Santa Monica Mirror 11.25.22

Century City/ Westwood

14 Veterans Sue VA for Failing to Build Housing on West Los Angeles VA Campus

Lawsuit contends the agency not meeting legal obligation to house veterans at West Los Angeles VA campus

By Sam Catanzaro

14 veterans are suing the Department of Veterans Affairs, alleging the agency has not lived up to its promise to build affordable housing on the West Los Angeles VA campus.

The case is essentially a redo of a 2011 case that centered on how the federal government obtained the property West Los Angeles VA sits on. The land was donated to the government in 1887 by Arcadia Bandini de Stearns Baker, a wealthy widow, under the stipulation that it would serve as a home for veterans. The 2011 case alleged that the VA failed to meet its obligations, and a few years later the agency agreed to build 1,200

apartments for veterans.

Los Angeles veterans are now suing the VA again, saying the agency is not building the housing it promised. The lawsuit contends that this harms disabled veterans since the West Los Angeles VA sits in one of the priciest neighborhoods in Los Angeles County. Plaintiffs argue that if disabled veterans can’t afford rent in the vicinity of the VA’s West Los Angeles Medical Center, the government’s lack of affordable housing on the campus prevents them from accessing the essential healthcare they are entitled to.

“That’s not just inhumane, and it’s not just immoral, and it’s not just a set of [expletive] lies. It’s also against the law,” said plaintiff attorney Mark Rosenbaum with Public Counsel told NPR. “We trusted the government to come through, and that turned out to be a grievous error.”

The lawsuit also seeks to force the VA to utilize land currently leased to Brentwood School, a parking lot business, an oildrilling company and UCLA for veteran uses. Last year, a VA Office of Inspector General report found that several of these leases were out of compliance with the agency’s legal obligation to “principally

benefit veterans and their families.” The inspector general called out the VA for completing only one building containing 55 units, out of the 480 projected in a fouryear target. The inspector general found that “reasons for VA’s limited progress include required environmental impact

studies, needed infrastructure upgrades, the need to establish a principal developer enhanced-use lease, and challenges faced by the developers in raising needed funds from public and private sources,”

The VA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Jurors Convict Former UCLA Gynecologist for Sexually Abusing Patients

James Heaps faces five felony counts following October

20 sentencing

By Sam Catanzaro

Recently jurors convicted James Mason Heaps, an obstetrician-gynecologist formerly employed by UCLA, on three counts of sexual battery by fraud and two counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious person.

On October 20, Jurors found Heaps guilty in connection with the sexual assaults of some of his patients. He was acquitted on three counts of sexual battery by fraud, three counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious person and one count of sexual exploitation of a patient. Jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict on three counts of sexual battery by fraud, four counts of

sexual penetration of an unconscious person and two counts of sexual exploitation of a patient.

According to Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, no decision has been made yet on whether or not to retry the hung counts.

“The trauma Dr. Heaps inflicted on the very people he had sworn to care for is immeasurable.” Gascón said. “I am committed to helping all victims of sexual assault – whether they were victimized by a doctor, school personnel or a Hollywood elite – and encourage them to contact my office’s Bureau of Victim Services if they are in need of services.

A sentencing hearing was set for November 17.

Heaps initially was charged in 2019. A grand jury indicted Heaps last year and the indictment alleges sexual misconduct by Heaps from 2009 to 2018.

Heaps was an obstetrician-gynecologist who worked on a part-time basis at the UCLA student health center from approximately 1983 to 2010, was hired by UCLA Health in 2014 and held

medical staff privileges at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center from 1988 to 2018. The charges relate to care he provided to two patients in 2017 and 2018 at UCLA Health. Last year, in response to allegations of sexual misconduct against Dr. Heaps, UCLA investigated his conduct, removed him from clinical practice, informed him that his employment was being terminated (after which he announced he was

retiring) and reported him to the Medical Board of California and law enforcement.

As reported by NPR, UCLA has spent around $700 million in settlements for its alleged role in concealing the abuse. Women alleged that UCLA ignored decades of complaints and intentionally covered-up the abuse before beginning to investigate Heaps in 2018, NPR reports.

48,000 UC Workers Go on Strike Over Contract Negotiations, Demand Fair Wages

Postdocs, academic researchers, graduate student researchers, trainees, fellows, graduate student instructors, readers, and tutors in the UC system go

on strike

By Dolores Quintana

On November 4, the academic workers of the University of California schools, members of the UAW 5810, UAW 2865 and the newlyformed SRU-UAW local unions, announced their intention to strike if the UC schools did not meet their demands. The date they set for the Unfair Labor Practices strike to begin was November 14 and, true to their word, 48,000 academic workers went on strike Monday.

These unions comprise postdocs, academic researchers, graduate student researchers, trainees, fellows, graduate student instructors,

readers, and tutors in the UC system.

The website, FairUCNow.org, says, “48,000 of us are bargaining four separate contracts with UC with the aim of making the University live up to its promise of being an engine of

our contracts as powerful tools we can use

to ensure that academic workers are valued and empowered to fulfill the mission of UC as a truly public institution.”

The union website further explains that “We are fighting for a UC where first-generation scholars do not have to go into extreme debt so that highly-paid administrators can live in publicly-funded mansions. We are fighting for a UC in which workers are free from harassment and discrimination and earn enough money to live without excessive rent burden. We are fighting for a UC in which parents can raise their families without working second jobs, and everyone has access to sustainable and affordable transportation options. In short, we are fighting for a UC that works for its students and workers.”

The union received messages of support on social media from Representative Adam Schiff, who said, “Standing with the thousands of academic workers at the University of California on strike. These individuals work tirelessly to teach and tutor, sharing a broad range of expertise. And shaping the next generation. We should heed their calls for fair pay and child care.” and Anthony Rendon, California Assembly Speaker, “Academic workers are essential to the success of all our @UofCalifornia campuses. The UC must continue to bargain in good faith to reach an agreement with the @UAW.” California Assemblymember Ash Kalra wrote a letter that was signed by 32 of his colleagues in the State Assembly and tweeted, “I authored a letter signed-on by 32 colleagues urging the UC to bargain in good faith and come to terms w/their academic workers in order to avert a strike. Unfortunately, the administration failed to do so. We stand in solidarity with the @ UAW strike at all 10 UC campuses!” As of Thursday evening, the UC system and UCLA have not issued a statement on the strike.

economic and social equity in our state. And for the first time, we are coordinating our contract campaigns so that all academic workers can overcome our unfair working conditions. We see

Photo: FairUCNow.org

West LA Kosher Market Could be Replaced With 46 Apartments

Golden Springs Development Company planning project at 11540

Santa Monica

Boulevard

By Dolores Quintana

Santa Monica Glatt Kosher Market may soon be demolished to make way for housing.

These potential plans have the expectation of using density bonus incentives to build a structure with a larger floor area and one that ignores current local height restrictions if the agreement is made to demolish the building and move forward with the construction, as reported by Urbanize Los Angeles. Golden Springs Development Company plans for a five-story building that would house 46 apartments with a parking lot that would accommodate 60 vehicles. The Santa Fe Springs-based company would have to comply with an agreement to reserve only seven of the studio, one and two-bedroom apartments in the new structure for very

low income households.

The new project would be located at 11540 Santa Monica Boulevard and architectural firm AC Martin will be the designer of record. According to Urbanize Los Angeles, the building will, “front both Santa Monica Boulevard and Colby Avenue” and be “a contemporary exterior of smooth stucco and metal panels. Planned amenities include a rear yard, a courtyard, a rooftop deck, and a street-level recreation room.”

Billionaire Seeking $28 Million for Matthew Perry’s Former MansionSized Century City Condo

Afterpay’s

Nick Molnar looking to sell condo in The Century

By Dolores Quintana

The Century has a new opening and it is one of the biggest units in the structure as reported by The Dirt.com. The price tag is $28 million and if the seller succeeds in their aim, it would be one of the largest sales for a condominium in California.

Tech entrepreneur from Australia Nick Molnar bought the condo from actor Matthew Perry in 2021 for $21.6 million. The condo has four bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms and is the entire 40th floor of the building. The condo comes with gorgeous views of the entire city from 360-degree angles.

While Perry renovated the entire unit, Molnar hasn’t made any noticeable changes to it. Perry had architect Scott Joyce and interior designer LM Pagano update the unit with a customized mix of recessed LED lighting and remote-controlled window coverings. The unit comes with four parking spaces as part of the deed in the parking

garage which is something that not all units in the building have.

The website of the listing agents James Harris and David Parnes of Bond Street Partners at The Agency, says, “Featuring four expansive bedrooms, a grand main living room with formal dining area and game room - flanked by floor-to-ceiling marble fireplaces on either side - and panoramic views from Downtown to the ocean from every corner. The primary suite defies description with premier views, a lounge area with fireplace, dual bathrooms, office area with built-ins and expansive walk-in closets. The unit also includes a plush screening room with floor-to-ceiling glass showcasing all of Century City and beyond, a large office, outdoor dining area with BBQ, hot tub terrace.”

THE ORIGINAL BIKE SHOPS IN LA

Photo: Bond Street Partners/The Agency

Rendering: AC Martin

Westwood Persian Restaurant With Memorial for Women Killed in Iran Vandalized

Persian Gulf victim of recent vandalism

By Dolores Quintana

Persian Gulf, a newly opened wine bar and bakery at 1389 Westwood Blvd has been vandalized after the owner, Roozbeh Farahanipour, showed his support for the protests in Iran. The owner also believes that the restaurant’s memorial for Mahsa Amini and the other women killed in the weeks-long protests in Iran was a factor in the attack. The memorial, which seems to have drawn so much ire, is a table decorated simply with photos of six women, Mahsa, Hadis, Nika, Sarina, Ghazaleh and Hananeh, roses and candles.

The protests erupted in Iran after the suspicious death of Mahsa Amini on September 16, who was in the custody of the so-called Morality Police or Guidance Patrol, who monitor women’s dress and head coverings in Iranian cities. This government group can arrest women for not covering their hair or fully covering their bodies. The Guidance Patrol insisted she died of a heart attack, at the age of 22, but witnesses who were also in custody told a different story. Those women said that Amini had been brutally beaten.

When we spoke to owner Roozbeh Farahanipour via phone, he said that the memorial had only been up for a few weeks. He elaborated and said, “But when I went to LA county Supervisors to testify over the issue and make sure to tell the LA County [Supervisors] to support the Iranian movement and send a letter to the Biden Administration to not negotiate with the terrorist regime, The Islamic Republic. Almost at the same time, NBC and Washington Post gave us some publicity over the table. The name of the restaurant, the social media? That was the reason that they targeted us.” He also mentioned that the table became very popular on social media.

Farahanipour was granted asylum in The United States after he was forced to flee Iran since he was one of the leaders of the uprising in 1999. He can no longer lead his people in his home but he wants to support them however he can here.

The vandals drove by and threw an object out the window which smashed the front door at 7:55 a.m. in the morning which was captured on the restaurant’s security camera. Farahanipour believes that this was done to try and close the restaurant down, but he has decided to defy their wishes and have the wood used to block the door at night removed in the morning and then replaced when the

restaurant closes at night.

When asked if he had received other threats, Farahanipour said, “That’s nothing new to me this entire life. I have a death sentence from the regime. That’s why I escaped the country. Three times I was in jail in Iran and tortured. I fight this regime my entire life, for almost 40

years. My family [has] lost more than twenty members. This is the United States, the home of the free, it is not Iran. If they think they can silence us here, they can’t”

He added, “I appreciate the community always here in the US and I’m here to support the community, whatever I can do.”

Photo: Instagram (@persian_gulf_westwood)

Maintain Natural Results With the SkinTight Experience

Dog Rescued After Being Lost in Santa Monica Mountains for a Week

By Susan Payne

In the anti-aging world of aesthetics, it can be easy to overdo procedures that treat conditions such as fine lines, wrinkles, collagen loss or stubborn fat.

Having a trusted provider can supersede those tendencies, especially when that provider offers new patient discounts, monthly specials and an experience unmatched on the Westside.

SkinTight offers injectables, laser resurfacing, skin rejuvenation and vitamin therapy among many other top-tier treatment services such as micro-needling and chemical peels. The “SkinTight” experience begins the moment you walk into the spa.

“Our commitment to educating our patients, exceptional patient care and producing ‘WOW’ results have contributed to our practice’s longlasting success,” said Leigh Godfrey, RN; SkinTight’s founder and owner. “We hold our work to the highest of standards, practice with integrity and truly stand by our work.”

Integrating years of experience into the practice, SkinTight believes in the active pursuit of a healthy and vibrant appearance by using cutting-edge technology to regenerate, rejuvenate and repair you own natural appearance.

“Our top-of-the-line lasers are used to address a wide range of skin conditions and skin types. For those who want to feel as great as they look, we also perform vitamin injections and IV drips,” Godfrey said.

Each visit starts with an individual consultation and a holistic assessment of your skin condition and personal goals with one of SkinTight’s medical professionals. Lifestyle choices are the basis for finding a beauty treatment developed to enhance the natural you.

If a patient is requesting unnecessary changes, SkinTight medical professionals tell it how it is.

“That’s what sets us apart from the industry,” Godfrey said. “Our experts specialize in performing full facial rejuvenation with injectables while not ‘overdoing’ it and maintaining natural results,” Godfrey added.

“Our providers never recommend more than their patients need.”

Godfrey began her nursing career in 1993 at Santa Monica Hospital as a telemetry nurse. While working in the emergency department, she realized the need for personal and dedicated care and moved to work with internationally known plastic surgeons doing post-surgery recovery care.

In 1999, Godfrey moved to private practice, recognizing a need to educate patients on their skin and skincare options. As a result of her conservative approach to enhance individual beauty, she has built her practice into what it is today: SkinTight Aesthetics.

“Our loyal patients have developed trust in our providers and know they will leave feeling better than when they walked in after taking our providers’ expert advice,” Godfrey said.

SkinTight is known for being client-focused through its industry education, as well. Inside of SkinTight’s state-of-the-art training room, the next generation of aesthetic providers learn from the best.

Over the last 20 years, Godfrey has mastered the artistry of facial injectables, safety, laser and skincare technology to share with her clients and new professionals in the field.

“We offer monthly informative events for clients focusing on specific treatments and continuing education training classes and seminars for new and established injectors. Our expert injectors – with decades of experience – are dedicated to passing along their skilled techniques to other professionals,” Godfrey said.

New patients receive a 10% discount on services and special change month per month that can include discounts on fillers, lasers and skincare products.

“Sometimes you have to see it to believe it,” Godfrey said.

Find the most up-to-date specials and a gallery of before and after photos at skintightaesthetics.com. SkinTight is open Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m and with Saturday limited hours. The office is located at 11740 San Vicente Blvd. Suite 208, Los Angeles, Calif. 90049.

Smokey the dog saved by Malibu Search & Rescue and local nonprofit Dog Days Search & Rescue

By Sam Catanzaro

Search and rescue crews safely recovered a dog that had been missing in the Santa Monica Mountains. The dog, named Smokey, had been stuck in a 200-foot-deep canyon for a week before being rescued by the Los Angeles Sheriff Department Malibu Search & Rescue Team.

According to Dog Days Search & Rescue – a nonprofit animal search and rescue organization – Smokey went missing on November 5 in the Santa Monica Mountains near Malibu. The organization says it heard about Smokey’s disappearance and reached out to the owner to assist.

“We went out and met with his owner, hung lost flyers, searched the area but did not see him. We were concerned that Smokey was injured and stuck somewhere but the mountain area was so wide open and vast,” Dog Days Search & Rescue wrote in a social media post.

Then on Friday, November 11, workers clearing a property in the mountains noticed a dog stuck 200 feet down a cliffside. Later in the day those same workers saw a “missing” poster for Smokey from Dog Days and realized it was the same dog they saw down in the canyon.

“They were not able to get the dog to

safety but they recognized it from our lost flier and reached out to Smokeys owner who then called us. It was dark by now and Smokey was still out there, potentially hurt and had been without food or water for days,” Dog Days said. “We had to go out right away and we immediately knew that this terrain would require additional team and equipment so we reached out to the Los Angeles Sheriff Department Malibu Search & Rescue Team for help. They immediately responded and recognized the urgency and met our team and the owner out in the area of the sighting. They were able to locate and extract Smokey, who had probably been stuck in this spot for a long time.”

Malibu Search & Rescue says it was able to rescue Smokey within two hours of being contacted.

“We responded immediately and within a couple hours of the initial contact, the dog was safely rescued from 200 ft over the side. Weak, but in good spirits, the dog was transferred to its owner,” Malibu Search & Rescue said.

According to Dog Days, Smokey appeared stable but was sore, coughing and his legs were weak and possibly injured so he had to be carried out.

“His owner waited nearby and when he saw Smokey they were both so happy to be reunited,” the Dog Days said “We rushed Smokey over to the vet’s office late last night and stayed with his owner. Smokey was sent home and will be recovering and is awaiting additional test results.”

Dog Days said it will share an update on Smokey’s status when it has more info. This article will be updated as more details are shared.

What is Happening With Sestina Century City?

New Restaurant Now Open in Longtime West LA Wine Shop

Wine House Kitchen now open in Wine House on Santa Monica Boulevard

By Dolores Quintana

West LA has a new restaurant that was opened by long-time Los Angeles area restaurant mavens as reported by Eater Los Angeles. Wine House Kitchen opened in the final days of September in the same building where Wine House, a 47-yearold wine shop, has been for decades. Wine House Kitchen is located upstairs near Sawtelle Japantown. Wine House Kitchen will be open on Wednesday and Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

seasonal food, extensive cocktail menu, wine bottle & glass list playfully curated, beers on tap; all you need to bring is the party. Rock on” and is signed by Francois Renaud.

(Sestina)

Restaurant listed as permanently closed on Google

By Dolores Quintana

There is a bit of a mystery about Sestina Century City. The restaurant opened in October but is listed as being permanently closed on Google maps. The restaurant’s page on the Sestina site has been removed

and the phone number is out of service.

Sestina Pasta Bar is a vegan pasta restaurant that serves natural wines and was a highly anticipated restaurant at the Westfield Century City. We interviewed the owner Matthew Kinney in August in anticipation of the opening.

We contacted representatives for Matthew Kenney Cuisine but did not receive a response by press time. Ladurée Beverly Hills and the Culver City location of Sestina are both open.

The site has hosted other restaurants in the past the wine bar Upstairs 2 which closed in 2019 is an example of that. The Knight family owns Wine House and Jim Knight took matters into his own hands and asked François Renaud. Renaud is the general manager of Viale dei Romani to open a restaurant in the space. While the opening of this new restaurant above Wine House was not possible during the last three years of the pandemic, it is now open.

The restaurant’s website gives some information about the new space and says, “Wine House Kitchen is a California Modern, wine-centric and cocktail driven restaurant, with a hint of Vietnamese influences. Nestled on top of The Wine House, WHO is an oasis in a tangle of concrete. Provided: Rock n’ Roll vibes,

The chef in charge is Maiki Le, a former sous chef at Momed Beverly Hills and executive chef for Upstairs 2. Le has also opened a number of Belcampo Meat Company locations.

As for the beverages, Chris Grosso is in charge of the bar and his previous experience with Blind Barber, Viale dei Romani, and New York’s RPM Bar.

Renaud said, as quoted by Eater Los Angeles, “It was built to match Le’s food. Some are nearly extinct like the Negrette from Chateau Flotis in the French southwestern Fronton region. And there’s a lot of older vintages, like the 2013 Chateau Revelette Coteaux d’Aix en Provence which you don’t see much on [restaurant] wine lists these days.”

Acclaimed MoMA Contenders Film Series Returns to UCLA

Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” which will be introduced by writer and director Rian Johnson. Other highlights include “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (Dec. 6), “The Whale” (Dec. 7) and “Sr.” (Dec. 12). The series closes Dec. 15 with “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” which will be introduced by the director.

In advance of movie award season, the Hammer Museum at UCLA will screen 10 of the year’s most important and critically acclaimed films as it hosts the Los Angeles presentation of MoMA Contenders. The series begins Nov. 30 with “Glass

Filmmakers and cast members will participate in post-screening conversations at several of the events. All screenings begin at 7:30 p.m. and take place at the Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum. The program is organized by The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

For the complete list of movies and ticket information, read the full announcement (PDF)from the Hammer Museum at UCLA

Photo: Official Wine House Kitchen

Photo: Facebook

Photo: Courtesy of A24

Stephanie Hsu in a scene from “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” screening Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m.

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