Brentwood News 12.30.22

Beloved Mountain Lion P-22 Euthanized Following Medical Evaluation

severe injuries and chronic health problems,” cited by state biologists

By Sam Catanzaro

Beloved mountain lion P-22 was euthanized this month due to “several severe injuries and chronic health problems.”

On December 8, CDFW announced their intent to capture the world-famous mountain lion and bring him in for a health evaluation.

CDFW and NPS found P-22 the morning of December 12 south of his long-time home range in Griffith Park, in the Los Feliz area. An anonymous report Sunday night indicated that he may have been struck by a vehicle.

According to Ed Pert of the CDFW, P-22’s behavior had changed recently, having taken to chasing and attacking dogs on leash. Last month, the NPS confirmed that P-22 killed a chihuahua on a leash in the Hollywood Hills.

“That is something that has never been seen in the years he has been tracked by the NPS,” Pert said during a press briefing last week.

After receiving a comprehensive medical evaluation, CDFW has received a clear picture of the P-22’s condition indicating the mountain lion was in poor health.

“He had several severe injuries and chronic health problems,” the CDFW said in a press release.

Based on these factors, compassionate euthanasia under general anesthesia was unanimously recommended by a medical team at San Diego Zoo Safari Park. CDFW officials made the decision to do so on Saturday, December 17.

“P-22 has had an extraordinary life and captured the hearts of the people of Los Angeles and beyond. The most difficult, but compassionate choice was to respectfully minimize his suffering and stress by humanely ending his journey,” the CDFW said.

The CDFW said tests showed significant trauma to the mountain lion’s head, right eye and internal organs, confirming the suspicion of recent injury, likely a vehicle strike. The trauma to his internal organs would require invasive surgical repair, the CDFW noted.

In addition, a examination also revealed significant pre-existing illnesses, including irreversible kidney disease, chronic weight loss, extensive parasitic skin infection over his entire body and localized arthritis.

“P-22’s advanced age, combined with chronic, debilitating, life-shortening conditions and the clear need for extensive long-term veterinary intervention left P-22 with no hope for a positive outcome. His poor condition indicated that he may also have had additional underlying conditions not yet fully characterized by diagnostics,” the CDFW said.

The CDFW has announced it is not seeking information on a vehicle collision, saying a potential driver would not be at fault.

“This situation is not the fault of P-22, nor of a driver who may have hit him. Rather, it is

an eventuality that arises from habitat loss and fragmentation, and it underscores the need for thoughtful construction of wildlife crossings and well-planned spaces that provide wild animals room to roam,” the agency said.

Following the euthanization, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area issued a statement paying tribute to P-22 which can be read below:

Statement on P-22 from Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

Mountain lion P-22 was more than just a celebrity cat. He was also a critical part of a long-term research study and a valuable ambassador for the cause of connectivity and for wildlife in the Santa Monica Mountains and beyond.

He was one of the oldest mountain lions in a study that the National Park Service has been conducting since 2002 and one of its most interesting. When he was captured and collared in March 2012 by National Park Service biologists, he was estimated to be about 2 years old.

Likely born in the Santa Monica Mountains as the son of adult male P-1, he somehow found his way to his tiny, nine-square-mile home in Griffith Park, separated from the Santa Monicas by the 101 and 405, two of the busiest freeways in the world. Defying expectations, he persisted for more than 10 years in the smallest home range that has ever been recorded for an adult male mountain lion.

Although he made frequent appearances on the streets of the Hollywood Hills and even, more recently, of the Silver Lake neighborhood,

he was also clearly a wild cat, doing so mostly late at night, and subsisting largely on natural prey such as deer and coyotes.

In the end, he found his way into many Angelenos’ hearts and home surveillance camera footage.

Park biologists aim to understand and conserve the species that live in and around the park for generations to come. Although P-22 is now physically gone, scientists will be analyzing his data for years to come.

This animal’s life and safe passage to Griffith Park are a testament to both the challenges and the possibilities for wildlife in Los Angeles. He showed us what mountain lions must do to survive in our urban landscape, as he dispersed through it to find a remaining island of habitat.

He also showed us what they are capable of: surviving and co-existing with millions of people in a city as dense and sprawling as Los Angeles.

Goodbye, P-22. Your scientific legacy will live on.

National Charity League Hosts Fashion Show for Charity at the Brentwood Country Club

December 4 event collects donations for the Mar Vista Family Center, Hollygrove, and the Ronald McDonald House

By Keemia Zhang

On Sunday, December 4th, the Westside Chapter of the National Charity League (NCL) hosted their annual Tea and Fashion Show at the Brentwood Country Club.

The event featured a catwalk participated in by sophomore students from Lincoln, Jams and Santa Monica High School, with volunteers displaying clothing donations from various Palisades Village vendors. Freshmen members organized logistics, decoration, and setup for the event.

Following the show, a Toy Drive took place to collect donations for the Mar Vista Family Center, Hollygrove, and the Ronald McDonald House. Charities are chosen on a basis of organizational need and member presentation.

“The fashion show is [the girls’] opportunity to get up and do something out of their comfort zone and learn skills, poise, presence,

and to express their personal style,” says NCL Westside President Melissa Rawlins.

“I am most proud of the girls getting up there on the stage. As a mom, looking at the younger girls, knowing how nervous everybody is and how happy they [felt] once it’s done and they all get to be proud of their accomplishment is really special.”

The Westside Chapter of the NCL, comprising local mothers and daughters from seventh to twelfth grade, was founded in 2010, and aims to help participants “come together in a commitment to community service, leadership development and cultural experiences.” The National Charity League

is

6,000 charities nationwide annually.

a “multi-generational philanthropic organization” that helps

Photo: Hal Horowitz Photography

“Several

Photo: Steve Winter via NPS.gov. P-22 in front of the Hollywood Sign in Griffith Park (taken with remote camera).

Third year in a row Brentwood restaurant has earned this honor

By Dolors Quintana

Pizzana, the immensely popular pizza restaurant, with locations in Brentwood and West Hollywood, just announced via Instagram post, that they have received Michelin’s Bib Gourmand Award for the third year in a row. The post says, “We are honored to announce that, for the third year in a row, we have earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand Award. The award recognizes excellence in food and service at a more accessible price than fine dining restaurants. We are thrilled to be in delicious company and look forward to celebrating with you in our restaurants Grazie mille, Chef Daniele + the Pizzana team.”

Pizzana, the “neo-neopolitan” pizza restaurant in Brentwood, is the creation of chef Daniele Uditi that has the pizza lovers

on the Westside in its thrall. Chef Uditi slowly ferments the pizza dough and the pizzas have a style that is more about simplicity and crispiness. Pizzana has vegan and gluten free pizza options as well as wood fired vegetables, antipasti and salads. Desserts come from pastry chef and co-founder Candace Nelson and include Sprinkles ice cream and items like a salted caramel panna cotta with a pretzel crunch.

Pizzana Earns Michelin’s Bib Gourmand Award Again 24-Story Mixed-Use Development in Brentwood

Project at intersection of Wilshire and Barrington would replace current shopping center

By Dolors Quintana

Century Investments has filed an application to demolish the shopping center at 11701 Wilshire Boulevard after 20 years as reported by Urbanize Los Angeles.

Tony Yeh was responsible for the filing and the proposed plan is for a high-rise building. According to the staff report from the Board of Recreation and Parks Commissioners, the project will be named Wilshire Barrington. The structure would be 24 stories tall and contain 152 units which will be a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, 67,000 square feet of office space and 7,000 square feet of retail space on the first floor. This mixed-use building would also have an underground parking lot with three additional above-grade levels that could hold 397 vehicles.

This proposed structure would need to be approved for entitlements from the Transit Oriented Communities incentive program to build a structure that size that local zoning ordinances normally would not allow. As part of this agreement, Century Investments would only be required to reserve 16 of the 152 apartments as extremely low-income housing.

The units would have to range between 616 and 1,395 square feet.

Wilshire Barrington’s designer of record is AC Martin. According to Urbanize Los Angeles, the building’s design would be a modern style high rise with a glass exterior with an “amorphous footprint facing Barrington Avenue to the east and its northern property line.” The office space would be located on the fifth, sixth and seventh floors. The living spaces would sit above the office spaces with amenities on the upper floors. Those amenities would include a fitness space, rooftop patio and swimming pool that would extend over 24,000 square feet.

Because this proposed project has not included land dedicated as a park on the site or nearby, they may have to pay a park fee of over $2.5 million. According to the staff report’s recommendation, they state that Century Investments should pay an in-lieu fee or pay a partial in-lieu fee and dedicate a portion of land for the project.

Photo: Facebook (@PizzanaLA) Calabrese pizza from Pizzana.

BrentwoodMeet: What a Great Idea!

an epidemic of loneliness, not only in America, but around the world.

I started seeing signs pop up around Brentwood about an upcoming gathering of something called “BrentwoodMeet” (see BrentwoodMeet.com).

It sounded like a nice idea – a way for members of the Brentwood community to come together, connect and get involved in fun and interesting activities.

I attended the meeting on December 21, held at Barrington Recreation Center (333 So. Barrington). I got there a little late and was told it was much more crowded earlier, but I could see plenty of people still hanging around, talking, eating cookies and having fun.

There was a nice mix of old and young. At the activity signup table, there were signup sheets for all kinds of activities: trivia contests, conversational French, a book club, canasta, board games, knitting and crochet, street cleanup events, gardening, Mahjong, movie watching, Pickle Ball, a singalong group, Spanish, general conversation, gardening, Yoga and more.

Admission to all BrentwoodMeet gatherings is free.

We live in an age of massive digital connectivity, and yet it is said there is

I’m sure this applies to Brentwood, as well. I’ve lived in Brentwood for over 30 years, and even though I know a lot of people, I think once people go home at night, the doors close and that’s that. People in Brentwood don’t seem to socialize much. Or maybe they do, and I’m just not invited!

Maybe BrentwoodMeet can lead to new friendships for all of us.

I genuinely had fun at the December 21 event. I told Steve Joseph, who is heading up the trivia contest, that I happened to like trivia. He proceeded to hit me with several trivia questions and I had no clue what the answers might be.

His law firm, the Law Offices of Stephen L. Joseph), is putting up a $1,000 prize for an upcoming trivia event. So be forewarned – these trivia gatherings could become intense!

Steve’s wife, Simone Joseph, is the driving force behind BrentwoodMeet. She was like the Energizer Bunny at the December 21 event, all over the place, keeping things moving, keeping people talking. Simone is from France originally and heads up the conversational French class.

Simone pointed out the health benefits of socializing, which you can find spelled out in more detail at the BrentwoodMeet. com website: longer life, less stress, more

happiness.

Carlos Luna, director of the Brentwood Recreation Center, is an enthusiastic supporter of BrentwoodMeet and it was clear much work went into arranging tables and chairs, keeping the kids busy with drawing, basketball and other activities.

I think BrentwoodMeet has big potential and I urge everyone to give it a try. I could see this working in communities everywhere. Check the calendar at BrentwoodMeet.com to learn what groups meet when.

I hope to see you at a BrentwoodMeet event soon.

Want to get in touch? Send an email to jeffhall@mirrormediagroupla.com.

Founding Publisher

Photos: Jeff Hall The December 21 BrentwoodMeet.

Carlos Luna, Barrington Rec Center Director.

Brentwood residents Simone and Steve Joseph.

Local Artist Carries out Acorn Planting Project in the Santa Monica Mountains

Rebecca Youssef raising environmentalism awareness through art

By Keemia Zhang

Los Angeles artist Rebecca Youssef is carrying out a project to raise awareness of environmentalism through an acornplanting project.

Beginning in September, Youssef has gone into the Santa Monica Mountains and foraged for acorns. “There’s a little process about storing them,” she says, “soaking them in water, bagging them in the refrigerator and slowing the germination process down.” Youssef then returns to their original sites and replants them near their mother oak trees, where she predicts they will grow successfully.

Born and raised in Hawaii, Youssef attended university in Arizona before enrolling in graduate studies in California. Describing her home as “technicolored”, she states that the California landscape of “deserts and pastels” inspired her work.

She began incorporating her advocacy into her art during the COVID-19 pandemic, at the onset of several social justice movements, and now regards it as an important hallmark of her work. “The environmental stuff that I do,” she says, “really can inform the art and the impact toward its response.”

In an effort to raise awareness on a

community level, Youseff plans to give out saplings as gifts to customers who attend the “Art at the Airport” program on December 10th, as part of the 18th Street Annual Winter party located near her studio at the Santa Monica Airport.

Youssef previously did an art show examining the results of a USC study tracking tree loss in Los Angeles County. “A lot of people don’t realize the importance of trees – in Los Angeles, our urban tree canopy is disappearing.” Youseff continues, citing the ongoing drought and annual temperature increases as a result of global warming. “One of the ways to really make an impact is to plant more trees.”

To learn more about Youssef‘s art, visit https://www.rebeccayoussef.com

SANTA MONICA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Dr. Louise Jaffe, Chair; Barry Snell, Vice Chair; Dr. Susan Aminoff; Dr. Nancy Greenstein; Dr. Margaret Quiñones-Perez; Rob Rader; Dr. Sion Roy; Catalina Fuentes Aguirre, Student Trustee; Kathryn E. Jeffery, Ph.D., Superintendent/President Santa Monica College | 1900 Pico Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405 | smc.edu