Century City 9.30.22

UCLA Ranked No. 1 Public University by U.S. News & World Report for Sixth Straight Year

UCLA shares the top honor among public schools this year with UC Berkeley

UCLA has been the nation’s most applied-to school for several years running and for good reason: it is one of the best. Indicate of this, U.S. News & World Report, has once again named UCLA the No. 1 public university in the United States in its annual “Best Colleges” rankings. This is the sixth consecutive year UCLA has been ranked No. 1.

The ranking, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said, “is a recognition of the hard work of the staff and faculty, who believe deeply in our academic mission and drive it forward, even in the most difficult periods. It is a recognition of our students’ brilliance,

creativity, ambition and persistence, both in their time on campus and in their lives as alumni.”

UCLA shares the top honor among public schools this year with UC Berkeley. Four other University of California campuses are among the top 10 public universities: UC Santa Barbara (No. 7), UC Irvine (8, tied), UC San Diego (8, tied) and UC Davis (10, tied).

UCLA is ranked highest among the top 20 national universities, public or private, for social mobility, a measurement of the achievement of students from challenging socioeconomic backgrounds. U.S. News considers the number of Pell Grant recipients enrolled, the six-year graduation rate for these students and how that rate compares to non–Pell Grant recipients.

For the sixth year in a row, UCLA was named the No. 1 public university for veterans. UC Berkeley also tied with UCLA in that category.

Century City Native Earns Historian Qualification

Aboard Oldest Commissioned Warship Afloat

Seaman Latia Mille earns her basic interpretive historian qualification

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Skyler Okerman, USS Constitution Public Affairs

Century City native, Seaman Latia Miller, earned her basic interpretive historian qualification aboard USS Constitution, September 15.

Duty aboard USS Constitution is one of the Navy’s special programs, and all prospective crewmembers must meet a high standard of sustained excellence and interview to be selected for the assignment.

The basic interpretive historian qualification means that a Sailor has studied and trained on the history of USS Constitution and has learned about the ship’s major historic battles, its unique design and the life of a Sailor during

the 19th century.

Crew members who achieve the basic interpretive historian are authorized to wear a unique command ball cap, with the word ‘crewmember’ embroidered on the back, in place of the Navy’s standard eight-point cover or hat.

“It feels phenomenal to finally be able to eloquently and confidently share the history of the iconic Old Ironsides with everyone who visits the ship,” said Miller.

Miller has served in the Navy for five months and USS Constitution is her first duty station.

Miller is a 2020 graduate of South Hills High School.

The active-duty Sailors stationed aboard USS Constitution provide free tours and offer public visitation to more than 600,000 people each year as they support the ship’s mission of promoting the Navy’s history, maritime heritage, and raising awareness of the importance of a sustained naval presence.

USS Constitution, is the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat, and played a

crucial role in the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812, actively defending sea lanes from 1797 to 1855.

USS Constitution was undefeated in battle and captured 33 opponents.

The ship earned the nickname of Old Ironsides during the war of 1812 after British cannonballs were seen bouncing off the ship’s wooden hull.

Photo: UCLA. Royce Hall.

Century City/ Westwood NEWS CenturyCity-WestwoodNews.comSEPTEMBER 30 – OCTOBER 27, 2022 Photo: Courtesy the Navy. Seaman Latia Miller.

Longtime Sawtelle Sushi Restaurant Closes Permanently

Fast Casual Indian Eatery Tulsi Opens New Location in Westwood

10916 Lindbrook Drive restaurant coming for restaurant

By Dolores Quintana

Tulsi Indian Eatery, the upscale yet casual Indian eatery has opened its newest location in Westwood at 10916 Lindbrook Drive.

Kiriko Sushi closes for good after 23 years of business

By Dolores Quintana

On August 28, Sawtelle’s venerable Kiriko Sushi closed its doors for good after 23 years of service as reported by Eater Los Angeles.

The closure was first announced by the restaurant’s owner on the restaurant’s Facebook page on August 21. The post said, “As some of you already know that Kiriko will be closed for good. Late yesterday, I was suddenly told that escrow will be closed in

few days so that means if we’re lucky, this coming week will be the last week for us. If not, either tonight or coming Tuesday will be the last day.”

The restaurant was well known and beloved in the neighborhood even though it came into being before Sawtelle was a happening area for the friendliness of the staff and owner and the reasonable prices. Kiriko Sushi was awarded a Michelin star in 2021.

The post expressed gratitude to their customers and friends and said that a return of owner and chef Ken Namba might be in the cards in the future at other locations after “my surgery of hands and R & R.”

As part of the chain that has locations in Northridge and Downtown Los Angeles, Tulsi serves vegetarian and vegan Indian dishes and spotlights regional specialties and street foods like dosas, pani puri, pav bhaji, and chef-curated thalis: round metal trays that showcase smaller portions of a variety of dishes.

The restaurant is no stranger to the challenges of the restaurant industry since Tulsi’s first location opened in Downtown LA during the lockdown during the early days of the pandemic. The restaurant serves South Indian favorites to unique Gujarati fare to traditional North Indian dishes like paneer tikka masala, chana masala, and samosas.

Chefs and on-site bakers make each dish is made from scratch in-house including the slow-fermented dosa batter and the coconut chutney. Tulsi’s also features an Influencer Menu with fusion dishes like paneer tikka tacos and delicious Indo-Chinese favorites

vegetable Manchurian and chili-garlic fried rice, sprouted mung bean chaat in an edible papad bowl and “loaded” makhni fries.

Tulsi is the Hindi name for the holy basil plant, which is sacred in the Hindu religion and thought to be an earthly manifestation of the goddess Tulasi (a form of the goddess Lakshmi). It symbolizes purity, protection, and is thought to encourage a deep state of meditation. Chirag Shah, CEO, said, “We brainstormed many names while developing the restaurant, and one name stuck above all. Tulsi “Holy Basil” is simple, sacred, pure, and deeply rooted in Indian Culture. It fits perfectly into what we were trying to build.” Tulsi’s is open from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily.

Photo: Facebook (@Kiriko Sushi Sawtelle Los Angeles).

Leadership Changes for the Westwood Village Improvement Association

Michael Russell takes over for Andrew Thomas to lead BID

The following is a letter from Andrew Thomas, former Executive Director of Westwood Village Improvement Association who has left to become the CEO of Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.

Dear Westwood Village Stakeholders, Eleven years ago, I joined the Westwood Village Improvement Association (WVIA) as its founding Executive Director. It is with mixed emotions that I inform you that effective September 1st, I am leaving the WVIA to pursue a new opportunity.

I am extremely proud of the accomplishments of the past 11 years. Our clean and safe programs reversed decades-old trends of neglect and disrepair. Our marketing and promotional efforts gave our businesses a voice, and our WVIA Board of Directors took important policy positions that set up our district for success.

There are so many people to acknowledge for their roles in moving our community forward during my tenure, none more than our WVIA Board members who volunteer their time for

the betterment of Westwood Village. Since our first Board meeting in August of 2011, dozens of Westwood Village property owners, business owners, and UCLA representatives have served on the WVIA Board of Directors. It has been my pleasure to work with these generous individuals, and to learn from them.

I have also been fortunate to work with amazing team members, and the success of the WVIA would not be possible without their efforts. Our WVIA staff’s dedication and creativity allow us to overcome so many obstacles. I am particularly awed when I think of the efforts of our team during the onset of COVID-19, and the civil unrest we experienced in the summer of 2020. Those were uncertain times and WVIA staff went above and beyond to ensure our stakeholders were informed and safe.

I could easily go on thanking the many people, property owners, businesses, organizations, City staff, Metro staff, elected officials - especially Councilmember Koretz and his team - plus our terrific friends throughout UCLA who have helped us in countless ways, but if I did, this newsletter would never end. To our great community friends and supporters, I hope it suffices to say that I and all Westwood Village stakeholders recognize your contributions, and we value you more than you know.

While I am sad to leave my position, I am heartened by the hiring of new WVIA Executive

Director, Michael Russell. Michael comes to the WVIA with a wealth of business improvement district experience. This experience combined with his enthusiasm and tenacity have convinced me that he is the right individual to lead the WVIA into the future. Michael’s email address is michael@thewestwoodvillage.com and I encourage you to welcome him to our community.

It has been a pleasure and a privilege serving as your Executive Director. I now look forward to my new role cheering on the leadership in Westwood Village as they advance our district into the future.

Sincerely, Andrew Thomas Executive Director, WVIA

The following is a letter from Michael Russell, the new Executive Director for WVIA

Dear Westwood Village Stakeholders, I am very enthusiastic about this opportunity to serve as the Executive Director for the Westwood Village BID. Having grown up in West Los Angeles, my family has been coming to Westwood since the early ‘80s and I feel strongly that this is a very exciting time for the Village. With the updates to the Westwood Village Specific Plan, Purple Line Extension, 2028 Olympics, and a new Community Plan,

there is no doubt that we will continue to help our stakeholders and the Village thrive.

I bring with me 15 years of experience in the Business Improvement District (BID) industry, previously serving as the Chief Operating Officer for the Gateway LA BID, Executive Director to the Culver City Arts District BID, and Operations Director and subsequently the Executive Director of Wilshire Center BID. I formerly served as Chair of the LAPD Community Police Advisory Board and a Member of the County of Los Angeles Assessor Advisory Council. As a native to Los Angeles, I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management and earned a Master of Science in Public Administration from the California State University of Los Angeles.

Michael Russell Executive Director

Famous Italian Singer Zucchero to Play Beverly Hills Theatre on Sept. 30

Zucchero will play at Beverly Hills’ Saban Theatre, one of several American stops on his World Wide Tour

B y S u S an P ayne

The famous Italian rock singer Zucchero Fornaciari is bringing his talents to the Los Angeles area at the end of September.

Hailed as the “father of Italian blues,” Zucchero will play at Beverly Hills’ Saban Theatre on Sept. 30, one of several American stops on his World Wide Tour that started in April.

In July, Zucchero opened for the Rolling Stones for the second time in his career in Germany, which was “a great honor for me,” the Italian singer said. Zucchero played shows in London, France, Spain, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands,

Slovenia and Switzerland, before coming to the United States in September to finish out the rest of his tour.

“I have always loved Los Angeles. I have recorded many of my albums there with Don Was as my producer and used some of the best musicians in the world. The LA audiences are so great and it’s the center of the music industry,” he said.

Nicknamed “Sugar,” the artist has a 45year long career in what he calls, “blues and rock, coupled with some R&B and pop thrown in, a real mix,” he explained. His stage name Zucchero means “sugar,” a nickname given to him in elementary school, according to the New Straits Times, an Italian newspaper in 2016.

“I have been lucky and have had a lot of success with many songs, but if I had to choose the most well-known, it would be, ‘Senza Una Donna’ (Without a Woman) that I recorded with Paul Young, ‘Miserere’ which I recorded with Luciano Pavarotti and ‘Baila’ which became a number one hit in many countries,” Zucchero said.

Zucchero’s musical career carries a wide range of influences including BB

King, John Lee Hooker, Otis Redding, The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Ray Charles and Joe Cocker.

“They are all artists I have admired since a young age,” he said.

One of the first songs Zucchero learned to play on his guitar were the chords to “(Sitting on) The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding and “California Dreaming” by The Mamas & the Papas.

“Discover”, Zucchero’s most recent album released in 2021, is a compilation of songs he did not write, but wished he had written.

“I spent months listening to songs I loved before choosing the songs to record,” he said. “I then arranged them in my style.”

“Canta la Vita” on the album is a song with Italian lyrics previously written in English and called “Let your love be known” by Zucchero’s friend Bono. During the pandemic lockdown, Zucchero made a video of the song in Rome.

Another song on the album, “Amore Addeso” is the Italian version of a song by Michael Stipe.

Zucchero also sings a version of “Follow

You Follow Me” by Genesis, “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaac and a reworking of “Trouble So Hard” by Moby.

“Discover is an album I enjoyed making,” Zucchero said.

With a career that spans three decades, Zucchero has sold more than 60 million records around the world and has won over 20 music awards, including a Grammy Award nomination.

Tickets for Zucchero’s Beverly Hills stop at the Saban Theatre on Sept. 30 can be found here. The show starts at 8 p.m. The box office can be reached at 888-6455006.

Photo: Daryl Brughman. The Zucchero show in Washington DC on September 13.

UCLA Expands With New Sites in South Bay

By acquiring the Marymount California University campus UCLA extends its teaching, learning and housing capacity

By Bill KiSliuK/uCla newSroom

UCLA is acquiring two sites belonging to Marymount California University in Rancho Palos Verdes and San Pedro — properties that will boost access to a UCLA education and enhance the university’s impact in the region. The land acquisition is the largest in UCLA history, enabling the instruction of nearly 1,000 students.

Marymount California University, or MCU, ceased operations earlier this year due to rising costs and declining enrollments. While there was intense interest in the properties from residential developers, UCLA and MCU reached an agreement largely because of their shared educational purpose.

“UCLA has been a crucial nexus of education, research and public service within Los Angeles for more than 100 years,” said

Chancellor Gene Block in a message to the UCLA community announcing the news.

“As demand for our academic offerings continues to grow, this acquisition will allow us to expand student access in line with UC’s 2030 goals, strengthen our connections to the greater L.A. region, and deepen our institution’s research and public service impact.”

The University of California Regents approved UCLA’s proposal to acquire the two properties — Marymount California University’s 24.5-acre main campus in Rancho Palos Verdes, 30 miles south of Westwood, and an 11-acre residential site in San Pedro — on Sept. 22. The $80 million purchase is not expected to affect existing campus operations.

UCLA and its Academic Senate will establish a task force of faculty members and administrators to study how best to utilize the property to advance institutional goals and expand access to education. In his message to the UCLA community, Block said that the site may host academic programs as soon as next year.

“We are grateful to have been chosen as stewards of this site and to extend the tradition of teaching and learning there,” Block said. “We are thinking deeply about how the site can best increase access to education for our students and enhance the broader community, and we’re looking forward to sharing more in the future.”

UCLA will continue to advance other efforts to meet its systemwide 2030 enrollment goals, including increasing summer enrollment, expanding remote instruction as appropriate and investing in resources to help students graduate more quickly. The MCU site adds to existing spaces UCLA operates in downtown Los Angeles and elsewhere. UCLA Health also has more than 250 patient care facilities

throughout the region.

“We chose UCLA because it has a long track record of educational excellence, and is perfectly suited to build upon the mission of teaching and community service we established here,” Marymount California University president Brian Marcotte said.

“We are certain UCLA will be an outstanding steward of the campus for the city of Rancho Palos Verdes, San Pedro and the South Bay.”

Photo: Courtesy of Marymount California University/Luxury Level. Marymount California University campus.

online on-campus&

SANTA MONICA

BOARD

Dr. Louise Jaffe, Chair

Barry Snell, Vice Chair

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

Monica

SANTA