Brentwood News 11.29.19

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Westside Health and Beauty | Pages 11-14

November 29 – December 19, 2019

Billionaire’s Think Tank in High-Risk Fire Zone?

Nicolas Berggruen’s plan for a Berggruen Institute in Brentwood raises safety questions.

By Sam Catanzaro Opponents of a proposal to construct a campus for a think tank in the hills of Brentwood argue it would establish a dangerous precedent for commercial development in a high-risk fire zone.

Backers, however, contend the campus is more environmentally friendly than many large mansions that may otherwise be constructed.

Billionaire Nicolas Berggruen wants to open the Berggruen Institute campus on 450 acres in the Santa Monica Mountains zoned

for 28-single family homes, agreeing to keep around 95 percent of the land as open space while adding new public hiking trails.

The proposed development includes a one-story, 109,880-square- foot main structure along with 21,000 square feet of residential space with 15 units for scholars and visitors.

The low structure would wrap around a central courtyard with a 250-seat circular lecture hall that would dramatically rise 45 feet above the surrounding building. Three pavilions equaling 30,000 square feet are proposed as well.

The development must first clear a multiyear environmental review process that recently began and residents of the nearby Mountaingate Open Space Management Association are asking city officials to reject the Berggruen Institute’s application. At the Brentwood Community Council meeting Wednesday, November 13 representatives from the association argued that the insti-

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Photos: Herzog & de Meuron, Courtesy Berggruen Institute.

Rendering of the Berggruen Institute in the hills above Brentwood.

tution should not be described as an educational institute. Under city coding, such educational developments have less restrictive zoning regulations. In addition, residents

worry the institute will create more traffic.

According to Steve Soboroff, a Berggruen

THINK, see page 18

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Brentwood Basketball Among Top Teams in LA LA Times releases preseason high school basketball rankings

By Chad Winthrop Photos: Morgan Genser.

Left: Cameron Jakob Woods of Brentwood flying high versus Paraclete on January 9, 2019. Right: Brentwood’s Finnley O’Rouke completes a layup versus Paraclete.

While LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers have been stealing the Los Angeles basketball spotlight, not to be forgotten is the Brentwood School boys basketball team, which was recently ranked by the LA Times as one of the top teams in

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being Windward High School in Culver City which was ranked number 5.

Brentwood will continue preseason play season on Wednesday versus Agoura High in a neutral game. Fans willInget a &School Upholstery Cleaning Done Your chance to see the Eagles at home when they host Windward on January 7, 2019.

Last year, Brentwood had a season for the ages, going 23-7 and making it to the quarterfinals of the 2019 CIF Southern Section Ford Boys Basketball Playoffs. Led by coach Ryan Bailey, at one point the team was the 12th ranked team in California and the number 40 team in the nation.

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the city coming off a season for the ages.

According to the LA Times’ preseason report high school basketball, the Brentwood High School Eagles are ranked number 16 in the greater Los Angeles area.

Curtain “Sophomore Christian Moore is coming off a terrific freshman season,” writes the LA Times’ Eric Sondheimer.

The Times‘ rankings include 25 teams and is topped by the two-time defending CIF Champions Sierra Canyon High School.

Brentwood is only one of two teams on the Westside to make the top-25, the other

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Nov. 29 - Dec. 19, 2019 | 3

Brentwood Most Expensive Place to Buy Home in LA 90049 zip’s median home sale price over $2 million

THE EMOTIONAL SIDE TO AN INHERITED HOME

By S am C atanzaro It is no secret that real estate in Brentwood is pricey. According to a recent survey Brentwood’s 90049 zip code is the most expensive place to buy a home in Los Angeles and one of the top-50 most expensive places to buy a home in the United States.

On Monday, November 18 PropertyShark released a survey of the 100 priciest zip codes in the United States. Los Angeles County contained 21 zip codes to make the top-100. According to the list, Brentwood’s 90049 zip code has a median home sale price of $2.08 million, behind Mill Neck, NY and ahead of San Francisco’s 94123 zip code, ($4.08 million). This makes Brentwood the most expensive place to buy a home in the City of Los Angeles and the 37th-most expensive place to buy a home in the United States, according to the survey.

By Ron Wynn Neighboring Santa Monica was ranked the third most expensive place to buy a house in the country, with a median home sale price of $4.154 million within the city’s 90402 zip code, which includes the affluent North of Montana neighborhood.

To determine which were the most expensive ZIP codes in the country, PropertyShark looked at all residential transactions closed between January 1, 2019 and November 5, 2019 taking into account condo, co-ops, single- and two-family homes.

All package deals were excluded.

To read the full survey, visit https://www. propertyshark.com/Real-Estate-Reports/ most-expensive-zip-codes-in-the-us.

As a real estate professional with over 30 years of experience and as a top agent in the country, you would think I’ve got it down to a science. That might be very possible if I was dealing with computers, robots or machines, but when dealing with people, emotions, memories, resentment, jealousy, anger, sadness, denial, control issues, power, regret and expectations can easily be the wild card that is least predictable.

It might be very easy to jump to a conclusion that the adult children, selling a recently inherited property and holding out for top dollar are ridiculously greedy, especially thinking the proceeds of the sale are a pure, non taxable gift which comes without any effort. I consider this conclusion to be pure ignorance. Although that may look to be the case on the surface, such a conclusion is so knee-jerk, under researched and short sided.

Imagine as was a recent case I handled, it was the family home inherited by 3 sisters and a brother. Here are the facts behind what is seen on the surface. The home was purchased in 1959 by the hard-working immigrant parents who struggled and sacrificed to put together a minimal down payment while the seller gave them a high interest rate, second trust deed which they paid off after 3 years. The children each came along a year apart. Both mom and dad worked two jobs, each just to make ends meet. The parents continued to sacrifice for years, forgoing vacations and dinners to send all four children to college teaching all of them the importance of family, core values, integrity and a good education.

Most of all they taught by example, teaching the importance of love, caring and being there for one another. Later, grandchildren came along, and the home became “the rock” for family dinners, Thanksgiving and even two wedding receptions. The grandchildren know this place to be Nana’s and Grandpa’s home where there was always holiday festivities, love, laughter, great home-cooked meals and good spirit.

As the grandparents grew old, first grandpa became ill and always with a positive attitude and good spirit passed away four years ago.

Then several months ago grandma passed away after first being cared for by two of the local children on a daily basis for nearly two years, while her incurable illness sadly progressed. It was the grandparent’s wish to have the home stay in the family, but by now each of the children had their own homes and none of them were really interested in becoming a landlord.

After much debate, prayer and consideration, a decision was made to sell the home.

Making the decision took nearly three months, and even then, there were feelings of uncertainty and concerns about the parent’s wishes. Would mom and dad be disappointed?

Would they wish we kept the house for one of

the grandkids? Which grandchild should we keep the house for? How would the other grandchildren feel?

So now the real reason I wrote this story.

The escrow has now closed and transaction was a success, but not without much emotional tension and a very very significant price negotiation. When the cooperating agent became pushy and borderline condescending, implying that the seller was greedy and being intentionally inconsistent to the offer agreement deadlines and timelines imposed by the buyer, I reminded the agent to be professional and open-minded in his conclusions of the sellers and the overall sequences of the negotiating process as seen through his very basic considerations of fact, minus emotions.

This is truly an example of human behavior and the importance of totally understanding a family that has much reason to be respectful and considerate to the foundation of their existence, and roots from where their families all began.

It is easy to forget and often difficult to explain but separating market value from emotional value is important. Emotional value usually outweighs market value. This can impact the ability to find a willing buyer unless the buyer can develop an emotional understanding and have a high enough level of motivation. Similarly, some people will use their money to preserve or protect a threatened habitat for emotional reasons that have nothing to do with economic value, and will outbid buyers who want to develop the same land for profit. Sometimes letting go of what one is attached too is just too emotionally costly to justify.

I hope when you are a buyer you will look far beyond what you may define as greed, understanding the emotions of letting go and answering to the ghost voices of a deceased family member, and when you are a seller, that you will hire a real estate professional who will support your emotions, your actions and your ultimate decisions.

For comment email ron@ronwynn.com

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Heirloom Ring Survives Getty Fire “It’s a total miracle”

Photo: LAFD/Facebook.

LEFT – Patty Shales holds her ring recovered by the LAFD in the Getty Fire.

By Keldine Hull As Brentwood residents cope with the aftermath of the Getty Fire, an unlikely discovery offers a glimmer of hope to one resident in particular: an heirloom ring that survived both the 1961 Bel Air Fire and the recent Getty Fire.

Patty Shales lost everything, including her home, in the fire until an assistant chief found a jewelry box on the ground outside where Shales’ home once stood. Inside the box was Shales’ mother’s wedding ring, virtually untouched. Shales’ mother passed away last November.

“She was really a special person,” Shales said in an interview with ABC7. “And I feel that she sent me this to tell me that she’s in Heaven and she’s OK. And I’m gonna be OK. I totally have that spiritual connection. I just feel so blessed and so grateful for the firemen.”

Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Assistant Chief Jamie Moore made the miraculous discovery. “I had the unfortunate task of telling her her house had been destroyed,” Moore told ABC7. “But I told her hold on a minute, I might have something for her.”

According to the LAFD, on October 30, Engine 89 was working at the fire and found a small ring box out in front of the only home

destroyed in that section of the street. Sitting there all by itself. When they opened it and saw the beautiful ring inside, they just knew

this would be very important to the homeowner and delivered it to the Command Post.

In addition to the Getty Fire, the ring also

survived the 1961 Bel Air Fire that destroyed some of the same homes that were rebuilt and destroyed by the Getty Fire. “It’s just unbelievable, really,” Shales continued. “It’s a total miracle.”

The fire, which broke out in the Sepulveda Pass near the Getty Center around 1:30 a.m.

Monday October 28, burned 745 acres before the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) fully contained the blaze on November 2. According to the LAFD, 10 structures were destroyed and 15 damaged as 7,091 residential buildings were threatened by the blaze. The Getty Center was not damaged by the blaze.

According to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and the LAFD, the fire was sparked by a tree branch falling on a powerline.

“The fire was deemed an accidental start, caused by a tree branch that broke off and subsequently landed in nearby powerlines during high wind conditions. This errant tree branch caused the sparking and arcing of the powerlines, igniting nearby brush,” said LAFD Spokesperson Brian Humphrey.

Throughout the week the fire forced mandatory evacuations for much of Pacific palisades and Brentwood. Even though the fire itself was not burning directly next to many areas under evacuation, some of the strongest Santa Ana Winds of the decade forced officials to take extra precautions.

Over 700 personnel combatted the fire and according to the LAFD, five firefighters suffered non-life-threatening injuries in action.

Photo: LA County

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Nov. 29 - Dec. 19, 2019 | 5

7 Reasons Why Ron & Brett Have the Inside Track.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

We are a cohesive team dedicated to a superior level of service for the new homes buyer and sellers, current with every “build new” permit for the prime westside locations. “we specialize specifically in the new homes space with a track record for selling more new homes than any westside agent.”

We are in continuous contact with most every developer or private party builder who may be building a luxury home for public resale, having built solid relationships with most.

We are amongst the most active agents to locate prime building sites, bringing developers and our waiting list clients together, to form amicable partnerships.

Our social media platforms and list of satisfied past clients provide us with a consistent and always building list of qualified buyers ready to perform when the right opportunity is presented.

Our expertise and experience building homes and managing new home construction positions us to provide care, support and council for buyers with concerns and need for intervention and guidance.

Our vast network and good standing among brokers, agents, colleagues, business managers, architects and attorneys positions us to hear of prime opportunities first for our clients. Today’s market is highly competitive with most new homes selling prior to competition.

We know of prime shovel ready site locations that can be purchased “as is” or build to suit; some with plans and permits, others without.

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out You. Four months ag o, we met Ron introduced us Wynn who to Raskin. We all his new homes partner Bret hit it off quite t wel ning and were amazed at the l from the beginresources both knowledge an d Ron and Brett both of them had. Thanks to we are now liv ing in our drea home which w m as our hands thro never on the market. They held ugh the proces s as if we wer their only client e s. We could no t be more satis fied.

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4 Reasons You Should Insist on a New Homes Specialist as a Buyer 1. A new homes specialist knows values based on quality of construction, finish

work, upgrades, appliances, square footage and design elements, landscape, lots size and street location.

2. A new homes specialist can explain the differences between basic grade quality and deluxe quality and can show you where a builder either cut corners or in fact went the extra mile. Your truly qualified specialist will be exceptionally hands-on during inspections and due diligence investigations and at critical moments to review and explain builder warranties. He or she will assist completing and negotiating a comprehensive punch list and repair list to meet a specific allocated timeline.

3. A new homes specialist is connected! Relationships with builder/developers, other successful new homes agents and followers from tech savvy sources and H.R. directors are an absolute must. An Instagram and social media platform with a significant following focused on new homes and eye-catching trends will also differentiate a new homes specialist from an ordinary home selling agent. A known reputation as a new home specialist positions us to a direct pipeline with current information, better information, and quicker information about off market properties and coming soon new homes from the day a building permit is pulled.

4. “A new home has a reliable reputation.” “Reputation” positions a new homes specialist to get your offer heard and approved without hesitation. Builders know and trust seasoned new homes specialists to only work with well qualified buyers.

They know that the agent has sold many other new homes therefore instilling confidence that the deal will close.

We Have the Inside Track on “Coming Soon” New Homes.

Where would You like Your Dream Home to Be?

RON WYNN 310.963.9944

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Real estate agents affiliated with Compass are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Compass. Equal Housing Opportunity. Compass is a licensed real estate broker located at 90 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Fl. NY, NY 10011. All information furnished regarding property for sale or rent or regarding financing is from sources deemed reliable, but Compass makes no warranty or representation as to the accuracy thereof. All property information is presented subject to errors, omissions, price changes, changed property conditions, and withdrawal of the property from the market, without notice. To reach the Compass main office call 212.913.9058.

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Nov. 29 - Dec. 19, 2019 | 7

Suspect At Large for Brentwood Burglaries Suspects flip getaway car after breaking into two homes last Friday

By Sam Catanzaro On November 22, two burglaries occurred in Brentwood near the Santa Monica border, culminating in two suspects crashing and flipping a getaway car in a residential neighborhood.

While one suspect was arrested by police, the other remains at large at the time of publishing.

According to Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Senior Lead Officer Maria Gray, the first incident took place on November 22 around 3:30 p.m. on the 500 block of Homewood Drive.

“The suspects, two, tall, male, blacks, wearing ski masks, entered the rear of the house by smashing the back-door window to the victim’s bedroom and were ransacking the bedroom when confronted by the victim.

One suspect threw a pillowcase containing the victim’s property at the victim’s face and fled out of the house the way they came in,” Gray said. “The victim was uninjured but obviously shaken up.”

According to Gray, the suspects did not manage to steal any property.

The suspects, who the LAPD describe as “brazen”, then went to a house located on the 500 block of Avondale Avenue. Accord-

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Police apprehend a suspect who broke into two Brentwood homes last week.

ing to an eyewitness, the duo pulled up to the house, exited a white Toyota Corolla and then jumped the fence. Thanks to the eyewitness who called the police, soon an LAFD airship was above the burglary in progress. The suspects smashed a side window to gain entry and stole the victim’s jewelry and miscellaneous property, fled out the front door and then jumped back into the white Toyota.

“They fled but the airship directed officers to

them,” Gray said. “As they tried to get away, they crashed near the 700 block of Moreno Avenue. After a K9 and foot search, one suspect was found hiding to the rear of a house. Unfortunately, the other suspect managed to get away..[but] not without leaving some identifying property within the vehicle that provides detectives with substantial information.”

Accoridng to Gray, the vehicle was determined to be a rental rented by a known fe-

Photos: Nextdoor App.

male associate of the suspects, both of whom have criminal records.

“Myself, along with investigating detectives, want to thank the community for their incredible response, from the first witness who called the police, to the neighbors who have provided footage and images from their security cameras, as well as the security companies who have partnered with police in furthering information and tips and images.”

BRENTWOOD NEWS STAFF

Mirror Media Group EXECUTIVE EDITOR Sam Catanzaro editor@smmirror.com 310.310.2637 ext. 107

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L ETTERS TO THE E DITOR Brentwood News invites letters from readers on any subject.

All letters must include the phone number and address of the writer. Letters are subject to editing from the Editor for reasons including length or questionable content.Views expressed in Letters to the Editor are not necessarily the views of Brentwood News.

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Brentwood Beat: Let’s Give Thanks Founding Publisher

By Jeff Hall At this time of year, we are supposed to give thanks.

But let’s not think of giving thanks as something we are “supposed” to do.

Let’s think of it as something we GET to do.

We live in Brentwood. Others live in places like Syria or Venezuela or Hong Kong.

So right away, we need to count our blessings.

In the coming month, pay attention to those who provide services you depend on – and that you might take for granted.

How about our gardeners, house cleaners, construction workers and other domestic servants

Mark from Brentwood Mailbox Center has been a steady provider of basic services for decades.

People stop me in the street and say they think I’m Mark. He gets the same treatment in reverse.

Let’s be thankful for the Brentwood Community Council. Important work takes place there.

who make our daily lives better? Thank them.

Give them a tip if you can afford it.

How about our police and fire department personnel? We salute you.

Same with our teachers and librarians.

And our religious leaders. And our doctors, nurses and dentists. Same with the mail delivery person and the FedEx and UPS driver.

Let’s not forget Uber and Lyft.

On Saturday, December 7 we get to enjoy “Shop Small” day.

The idea is to get people to shop in the smaller – but closer to home – stores and restaurants.

In the course of an average month, we all go to grocery stores, repair shops, dry cleaners, gas stations, pharmacies, beauty salons, restaurants and more.

Those who work in our local businesses greet us with a smile. Let’s return the gesture. Some of

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these terrific people we’ve known for years.

Appreciate those who volunteer to serve on the Brentwood Community Council, on our homeowner associations, and other volunteer committees. There is a lot of drudgery in all this, and we benefit from their many hours of sitting through committee meetings.

Make a list of all those things for which you are thankful. Take your time. The list is likely quite long. Don’t forget members of your family. And your pets.

There is a wonderful line from an old Beatles song, “And, in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make.”

Think to yourself: Who is thankful for YOUR friendship, love, time and involvement? Now let’s take it to the next level.

TELL people you appreciate them.

We can all set off a bit of a ripple effect. Those we tell we appreciate can go on to pay it forward.

Happy holidays, all. And THANK YOU for reading the Brentwood News!

Be valued. Be inspired. Be you.

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We are proud to be one of the few select Invisible Hearing Device practices nationwide to earn certification as SPECIAL LYRIC EVENT Dr. Alexander is licensed by the State of Cali Month of November a Lyric Provider. During this special event, a holds her Certificate in Clinical Competency 805-284-0899 Lyric-trained hearing CALL professional will work The contact lens for your ear.™ American Academy of Audiology (CCC-A), all Dr. Melissa Alexander, Au.D. CCC-A with you to assess whether Lyric matches to train other doctors to be experts in her fie No-Obligation 45-Day Trial3 Dr. Alexander has served Southern California’s hearing Lyric is the world´s only 100% invisible, member of2010. theSheAmerican Tinnitus Associatio since holds a doctorate from Rush your hearing needs. The IfComplimentary it contact does, youlens could forwalk your ear.™ impaired Lyric Consultation Medical Center in Chicago, IL, and completed Certified Occupational HearingherConservation extended-wear hearing device you can doctoral residency at West Coast Hearing and Balance out wearing Lyric with ais the world´s only 100% invisible, Lyric in Thousand Oaks.

Prior to her doctoral studies, Dr. 1 Spaces are limited.24/7 Reservations are required. at a time. wear for months Alexander earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dr. Alexander has served on the Practice Com no-obligation 45-day trial. extended-wear hearing device you can We are proud to be one of the few select wear 24/7 for months at a time.1

practices nationwide to earn certification as a Lyric Provider. During this special event, a Lyric-trained hearing professional will work with you to assess whether Lyric matches your hearing needs. If it does, you could walk out wearing Lyric with a no-obligation 45-day trial.

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California State University Northridge, and a Bachelor of

Committee of theof California American of Aud Arts from the University SantaAcademy Barbara. and was instrumental in creating guidelines Dr. Alexander is licensed by the State of California. She regulations with compliance for au holds her Certificate in Clinical Competency standards from the American Academy of Audiology (CCC-A), allowing her She was the Doctor of Audiology at the Hou to train other doctors to be experts in her field. She is a of the American Tinnitus Association and isIn a addition inmember Santa Monica for over 5 years.

Certified Occupational Hearing Conservationist (CHAOC). frequent lecturer at hospitals and communit Dr. Alexander has served on the Practice Compliance she also volunteers her time fitting Holocaus Committee of the American Academy of Audiology, with hearing aids at noguidelines cost and has a charit and was instrumental in creating for federal regulations with for audiology. program of compliance no/low standards cost aids for those in nee She was the Doctor of Audiology at the House Ear Clinic Alexander awarded a commendation by in Santa Monicawas for over 5 years. In addition to being a frequent Monica lecturer at hospitals andservice communityto centers, Santa for her the hearing she also volunteers her time fitting Holocaust survivors with hearing aids at no cost and has a charitable program of no/low cost aids for those in need. Dr. Alexander was awarded a commendation by the City of Alexander Audiology, in 2017, Santa Monica for her service to established the hearing impaired.

M aim top provider of premium hearing care in LosC Alexander Audiology, established in 2017, aims to be the

We provide concierge audiology services, one top provider of premium hearing care in Los Angeles.

N hearing hearing tests, tinnitus m We provide counseling, concierge audiology services, one-on-one hearing counseling, hearing tests,aid tinnitus management, C hearing aids, hearing batteries and hearin hearing aids, hearing aid batteries and hearing aid accessories. accessories.

Learn more at www.phonak-us.com/lyric

1260 15th St., Suite P2 Learn more at www.phonak-us.com/lyric

Santa Monica, CA 90404 www.alexanderaudiology.com

1 Lyric is water resistant, not waterproof, and should not be completely submerged in water.

2 Individual replacement needs may vary. Duration of device battery life varies by patient and is subject to individual ear conditions.

3 Professional fees may apply. Annual subscription begins the first day of the trial. Lyric is not appropriate for all patients.

4 Based on results from two surveys totaling 109 patients who had worn Lyric for at least 30 days.

See a Lyric Provider to determine if Lyric is right for you. Lyric, Distributed by Phonak, LLC ©2017. All rights reserved.

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650 Alamo Pintado Rd., Suite 101 Solvang, CA 93463 www.alexanderaudiology.com

650 Alamo Pintado Rd., Suite 101

10 | Nov. 29 - Dec. 19, 2019

Brentwood News

BRENTWOODNEWSLA.COM

Tiger Woods to Play at the Riviera Palisades tournament elevated from open to invitational

By Chad Winthrop 15-time major champion Tiger Woods has confirmed he will play in the 2020 Genesis Invitational, to be held February 10-16 at The Riviera Country Club. In its first year with elevated status, the longstanding tournament is now an invitational, with Woods serving as tournament host.

“It’s an honor for us to be in the same category as Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer,” Woods said of The Genesis Invitational’s new status.

“Those are two legends of the game. For us to have this type of elevation, all the things we want to have happen for the tournament are going to happen. On top of that, to be able to host the tournament each and every year at Riviera, where it all started for me, it’s come full circle.”

At last year’s tournament, Woods finished six-under-par to finish tied for 15th. Tournament winner J.B. Homles finished at 14-under-par, battling through windy conditions to secure the victory.

The tournament, previously an “open” has been elevated by the PGA to an “invitational”, giving the tournament more prestige.

Opens, like the U.S. Open, have requirements in place for golfers who want to play but any golfer who meets those criteria can attempt to play their way into the field by entering qualifying events. An invitational is not open to anyone attempting to qualify as contestants are invited from a small number of professionals.

Woods made his PGA TOUR debut as an amateur in 1992 at Riviera. In 2020, Woods

Photo: Morgan Genser.

Tiger Woods in action at the 2018 Genesis Open in Pacific Palisades.

will return to compete at Riviera for the third straight year, coming off a calendar year in which he won twice on TOUR. In April, Woods won the Masters for the fifth time and in October he captured his 82nd career PGA Tour win.

In addition to his on-course success, the elevated status of The Genesis Invitational will celebrate Woods’ TGR Foundation, which provides award-winning STEM curricula, college-access programs, a digital platform and educator professional development and has reached more than one million students.

In recognition of Woods’ debut at Riviera and the elevation of The Genesis Invitational, ticket prices for the 2020 tournament start at $19.92.

For more info visit GenesisInvitational.com.

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SPECIAL ISSUE: Westside Health and Beauty | Pages 11-14

Holistic Rehabilitation With Gyrotonic at Body Rythm Master Trainer Shevi Baruch helping patients with range of injuries

By Keldine Hull With more fitness programs and classes available than ever, it’s a challenge to decide which one to choose at the Santa Monica Based Body Rhythm Gyrotonic® studio. The Gyrotonic® method is an original and unique form of exercise that simultaneously stretches and strengthens the body with minimal effort, while increasing range of motion, creating space in the joints, Shevi Baruch.

and strengthening the muscles around the bones. While clients are drawn to Gyrotonic®, for different reasons, they all experience vast improvements to their overall physical abilities.

Body Rhythm studio offers numerous group-classes each week as well as private sessions. We sat down with Master Trainer Shevi Baruch and three of her clients to discuss the Gyrotonic method and how it helps with different body issues and injuries.

“The most important thing is for the teacher to be able to clearly and simply explain each of the movements in Gyrotonic and for the client to be aware of the difference and impression each has on their bodies ” says Baruch. Once this is accomplished, a client can quickly move from a one-on-one private session into group sessions.

Shevi and her team of teachers are known for their detailed teaching style.

Highly educated in rehabilitation, they emphasize both the physical and metaphysical aspects of the Gyrotonic method and how it addresses the entire person. Body Rhythm clients find and own the new discovery and are able to bring this knowledge outside of their workouts and into their daily activities.

“The beauty in teaching Gyrotonic is that I can teach with precision and still have a fluid motion, like dance, swimming or tai chi,” adds Baruch.

Anne, a costume designer, experienced unexplained sciatica and piriformis pain that would strike at any moment before she began Gyrotonic nine years ago. She began taking private sessions and soon after started group classes. She immediately saw improvements in her everyday life, but specifically skiing.

“I let it go for a few years, did Gyrotonic, returned to skiing, and I am a better skier now in my 40’s than I was competing in my 20’s,” Anne continued. “I feel it has enabled me to age through my 40s with more discoveries, expansion, range and skills in my other sports than I never thought possible.” With a tight and ever changing schedule at work she is able to sign into a class a few hours before class begin.

“What I learn in my classes with Shevi goes on to life carrying my own power to heal and transform myself”.

Mariya, finds that small group classes that are of equal level makes the classes very efficient. She takes 3-4 classes a week. “The teachers are always tuned to direct and correct each one of us while we go through a whole body workout”. Mariya, who also suffered shoulder issues after years of tennis, began to see improvements with her yoga practice where she previously struggled with upside-down postures, strengthening exercises, planks and

Photos: Courtesy

“Reducing or eliminating pain changes the way we approach life,” says Shevi Baruch.

anything relating to shoulder mobility.

Longtime client, Karen, 70’s, began Gyrotonic over 10 years ago. She trains 4 days a week riding bicycle for 3 miles. After a knee injury, she continued her regular group classes and now she can practice as usual, with full range of motion and without any lingering pain. “Coming to Body Rhythm, where Shevi and her teachers are trained in rehabilitation, they are always able to make it better while doing a full body workout. And I found that it was wonderful for me to be able to

stretch and open out areas, not that I was having any major problems, but I could feel certain stiffness.”

Karen found the biggest change in her a posture. “It is so much better. I never thought that I would want to do any kind of exercise, and I look forward to coming in for this class.”

For more information about Body Rhythm Pilates & Gyrotonic call (310) 255-1177 visit TheBodyRhythm.com, follow them on Facebook and Twitter or visit them at 2114 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica CA, 90403

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SPECIAL ISSUE: Westside Health and Beauty | Pages 11-14

Lily the Pink founder Sandy Allbright applies permanent makeup on a client.

Photos: Courtesy.

New Permanent Makeup Studio on the Westside Sandy Allbright’s permanent makeup studio in Brentwood

By Staff Writer For women who want to look their best all the time, a brow artist’s boutique studio in Brentwood offers the perfect solution.

Lily The Pink, established by Sandy Allbright, a talented Los Angeles brow artist at the chic Sola Salon Studios on Wilshire Boulevard in Brentwood, creates, through permanent makeup and microblading, the ideal eyebrow that perfectly enhances her client's unique facial features.

“Permanent makeup is for women who want to look their best all the time. For women who struggle with traditional makeup. For working moms who would like to save time every day. For active people: swimmers, divers, tennis players, sailors, gym-goers, hikers etc. For women who like to travel, its such a hassle to lug around makeup and mirrors. For people who have lost eyebrow hair due to alopecia and chemotherapy,” Allbright, said. “Every client is a unique individual with different aesthetics, bone structure and skin. We custom design the permanent makeup to naturally beautify each face while collaborating very closely with the client to make sure she is 100 percent happy before we begin.”

According to Allbright, eyebrows are vitally important to the overall aesthetic of the face and can make or break a look. There is no need to appear tired or unpolished or spend hours trying to get brows even and symmetrical looking, permanent makeup is the perfect answer to this daily dilemma. Out of the many brow artists in the Los Angeles metro area, Allbright and Lily The Pink stands out for its attention to detail and professionalism at her sanitary and OSHA compliant studio.

“Lily the Pink is my passion. It merges my love of make-up and my love for helping people look and feel beautiful. As an eyebrow challenged individual, I found myself having to face the day with a startlingly bare forehead or spend hours (yes,

hours) getting my eyebrows to even look like actual eyebrows. I knew there had to be a better way,” Allbright said. “Enter the amazing world of permanent makeup and microblading. When I saw what could be done with this miraculous art form I was floored, I had to be a part of it, I had found my raison d’être.”

Permanent makeup is less invasive than traditional tattooing and lasts between 1-3 years and Allbright works with only the highest quality pigments especially formulated for the face.

“Permanent makeup has come a long way in the last five years, gone are the days of harsh and unnatural looking permanent makeup, we at Lily the Pink specialize in soft and natural-looking work that looks just like regular well-applied makeup except it does not smudge or smear or come off at the most inconvenient of times. It is a perfect marriage of art and science.”

Allbright, who has lived in Santa Monica for 16 years, needless to say, loves her work and also serving her own community.

“I am so glad to be able to serve the Westside with my talent in permanent makeup, I love this wonderful, active and engaged community and am excited to elevate their lives with my expertise.

My aesthetic is natural, I want my clients to feel beautiful and confident and for people to not even realize that they had anything done, Allbright said.

“So natural no-one will know but you.”

For more information about Lily the Pink, visit LilyThePink.com, call (310) 592-6337 and follow on Facebook @lilylovespink, Instagram @ lilythepinkla and at https://www.yelp.com/biz/lilythe-pink-permanent-makeup-la-los-angeles

SPECIAL ISSUE: Westside Health and Beauty | Pages 11-14

Preventing Sudden Hearing Loss at Alexander Audiology Santa Monica’s Dr. Melissa Alexander discusses sudden idiopathic hearing loss

By Kehinde Hull Sudden idiopathic hearing loss, or sudden deafness, is an unexplained and rapid loss of hearing in one ear. Cases of sudden deafness have increased within the last few years, leaving patients susceptible to permanent damage if left untreated.

Dr. Melissa Alexander, an audiologist based in Santa Monica, has worked with numerous patients who experienced sudden deafness. “I was working for one of the top hearing clinics in the world,” Alexander began. “We would see maybe one in a thousand cases where a patient would wake up or experience throughout the day that one ear suddenly decreased in hearing randomly and spontaneously. They would come in to have their hearing tested, and we found that it is a virus of unknown origin that attacks the ear.”

In some cases, the issue resolves itself spontaneously. “In most cases, they don’t,” Alexander continued. “It can cause permanent ringing in the ear called tinnitus, and it can also cause permanent hearing loss.”

Through her own private practice, Alexander noticed a startling increase in patients seeking treatment for sudden deafness. “For my ten years of practice in total, I might’ve seen maybe 20 cases. Now in three and a half years, I’ve seen 170 cases,” Alexander explained. “I talked to other audiologists and ear, nose and throat doctors who are also noting a high incidence of this happening. The unfortunate part is we don’t

Photo: Courtesy Melissa Alexander.

know why it’s happening.”

Despite its severity, most patients are unaware that sudden deafness is considered a medical emergency. “If you feel that randomly or spontaneously your hearing is down in one ear, or you have sudden ringing or tinnitus happening in one ear, that is an indication that you should be treated,” Alexander explained. “Get to an audiologist that day and potentially get treated with steroids by an ear, nose and throat doctor immediately.”

Patients diagnosed with sudden deafness

either receive a high dose of oral steroids or a combination that includes a steroid injection past the eardrum into the middle ear space that absorbs into the blood stream. The window of treatment is 24 to 48 hours, and if that time frame passes, there’s an elevated chance that the damage is permanent.

If patients seek medical help immediately, they have a higher chance of preventing permanent hearing loss. “One patient was referred to me by his ear, nose and throat doctor. The patient in par-

ticular already had no hearing in one ear,” Alexander explained. “He was a veteran, and he had an acoustic blast trauma where it wiped out the hearing in one ear. The opposite ear now had potentially a sudden idiopathic hearing loss where we thought the hearing was down. We tested him, and the hearing was 60 percent down in the only ear he had remaining that was functional.”

By the time testing was completed, it was about 6:30 in the evening, and the ear, nose and throat doctor who referred the patient was gone for the day. Alexander continued, “I managed to page their service and get him to get a prescription right away. The patient didn’t really understand that he needed to be treated that moment. He said, ‘Well, I’ll wait til the morning when my pharmacy opens.’ And I said, ‘Sir, you cannot wait until the morning. You have to do this right now.’ He ended up following our directions. He got the steroid treatment and his hearing came back entirely. If he had waited until that morning, the likelihood is very little that he would have regained hearing.”

In cases where sudden deafness results in permanent hearing loss, patients still have options, including wearing a transmitter that looks like a hearing aid. “Let’s say your right ear is affected,” Alexander explains. “Somebody standing on your right side could speak to you and the left ear would pick it up because that transmitter on the poor ear routes the sound to the better ear.”

Above all else, Alexander recommends seeking medical attention as soon as possible. “Telling the doctor’s office that this is an emergency situation, my hearing is down and I suspect sudden deafness is a red flag that we know in the medical community to get that patient in immediately.”

For more information about Alexander Audiology, visit alexanderaudiology.com, call (424) 738-3778, follow on Facebook and Instagram @alexanderaudiology or find them on Yelp.

SPECIAL ISSUE: Westside Health and Beauty | Pages 11-14

BRENTWOODNEWSLA.COM

Brentwood News

Nov. 29 - Dec. 19, 2019 | 15

OPINION

Newsom Looking Scared During Fire Season TOM ELIAS Mirror Columnist

At times during this fall’s still simmering fire season, rookie Gov. Gavin Newsom looked a little like a scared rabbit as he ping-ponged for weeks from blaze to blaze, from Los Angeles to Santa Rosa and many points in between.

Newsom has good political reason to be frightened. He lived through the energy crunch in the first years of this millennium and knows how that debacle destroyed the popularity of then-Gov. Gray Davis, even though Davis had no say about the electricity deregulation behind the crisis.

While allegations of corruption were the proximate cause for Davis being recalled and thrown out of the governor’s office, there’s at least a chance that election result would have been different if he hadn’t been so damaged by looking and acting impotent in the face of rolling blackouts and brownouts during the crisis.

Newsom also is not responsible for conditions that created yet another destructive fire season, but he does bear some responsibility for the widespread so-called “public safety power shutoffs” (PSPS) that plagued millions of Californians as winds blew and fires burned.

Most blame ought to lie with a string of recent governors, including Jerry Brown, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Davis, Pete Wilson, Ronald

Reagan and Pat Brown.

They all appointed Public Utilities Commission (PUC) majorities that stood by idly as utility companies diverted tens of billions of dollars in maintenance fees paid monthly by customers since the 1950s to other uses, including executive bonuses. Meanwhile, power transmission lines and poles deteriorated for decades.

But Newsom’s office did host a series of private meetings with officials of Pacific Gas & Electric Co. all through the spring and early summer, attended by his top aides and leading PG&E executives. All that while, he pushed hard publicly for passage of AB 1054, a legislative bill that set up a new state Wildfire Fund which will cost California electric customers more than $10 billion.

Records from the meetings remain secret, but it’s highly likely they covered the prospect of PSPS’s and who would design and okay them.

As it emerged, PG&E made all the decisions that blacked out millions in vast swaths of Northern California whenever there was a threat of high, dry winds this fall. Those decisions turned the bankrupt utility into California’s least popular company.

Newsom knows he has mostly done the bidding of big utilities like PG&E, which has put almost $300,000 into his most recent campaigns.

He has not admitted it, but urgent political need to distance himself from the utilities may

be one reason he became the most vocal critic of PG&E during the fires, describing the blackouts as “intolerable” and “irresponsible.”

He’s adopted an idea advocated here for several years: break up PG&E and possibly other utilities. He even parroted a suggestion made here during the energy crunch: a state takeover

of PG&E. Acting a little panicked, Newsom launched a $75 million program for state and local governments to mitigate impacts of power shutoffs without saying just how the money would be

FIRE, see page 21

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16 | Nov. 29 - Dec. 19, 2019

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Supportive Housing Replaces City-Owned Parking Lot Photo: City of LA

LEFT – A rendering of the housing project planned for 11010 W. Santa Monica Boulevard.

50 units slated for lot on Santa Monica Boulevard

By Sam Catanzaro

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Over a year after Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz proposed a Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) parking lot in West Los Angeles as a potential location for permanent supportive housing, plans for just that have cleared a major hurdle after getting approval from LA Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Earlier this month, Weingart Center Association and Valued Housing were chosen to jointly lead an affordable housing development on a 10,500-square-foot property located at 11010 W. Santa Monica Boulevard. The proposal calls for 50 residential units.

The proposal from the developers is expected to cost $391,039 per unit – or about $19.5 million total.

This is $138,961 below than the average cost per unit construction costs for the most recent of Measure HHH develop-

ments, which averaged $530,000 each.

Weingart Center Association and Valued Housing is requesting $7 million in Measure HHH funding.

Renderings show a five-story, contemporary low-rise building.

Some nearby residents and stakeholders have expressed concern about the proejct and lack of community input in the planning process.

“All of us see and understand the growing problem of homelessness in our city, it is a safety issue for all concerned. Solutions must work for residents, businesses and the homeless, too. Simply dropping a public housing facility in a city parking lot without regard to other’s needs is not the answer. The lot is desperately needed by area businesses for workers and visitors/ clients/customers,” said Ed Engoron who has owned a nearby business for 33 years.

“The parcel is just over 10,000 square feet, forcing the project to have awkward and disruptive ingress and egress,” added resident Rohit Mehta. “While we would very much appreciate a speedy resolution and build-out of homeless supportive housing, I am concerned that in the haste to meet deadlines, there is a failure to meet the true needs of our community.”

On October 15 the project cleared a major hurdle after Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti signed-off on approval on the development.

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Brentwood News

Nov. 29 - Dec. 19, 2019 | 17

SM Homeless Statue Intended to Confront Public “In The Image” by Ed Massey on display at former Savings and Loans building

By Sam Catanzaro A seven-foot-tall sculpture of a homeless man at the former Savings and Loans building in Santa Monica asks the public to “contemplate their views and elevate their discourse on the issue,” of homelessness says the artist, who has a history of generating buzz in Santa Monica through art.

The statue, titled “In The Image”, sculpted by Ed Massey, is of a bearded homeless man wearing baggy clothes with a red blanket draped on his shoulders, depicting a man the artist came across 20 years ago.

“Good people — progressive to conservative, secular to religious — are confronted by the issue every day…Yet, few know the stories of the homeless with whom we come in contact.

What don’t we know of those we pass without a glance? What could be their potential contributions? What does the sculpture evoke or say about us?” Reads a part of the description. “The ‘In the Image’ work was always intended for the public realm, so viewers and passersby could contemplate their views and elevate their discourse on the issue — one that has now come to affect us all where we work and live.”

Photo: Sam Catanzaro

“In The Image” by Ed Massey on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and 26th Street in Santa Monica.

For 50 years, the property, located at Wilshire Boulevard and 26th Street, was home to the historic Millard Sheets “Pleasures Along the Beach” glass mosaic. Earlier this year, however, the mosaic was moved to the Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University in the City of Orange, despite its landmark designation.

RON WYNN

“The loss is the result of the City’s settlement of a lawsuit brought against it by the property owner, reversing the landmark designation in 2013 as well as the Santa Monica Conservancy’s appeal to City Council, which once again confirmed the designation in 2017,” said the Santa Monica Conservancy in June.

In an online thread, Twitter account Santa Monica Problems (@SantaMonicaProb) took aim at city officials for allowing the statue to be erected.

“Only in [Santa Monica] would a statue of a family be replaced [with a] statue of a homeless man. Why not honor a resident, rather than glorify homelessness?” reads the Tweet. “[Santa Monica’s] homeless situation is nothing to be proud of.”

Santa Monica City Councilmember Ted Winterer, however, wrote in a reply to the tweet that the City has no authority over the statue’s subject matter citing the owner’s First Amendment rights.

“You realize it’s private property right? The owner made the decision to remove the mural and previous sculpture and replace it with the new one, not the city. Can’t stop the owner from exercising her/his First Amendment rights,” Winterer wrote.

The installation will be on display for six weeks.

This is not the first time artist Ed Massey has generated buzz in Santa Monica. In 1994, as part of a five-city exhibition, Massey along with feminist activist Peg Yorkin installed lifesize painted-polyurethane foam figures depicting the grisly aftermath of a sexual assault titled “Morality/Mortality” in a storefront window at the Wilshire Medical Building at Wilshire Boulevard on Wilshire Boulevard and 15th Street, which had recently opened.

“It would have been a lot easier to show the piece in a third-floor gallery in Manhattan,” Massey told the LA Times at the time. “But this has to be in a public area. The work is intended to attract attention and discussion. If it doesn’t do that, I’ve failed.”

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18 | Nov. 29 - Dec. 19, 2019

THINK,

from page 1 Institute LA Committee member and senior project advisor “The Berggruen Institute will be — first and foremost — a campus for scholarly study,” in a statement to City News Service.

The development’s critics also argue that the recent Getty Fire should be a warning to community leaders of the hazards of developing in a high-risk fire area.

Soboroff to this end said that former Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Bill Bamattre has been appointed by the institute to come up with a fire safety plan to improve current safety conditions.

The Berggruen Institute was founded in 2010 and is dedicated to “engaging great thinkers to develop and promote long-term answers to the biggest challenges of the 21st century,” and works to reform California’s state and local government while focusing on issues such as climate change and economic inequality.

Brentwood News

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Frank Lloyd Wright Sturges House Turns 80

Sturges House in Brentwood Heights

By Keldine Hull

It’s been 80 years since the completion of the historic George D. Sturges House, a Frank Lloyd Wright single-family home located at 449 North Skyewiay Road in Brentwood Heights. Considered a futuristic, architectural masterpiece, the George

D. Sturges House is the only Usonian-style home, a design term coined by Wright, in Southern California. Adopted as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument on May 25, 1993, the Sturges House was considered a departure from Wright’s well-known textile-blockhouses.

One of the most prolific figures in American architecture, Wright was known for designing the Hollyhock House, completed in 1919, in addition to the Millard, Freeman, Storer and Ennis residences. The Sturges residence was one of Wright’s last complet-

ed designs on the Westside.

Jack Larson, known for his role as Jimmy Olsen in the “Adventures of Superman” television series from 1952 to 1958, purchased the 1,200- square- foot home in 1967 and lived there with his partner, director James Bridges. Following Larson’s death in 2015, the home went up for auction along with an impressive collection of artwork from Andy Warhol and David Hockney. The Sturges House was sold in 2016 for over $2 million but remains an important piece of architectural history in Southern California.

Norman Lear’s $40 Million Mansion

Famed producers asking for $15 million less for the 8+ acre estate

By Chad Winthrop

Famed television producer Norman Lear has relisted his 8.29-acre Brentwood estate for just under $40 million, $15 million less than the 2015 asking price for the property as a number of LA megamansions are lowering prices Located at 1911 Westridge Road, the property includes an approximately 14,000-square-foot main house, a 3-bed-

room guest house and a 35-car garage, according to the listing.

“This masterpiece is an exceptional gated estate sitting on 8.29 acres of impeccable grounds providing expansive ocean, city and canyon views throughout,” reads the listing from real estate agent Joshua Altman.

The estate was listed on October 24 as being listed in 2016 for $39.95 million and $55 million in 2015.

The listing comes as several other L.A. megamansions are lowering asking prices, such as designer Max Azria’s California estate, which was relisted recently for $10 million less than prior.

Lear, 97, behind works such as “All in the Family,” “The Jeffersons” and “San-

ford and Son.” He also worked on movies like “Stand by Me” and “Princess Bride”, bought the property in 1988 for $6.5 million, according to property records.

The main house has seven bedrooms, eight full bathrooms and four half bathrooms, according to the listing. A pool, spa, gym, and private tennis court are also part of the estate.

The formal living room has exposed ceiling beams and opens out onto an outdoor terrace. A chef’s kitchen boasts stainless steel appliances, a breakfast bar and a dining nook, and shares an open plan with the family room. There’s also a formal dining room, double-height library and study with cedar walls, according to the listing.

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Photo: Realtor.com

Karl and Mona Malden’s Mandeville Canyon home now for sale.

Brentwood Home With Hollywood History For Sale 1940 Mandeville Canyon manor hits market.

By Keldine Hull The Brentwood property that Karl and Mona Malden called home for decades is for sale, listed for nearly $3.5 million. The 2-story, 3-bedroom traditional-style home located at 1845 Mandeville Canyon Road in Mandeville Canyon includes original stained- glass windows and sits on 2,650 square feet.

Karl Malden was a mainstay in entertainment, appearing in dozens of films and

television series from 1940 to 2000. In 1952, Karl Malden won an Oscar for his role in A Streetcar Named Desire, and his performance in the 1954 classic On the Waterfront earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Both films starred a young Hollywood icon in the making, Marlon Brando.

Mona Malden was a Broadway actress, known for her appearance in 1943’s I’ll Take the High Road. Mona and Karl remained together for 70 years- the third longest marriage in Hollywood. Karl Malden was 97 when he passed away on July 1, 2009. Mona passed away at the age of 102 on July 13 of this year.

BRENTWOOD SINGLE FAMILY HOMES

1883 Westridge Rd. 3439 Mandeville Canyon Rd. 314 S Bundy Dr. 917 Wellesley Ave. 801 N Kenter Ave. 12626 W Sunset Blvd.

12100 Inavale Pl. 12501 W Sunset Blvd.

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UCLA Steps Down as Final Democratic Debate Host Labor disputes lead to LMU being selected as new host.

By Sam Catanzaro The sixth and final Democratic primary debate initially planned to take place at UCLA’s Royce Hall, will now be held at Loyola Marymount University the Democratic National Committee has announced.

The change of venues stems from labor disputes between AFSCME Local 3299, a member of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union and the University of California, Los Angeles.

“In response to concerns raised by the local organized labor community in Los Angeles, we have asked our media partners to seek an alternative site for the December debate. We will be in touch with more information when it is available,” the DNC wrote in an email to Democratic candidates participating in the debate.

“With regret, we have agreed to step aside as the site of the debate rather than become a potential distraction during this vitally important time in our country’s history,” said the UCLA

U.S. flags on the stage at UCLA’s Royce Hall.

Luskin School of Public Affairs in a statement.

AFSCME Local 3299 represents more than 10,000 service and patient care employees in the UC system and is amid a three-year boycott.

“What we’re doing is asking for the candidates who are coming to UCLA’s campus to honor the three-year boycott that we’ve had in place for any speaker attending any event on

Photo: Christelle Snow/UCLA.

any of the University of California campuses to stand in solidarity with the workers and essentially to not lend their name and credibility to the university that’s treating workers like this,” wrote Liz Perlman, union’s executive director, in a Facebook post.

PBS NewsHour and POLITICO are co-hosting the debate which will take place on December 19 and air live on PBS.

FIRE,

from page 15 spent. He also called for PG&E – and by extension Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric – to compensate customers whose power was shut off.

So far, only PG&E has agreed to any form of payments or future discounts, details not yet specified. But the PUC members Newsom appointed early this year show no signs of reversing a multi-billion dollar PG&E rate increase scheduled to raise the average residential electric bill by about $9 per month in January.

So Newsom acts like PG&E’s leading critic after the blackouts, which caused some commentators to label California a “third-world state.”

But at the same time, his regulatory appointees do nothing to penalize that company or Edison, whose equipment apparently also sparked some fall fires. Not only is the PUC allowing PG&E’s rate increase to continue as if the company deserved it, but it okayed charging customers monthly for the Wildfire Fund without so much as a public hearing.

So while Newsom talks like a PG&E critic, his appointees’ actions say otherwise. This reality ought to frighten him as he ponders what befell Davis.

Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com. His book, “The Burzynski Breakthrough: The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Government’s Campaign to Squelch It,” is now available in a soft cover fourth edition. For more Elias columns, go to www.californiafocus.net

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Fim Review: “Frozen 2” for the Holidays

By W hitney S cott Bain

Elsa (Idina Menzel) now the Queen of Arendelle begins to hear a mysterious voice that beckons her to follow to an enchanted autumn land as Princess Anna (Kristen Bell), Olaf (Josh Gad), Kristoff (Jonathon Groff) and Sven the reindeer follow her on her quest.

When they arrive, they discover a dark family secret that centers on the power of water and that Elsa must restore the balance of nature.

The bonding between Anna and Elsa becomes stronger as they are now growing up and accepting responsibilities each knowing they will lead a different path in life, though they have always been a team. Olaf and Sven share the comedy relief and they are a welcome sight. Kristoff is beside himself wanting to ask Anna to marry him, but doesn’t quite know how.

The Disney animators outdo themselves in every film and this is no exception. The

animation is superb especially the water sequences.

The musical numbers are adequate, but there are too many of them and none as memorable as “Let It Go” though Kristoff’s

number is quite funny and nostalgic resembling an MTV video from the 80’s when MTV used to run videos.

The quest is interesting, but the problem is it lacks an antagonist. It feels flat and

doesn’t have the charm and magic the first one did.. Smaller children will enjoy it, but will be confused about the complicated plot. Parents: expect a lot of questions from your little ones.

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