Santa Monica Mirror 11.18.22

LAEDC Recognizes Santa Monica College

Torosis, Zwick and Negrete Still Lead in Santa Monica City Council Race

Race for three seats on Santa Monica City Council remains mostly unchanged following Wednesday vote tally

By Sam Catanzaro

Following a Wednesday vote tally, Caroline Torosis, Jesse Zwick and Lana Negrete continue to lead in the race for three seats on Santa Monica City Council.

As of 3:20 p.m. Wednesday with 35.5 percent of eligible voters counted, attorney and Rent Control Board Commissione Torosis holds the top spot with 19.11 percent of the vote. Public policy advisor Jesse Zwick has garnered 17.25 percent of the vote in second place while Lana Negrete – a current Council Member and small business owner – is in third place, collecting 12.55 percent of the vote. Financial analyst Natalya Zernitskaya, civil engineer Armen Melkonians and Planning Commissioner and environmental attorney Ellis Raskin trail Negrete by 782, 1,022 and 1,662 votes respectively for the third City Council seat.

Santa Monica voters seem likely to approve a handful of local measures as well. Measure CS, which would increase overnight taxes for hotels and home shares to raise funds to address homelessness and improve 911 response times,

has collected 73 percent of the vote. Measure HMP, which would establish a business tax on every licensed cannabis business, including adult-use non medicinal cannabis retailers, seems likely to pass as well, collecting 66 percent of the vote. Measures to expand eligibility on City personnel boards and bolster rent control also seem likely to pass. Measure GS, a transfer tax on properties over $8 million to raise funds for schools, homelessness prevention and affordable housing, could pass as well, with 52 percent of voters casting a yes ballot currently.

Measure SMC is also on the verge of passing. The measure would authorize $375,000,000 in bonds at legal rates, levying 2.5 cents per $100 assessed valuation, raising $23,000,000 annually to improve access to affordable education, provide affordable housing for homeless students, modernize instructional labs and upgrade obsolete vocational classrooms. it needs 55 percent or more of the vote to pass and currently has collected 56.66 percent of votes.

Laurie Lieberman, Richard TahvildaranJesswein, Stacy Rouse and Alicia Mignano all hold conformable leads for four seats on the Santa Monica Malibu-Malibu Unified School District. For the Santa Monica Community College District Board of Trustees election, Sion Roy, Nancy Greenstein, Tom Peters and Barry Snell seem poised to take the four seats up for election.

At the county level, incumbent Alex

Villanueva trails challenger Robert Luna by over 20 percentage points in the race to decide the next LA County Sheriff. Voters also seem on course to approve County Measure A, which would give the LA County Board of Supervisors the power to remove the Sheriff for cause, with the measure currently picking up over 70 percent of the vote. In the LA County Board of Supervisors race to replace the seat being left vacant by Sheila Kuehl for District 3 – which includes much of the Westside – West

At the statewide level, Governor Gavin Newsom holds a comfortable lead over Republican challenger Brian Dahle while at the federal level both Senator Alex Padilla and Congressman Ted Lieu each seem likely to hold onto their seats.

Santa Monica Brew Works Bringing Craft Beer Counter to Third Street Promenade

Brewery exclusive beer within upcoming Kitchen United MIX

By Sam Catanzaro

Santa Monica Brew Works is bringing a craft beer counter to the Third Street Promenade.

The brewery has confirmed it will be featured within the upcoming new Kitchen United MIX at 1315 3rd Street Promenade, the former home of the Gallery Food Hall, as the exclusive beer within the multirestaurant takeout and delivery kitchen.

Santa Monica Brew Works has not released details about what its operation will look like other than that it will be

linking with Kitchen United MIX to bring a “craft beer counter” to the Third Street Promenade. The brewery – the city’s first and only local and independent craft brewery – currently brews and has a taproom at 1920 Colorado Avenue.

Kitchen United MIX currently has 23 locations across the country, including one in Santa Monica at 2501 Colorado Avenue. The full list of restaurants for the promenade space has yet to be released.

The restaurants currently operating out of the Colorado Avenue space include Trejo’s Tacos, Sweet Lady Jane, David Chang’s Fuku and SAJJ Mediterranean.

Hollywood Council Member Lindsey Horvath leads State Senator Bob Hertzberg by 3.1 percentage points.

By Keemia Zhang

Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) school nurse Maya Lindemann has begun a fundraising effort to help pay for medical bills after suffering from long-haul COVID.

Lindemann, who first contracted COVID-19 in March of 2020, has often been bedridden and unable to read or speak. She has also struggled with Chiari, the cerebellum pushing into the spinal column, impacting fluid flow and exacerbating her symptoms, which requires the treatment of a specialized team of neurologists.

Lindemann’s Long COVID turned

into Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), often described as a “living death”, and has drastically reduced her physical and cognitive function. She has also developed other connected illnesses impacting her nervous system. Lindemann’s team believes that decompression surgery will help alleviate the severity of her symptoms – however, specialist care has been both elusive and expensive.

“Even as a nurse I’ve faced immense challenges in getting appropriate healthcare”, said Lindemann, who faced skepticism when informing healthcare providers of her symptoms. Public misunderstanding of Long COVID has also been troubling. “I had an overly chatty nurse talk to me for 20 minutes recently and that wrecked me for a week. It feels like the combination of a severe concussion, a bad hangover and the worst flu you’ve ever experienced all at once over and over again.”

Lindemann previously worked as an RN at the SMMUSD and spent time volunteering at the Aquarium of the Pacific and Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber. Her focus on classroom mental and childhood health led her to become a fellow for the

Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars. As a school nurse, Lindemann is also concerned about children contracting Long-COVID, as their symptoms are more likely to be doubted by medics.

“I hope my story helps to also inform others that Long-COVID and other post infectious illnesses can happen to anyone at any age.” says Lindemann. “If there’s one

take away I hope people learn it’s that post infectious illnesses are real and pushing through can cause serious harm leading to prolonged disability. Pacing activity is critical.”

Lindemann is raising money for her treatment and recovery process on gofundme.com.

“It feels like the combination of a severe concussion, a bad hangover and the worst flu you’ve ever experienced,” says Maya Lindemann

Hours-Long Standoff Occurs Near Santa Monica Pier

Standoff last week ends after the sister of the driver takes him to Sheriff’s station

By Sam Catanzaro

A long standoff between police and a driver that occurred in Santa Monica last week ended in an unusual fashion.

According to the Santa Monica Police Department (SMDP), on November 10 around 8:40 p.m dispatcher received a call from a male indicating they had a gun pulled on him. Police say the caller was evasive with the dispatcher, but they were able to determine he was on Ocean Avenue near the Santa Monica Pier in a Mercedes Benz.

“Officers arrived on scene and located the Mercedes that was now mobile, occupied only by the driver (caller),” wrote SMPD Public Information Officer Rudy Flores in an email statement. “Initial responding officers attempted to make a traffic stop of the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to yield.”

According to the SMPD, the Mercedes evaded officers and came to a stop on Ocean Avenue near Broadway. As the officers approached, the Mercedes would move forward. This occurred several times until the officers remained at their vehicles and attempted to have the male exit his car.

“The family of the driver was located and they advised SMPD that the driver had recently experienced some mental health issues,” Flores said.

Members of SMPD’s Crisis Negotiations Team were on the scene but were also unable to get the driver to comply.

Around 10:45 p.m. SMPD personnel began to move away from the Mercedes in an attempt to de-escalate the situation and the driver “spontaneously drove away,” police say. SMPD Officers did not follow.

“We were informed that at one point the sister convinced the driver to pull over and move over to the passenger seat. She then drove him to the Marina Del Rey Sheriff’s Station,” Flores said.

The SMPD has not released the identity of the driver.

The Sheriff’s Department could not be reached for further information.

This article will be updated as more details become available.

Photo: Citizen App

Santa Monica police attempt to make the driver of a black Mercedes Benz (pictured) exit his vehicle last Thursday night.

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

Smokey the dog saved by Malibu Search & Rescue and local non-profit 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.

LAEDC Recognizes Santa Monica College as 2022 Education Honoree at 27th Annual Eddy Awards

SoFi Stadium Gala on November 9 Honored Santa Monica College alongside LAEDC CEO Bill Allen, Stan Kroenke with his LA Rams & SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, as well as the cities of El Segundo, Gardena, and Santa Clarita

The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) recognized Santa Monica College (SMC) as its 2022 Education Honoree at the 27th Annual Eddy Awards held at SoFi Stadium on Wednesday, Nov. 9. Santa Monica College received the award for “its continuous delivery of higher education, career training, and cultural enrichment to its community of students.”

Alongside SMC, LAEDC also honored its own CEO Bill Allen as its Individual Honoree; Stan Kroenke, with his Los Angeles Rams, SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park as Corporate Honoree; in addition, the cities of El Segundo and Gardena & Santa Clarita (tie)

were named winners of the Most BusinessFriendly City awards in the population under 60,000 and population over 60,000 category, respectively, during the live-streamed ceremony.

Speaking at the gala, SMC Superintendent/ President Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery said that winning what amounts to “the Oscars of the business community” was an honor, to be distinguished out of over 80 colleges and universities in Los Angeles. “Santa Monica College’s business partners report that we are ‘The best among the best,’” Dr. Jeffery said.

“We offer 115 degrees and certificates across [dozens of] industry sectors and many more. We serve students from over 100 countries!”

She also went on to thank the LAEDC and industry partners, and stated that SMC students’ lived experiences were “an asset.”

“Don’t think twice about hiring our community college students to meet your workforce demands!” Dr. Jeffery urged business leaders.

“To be recognized for outstanding leadership in economic development is the highest honor for Santa Monica College faculty and staff who work so hard to align our programming to the demands of the Los Angeles region,” said SMC Dean of Workforce & Economic Development Dr. Patricia Ramos. “We are honored indeed to receive this one!”

“Each year, the Eddy Awards recognize the

incredible work that often happens behind the scenes throughout Los Angeles County. The Los Angeles region continues to grow as a powerhouse economy, not just in California but across the nation and the globe. These honorees are part of a network that tirelessly moves the regional economy on an equitable and sustainable path,” said Stephen Cheung,

COO of LAEDC in a Sept. 1 press release announcing the honorees ahead of the Nov. 9 celebration. “We recognize the massive work done by these honorees for the local economy and its recovery from the pandemic while they become more innovative, resilient, and sustainable.”

Since 1996, the LAEDC Eddy Awards® celebrates individuals, organizations, and educational institutions that demonstrate exceptional contributions to inclusive economic development in the region. “Economic development is a team sport, and for 27 years, the Eddy Awards have highlighted some of the most valuable players in the region,” said Bill Allen, President, and CEO of LAEDC.

Individual Honoree Bill Allen was recognized for how, in 17 years as President and CEO, he transformed the LAEDC’s mission and programs, establishing partnerships with key public and private stakeholders to advance a more robust, equitable, sustainable, and resilient economy for Los Angeles County.

LAEDC’s Corporate Honoree Stan Kroenke and The Kroenke Group was recognized for developing the largest sports and entertainment complex in the country in Inglewood, California, leading to the opening of SoFi Stadium in 2020. This development brought two NFL teams to Los Angeles, provided billions of dollars in investments, and created thousands of jobs in the Los Angeles County region. The Most Business Friendly Cities of El Segundo, Gardena, and Santa Clarita were recognized for creating environments that foster the creation and growth of enterprises that provide good jobs and build wealth for communities.

Obituary: John Carol Caswell Dr. Mitesh Popat Named Chief Executive Officer of Venice Family Clinic

John Carol Caswell was born to Rosemary and Chester Caswell on April 6, 1952, in Hollywood California, the youngest of six children. He was predeceased by his sisters Sheila Wortmann and Sharon Toller and his older brother Hugh Caswell. He is survived by older brothers Tom and Charlie, and his life-long companion Gabrielle de Benedictis, and a large, loving extended family. He left this life on October 25 of this year with family gathered around him, embracing him with their love.

John graduated from Blessed Sacrament School in Hollywood in 1964 and from Daniel Murphy High School in 1970. He received an Associate of Arts degree from Los Angeles City College in 1972 and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Medieval Art History from UCLA in 1974. In 1977, he earned a Master of Arts degree in Medieval Art History from U. C. Santa Barbara.

He worked as Associate Registrar at the John Paul Getty Museum (Villa) from 1979 to 1990 and as Registrar at the Lannan Foundation Art Museum from 1990 to 1997. In 2001, he was named Registrar at the acclaimed Crocker Museum in Sacramento where he served until his retirement in 2018.

John loved the outdoors, and many of his happiest moments were spent hiking,

camping, and observing the sacred beauties of nature. He was an avid and accomplished birder, a scholar, a gifted artist, and a fine musician. He was a man who placed the needs of others ahead of his own needs, and his wry sense of humor never failed him, even during his brief, terrible struggle with pancreatic cancer.

He was a man among men, kind, gentle, generous, loving, and wickedly funny.

A Celebration of Life was held for John on Wednesday, November 9 at The La Cañada Thursday Club.

If you wish to make a contribution in John’s memory, please consider two of his passions: The California Trout Organization and the California Raptor Center at U.C. Davis.

Venice Family Clinic last week announced that Dr. Mitesh Popat will be its new chief executive officer, leading the nonprofit community health center that provides comprehensive care to more than 45,000 people in need from the Santa Monica Mountains through the South Bay.

Dr. Popat, who is currently the chief executive officer of Marin Community Clinics in Marin County, CA, has extensive experience as a community health executive, board certified family physician, public health expert and health care technology advisor.

The announcement of his appointment was made on behalf of the Venice Family Clinic Board of Directors by Joan Herman, Board Chair, and Bill Flumenbaum, Chair of the CEO Search Committee.

Dr. Popat will assume the CEO role

on December 12. He succeeds Elizabeth Benson Forer, who has led the organization for 28 years and will continue to serve in an advisory role through the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition.

Dr. Popat has been a practicing physician and senior leader at community health centers throughout his career. He has led

Family Clinic, see page 9

Physician Dr. Mitesh Popat brings extensive experience in community health care to lead the clinic during a time of growth

Mini Mixed-Use Development Planned for Third Street Neighborhood Historic District

Marin Community Clinics as CEO for the past five years and previously served as its chief medical officer.

Venice Family Clinic’s Board of Directors selected Dr. Popat following a nationwide candidate search that began in March 2022 following Forer’s retirement announcement. The executive search firm, WittKieffer, vetted a diverse and extremely strong pool of candidates for the CEO search committee’s consideration.

that has been established over the past 52 years.”

Project would include two apartments with a market

By Dolores Quintana

Redcar Properties has plans for a parking lot that is near the beach in Santa Monica as reported by Urbanize Los Angeles and the project went before the Santa Monica Planning Commission on November 2 for review. Redcard Properties already owns the site at 2668 2nd Street.

The plan is to build a two-story building with two units of housing and a 738 neighborhood market on the ground floor with seven parking spaces underground in a one-level parking

area. Kevin Daly Architects are the designer of record and the project would consist of a twobedroom apartment and a two-story townhome with three bedrooms that would sit on top of the market. The exterior of the building would be wood siding and there would be a small courtyard outside.

This site is part of the Third Street Neighborhood Historic District, which makes the approval process slightly more difficult. The Historic Resources Group’s report has approved the more modern design of the building according to Urbanize Los Angeles as meeting the local and federal requirements for new buildings in historic districts and the Santa Monica Landmarks Commission, which has already approved the design.

“The board was impressed by Mitesh’s deep commitment to compassionate and equitable care, and his track record in designing that care around the needs of patients,” said Herman. “In an ever-changing health care landscape, we are confident that he will bring vision and new ideas that will continue to build on the comprehensive and integrated model of care built under Liz Forer’s leadership. Mitesh has a keen understanding of the physical, social and environmental factors that must be addressed as part of keeping our community healthy.”

“I am truly honored to have the opportunity to lead Venice Family Clinic, which I have viewed as a gold standard in community health,” Dr. Popat said. “The health challenges that our patients at community health centers face have only become more complex, and we must continue to find innovative ways to deliver care for people who are traditionally underserved. I look forward to working with the Venice Family Clinic team to build on the strong foundation

Prior to his tenure at Marin Community Clinics, Dr. Popat served as the associate medical director of La Clinica De La Raza in Vallejo, CA. Dr. Popat holds a Doctor of Medicine and Masters in Public Health from Tufts University Medical School in Boston, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and Bachelor of Science degree in biological sciences from the University of California, Irvine. He served in the O’Connor Hospital/ Stanford Family Medicine Residency Program in San Jose. He also completed a two-year Health Care Leadership fellowship with the California Health Care Foundation and University of California, San Francisco.

Dr. Popat has been a commissioner with Partnership HealthPlan of California, a managed MediCal plan which covers 550,000 people in 14 Northern California counties. He has a passion for how technology can help break down barriers to care and reach people in novel ways, and has served as an advisor to several health tech companies in the San Francisco Bay Area. Dr. Popat’s experience in community health extends globally and includes stints in India and South Africa, where he worked with local medical professionals to improve preventive care for diabetes patients and to describe the psychosocial factors surrounding HIV infection.

Family Clinic, from page 8

Renting and owning. The Santa Monica long view

OPIN ION SMa.r.t.

Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow

New, market rate apartments are exempt from all rent control. And there is nothing the city can do about it.

Ownership is the ultimate form of rent control - mortgages are fixed, and eviction is impossible. And ownership grows wealth. Everyone on the city council either owns their own homes. Or are protected by rent control. Or are so rich they don’t care.

Historically the council has done everything they can to stop you owning your own home. (TORCA allowed it for a short while, but the council fought it, and then killed it off as soon as they could.)

(Some of our council members, who may be open to progress in this, are as much victimized by what follows as our residents are – and I ask for their understanding.)

First some political backstory: Inflation in the ‘seventies led the renters to vote for strict rent caps and eviction controls. (Later, Costa Hawkins banned vacancy control, but by then the center of power had been established.)

Thus, the city effectively took control of the apartment buildings, but without spending a penny to buy them. The city council then claimed, erroneously, that it was the savior of renters, and it is to the council that the renters must now show fealty at the ballot box, else those protections lapse. And since then, renters have lived in terror of the whims of a new overlord - the city council

Since the buildings were still technically owned by landlords, (although they had lost all control over them,) the landlords could still be portrayed as the villains.

The council could still blame the landlords for everything that goes wrong. If the council had bought the buildings from the landlords, then they would be responsible and would get the blame for tenants’ troubles.

(That is why our council uses non-profit middlemen for their affordable housing - to avoid responsibility, and have someone else the tenants can blame.)

Our renters will never escape from fealty to the city council. And any threat to the councils’ power is trumpeted as a threat to tenants, even if that threat is completely bogus. They did it again this year.

To stay in power the council must keep tenants renting, and afraid, and voting, and poor. It is an Orwellian nightmare come to life.

But of course, no matter who is in power, rent control tenants are safe. The trumpedup threats of weakening rent control will never happen, no matter who is in city hall,

as changes to rent control have to go to a ballot. Tenants’ fear has no basis in reality.

Today’s Santa Monica:

So here we are. Vast amounts of new rental housing, that is exempt from rent control, is going up. Vast numbers of renters will never own homes in this city. The market rate building owners will get ever richer.

But the urge to own is overwhelming for us humans, and rightly so. And so many will leave the city to buy elsewhere. (Except our rich council who bought houses here - they cannot deny their own need to own, even as they deny it to everyone else.)

There are three types of for-salehousing in this city: Single family homes (unattainable but for the rich). Purpose built, high-end condos (still very expensive). And older TORCA apartment conversions. (More affordable, but no more conversions are allowed).

New condos in the city tend to be large, luxurious and expensive, as that is where the high barriers created by the city against condos can be overcome financially. New apartments tend to be smaller, less luxurious and much cheaper to build. They could make far cheaper condos to buy than have been available up to this point.

Contrary to what many claim, market rate apartments being built now are affordable to many of our residents, else they wouldn’t be built. The developers don’t want empty buildings.

And these buildings would also be affordable to buy if sold as condos. But of course, our council despises home ownership. They want you to rent forever,

or go somewhere else to buy your own home. They won’t allow them to be sold as condos… but only as rentals. That is a deliberate decision by the city to stop ownership and only allow renting. Even though 70% of housing is already rentals.

You cannot say that new, market rate apartments are in short supply or needing preservation. You cannot say they help the low-income. There is absolutely no societal benefit why these are sold as rentals, not as condos.

In fact, there is severe societal harm to the renters who are not allowed to buy them as condos. Month by month they are bleeding their wealth to the owners. Each year that an apartment is rented means a year less capital appreciation for that tenant. And a year more capital appreciation for the landlord.

This is outrageous. And deliberate.

They may argue that we need to keep our rental base for whatever reason. That is absurd - there are 70% rentals here, and that percentage rises every day.

And what about the poor? Yes, they really can afford to buy the deed-restricted, affordable units that are required in new apartment buildings, should they be built as condos instead.

I could write about deed-restricted affordable home ownership, down-payment assistance etc. Delve into details of funding, but it really is all just technicalities. Did you know that housing voucher holders (i.e. section 8) can use their vouchers towards mortgage payments? Yes, the poor really can own their own piece of (what used to be) paradise.

All that is easily doable - But it is

bareknuckle political power, and keeping that power, that stops it.

They will say that cities that prioritize market rate renting are defenders of the poor. That is a lie. They are defenders of the rich building owners and their own power.

How can council members who own, or are safe in rent control apartments, or who are rich, say that it is right for them to be protected but not market rate renters? Such wickedness.

Let us own our homes and be safe! Let us have capital appreciation!

Development requirements (parking etc.), fees and bias in planning are skewed against condos. The requirements and fees should be equalized between apartments and condos, and the bias in planning should be reversed so the condos are encouraged relative to apartments.

We should all be disgusted by the sheer hypocrisy, the moral fraud and the paternalistic arrogance, of any land-owning, protected or rich politician who refuses to allow our poor and working class to own their own tiny piece of land.

(And that means really own, forever. Not some 99-year lease rip-off.)

Peter Borresen (Guest Author)

Santa Monica

SMa.r.t., Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow

Thane Roberts, Architect, Robert H. Taylor AIA, Ron Goldman FAIA, Architect, Dan Jansenson, Architect, Building and FireLife Safety Commission, Samuel Tolkin Architect, Mario Fonda-Bonardi, AIA, Planning Commissioner, Marc Verville, CPA (inactive), Michael Jolly, AIR CRE.

Capsule Film Reviews: “Decision to Leave,” “Holy Spider” and “Aftersun”

With the preponderance of international films vying for a variety of awards, including the coveted Academy Award as well as the US Gotham and International Press Academy awards, I’ve chosen three films that are particularly award worthy.

“DECISION TO LEAVE”

Directed by: Park Chan-Wook Starring: Park Hae-il, Tang Wei, Lee Junghyun

Did he jump off the mountain or was it a rock-climbing accident or was this middle-age successful businessman given a little push by Song Seo-rae, his beautiful, young, mysterious wife well played by Tang Wei, whose sexuality is palpable This is the beginning of a complicated spiraling trajectory of events trapping a seasoned, albeit bored, married detective Hae-joon, intensely played by Park Haeil. He soon finds himself caught in a web of obsessive attraction invading all aspects of his life. With the death of her second husband, the detective’s obsession with this woman, appears to be mutual. Is it mutual or is she just manipulating him? Stunningly directed by Park Chan-wook, who won the Best Director prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, this extraordinary neo-noir film digs deeply into the obsessive behavior of his characters with a haunting denouement almost operatic in its grandness. With subtle reminders of the directing style of consummate auteur, the late Alfred Hitchcock, the brilliant DECISION TO LEAVE, which has already won several awards, is South Korea’s Official Oscar entry for Best International Feature Film.

hauntingly played by Zar Amir Ebrahimi, is intrigued by a serial killer in the holy city of Mashhad. Despite the challenges she faces as a female reporter, and the machinations she must employ to get the facts, she insists on interviewing the authorities about the ongoing murders of women of the night. Under Ali Abbasi’s intense direction, we learn that the very religious killer, Saeed Hanaei, well played by Medhi Bajestani, believes he is doing God’s work by ridding the streets of these evil women. His modus operandi is consistent in that riding through the dark streets on his motorcycle, he flashes money enticing women to hop on at which point he often takes them to his home where he offers them a drink and then strangles them. As the body count mounts, he is dubbed the “Spider Killer,” with some locals even embracing him as a hero. With the police rather lax on bringing the murderer to justice, Rahimi comes up with a plan of her own that could be dangerous but thinking she has back-up for protection, she puts her idea into action with potentially life-threatening results.

HOLY SPIDER is based on a true story of the actual serial killer named Saeed Hanaei, who, during his two-year crime spree, killed over a dozen women. This intriguing thriller, the Danish Submission for Academy Award Consideration for Best International Feature, is one that will keep you on the edge of your seats. He is greeted as a hero and it looks like he will not be held accountable for his actions, or will he?

“HOLY SPIDER”

Directed by: Ali Abbasi

Written by: Ali Abbasi & Afshin Bahrami

Starring: Zar Amir Ebrahimi & Medhi Bajestani

Cinematographer: Nadim Carlsen

Edited by: Olivia Neergaard-Holm

Music: Martin Dirkov Languages: Persian Running time: 117 Minutes

Unrated

“DECISION TO LEAVE”

Directed by: Park Chan-wook

Starring: Park Hae-il, Tang Wei, Lee Junghyun

Written by: Park Chan-wook & CHUNG Seo-kyung

Cinematographer: KIM Ji-yong

Music by: Yeong-wook Jo

Edited by: Sang-beom Kim

Languages: Korean & Mandarin with English subtitles

Running Time: 138 minutes Unrated

(Currently at local theatres including Laemmle Monica Film Center, Santa Monica.)

“HOLY SPIDER”

Directed by: Ali Abbasi

Written by: Ali Abbasi & Afshin Bahrami

Starring: Zar Amir Ebrahimi & Medhi Bajestani

Iranian investigative journalist Rahimi,

Check your local theatre listings for or “JustWatch” for possible

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

FILE NUMBER: 2022225045 ORIGINAL FILING This statement was filed with the County Clerk of LOS ANGELES ON 10/17/22. The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as 1. PEDIATRICS ON MONTANA. The full name of registrant(s) is/are: PEDIATRICS OF MONTANA, 901 Montana Ave., Santa Monica, Ca. 90403. This business is conducted by A General Partnership. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 10/2022. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime). Signed Jody Lappin. This Statement was filed with the County Clerk of LOS ANGELES County on October 17, 2022. NOTICE: IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920, WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE). SANTA MONICA MIRROR to publish 10/21/2022, 10/28/2022, 11/04/2022, and 11/11/2022

streaming information.

(Danish Submission for Academy Award Consideration for Best International Feature

“AFTERSUN”

Written & Directed By: Charlotte Wells Starring: Paul Mescal, Frankie Corio & Celia Rowlson-Hall

Charlotte Wells’ film “Aftersun,”which made its debut at the Cannes Film Festival, is a nostalgic walk back in time 20 years after 11-year-old Sophie, brilliantly played by newcomer Frankie Corio and her playful dad Calum, skillfully played by Paul Mescal, enjoyed an unforgettable holiday together at a Turkish beach resort back in the 1990s. Looking at old photos and camcorder recordings, the now grown-up Sophie, played by Celia Rowlson-Hall, relives that special time with her dad. He was a free spirit introducing her to experiences she might be missing such as playing computer games at an amusement arcade or doing Tai Chi on the beach or dancing to pulsating music in a club or enjoying ice cream, or meditating or just have her cuddled up in his arms. Their relationship is complex and in retrospect, the grown-up Sophie, whose parents are now divorced, is trying to fit all the pieces together reconciling her memories with the dad of today. Underlying the joyous moments, although we don’t know the root cause, there is

also a deep sadness emanating from dad. She remembers him quietly smoking on the patio deep in his thoughts or wading into the ocean late at night. Despite the laughter, dad seems to have a touch of melancholia. As the camera closes in on scenes of their relationship, we see the love and warmth between them and the special love father and daughter have for each other. This film has gotten rave reviews but that said, there are some technical elements that I found difficult. For example, some of the scenes were shot with a hand-held camera which resulted in rather jerky takes while other very brief scenes did not seem to have a connection to the prior scenes. All is forgiven, however, for this young director, clearly has the sensitivity to become a director whose future films we look forward to.

“AFTERSUN”

Written & Directed By: Charlotte Wells

Starring: Paul Mescal, Frankie Corio & Celia Rowlson-Hall

Cinematographer: Gregory Oke

Music by: Oliver Coates

Edited by: Blair McClendon

Music: Oliver Coates

Language: English (United Kingdom)

Running time: 102 Minutes

Rated R

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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT

If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing.

NOTICE OF HEARING: Date: 01/03/23 | Time: 8:30AM | Dept: F51

A copy of this ORDER to SHOW CAUSE shall be published at least once a week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county:

SANTA MONICA MIRROR | Dated: November 03, 2022 Judge Lawrence Cho Published: 11/04/2022, 11/11/22, 11/18/2022, and 11/25/2022

FILE NUMBER: 202240351 ORIGINAL FILING This statement was filed with the County Clerk of LOS ANGELES ON 11/03/2022. The following person (persons) is (are) doing business as 1. BA Collective. The full name of registrant(s) is/ are: Cory Taylor Architects Inc., 2740 Main St., Santa Monica, Ca. 90405. This business is conducted by A Limited Liability Partnership. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime). Signed Amin Ajani. This Statement was filed with the County Clerk of LOS ANGELES County on November 03, 2022. NOTICE: IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920, WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE). SANTA MONICA MIRROR to publish 11/11/2022, 11/18/2022, 11/25/2022, and 12/04/2022

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