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March 15 – 28, 2019
Another Venice Staple Bites the Dust String of Venice restaurants going out of business. By C ailley C hella Venice businesses may be in trouble. Bank of Venice Bar and Grill is just the latest victim in a string of Venice restaurant and business closures. According to Yelp, the gastropub inside Bank of Venice, which is on the corner of of Windward Avenue and Pacific Avenue, has temporarily closed down and is scheduled to reopen on May 1, 2019. Yo! Venice! was unable to confirm that information. The building itself is iconic and had become a favorite gathering spot for many locals. Once a bank, built in 1905 and designed by Abbot Kinney himself, Bank of Venice is likely to have another business take the place of the gastropub that was inside. There are many factors in why the business may have closed, but it’s undeniable that rising rents make it hard for smaller, more independent restaurants to stay afloat. To get some insight, Yo! Venice spoke to Thomas Schiffer, the former owner of Abbot’s Pizza Co. The pizzeria has been around for 25 years. His brother took over
Photo: Sam Catanzaro.
Bank of Venice, on the corner of Windward and Pacific, has temporarily closed down for unknown reasons.
the business in 2010, but when it comes to the companies longevity, Schiffer said he was very lucky to have chosen the physical building he chose more than two decades ago. "The landlord there has been very fair and reasonable as they are very supportive of small local grown businesses, like Ab-
bots," he said. In closing, Bank of Venice Bar and Grill joins other a number of other Venice favorites that have also shut their doors permanently in recent months. On Abbot Kinney, longtime staples Hal’s Bar & Grill and Casalinda, two neighborhood restaurants,
have both recently gone out of business. Yo! Venice reached out to the Venice Chamber of Commerce but they declined to comment. Residents are rightly worried that Venice will lose its unique charm if large chains will be the only businesses that can afford to have a brick and mortar, but the city is responding. Los Angeles City Councilmember Mike Bonin introduced legislation in November of last year that would possibly ban or put a limit on retail chains on Ocean Front Walk and the Venice Boardwalk. Bonin’s Deputy Chief of Staff, David Graham-Caso, said Bonin’s motion was “referred to the Planning and Land Use Committee and is awaiting a hearing from that panel.” “In recent years, increased economic pressure on commercial properties on Ocean Front Walk has displaced locally-owned independent businesses, and Venice neighbors are wary that displacement will impact the unique character of the Venice community,” Bonin wrote in a newsletter. “Locally-owned independent business are important contributors to the neighborhood identity on the Westside and help to sustain the social fabric of the community by providing local services to residents in a
CLOSURE, see page 9
Women’s History Month in Venice Early 1900s Venice female pioneers. By Keldine Hull
Myrna Adele Williams
Photo: Courtesy.
From gondolas and canals to skateboarding and punk rock, Abbot Kinney’s vision for Venice evolved throughout the decades as the culture around it changed. It was the birthplace of modern skateboarding, the Doors, and thrash metal legends Suicidal Tendencies. With millions of visitors each year, it’s one of the most popular tourist destinations in Southern California. During the early 1900s, some of the most influential silver screen sirens passed through Venice. They were the rule breakers of their time who took Hollywood by storm, challenged societal norms, and set the stage for other female entertainers after them, and in honor of Women’s History Month, we look back on a few of these special women.
Myrna Adele Williams Myrna Adele Williams was a dance student at Venice High School in the early 1920s when an art teacher, Harry Winebrenner, asked her and several other students to pose for a school sculpture. She was only 16 and became immortalized in the “Spiritual” statue that sat for decades on the front lawn of the school before being recreated in 2010 following years of deterioration. After graduation, Myrna Adele Williams became Myrna Loy and just a few years later, a star was born. Known for her roles in “Bitter Apples” (1927), “Satan in Sables” (1925), and “The Thin Man” series, Myrna Loy appeared in 129 films throughout her illustrious film career and earned the nickname Queen of Hollywood. She survived the challenging transition from silent films to talkies to become one of Hollywood’s hardest working actresses. In 1988, over 60 years after her first film, Loy received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kennedy Center. Be-
yond her work in entertainment, Myrna was also an outspoken advocate for the underprivileged. She was Co-Chairman of the Advisory Council of the National Committee against discrimination in housing and even made it onto Adolf Hitler’s blacklist. Sarah Bernhardt Sarah Bernhardt was a French stage actress who became a legend in her own time both on stage and on screen. She was wellknown for her roles in “La Tosca” in 1909 and 1912’s “Queen Elizabeth”- a film that did so well through US distribution that it provided Adolph Zukor with enough funds to found Paramount Pictures. Bernhardt was known to challenge the conventional roles women were expected to portray on stage by dressing in men’s clothes and taking on male roles in major productions like “Hamlet!” While Los Angeles theaters boycotted
WOMEN, see page 9
100,000
SCOOTERS Photo: Sam Catanzaro.
Under new rules passed by Los Angeles City Council, up to 100,000 e-scooters will be permitted to operate.
Los Angeles City approves new e-transit regulations. By Cailley Chella Sorry L.A., but Bird is still the word. Starting this month dockless scooter and bike companies will begin to receive permits to put more than 37,000 of the bikes
and dockless electric scooters on the streets (and sidewalks) of Los Angeles. Back in September the Los Angeles City Council approved regulations for dockless scooters and bikes in the city. Those rules go into effect soon and if the companies
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are willing (and able) to follow them, the Council will allow up to 100,000 of the two-wheeled vehicles to roam the streets. L.A. residents have mixed feelings about the new mode of transportation, loving the low cost, low emission option. However, reckless parking, inattentive riders and tipped over devices have led to tension and frustration with the new tech. Councilmember Mike Bonin chairs L.A. City Council’s Transportation Committee. Together with the Public Works Committee they’ve created regulations that they hope will mitigate some of these negative effects. According to Bonin’s website the regulations include: Safety - Bikes must have a tail light, scooters must have a posted notice not to ride on sidewalks as well as a top speed of 15 mph. Parking – Companies must have a 24hour hotline and respond to improperly parked or inoperable devices within 2 hours, between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. If they don’t, they can have their permits revoked. Users will be able to report a broken or not safely parked scooter using the MyLA311 app, and in the near future, scooters will be required to be equipped with tech that can tell if the device is parked upright or not. Outreach – Companies are required to have an “outreach plan” and reach out to neighborhood councils, business districts, disability services providers and other community organizations. Equity – Companies are encouraged to serve low-income communities and required to provide a reduced fare for low-income individuals and a multilingual mobile app and call center. Fleet Size – Companies must have at least 500 devices and at most 3,000 devices. They will be allowed to add 2,500 more bikes or scooters in disadvantaged
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communities, and another 5,000 devices in disadvantaged communities up in the San Fernando Valley. All together a company can have up to 10,500 devices on the street if they take advantage of these additional options. Permit Pricing Fees – Companies are required to pay $20,000 for their annual permit as well as an $80 per vehicle performance bond. They also must pay the city $130 per vehicle or $39 per vehicle in disadvantaged communities and $28.32 per hour to move or remove a vehicle. In email correspondence from Mackenzie Long, Bird Government Communications Coordinator, Long said the company is currently participating, writing "We applaud the leadership of City Council and LADOT thus far in championing a program that seeks to address many of the city's transportation, climate, and equity needs.” But it’s not just Bird. According to the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT), 11 companies will be permitted to drop off electric scooters around the city this month including Bird, Lime, Lyft, Jump, Skip, Spin, Razor and Wheels. Lime says they're up for the challenge and ready to expand. In an email from Courtney Chesla Torres, a spokesperson for the company, she said, "Lime is committed to ensuring that mobility options are provided in every part of the City, giving residents good choices that help to alleviate traffic and emissions. We look forward to working closely with neighborhoods to make operations safe for riders, pedestrians and all residents." LADOT reports that permits have already been approved for 24,000 scooters and electric bikes in Venice, Koreatown, Westwood, Melrose/Fairfax, Sherman Oaks and Palms. While riders of these scooters will no doubt be thrilled about the number of devices available under these new regulations, the influx of scooters and bikes zipping throughout the streets does not come without its dangers. A recent UCLA study shed light on the severity of e-scooter accidents. According to the researchers, people involved in e-scooter accidents are often injured seriously enough — from fractures, dislocated joints and head trauma — to require treatment in emergency rooms. “We’ve seen teeth knocked out, jaws broken in several places, noses crushed and head injuries including skull fractures. The most common injuries are wrist, ankle, collarbone and shoulder fractures,” said Dr. Wally Ghurabi, medical director of the Nethercutt Emergency Center at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica. The researchers examined data from 249 people who were treated at the emergency departments of UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, and Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center between Sept. 1, 2017, and Aug. 31, 2018. The study found that about one-third of them arrived by ambulance, an indication of the severity of their injuries. Los Angeles is obviously a city that could use some major transportation solutions. Electric scooter and bike companies may have some work to do to make sure they can step up to the plate.
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PROTECTING THE COAST
Coastal Commission approves environmental justice policy to increase coastal protections for Californians. By Staff Writer
The California Coastal Commission unanimously approved a landmark environmental justice policy to help ensure equitable access to clean, healthy, and accessible coastal environments for communities disproportionately overburdened by pollution. "Equity demands more. Over the last five years, the commission has questioned whether we are doing enough to provide access for all to our beaches, a right guaranteed under the California constitution,” said Environmental Justice Commissioner Effie Turnbull-Sanders. “Achieving true equity requires us to first understand and own our history of disenfranchisement; then, work diligently and deliberately to create full and inclusive participation in process, policy and benefits. Now the real work begins." The commission adopted the policy on Friday, March 8 at the California African American Museum in Los Angeles. Since 1999, California has passed a series of bills advancing
the concept of environmental justice, which emerged out of the civil rights movement. In recent years, the push to correct long-standing inequities that have disproportionately burdened lower-income communities of color has been increasing with a number of state agencies working to adopt similar policies. The state’s environmental justice community played an integral role, with more than 30 organizations and stakeholders offering letters of support after their comments strengthened the final draft. Organizations including The City Project, Green Latinos, the California Environmental Justice Alliance, Azul, Central Coastal Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy, and others advocated for the agency to correct long-standing inequities that have disproportionately burdened lower-income communities of color. Assemblymembers Autumn Burke (D-Inglewood), Monique Limon (D-Santa Barbara), and Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella), also supported passage. “This is the best environmental justice policy I’ve seen from any agency – state or federal – in my 35 years as a civil rights attorney,” said Robert Garcia, the director of The City Project in Los Angeles. “This is the Magna Carta of coastal justice in California.” Historian Alison Rose Jefferson set the tone for the policy at Friday’s meeting with a presentation on the African American experience in Southern California. The final policy is the culmination of a two-year effort following the 2016 passage of AB2616 by Assemblywoman
RON WYNN
Photo: Sam Catanzaro.
The California Coastal Commission approved environmental justice policy to increase coastal protections for Californians.
Burke, which grants the commission the authority to consider environmental justice in its permitting decisions. The law also required then Gov. Jerry Brown to appoint an environmental justice commissioner, who is currently Turnbull-Sanders. The environmental justice commissioner helps guide the agency in its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, as well as its pursuit of a more expansive approach to coastal access. The commission developed the policy with the input of more than 100 environmental justice groups, California Native American tribes, conservation organizations and individual stakeholders. The policy went through multiple revisions in response to public feedback. Friday’s meeting was the fourth public hearing. The document includes a policy statement, implementation plan and a statement of principles to help guide staff and commissioners. Topics include climate change, coastal access, housing, tribal concerns, local government, accountability and transparency, participation in the process and more. The implementation plan calls for the agency to develop environmental justice advocates in every major unit and budget requests to bolster staff hiring, retention and training, Other chang-
es include holding a quarterly conference call between environmental justice stakeholders and the agency’s executive director, scheduling items with significant environmental justice implications close to affected marginalized communities when legal deadlines allow, and encouraging local governments to amend their local coastal programs and other long-range development plans to address environmental justice. “Environmental justice is at the heart of what the commission has strived to do for 45 years, but until we can extend that mission to marginalized communities throughout California, we will never achieve the Coastal Act’s vision,” said commission Chair Dayna Bochco. “This new policy will help us keep that promise.” Established in 1972 by a voter initiative, the commission has a mandate to protect and preserve the California coast for current and future generations by regulating development with local government. Under the new policy, in addition to traditional Coastal Act considerations, the agency can now consider the impacts of a proposed project on an underserved community. For example, if an electrical plant was proposed in the city of Oxnard, the agency could look how this might affect this community already overburdened by industrial development. The State Lands Commission recently passed an environmental justice policy and the Coastal Conservancy and the Bay Area Conservation and Development Commission are also working on similar policies. In addition, the Attorney General’s office recently added an environmental justice unit and 18 state agencies have sent teams to Sacramento for intense ongoing racial equity training with the Government Alliance on Race and Equity. “The development of this policy has been such a humbling and inspiring journey for us all at the agency,” said Executive Director Jack Ainsworth. “It’s the future of this agency and, frankly, the right thing to do.”
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Balloons and Power Outages The dangers of metallic and latex balloons. By Keldine Hull From a first birthday to a 50th wedding anniversary, it’s hard to imagine any celebration without a colorful bouquet of balloons to add just the right touch of jubilance. While balloons seem virtually harmless, they can potentially wreak havoc on power lines causing outages for blocks on end. In May 2018, a runaway Mylar balloon struck a power pole resulting in a massive power outage in West Hollywood that affected 500 customers. Southern California Edison (SCE) Spokesman Paul Netter explains what makes power lines and balloons a potentially harmful combination. “When a metallic balloon floats into a power line, substation or other electrical equipment, it can cause a surge of electricity that short-circuits the equipment and lead to power outages. This surge of electricity caused by the Mylar contact can sometimes produce a loud bang, followed by a disintegrated balloon and damaged electrical equipment and lines, which can cause lines to sever and fall to the ground — thus creating a serious public safety issue as well as a power outage,” Netter said. Both metallic and latex balloons pose a potential threat for different reasons. Netter continues,
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A string of balloons caught in the transformers of a utility pole.
“We discourage the release of any balloons — metallic or latex — but the biggest issue is that the metallic coating on Mylar balloons conducts electricity in a way that latex doesn’t. Latex balloons and the strings tying them together can, however, cause an outage if a bunch of them wrap around two power lines pulling them together.” According to Netter, SCE experienced 1,128 metallic-balloon-caused power outages last year, an average of three per day.
Photo: Getty Images.
“We typically see a spike in the outages starting in February with Valentine’s Day that peaks with June’s graduations. Unfortunately, that peak last year produced an all-time, one-month high of 206 outages in June — an average of nearly seven a day for that month,” Netter said. Existing law prohibits the sale or distribution of a balloon constructed of electrically conductive material and filled with helium without attaching a weighted object, the identity of the manufacturer, and a warning statement. Assem-
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bly Bill 2450, approved by former Governor Jerry Brown in September of last year, requires a person who manufactures a balloon that is constructed of electrically conductive material to permanently mark each balloon with the identity of the manufacturer and a printed statement that warns the consumer about the dangerous risk of fire if the balloon comes in contact with an electrical power line. “Metallic balloon releases are a tremendous problem because they can and do cause hundreds of unnecessary power outages, which in turn cause major inconveniences like disruptions to traffic lights, elevators, businesses and more. And, unlike latex balloons, metallic balloons can stay inflated and floating for two to three weeks, posing a hazard to electrical equipment and safety weeks after being released outside. It is very important that we keep a handle on balloons by buying and keeping them attached to a weight and never releasing them outdoor,” Netter said. If you see a balloon in power lines or electrical equipment, Netter advises to call 9-1-1 or SCE at 1-800-611-1911 and to stay away from any downed power lines. “We also urge people to never release balloons when they’re finished with them. You should properly and safely dispose of balloons by puncturing them or cutting them at the knot so they can never float away.” Netter said, “Though the warnings may sound serious, safety is the top priority in our secure-is-best message regarding metallic balloons.”
MARCH 15 – 28, 2019
CITY OF ANGELS? Not Behind the Wheel
Survey reveals L.A. to have the most aggressive drivers. By Sam Catanzaro
Photo: Sam Catanzaro.
Lawmakers and stakeholders are exploring the possibility of installing metered parking on Abbot Kinney Boulevard.
Paying for Parking on Abbot Kinney City explores brining metered Express Park to iconic street. By S am C atanzaro
The Abbot Kinney Merchants Association and the City of Los Angeles are exploring the idea of bringing metered parking in the form of the LA Express Park Program to the iconic street. “For many years we have been encouraging the City to explore improvements to increase and optimize parking on Abbot Kinney Blvd. We also now see the need to add space for micro transit such as bikes, motorcycles, scooters, ect. The obvious starting point was to add meters to increase turnover rates,” the merchants association wrote in a letter circulated to surrounding neighbors last month. According to the letter, the parking restrictions would remain the same only there would be meters enforcing the restrictions. There would not be a meter for each spot, but instead, a pay box to allow for multi-space parking. If the city’s proposal comes to fruition, installation of meters on Abbot Kinney Boulevard would coincide with the introduction of the LA Express Park program, which integrates new technology to increase parking availability by including vehicle sensors under each spot.
“We think that this is worth exploring and it could be beneficial to both residents and businesses in the area, as increased turnover rates will provide more open parking throughout the day,” the Abbot Kinney Merchants Association said in their letter. Councilmember Mike Bonin echoed this enthusiasm in his February newsletter, stating that parking meters on Abbot Kinney have the potential to reduce traffic in the area. “The proposal would not change the amount of time people are allowed on the street – it would only add meters to help enforce parking rules,” Bonin said. “With Express Park, sensors are installed in parking spaces, so people can use smartphone apps to find a spot, and there is the opportunity for parking rates to adjust based on demand. The system helps reduce traffic caused by people circling the neighborhood looking for parking, and it provides important data to the city to help improve how parking is managed.” Some residents, however, in the surrounding area with the prospect of parking meters on Abbot Kinney Boulevard because patrons shopping in the area use side streets to park. This often forces residents without garages to park on Abbot Kinney. For more information about the proposal to add meters to Abbot Kinney, please contact the Abbot Kinney Merchants Association at info@abbotkinneyblvd.org.
Honking, squeaking brakes and bumper-tobumper traffic are common problems in many of America’s congested cities and nowhere is this more apparent than in Los Angeles. According to a recent survey carried about by GasBuddy, Los Angeles is the city with the most aggressive drivers in the United States, followed by Philadephia, Sacramento and Atlanta. “Frustration while driving in densely populated cities with high levels of congestion leads motorists to drive more aggressively and with more urgency. Interestingly, these are areas that typically see some of the highest gas prices in their respective states,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “With drivers in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Sacramento and Atlanta being 20 percent more aggressive than the average driver in America, it’s particularly important for commuters and rideshare drivers in these areas to work on shedding their lead foot and relax more to keep money from flying out the window each time they hit the road.” Frustrated drivers can get agitated quickly, and their aggressive driving habits like speeding, rapid acceleration and braking can lower gas mileage by as much as 40 percent, costing them as much as $477 per year in additional fuel consumption. Los Angeles consistently tops the list of having some of the most expensive gas prices in the nation, currently averaging $3.35 per gallon. Combined with traffic and congestion, the study revealed that the way Los Angeles motorists are driving is also contributing to a larger gasoline budget. And it doesn’t stop with Los Angeles: four
Top 10 Cities with the Most Agressive Drivers: 1. Los Angeles, CA 2. Philadelphia, PA 3. Sacramento, CA 4. Atlanta, GA 5. San Francisco, CA 6. San Diego, CA 7. Orlando, FL 8. Detroit, MI 9. Austin, TX 10. Las Vegas, NV * Facts from GasBuddy
of the top 10 cities with the most aggressive drivers are in California, including Sacramento, San Francisco and San Diego. The survey also revealed motorists are 1.2 times more likely to encounter aggressive driving on Friday than on Wednesday. The most aggressive day on the road is Friday, with 14 percent more aggressive driving events occurring compared to the average across the United States. The least aggressive day on the road is Wednesday, with 6 percent fewer aggressive driving events occurring compared to the average across the United States. The most frequent aggressive driving habit on weekdays is hard braking, followed by rapid acceleration and speeding. On weekends, the most frequent aggressive driving habit continues to be hard braking, followed by speeding and rapid acceleration.
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WOMEN,
from page 1 the actress due to her unconventional roles, Abbot Kinney became an unexpected ally for the actress. He brought her to Venice in the early 1900s, and in 1906 she appeared in “La Tosca” at the Venice Auditorium. She was the first great stage actress of her time to venture into film, and although she detested the medium, became one of its early influential figures.
Photo: Sam Catanzaro.
Longtime Venice staple Hal’s Bar and Grill on Abbot Kinney recently went out of business.
CLOSURE, from page 1
walkable environment.” The motion submitted by Bonin to City Council instructs the Los Angeles Department of City Planning and the Los Angeles City Attorney to create a feasibility study describing zoning and other land use planning tools to promote independent retail development on Ocean Front Walk. “This is a critical first step that will allow local government to shape the mix of business that makes sense for the neighborhood and preserve Venice’s unique character,”
Clara Bow Clara Bow was Hollywood’s first “It” girl, a star in the Roaring Twenties who personified the lifestyle of a flapper. Throughout the ‘20s and ‘30s, her style and fashion became synonymous with the era, including the red lipstick she wore in the shape
Bonin said. In the legislation, Bonin cited other cities such as San Francisco and Jersey City, New Jersey that have established land use planning and zoning rules to preserve a unique neighborhood character in communities by supporting small businesses and independent retailers. Some ban all chain stores from certain neighborhoods, others cap the number of retail chain stores allowed within an area while others require a case-by-case approval of proposed retail use projects. And Venice isn't alone, Santa Monica has actually already taken action. Santa Monica City Council recently approved a ban on
of a heart that countless women imitated. In the span of 11 years, from 1922 to 1933, Clara Bow had parts in nearly 60 films. She was known for her roles in “Wings” (1927), “It” (1927) and “The Wild Party” (1929) and by 1928 became the highest paid movie star. She was an outspoken rule breaker who told dirty jokes at parties and preferred playing poker with her chauffeur over attending movie premieres. While in Venice, Clara Bow stayed at 15 Paloma Avenue, apartment 405 of the famous Ellison Suites, built in 1913 and owned by iconic comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. She was an nonconforming rule-breaker from humble beginnings in Brooklyn who rose to the kind of stardom that defined an era and greatly influenced other entertainers long after her. Photos: Courtesy.
TOP RIGHT – Clara Bow LEFT – Sarah Bernhardt
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Banning Rooftop Ads on Cars?
L.A. City Council considers idea. By Keldine Hull
With the rise of digital rooftop advertisements on taxicabs and on-demand rideshare vehicles, many members of Los Angeles City Council have voiced their concern regarding public safety and billboard blight. During a Transportation Committee meeting held on February 14, arguments were presented both for and against a proposed motion requesting the City Attorney to prepare an ordinance to repeal Taxicab Board Rule 415(C), which allows commercial advertising to be mounted on a taxicab roof or trunk. Councilmembers Robert Blumenfield, who proposed the notion, and Mike Bonin did not mince words when it came to addressing the long-term effects of digital rooftop advertising on the community. According to Councilmember Mike Bonin, “This is more than an accident waiting to happen; this is a potential calamity waiting to happen. There have been a number of people on the City Council for a very long time who’ve been concerned about billboard blight, particularly digital billboards. What we have on the horizon is the potential of mobile digital billboards
MARCH 15 – 28, 2019
driving all around our city, parking and advertising junk food near our schools or our playgrounds. Unless this is taken care of and unless we start enforcing the state law, which prohibits it in the first place, we are really going to have a disaster that all of us are going to be hearing about.” Councilmember Blumenfield outlined the reasons behind the notion to ban the rooftop ads. “I’ve been focused on billboard blight for a long time, particularly mobile billboard blight. We had the scourge of it happening in the San Fernando Valley. We had these unhitched trailers that were just ruining our quality of life and it took several state laws that I had to author to give the City the power to get rid of those. We made a very clear law about what can and can’t be done in terms of mobile billboards. It’s a sad state of affairs right now where folks who are trying to profit on the public right of way, we call them blight merchants, are luring Uber drivers, Lyft drivers and taxi drivers to commit a crime in the city.” Blumenfield also added that digital advertising on taxis and rideshare could also expand to personal vehicles and become a dangerous distraction to drivers. “We know that it is a distraction. It would not be an effective advertisement if it was not a distraction. The whole point of the billboard is to distract you. That is why people are paying money to put their ad on a billboard. That is
a danger on the road, and it could be a life or death situation for some people down the road having those billboards everywhere.” Pete Gould with Firefly argued that with digital rooftop ads, drivers can make an additional $300 monthly. “Firefly is a smart city communications platform for engaging the urban population. We deploy digital smart screens on top of the existing fleet of taxis and full time rideshare drivers. We offer as much as a 20 per cent boost to their hourly income without working any additional hours or driving additional miles. Not only will our devices help taxi drivers earn additional money, they will also help bring much needed innovation to the industry so that they can better compete with rideshare as well by offering free in-vehicle WiFi.” Other Firefly employees stated that Firefly devices are compliant with state and local requirements. They also pointed out that displays are only allowed on vehicles of full time drivers which represent less than 1 per cent of drivers on the road in Los Angeles. Taxicab drivers in attendance argued that with a loss of 75 per cent of their income, digital advertising offers them a means to earn more income and compete with rideshare giants Lyft and Uber. They also point out that the lights from the ads make it easier for riders to find them, especially in areas that are poorly lit.
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Photo: Courtesy Waive Car.
A Waive car near Main Street in Santa Monica.
Rideshare drivers from Uber and Lyft who use Firefly’s ads on their vehicles voiced their support of digital advertising at the meeting. According to Damien Cortez, a Navy veteran and father of two who works for Uber, Lyft and Firefly, other distractions present a greater risk to public safety than rooftop digital advertising. “I’ve never once seen any endangerment in the road. If anything, I see more people on their cell phones, smoking marijuana while driving, or drinking and driving. But cell phone use is the number one distraction we see in those roads in Los Angeles. Being born in East Los Angeles and raised in South Central, I drive in those areas and with Firefly I feel safe. I feel that I stand out.”
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AUTHENTICITY IN MOTION Interviewing the great Roma Wyden. By Guy Camilleri This week, I have the pleasure to sit down with Roman Wyden, a writer, actor and director who is on the hot pursuit of truth, his truth, and is continually creating content as a man, husband, father of two boys and artist. I’ve known Roman for 12 years, have had the good fortune to act in four of his films, playing challenging roles that he wrote specifically with me in mind. And, in addition to being a writer, actor and director and who shows up weekly at RAW to dig into the work, Roman is soon to be a teacher at RAW acting studio, right here in the heart of Venice Beach. It’s with great joy, to introduce to you, my friend, colleague, confidant and someone who is committed to living an authentic life. Guy Camilleri: Yo, Roman! Congratulations on “Quail Lake” (starring Carlos Leal and Chloe Lanier), your first feature film! Not to mention, you wrote it, then directed it in eight days! Man, what a great way to kick off the new year with the film being accepted into three festivals (Hollywood, Maryland, Arizona) thus far! Roman Wyden: Thank you! We’re very excited. And, we are currently in talks with two distributors and looking forward to having “Quail Lake” available on these prominent
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world? platforms; Netflix, Amazon and iTunes. I am committed, giving and a loving man… a Awesome. Even though the answer to this question may be a bit obvious in your case, I husband, father, entrepreneur and artist. And, what do you want back from the still need to ask; Do you need to be an artist (writer, actor, director) or do you want to world? Partnership in creating what I think is be an artist? I need to be. If I don’t stay creative in life, my good for the world: healthy relationships soul starts to dry up. I can usually tell when I’m in between partners and in families! Describe your life as an artist? a funk that I’ve not been creative for a while. Even I think I’m ultimately an actor who wants to if I think there is nothing to create during a tough moment in life, then I’ll just build something from write stories that I can then realize out in the world. When I have that struggle and exa new idea, I usually press myself through it. “ In Venice, I always jump straight to the Where do you feel inspired to create, laptop and open final hail from? Rarely do I write I was born in Brig, build and collaborate draft. down notes or construct Switzerland, a small a treatment first. It’s town at the foot of a on new ideas with before, but beautiful mountain. I artists, entrepreneurs happened love my roots, and I it’s not the norm. I start writing and as I write I am forever proud of and locals. ” act out all the characters the kind of peaceful, safe upbringing that I had. Yet as I approached to make sure it sounds like real dialogue. I love my 20s, I always knew that it was too small of writing dialogue. More than action and more canvas for me. I needed to breathe and take in than structure. I could write dialogue all day long. I guess I would be a better playwright than the world on a much larger scale. a screenwriter. Why Los Angeles and not New York? Then once I have a script as a blueprint, I start Because New York is too busy and I am way too distracted in life right now. I’m getting better talking to my potential collaborators and set a at focusing on the present moment and not letting shoot date. That’s my stake in the ground; setting all the fuzz around me distract me from being the shoot date. It’s the most critical decision after calling my script ‘good to go’. From there it’s all present. Giving up coffee helped. As of this interview, who are you in the teamwork, putting out fires and trying to stay true
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to the material while shooting it. Once we’re in post-production on the film, the tie loosens, and I get to sit back and re-craft the story into the final product. That’s probably my favorite part, the post-production, editing process and seeing it through to the end. Let’s talk a bit about Venice, what do you like about living on the west side of Los Angeles? I love the westside so much. It’s much more relaxed than the east side, downtown and other areas of L.A. I’ve lived in. West of the 405 there is a good mix of entrepreneurs and creatives that I really appreciate. In Venice, I always feel inspired to create, build and collaborate on new ideas with artists, entrepreneurs, and locals. My favorite place is GTA for a great coffee and a healthy salad. The scene has a vibe that I love. Anything that you dislike about Venice? Property prices are astronomical right now. That’s about the only thing I dislike about Venice. What advice would you give to the person reading this, who is considering becoming an actor, screenwriter or director? Do it. But do it for the right reasons. Don’t do it for the money. If you do it because you have to, the money will follow. Put in 10 years and you shall see a return. I guarantee it. But you must give 110 percent, even when you don’t feel like it. And remember, it’s a team
WYDEN, see page 13
MARCH 15 – 28, 2019
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WYDEN,
from page 12 sport. You cannot do this on your own. What advice would you give to someone starting later in life? Same as the above. I am currently treating my 2.0 in life no different than my 1.0. If anything, I am playing even a bit riskier since I most likely only have a certain amount of years left. So, play hard and use your wisdom to guide you. Trust that if your soul tells you that you must do this now… now is the time! What is attending a weekly class at RAW doing for you? It rejuvenates my spirit, feeds my soul, and it challenges me out of my comfort zone… and it inspires me to stay creative and share my voice with the world. What role does authenticity play in your life? It’s my carrot in life. There is no place where we ever arrive and can say: “Now I’m 100 percent authentic all the time. I’m done. I’ve made it.” We are human beings, and we trip and fall down in life. But we get to clean up our messes and move forward stronger. We get to acknowledge where we have been inauthentic in life and commit to practicing being authentic from now on… until we’re not. You get the idea. For me, it’s my north star, my guiding light, and the one truth to strive for that nobody can take away from me. I know when I’m authentic, and I remember when I’m not. How do you define intimacy? When I trust myself fully, I can then trust another fully. When I give myself entirely to another, they are allowed to give themselves fully to me. When we both feel safe, we can be intimate. Intimacy is a result of the full revelation of another human being in our presence. It has nothing to do with sex, although it can lead to it. What have you learned about yourself from the various transformational workshops you attend? I’m going with the short answer here, or we’d have to do another article just on that one. I have
MARCH 15 – 28, 2019
OUTRIGGER REEF WAIKIKI BEACH RESORT
Photo: Courtesy.
definitely learned that I will never be ‘done’ working on myself. There is always the next level. As they say: “Yesterday’s transformation is today’s ego trip.” I also learned that I love cracking myself open and seeing what I can improve on to become the best man, husband, and father to my children. I see it as my school of life. The type of school that we, unfortunately, have not yet adopted into our public schooling. The kind of work that I feel every human being needs to be doing. Especially our children, they should be exposed to transformational principles early on in their lives. Many parents are just merely handing down old, unconscious parenting principles to their children. And it’s not working. Look at the world. And lastly, how would you define ‘being in the moment’? That’s flow state. Defined as ‘nothing else matters,’ full concentration, almost like a life-ordeath scenario. Could be an actor, a base jumper, an acrobat or a mother giving birth. We can all access it. The present moment. Now. But everything out there in the world at the same time tries to pull us away from that flow state. Distraction is the enemy. So how do we get into flow state? Experiment with various ways to get there and then implement those techniques daily, and we shall enter that state more often than not. Once again, I am reminded of how fortunate I am to be a part of your life and how much I dig that you’re in my life! See you at RAW next week if not sooner at GTA. Guy Camilleri is a Venice-based actor, acting-life coach, and poet. His classes are packed with actors, writers, directors and creative people from all walks of life on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at the Electric Lodge, in Venice. His private coaching specializes in building characters for film, television, stage, audition preparation, self-taped auditions, original reels and self-expression in any field of interest. To audit, enroll in a class or book a coaching session, visit www.guycamilleri.com. Follow Guy on Instagram and Facebook.
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OPINION
Firefighters Using the Right Stuff? TOM ELIAS Mirror Columnist
It’s pretty clear to anyone who’s watched firefighters try to control the massive blazes bedeviling California over the last two years that they have the right stuff. But questions have arisen over whether they are using all the right stuff. The maker of a rival firefighting substance has cried foul over an exclusive contract between suppliers of Phos-Chek fire retardant fluids and the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as CalFire. That pact sees the state use no long-term fire retardant other than Phos-Chek, a highly visible pinkish-red fluid dropped from air tankers onto fast-moving flames. Phos-Chek, produced by the St. Louis-based ICL Performance Products in Ontario, CA and Moreland, ID, slows fires and can steer them, but doesn’t put them out. With ingredients including ammonium polyphosphate and attapulgus clay, it is toxic to most fish; firefighters must try to avoid spills into rivers and creeks. It is the only
long-term fire retardant recommended by the U.S. Forest Service. CalFire pays just under $3 per gallon for Phos-Check, about $47,000 per full load for a Boeing 747 tanker, a total of $28.4 million last year. But backers of the less toxic competitor Pyrocool maintain their product is better, partly because it actually extinguishes fires, partly because it is cheaper at about 17 cents per gallon and partly because of its lower toxicity. It won a major federal Environmental Protection Agency safety award in 1998. “We’ve been trying for at least 10 years to get CalFire to use our product,” says Pyrocool CEO Robert Tinsley, a resident of the San Francisco suburb Brentwood. “With these devastating fires, you’d think they’d take a look at something else that has credentials.” In fact, some California locales have used Pyrocool, including the University of California’s Davis campus and the cities of San Rafael and El Centro. It’s also been employed by the federal bureaus of Land Management and Indian Affairs, British Petroleum and the U.S. Navy and Air Force. But CalFire won’t try it because it’s not on the approved list of the U.S. Forest Ser-
vice. “We don’t do the testing; they do,” says Scott McLean, CalFire spokesman. “We’re very comfortable following the USFS lead.” CalFire does not have a chemicals testing lab, relying on the USFS, whose own lab is not accredited. Meanwhile, the Forest Service won’t certify Pyrocool because it failed a safety test almost 20 years ago. In that episode, Pyrocool says it provided two drums of its product to the USFS. One passed, the other failed as too corrosive of magnesium-based substances. Pyrocool refuses to pay for a USFS retest, maintaining the Forest Service lab is unaccredited and unreliable, unable to duplicate results. The USFS said in an email its wildfire products lab is not accredited because “there is no legal requirement” for that. Tinsley offered to let CalFire test Pyrocool at an accredited lab in California, at company expense. But McLean said in an email that “Due to being a state agency, we cannot honor the offer by Pyrocool to have another lab test their product specifically for CalFire.” McLean also said CalFire is not sure Pyrocool (like Phos-Check, a mix of water with a base concentrate) would stay in solution in an air tanker. But Pyrocool officials recount a January
2017 case where during raging wildfires in Chile, the Walmart-linked Walton Family Foundation paid to send a 747 loaded with Pyrocool in solution to the rescue of the city of Llico, which was threatened with the same fate suffered last year by Paradise, Calif. When it arrived and made several drops, disaster was averted. Tinsley also cites the case of the oil tanker Nassia, burning in the Bosporus Strait near Istanbul, where the Lloyds of London insurance consortium estimated flames would burn at least 12 days. A salvage firm dropped a helicopter load of Pyrocool and the fire was out in 20 minutes. No one can be sure Pyrocool or some other product would do better than Phos-Chek against California wildfires. But given CalFire’s inability to stop recent big fires, it’s an open question whether this state’s very capable firefighters are getting the right stuff to do their job well. Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com. His book, "The Burzynski Breakthrough: The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Government’s Campaign to Squelch It," is now available in a soft cover fourth edition. For more Elias columns, visit www.californiafocus.net
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1 Hill and tunnel builder 2 Architect Mies van der ____ 3 Complain 4 What a dairymaid does all day long 5 Poi plants 6 Chaiken who co-created “The L Word” 7 Printemps follower 8 Source of a deferment in the 1960s draft 9 Syndicate 10 Big fan 11 Yamaha competitor 12 Formerly, once 13 Figurehead? 14 Tim ____, frequent collaborator with Adam Sandler 15 Ancient Greek state with Athens 16 “The Marvelous Mrs. ____” (award-winning Amazon series) 17 “I beg of you” 19 A sharps 23 Aer Lingus destination 24 Performances for Hawaii tourists 28 Plane, e.g.
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31 Column in soccer standings 34 Confesses 35 Picket line crosser 36 Hobbes’s favorite food in “Calvin and Hobbes” 37 Text-message status 39 Leading characters in “Mad Max” 40 Matter in court 43 Pretentious 44 1984 Olympic gymnastics sensation 47 ____ Boston (noted hotel) 49 ____ de leche 50 Somewhat 51 Put an edge on 52 Loopholes 53 “Hey you!” 55 Wanna-____ 56 Writer Stieg Larsson, e.g. 58 Hard way to say the answers to the italicized clues in this puzzle (good luck!)
60 Willow twig 61 San ____, Calif. 62 Having a frog in one’s throat 64 Building direction, briefly 65 What “btw” means 66 Mess (with) 68 Spanish direction 69 Book before Deut. 72 Extend a hand to after a fall, say 75 London’s Old ____ 77 Beyond that 79 Listens attentively 80 Declare 81 “Jane the Virgin” actress Rodriguez 82 Pizazz 85 Wine: Prefix 86 Was on the verge of collapse 87 What “light” cigarettes are lower in 89 Not so hip 90 “The Garden of Earthly Delights” painter
This Week’s Sudoku Puzzle
Answers A L S O T U N A
S C A B
A R N O T H E
I N D E B
S Q U A R E
S T
C S A H R E E P S I E R R E E E S A C T D H A E J F E U S H T E E Z L P U P
T I E R B A L T O F R E E T L O N C A S E D T R E S C R A M H E W S B I T S E C T O S H O E S I N S I M T E O O T E R R E E E N E W Y S T I E O V E R A I R I S S E N T
B O S C H S W E D E H U L A S
C A K E A D A R R O W S T R A T E E S L R A R K E D A I S U B L I S H C T I O E M A H E R T A O S A R N E R K S I T T C A W R I S A B E T
S M A R T S
C R A W
C P A E V O E W N N E S R U P N U V M I C
F I V E T I M E S F A S H E R L I H Y
E S T C H T A R G I N A
A V O W
O U T S
H O N E
M A I S E L
A T T I C A
E L A N P S S T P L E A S E
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S P E C
1 Parabolas, essentially 5 Part of a wedding 9-Across 9 See 5-Across 13 Trophy winner 18 He planned for a rainy day 19 Sled dog with a statue in Central Park 20 Jewish month before Nisan 21 Corolla part 22 Result of a foul on a long basketball shot 25 Bandleader Shaw 26 Start of Euripides’ signature 27 Bargain-basement 29 See 92-Across 30 Took off the board 32 Popular jeans 33 Does, as an animated character 35 A, B or C, in Washington 38 Albino orca, e.g. 41 “You’re on!” and others 42 Skedaddles 45 Country singer Chesney 46 “It was all ____” 48 Chops down 49 Places for toasters and roasters 51 Word after sock or bunny 54 Subjects of some New Year’s resolutions 56 Deli order 57 Reddish 59 When repeated, emergency cry to a fighter pilot 60 Wise-looking 63 Pub orders 64 On base, say 67 Part of a department store where people sit 70 Legally confer, as a power 71 Opulent 73 Kind of joke 74 Lilac color 76 High regard 78 Certain intersection 79 Andrew Jackson’s Tennessee home, with “the” 83 Family-reunion attendee, informally 84 One taking inventory? 87 ____ Pueblo (World Heritage Site)
88 Polite 89 Expensive outing 90 Philadelphia art museum, with “the” 92 With 29-Across, source of a famous smile 93 Home of the world’s only 14-lane suspension bridge 98 “Atonement” author Ian 100 Old barracks decorations 101 Catches up to 102 Bollywood instruments 105 Man Ray’s genre 106 Ham it up 109 Wine orders 112 Good servers 114 Timekeeper on the Emerald Isle 117 “Free ____” 118 Text-message status 119 Assists in a way one shouldn’t 120 One getting the redcarpet treatment 121 Diary passage 122 Avant-garde 123 Father 124 Scottish caps
N I A C I
ACROSS
NY TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE
U P D A T
THAT'S A MOUTHFUL
BY LEE TAYLOR / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ
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91 Cleverness 93 App release 94 One of the B vitamins 95 Underwater 96 Electrician’s concern 97 Like the smell of some bread 99 Where something annoying might be stuck 103 Less welcoming 104 Sample 107 What a headache might feel like 108 Start of a classic Christmas poem 110 James of jazz 111 Ponzi scheme, e.g. 113 Wilbur’s home in “Charlotte’s Web” 115 Box-score inits. 116 Time-sheet units: Abbr.
STAR GAZING
ARIES (March 21-April 19) You may wake up late, talk with the younger members of your office and not notice the evening coming. It is recommended that you spend the nighttime not at the next party, but at home, doing some leisurely work. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Taurus today will have to abandon a previously planned event. You do not want to spend a lot of time in a traffic jam, so you postpone a visit to members of your family, citing unfortunate circumstances. GEMINI (May 21-June 21) Gemini is recommended to today on work duties related to the most routine matters. Such a banal script will be useful to all members of your company (especially your closest friend at work). In the morning he will arrange some drama by discussing topics related to a highly spiritual issue. CANCER (June 22-July 22) Cancers will be unhappy with the scenario of this day, which will be suggested by one of their relatives. He will hint that you should refrain from visiting guests, referring to the fact that the week has been very boring. You will insist on the opposite. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Leos should avoid major costs associated with a very costly purchase. You cannot buy this thing in a store for a fabulously high price, but on one of the private websites, where individuals have placed their ads. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Virgos will be very lazy. Trying to overcome a lack of energy, you will brew strong coffee several times. Alas, this drink will not cheer you up, unlike a small workplace scandal. You and your regular colleague will not be able to calmly decide who should prepare a report, and who is obliged to do some cleaning. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Libras today will act as peacekeepers. In the evening you will go to visit your family friends, from the threshold realizing that you arrive at a bad time. The couple will quarrel between themselves because of a mere accident, and it will be strange to you to see that they can not come to a compromise. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21) Scorpios on this day will refuse to take on faith words heard from their close friend. He will tell you that the person with whom you want to start a romance is using you for their own interests, without having real feelings for you. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) This day will give full emotional relaxation. You will spend time on a short trip, which will leave a pleasant impression in your memory. You will only return home late in the evening, and you will not have the strength even to empty out the bags. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Capricorns will be far from everything connected with life or finances. You will be consumed by loving feelings for your new better half (or, if you have had a permanent partner for a long time, you will enjoy renewed affection). AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) This day will not bring any special joy, nor painful disappointments. You leisurely do basic workplace affairs, watch an interesting presentation and enjoy your favorite lunch meal. The day will pass, leaving behind you only one vivid memory. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Pisces is not recommended to stay home, sacrificing work and income. Much more correct for you and your family, if the weather permits, go to work and only afterward visit relatives living somewhere in the country.
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MARCH 15 – 28, 2019