Santa Monica Mirror: Jul 07 - Jul 13, 2023

REFLECTING THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY

Tenants With Disabilities Protected After City Wins Housing Discrimination Case

Injunctions Were Made Against Brida LLC and its Managing Agent

By Zach Armstrong

A Los Angeles Superior Court Judge signed a stipulated judgment and injunctions against two defendants landlords in a housing discrimination case brought by the Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office pertaining to a family member with disabilities. The injunction safeguards future tenants with disabilities from discrimination and

harassment, according to a post by the city of Santa Monica.

In City v. Brida LLC et al, the injunctions were made against Brida LLC and its managing agent Kathy Golshani. The firm allegedly refused to give parking and medical equipment accommodations to a family with a disabled daughter. This was followed by alleged harassment such as blocking parked cars.

The court granted the City’s requests for seven injunctions, one of which prohibits the landlord from controlling the unit or coming within 50 feet of the apartment building. The Defendants’ insurance company paid the family $1 million in the family’s discrimination case. The family was represented by John Taylor and Natalie Weatherford of Taylor &

AR Tour Shows What Santa Monica Looked Like Before the I-10 Freeway

Ring, LLP.

The Defendants are also required to follow the City’s Tenant Harassment Ordinance and Anti-Housing Discrimination Ordinance, establish a City-approved policy for addressing

A User Can See History Come to Life Through Archival

Photos, Audio and Descriptions of History

By Zach Armstrong

A new augmented reality experience was unveiled by Snapchat for people to learn about Santa Monica’s community of color prior to the development of the 10 freeway.

The visual walking tour by Andre Elijah is named Broadway to Freeway, and can be

accessed by scanning a QR code or opening the Snapchat app to then look for the lens. There are several locations on the guided tour where a user can see history come to life through archival photos, audio and descriptions of history. Quinn Research Center, the Santa Monica History Museum, and 18th Street Art Center helped create the AR experience.

The goal of the project is to help people see what Santa Monica’s Broadway corridor once looked like before the 1960s I-10 freeway expansion.

“So many of our marginalized communities are having their history erased and what we want to do is avoid that,” Santa Monica Mayor Glean David said in a YouTube video. “I think sharing all of those stories will make it easier for us all moving forward.”

tenant requests for disability accommodations, attend a fair housing training annually for five years and pay $45,000 to the City.

The family has moved out voluntarily, and the previous injunctions have been dissolved.

Sustainable Seafood Restaurant Chain to Open Santa

Monica Location

It Will Feature Ceviche and Poke, Sushi, Tacos and Burgers

Pacific Catch, a West Coast Fish House with locations throughout California, will open Pacific Catch Santa Monica. Able to accommodate over 200 patrons, it will feature a northwest-facing patio, open-air dining room, and a wine and cocktail bar.

Located in a high-traffic cluster at Wilshire and 2nd St, the 5600 square foot restaurant shares its vicinity with notable establishments such as Fairmont Miramar, Wally’s, and Hillstone. Pacific Catch Santa Monica will feature ceviche and poke to sushi, tacos, burgers, bowls and Fresh Catch plates.

A press release on the location did not state what the opening date is expected to be.

All Pacific Catch locations provide 100% compostable take-out packaging as part of the Ocean Friendly Restaurant program. Following successful entries in San Diego (UTC, La Jolla) and Orange County (The Market Place, Tustin), Santa Monica serves as the first of many planned locations in the region for Pacific Catch.

This Is What a New Apartment Complex in Ocean Park Will Look Like

“The Wilson” comprises a fourstory building spanning Ashland Avenue to Wilson Place

The metal exterior of a newly unveiled mixed-use apartment complex in Santa Monica’s Ocean Park neighborhood has been revealed, Urbanize LA reported. Situated at 2903 Lincoln Boulevard and now named “The Wilson,” the development, overseen by CIM Group, comprises a fourstory building spanning from Ashland Avenue in the north to Wilson Place in the

south. The apartment complex will house a total of 47 dwellings, including studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, with four units designated as extremely lowincome affordable housing.

Additionally, the complex will encompass approximately 15,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and subterranean parking capable of accommodating 151 vehicles.

The contemporary low-rise structure, designed by LOHA, was characterized in a 2018 staff report to the Santa Monica Architectural Review Board as featuring “a series of repetitive solid and void along its length.”

Stephen Billings Landscape Architecture has been enlisted to design the open spaces within the complex, which will include a ground-level plaza, a rooftop deck, and a courtyard located on the second floor.

“Rinsing the Bones” Exhibition Coming to Santa Monica

The Event Offers a Curator and Artist-Led Walkthrough

The opening of Jenny Yurshansky’s solo exhibition, “Rinsing the Bones,” which delves into the transmission of embodied trauma resulting from generational displacement onto future generations, is coming to Santa Monica.

The event offers a curator and artist-led walkthrough, as well as participation in “Unfolded Narratives,” an all-ages drawing workshop and engagement session with the artist and The Running Stitch collective.

Over the past two years, Yurshansky conducted a series of community-based

workshops in the greater Los Angeles area, providing an opportunity for participants to share their migration stories, whether personal or ancestral.

The collected materials served as the basis for the exhibition, showcasing entirely new artworks. Among the featured pieces are a large-scale quilt installation composed of illustrated family narratives, playable X-ray film records that erode over time, 3D-printed sculptures resembling bones and representing cherished handheld heirlooms of the participants, and photograms that mimic airport X-rays.

The exhibition will be open for public viewing at 3026 Airport Ave. Santa Monica, CA from July 8 to November 30, 2023, during which visitors are encouraged to share their migration histories, delve into memories stored in the body, and explore the complexities of inter-generational trauma.

Research Scientist Reopens Santa Monica Catering Showroom

Vucacious Sources

Seasonally and Locally From California Produce

By Zach Armstrong

Chef Kim Vu, a Caltech trained research scientist, has reopened her catering showroom at Vucacious Catering in Santa Monica located at 1828 Lincoln Blvd.

Vucacious sources seasonally and locally from California produce. The shop’s menu caters to home delivery, corporate events, valentines and special occasions and more.

Menu items include individually boxed reception appetizers such as spanish tapas and italian antipasti misti; a deli selection such as italian wedding soup and roasted butternut squash soup; hot a la carte lunches & dinners such as hanoi black pepper chicken and seared citrus salmon; and displays such as international cheese and imported baked brie.

Vu worked as a UCLA staff scientist at UCLA and was on track to go to medical school, when she decided to take a different direction into the restaurant business. She now brings a two-decade experience of front-of-house and back-of-house roles, learning the process of single-owned restaurants and large groups. Vu, a Texasborn Vietnamese-American, has shown off her culinary skills on television, appearing on Alton Brown’s “Cutthroat Kitchen.”

LA County Has Issued Warnings About Consuming Seafood, Approaching Marine Mammals

Neurotoxin Could Sicken Humans That Eat Seafood, Animals Could Be Dangerous

By Dolores Quintana

Los Angeles County Departments of Beaches and Harbors, Public Health, and Animal Care and Control have issued two warnings to the public about the dangers posed by large algae blooms along the California coast, endangering marine mammals and rendering some seafood unsafe for consumption. These blooms produce a neurotoxin called domoic acid, which enters the food chain when plankton consume the toxic algae. As it moves up the food chain, the toxin becomes more concentrated, potentially causing seizures and heart failure in large quantities. While sea lions and dolphins can exhibit symptoms after consuming contaminated

fish, contaminated shellfish pose the most significant risk to humans.

It’s important to note that consuming high doses of domoic acid can be fatal for humans. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health advises residents to exercise caution and stay informed about the ongoing toxic algae bloom, checking for state-issued shellfish advisories before consuming seafood such as crabs, clams, mussels, and oysters.

Currently, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has issued an advisory to caution against the consumption of sport-harvested mussels, clams, or scallops from Santa Barbara County.

Symptoms of domoic acid poisoning, known as amnesic shellfish poisoning, can manifest within 30 minutes to 24 hours after consuming toxic seafood. Mild cases may include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache, and dizziness, which subside within several days. Severe cases can involve trouble breathing, confusion, seizures, cardiovascular instability, and even permanent short-term memory loss. Individuals experiencing symptoms should seek medical attention, while those with severe symptoms should call 9-1-1 or seek immediate emergency care.

Chef David Chang’s New Food Show Delights Audiences with Twists

Meet Jazmin

Tyler, A Home Cook Ready to Shake Up the Culinary World in the Show’s First Season

By Dolores Quintana

Executive Producer and renowned chef David Chang is flipping the script on traditional food competition series with a bold new concept that promises a whirlwind of surprises and is now playing on Hulu. In this innovative twist, ten diverse contestants, ranging from professional chefs to social media influencers, navigate a secret underground kitchen labyrinth connected by a maze of conveyor belts. Led by a mischievous animated talking hat, they embark on a series of culinary challenges like no other.

What sets this competition apart is the absence of judges. Instead, the chefs must rely on their discerning palates as they rate each other’s final dishes in blind taste tests. With hidden identities and concealed backgrounds, the only thing that matters in this culinary arena is the quality of the food

Among the talented participants is Jazmin Tyler, a gifted Santa Cruz, California, home cook. Growing up, Jazmin’s childhood was filled with adventurous camping trips and exhilarating surfing escapades alongside her family, immersing herself in the vibrant culture of Los Cabos, Mexico. While studying political science at UC Berkeley, Jazmin’s true passion always resided in the culinary arts. Currently living in Santa Monica, California, she is ready to showcase her skills on the national stage.

Jazmin’s culinary journey began in

the comforts of her own home, where she delighted her loved ones with her creative dishes. Her talent and passion gained recognition on TikTok, amassing a following of nearly half a million people. Inspired by California Coastal Cuisine and enticed by the rich flavors of Italian cuisine, Jazmin enjoys crafting dishes that showcase fresh ingredients with a hint of indulgence.

Jazmin’s culinary prowess extends

beyond her kitchen, as she has experience cooking for large gatherings during visits to her extended family in Paraguay. Her talents have garnered recognition on social media, but Jazmin is determined to prove that formal culinary training is optional for success in the culinary world. With aspirations of opening her restaurant, winning this competition would provide an invaluable launching pad for her burgeoning culinary career.

FILM REVIEW: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

BEHIND THE SCREEN

By Kathryn Whitney Boole

The director of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, James Mangold, calls his hero a “brilliant nerd who is also a badass.” This is the fifth installment, probably the last, of the Indian Jones franchise and the first sequel since 2008. Plans for five films in the series date back to the late 1970s when creator George Lucas and director Steven Spielberg laid out plans for four sequels.

The current film also is one of the most expensive films ever made, with a budget of around $295 million, and Lucas and Spielberg are now executive producers.

I saw the movie on IMAX, and it is worth the extra money for the gigantic screen in this case because you can see that $295 million at work. The production value is

unbelievable. The visual depth of every scene, no matter how fleeting, makes you feel like you are moving within it along with the actors. The exotic locations give life to the backdrop of the story – England, Scotland, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Morocco, Sicily, and Siracusa in Italy, including the Ear of Dionysus Cave toward the end. The international cast is a remarkable assembly of talent, some reprising roles from past Indiana Jones films.

Of course, there is no Indiana Jones without Harrison Ford, and there is no one who can pull off the look of “perpetually stunned” throughout an entire film like Ford can. Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) is perfectly cast as the sarcastic, whip-sharp, now grown-up goddaughter to Jones, who does not buy into the whole romance of the story. John Rhys-Davies reprises his role as “Sallah.” Karen Allen makes a touching return as

“Marion Ravenwood. Shaunette Renee Wilson (from Black Panther and Billions, is introduced as “Mason.” The acclaimed Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen brings alive a new character, the Nazi “Dr. Voller,” with great sensitivity. A career to watch is young Ethan Isidore, who plays the street urchin “Teddy.” One of the most important scenes in the movie, which may be easy to miss, is commanded by Alton Fitzgerald White, a black hotel porter who is asked by a group of Nazis where his family is from. The questioners don’t seem to be satisfied with his statement that his roots are in American cities. Mangold has done a good job of capturing the style developed by Lucas and Spielberg. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is not a tour de force; it’s a rambling tale, a rip-roaring adventure, something like the Greek poets or medieval troubadours would recite in song from village to village, a little nostalgic, a little unfocused, a lot wild and crazy. This is a

Rated PG-13

154 Minutes

Released June 30th

moviemaker’s movie.

The plot gets perhaps overly complicated through the middle. For a while, there were too many back-to-back battles and fights. Mangold could have cut 35 minutes from the film but probably didn’t want to because the scenes are so beautifully shot. The film is still mesmerizing because of the vivid cinematography, expertly fluid editing, lush, varied landscapes, and gritty urban settings. The last few minutes are extraordinary. The story comes full circle, and the characters show courage and heart. The concept of the tale is the flexibility of time from an ancient point of view, and that in itself is intriguing and timely (no pun intended) because we are now seeing our modern concepts of time blown apart by new findings in astrophysics