives all of half a block.
our new Mayor Eric Garcetti will build upon the beginnings of these new city infrastructures creating a new image of Los Angeles. There is another impetus for changing car habits, namely health benefits. For the young and not so young, biking can provide protection against chronic diseases.
landscaping, to be completed in October, around the recently renovated Mulholland Fountain by the Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power to commemorate the Los Angeles Aqueduct’s 100 year anniversary. The garden will feature drought- tolerant landscaping and interpretive signs to educate on the history and William Mulholland’s vision. In addition, there will be decomposed granite paths to benefit walking through the site.
In a letter to the Los Angeles Times (July 27, 2013) Richard Jackson M.D. and Tyler Watson of the UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health suggests that “by some estimates, every $1 investment in trails for physical activity results in about $3 in direct medical benefits.” If you live in Los Angeles, your car defines your quality of life. City planning concentrated on accommodating to the use of the car. But that thinking has been changing with more consideration for walking, biking, public transportation and other alternatives to only the automobile. Antonio Villaraigosa’s term as Mayor may have been the turning point for Los Angeles to go beyond the car culture. With the success of Measure R (half cent sales tax for transportation until 2039) the size of Los Angeles County’s transit network doubled to 236 miles and 200 stations. The city built 123 miles of bike lanes for a total of 421 miles plus 56.2 miles of bicycle paths. Surely,
For the older person, walking can do wonders. In a letter to the Los Angeles Times (July 27, 2013) Richard Jackson M.D. and Tyler Watson of the UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health suggests that “by some estimates, every $1 investment in trails for physical activity results in about $3 in direct medical benefits.” Infrastructure improvements are now being designed with multiple objectives. For example, the Hyperion Bridge, built in 1929, needs structural repair, not only to solve the basic problem of safety for cars, but included will be attention to walking and access to the bike path along the river. Another project with multiple objectives is the new
For those of us at the Griffith Park Adult Community Center across the street, this path will provide an opportunity to develop a walking program to encourage our patrons to walk for wellness. And there is the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan (LARRMP). The Plan is a 25 to 50-year blueprint for implementing a variety of comprehensive improvements, including storm water management problems, water quality issues and others such as recreation, parks, housing, transportation and economic development. The design is also incorporating the ability for people to walk, run, or bike on the river’s banks for their health.
[obituary]
Los Feliz Resident Ralph Guy Wesson 1918-2013 Los Feliz Resident and Veteran Attorney Ralph Guy Wesson died Aug. 8, 2013 just a month shy of his 95th birthday. The fifth of six children, Wesson was born in Boaz, Alabama but moved with his family a few months later to California, settling in Carson. After graduation from San Pedro High School in 1936, he attended Compton Community College and then graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a B.A. degree in English. After graduation, he worked for the State of California as an analyst until the United States Navy drafted him during World War II. When the war ended, he decided he wanted to become a lawyer, working at the post office while studying for his law degree at Loyola Law School. After graduation and passing the state bar he worked for the California State Attorney’s office as a prosecutor. In 1960 he joined the Los September 2013
Angeles City Attorney’s office staff in a similar capacity before joining the Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power where he stayed until retirement in 1987. In 1964 he met his wife Maria Theresa. During their 41 years of marriage, they had three children, Debbie (Miller), whom they adopted; Vibiana (Bowers) and Ralph Jr. Maria Theresa passed away in 2005. At his funeral, his son, Ralph Jr. recalled how “growing up, Dad never missed a football, baseball or any other activity at school that his kids were involved with… he was a great family man, always demonstrating in a tangible way his love and support not only for his family but for his (Cal) Golden Bears.” Besides his three children, www.losfelizledger.com
Sunset Hall - Curriculum and Advocacy Thanks to our ad sponsor Sunset Hall. They offer...
Conversational Spanish at GPACC on Wednesdays
Programs for free-thinking seniors (323) 660-5277
Griffith Park Adult Community Center Calendar
Wednesday, September 18, 2013, Lunch, General Meeting, Program 12:00 – 3:00, Friendship Auditorium “Los Feliz and the Silent Film Era” A presentation by author Donald Seligman about the story of Los Feliz’s role in early film-making and the major industry personalities who lived there during that era. 3203 Riverside Drive, just south of Los Feliz Bl. * Call for info and reservations (323) 644-5579 Lunch Program: Mon.-Fri., GPACC, 11:30 AM sign in, Noon lunch, Donation under 60 $4, 60+ $2 Club Info and Newsletter: Stephanie Vendig, (323) 667-3043 or vendig@sbcglobal.net. Join GPACC Club: Only $15/year for trips and news. For information on trips, call Doris Slater, (323) 667-1879
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Upcoming speakers and programs... Sept. 4: Debbie Unruh, ELIZABETH HOUSE “Helping Women and Children in Need” Sept. 11: Saul Jacobs & Bob Lipson, USC Emeriti College - “Yankee Doodle & Other Patriots” Golden Age of American Popular Music Series Sept. 18: Ray Harapatian, TOBIN WORLD “A Behavioral Education and Treatment Program for Children and Young Adults” he is survived by their spouses, Mike Miller, Scott Bowers, 10 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren the Wesson Clan. A Memorial Mass was held at Our Mother of Good Counsel Church in Los Feliz Aug. 17th, 2013 with internment at Green Hills Memorial Park in Rancho Palos Verdes.
Sept. 25: Michelle Massie, Director of Development, Canine Champions for Independence - “Help is a Four-Legged Word”
Friendship Auditorium
3201 Riverside Dr. (1/4 mi. so. of Los Feliz Bl.) For upcoming programs, see... www.LABreakfastClub.com
or call (323) 662-1191
SENIOR MOMENTS Page 15
Los Feliz Ledger
By Colin Stutz, Ledger Contributing Writer Things are changing at King. “King Middle School has long been shunned by locals as too shabby and simply not good enough and little rough,” said Tomas O’Grady, an engaged Thomas Starr King parent and former candidate for the Los Angeles City Council. But over the past six years Thomas Starr King Middle School—or King Middle School, as it’s often referred— has undergone a renaissance and has seen consecutive annual increases in its Academic Performance Index (API) score. In 2007 the school was below the district average API score at 628, but by 2012 it was 59 points above the district
average at 805. Current 2013 API scores have not yet been announced, but O’Grady said initial information indicates at least a seven-point gain. And publicly, LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy has singled out King for its improvements. This school year marks the beginning of an all-magnet curriculum at King, with a new cinema arts program in addition to the existing gifted Arts and Technology and Environmental Studies magnets. According to LAUSD Board Member Bennett Kayser’s office, enrollment at King is up 80 students, bringing enrollment to about 1,700. A decade ago, the school had more than 3,000 stu-
dents, was on a three-track year-round schedule and an API of 597. Principal Mark Naulls has previously said this student body size is where the school should stay. According to Franklin Elementary’s biannual newsletter, nearly 85% of the students who graduate from Franklin are now attending King, rather than private schools or any of LAUSD’s charter or magnet options. “This success story has profound positive implications for the Los Feliz and Silver lake areas,” said O’Grady, who also runs the nonprofit Enrich LA, which places gardens at public schools. “Good schools drive home values up and close knit school communities give us that small town safe and warm feel. Who would not want to raise their family here?”
Ask me now how I’m different from the rest Gail Crosby Sotheby’s International Realty 1801 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027 323/428-2864 GailCrosby@aol.com BRE: 01377453
[Almost Famous]
Earl Sweatshirt - Doris By Charles Cohen, Ledger Music Critic Three years ago local rapper Earl Sweatshirt drew national attention for his acclaimed mixtape Earl. Since then, the Odd Future rapper has endured a journey to reach the release of his first full-length album: Doris. Following the completion of the Earl mixtape, Sweatshirt was sent to the Coral Reef Academy in Samoa—a reform school for troubles youth—because his mother didn’t like the path his life was taking. While there, Odd Future rose to fame without Sweatshirt. With the sudden rise in popularity, it didn’t take long for people to start wondering where their beloved Sweatshirt was. Fellow Odd Future members even started a “Free Earl” movement. In 2011 Complex magazine released an article entitled “We Found Earl Sweatshirt” breaking the news of Earl’s whereabouts for the first time. What followed was hate mail and death threats to Earl’s mom. Finally Sweatshirt returned back to Los Angeles, but to a completely different world. He had left as an unknown 16-year-old student at New Roads School in Santa Monica and returned a celebrity. Sweatshirt addresses his return to a new life in the first single off Doris entitled “Chum,”— Sweatshirt’s return to music and it didn’t disappoint. The song begins with Sweatshirt addressing his father, South African poet Keorapetse Kgositsile, who left Earl’s family to return to Africa when he was a child. “Chum” is the most personal song that Sweatshirt has released to date and shows his struggle to find where he belongs. The lyrics Too black for the white kids/And to white for the blacks/From honor role to cracking locks up off them bicycle racks display this struggle perfectly.
Sweatshirt also opens up on the fantastic “Sunday (feat. Frank Ocean)” talking about his relationships with his mother and girlfriend. The lyric begins: I know it don’t seem difficult to hit you up/But you’re not passionate about half the [mess] that you’re into, and I ain’t havin’ it. The song is a reminder of how young Sweatshirt truly is. It is an open letter to his girlfriend as he tries to figure out the struggles of a relationship to make it through the “rough patches.” “Sunday” also features a rare delight in a rapped verse by Frank Ocean. Ocean, who has appeared on albums by Jay-Z and Kanye West singing choruses, shows that he can still rap like he did early in his career. Other stand out songs on the album come from the Neptunes produced “Burgundy” and hit single “Hive (feat. Casey Veggies and Vince Staples).” Vince Staples provides one of the best verses on the album while former Odd Future member and Peas and Carrots International co-founder Casey Veggies contributes on the chorus. The album also features appearances by Mac Miller, Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA, Odd Futures’ Domo Genesis, BadBadNotGood, SK La’ Flare and Tyler the Creator. Tyler the Creator provides a more light-hearted contrast to Sweatshirt’s dark rapping while keeping their incredible chemistry. In their song “Sasquatch” Tyler the Creator shouts out to local skater and graduate of Ivanhoe Elementary and Thomas Starr King Middle School, Sean Pablo Murphy. Overall, Doris throws Earl Sweatshirt back on top of the rap game while showing his growth as a person. This summer, it turns out we did save the best for last.
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shine through 2236 Merton Ave Eagle Rock CA 90041 (323) 559-4926 www.solheimlutheran.org Page 16 SCHOOL NEWS
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API Soars While Attendance Drops At King Middle School
September 2013
Los Feliz Ledger REAL ESTATE from page 12
lion in June and up from $3.61 billion a year ago. “July home sales came in very strong, and we think a lot of the increase in activity can be chalked up to a rising inventory of homes for sale. The jump in mortgage rates a couple of months back might have spurred more buying, too. The market continues its rebalancing act, with more and more people who’ve been ‘underwater’ now able to sell their homes at a profit, or at
least break even,” said DataQuick President John Walsh, in a statement. In July, homes that sold from $300,000 through $800,000—a range that would include many move-up buyers—rose 51.7% year-overyear. The number that sold for $500,000 or more jumped 73.5% from one year earlier, while $800,000-plus sales, which would include most of Los Feliz, the Hollywood Hills and Silverlake, rose 77.5%. Locally, the median price
for a single-family home in July in the Los Feliz area (zip code 90026) rose 21% to $1,186,000. Twenty-four homes in the area were sold in July. Similarly, Silver Lake (zip code 90039) also saw a rise in the median price for a single family home—up 5.3% compared to the same time last year. A total of 22 homes were sold in Silver Lake in July at a median price of $690,000. Median home prices for the Hollywood Hills area (zip code 90068) were flat in
July registering a .1% decline to $1,045,000. A total of 28 homes were sold in the Hollywood Hills in July. Only Echo Park (zip code 90026) saw a decline in the median sale price for a singlefamily home in July. That area recorded 20 home sales in July at a median sales price of $505,000, down 6.2% from last year. Echo Park did see a rise of 8.6% of the median price for a condominimum in July to $615,000, with four such
properties closing escrow. The median price for a condominimum in the Hollywood Hills was also up, 7.3% in July, to $551,000. Eight condominimums in the 90068 sold in July. However, the median price for a condominimum in Los Feliz declined 8.3% in July compared to last year, to $648,000. Similar to Echo Park, there were four condominimum sales in Los Feliz in July. Condo median prices for Silver Lake were not available.
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8/23/13 10:01 AM SCHOOL NEWS Page 17
Los Feliz Ledger [people in my neighborhood]
Stephen and Susan Perry: Writers, Teachers, Collaborators By Colleen Paeff, Ledger Columnist
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Stephen and Susan K. Perry have lived in Silver Lake since they got married in 1983. Susan is a writer, blogger, and social psychologist with six nonfiction books under her belt, including a best seller. Stephen is a poet whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, the Yale Review and many other publications. In addition to writing, both Stephen and Susan have spent time teaching–sometimes together. “We learned that we can do it together,” Susan said, “but it has to be separate. I do my part. He does his part.” And for his part? “We have radically different styles,” said Stephen. “I go under the rubric of Barry Stevens, ‘Don’t push the river, it flows by itself.’ Susan likes to push the river.” 2013 has been a banner year for this creative couple. August saw the release of Susan’s first novel, Kylie’s Heel. And Stephen’s first book of poetry, Questions About God, will come out September 30th. Both books will be published by Humanist Press—
Page 18
not exactly a coincidence. Kylie’s Heel had already been accepted for publication when Susan asked the publisher if they’d be interested in a book of poetry. They were. The books share more than a common publisher, though–Stephen’s photography appears on both book covers. And the eBook versions of both Kylie’s Heel, which is set in Silver Lake, and Questions About God contain supplemental material that includes additional photographs by Stephen. Though poetry was his main focus for many years– Stephen wrote a poem a day for a decade, likening the process to jazz improvisation. Now that Kylie’s Heel is published, Susan said she’ll continue to focus on her blogs (she writes three), but she’ll be delving into a second novel as well. And Stephen? “There’s so much joy in the world,” he said. “What to choose?” Look for Susan K. and Stephen Perry online at bunnyape.com.
www.losfelizledger.com
September 2013
Los Feliz Ledger [pilgrim school]
The Book Thief Author To Speak at Pilgrim School Markus Zusak, author of five books including the award-winning I Am the Messenger and the bestseller, The Book Thief, will appear in a free public event at Pilgrim School, Sept. 6th at 7:00 p.m. The Book Thief has been translated into over 30 languages and has been on the New York Times bestseller list for over 5 years. It is currently in production as a major motion picture starring Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, and Sophie Nelisse. The author will discuss his work and answer questions in the main sanctuary of First
Congregational Church, adjacent to the Pilgrim School campus. There will be a book signing afterwards, with books available for purchase provided by Chevalier’s Books on Larchmont Boulevard. 540 S. Commonwealth Avenue Free parking.
Westridge Celebrates 100 Years PASADENA—This academic school year marks Westridge School’s 100th anniversary. The kindergarten through 12th grade school for girls will celebrate their centennial year with a theme of “The Chosen Path,” honoring Westridge founder Mary Lowther Ranne and will have various events throughout the year, includ-
September 2013
ing a Founder’s Day picnic in October, the introduction of the Westridge Athletics Hall of Fame during homecoming in January and a Westridge 100th birthday party. 324 Madeline Drive, Pasadena. For information: (626) 799-1153 or westridge.org
www.losfelizledger.com
Look for our annual
Back to School Guide in October:
Open Houses, Tours, School Information and Important Dates
Thurs., October 3rd
Page 19
Los Feliz Ledger [calendar]
September 2013 Edited by Oliver Gettell ART Frogtown Artwalk The Elysian Valley Arts Collective presents this free, self-guided tour of studios and galleries along the L.A. River. Artists, artisans and craftspeople will open their doors to show their latest work; a new river pavilion will provide information about ongoing river restoration efforts; and Bookshow L.A. will celebrate text and the written word. Sat., Sept. 28th, 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Blake Ave. between N. Coolidge Ave and Rich St., Elysian Valley. Info: www.frogtownarts.com
BOOKS Aimee Bender Los Angeles-based author Aimee Bender will read from and discuss her new short-story collection, The Color Master, which tells stories about people searching for connection through love, sex and family. Also at Skylight this month are Patricia Engel (Wed., Sept. 11, 7:30 p.m.) and David Schickler (Thu., Sept. 26th, 7:30 p.m.). Skylight Books, Thu., Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m. 1818 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz. Information: (323) 660-1175; www.skylightbooks.com
CLUBS Los Angeles Breakfast Club For more than 85 years, this club has gathered folks from
all walks of life to enjoy a meal and each other’s company. Check the website for upto-date information about guest speakers. Breakfast is $7 per person and free for first-time visitors. Annual club membership is $100. Friendship Auditorium, Wed., Sept. 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th, 7 a.m. 3201 Riverside Drive, Los Feliz. Information: (213) 665-1154; www.labreakfastclub.com
MOVIES Atwater Movie Night Under the Stars The free summertime screening series concludes its season with the Marvel superhero team-up The Avengers, starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson and Chris Hemsworth.
On the lawn next to A Runner’s Circle, Fri., Sept. 13th, 7 p.m. 3216 Los Feliz Blvd., Atwater Village. Information: www. atwatervillage.org Cinespia The granddaddy of alfresco movie nights celebrates Labor Day with The Breakfast Club, John Hughes’ classic tale of teenage rebellion starring Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall and Ally Sheedy. Gates open at 7 p.m., and picnicking is encourated. Tickets are $12. Hollywood Forever, Sun., Sept. 1st, 8:30 p.m. 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. Information: www.cinespia.org Silver Lake Picture Show Wrapping up its second season, the Silver Lake Picture Show presents Rob Reiner’s beloved adventure-fantasy The Princess Bride, Starring Cary Elwes and Robin Wright and based on the William Goldman novel. Admission is free. Sunset Triangle Plaza, Thu., Sept. 5th, 8p.m. Sunset Blvd. between Edgecliffe Drive and Griffith Park Blvd., Silver Lake. Info: (213) 308-3039; www.silverlakepictureshow. com
MUSIC Fireworks Finale: Earth, Wind & Fire The legendary R&B group Earth, Wind & Fire will perform a three-night stand with Thomas
Wilkins and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, with each show capped by a fireworks display. Tickets are $12-$171. Also at the Bowl this month: Diavolo Dance Theater (Thu., Sept. 5th, 8 p.m.) and M83 (Sun., Sept. 22nd, 7 p.m.). Hollywood Bowl, Fri., Sept. 13thSun., Sept. 15th, 8 p.m. 2301 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood. Info: 323-850-2000; www.hollywoodbowl.com Local Natives The local indie-rock quartet Local Natives, who released their sophomore album, Hummingbird, earlier this year, will perform at the Greek Theatre with special guests Wild Nothing. Tickets are $29.50-$35. Also at the Greek this month are the Weeknd (Sept. 16th-17th, 7:30 p.m.) and Thievery Corporation (Fri., Sept. 20th, 7 p.m.) Greek Theatre, Fri., Sept. 13th, 8 p.m. 2700 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz. Information: (323) 665-5857; www.greektheatrela.com
SCIENCE & NATURE Public Star Party At this family-friendly monthly astronomy event, attendees can try out a variety of telescopes; view the sun, moon, planets and other celestial objects; and talk to astronomers about the sky and their equipment. Admission is free. Also this month are All Space Considered (Fri., Sept. 6th, 7:30 p.m.) and a FOTO Comic
see CALENDAR page 21
MOMS CLUB OF
los fELIZ MOMS OFFERING MOMS SUPPORT FOR MORE INFO CHECK US OUT AT LOSFELIZMOMSCLUB.ORG
Page 20
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September 2013
Los Feliz Ledger [marshall high school]
Back to School By Alia Parsons Grassy green curving hillsides belonging to the many liberal arts colleges have now started to morph into one giant glob of emotion and opinion within me. A summer of tours, information sessions, different cafeterias, suite style living, and co-ed halls leaves
to the classes. Students from different SLC’s—Small learning Communities—begin to intermingle more as the variety of classes expands. At a school with 2,700 students it is very possible to be in classes with people you have never even seen on campus before, in
Right now my largest class has only 37 students in it, where in prior years this would have been one of my smallest classes. one’s mind cloudy to say the least. That is why coming back to John Marshall High School this fall seems to be a refreshing break. Speaking without having had the stress of the year kick back in, it feels as though things at our school are off to an exciting start. At Marshall, upperclassmen—especially in the honors programs—begin to increase their load of Advanced Placement (AP) classes. This schedule can vary, some students taking only one AP class to other students taking as many as five. Therefore this adds a great deal of variety
September 2013
your third year. This makes for an exciting learning environment that is in a constant state of flux. Despite the variety of students, there is not a swelling in size of the classes. Right now my largest class has only 37 students in it, where in prior years this would have been one of my smallest classes. Though a full year seems hard to comprehend after visiting so many college campuses over the summer one can definitely appreciate the fact that they have more time to spend in these clean cut bell schedules and familiar hallways.
www.losfelizledger.com
calendar from page 20 Musings lecture (Mon., Sept. 23rd, 7:30 p.m.). Griffith Observatory, Sat., Sept. 14th, 2 p.m.-9:45 p.m. 2800 E. Observatory Road, Griffith Park. Info: (213) 473-0800; www.griffithobservatory.org
THEATER & DANCE ‘Korea in Motion: Fanta-Stick’ Combining traditional Korean music with rock and pop as well as breakdancing, percussion, acrobatics and martial arts, this multidisciplinary performance is based on the myth of Jamyeonggo, a love
Early Childhood
story reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet . Tickets are $25.
2220 Beverly Blvd., Westlake. Info: www.liveartsexchange.org
Ford Amphitheater, Sat., Sept. 7th, 8 p.m. 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood Hills. Information: (323) 461-3673; www. fordamphitheater.org
‘So You Think You Can Act?’ Billy Parish of Coast Theatre Conservatory leads this participatory theater and dance production exploring what cowboys did in their spare time in the days of the California Gold Rush. Autry admission is $10 for adults, $6 for students and seniors, $4 for children 3-12, and free for children under 3.
Show Box L.A. Live Arts Exchange presents a series of rotating performances choreographed by Meg Wolfe, Hana van der Kolk, Jennie MaryTai Liu, and Nick + James. Tickets are $18. Bootleg Theater, Sept. 20th22nd, 24th, 26th and 28th (times vary)
The Autry, Sun., Sept. 8th, 2 p.m.-4 p.m. 4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park. Information: (323) 667-2000; www.theautry.org
Elementary Grades
High School
Schedule a tour to see the Waldorf difference. pasadenawaldorf.org 626-794-9564
Page 21
Los Feliz Ledger [loyola high school]
Loyola Cubs Ready to Leave the Den By Alex Flores, 11th Grade The smell of freshly cut grass, the bright lights shining on the gridiron, and the vociferous roar of the fans in the stands can only mean one thing: Welcome t o another season of Loyola Cubs football. This upcoming season is a rather peculiar one for the Cubs. After a lackluster 6-4 season in which the Cubs went 0-4 in the competitive Serra league, Loyola made coaching changes and then revamped the whole team. Usually a year to slowly rebuild
and rehabilitate follows a new coaching change. However, Loyola has not tiered its schedule towards slowly rebuilding. With new head coach Marvin Sanders, formerly with USC and a decorated college football defensive specialist, the Cubs hope to reclaim the Serra League title. This year the mighty Cubs yet again have an arduous schedule ahead of them. Week one they will encounter cross-town rivals, North Hollywood’s Harvard Westlake. Later, on Sept. 13th, the Cubs
will participate in the “Kickoff Classic” at Mission Viejo High School where they will face a tough Crenshaw High School football team. The following weekend, the Cubs will host Max Preps Freeman Rankings’ num-
ber four team, the St. John Bosco Braves. After dealing with a vigorous non-league schedule, the Cubs hope to show their resilience as they traverse the competitive Serra League. As always, every team will do their best to obtain a victory against the mighty Cubs, but the boys in blue will not go down without a fight.
Send the
Los Feliz Ledger your School News to: allisonferraro @losfelizledger.com
[a dog’s life]
Dogs Sniffing Out Cancer By Jennifer Clark, Ledger Columnist A dog can smell a drop of blood in an area the size of twenty Olympic sized swimming pools. Researchers are currently capitalizing on this. The University of Pennsylvania’s “Working Dog Center” is researching and training three dogs to detect, specifically, ovarian cancer. If they are able to isolate the smell, then scientists can create an electronic sensor to mimic this. The research is predicated on the idea that cancer alters the smell of compounds in the body. A former 2004 study in Britain showed that dogs could accurately identify bladder cancer by smelling patients’ urine.
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The In Situ Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Malibu, has been investigating these concepts for years, which would be especially useful in diagnosing cancers such as stomach and pancreatic, which are often detected too late. At In Situ, dogs are trained using breath samples from cancer patients. Similar to the ways in which bomb and narcotic dogs are trained, these dogs are taught to react to odor by barking, pawing or lying down. The In Situ Foundation is currently take breath donations from both cancer and non-cancer patients. Visit DogsDetectCancer.org for more information.
Feliz Ledger (323) 667-9897
st. james’ episcopal school
4 th
Engaging heart, mind, and spirit
, 5 th sele an ct s d po 6 th ts gr av ad a es ila for ble
20 in 13 -2 01 4
join us Call us! 213-382-2315 x255 • admissions@sjsla.org 625 S. St. Andrews Place • Los Angeles • 90005 • sjsla.org
You are invited for 2014! Come learn more about our S.T.E.M. program, blossoming arts classes, diversity, and close knit community here at St. James’... Preschool Open House: September 17 Elementary Open House: September 24
Inquire at sjsla.org/admissions Page 22
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September 2013
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A Teen Checking account requires a minimum opening deposit of $50. An adult co-owner must be present at account opening and is required on a Teen Checking account. Available to account holders ages 13 – 17 (18 in Alabama). Printed materials expire on December 31, 2013. © 2013 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. (1035589_09341) 1035589_09341 11x17 4c.indd 1
8/14/13 11:33 AM
Our Listings Are Selling For Top Market Value!
Call us if you are considering selling and let us show you why our approach to selling homes in your neighborhood works! George & Eileen 323-668-7600 2150 Hillhurst Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Los Feliz • Silver Lake • Franklin Hills • Franklin Square • Atwater Village • Echo Park • Beachwood Canyon
323.668.7600
georgeandeileen.com
Coming Soon
3678 Holboro Drive
Coming Soon
Los Feliz Hills
Call For Price 3216 Ettrick Street
Very unique 1960’s 3 + 3 home in the Los Feliz Hills with family room, pool and views! Living room with fireplace with great views. Step up to dining room & kitchen with deck to enjoy the Glendale city views and mountains beyond. Master suite with private bath. Guest bedroom and home office. Family room and bath on 2nd level. Large swimming pool, patio and deck. With some fix up, this home could really be your very special tucked away treasure!
In Escrow
2694 Glendower Avenue
Coming Soon
Los Feliz
$895,000 1616 Brighton Street
Charming 3 bedroom 2 bath 1937 built Spanish home has been enjoyed by the same family since the 1950’s. Gracious living rm with fireplace. Formal dining room with coved ceiling. Hardwood floors. Laundry room. 5 years new central air and heat. Updated 220 amp panel. Copper plumbing. Cozy den with built-in book shelves. Great opportunity for possible expansion &/or room for a pool. A lovely neighborhood close to Rowena reservoir. Ivanhoe.
Los Feliz Hills
$1,875,000 712 Robinson Street
Listed & Sold For $140K Over Asking!
2485 Lanterman Terrace Silver Lake Hills $1,435,000
Stylish and newly renovated 3+3 Contemporary home with great sweeping views. Fabulous spacious eat-in kitchen with stainless appliances, Caesarstone tops and corner windows to capture the views. Adjoining family room with fireplace. Kitchen & living rm opens to large view deck. Great master with spa like bath. Home office area. New flooring. Deck, patio & yard. 2 car garage. Central air and heat, copper plumbing. Apprx 2640 sq ft. Ivanhoe school.
Silver Lake
$1,089,000
Silver Lake Hills
$1,110,000
Gated 1950’s Silver Lake Triplex with downtown views and nice curb appeal. 2 units will be vacant at close! Each unit 3 Bd, 2 Ba. Beautifully renovated owners unit and direct access to a 2 car garage, living rm w/dining area, eat in breakfast area in kitchen, new cabinets, stainless steel appliances & granite counters tops. Large master bedroom. Newly landscaped yard & deck. Approx 3160 sq. ft bld, 6615 lot size. 2 garages. 6 Parking spaces total.
Listed & Sold
1950 Lucile Avenue
$589,000
Listed & Sold
In Escrow
Breathtaking views the Griffith Park hills, downtown and the city beyond are enjoyed from this warm & inviting 3+3.5 New England style residence. The gorgeous living room leads you to a fabulous deck surrounded by lush greenery with spectacular views of the mountains & Griffith Observatory. Formal dining room. Sumptuous master w/knock out views, high ceilings, fireplace, spacious bath & walk-in closet. Library or den. Garage w/workshop. 3 fireplaces.
Burbank
Charming 1940’s 3+2 home with detached guest house with ¾ bath in a nice Burbank area that’s walking distance to the lovely neighborhood Vickroy Park. Large family room with fireplace that leads out the great yard and patio. Nice kitchen with breakfast area. Master with remodeled bath. Character 2nd bath. Refinished hardwood floors and central air & heat. Room for a pool. More than 1600 sq ft and the lot is 7250. Detached garage. A lovely home.
Stunning 3+2.5 2008 built 2-story Mediterranean residence with views of Hollywood Sign and Griffith Park Observatory. Living room with gas fireplace, built-in book shelves. LR & master with balcony to enjoy the glorious views. Cook’s kitchen w/stainless appliances. Dining room w/large built-in cabinet, high ceilings. Wonderful master suite with great bath and 2 closets. Great patio with BBQ area and small yard. Central AC & heat. Ivanhoe school.
2309 Commonwealth Ave Los Feliz Hills
$1,370,000
Lovely 3+3.5 N. of the Blvd 1923 built home with dramatic 2-story living room, fireplace and hardwood floors. Gorgeous dining room with bay window. Updated kitchen opens to the family room and out to a wonderful veranda with a pergola, great yard and a deck surrounding prolific avocado tree. A perfect home for entertaining. Master with nice built-ins. Central air and heat. Detached 2 car garage. Walking distance to Hillhurst restaurants and shops.