WESTSIDE DINING
Season’s EATINGS
Pages 7 – 10 | INSIDE: Farm Fresh to You (p.11), MORE!
Century City/ Westwood
NEWS CenturyCity-WestwoodNews.com
November 1 – 14, 2019
Getty Fire Forces Widespread Evacuations At least 12 homes destroyed on Westside By Sam Catanzaro Less than 72 hours after firefighters knocked down the Palisades Fire, fire crews were right back at it combatting an even larger and more destructive blaze in that started out in the Sepulveda Pass. The Getty Fire, which broke out in the Sepulveda Pass near the Getty Center around 1:30 a.m. Monday, has burned 745 acres and is at 27 percent containment as of 9:00 a.m. Wednesday. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), 12 structures have been destroyed and 5 have been damaged as 7,091 residential buildings are threatened by the blaze. The Getty Center has not been damaged by the blaze. In a press conference Tuesday evening, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and the LAFD announced that 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. All powerlines on the pole remained intact,” said LAFD Spokesperson Brian Humphrey. Tuesday night, crews and aircraft worked to contain wind-driven spot fires and flare-ups within the current fire perimeter as an Extreme Red Flag Warning remains in place. “Adverse weather conditions will be the biggest challenge for firefighters today. An Extreme Red Flag Warning remains in effect throughout the day today and into tomorrow. Winds are forecasted to be 30-50 mph with peak wind gusts up to 70 mph. Relative humidity is forecasted to drop into single digits with poor to no overnight recoveries. This all adds up to an extreme fire weather threat, meaning that conditions are as dangerous for fire growth and behavior as we
EVACUATE, see page 14
Photos: Eric French/LAFD.
Person with Measles Visits Westwood Starbucks
Potential exposure occured on October 16 By Chad Winthrop
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (Public Health) is investigating an additional confirmed case of measles in a Los Angeles County resident who visited a Starbucks in Westwood on October 15 before visiting another nearby Starbucks on October 16. Potential public exposure location and times were as follows: Oct. 15, 2019, 7:20 a.m. to 9:35 a.m. – Starbucks, 2215 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064 October 16, 2019, 7:50 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Photo: Google.
A Starbucks in a strip mall on Westwood Boulevard where a person with measles visited October 16.
– Starbucks, 3006 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90034 October 16, 2019, 9:15 a.m. to 8:35 p.m. – Disneyland, Anaheim, CA Oct. 17, 2019, 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. – Factor’s Famous Deli, 9420 West Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035
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Anyone who may have been at these locations on these dates during these timeframes may be at risk of developing measles for up to 21 days after being exposed and should: Review their immunization and medical records to determine if they are protected against measles. People who have not had measles infection previously or received the measles immunization may not be immune and should talk with a health care provider about receiving measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) immunization. Contact and notify their health care provider as soon as possible about a potential exposure if they are pregnant, an infant, have a weakened immune system and/or are unimmunized. Monitor themselves for illness with fever and/or an unexplained rash from 7 days to 21 days after their exposure (the time period
when symptoms may develop); if symptoms develop, stay at home and call a healthcare provider immediately. Currently, there have been 19 measles cases among Los Angeles County residents in 2019, in addition to 11 non- resident measles cases that traveled through Los Angeles County (excluding Long Beach and Pasadena as cases identified in those cities are reported by their local health departments). The majority of cases to date were unimmunized or did not know whether they had ever been immunized. “For those who are not protected, measles is a highly contagious and potentially severe disease that initially causes fever, cough, red, watery eyes, and, finally, a rash,” said Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County Health Officer. “Measles is spread by air and
MEASLES, see page 14
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CENTURY CITY-WESTWOOD NEWS
NOVEMBER 1 – 14, 2019
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Supportive Housing Set to Replace City-Owned Parking Lot 50 units slated for lot on Santa Monica Boulevard By Sam Catanzaro 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 developments, which averaged $530,000 each. Weingart Center Association and Valued Housing is requesting $7 million in Mea-
sure 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.
View from across Westwood Boulevard.
Photo: Riley Projects.
City to Hear Westwood Boulevard Mixed-Use Development Appeal Appeal looks to block construction of 62-unit project By Sam Catanzaro This month, the Los Angeles City Planning Commission is set to consider an appeal looking to halt the construction of a mixed-use development on Westwood Boulevard. The project, submitted last year to the City of Los Angeles, calls for replacing a vacant building at 2301 Westwood Boulevard with a five-story apartment complex
with 50 residential units – including five for extremely low-income individuals – and 6,507 square feet of ground-floor retail with 71 parking spaces on three basement levels. The appeal, filed by an abutting homeowner, argues that the proposed development is too big for the surrounding area, lacks enough on-site parking, and inappropriately obtained Transit Oriented Communities incentives. A staff response rebuted these claims and determined that the project’s current approvals were appropriate. The project applicant, an entity named The Westwood, LLC, has previously downsized the mixed-use project from a larger 62-unit development.
NEED CASH? A rendering of the housing project planned for 11010 W. Santa Monica Boulevard.
Photo: City of LA
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CENTURY CITY-WESTWOOD NEWS
NOVEMBER 1 – 14, 2019
NOVEMBER 1 – 14, 2019
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CENTURY CITY-WESTWOOD NEWS
OPINION
CA Gasoline Gouging 9.0 TOM ELIAS Mirror Columnist
For the ninth time in the last five years, gasoline prices spiked this fall in California, with per-gallon pump charges briefly leaping above $5.15 at many stations around the state. The escalation of more than $1 per gallon of unleaded regular was largely masked by bigger headlines devoted to wildfires and massive blackouts staged or threatened by the state’s biggest utilities, but it was very real and still is far from fully receding. Meanwhile, there was some consumer protection for Californians when the electric companies cut them off in the interest of preventing fires sparked by power lines whose maintenance they neglected for many years. When a blackout, fire or earthquake strikes, state law prohibits sudden price gouging by merchants and service providers. No such law governs oil companies when they experience gasoline refinery outages, whether they are accidental or deliberately staged – and there is no one now authorized to determine the difference. There ought to be. For now, no one can formally prove the recent price increases meet legal defini-
tions of gouging, which happens when retailers and suppliers respond to disasters with prices much higher than usual, sometimes rising to the level of being both unfair and unjustified. Things very likely met that definition this month when prices jumped about 20 percent after seven of the state’s 25 major oil refineries either had scheduled maintenance outages or experienced short-term operational troubles. No government authority has yet proven collusion between the five big refiners – led by Chevron, Tesoro and Phillips 66 – which control 90 percent of California’s gasoline market, and also own or franchise 80 percent of gas stations. But for them all to raise prices hugely at the same moment suggested some sort of cooperation. They can’t all be running up precisely identical costs at the very same moment. Consumers can’t help noticing that when the price rises at a Chevron station, it generally goes up the same amount at the Shell outlet across the street, which often pumps Tesoro fuel. That happened this fall and also in the prior price spikes, including one last spring. Gas station operators can’t be blamed very much – this fall, refiners raised the wholesale price stations pay by about 30 cents per gallon, a cost they pass through to customers.
For sure, these sudden price increases increase oil company revenues. Yearly profit statements are not yet in for the big refiners, and only two of the top five break out California results separately from the rest of their worldwide operations. Still, the last time anyone closely analyzed oil company profits, the Consumer Watchdog advocacy group in 2016 thoroughly documented that record profits for the refiners coincided with record-high pump prices throughout this state. Some industry spokespeople have cited as one cause for the latest spike the brief drop in world gasoline supplies following the September drone and missile attack on Saudi Arabia’s largest refinery. Worldwide prices did jump sharply just after that, but quickly returned to near previous levels as the facility went back online sooner than expected. Through all this, California oil refiners have kept their inventories low for many years. The rest of the continental U.S., for example, normally has about 24 days’ supply of gasoline on hand at any moment, while California averages between 10 days’ and 13 days’ supply. “Because they keep inventories very low, prices rise immediately when anything happens because of concerns over possible shortages,” said Jamie Court, president
Photo: Sam Catanzaro
A 76 station on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and 26th Street in Santa Monica where gas prices are almost $5 a gallon.
of Consumer Watchdog. “If it’s illegal to gouge after a natural disaster, why not after refinery problems?” No one currently watches over any of this. Just after last spring’s gas price spike, Gov. Gavin Newsom asked for an analysis from the state Energy Commission, whose preliminary conclusion was that at least some “market manipulation” was involved. The full report was due out this month. What’s really needed is a state agency with authority to track oil company prices and profits and clamp down on them when needed. But so far, no state legislator has stepped up to propose anything like that.
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CENTURY CITY-WESTWOOD NEWS
NOVEMBER 1 – 14, 2019
SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
The ADVANTAGE is all yours Complete a full-credit class in just 6 weeks.
Winter classes begin January 6 Apply at smc.edu/winter
SANTA MONICA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES: Dr. Margaret Quiñones-Perez, Chair; Dr. Nancy Greenstein, Vice Chair; Dr. Susan Aminoff; Dr. Louise Jaffe; Rob Rader; Dr. Sion Roy; Barry A. Snell; Brooke Harrington, Student Trustee; Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery, Superintendent/President
Season’s
WESTSIDE DINING
EATINGS
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Season’s
NOVEMBER 1 – 14, 2019
EATINGS
Chefs for Seniors Dining Experience By Keldine Hull
Chefs for Seniors offers a unique and tailored dining experience for senior citizens in the comfort of their own home. The service, which provides in-house personal chefs and custom made meals, has grown to nearly 50 locations throughout the United States in less than three years. Licensed chefs undergo background checks and are fully insured. Sonia Vissani Lesko is a new franchise owner for the West Los Angeles area which currently serves seniors in Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Marina Del Rey and Venice. “I always loved to cook,” Lesko explained. “My background is in education. I was a preschool owner until last August, but I always had the passion for cooking. I’m Italian and growing up, we had very good food. After I sold my preschool, I started taking cooking classes. I decided to do something with it. I was looking for a purpose and wanted to follow my heart, cooking for people who appreciate the good food.” Her passion for food led her to Chefs for Seniors where she could use her love for food to help others. She was attracted to the business model and wanted to get involved. “The Chefs for Seniors idea is to provide good meals for seniors with the hope that they can live longer in their own home without moving to assisted living. Maybe they can’t cook for themselves anymore and they want something that is homemade for them.” The Chefs for Seniors service begins with a consultation where the chefs learn about their clients and the kinds of food they prefer. Leko continued, “Basically, it’s custom made food. First, we ask a lot of questions, what they like and dislike. When we cook, we cook specifically for them. Every week we decide the menu for the following week.” Personal chefs take note of specific di-
Sonia Vissani-Lesko, Chefs for Seniors West Los Angeles franchise owner
Photos: Courtesy.
“You leave their house and you know you did something good. A friendship develops over time because we go every week. It becomes something very special. It goes beyond just the cooking.”
etary restrictions and needs including low sodium, diabetic, gluten free and vegetarian. Once a menu has been chosen, the chefs go shopping for the necessary ingredients. Lesko continued, “I shop at a local store close to their home. Then I go to their house. I have a cart with pots, pans and my tools, and I start cooking. I cook four menus with side dishes, and we divide them into about 12 portions. They can microwave the food in the containers we provide. They can refrigerate some or put it in the freezer. When I’m done cooking, I clean up the kitchen and then we decide the menu for the following week.” Chefs for Seniors offers a wide range of menu items that include seasonal options like chicken and dumplings, pork loin with cranberry sauce, fall pasta salad, harvest pork stew, Mexican or classic meatloaf, citrus glazed or balsamic salmon and pistachio crusted salmon. Other seasonal menu items include beef stroganoff, spinach and mushroom quiche, stuffed bell peppers, crab cakes, Thai coconut shrimp,
chicken dijonnaise, chicken pot pie, vegAs a new franchise owner, Lesko hopes gie grain soup, lemon chicken, veggie to expand the franchise and eventualfrittata, spaghetti and meatballs and curry ly hire other trained chefs who share her chicken salad. As passion for food and chefs get to know helping others in “They look forward to their clients better need. “My goal is to having someone come in week after weeks, offer the service to their house and cook the adjustments can be as many senior citfood they like. And there made to the menu izens as I possibly is the companionship and can,” Lesko added. to further accommodate their needs. relationship that develops “You leave their Beyond providhouse and you know over time. It’s fresh food ing healthy and you did something with fresh ingredients affordable meals good. A friendship cooked to their taste. It for senior citizens, develops over time creates this good feeling.” because we go every personal chefs also offer much- needweek. It becomes ed companionship to many seniors who something very special. It goes beyond often live alone. Lesko explained, “They just the cooking.” look forward to having someone come in their house and cook the food they like. And there is the companionship and relaTo learn more about Chefs for Seniors, tionship that develops over time. It’s fresh including service and menu options, visit: food with fresh ingredients cooked to their https://chefsforseniors.com or follow on taste. It creates this good feeling.” Facebook @ChefsForSeniors
NOVEMBER 1 – 14, 2019
9
Season’s EATINGS
Farm Fresh to You: Delivering the Gift of Health This pioneering company has been hand delivering farm-fresh, organic produce to doorsteps for over 25 years. By Barbara Archer Looking for a thoughtful gift that keeps on giving this holiday season? Share the gift of health with a Farm Fresh To You Farm Box subscription for yourself or someone you love. Each delivery includes seasonal, certified organic produce and is fully customizable to fit your tastes or dietary needs. Conveniently shop from over 600 artisan farm products, hand-selected grocery items, unique gifts, specialty collections and baskets, and all your healthy, holiday menu ingredients to be delivered to your home or office. Each box also includes a weekly newsletter with helpful tips, delicious seasonal recipes and a letter from Farmer Thaddeus. eGift Cards are also available through their website.
Photo: Courtesy.
Customers can customize boxes with seasonal, organic produce, and shop from over 600 carefully curated farm products, groceries and gifts.
Farm Fresh To You began with the founding of its Northern California farm, Capay Organic, in 1976 as a means to supply a local farmers market. In 1992, the owners’ mother, Kathleen Barsotti, heard about a new concept called Community
Supported Agriculture (or CSA) from a farmer friend in San Diego. Inspired by the concept, she started Farm Fresh To You, delivering produce boxes directly to homes in her parents’ station wagon. Today, Kathleen’s three sons — Noah,
Thaddeus and Freeman — run the company. As they were growing up, Kathleen instilled a connection to the land by passing on important roles in the day-to-day operation of the family farm. In 2007, they expanded their agricultural roots and began farming in areas of Southern California, began delivering to customers in Los Angeles in 2009, and then to San Diego in 2013. Farm Fresh To You offers customers the flexibility to skip deliveries, and they can even elect to donate a skipped box to one of their 10 food bank partners through their Donate-A-Box program. Since 2014, customers have donated over 61,000 boxes to those in need. Farm Fresh To You’s primary vision is for “communities and sustainable farms to be connected through a transparent food system.” To check delivery areas, sign up for your own farm box service or purchase eGift Cards, visit the Farm Fresh To You website at www.farmfreshtoyou.com or call (800) 796-6009. Use promo code 40FARM during signup to receive $10 off each of your first four deliveries. You can also follow the company on Facebook and Instagram @farmfreshtoyou.
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NOVEMBER 1 – 14, 2019
Season’s EATINGS
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NOVEMBER 1 – 14, 2019
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CENTURY CITY-WESTWOOD NEWS
Rideshare Driver Imposter Sentenced for Sexual Assaults Carlos Omar Pichinte faces 29 years in state prison. By S am C atanzaro
Photo: Realtor.com
Bel-Air ‘Tear-Down’ on the Market for Over $8 Million 1953 ranch home with hefty price tag By C had W inthrop A “tear-down” in Bel-Air is on the market for over $8 million, a testament to the cost of real estate of the Westside of Los Angeles. The property, located at 10985 Bellagio
Road, is on the market for the first time in over 50 years. The 28,281 square foot promontory overlooks the magnificent 15th fairway of Bel-Air Country Club. There are only a handful of original remaining homes in Bel Air waiting to be redeveloped, according to the real estate agent. In addition, this California ranch home built in 1953, has three bedrooms and bathrooms, features a pool and huge motor court.
A man who sexually assaulted four women while posing as a rideshare driver was sentenced Wednesday to 29 years to life in state prison, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced. Deputy District Attorney Karen Montoya said Carlos Omar Pichinte (dob 10/20/76) of Los Angeles pleaded no contest on Sept. 17 to two counts of assault with intent to commit a sexual assault and one count of forcible rape. The sexual assaults occurred in October 2016 and March, April and May of 2017 in West Los Angeles and the cities of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood. Pichinte would pick up his victims in a car with rideshare decals and then drive them to another location to sexually assault them, the prosecutor said.
Photo: Beverly Hill Police Department
Carlos Omar Pichinte was sentenced to 29 years to life in state prison on October 30 for assaulting four women while posing as a rideshare driver.
The case was investigated by the Beverly Hills Police Department, Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
RON WYNN
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CENTURY CITY-WESTWOOD NEWS
NOVEMBER 1 – 14, 2019
NOVEMBER 1 – 14, 2019
CENTURY CITY-WESTWOOD NEWS
Photo: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images.
Katie McGrath, J.J. Abrams, Ann Philbin, Jordan Peele and Chelsea Peretti.
Gala for Hammer Museum Raises Record $2.7M Honors Judy Chicago and Jordan Peele By Kerry Slater The Hammer Museum at UCLA recently welcomed cultural and civic leaders, artists, collectors, patrons of the arts and entertainment world notables to the 17th annual Gala in the Garden. The gala raised a record-breaking $2.7 million to support the Hammer’s acclaimed exhibitions and public programs, which are free to the public. Over 500 guests attended the Gala — held in the museum’s outdoor courtyard — which honored trailblazing feminist artist Judy Chicago and filmmaker Jordan Peele with tribute speeches by writer and activist Gloria Steinem and bestselling author Roxane Gay, respectively. Grammy Award-winning recording artist Beck performed five songs including “Loser,” “The New Pollution,” “Black Hole,” “Wave” and “Nobody’s Fault But My Own” with surprise guest Chris Martin. The event cochairs were J.J. Abrams and Katie McGrath and Tom Ford and Richard Buckley. The menu for the seated dinner was created by Chef Suzanne Goin of Lucques, who has created the menu for the Gala in the Garden for each of its 17 years. Unique to this year’s event, linen napkins featuring Chicago’s “Rejection Fantasy” drawing were created in collaboration with Prospect. The evening began with cocktails and
passed hors d’oeuvres on the third-floor terrace as guests enjoyed “Lari Pittman: Declaration of Independence,” the critically acclaimed 40-year retrospective of Pittman, himself a past honoree at the Gala in the Garden in 2011. During the dinner remarks, Philbin hailed the achievements of gala honorees Judy Chicago and Jordan Peele. Gay then took the stage to pay tribute to Peele, and Peele in his speech remarked that he was especially honored to receive this recognition early in his career. Steinem introduced Chicago, saying she could divide her life into “before and after Judy Chicago.” In her acceptance speech, Chicago shared the honor with her early supporters and patrons. Pittman gave a surprise tribute to Philbin on the occasion of her 20th anniversary as Hammer director. Tom Ford then introduced Beck whose performance closed out the evening.
Photo: Donato Sardella/Getty Images
Gloria Steinem, Rita Wilson, Judy Chicago and Ann Philbin.
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CENTURY CITY-WESTWOOD NEWS
NOVEMBER 1 – 14, 2019
EVACUATE,
(1350 South Sepulveda Boulevard) have transitioned into shelters with overnight sleeping arrangements and food. Small animals are welcome at these shelters. Animal evacuation centers include the West Valley Animal Shelter (20655 Plummer Street), West LA Animal Shelter (11361 West Pico Boulevard) and Hansen Dam Recreation Area (11798 Foothill Boulevard) for large animals. The following Los Angeles public schools remain closed on Wednesday due to the Getty Fire. Brentwood Elementary Canyon Elementary Community Magnet Discovery Charter Prep Kenter Canyon Elementary Marquez Elementary Palisades Elementary Palisades Charter High School Revere Middle School Roscomare Elementary Topanga Elementary Warner Elementary
from page 1
An LAFD aircrew preforms an airdrop Tuesday on the Getty Fire.
Photos: Eric French/LAFD.
THE BUYER’S WISH LIST THEN AND NOW
By Ron Wynn
Times have really changed and trends have changed to meet today’s area’s demographics and age groups. I have sold homes in the neighborhood for over 30 years. Never before have I represented a so many buyers of age less than 35; in some cases, only several years out of college earing $200,000 and above. Of course, salaries have gone way up, but taking it back 20 years ago, people earning $50,000 were generally in their mid-40s, with many promotions behind them and job seniority to bring them to this earning level. Not every buyer is 35 years old or less, in fact, many of our buyers are in their late 50s and even into their late 60s, but more often these are clients trading down after becoming empty nesters. Others might still be trading up as their children are entering their teens. Let’s take a look at what’s hot and what’s not these days. Remember grandma’s silver collection and beautiful tea service cart, her elegant china cabinet filled with tea cups and porcelain? Remember the Hummel collection, the gorgeous Yadros and the ivory figures and hand carved memorabilia? Remember the tapestries, the rugs, the embroidered pillows and chair seats? People would use that stuff for entertaining at home and to show their status back in the day. Today, most people use their formal dining room for major holidays at best, including Thanksgiving, Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Mother’s Day maybe, Christmas dinner and for a Chanukah Dinner. The rest of the year it sits empty. Today its about a simple, uncluttered lifestyle for most people. Living rooms are rarely used at all and when they are used, they are used more as a waiting area, not a formal entertaining area. I’ve seen colors change from very dark browns and avocado green in the 50’s and 60’s to gray and pink kitchens and bathrooms in the 70’s to peach color walls and pillows in the 80’s to blue and gray in the 90’s to the white white white big houses today. Wow – What’s coming next? Getting back to trends, the smart home is in. Technology is everywhere. Wireless is here to stay. Remember the huge theater size tv with all the guts behind the screen? The unit weighed 200 pounds and took 3 people to move. Take a look at what people are using today. Kitchens are very different as well. The no clutter look and minimalistic look is very much sought after. Everything is recessed, hidden and counter concealed. Kitchens are either white or black. Cabinetry is either painted white or stained dark. The look is
very architectural. Backyard preferences have changed as well. A ½ acre yard may be a beautiful sight, but the cost of maintenance and the restrictions on water make it less desirable than before. People are more eager for a play area off the open kitchen and family room. The yard needs to be easy access and on the same level as the kitchen and family room. It is also very desirable to have a covered area for eating and barbeque that can accommodate up to a dozen or more people, because entertaining is far more common in the family room and around the barbeque than in the formal dining room. The master suite today has become a retreat and is expected to have huge walk in closets that are fully organized to keep everything neatly put away. Although gorgeous free-standing bathtubs are cool and trendy, they are rarely used for more than to photograph. Oversize beautifully appointed stall showers with steam and elegant hardware are totally in, as are sitting/lounging areas in the master retreat, and fronting the adjacent family bedroom area. Also very important is the location of the bedrooms. In a larger 2 story home, it is most desired to have 4-bedroom suits upstairs. Jack and Jill bedrooms are more a thing of the 80’s and 90’s but are still ok and not that much of an objection. A downstairs guest bedroom and an office is also very much a need today. The home office does not obviously need to look like a library these days, but it does need to have a rich and elegant look to meet the standard. Walls are usually white with color brought in using tasteful art, fabrics and accent pillows, all up to the taste of a well selected designer. The ADU is also something new and very much desired. Even if one doesn’t rent it for income, most people can easily put a detached home office to good use. The guesthouse alternative also accommodates not only the need for a secondary home office, but also can answer to the need for a nanny’s living space. A downstairs fifth bedroom is often requested as an alternative maids’ room, nanny room, guest room, gym or secondary office when there is no other designated space. I could go on much longer but, in a nutshell, the priorities are technology smart home concepts, open floor plan with orientation to the yard, volume ceilings, natural light and lots of windows and a useable, functional, very private backyard. Whether grand and large or intimate and small, the look today is condensed by the vision of open style floor plan, airy and uncluttered, with orientation to an indoor/outdoor free flowing California lifestyle. Pools are great, but not for everyone. Spas and Jacuzzis are often the better choice especially when a large pool might eat up a much-needed safe grassy play area. For more information, call Ron Wynn (310) 9639944 or email ron@ronwynn.com.
have seen in recent years,” Humphrey said. While evacuation orders have been lifted for the Mountaingate community, many parts of Pacific Palisades and Brentwood remain in red zones Wednesday due to the Extreme Red Flag Warning. The borders of the mandatory evacuation zone are, with the exception of the Mountaingate community, as follows: Temescal Canyon Road is the West border Sunset Boulevard is the South border Mulholland Drive is the North border 405 Freeway is the East border An evacuation preparedness (yellow) zone remains in place, and now includes Mountaingate, within the following borders: Topanga Canyon is the West border Sunset Boulevard is the South border Mulholland Drive is the North border Temescal Canyon Road is the East border All lanes of the 405 Freeway are open but some on/off ramps may be closed intermittently from 101 to Sunset. In addition, Temescal Canyon Road northbound is closed at Sunset Boulevard, northbound Sepulveda Boulevard is closed from Moraga Drive to Skirball Center Drive and southbound Sepulveda Boulevard is closed from Skirball to Sunset. For real-time information freeway status, visit the Caltrans QuickMap. City of Los Angeles Street closures can ben seen below. The Palisades Recreation Center (851 Alma Real Drive) and Westwood Recreation Center
MEASLES, from page 1
by direct contact even before you know have it. The MMR immunization is a very effective measure to protect yourself and to prevent the unintentional spread of this potentially serious infection to others.” Additional cases and exposures may oc-
cur here related to returning travelers, especially returning international travelers who are not already protected against measles. Travelers taking domestic trips should follow the general Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) vaccination recommendations. Those traveling internationally should ensure they have received two doses and consider the expedited schedule for infants less than 12 months old.
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$1,695,000
1952 Manning Ave.
$1,750,000
10568 Ashton Ave.
$1,795,000
2273 Kerwood Ave.
$1,812,000
2013 Fairburn Ave.
$2,268,000
1970 Benecia Ave.
$2,515,000
2149 Kelton Ave.
$2,680,000
2357 Kelton Ave.
$2,800,000
10726 Wellworth Ave.
$3,407,000
1608 Thayer Ave.
$5,100,000
200 Conway Ave.
$5,700,000
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86 Data-storage items on the decline 87 Organ in the leg of a katydid, bizarrely 88 Frontier lights 91 Unit of explosive power 93 “That sounds awful” 94 Mauna ____ 96 Wow 97 Territory name until 1889 100 Brat’s opposite 101 Popular dip 102 Skilled laborer 104 Tex-____
105 Bit of corruption
62 Rapidly spreading vine 63 Get straight 64 Prefix with allergenic 69 Football units: Abbr. 70 Idiot, in Britspeak 71 Vow 72 Relatives of emus 73 Et ____ 75 Numbers to avoid 76 Ragged 80 North African land: Abbr. 82 Cry of school spirit 84 Laid-back
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F R E R E
1952½ Manning Ave.
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$1,649,000
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A H M E
$1,649,000
1954½ Manning Ave.
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1954 Manning Ave.
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$1,542,000
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1325 Thayer Ave.
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$1,500,000
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$1,250,000
2137 Malcolm Ave.
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Westwood Single Family Homes 10327 Lauriston Ave.
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W N S B H U H E I N O T A M O I R S T O O I N N B U R R M B O E D I D R K U L D A U N E N D B A R O Z E L U N I D E D I V A D D R A M B S K E R A O X I U Q T B R U A E L A
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8 Sudden impulse 9 Sister 10 “Try me” 11 Be relevant to 12 Country named for its latitude 13 College student’s assignment 14 Words after an interruption 15 Stefanik who is the youngest woman ever elected to Congress 16 Fast one 17 “____ Jacques” 21 Conductors’ announcements 23 “____ where it hurts!” 24 Uncle, in Argentina 29 Under half of 45? 31 Brother of Dori and Nori in “The Hobbit” 32 Surprising lack of Oscar recognition 34 Suitable for a dieter, informally 35 Body of water connected by canal to the Baltic 36 Watson’s company 38 Defeat 39 Govt. org. based in Ft. Meade, Md. 40 Word before right or rise 41 Move turbulently 42 Increasingly ripe, say 45 Wedding need … or booking 46 Stereotypical therapist’s DOWN response 1 What “Talk to the hand!” is an 49 Pipe cleaner example of 51 Enthusiasts 2 Unswerving 52 Go wrong 3 “I couldn’t agree more!” 54 Part of the eye 4 They’re found under a bridge 55 Wapitis 5 Beats by ____ (headphones 57 British Bulldog : Churchill :: brand) ____ : Thatcher 6 Short strokes 60 Undistinguished, as many a subdivision house 7 “Alas!”
S M I T H
74 Not use cursive 77 University in Des Moines 78 Greenish-brown hue 79 Neighbor of China 81 What’s used to row, row, row your boat 83 Leave fulfilled 85 Less than perfect 88 Geometric prefix 89 Italian “il” or French “le” 90 Prattle 92 Showdown in the Bible 95 Protein shell of a virus 98 Like sauvignon blanc 99 Traditional Christmas decoration 100 Jump to conclusions 103 Some petting-zoo animals 106 Word with wonder or world 107 Showdown in comic books 109 Lead-in to boy or girl 111 Simple plant 114 Ostentation 115 Showdown in literature 118 Businesswoman Lauder 119 Apt name for a Braille instructor 120 TD Garden athlete 121 Knock over 122 Cowardly Lion portrayer 123 ____ bit 124 Overjoy 125 Bone: Prefix
S A L S A
1 Group of trees 6 Potential queens 11 Word that looks like its meaning when written in lowercase 14 Harmless weapons maker 18 Strong suit? 19 “Continue” 20 “Foucault’s Pendulum” author, 1988 21 Like the Gregorian calendar 22 Showdown in Greek mythology 25 A couple of times 26 Word of confirmation on a messaging app 27 Couple 28 Showdown in classic video games 30 Quickened paces 32 Wasn’t struck down 33 Realm 34 Tours can be seen on it 35 Triumph 37 Not in any way 39 Showdown in American history 43 Hot ____ 44 One of four in a grand slam 47 Univs., e.g. 48 Bent over backward, in a way 50 Bit of P.R. 53 Like baseball’s Durham Bulls 54 Speaker of Welsh or Breton 56 Actor Elba 58 One of the o’s in “o/o” 59 Rank above maj. 61 Showdown in cinema 65 Mork’s planet 66 Brightly colored blazer 67 Obie-winning playwright Will 68 “What is it?” 69 Showdown in the funnies
This Week’s Sudoku Puzzle
ANSWERS
GOING HEAD TO HEAD
BY TOM MCCOY / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ ACROSS
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CENTURY CITY-WESTWOOD NEWS
A N G E L
NOVEMBER 1 – 14, 2019
106 Author of the “Fear Street” series for young readers 108 Some saber wielders 109 Bluish-green 110 Ninny 112 TV show set in William McKinley High School 113 Prefix with stratus 116 It’s used to cite a site 117 Bonnie and Clyde, e.g.
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2019 vs. 2018 NUMBER SOLD: 16 UP 33.33%
MEDIAN PRICE: $1,803,500 8.45%
AVERAGE PRICE: $2,444,500 DOWN 12.32%
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CENTURY CITY-WESTWOOD NEWS
NOVEMBER 1 – 14, 2019
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