Los Angeles Downtown News 01-31-22

January 31, 2022 I VOL. 51 I #5

A Tribute to Valentine’s Day Pizzanista, PETA team up for Joan Jett-inspired pizza

A Developing Industry Cannabis to have multilayered effects in 2022

+ Artists recall

Little Tokyo fire

Eye on Education February 14, 2022

FROMPRESCHOOL PRESCHOOL TO FROM TO POSTGRAD POSTGRAD

For more info. contact Michael Lamb 213-453-3548 • mlamb@timespublications.com or Catherine Holloway 213 -308-2261 • cholloway@timespublications.com

Eye on T H E V O I C E O F D O W N T O W N L A S I N C E 1 9 7 2 Education

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Larchmont provides an exceptional education for students TK-12

By Larchmont Charter School Larchmont Charter School is a free public charter school serving over 1,600 students in grades TK-12 on four campuses in Los Angeles.

Larchmont has become a national leader in diverse-by-design, whole-child progressive education, fulfilling its mission to provide a socioeconomically, culturally and racially diverse community of students with an exceptional public education.

With participation from the entire community, the staff strives to instill in each student a dedication to improving the world.

Larchmont Charter staff said it reflects what great public education can and should be.

The school offers all students in California a free education with rich programming, including: • Highly qualified teachers with expertise in both academic and social-emotional development.

• Small class sizes.

• Exceptional academic program rooted in constructivist, project-based learning.

• Diverse student body.

• Weekly enrichment classes, including PE, art, music, gardening, cooking and more.

PhPhoooPPhoto courtesy of Larchmont Charter School

PhPhoooPPhoto courtesy of Larchmont Charter School

• Affordable aftercare for TK through seventh.

• Nutritious gourmet lunch program. Larchmont offers free and reduced-price meals for students who qualify.

• Students of all backgrounds at Larchmont outperform their peers in surrounding schools.

• Robust offering of AP classes.

• Dynamic arts program.

• CIF sports program in high school.

• High technology to student ratio.

• Fantastic community of families.

• First place in the 2020 Get Lit Classic Slam finals, the largest youth classic poetry festival in the nation.

• No. 3 in Best Charter Elementary Schools in Los Angeles area, according to 2021 Best Schools by niche.com.

Larchmont Charter School larchmontcharter.org

ADVERTORIAL

LOOKING FOR AN OUTSTANDING TK-12 SCHOOL? Free, public charter school open to all students in California Highly qualified teachers - trained in academic and social-emotional development Small class sizes | Diverse student body | Progressive, whole child education

LARCHMONT CHARTER SCHOOL Outstanding academic program rooted in constructivist, project-based learning Unique programs like Edible Schoolyard which nurtures healthy eating habits and teaches eco-literacy 97% of our graduates were admitted to college, including 29 of the top 50 colleges in the US As a reminder, families that qualify for Free and Reduced Lunch receive a preference in the lottery & have a better chance of getting in.

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The deadline for the 2022-23 lottery is February 16, 2022. Visit www.larchmontcharter.org/admissions to apply!

jANUARY 31, 2022

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Artists recall fire that destroyed Little Tokyo building

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski LA Downtown News Executive Editor ight months ago, a structure fire destroyed a Little Tokyo building. One of the only salvageable parts of the building was an inspirational unfinished mural by Jesse Fregozo.

The piece shows Jackie Robinson and Kobe Bryant with their arms around each other.

“The mural wasn’t completely done,” he said. “The reason it was not completely done was because of the fire. You can see some of the outlines that were done.

“The thought process of that mural began during the pandemic when Boyle Heights was on lockdown. I had to go ahead and work with some of the businesses that were in Downtown. I couldn’t paint in the morning because the businesses were open.”

The 27-year-old Fregozo calls his mural a “visual gift to the public.”

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Art space Twenty artists used studio, storage and showcase spaces at the site — 213 E. Third Street in Little Tokyo — and lost all their artwork during the June 8, 2021, structure fire.

LAFD reported that it took more than 240 firefighters to extinguish the fire, which involved an explosion and massive ball of flame that erupted out of the building.

Fregozo said the structure fire stripped him and other artists of a lifetime of work.

Aiding with the recovery are LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes (LA Plaza) Eastside Arts Initiative, among other donors.

Building on its effort to help advance the arts in Eastern and Southeast LA County, the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes Eastside Arts Initiative has shared more than $1.2 million in grants to local artists and arts organizations in support of

Jesse Fregozo’s unifinished mural, showcasing Jackie Robinson and Kobe Bryant, was one of the only salvagable parts of the Little Tokyo building. community arts programming and emergency relief funding, such as during COVID-19 relief, and to the artists who lost their artwork during the fire in Little Tokyo.

“We are grateful to the LA city firefighters who fought this fire and to the donors who rushed to our aid, such as the LA Plaza-EAI, whose grant helped me purchase new art supplies and secure new studio space to get back to creating,” he said. “I hope that this story of endurance is an inspiration to upcoming artists to never give up.”

On Dec. 17, Fregozo gathered with fellow artists and activists — including Paul Juno and Hedy Torres; LA Plaza CEO John Echeveste; EAI council Chair Lupe Arriola and EAI council member Victor Franco —

at the scene to share their art. to further the arts in Eastern Los Ange“At this time of year, we are reminded les County while helping local artists and of how grateful we are for the creative arts organizations serving in these comprofessionals and artists whose hard work munities. and novel roles enrich our neighborFregozo called artists in Boyle Heights hoods. We are pleased to support their “tremendous.” He said he was influenced work, especially in times of need, while by many of them. reinforcing our investment in the Eastern/ “As a matter of fact, one of the murals Southeast LA County community through I made a few years ago is actually a few our arts funding,” said Lupe Arriola, EAI blocks away from the hospital I was born EDITOR: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski chair and LAEXECUTIVE Plaza board member. in,” he said. “I just have it in me.

STAFF WRITERS: Andrew Checchia, Andres De Ocampo, Julia Shapero Fregozo said revisiting the scene was “It Kirk was a great place to be, and the artCONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Sara Edwards, Kamala “pretty bittersweet. ” ists were tremendous. I made a lot of ART DIRECTORS: Arman Olivares, Stephanie Torres STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Luis Chavez “For myself, to about 19, 20 other artists friends, and I’m looking forward to seeCONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Myriam Santos at the Little Tokyo complex, it really bene- ing what happens. To have the mural ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway, Michael Lamb fited us,” he added. there and remember every single stroke FOUNDER EMERITUS: Sue Laris The grant helped him buy the materials of paint and get feedback from other artand the books that were lost in the fire. ists was great.”

LA Plaza EAI was established in 2015

EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

Los Angeles Downtown News PO Box 1349 South Pasadena, CA 91031 213-481-1448

STAFF WRITERS: Andres de Ocampo, Luke Netzley, Joshua Weisbly

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Jeff Favre, Bridgette M. Redman, Ellen Snortland STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Chris Mortenson

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER: Perkins and Will

ART DIRECTORS: Arman Olivares, Stephanie Torres

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway (213) 308-2261 Michael Lamb (213) 453-3548

FOUNDER EMERITUS: Sue Laris

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©2021 Times Media Group. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Times Media Group. All rights reserved. The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed bi-weekly throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles. Los Angeles Downtown News has been adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation in Court Judgement No. C362899. One copy per person.

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Veteran DTLA Realtor Randelle Green: ‘Local Experience is Priceless’

By LA Downtown News Staff Since 2005, local Realtor Randelle Green has been servicing Downtown LA buyers and sellers since 2005.

That’s more than 15 years of dedicated and committed service to Downtown residences, over 15 years of playing a major role in the continued renaissance of our beloved urban core.

From his early days of managing sales teams at the Pan-American Lofts in the Historic Core and South Park’s “Mega-Complex” of Elleven, Luma & Evo, to the financial district’s Roosevelt and the Arts District, Green has been and continues to be a fixture of our booming market.

His powerful DTLA boutique brokerage, The Randelle Green Group, has gained national attention since he brought his dream to fruition back in 2015. He alone has sold over $18 million in lofts and condos since 2016 (per the MLS).

When asked what makes his company different, Green said the idea of working with a local specialist who lives and breathes the market, works one on one with clients, is accessible and, perhaps most importantly, intimately knows the different districts, buildings and developers throughout the sprawling and constantly emerg-

The RandelleGreen Group PhPhoooPPhoto courtesy of Randelle Green

Broker-CEO Randelle Green

PhPhoooPPhoto courtesy of Randelle Green

ing downtown area.

Green spoke about the early days, before LA Live, Ralphs, CVS & Whole Foods, before The Bloc, The Row and all the trendy restaurants and lounges. A time when the handful of local Downtown Realtors, to which he points out only a few remain, did not have many options for the buyers in DTLA. Oh, but how times have changed, Green said, ADVERTORIAL

“Nowadays it’s different. Downtown buyers must decide if they are new construction, high-rise people leaning toward a South Park condo or soft-loft, historians looking at Mills Act buildings in the Old Bank District, the theater crowd interested in the burgeoning Bunker Hill District or more secluded artists flowing into The Arts District. How fun it has become, facilitating and directing those dreams One thing is for sure, I was there yesterday, and I will be here tomorrow and remember. I put my name on it.”

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Cannabis to have multilayered effects in 2022

By Andres de Ocampo LA Downtown News Staff Writer annabis is a developing industry in California, and the intricacies and various effects of the growing industry span from the development of proper legislation and best practices with social equity to a lack of understanding of the product.

A rally in front of the state Capitol building in Sacramento on Jan. 13 brought cannabis farmers and minority cannabis business owners together to address Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2022-23 California state budget and the excise tax increase for retailers and a cultivation tax that took effect Jan. 1.

Kika Keith, owner of Gorilla Rx Wellness in Crenshaw, spoke at the rally for statewide tax reform for minority populations and their families who felt the brunt of the “war on drugs.”

Keith is a social equity applicant, and according to the LA Department of Cannabis Regulation, the social equity program seeks “to promote equitable ownership and employment opportunities in the cannabis industry in order to decrease disparities in life outcomes for marginalized communities, and to address the disproportionate impacts of the ‘war on drugs’ in those communities.”

Keith is the only Black woman in Los Angeles to own a dispensary as an applicant of the social equity program.

“Local government and the state has not upheld their promise, specifically for social equity operators and for small businesses and cannabis farmers,” she said.

In four months, Keith reported that her tax bill from the city is $140,000, not including Newsom’s proposed excise state tax, which Keith estimated would cost her $135,000.

“Once we’re licensed, the city doesn’t have any assistance to make sure that we keep our licenses by reducing or eliminating the taxes for those that are disproportionately affected,” she said.

“The only thing I see is that we are put at the bottom of the list for prioritization and we continually have more disadvantages to get into this industry.”

City of Los Angeles spokeswoman Olivia McGovern released a DCR statement, responding to the sentiment that not enough resources are being provided to help social equity applicants sustain their businesses.

“DCR believes that more must be done to support equity owned businesses and the licensed industry gener-

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People’s DTLA, a new Downtown dispensary, offers a comfortable experience to customers, emphasizing an educational and human-facing approach to operating a cannabis dispensary.

Submitted photo

ally, which is why we continue to advocate for legislation and resources that support the City’s effort to expand and improve its Licensing and Social Equity Program,” the statement said.

The statement listed the city’s Social Equity Entrepreneur Development Grant Program (SEED), which provides financial assistance to social equity applicants, among other programs and resources. The program has disbursed $6 million in grants to 205 applicants, according to DCR. Keith said that she received the grant; however, the amount provided would not be nearly enough to help open a business or keep a business open.

“There has to be comprehensive social equity reform that all of city council gets behind, even if it does not affect their constituency,” she said.

Keith cited a motion put forward by Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Daw-

son, District 8, that puts pressure on DCR to speed up the implementation of social equity cannabis licensing and also mentioned the necessity of a city tax reform for social equity cannabis businesses.

“It’s important that the city makes a statement, from a legislative and budgetary perspective, to give social equity applicants and Black and brown folks an actual advantage. That’s what we want this year,” Keith said.

Oren Schauble, president of Unrivaled Brands, said his People’s DTLA, which opened in December, has watched things shift since last year.

“In 2021, cannabinol and the whole sleep category took off,” Schauble said.

“People were asking for more products that had that and products relating to sleep. Now, I think it’s plateaued a bit.

Now, with ‘Dry January,’ people are looking more for fun experiences or creativ-

ity,” he said about the campaign challenging one-month alcohol abstinence.

Cannabinol, or CBN, is a nonpsychoactive compound within cannabis that is recognized for sleep and pain management.

Coupled with the recent increase in consumer demand for a lighter, entertaining high from cannabis, People’s customers have taken a more educated approach to their purchasing decisions, which suits the brand perfectly, Schauble said.

“When you step in here, it’s not like I’m trying to sell you a beverage. We’re establishing a relationship that’s about the human condition — it’s about your wellness,” he said.

“We take the educational process very serious. … We’ve seen the high-potency category grow as people’s tolerancCONTINUED ON PAGE 8

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CANNABIS TO HAVE MULTILAYERED EFFECTS IN 2022, 6

People’s DTLA seeks to help its customers take a more educated approach to their purchasing decisions. The Downtown dispensary’s mission is to provide consumers with a productive, educational and comfortable experience with an emphasis on cannabis and product knowledge for budtenders helping customers.

Submitted photo

es grow and they experiment with new things. We have products for recovery and strains that are perfect for creativity.”

Ultimately, Schauble said his goal is to provide customers with a productive yet educational and comfortable experience, placing an emphasis on cannabis education and product knowledge for budtenders helping customers.

“The education that the budtenders, teams and brands have now, they’re really pushing through all of these different uses and functions of cannabis,” Schauble said.

“We recognize the tools inside of cannabis — there’s CBD, CBN, THC, terpenes and what they all do. Terpenes are what consumers have been asking about the more they come; it’s not just about the THC percentage,” he said.

Dr. Jefferey Raber, founder of The Werc Shop, an independent testing laboratory specializing in cannabis formulations, manufacturing and standardization, has been studying and working with cannabis since 2010.

Raber explained that the looming, overarching interest from cannabis busi-

nesses and consumers about cannabis compounds and molecular makeup to achieve desired effects and conscious cannabis consumption is generally a good thing despite one major factor — a lack of standardization within the cannabis industry at a local and national level.

“A barrier to standardization of cannabis is the illegality and inconsistency of laws from state to state. The result is varied depending on the tests, equipment and sample procedures, among many other factors that define a standardized result,” Raber explained.

From a scientific and public health standpoint, standardization would essentially create a reference point allowing for an all-around understanding of cannabis as a plant and product, weeding out misinformation and recognizing inaccuracies in cannabis testing, ultimately creating a better and safer experience for consumers.

“I hesitate to say that people are unprofessional; they just might not know they’re accurate,” Raber said about cannabis research.

“Some scientists might be diligent

and running procedures diligently time and time again and still not know it’s wrong. It’s a complex procedure, and there’s a lot of things you might be missing.

“It’s a culmination of lack of experience with cannabis, no accepted standards by any bodies of authority that’s been imbedded by many scientists confirming findings and states not working to encourage standardization in a market that encourages inaccuracy. It’s very multilayered,” he explained.

For Raber, the shortcomings regarding a complete understanding of cannabis and the lack of accurate research is a testament to “a new and young industry. It’s uncertain how it will emerge and how it will evolve,” he said.

“We’re still seeing new states embark on cannabis endeavors, and we’re seeing California change legislation to fine-tune existing frameworks and legislation. We’re all still running an experiment about the best way to approach cannabis, under the confines of our own state’s legal structure.

“There are a lot more questions than answers at this point, and we’re seeing

more interest for more capital entering the industry, which should help improve professionalism across the industry that will improve products and practices,” he said.

Though a growing industry will present challenges like any other industry, “We’ve got good momentum toward seeing this cemented as an accepted and a well-regulated industry,” Raber said.

Raber said farmers are growing different cultivars and utilizing bio-synthetic techniques that might bring up other compounds in cannabis that may have been overlooked before or may have not developed before.

“That will broaden the utility, improve the sophistication of products and, hopefully, it will be a way for consumers to find more benefits from cannabis, even outside of psychoactive effects,” he said.

“We know that this plant produces many useful physiological molecules.

We don’t always know everything it produces or what else it could produce, but we know it’s useful,” Raber said about a key takeaway from his research.

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This rendering is of Sankofa Park, a new, 40,000-square-foot park soon to be built on Crenshaw Boulevard as a part of Destination Crenshaw’s community revitalization project.

Photo by Perkins and Will

More funding supports Crenshaw corridor project

By Andres de Ocampo LA Downtown News Staff Writer 1.3-mile Crenshaw community revitalization project will receive nearly $30 million to support the restorative development that will cement a cultural imprint of Black Los Angeles along Crenshaw Boulevard.

Destination Crenshaw (DC), the name of the nonprofit and project to revitalize the Crenshaw community, began in 2017 as a $100 million project. The nonprofit has since collected public and private funding from various sources, including a $3 million grant for public art commissions from the Getty Foundation in Oct. 2021 and a $15 million donation

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from LA Metro in 2020.

The most recent allocation to the DC project comes from a partnership between local and national financers U.S. Bank, Lendistry, Local Initiatives Support Corporation National and Building America.

The sum awarded to DC, which is totaled at $29.23 million, is the result of financing partnerships seeking to invest in underfinanced communities without access to very many resources as a part of New Market Tax Credits, a federal program designed to incentivize private investment to underserved communities.

NMTC allow private corporations and banks, like the lead investor U.S. Bank, to

receive tax relief by purchasing the credits from various Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI), who are awarded the credits from the U.S. government and take the proceeds and offer low-cost loans to help fund nonprofits, like DC, among other community impact initiatives.

The federal program allows the NMTC recipients to make decisions about where the funding will go, and in DC’s case, the funding will support a part of the general community revitalization program but will mainly go toward operating costs for the nonprofit and programs for union training and employment, local business resiliency and

community artists.

“It’s important for our community to have access to the opportunities that exist,” Jason Foster, president and COO with DC, said about the programs and job training apart of the DC project.

“We see big events that come to Los Angeles, and we see that as a good opportunity to support businesses along Crenshaw and help residents tap in as potential employees or business owners,” he said.

Since its inception, DC has focused on community upliftment, emphasizing a need for empowering residents and CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

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a Advertising is Keep Great Way to rs Your Custome Informed The Los Angeles Downtown News publishes a wide array of special sections and quarterlies throughout the year on topics like Health, Education, Nightlife and Residential Living.

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MORE FUNDING SUPPORTS CRENSHAW CORRIDOR PROJECT, 10 businesses in the area for a more sustainable, long-lived future as a hub of culture for Black Angelenos.

The nonprofit and project were a direct response from the Crenshaw community, after the decision and construction of the street-level LA Metro Crenshaw/LAX line along Crenshaw Boulevard, removing 300 business parking spaces and 400 trees during the rail line construction.

City Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson, District 8, led the effort in conjunction with community members to find a way to benefit from the rail line, which resulted in the creation of the DC nonprofit and the project to revitalize the 1.3-mile corridor.

“It’s important for us to have this rail line constructed and have our community intact. … Destination Crenshaw’s main priority is to have our impacts amplify the community’s effort to have a thriving commercial corridor based in Black cultural spaces,” Foster said.

Understanding what the revitalization project would look like led the DC community advisory council to consider the 1.3-mile boulevard and surrounding residents, keeping aesthetics of the corridor, design, public art and small businesses in mind.

“It’s essential that we create a cultural space, based in commerce, that we already have for other ethnicities in Los Angeles,” Foster said.

“We have Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Olivera Street. Right now, we don’t have a Black space that celebrates Black people, our history, or shepherds us into the future with cultural and commercial opportunities that allows people to thrive.

That’s what the people wanted,” he said.

The project, expected to reach completion by April 2023, is planning on commissioning 100 sculptures, murals and other public art pieces from Los Angeles artists throughout the Crenshaw corridor. Nearing the end of 2021, DC was approved for seven permanent public sculptures from renowned artists Kehinde Wiley, Brenna Youngblood, Melvin Edwards, Charles Dickson, Alison Saar, Artis Lane and Maren Hassinger.

“It’s important to celebrate these accomplished artists as a part of our permanent project, making it known that Black art is essential to Black communities and having it be free and accessible to people living in the community is what’s important to us,” Foster said.

Accessible public art not only serves as a cultural aspect for the community but as a way of creating future job op-

The first few years of a child’s life are critical for their development. Children at risk of a developmental delay, or showing any signs of delay, may qualify for intervention and services through the Early Start program of California.

Across the state of California, the Early Start program is coordinated by all 21 regional centers. With the guidance of service coordinators, an individualized plan for services and supports can make a difference in a child’s development.

For individuals over the age of 3, the regional centers also provide lifelong services and supports from the school age years through adulthood, including service coordination, individual service planning, education related advocacy and training In partnership with the Family Resource Centers, parents and family members may receive parent-to-parent support, guidance, information and referrals to community resources.

Due to the decline in referrals during the COVID-19 State of Emergency, it is important to know that your local regional center remains open and is accepting referrals. Although some regional center staff may be working remotely, they continue to work hard to ensure your child is receiving the services they need.

To find out exactly which regional center would serve your family, please visit dds.ca.gov/services or dds.ca.gov/listings Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center 3303 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90010 (213) 383-1300 or (213) 252-5600 kyrc@lanterman.org | www.lanterman.org

portunities for the commissioned artists.

“It’s very important to Destination Crenshaw that we drive the project as a job creation tool,” Foster said.

Creating a career pipeline for Crenshaw community members and supporting the existing 40 local businesses along the corridor is an essential part of DC’s plan, according to Foster. The project seemingly connects residents with jobs and training throughout the entire rollout, where 600 construction jobs will be created, along with 60 permanent jobs focusing on maintenance of the corridor and administrative and operational work with DC. DC has yet to roll out the majority of the project’s construction phase, with the entire project initially projected to be completed by the end of 2022.

“This has to do with delays due to the pandemic and shipping and procurement, but this is an active construction project,” Foster said, mentioning that in the coming weeks, the construction of Sankofa Park, a new 40,000-square-foot parking space, will begin at the intersection of Crenshaw and Leimert boulevards.

Coupled with the new park build, construction on sidewalks, street furniture and shade structures will soon follow,

along with improving the community’s environment by planting 800 trees and incorporating 10 parklets throughout the stretch of the corridor for added green space.

“This will be a good opportunity for community members to understand the scale of what we’re building and that we’re active and live,” Foster said.

Though significant changes are underway, ultimately changing the fundamental landscape of Crenshaw Boulevard, Foster emphasized the importance of the NMTC program and levering private investment to create opportunities for South LA communities.

“We wanted to demystify the NMTC process for other South LA nonprofits.

A lot of times, this process seems hard and that only certain nonprofits can do it,” he said.

“A lot of nonprofits in South LA already have existing impacts that make them ideal candidates in the future.

Hopefully there will be more nonprofits in South LA going after this and receiving that investment, ultimately having private investors and banks focused on their communities as well,” he continued.

Lendistr y is a S outher n California-based community development financial institution founded in 2015,

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providing a variety of underserved and underfinanced small businesses and nonprofits with financial resources.

Everett Sands, CEO with Lendistry, said that though the financial company partners with banks and organizations, both local and national, this is the first time Lendistry has worked with a nonprofit in a NMTC allocation capacity.

“What we’ve tried to do historically is to be the consultant, provider of access to capital or think about how to capitalize more successfully. … We try to provide access to capital or help underserved communities benefit,” Sands said about Lendistry and the company’s goals.

“When it comes to Destination Crenshaw, it would be a part of the underserved communities aspect. We’re trying to help take the Crenshaw community to another level,” he said.

Sands elaborated about what made DC a considerable recipient, dealing with the impact of the DC project that will reshape and reinvent the 1.3-mile corridor, the job creation that will come with the project and after and, lastly, how investors seeking tax credits can benefit through the NMTC allocation.

“Right now, we’re working with different organizations to figure out what Lendistry can do next that would be transformative inside of communities

This rendering is of I AM Park, one of many new parks to be completed in 2023 along the Crenshaw Boulevard corridor as a part of Destination Crenshaw’s community revitalization project.

Photo by Perkins and Will

within LA County,” Sands said.

“At Lendistry, we’re looking for more opportunities where we can help foster communities, relating to transformative development and scalable opportunities for various communities. That would fit across all of Los Angeles,” he continued.

When the DC project is finally completed in 2023, Foster said DC will pivot from a nonprofit helping to build up the community through physical infrastructure to

Procurement

El Centro Del Pueblo Family Source Center – Echo Park/Cypress Park areas Seeking Collaborative Partner to provide Emergency Food Services for the CSBG CARES program El Centro Del Pueblo (ECDP) is seeking a non-profit organization to partner with that is experienced in the coordination and distribution of emergency food support for families in need. Eligible organizations will provide food services by way of hot meals distribution and/or delivery and the coordination of weekly food distributions at El Centro Del Pueblo locations in Echo Park and Cypress Park. Bidders must submit a brief program narrative that describes their demonstrated ability and program design, as well as budget forms that detail costs associated with the project. The anticipated funding for this opportunity will not exceed $48,000. ECDP will close the procurement on February 10th, 2022. Please contact Mayra Ceballos, Chief Programs Officer, at mceballos@ecdpla.org for the bid package and budget forms no later than February 9th, 2022.

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a nonprofit that will uphold the social infrastructure of the Crenshaw community, facilitating partnerships and providing regenerative support.

Though revitalizing a historic section of South Los Angeles in this capacity has, without a doubt, many moving parts, the totality and legacy of the project is “something we can’t understate,” Foster said.

“It’s important to us to make sure that

there’s permanence, because we want to celebrate the history of Crenshaw and its future as a Black community.

“When we’re finished and the Crenshaw/LAX line is active and there are millions of people passing through the Crenshaw corridor, for many of them, it will be their first time and they will see a Black community that is beautiful and thriving with local residents at the helm,” he said.

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jANUARY 31, 2022

JUDGE’S OPINION

Our creature comforts are gone with the wind

By Ellen Snortland LA Downtown News Columnist MG, what was that?” Ferociously howling winds, and the various crashes and shudders they inflicted upon our Altadena home, started on Jan. 21, in the late evening. My husband and I were hearing the havoc outside, when I saw a flash through my office window and heard a loud explosion.

Ken said, “There goes the power.” He got out of bed and, thanks to years of experience dealing with Altadena “electrical oopsies,” started powering down our sensitive electronics that could get fried by either a brownout, blackout, or a surge if the power flipped back on in 10 minutes. That hardfought experience is why all our devices are plugged into uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units.

“This is getting more and more like Mexico,” I said. “When I was living there, I got used to power outages. But geez, even though Altadena was once part of Mexico, this is taking it a little too far!” In 2022, we must consider power interruptions highly probable as we confront increasingly disruptive weather events.

This time, we got a very special 42-hour brownout and then a six-hour blackout.

We had enough juice to keep our phones charged but no internet, heat or hot water; we had only each other and the dogs to keep us warm. We were on the verge of losing all the food in the refrigerator, so our dear friends Susan and Ed hustled up the hill to lend us their Yeti cooler.

This internet-free time allowed me to reflect on what we’d do if electricity disappeared for good and we really had to live off the land. That notion may not be as farfetched as you might think. I also wonder how many of our engineers and inventors are developing power sources that are not dependent on utility companies. By the way, some of those companies are trying to make it harder for Californians to implement solar power for their homes — bastards! But that’s another column.

I remembered my mother teaching me how to make homemade soap from ashes, lye and tallow. She was only a generation away from pioneer homesteading and had many survival skills that have since been lost. In Altadena, we could basically eat off our “land,” such as it is. Nopalito salad is nutritious, and our cactus is plentiful. We have oranges and lemons galore and would never have to fret about scurvy!

Meanwhile, I’m eyeing some inventions

“O

Ellen Snortland of my own. How could I harness the energy of our lazy dogs? They cadge off us at every opportunity. I think it’s important to make them work for their kibble, should the need arise. Mush, little doggies! Oh, don’t look at me with that sweet face: Get on that treadmill and keep walking. As soon as you produce enough power for the fridge, you’ll get your treat.

And our own power is wasted every week when we simply walk to exercise. Pffft. You know where treadmills got their start, right?

Treadmills were used to harness people and animals to power — you guessed it — mills!

People, horses, dogs… anything that could turn a wheel. Mills to create more energy, control water, grind grain. And now, what are treadmills for? Tight butts and clothes I’m too lazy to hang in the closet. It seems like we could — eww, I almost said, “Kill two birds with one stone,” so violent and archaic. Although… wait a minute! Hunting may figure into some of our futures, so get those slingshots out, folks! But really, tight butts and energy? Now we’re talking.

Imagine converting our exercise machines into energy producers, “Soylent Green” notwithstanding. Biking, treadmills, recumbent machines and more could be producing electricity to power the gym you belong to. Our entertainment centers could double as our exercise room while pedaling to supply our television sets with power.

Let’s show the utility companies we have alternatives beyond surf, wind and solar!

Back to the blackout: There were people on the neighborhood app NextDoor who were agonizing over whether they should throw away foods that had been in an unpowered refrigerator after four or more hours. Really? This country’s citizens have already been bamboozled into thinking they need to throw away foods after their sell-by date, which is often way off! Hmmm. Stroke

Hey you! Speak up!

Downtown News wants to hear from people in the community. If you like or dislike a story, let us know, or weigh in on something you feel is important to the community.

Participation is easy. Go to downtownnews.com, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the “Letter to the Editor” link. For guest opinion proposals, please email christina@timespublications.com.

your chin and consider who benefits from you throwing away food that is perfectly good by using expiration dates that are artificially superconservative. The manufacturers of said products? The lobbyists who have resources to make you worry about things you need not worry about? Bingo.

I fervently hope we get our local electrical infrastructure more radically weather-proofed. Meanwhile, transformers in Altadena are notorious for exploding if

someone sneezes too hard, and many dogs need more exercise. Now “your best friend” can also be a potential partner in staying warm and having the lights stay on.

Note: For essay submissions about Women’s History Month, we’ve extended the deadline to midnight, Wednesday, Feb. 3. Answer the question in 600 to 800 words, “Why is Women’s History Month (every March!) important?” Contact Ellen at ellen@ beautybitesbeast.com.

Los primeros años de la vida de un niño son críticos para su desarrollo. Los niños en riesgo de un atraso en el desarrollo, o que muestran signos de atraso, pueden calificar para la intervención y los servicios a través del programa Early Start de California.

En todo el estado de California, el programa Early Start es coordinado por los 21 centros regionales. Con la guía de los coordinadores de servicios, un plan individualizado de servicios y apoyos puede marcar la diferencia en el desarrollo de un niño.

Para las personas mayores de 3 años, los centros regionales también brindan servicios y apoyos de por vida desde la edad escolar hasta la edad adulta, incluida la coordinación de servicios, la planificación de servicios individuales, educación relacionadas con la defensa y capacitación.

En asociación con los Centros de Recursos Familiares, los padres y los miembros de la familia pueden recibir apoyo, orientación, información y referencias a recursos comunitarios.

Debido a la disminución de las referencias durante el estado de emergencia de COVID-19, es importante saber que su centro regional local permanece abierto y está aceptando referencias. Aunque algunos miembros del personal del centro regional pueden estar trabajando de forma remota, continúan trabajando arduamente para garantizar que su hijo reciba los servicios que necesita.

Para averiguar exactamente qué centro regional serviría a su familia, visite dds. ca.gov/services or dds.ca.gov/listings Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center 3303 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90010 (213) 383-1300 or (213) 252-5600 kyrc@lanterman.org | www.lanterman.org

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Rottet Studio creates modern development in DTLA

By LA Downtown News Staff he design firm Rottet Studio, with founding principal, Richard Riveire as lead, created a master plan for Mitsui Fudosan America’s high-end 42-story development.

Positioned above a seven-level parking garage, the 438-unit building will include retail spaces totaling 7,500 square feet at street level.

Constructed at the intersection of Figueroa and Eighth streets in DTLA, the build is helmed by Johnson Fain Architects, with Rottet Studio creating the interiors of 80 studio, 264 one-bedroom and 94 two-bedroom units as well as all amenity spaces.

Luxury materials and quality finishes in neutral tones will be installed in all units, highlighting efficiency. Wood floors, quartz countertops, kitchen islands and porcelain tile are some of the design details.

“Condo level brought to luxury level” is what Riveire is aiming for with this design scheme.

Indoor and outdoor spaces will high-

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The 438-unit building, designed by Rottet Studio, will feature retail spaces totaling 7,500 square feet at street level.

Submitted photo

light verdant gardens connecting to a resort-style pool, private cabanas and a communal clubhouse. Additional features include an executive wellness center, lounge, private dining, as well as access to

a roof lounge and multiple sky decks, all with great views.

The development is near the Museum of Contemporary Art, Walt Disney Concert Hall and The Broad. According to Riveire,

the building will also feature an art program that will incorporate local talent to help activate public spaces.

Construction is expected to be completed in 2023.

Breaking News: Freedom is Ours Now

A free inspirational talk on freedom from fear and pain from a Christian Science perspective. All are welcome in person or to livestream on YouTube!

Hosted by First Church of 80 S. Oakland Ave. Christ, Scientist, Pasadena Pasadena, CA 91101 Tel: (626)-793-5151 and First Church of Christ, Scientist, Arcadia To view the lecture on livestream, visit: christiansciencepasadena.com to find the link to the livestream video.

Saturday January 22, 2022 10 am PST Childcare will be provided.

Patricia Woodard, CS Christian Science Practitioner Member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship

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Comedian brings family story into theatrical film release

By Bridgette M. Redman LA Downtown News Staff Writer hen you’re a comedian with Danny Pudi’s chops, even the most heartbreaking story can be told for laughs.

Pudi, who has lent his talents to such shows as “Community,” “Mythic caption Quest” and “DuckTales,” has been working on an autobiographical story for years.

Now, having collaborated for the second time with three South Asian-led arts organizations — Hypokrit Productions, East West Players and EnActe Arts — he’ll release an experimental film in which he stars and wrote.

“Running” is available through Stellar’s streaming platform through Feb. 26. It is directed by Hypokrit’s Arpita Mukherjee, who helped him bring the idea to fruition.

The film’s plot follows Pudi as he tries to learn more about his estranged father. He pieces together mementos, stories from his dad’s friends, and hard conversations with his mother.

He sets out to solve the puzzle of his father and instead ends up on a journey of self-discovery.

In 2018, Pudi was working on “Shabash!” — an evening of South Asian Theatre at the Lincoln Center that was co-produced by Hypokrit Productions in New York. He went to one of their productions and wanted to work more with them and Mukherjee.

“I really vibed with them,” Pudi said. “I had a nice connection with (Mukherjee) as a director and a creator.”

The story originally was to hit the stage in New York, but everything changed because of the pandemic.

“We had to figure out what we wanted to do,” Pudi said. “A lot of theaters were shifting to digital offerings, and we watched a few.”

Because Mukherjee was in New York and Pudi in Los Angeles, they talked about other organizations with which they could collaborate. Mukherjee suggested East West and EnActe.

“I had seen a number of shows (at East West) and have been aware of their work over the years,” Pudi said.

“It felt like a really natural fit. Arpita was also in touch with EnActe and told me about their mission. It felt like a natural collaboration between our theater companies and a way for us to expand and be ambitious. With these three companies working in Asian American theater, everything seemed to align.”

Founded in LA in 1965, East West Players is the nation’s oldest and largest Asian American theater company. Led by Snehal Desai, it advocates for multifaceted representations of the Asian Pacific American experience in the performing arts.

EnActe Arts is in Sunnyvale and is a talent incubator and a platform for conversations on social issues to create greater awareness and tolerance from a South Asian perspective.

Mukherjee founded Hypokrit in New York in 2013 and develops stories by artists of South Asian descent across film, television and theater.

Pudi said he uses humor to cope. That’s why it became the backbone for telling this very personal life story.

“It felt natural to have moments where things are raw and also moments where there is a sketch comedy element, which is in my background,” Pudi said.

“All of those things feel a part of my life and helped me in many ways think about my relationship with my father and help me deal with tough things like identity issues, abandonment and grief. I wanted to make sure it reflected all of that.”

Pudi is mixed race — his father and mother are immigrants from India and Poland, respectively. When Pudi became the father of twins, he reconnected with his dad. They had been estranged for most of Pudi’s life.

The experience of becoming a father changed him. He had many questions about his life.

“I felt like I was traveling back in time and revisiting the past,” Pudi said. “Out of the

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Comedian Danny Pudi penned an autobiographical film, “Running,” about his journey to find his father.

Photo courtesy of Danny Pudi

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Actor and comedian Danny Pudi tells his story in “Running.”

Photo courtesy of Danny Pudi

blue, I’d have these vivid memories of going on a roller coaster with my mom or being in a car with my dad.”

As he tried to make sense of his past, he pondered what he wanted to share with his kids. The movie helped him process that. “‘Running’ has been many years in the making and always a labor of love,” Mukherjee said. “I find Danny’s story deeply resonant — it is distinct in its raw, intimate and vulnerable journey through Danny’s life, but ultimately profoundly universal in its investigation of belonging, family and self-acceptance.”

In one of Pudi’s early conversations with Mukherjee, he shared personal stories about his family and background. He’d just watched a family story she directed for Hypokrit and was impressed with the way she handled it.

“We connected in a lot of ways I was not expecting,” Pudi said. “I think she has a wonderful eye. Her company — their mission is in many ways uplifting these kind of stories and really speaking to different authentic experiences. I felt it was the right fit. She was someone I knew I could partner with, and I knew she would nudge me in the right direction.”

He said she’s a creative artist who could handle the moments in the stories where he was unsure or vulnerable.

“She’s been very gentle and caring,” Pudi said. “I really appreciated it.”

Pudi loves games and turns every day into a game. It was natural for him to weave that element into the film.

“I’ve always played games, whether it is going for a run and counting the number of lawnmowers, trampolines or, these days, coyotes; or playing video games with my son — we’ve connected over ‘Breath of the Wild,’” Pudi said.

As he reconnected with his father and tried to make sense of why he left, he realized

he approached it like a game. As he discussed the story with the film’s creative staff, he had the idea of using video games as the story’s spine. It made sense to him, as it was a way for his character to process and use the game to tell all these stories.

While the film is digital, the creators wanted to keep theatrical elements to it. He wants people to feel like they are going to a live event.

“The beauty of theater is that you’re able to go into a place and feel something very immediate,” Pudi said.

“It’s something we’ve been working on for the past year and shifting with the times.

For me, personally, it’s been very helpful to be able to work on something and create something. We filmed it inside East West at a time when a lot of theaters were going dark.”

He hopes the public will check out the film, as most can relate to it.

“It’s a story about me becoming a father and figuring out who my father is,” Pudi said.

“It’s about the moments in their life where they are trying to figure out who they are and how to make sense of the past. What stories are worth telling? What do we want to leave behind? Something meaningful for me these days with my kids is thinking about things that matter — all the people in my life who have impacted and really shaped me, especially my parents, I owe them so much gratitude. Those are the themes I hope people take out of it.”

“Running” by Danny Pudi WHEN: On demand until Feb. 28 COST: $19.99 general admission INFO: https://bit.ly/RunningByPudi

Actor Danny Pudi sets out to learn about his estranged father in the experimental film “Running.”

Photo courtesy of Danny Pudi

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“Songs of Conscience, Sounds of Freedom” showcases a variety of artists and musical masterpieces that have inspired movements and enacted progressive change around the world.

Photo by Luke Netzley

Grammy Museum exhibit explores the nation’s turbulent past

By Luke Netzley LA Downtown News Staff Writer he Grammy Museum has unveiled a new exhibit, “Songs of Conscience, Sounds of Freedom,” an auditory and visual display that spans time and genre from the American Revolution to the civil rights movement of the 1960s and the continued fight against racial injustice in America.

It tells the stories of music’s role as a source of inspiration and education.

“Our country is in the midst of some powerful and very important challenges, and of course music plays a part in that,” said Bob Santelli, founding executive director and exhibit curator.

“With this exhibit in particular, I hope it will inspire people to think a little bit more on what they can do to help bring this country’s problems to a close, or at least to begin to put us on a path that will end up in a positive place. The hope is that not only can music inspire, but music heals as well.”

The exhibit is a more modern take on the museum’s first “Songs of Conscience, Sounds of Freedom” exhibit, which was initially displayed at the Grammy Museum when it opened in Los Angeles in 2008. More than 13 years later, the exhibit was updated to include the Black Lives Matter movement, songs that fight for LGBTQ+ rights, and how music from artists like H.E.R., Dave Specter and Mickey Guyton continue the traditions of using music as an agent and catalyst for social change.

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The Grammy Museum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating a greater understanding of the history and significance of music through exhibits, education, grants, preservation initiatives and public programming.

Photo by Luke Netzley

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The Grammy Museum’s exhibits are as interactive as they are informational, allowing visitors to listen to songs that have fueled social movements throughout American history.

Photo by Luke Netzley

“I wanted to make sure that there were stories I could tell that perhaps hadn’t been told before or had been forgotten,” Santelli explained. “Black Lives Matter is one of the most important movements of our time, and to make sure H.E.R.’s ‘I Can’t Breathe’ was prominently displayed and talked about, and having the instrument that wrote that incredible song … these are some of the things that were brand new from 2008 and are very important today.”

Santelli grew up on the songs of Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie in the 1960s and found himself particularly drawn to Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land.” While many who grew up listening to the folk song know it as a patriotic melody, Guthrie actually wrote it in response to Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America,” arguing that while the United States was a great and beautiful country, it was also imperfect and had its own problems that needed to be addressed. The song was one of the earliest inspirations for Santelli that music can be used as a tool for positive change.

“Woody Guthrie is the godfather of all this kind of music, and he really showed us with his more than 3,000 songs how music can be such an effective force in a democracy,” Santelli said. “When you listen to Woody Guthrie’s song ‘Plane Wreck at Los Gatos,’ better known as ‘Deportee,’ that should hit you, bring tears to your eyes, and those tears should then turn into muscle and determination. I know that’s what music can do, and that’s what this exhibit is all about. If there’s ever been an educationally driven exhibit at the Grammy Museum during my time, it’s this one.”

Santelli’s hope is that the exhibit will be used as an educational resource for LA’s younger generations to learn and find inspiration from the past to shape their future.

Inspired by museum curator Nick Vega, the “Songs of Conscience, Sounds of Freedom” exhibit will also include a newly expanded section, “The Sounds of Los Angeles,” that explores LA-based social movements and events that have inspired protest songs spanning a variety of movements and genres as diverse as the Chicano Movement of the ’60s and ’70s, the 1965 Watts Rebellion, the 1992 LA riots, and the city’s history of economic disparity, poverty, gang violence and police corruption.

“Some of these issues that we have in this exhibit, like immigration or racism, were issues in America that Woody Guthrie wrote about in the late 1930s and ‘40s, and it’s sad to say that we’re still writing songs about them because it’s necessary to do,” Santelli said.

“These challenges to American democracy and the idea of America have not gone away. Woody Guthrie died in 1967. He’s long gone, but new people need to pick up the mantle and carry on this idea that America is worth saving and that America can help be saved with its great music tradition.”

This year’s “Songs of Conscience, Sounds of Freedom” exhibit opened on Jan. 15 and will run until May 8.

“Songs of Conscience, Sounds of Freedom” WHERE: Grammy Museum, 800 W. Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles WHEN: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays.

Exhibit runs through May 8 COST: $12 for adults; $13 for seniors older than 65, youth between 6 and 17, and military personnel; free for members and children 5 years and younger INFO: 213-725-5700, grammymuseum.org

A theater presentation shows flashbacks to famous performances from the Grammy Awards.

Photo by Luke Netzley

“The Sounds of Los Angeles” exhibit focuses on the impact that music has had in raising awareness to pressing issues such as poverty, gang violence and police brutality in LA. Photo by Luke Netzley

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Controversial ‘Slave Play’ makes its West Coast debut

By Jeff Favre “I feel so small town saying it, but I had no idea that Yale LA Downtown News Contributing Writer had a drama department,” she said. “I didn’t know that all halia La Tour woke up one morning, got ready for her these greats had gone there. I ended up doing their auditheater class at Yale University and found a man she tion process and loved the teachers. I loved the other artists didn’t know lying on her couch. that I met there who would then become my classmates.”

He woke up, smiled and said, “Hey, thanks for letting me Some of those classmates were part of “Slave Play” when crash at your house.” La Tour, unfazed, responded, “Oh, yeah, it opened off-Broadway. That’s where La Tour said she had that’s cool.” her most memorable post-performance interaction with an The man, Jeremy O. Harris, her roommates’ friend, was visaudience member — her mother. iting to check out the school’s prestigious playwriting pro“I was so worried about her coming to see a play that had gram. He wound up attending Yale, where he wrote “Slave any sort of talk about sex, but she said it was fine,” La Tour Play,” which earned 12 Tony nominations — including one for said. “And what was cool is for me was — it was so beautiful La Tour as a featured actress in the role of Teá.

— she was able to talk to me, her daughter, about things Perhaps the most controversial and shocking work on in her life concerning race that she had never talked to me a major stage in the last decade, the three-act “Slave Play,” about before, because she finally had a framework to talk which premiered in 2017 at the Yale School of Drama, before about it.” moving to New York and eventually to Broadway in 2019.

Center Theatre Group Associate Artistic Director Tyrone Most of the New York cast will be on stage at The Mark TaDavis concurs. He welcomes the conversations and even per Forum, as Los Angeles hosts its West Coast debut. Directheated debates that likely will come with “Slave Play” to Los Chalia La Tour, a graduate of the Yale School of Drama’s MFA ed by Robert O’Hara, it runs Feb. 9 to March 13.

Angeles.

Acting program, landed a 2020 Tony nomination for Best The show’s content was considered shocking by many.

“That’s what I love about theater, something that proPerformance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play for her There is nudity, depictions of rape and other graphic sexual vokes something inside of you,” he said. “The play opens Broadway debut as Teá. acts. up a lot of the topics, but certainly it doesn’t resolve or give Submitted photo But it’s the complexities of interracial couples exploring — you a way to feel and think about these topics. It puts them in highly unorthodox ways — how race permeates their relaout there, and it’s up for us, the audience, to take to step furtionships that has audiences debating the impact and import of “Slave Play.” ther to have meaningful conversations around the subject matter.”

Center Theatre Group’s artistic director, Michael Ritchie, when he announced the proThe show’s move to LA means a return to La Tour’s new home. She has appeared in duction coming to Los Angeles, said, “Jeremy O. Harris’ revelatory and provocative new several TV shows, including a recurring role in CBS’ “The Good Fight.” work changes the way we see the world around us.”

But this will be her first time on the Taper stage, and she’s excited to be part of sharing La Tour got that sense as well, even before Harris was done writing it.

“Slave Play” with West Coast audiences.

“It was only the beginning of act one and two,” La Tour recalled. “We were reading the “Our director, Robert O’Hara, would say, ‘If you’re looking for comfort, he’s not giving it script and being blown away by shock and exhilaration and excitement — and com- to you. That’s not our goal.’ What I would say is it’s for folks who love art, who would love pletely baffled at certain moments. We did this reading just after I had graduated from to touch base with the interconnectedness of humanity and be brave enough to look at Yale, and I was a part of a lot of conversations around disparity concerning race and the discomfort of our history and what we carry with each other as we try to connect. gender and all sorts of identity factors at the school. So, a lot of the conversations that We can do that.” were being had in the script were ones that were readily in my brain, so I was so excited to see a script actually voice them and have so many points of view in one room.”

For La Tour, the reading was another in a series of theatrical collaborations that had “Slave Play” shaped her education and career since she started appearing in her preteen years WHEN: Various times Wednesday, Feb. 9, to Sunday, March 13 on stages in Stockton. Those were followed by productions at the city’s Lincoln High WHERE: Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles School, which convinced her that she could act professionally.

COST: Tickets start at $30 It was after undergraduate work, while attending the Actors Theatre of Louisville ProINFO: 213-628-2772, centertheatregroup.org fessional Training Program, when she got the idea to study at Yale.

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Covered DININGCalifornia will help

Pizzanista owner Salman Agah, who has long offered vegetarian selections, teamed up with PETA for a Joan Jett-inspired pizza in honor of Valentine’s Day.

The tribute pizza is aimed at complementing the mural of the rocker, who has been a longtime PETA supporter, outside of the store.

Photo by Chris Mortenson

Photo by Chris Mortenson

Pizzanista, PETA team up for Joan Jett pizza

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski LA Downtown News Executive Editor alman Agah has long offered vegetarian selections at his Downtown Arts District restaurant Pizzanista.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, he teamed with PETA for a Joan Jett-inspired pizza to complement the rocker’s mural outside of the store. The pizza has a black heartshaped crust — in honor of the Blackhearts and Jett’s big heart for animals — piled high with veggies and melty vegan cheese from Miyoko’s Creamery. It’s served in a heart-shaped box for Valentine’s Day. “Joan Jett has been a longtime PETA supporter and an outspoken animal lover,” said Ashley Byrne, PETA’s director of outreach and campaigns.

“She has been meat free since the ’80s.

Pizzanista is definitely known for serving

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some really fantastic vegan pizza. Pizzanista reached out about doing this collaboration and doing a Valentine’s Day vegan pie as a tribute to Joan Jett and as a way to support PETA.” She added that $2 from every purchase will be given to PETA. The side of Pizzanista’s building was painted “PETA blue,” she said.

“PETA can’t wait to see snaps of Tait Roelofs’ eye-catching artwork popping up on social media as fans flock to Pizzanista for a slice of its heart-shaped pie,” said Lisa Lange, PETA’s senior vice president.

The promotion started Jan. 22 with a 20% discount for PETA members, and $2 from each purchase will support the organization’s work for animals.

Pizzanista is owned by renowned skateboarder Agah. He said when he pitched

the idea to PETA, he wasn’t sure if its staff would want to collaborate.

“We’re not a vegan restaurant,” he said.

“We do have a conscience. We wanted to move in that direction.

“I think business, fundamentally, is about making a profit. But if you think that’s the only reason to be in business, that seems kind of shallow. We like to work with local produce companies, and we like to source a lot of our meat products from sustainably raised protein or animals as best we can.”

Agah added it’s important for any business to be conscience about the products they use.

“It’s important to care,” he said. “It’s important to us, and we want to make people feel good emotionally, spiritually and physically. That’s our approach.”

Agah said Pizzanista is an offshoot of his longtime desire to have his own skate brand. The restaurant sponsors skateboarders, for example.

“We communicate the brand through merchandise and other projects,” he said.

“Skating is a thread that runs through all of our communications. We’re very much inspired by my skateboarding culture in the ’80s and ’90s, which is the era I grew up in.

“I like pizza and skateboarding. Pizza is an extremely creative activity. I think pizza is one of those foods where you have a blank canvas, and you can do anything with it and it’s still really good. I like the parallel between how creative you can be in the pizza kitchen and how creative you can be riding a skateboard. The possibilities are endless.”

DT

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Covered SPORTSCalifornia will help NFL Play 60 Zone While older fans can enjoy these events, the younger generation of gridiron followers has an exclusive area at NFL PLAY 60 Zone.

“It’s a chance for kids to put on the pads and put on the helmet and pretend like they’re a football player for a day,” Kitchen said.

In the NFL PLAY 60 Zone, the younger fans can participate in coloring while kids ages 6 to 14 can learn from coaches and NFL players in various demonstrations.

The entire list of NFL Play 60 Zone events • Arts and crafts.

• Gear Up & GO. • Kick, Run, Throw, Defend.

• NFL PLAY 60 Dance Floor.

• NFL PLAY 60 Zone Check-In. • Play Football Field.

NFL fans in Los Angeles can join in the Super Bowl festivities by attending the Super Bowl Experience Presented by Lowe’s Feb. 5 and Feb. 6, and Feb. 10 to Feb. 12.

Photo by NFL - Super Bowl Experience

Super Bowl Experience called ‘Disneyland for fans’

By Joshua Weisbly LA Downtown News Staff Writer he big game isn’t for a couple weeks, but fans can prepare for it with the Super Bowl Experience Presented by Lowe’s Saturday, Feb. 5, and Sunday, Feb. 6, and Thursday, Feb. 10, to Saturday, Feb. 12, at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

“Think Disneyland for football fans,” said Dan Kitchen, NFL representative.

The experience will offer fans everything from NFL player meet and greets to a walking tour of NFL history. Fans can test their skills at various games.

T

Games Fans try to call out kickers for their field goal abilities. At the convention

center, they can test their skills.

“That’s definitely the one game where fans kind of enter confident and leave with their heads down,” Kitchen said.

There are other games at the convention center: • 2-minute drill.

• NFL training camp.

• QB scramble.

• FedEx Air Challenge.

• FedEx Ground Challenge.

• Lowe’s Field Goal Kick.

• NFL Extra Point Kick.

• Hail Mary.

• 40-yard dash.

• Combine obstacle course.

• Bench press photo op.

• Vertical jump.

SBX Exhibits The SBX Exhibits allow patrons to have their photos taken with a shiny piece of NFL history.

“The part that always kind of gets me, that makes my jaw drop, is the Lombardi trophy,” Kitchen said.

Guests should also check out the Super Bowl Experience Autograph Stage presented by Panini. Here, fans can rub elbows with the NFL’s top talents and some of the greatest to ever put on a helmet and pads.

“You name it any, any NFL player who’s in the hall of fame is fair game,” Kitchen said.

While the Lombardi trophy may be on the top of fans lists, there are plenty of exhibits for fans to check out at the experience: • AFC & NFC Championship Trophies.

• Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.

• Chronology of Pro Football.

• Evolution of the Shield.

• My Cause My Cleats.

• NFL Draft Set. • NFL Locker Room.

• NFL Network Total Access presented

by Snickers.

• Pepsi Helmets.

• Pro Football Hall of Fame.

• Road to the Championship.

• Super Bowl Experience Autograph Stage presented by Panini.

• Super Bowl Rings.

• Vince Lombardi Trophy.

• Walter Payton, NFL Man of the Year.

Fans are encouraged to attend the experience early so they can experience all the activities.

“You want to be able to get your photo taken with the Lombardi trophy and still have time to go around and kick a field goal,” Kitchen said.

LA residents can attend early as from Saturday, Feb. 5, to Sunday, Feb. 6, with tickets for $20. From Thursday, Feb. 10, to Saturday, Feb. 12, tickets are $40.

For those unable to attend early but who still want to skip the lines, there is the SBXTRA ticket for $60. That gives attendees priority access to the attractions offered at the Super Bowl Experience.

Metro users can receive a 50% discount off general admission tickets by showing their TAP PASS when purchasing at the box office.

In addition, all military members and their families will also receive 50% off their general admission tickets (excluding the SBXtra fast pass).

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health will host a COVID-19 vaccination clinic there in the conference center’s South Hall. The first, second and booster vaccines will be available.

Those who get the vaccine receive a free ticket to the Super Bowl Experience.

To attend the event, fans must wear face masks and provide a negative test (rapid antigen taken within 24 hours or 48 hours if PCR) or must show proof of vaccination.

All attendees must also have the NFL OnePass App to attend the event; included with downloading and registering on the app is the entrance in a raffle to win tickets to the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl Experience WHEN: Various times Saturday, Feb. 5, and Sunday, Feb. 6, and Thursday, Feb. 10 through Saturday, Feb. 12 WHERE: LA Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles COST: Tickets start at $10 INFO: nfl.com/sbxonsale

jANUARY 31, 2022

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

DO YOU EARN $57,000 OR LESS?

CLAIM THE FEDERAL EITC! You may qualify for a tax refund called the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) which benefits working families and individuals with low to moderate income.

YOU CAN RECEIVE UP TO $6,728!

TAX SEASON IS AROUND THE CORNER! To qualify, you must meet the basic requirements below:

Have a Social Security Number.

Must be a U.S. citizen or resident all year.

Have a filing status of single, married filing jointly, widowed, or head of household.

Have an earned income.

(Income limits vary by filing status and number of qualifying dependents)

Be 18 or older and must have a qualifying dependent.

For more information, please visit: https://www.godayone.org/toma

TOMA is a program funded by the Office of Minority Health to help low-income communities learn about the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

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