Brentwood Focus November 2013 – Finance Issue

ISSUE 6: October/November 2013 brentwoodfocus.com

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

STYLE

DINING

KIDS

FREE ACTIVITIES

P E R FO R M A N C E

ART

STYLE

FALL FASHION New looks in store now ART

Fowler Museum Celebrates 50 Years

FINANCE ISSUE

E*TRADE THE VALUE TRADE

Efrem Harkham

Realty Mogul

The Art of Giving

LUXE HOTEL FOUNDER

REAL ESTATE CROWDFUNDING

FUNDING WORTHY CAUSES

INTERVIEW

Insights into your neighborhood.

Editor/Creative Director Mark Castellino T: 310 869 7532 Contributing Editors Andrew Waldman Jenna Atchison Feature Writers Cody Brooks Maaham Aziz Focus (ISSN 2328-1359) is published monthly and distributed free to homes in Brentwood CA 90049. Please try not to reproduce any of the content without asking us first.

NEXT MONTH... .....the focus is on our Technology

and Gift issue. We will have articles on startups, new technology and gadgets. If your business is associated with any of these fields, please contact us at info@brentwoodfocus.com

Cover image: Jenna Atchison

ADVERTISE

If you want the opportunity to promote your business to every home in Brentwood, (and who doesn’t?), our affordable rates start at $175. Please email us at info@brentwoodfocus.com or view the media kit at brentwoodfocus.com

This month’s theme is Finance and Investment; from online startups disrupting traditional business models, to neighborhood businesses, to benefactors giving back to the community. It’s a continuous and virtuous cycle.

There are interviews with your Brentwood neighbors and business owners, in the hope that you get to know them better. And the usual pick of events for kids, free activities and current health and technology stories which caught our interest.

We hope you enjoy this free issue and we look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions. Please also send us your Instagram pics of Brentwood – we will pick the best ones to publish in the next issue.

FACEBOOK brentwoodfocusmag INSTAGRAM brentwoodfocus TWITTER BrentwoodFocus

FREE DESIGN

We offer a FREE design service when you book an Ad space, no matter the size. Just send us your logo and text. We’ll do the rest.

CONTACT US Write to us and send gifts to: 149 South Barrington Place #178, Los Angeles CA 90049 Email inquiries, news stories, promotions, suggestions, photos and compliments to: info@brentwoodfocus.com

CONTENTS

Feature

8

Rewarding Experiences

Incentivizing employees with memories, rather than bonuses.

16

Fowler at Fifty

A 3 month long, Anniversary celebration of the museum, with rarely seen exhibits.

20 Style

Fall fashion from Brentwood designers.

5

Finance

The theme this month is Finance and Investment.

10

A Pearl Anniversary

An interview with Efrem Harkham, the founder of Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel.

4 FOCUS | OCTOBER?NOVEMBER 2013

18

Performance

Jack Black brings his ambitious comedy (and music) festival to the Santa Monica Pier.

24 Free

Frank Gehry in conversation at the Hammer Museum.

FINANCE ISSUE

E*TRADE THE VALUE TRADE

Efrem Harkham

Realty Mogul

The Art of Giving

LUXE HOTEL FOUNDER CELEBRATES 30 YEARS

REAL ESTATE CROWDFUNDING

FUNDING WORTHY CAUSES

brentwoodfocus.com 5

INTERVIEW

E*TRADE | 10/2013

IN FOCUS

The Value Trade Tell me a little about E*TRADE E*TRADE is an innovative financial services company focused on meeting the needs of retail investors. E*TRADE was founded in 1982 and went public in 1996.

We are headquartered in New York City and have approximately 3000 employees and 30 Retail Branches across the country – 8 here in California. We have had a Branch in the Los Angeles area since 2001 – Beverly Hills initially, which then relocated to Brentwood in May of 2007. We have a wonderful location on Gorham Ave right off San Vicente. This is a great neighborhood and we are very happy to be a part of it.

What is your background and how long have you been at E*TRADE? I started with E*TRADE in 2005 on the East coast in Boston and came out to LA in January of 2012 to manage the Brentwood office. I have been in the Financial Services industry since 1992 at a variety of companies but mainly in what you would call the online or discount brokerage space.

What brought you to E*TRADE and why the move to the West coast?

E*TRADE is a unique company with a real entrepreneurial and innovative spirit.

I believe that we are well- positioned in the industry in that we attract clients who want leading- edge technology and online platforms, but who also may need some investment guidance. There are great people that work at E*TRADE and that is really what attracted me the most. The folks that work here truly care about our clients and how to provide the best possible client experience and that’s pretty cool to be a part of. As far as the move goes, who can resist the Southern 6 FOCUS | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013

E*TRADE has been serving the neighborhood for over 6 years.

Manager, Todd Peckham, tells us how it’s much more than an online trading company.

California weather? I jumped at the opportunity to move out here.

I don’t blame you. So I knew that E*TRADE was a big online company – what goes on in the Branches?

Yes- most people do associate us with online trading and investing and we have developed quite a brand, thanks in no small part to our talking baby commercials. Certainly our online trading platforms and tools are some of the best in class, but we are much more than that. We are about the customer first – and our Branches play a key role here. They are staffed with Financial Consultants. These are experienced professionals who assist clients with managing their investments- everything from educating them about the online investing tools we offer to helping them build a diversified investment portfolio.

It’s important to many clients to have an in-person relationship along with the online experience. Currently, there are 5 Financial Consultants in the Brentwood office and we are looking to expand to 8 very soon.

Interesting. I didn’t know that E*TRADE provided investment advice.

You are not alone. Many of our clients come to us for their stock trading and end up expanding their relationship with us once they realize everything that E*TRADE offers. E*TRADE offers the same investing products and services as the more “traditional” firms but at a better value. We also provide unbiased investment advice, with no conflicts of interest, which I think is extremely important; fee-based Managed Portfolios, as well as no load, non-proprietary Mutual Funds and a competitive Fixed

Income offering. Financial Consultants are all about finding the best solution for the client – and we do that in a consultative way so that the client is very involved in the process. Our marketing is also evolving to provide better alignment between our customer base and our full investment services offering – so I guess you can say the baby is growing up or maybe we are out-growing the baby.

What else differentiates E*TRADE from other Financial Services firms?

Great question. Couple things come to mind. Certainly we provide great value as I mentioned. We understand that clients are much more savvy and cost-conscious, particularly when it comes to financial products. Why pay a high fee for a Managed Account when you can get the same type of product for less? E*TRADE gets that and our clients appreciate it. I would also have to say education. E*TRADE is very committed to educating our clients.

Can you elaborate?

Sure. After the financial crisis of 2008 and the Bernie Madoff scandal, there was what I would call a crisis of trust with the investing public. More than I have ever seen, clients really want a more in depth understanding of who they are investing their money with and how their assets are being invested. They really want to learn about how the markets work, what asset allocation means and how to take control of their investments. Even if they end up with a managed portfolio, they feel much more comfortable if they understand how things work. They want to be empowered. E*TRADE understands and embraces this. If you go to our website there is an Education tab that is full of

E*TRADE | 10/2013

INTERVIEW

articles, online tutorials, webinars, etc. We also do a series of live events across the country – Investor Education Days and also Retirement Evenings and Seminars in the Branches. We feel that the best investors are informed investors and we try to provide them with all the information they need to make good decisions.

How often do you have Seminars in the Branches?

We are running those quarterly. The next one is scheduled for November 20th and will be focused on Retirement Planning.

Retirement is the big investing goal for most of our clients and also the one that causes the most anxiety. We try to help eliminate some of that. We also offer complimentary portfolio reviews where we can take a look at your investments and see if you are on track to hit your goals. It’s important to do this at the very least annually, as maintaining the appropriate asset allocation can be one of the most important and often most overlooked component of long term investing. You can call the Branch to schedule an appointment and you can also request an appointment online.

Good to know. Anything else you would like our readers to know?

Yes. I have a great Team here. We love what we do and truly enjoy working with clients and helping them to reach their financial goals. That is very gratifying.

I also want to thank FOCUS for thinking of us and allowing us to be a part of your Finance edition. And to all the readers, swing by the Branch and say hello!

11713 Gorham Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90049 T: (866) 789-0719 Hours: Monday to Friday 8 am - 5 pm BrentwoodBranch@etrade.com www.etrade.com The E*TRADE FINANCIAL family of companies provides financial services that include trading, investing, banking, and managing employee stock plans.

Investment recommendations are provided by representatives from E*TRADE Securities LLC, a broker-dealer member of FINRA. Portfolio management services are provided

by E*TRADE Capital Management, LLC, an investment adviser registered with the SEC. To help determine which guidance option may be right for you, please visit etrade.com/ guidance for additional information about account minimums, commissions, fees, etc. Full portfolio management and advisory services are offered through E*TRADE Capital Management LLC, an investment adviser registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Upon request, we will send you a free copy of E*TRADE Capital Management’s Form ADV Part 2A, which describes, among other things, affiliations, services offered and fees charged. E*TRADE Securities and E*TRADE Capital Management are separate but affiliated companies.

Securities products and service offered by E*TRADE Securities LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC

brentwoodfocus.com 7

GO MOMENT | 10/2013 / Cody Brooks

BUSINESS

Rewarding Experiences Improvement Experience. The team is headed by Bob Dawson, one of the people popularizing the use of tangible experience incentives. His book The Secret To Incentive Program Success: Incentive ROI That Makes Beancounters Smile! explains in accessible detail how to do it right. The paramount rule Dawson uses is: always make a realistic plan for positive return on investment.

The PIE division has already had several triumphs. In one success story, they helped a small retail business that was experiencing difficulty recruiting and retaining employees, along with dealing with the loss of customer traffic due to a new mall nearby. Dawson made realistic goals: recruit at least two new Go Moment is finding early success in translating qualified employees, retain two of them, and increase customer traffic by 25 percent. their ‘experiences’ business into employee incentives.

The division found that there had been an influx of seniors

BY CODY BROOKS moving to the area, retired and yet looking for a less stressful form of employment; the division recruited them for key ONETARY INCENTIVES IN TODAY’S BUSINESS WORLD employees, which proved to have a higher retention rate than not only do nothing, they make productivity worse. Sound the younger aged. strange? And yet it’s true: using incentive programs based on Rules for being cash are now old hat. awarded points Career analyst Dan Pink explains four decades of research toward incentives on motivation in his book Drive, (it’s also distilled into a great were given that TED talk), saying that monetary incentives only work for tasks would encourage whose path to solving it is mentally obvious, like running repeat customers farther or building more boxes than others. But most jobs today and word of aren’t mentally simple; solutions are found by thinking with an mouth advertising, open mind, and monetary such as favorable customer reviews ...recruit at least two new incentives only narrow focus. and employee qualified employees, So what incentivizes suggestions that brought more customers into the store. retain two of them, and openminded thought? A Inventory was researched and updated. increase customer traffic famous example is Google’s Within six months the results came in: three new key “20 Percent Time”, giving employees hired, 100 percent employee retention rate, and by 25 percent. employees 20 percent of customer traffic increased by 60 percent. The total incremental their work week to pursue improvement at six months was $206,000. Subtracting the total pet ideas and projects. One product to come out of this was cost of the incentive program of $102,000 gave a total return Gmail. 20 percent time is an example of what the Incentive on investment of $104,000. Including, of course, new key Research Foundation would call a tangible experience. employees, more foot traffic, and a more favorable presence with The effectiveness of tangible experiences are based on what customers.

Pink calls intrinsic motivators, which work “because they matter, There are more stories like this, and it isn’t luck. Dawson because we like it, because they’re interesting, because they’re and PIE division use the mounting scientific data (which you part of something important.” Other tangible experiences the can read up on at the IRF website or in Dan Pink’s Drive) to IRF suggest would be things like travel and merchandise. craft personalized incentive programs that consistently work.

Travel, merchandise, 20 percent time — all these things are Go Moment’s website currently only displays offers for personal experiences that mean something in an emotionally fulfilling tangible experiences, but the company is focusing efforts on way. One company, Go Moment, created a new division to go businesses as well. If you want to know more or have questions to businesses and work with them to make, and follow through about purchasing their incentive program service, you can with, a non cash-based incentive program. contact Bob Dawson himself at bob@gomoment.com.

Go Moment is a company that creates tangible experiences for non-business contexts, such as extreme storm chasing www.gomoment.com or planning a romantic evening down to the CD-mix. To capitalize on the trend and their expertise, they’ve created a new @gomoment division for the business demographic called the Performance facebook.com/YourGoMoment

M

8 FOCUS | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013

REALTY MOGUL | 10/2013 / Cody Brooks

INVESTMENT

Realty Mogul is a marketplace for accredited investors to pool money online and buy shares of pre-vetted investment properties.

BY CODY BROOKS

I

Jilliene Helman and Justin Hughes, Founders of Realty Mogul.

FUNDED

Trinity Place Apartments 267-unit, Class B apartment complex located in Mesquite, TX (part of the greater Dallas metropolitan area)

Amount raised $1,015,000 Funding Period: July 15th - August 15th 2013 Investors: 46 investors

T’S A GOOD IDEA TO DIVERSIFY your investment portfolio, but doing so has always been a little unruly. Now companies are utilizing new technologies to make smart investing in real estate easier, more accessible, and far more exciting.

Located in Beverly Hills, Realty Mogul is a site that is, roughly, Kickstarter for real estate investing. With crowd-funding as its model, it strives to democratize the investment process in properties like retail centers and apartment complexes, down to single family homes. You go on the website, browse available investments and the gathered statistics on them, and invest with others in order to reach a desired funding goal. The properties listed are from around the nation, allowing easy exploration of undervalued markets. It uses the same “all-or-nothing” pledge stance, as well: if a property hasn’t reached its funding goal, your money won’t be spent.

Realty Mogul is actually more of a premium Kickstarter. It only uploads pre-vetted opportunities from real estate companies with an established track record, or from properties with a strong perceived future cashflow. Because of this they feel confident enough to underwrite the cashflow of all opportunities they upload, guaranteeing returns on a monthly or quarterly basis. In fact, strong cashflow is their main vetting criteria to find worthwhile appreciation value.

A wealth of statistics are displayed on the site: projected returns and the expected hold period, property data, overviews of

county employment and income rates, and much more, all shown in a pleasing, web-friendly way. Everything can be done online from their website realtymogul.com — everything. Getting yourself approved as accredited, setting up bank account transactions, investing, signing legal documents, all of it. You never need to go to an office.

It sounds relatively simple, and it is, but at the moment the service is only available to accredited investors — those that make $200,000 or more a year, or have at least $1 million in assets (excluding their home). They do not provide de-risking strategies. There are amount minimums for investments as well, the lowest being $5,000.

The exclusion of non-accredited investors is due to legislation, which could change in the next year or so with the enactment of the JOBS act. If it does change, the company wants to consider including them.

Jilliene Helman, CEO and co-founder of Realty Mogul, wants to make sure that her investors don’t get lost in a faceless website. She has an active blog on the site, a company facebook and twitter, and she encourages investors to call or email with any questions. For larger investments she arranges conference calls with investors to discuss and clarify directly.

If there were a reason to believe in the company, it would likely be Jilliene Helman.

She is a former Union Bank vice president; Realty Mogul was chosen by Microsoft as one of ten companies for their Accelerator program; she is a Certified Wealth Strategist. A graduate of Georgetown, she has climbed to great heights and now builds her own mountain.

To learn more I suggest Realty Mogul’s introduction video, which can be found at realtymogul.com. Happy investing!

www.realtymogul.com @Realty_Mogul facebook.com/RealtyMogul

brentwoodfocus.com 9

In Focus

A Pearl Anniversary

Celebrating 30 years in the hospitality industry, hotelier Efrem Harkham, has no intention of slowing down.

What were the circumstances that led you to become a hotelier?

Thirty years ago this year, I was inspired by the opportunity to implement my vision for an entrepreneurial hotel brand and take a “diamond in the rough” property and turn it into a jewel. I purchased what is now the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel – initially, as a pet project. Despite its prime location and unique architecture, I could not find a hotel representation firm that could make the hotel profitable. Thus, I aggressively closed gaps in the hotel’s management, cutting the hotel’s losses by half within six months and completely eliminating losses within the same year. Based on this success, I had a newfound passion for the hospitality and hotel business. I then purchased the Luxe Rodeo Drive Hotel in Beverly Hills. Today I own the Luxe Hotels brand, which has three properties in the greater Los Angeles area, and LWH Hotels, a hotel representation company for unique, boutique hotels with properties around the world.

10 FOCUS | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013

INTERVIEW

LUXE SUNSET BOULEVARD | 10/2013 / Mark Castellino

After 30 years how do you remain enthusiastic – and how are you celebrating the anniversary?

Success is always a driving force to remaining enthusiastic. As an entrepreneur by nature, ideas are always brimming as to how to improve the hotels and their services. The best example of this is when I founded LWH Hotels, which was an outgrowth of my dissatisfaction with existing hotel representation companies that weren’t capable of giving my hotels the customized service I expected. Growth also fuels my passion; I am always looking for opportunities to expand Luxe Hotels into regions that are strategically relevant for our brand: Boston, New York, Seattle, etc. The ongoing expansion our brand, keeps me on the cutting edge of the industry and always excited about the next step. This year long celebration includes ongoing programs, including an electronic cookbook of recipes from LWH Hotels properties and a video series about my experiences as a hotelier and the growth trajectory of the brand. Stay tuned for more.

Los Angeles is a big city, what made you decide on Brentwood for your first hotel?

In a way Brentwood chose me because the opportunity presented itself. But I would have chosen Brentwood regardless because the location offers my guests a quiet urban enclave in the heart of one of the most stylish areas of Los Angeles. Striking distance from the Getty Center, Bel Air, Hollywood and local beaches, the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel’s sevenacre property serves as an ideal “home base” for visitors wishing to partake in the quintessential Los Angeles experience, without getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of a big city.

What makes a great hotel?

A great hotel has a one-of-a-kind personality and individuality, which unfortunately is rarely found among major hotel chains and collections today. That’s why I look for differentiation in décor, often with an eye for local cultural sensibilities, or compelling design and architectural elements in each of my LWH Hotels properties. I look for properties that embrace their location and provide a comfortable respite for tourists and business travelers alike.

The interior design and the use of space at Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel is wonderful – how do you keep things fresh and exciting from day to day?

It’s about change and keeping pace with the current trends in fashion and design.

We take our cues from the fashion, entertainment and interior design industries. The hotel underwent a multimillion dollar refit, adding signature elements created by famed interior designer Mary McDonald to accentuate the property’s classic blend of casually elegant and contemporary features in earthy shades of taupe and chocolate brown, offset by vibrant accents. In fact, we just updated the fabrics in our restaurant, On Sunset, for a splash of color, which we’re seeing more of in designer fashion.

Business or Pleasure – do you make the tourist and the business traveler feel equally important?

We recognize that Los Angeles is a core hub for domestic and international business travelers. As such, professionals staying at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel can continue their work seamlessly from the hotel’s de facto “home office,” which offers complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi throughout the premises, a business center and meeting rooms and special event venues of varying sizes. We also recognize that Los Angeles is a major attraction for tourists and often a stop for travelers heading to additional destinations. We focus on making the hotel a relaxing getaway, a respite for tourists experiencing LA’s world-class entertainment culture.

We offer spacious guestrooms and suites, which are up to 45% larger than the national average size, 24-hour room service, laundry and valet services, shuttle and private car service. Additionally, arriving guests are welcomed with a complimentary choice of cappuccino or glass of wine, and Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel welcomes four-legged travelers less than 50 pounds, helping guests feel a little more at home.

How does the Luxe serve the Brentwood community?

Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel is as much a part of the local community as it is a travel destination for worldwide travelers. The hotel hosts community events and daily

happy hours that are enjoyed by locals and travelers alike. The onsite restaurant, On Sunset, is also often filled with a mix of local residents and hotel guests, all of whom relish the fresh California cuisine and Sunday Jazz Brunch.

What are your favorite neighborhood places?

There are many, but naturally, I tend to favor our restaurant, On Sunset. It offers a menu of innovative, fresh spa cuisine, as well as heartier fare all hand crafted

by Executive Chef, Olivier Rousselle. The restaurant’s Sunday Jazz Brunch is also a highlight for travelers and locals. The brunch offers specially prepared plates and a variety of traditional brunch favorites, paired with swinging live music.

What’s unique about Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel that I would choose it over a dozen other nearby hotels?

The hotel is an urban retreat in the middle of Los Angeles, on seven acres of lush, pristine property, perfectly perched at the intersection of Brentwood and Bel Air. Convenient to Los Angeles International Airport and some of the most prestigious sites in Los Angeles including The Getty Center, Santa Monica Beach, UCLA, Skirball Cultural Center, Riviera Country Club and Pacific Palisades, Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel offers stylish and supremely comfortable personalized care and service in a modern California environment. Whether visiting for business or pleasure, Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel offers a much-needed respite and the highest level of personalized attention.

Do you have any plans to retire? What are your plans for the next 30 years?

I’m too excited about Luxe Hotels and LWH Hotels to retire anytime soon. I’m planning to continue building respected brands that people trust and associate with luxury and service. You’ll just have to wait and see where new properties spring up and what will be coming to the hotels soon!

11461 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049 T: (310) 476-6571 www.luxesunset.com @LWHHotels

brentwoodfocus.com 11

Design Focus on Design

IN THESE ROLLER COASTER YEARS OF UNCERTAINTY, with global unrest all around us, and

with an economy that teeters on a precipice (not clearly moving forward or falling back), it is no wonder that making a solid investment in something... ANYTHING, is such an attractive goal! But what could possibly bring a positive return in this precarious environment? I clearly am no Charles Schwab, but in my life, real estate along with certain fine art and antiques have, for the most part, been a fairly sure thing...especially over the long run.

With the caveat that there are exceptions to everything, I would guess that hanging onto almost any valued investment, from kid’s metal toys in

by Tom Callaway their original packaging to a goodly amount of art glass (which I have often perceived as butt ugly), over the long run, these things can and will seriously move up in value. I am still questioning my wife’s plunging whole-heartedly into the Beanie Baby boom of the 1980s. Many a young Mom fought tooth and nail to get each of the latest velour frog, lion, or chipmunk filled with BBs before they landed in another mother’s gilded collection!

Of course, playing the stock market, flipping real estate, and other trading opportunities all work out well when the markets are booming. In the design world, I’ve seen antique furnishings, collections of one kind or another (like art), bounce back and forth, up and down. But over time...with very few exceptions, these things of generally perceived value, usually move up in value with each passing year. Hanging on to the “best” of almost anything, seems to be the key.

Over the years I have collected everything from Native American artifacts, clothing, pots, and Navajo weavings, along with other antiques, furniture, ceramics, Americana, folk art, outsider art, ceramics, books, ship models, and everything from religious curiosities to scrimshaw. But nothing has given me greater pleasure than collecting art...paintings, graphics, and sculptures that have great visual appeal, but also have steadily increased in value to my inner delight. Like everything else, the most well known, highly regarded, and expensive artist’s works are the blue chip, bankable investments that are often, the sure bet to escalate in value. For this assurance, one usually pays hefty prices from the start to buy in. But paintings, graphics, and photographs as a whole are both fun to collect, beautiful to view, and can be wildly successful investments, particularly when a living or deceased artist’s works take a serious value step forward...often after an important showing at a reputable gallery or museum.

I have often consulted with my design clients on their art collections, helping them to find, to choose, and to install their art purchases in their homes or offices.

More often than not, this has been more of an interior design exercise than one approached from an investment point of view. However, of late, particularly in the past two years, the opportunity to help clients collect investment grade photographs, paintings and graphics has been occurring regularly and I couldn’t enjoy it more!

Several west side galleries have become regular “must see” stops to find desirable artist’s works with a fairly broad range of prices and investment value. I highly recommend visits to Bergamot Station in Santa Monica. This is a group of galleries containing engaging works from the well known to the lesser-known artists of our time. I am particularly fond of the William Turner Gallery, Rose Gallery, the Peter Fetterman Gallery for photography, and two Leslie Sacks Fine Art galleries...one of contemporary art at Bergamot, and the other on San Vicente Boulevard in Brentwood village of 20th Century artists of significant stature, along with African masks and sculptures. For investment grade graphics, I also recommend Gemini G.E.L. Gallery in West Hollywood on Melrose Avenue. This gallery is part of the famous Gemini Graphic Editions Limited studio where many of the biggest names in contemporary art have their graphic editions meticulously and flawlessly printed.

At all of the galleries I’ve mentioned, friendly and knowledgeable dealers take the time and interest to guide collectors through the maze of art purchases for both pleasure and investment. I bring my clients to these galleries and others, for them to enjoy the benefit of these art dealers’ valued input, in addition to my own point of view. Together, I trust we are helping these collectors, (new and seasoned) to make the most “solid investment” possible from the myriad of choices in this exciting, but ever-changing landscape.

Scoping Out A Solid Investment

Tom Callaway is an interior designer and architect, living in Brentwood. www.thomascallaway.com 12 FOCUS | OCTOBER?NOVEMBER 2013

CHEVIOT VALUE MANAGEMENT | 10/2013 / by David A. Horvitz and Darren C. Pollock

INVESTMENT

5 Ways to Invest in a Rising Interest Rate Environment Interest rates have declined for many years to historically low levels. And while still considered unusually low by historic standards, they are somewhat higher today. Moreover, future interest rates may easily be higher than they are now. Here are a few strategies one can implement today to take advantage of a rising interest rate environment.

1

Lock in fixed Generally speaking, higher interest rates favor lenders, including savers, and hurt borrowers. who have adjustable rate mortgages should consider converting them into fixed-rate rates on debt Borrowers mortgages. For those with home equity lines of credit, it could prove wise to pay down the line of credit sooner than later.

2

Invest in (not for) the short-term

Savers typically seek investments with the highest yields. In recent years outsized yield has been difficult to come by, unless the investors have been willing to gamble on bonds of riskier creditworthiness or with maturity dates far into the future. As interest rates rise, however, the underlying value of these investments will fall proportionately, resulting in declines in market value and potentially reduced purchasing power when the bonds mature.

By avoiding fixed-income investment vehicles like bonds and CDs with distant dates of maturity and investing only in the shorter-term, investors decrease their risk of locking in what may turn out to be a woefully low interest rate. For example, a 10-year CD paying less than 2% annually today could look like a very poor investment at some point in the future if interest rates rise by even a small amount.

3

Hold cash Yields on cash accounts (savings and checking accounts and money market funds) are typically

4

Build a CD or A rolling CD or bond ladder allows the investor to partially benefit from the higher interest rates come when a CD matures a year away or more, without tying up all of her money for that long bond ladder that a period of time. For example, savers can divide their cash into four CD investments—a six-month

5

lower than CDs and bonds, but having access to these funds allows investors the flexibility to purchase investments with attractive yields as they present themselves in a rising interest rate environment. That is, earning close to zero today in exchange for earning 4% in a year or even two, is better than earning 2% today on an investment that is held steady for 10 years time.

CD, a 12-month CD, an 18-month CD, and a 24-month CD. As each CD matures, the initial investment is used to purchase a new 24-month CD, thereby capturing the more favorable rates offered in the future.

Invest in stocks that may benefit from rising interest rates

Just as some companies rely on low interest rates to keep a lid on project costs, cash-rich companies can earn improved returns in rising interest rate environments. This is because those companies need not pay higher rates to borrow and can invest their cash reserves in higher yielding investment vehicles. Many large companies built huge stockpiles of cash in recent years by issuing bonds at low interest rates. Consider the shares of companies that do not need to continually borrow funds to keep business going, as there will come a time when borrowing costs rise, causing their profits to decline.

There are a number of other strategies investors can employ in a rising interest rate environment that are too numerous to mention here. These are only a few examples. All investments entail risk. It is crucial that investors consult a qualified investment advisor before employing any of the strategies mentioned herein.

Founded in 1985, Cheviot Value Management specializes in the management of customized investment portfolios for individuals, retirement plans, and charitable foundations. http://cheviotvalue.com

David A. Horvitz, CFP® is skilled in the areas of taxation mitigation, retirement planning, estate planning, and numerous other areas of financial importance. David was named

by Los Angeles magazine as one of the city’s best financial planners for 2011 and 2012.

Darren C. Pollock provides investment analysis and portfolio management for the firm. Darren’s views on the financial markets have appeared in Barron’s, The Wall Street Journal, Money Magazine and Yahoo!Finance.

brentwoodfocus.com 13

Walking, Running and Kickin’ Cancer

BY CODY BROOKS / Photography by Angela Daves Haley

Amy Cohen Epstein, President & Executive Director of the Lynne Cohen Foundation with Jill Eisfelder, Team Captain of The J Team, the 1st Place Fundraising Team which raised $32,227.

A jubilant atmosphere cheered through Brentwood on Sunday, September 29th: tents with countless balloons, yoga instructors, energetic music, and the stamps of vibrant running shoes colored the blocked off San Vincente Boulevard. The day marked the 12th Annual Kickin’ Cancer 5k Walk/ Run, a fundraiser to support the development of early screening tests and preventative care for ovarian and breast cancer by the Lynne Cohen Foundation.

Thousands came out in support of those fighting cancer, even those honoring lost loved ones. People like Tina of Team Teal, whose sister Jodi passed away from ovarian cancer in August. The entire team of about thirty wore shirts with Jodi’s smiling face printed on them.

Though many participants were struggling with cancer in their or others’ lives, support was the name of the game — something that the president of the foundation, Amy Cohen Epstein, loved about the day’s event.

“It’s good! I mean it’s hot, but it’s good. This is our largest turnout in terms of numbers.” She pointed to a tiny strip mall. “It started with that parking lot over there. It was about 250 people. I knew everyone there. The best part about it now is that I don’t know anybody!”

Nearly 3,000 individuals and sponsors, from Brentwood and beyond, came together for a day of hope, inspiration and FUN in honor of the women in our lives. To date, Kickin’ Cancer!

2013 has raised more than $180,000 (and counting) for Lynne Cohen Foundation.

The funds provide comprehensive preventive care, screening and education to women and families at increased risk for disease – in one place and in one day. Knowing her risk for cancer and how to manage it may save her life. For more information, please visit lynnecohenfoundation.org.

Jubilant runners at the 5K finish line.

Julie Diamond, LCF Fitness Ambassador paying tribute to her mom who she lost to ovarian cancer 17 years ago.

14 FOCUS | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013

Photo: Cody Brooks

The crowd enjoying a performance by POUND Rockit.

Team Teal sport photos of Jodi who passed away in August.

Business community sponsors included Coral Tree Cafe, Frontrunners, Westside Aesthetics, Juice Crafters, Pressed Juicery and Burn 60.

Q+A IN FOCUS

The Art of Giving What was the catalyst that led you to donate towards the UCLA campus and the Fowler Museum specifically?

Please tell us about yourself Shirley.

I grew up in West L.A., went to all the local public schools and to UCLA. In the early 1950s, I visited the home of my friend, who lived on the corner of Burlingame and San Vicente. Brentwood at that time still felt very rural. I fell in love with the area, and from then on, viewed it as the place I wanted to live. Many years later, married and with 3 children, my husband and I happily found a house in Brentwood Park and we moved here in 1967. Since it was the rural atmosphere that drew me to the area, I became involved in our neighborhood association and started the Tree Committee with Barbara Goldenberg and Elsa Fleischmann. Our goal was to encourage people to plant street trees to replace the many old, majestic trees that were originally planted when the area was first developed, but were now dying out. I was also on the original board of SOS Coral Trees, which raised money to create an endowment to pay for the maintenance of the coral trees on San Vicente, (which the City was neglecting). We pruned them annually instead of every 4 or 5 years. I also served on the Board, again with Barbara Goldenberg, of Brentwood Beautiful and helped raise the money to plant the street trees in the business district of San Vicente and install bus benches and trash cans.

How did you first become involved with UCLA?

I wasn’t given a choice as far as college was concerned. UCLA, in the middle to late 50s was affordable, ($50 a semester), and going away to school wasn’t an option.

Was the campus very different then?

UCLA had many more undeveloped areas, e.g. the entire campus north of what is now known as Perloff Hall (Architecture Dept.), was a huge dirt parking lot and the entire area west of the playing field was in a natural state, (no dorms at all except for one women’s dorm – Hershey Hall – no Pauley Pavilion, Wooden Center or Ackerman Center), and Westwood Blvd. went all the way up to Sunset Blvd.

We received a virtually free education ($400 for 4 years) and felt we owed something to the University. In the 50s, the State of California provided 90% of the University’s budget. Today they provide less than 20%.

UCLA needs and deserves support from its alums and the community as a whole. It is an amazing cultural and scientific resource for Los Angeles and the Nation and we are so fortunate to be able take advantage of all it has to offer our community. As for the Fowler, after meeting Marla Berns, its Director of 12 years, we were so impressed with what she was able to accomplish on such a limited budget that we felt she deserved support. We also were interested in global arts and that is one of the areas in which the Fowler excels.

How does your donation help the Fowler Museum?

In our experience of involvement in various areas of the campus, in both undergraduate and graduate schools, we have found that a modest amount of discretionary money can be extraordinarily helpful to deans and directors.

It helps them provide for unforeseen emergencies or unusual opportunities that wouldn’t be covered by their budgets. Since the Fowler doesn’t charge for admission, wanting to be accessible to all income groups, they may be losing an important income source but they are reaching out to a wide group of people who might not visit a traditional kind of museum.

Do you visit the Museum often?

Since the exhibits are always changing and always unexpectedly fascinating, I find I need to visit the Museum often. Many times I enter an exhibit a bit skeptical as to my interest in the subject, and leave completely surprised as to how much I have enjoyed it and how much I have learned. The variety of subjects is astounding, ranging from contemporary art from Haiti to fascinating sculptures of Central Nigeria to the history of tea told through art, to the dramatic and whimsical sound costumes of Nick Cave. There are exhibits on history, music, contemporary issues, theater arts, folk art, societal issues – focusing

Shirley Shapiro fell in love with Brentwood, studied at UCLA, and now is a benefactor to her alma mater and the wider community.

attention on a wide variety of subjects few other museums consider. What you discover on a visit is not just art but something more.

The Fowler is a kind of hybrid museum whose mission is to help people find the meanings and purposes of human creativity. And, the Fowler has educators who often will guide a tour of a show and bring the exhibitions to life.

What are your feelings about museums in general?

This is a question that deserves more than I can devote to it. A very superficial answer, in regard to the Fowler, is that museums act as repositories for our collective history and memories. They interpret and preserve our cultural heritage and help us appreciate and value the cultures of other people. They also educate us in areas we might never examine, broadening our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

The Fowler is celebrating its 50th year, how does that make you feel?

The depth and importance of the Fowler collection is impressive. In fact, there are many objects that have never been seen by the public or at least not in recent times. I am tremendously excited that so many of these, from many different regions of the world and which have spent years in storage, will be included in the exhibits organized for this 50 year celebration.

How can we, (as Brentwood citizens), become more aware of worthy causes?

I am deeply interested in supporting environmental causes and my husband is focused on health organizations. However, neither of us has the resources to do everything that needs to be done and there are so many unmet needs in our community. I can only urge others to find something that is meaningful to them and support it. And most of all, investigate and take advantage of some of the innumerable things that are available to the public at UCLA. I can’t imagine living in a community without a major university and we have one of the best, a few miles away.

brentwoodfocus.com 15

OCTOBER/NOVE MBER 2013

Art & Photography

13 OCTOBER - 26 JANUARY 2014

Fowler At Fifty celebrates the remarkable achievements of the The Fowler Museum at UCLA, by displaying a suite of eight exhibitions and programs from Fall 2013–Fall 2014. Together, the exhibitions comprising nearly 1000 artworks, reveal the depth, breadth, range and quality of the Museum’s collections.

Each exhibition features a particular strength of the Museum’s archive and takes a distinctive curatorial approach.

Several feature the work of contemporary artists who have brought their own insights and perspectives.

Centerpiece of the exhibition is a dramatic outdoor installation by Argentine artist Máximo González.

Titled, Walk among The Worlds, it incorporates thousands of beach-ball globes that will fill up the courtyard and billow out the top.

On the occasion of this milestone the Fowler underscores its long held conviction that artworks are never static in meaning or value but are instead dynamic resources, subject to reevaluation, reinterpretation and reconsideration over time.

The Fowler Museum was established in 1963 with the goal of consolidating the various collections of non-Western art and artifacts on the UCLA campus.

Fowler Museum at UCLA 308 Charles E Young Drive North, Los Angeles, CA 90095 T . 310 825 4288 Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 12pm - 6pm Thursday until 8pm.

Closed Monday and Tuesday. www.fowler.ucla.edu

16 FOCUS | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013

CHIPICUARO Mexico This selection of nearly seventy works was gifted to the museum

by Natalie Wood and illustrate the vivid palette and bold patterning of the Chupicuaro’s remarkable ceramic tradition

FROM X TO WHY Thirty five objects, including the very first acquisition of a Balinese ceremonial textile, highlight the formative history of the museum.

‘X’ denotes the prefix given to every object that enters the collection.

MAORI CLOAKS, MAORI VOICES New Zealand In the 19th century Maori women began twining flax for the first time, to create garments by hand. The finest cloaks were covered with stunning, iridescent feather work and transcended practical needs to become treasured markers of prestige.

Photographs by Don Cole; courtesy Fowler Museum at UCLA

FROM THE SEPIK RIVER Papua New Guinea What factors both here in Los Angeles and distant New Guinea, conspired to drive a surge of more than 4500 pieces of primitive art to these shores over a short period of time in the 1960s?

Art The Power of Photography: National Geographic 125 Years FROM 26 OCTOBER

NEW WORLD WUNDERKAMMER Contemporary artist Amalia Mesa-Bains mined the Fowler Museum’s collections to create an installation that includes three ‘cabinets of curiosity’, representing Africa, the indigenous Americas and the racial mixture that typifies the New World.

ART FOR TWINS AMONG THE YORUBA Nigeria The Yoruba, who live in southwestern Nigeria, Togo and Benin, have one of the highest rates of twinning in the world, and special attention is paid to twins, both in life and after.

ZULU ARTS OF PERSONAL ADORNMENT South Africa In 19th century southern Africa, personal objects worn or carried around the body were made with considerable aesthetic investment and announced status and identity.

ANCIENT THREADS/NEW DIRECTIONS Peru The tradition of weaving textiles with four finished edges – selvages – characterizes the creative process of the ancient weavers of Peru, known for their mastery of color, technique and design.

National Geographic’s photographic archive spans 125 years and includes more than 11.5 million images. Given the sheer volume of photographs in its archives, this exhibition departs from the norm to show mosaics of more than 400 images documenting their history of photography from 1888 to the present time. In addition, thirty large format LED monitors will be arranged to create video walls throughout the galleries.

These 6 video walls will present both individual images and photographic essays. The images loop at different times throughout the galleries so the viewing experience will be unique to each visitor and each visit. www.annenbergspacefor photography.org

Brentwood Art Show 27 OCTOBER, 10am - 5pm

Brentwood Autumn Art Show will take place along San Vicente Boulevard, beginning at Bundy and running east to Barrington.

The free, family-friendly event features an alfresco gallery of booths exhibiting and selling art work including fine art and photography, clothing and accessories, jewelry, sculptures, hand-blown glass, porcelain and ceramics, paper and textiles, potpourri, soaps and candles, and much more. Metered parking and pay lot parking is available along the boulevard. www.brentwoodartshow.com

brentwoodfocus.com 17

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013

Music & Theater COMEDY + MUSIC 19 OCTOBER

Festival Supreme

A dream many years in the making, Jack Black and Kyle Gass of Tenacious D fame, have curated a spectacular list of comedy rock stars to take over The Santa Monica Pier for one special night.

“The comedy and music event of the century, as Jack Black says” “Over the years, Kyle and I have been putting together comedy benefit shows when there were big tragedies, like the tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, Haiti,” says Black. “We thought, why don’t we get all the powers together just for fun, just to blow people’s minds?”

It’s basically seven hours of music and comedy across 3 stages, starting at 3pm. The stellar lineup includes Adam Sandler, Sarah Silverman, Zach Galifianakis, Fred Armisen Demetri Martin, Eric Idle, Will Forte and Triumph the Insult Dog. “I’m looking forward to seeing what Adam has up his sleeve. Every time he sings a song, it becomes iconic,” says Black. “I also want to see Triumph. I imagine trembling silent stares, a little fog machine. He might poop on stage.”

MUSIC 16 NOVEMBER

Chelsea Wolfe and Anna Calvi

California native Chelsea Wolfe’s sound is best described in broad strokes: elemental, intense, radiant, intimate-yet-expansive, dark and sparkling. Hues of black metal and deep blues inform her ever-evolving electric folk. Her musical style acts as a warm force that wraps itself around the listener, encouraging uplift. Her vocals, at once haunting and soothing, combined with lyrics that illuminate life’s darker corners, reveal surprising truths and hidden beauty.

Sharing the bill is the equally enigmatic English singer-songwriter/guitar player Anna Calvi who writes achingly rich songs punctuated by lightning-speed riffs from her Fender Telecaster. A virtuoso player with brooding intensity, Calvi was nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize in 2011.

Tickets: $99- $250 Santa Monica Pier More info: www. festivalsupreme.com

8pm Tickets: $45 - $105 Royce Hall Royce Dr., CA 90095 UCLA Campus. www./cap.ucla.edu

MUSIC 9 NOVEMBER

Buddy Guy

Legendary Blues Artist and Blues Hall of Famer Buddy Guy is a pioneer of the Chicago blues sound, and has served as an influence to some of the most notable musicians of his generation, including Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Ranked 30th in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “200 Greatest Guitarists of all-time, Buddy Guy is known for his showmanship on stage: playing his guitar with drumsticks or strolling through the audience while playing solos. We hope you’ll join us for what promises to be a magical night!

Opening set by Quinn Sullivan. Doors 6pm. Show 9:00pm. $100.00 / $65.00 / $35.00 + applicable fees The Saban Theatre 8440 Wilshire Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA 90211 T: (888) 645-5006 www.sabantheatre.org

18 FOCUS | OCTOBER?NOVEMBER 2013

Performance COMEDIC READING 1 NOVEMBER

Say The Word: Get It Together

Join host Beth Lapides (UnCabaret) and special guest comedy writers and comedians Tim Bagley (Will and Grace, Monk), Kevin Nealon (Weeds, Saturday Night Live), Merrill TILL 27 OCTOBER

Hamlet

Celebrating their 20th anniversary, the masterful Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Company all-female company brings HAMLET to life under the direction of Lisa Wolpe & Natsuko Ohama in an elegant, raw and electrifying production of Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy of murder, madness, treachery and revenge. Tickets: $30

Odyssey Theatre 2055 S Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025 T:(310) 477-2055 www.odysseytheatre.com

THEATER 8 OCTOBER - 17 NOVEMBER

Wait Until Dark Written by Frederick Knott Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher Directed by Matt Shakman

A New Twist on the Classic Thriller Don’t let the quaint apartment of Susan and Sam Hendrix fool you; hidden within is a score for which thieves and conmen would kill. Employing disguise and deception, two newly acquainted crooks become all the more desperate and depraved, but must wait until dark to play out this classic thriller’s chilling conclusion. Frederick Knott’s play inspired the eponymous film and multiple Broadway productions earning Tony and Academy Award nominations for many of the actors involved – including the film’s star, Audrey Hepburn. This world premiere adaptation captures the suspense made famous by the previous work in a new time/setting.

Markoe (TV Nation), Carlos Kotkin (author of God Please Let It Be Herpes), and Wendy Liebman as they share comedic stories of weddings, funerals, graduations, birthday parties, and gatherings of a more clandestine sort.

Presented lounge-style with cocktails and light fare available for purchase.

8pm. $15 General $10 Members $8 Full-Time Students Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd. T: (310) 440-4500 More info: www.skirball.org

Tickets: $37 - $72 Geffen Playhouse 10886 Le Conte Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90024 T: 310 208-5454 More info: www.geffenplayhouse.com brentwoodfocus.com 19

bettina duncan

malia mills

graham & spencer

Style

jenni kayne

FALL / WINTER 2013 INSPIRATION Bits and pieces of 70’s era Bianca Jagger, 90’s supermodels, and horse riding wardrobes are blended together to create a strong yet feminine look.

Sportswear separates are key to making this look work. It is all about the mix. Tailoring makes a comeback with classic Jenni Kayne blazers and tuxedo jackets. Clean and classic shapes get the gilt treatment in paisley brocades, lamé tailoring, gold hardware and lurex. Evening is all about androgyny and glamour. Tuxedos or streamlined gowns.

Kids 12 OCTOBER: 1pm

Absolutely Halloween

Ages: All ages Cost: $12.50 Adults $10.50 Kids The heartwarming tale of the aptly named Candy, a sweet young girl who learns some surprising lessons about life, love, laughter and sugar, from a delightfully colorful array of characters who take her on a magical All Hallows Eve adventure, enlisting the audience’s aid to help save Halloween for one more year. “Absolutely Halloween is Absolutely Great!”

– showmag.com. A delightful holiday tradition, back by popular demand for the sixth year in a row. Santa Monica Playhouse 1211 4th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401 310-394-9779 www.santamonicaplayhouse.com

5-6 OCTOBER: 9am- 6pm

Folk Festival Weekend

Ages: All Cost: $12, Under 2: Free Go straight to the source. Every weekend from now till Halloween, at Underwood Family Farms, there will be tractor-drawn wagon rides, the corn maze & hay pyramids, the Animal Center, Craig’s Chicken Show, Kid’s Corral & play area, live bands, the Animal Show, Pig Races & more. Oh, and tons of pumpkins too!

There’s a different theme each weekend, and this weekend is the Folk Festival.

Musicians will be playing on the Main Stage beginning at 10:30am until 5:30pm.

And if you play an instrument, bring it – you’re welcome to join in the jam session.

Underwood Family Farms 3370 Sunset Valley Road, Moorpark, CA 93021 www.underwoodfamilyfarms.com

12 OCTOBER: 12 pm

James and The Giant Peach

Ages: 3+ Cost: $20 Adults, $12 Kids James and the Giant Peach is a pint sized play about one heck of a big peach.

Follow James on a magical adventure that begins after his parents are gobbled up by a Rhino while out shopping in London and he is sent to live with his comically cruel Aunts Spiker and Sponge. Magic, adventure, danger, bugs that come to life and a giant peach make this a must see for fall, just in time for Halloween…

The show runs Saturdays at 12:00 pm and Sundays at 1:00 pm through Nov 10th.

Promenade Playhouse 1404 3rd Street Promenade Santa Monica, California 90401 T: (310) 804-0223 www.creatingarts.org

13 OCTOBER: 10pm - 4.30pm

Lego Day

Ages: All Cost: $10 Adults, $5 Kids Participate in a collaborative Lego-building activity with a visiting Lego “fan builder,” in conjunction with the current exhibition Global Citizen: The Architecture of Moshe Safdie and the publication of Lego Playbook Ideas to Bring Your Bricks to Life. Spend the day celebrating the colorful construction bricks that for decades have fueled the imaginations of builders young and old, including Moshe Safdie.

www.skirball.org

22 FOCUS | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013

13 OCTOBER: 11am - 5pm

Curtis School Fair Ages: All ages Costs: Free The annual Curtis School Fair is for super heroes of all ages with carnival rides, games and prizes, face-painting and arts/crafts, food trucks and a silent auction featuring hundreds of super items. Parking and admission are free.

The Curtis School, 15871 Mulholland Dr.

19 OCTOBER: 11am

Modern Manners for Today’s Kids Cost: $6 Ages: 6-12 Bringing traditional values to modern times – a manners class for kids. They’ll learn the Golden Rule to the Magic Words, as well as the idea that having patience, behaving appropriately, dining properly and being socially adept not only serves their best interest, but has a profoundly positive effect on their interactions with others. Real life examples and interactive exercises are incorporated in a multi-course luncheon that allows plenty of opportunity to practice their dining skills and table manners.

McCormick & Schmick’s, 206 North Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, CA www.beverlyhillsmanners.com

26 OCTOBER: 11am

Story Pirates At The Geffen Cost: $13 Ages: 3-12 The Geffen Playhouse Story Pirates believe that every kiddo has a story to tell — starting with yours! The process begins by collecting stories from local kids — whether it’s a world where cats can fly or a rock opera about fuzzy alien tickle monsters, the Pirates will turn any short story into a hilarious sketch comedy musical. Described as “Monty Python meets Schoolhouse Rock,” this show is different every week. Plus, there’s free ice cream for the whole audience- and who doesn’t like free ice cream?

Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Ave. www.geffenplayhouse.com

26 OCTOBER: 11am

Puss ‘N Boots: From Drawings To Dance Cost: $20 Ages: 3+ Peek behind-the-scenes as the Helios Dance Company shares the process of creating the choreography for the characters in Dreamworks’ movie, Puss in Boots. Drawings dance to life in styles from Flamenco to contemporary as this award-winning company incorporates rarely seen hand drawn story boards, choreography, video of the motion capture technology and finished film scenes from the movie.

The Broad Stage, 1310 11th Street, Santa Monica. www.thebroadstage.com

Tech & Startups Sponsored by gomoment.com ICONIC VW BUS ENDS PRODUCTION Volkswagen

announced that its last van will be produced by the end of this year. The hippie-centric van was first introduced in 1950’s but had been adopted as the icon of the 1960’s counterculture movement.

However, the only place in the world that still produces VW vans is Brazil, which is mandating all vehicles to implement air bags and anti-lock brakes. Unfortunately VW does not have the capability to include these features. Speculations are that even though production lines will halt, there will not be a lack of vans on the road as 1.5 million have been produced since 1957.

The final few vans will be made into special editions with vinyl upholstery. Treasure the sight as they are going extinct.

Sam Byford – theverge.com

5 Science Fictions That Became Science Facts

1 2

Quadriplegic uses mind control for robotic limbs.

The University of Pittsburgh implanted 96 channel microelectrodes in 52 year old Jan Scheurmann’s motor cortex so that she could control all limb movement with her mind. gizmodo.com

DARPA robot completes obstacle course. If you have a creeping feeling that robots will one day overpower humans and take over our world, then we suggest not watching the video of a wired robot created by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency navigate itself through the maze.

DIGITAL MOTION SICKNESS – THE NEW OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD. The future is here and now,

whether we like it or not. 3D movies, Google Glasses, self driving cars; they’re happening. What you may not know is that those who are predisposed to motion sickness will experience some serious discomfort later in their lifetime. The phenomenon goes by the name of simulation sickness which is the inverse of motion sickness: we see motion that should indicate we’re moving when we are not.

Perhaps you can dodge the bullet by avoiding the fancy technology, but since 3D displays have become less expensive to generate, the experience is not surprisingly showing up everywhere. Virtual reality game Oculus Rift is testament to the advancement in our futuristic technology, but there occurs a subtle lag between the gamers’ head movements and what they see in the headsets. This often causes dizziness and headaches, which the company admits may never go away. The best we can do is skip the extra five dollars and watch our less sophisticated 2D movies. Christopher Mims – qz.com

ROBOT SUITS MOBILIZE JAPAN’S ELDERLY Boy scouts

might be out of a career helping the elderly across the street. It has been announced in Tokyo has given a global safety certificate to Cyberdyne, the creator of the Hybrid Assistive Limb. HAL is a power-assisted pair of legs which help the elderly and disabled with mobility. The robot suit is a metal-and-plastic exoskeleton operated by a battery and detects muscle impulses to predict and support the user’s body movements. The robotic aid is the first nursing-care certified under a draft standard. The head of Cyberdyne, Yoshiyuki Sankai, states, “This is a first step forward for Japan, the great robot nation, to send our message to the world about robots of the future.”

Industryweek.com

STRETCHABLE, FOLDABLE ELECTRONIC DISPLAYS

UCLA’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science has developed an elastic, organic light-emitted device (OLED) which can be folded and stretched while still remaining lit, and retaining its original shape. Researchers stretched the OLED 1,000 times and also at 180 degrees, discovering its full high functionality still intact. UCLA professor and principal researcher, Qibing Pei says, “Along with the development of stretchable thin-film transistors, we believe that fully stretchable interactive OLED displays that are as thin as wallpaper will be achieved in the near future. And this will give creative electronics designers new dimensions to exploit.” This OLED also contains multiple pixels which could pave the way for future electronic displays. Matthew Chin – newsroom.ucla.edu

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFGfq0pRczY

3

Eye implants “cure” the blind. In the UK, two blind men underwent an 8 hour surgery for eye implants and had regained “useful” vision within weeks, collecting outlines of objects and even dreaming in color. telegraph.co.uk

4

Invisibility cloaks are here. HypterStealth Biotechnology displayed a prototype of a new fabric which bends light waves around the wearer without using batteries, mirrors, or cameras. toxel.com

5

Self driving cars are legal in Nevada, Florida and California. Google tested these self driving cars in the beginning of 2012 and have logged over 300,000 hours so far. Only two accidents have occurred; both when they were being manually operated. cnn.com Donna Dickens- buzzfeed.com

Creating Unforgettable Experiences

gomoment.com

brentwoodfocus.com 23

Girls Night Out: Wait Until Dark – October 24

The best things in life are

Free

This exclusive after-party held at the Geffen Playhouse will welcome back the ever popular Pixi Beauty artists with how to tips for the very best day-tonight looks! Plus signature cocktails, delicious buffets, a Purity Organics tasting bar, Girls Night Out photo booth plus a Pixi Beauty and Luna gift!

Here are some things you can do around your neighborhood this month, that won’t break the bank.

Talk Back Tuesdays

ACTIVITIES AND TALKS

15 October, 12.30pm – Lunchtime Talks: James Welling

The Hammer’s curatorial department leads free and insightful 15-minute discussions about works of art currently on view or from museum collections.

This talk will be led by Brooke Hodge, Director, Exhibitions Management & Publications. Hammer Museum.10899 Wilshire Blvd, 90024.hammer.ucla.edu

15 October, 7.30pm – Frank Gehry, EsaPekka Salonen & Nicolai Ouroussoff: Creative Collaboration In Music And Architecture

The Walt Disney Concert Hall opened to the public ten years ago in October 2003 to rapturous acclaim after sixteen years of planning, development, and construction. Pritzker Prizewinning architect Frank Gehry and internationally renowned conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen reunite to discuss the process of creative collaboration in music and architecure. Salonen is currently the Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor for London’s Philharmonia Orchestra and the Conductor Laureate for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where he was Music Director from 1992 until 2009.

Gehry’s buildings—cited as being among the most important works in contemporary architecture—include the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain; MIT’s Ray and Maria Stata Center in Cambridge, MA, as well as the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Moderator Nicolai Ouroussoff served as the architecture critic of both the New York Times and the LA Times, where he wrote widely on architecture

24 FOCUS | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013

and urbanism in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East as well as in the United States. He is currently writing a book on architecture, culture, and politics in the 20th century. Hammer Museum.10899 Wilshire Blvd, 90024. hammer.ucla.edu

16 October, 7pm – Travel Happy Hour: Living Without Regret

The founders of We Said Go Travel, Lisa Niver Rajna and her husband George Rajna, will give an inside look into their long-term exotic international travel across Asia over the last fifteen months. They will share their travel expertise, read an excerpt from their new memoir, “Traveling in Sin,” and provide information about We Said Go Travel’s writing contest and upcoming community.

Join them for conversation, drinks and a raffle, at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel 11461 Sunset Boulevard, CA 90049 www.wesaidgotravel.com

Enjoy complimentary Peet’s Coffee & Tea before the show and dig deeper into plot, characters and themes with Geffen artists post-performance. It’s interactive, intellectual and thoughtprovoking.

Geffen Playhouse10886 Le Conte Avenue. T: 310 208-5454 More info: geffenplayhouse.com

FILM

8 October, 1.30pm – The Lavender Hill Mob

A hard-working retiring bank employee (Alec Guinness) discovers a way to smuggle gold from the Bank of England to France and recruits a ring of professional criminals to help.

The Lavender Hill Mob won screenwriter T.E.B. Clarke an Oscar for best screenplay and Guinness was nominated for Best Actor. (1951).

Skirball. 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd.

Sunday Morning Yoga

Every Sunday, complimentary in-store yoga at Lululemon from 9:30 -10:30am.

Take your yoga mat – and if you don’t have one, you can borrow one for the class.

Thursdays – Run Club

If you like company when you’re running, Lululemon have a great free running club for the Brentwood community on Thursday evenings at 6:15pm. Meet at the store (11920 San Vicente Blvd.) and run around the neighborhood.

Lululemon 11920 San Vicente Blvd, T: 310 442-3563 brentwood-store@ lululemon.com

11 October, 7.30pm – Snoopy Come Home

Snoopy & Woodstock hit the road in this animated Peanuts classic. Bring out the whole family, especially the four-legged members, for this special Doggie Drive-in.

Treats & water dishes provided!

Doors at 6pm, film at 7:30PM www.santamonicapier.org/ frontporchcinema

Health & Science

Where Did The 8 Glasses Of Water Myth Come From?

The popular myth regarding to the “standard” amount of water consumption for adults per day was debunked recently.

Health researchers claim the eight-glassa-day rule is a myth behind a public push for over-hydration for monetary interest in the fluid industry. Companies like Evian and Volvic may ring a bell. Besides the benefits of water itself, “there’s no evidence that benefits health in any real way and it really represent an urban myth,” says Dr. Stanley Goldfarb about the eight glasses. In reality the myth originates from a guideline published in 1945 by the Food and nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences announcing that about 2 and a half liters of fluid should be consumed daily. No primary clinical study was cited.

The myth implies that water is the only form of hydration when in fact tea, coffee, even a baked potato (which is 75 percent water) counts towards water intake. Research today encourages drinking water when one feels thirsty rather than forcing a glass down. Chris Gayomali – theweek

Blocking Blue Light Helps Sleep

How Oregano and Use By, Sell By – Coriander Can Kill You A Confusing Mess During a recent study, 7 percent of spices were discovered to be contaminated with salmonella, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as observed by the NY Times. Salmonella was found in 15 percent of coriander, 12 percent of oregano and basil and 4 percent in black pepper. The reason is likely because the countries where the spices are exported from (India and Mexico being the biggest exporters) are exposed

to dirt and dung when left on outdoor surfaces to dry in the sun. Because of salmonella complaints in the past, farmers started boiling pepper seeds and drying them to prevent contamination. However, the cost of electricity to maintain the process is too expensive for the farmers to afford, thus some sanitary steps are skipped. Don’t abandon hope yet, as there is a solution spice lovers: cook food after seasoning it. High temperatures kill bacteria in spices just like they do meat.

An unfortunate amount of waste, about 160 billion pounds of food per year, in the U.S, is due to the misunderstanding of date labels on food sold in grocery stores. The “sell by” or “best by” stamp is mistakenly read as “discard by” by most consumers leading to unnecessary disposal. The Food Marketing Institute reports that more than 90% of Americans say they use date stamps to decide whether to discard food.

British studies estimate that $275 to $455 worth of food is wrongly scrapped per household annually.

Ted Labuza, a professor of food science at University of Minnesota admits that he has never known of data that announces illness from consuming products past their “date.”

“We need a standardized, common-sense datelabeling system that actually provides useful information to consumers, rather than the unreliable, inconsistent and piecemeal system we have today,” Emily Broad Leib, director of the Harvard clinic told the LA Times. The Freshness Disclosure Act is planned to be reintroduced in order to establish a consistent food-dating system.

Studies are not foreign to the concept that artificial light interferes with natural sleeping patterns. However, recent research has discovered that blue wavelength light is particularly disruptive to the body’s circadian rhythm. This rhythm, a 24 hour clock which dictates our daily sleep-wake cycle, is exceptionally sensitive to the light that is most commonly emitted from electronic devices. In China’s Sichuan University, Mary MacVean – latimes Keith Wagstaff – theweek studies have shown that adults who have undergone cataract surgery have significantly improved sleep. Cataract surgery is a process that involves artificial lens replacing the eye’s natural damaged Why Babies Smell Good Enough lens, including a bonus of blue-light blocking capabilities. Cataract surgery isn’t the only way to shield oneself from artificial light; there To Eat are low-tech (and less expensive) ways to improve sleep and recover Implications of cannibalistic cravings towards babies are a socially acceptable thing. “I could just eat her/him up!” is a common phrase from the negatives effects from blue wavelength light. One simple at the sighting of a newborn. For mothers, the phrase might mean way is to curb exposure from artificial light 1 to 2 hours before you sleep. Minimizing electronic use and television use is encouraged as more. In actuality the smell of a newborn triggers circuits in the brain similar to the circuits in the brain that craves food, says a new to protect your circadian rhythm. Another tip is to receive artificial light and sunlight during the day as to increase alertness rather than study. Even the same circuit that an addict feels from drugs. Not to worry, the impulse is fleeting and the response has evolved to before you go to sleep. Being aware of exposure to artificial light encourage mothers to protect their children, instead of consuming can not only improve sleep habits, but ultimately improve healthier lifestyles. Dr. Michael J. Breus – huffingtonpost them. Who’s to blame them? Aren’t babies just delicious.

Harold Maass – theweek

brentwoodfocus.com 25

Openings ELAINES BAKERY & CAFE Elaine’s Bakery and CafÊ opened its doors 24 September in Brentwood Gardens. It is a boutique neighborhood restaurant dedicated to bringing fresh, seasonal, and wholesome food offerings to Brentwood. A familyowned business, Elaine brings her passion for cooking to serving everyday items such as sandwiches, soups and salads, in a truly unique fashion. Signature dish is the Honey Chipotle Chicken Sandwich.

Brunch is served at the weekend.

11677 San Vicente Blvd., T: (310) 442-2233 7am-8pm Mon-Fri 8am-6pm on Sat-Sun www.elainesbakeryandcafe.com

26 FOCUS | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013

CAFE ROCKENWAGNER - 15 NOVEMBER

With a scheduled date in November, the restaurant at the new BW Apartments on Barrington and Wilshire, will serve coffee from Stumptown, along with an assortment of beer and wine. A bakery within the cafe will offer Rockenwagner Bakery products, including pretzel rolls, scones, danishes, breads, cheese twists and cookies, as well as convenient sandwiches and snacks to go.

3 Square Cafe and Rockenwagner Bakery corporate chef Kayson Chong will also serve as Executive Chef at Cafe Rockenwagner.

The restaurant and take-out counter will be open Sunday through Thursday from 7am to 10pm, and from 7am to 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

1168 S. Barrington Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90040

Film

Movie Guide

SCI-FI

REMAKE

A hostile alien race have attacked Earth. If not for the legendary heroics of International Fleet Commander, Mazer Rackham all would have been lost. In preparation for the next attack, the International Military are training only the best young children to find the future Mazer. Ender Wiggin, a shy, but strategically brilliant boy is pulled out of his school to join the elite. He’s trained by Mazer Rackham, himself, to lead his fellow soldiers into an epic battle that will determine the future of Earth and save the human race.

Stars: Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, Abigail Breslin. Director: Gavin Hood

17 years ago Carrie White’s mother, Margaret White, gave birth to her daughter under circumstances which can only be termed bizarre. A reimagining of the classic horror tale about Carrie White (Chloë Grace Moretz), a shy girl outcast by her peers and sheltered by her deeply religious mother (Julianne Moore), who unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom. Stars: Chloe Moretz, Julianne Moore Director: Kimberly Peirce.

Enders Game

Carrie

20 October, 7.30pm LIVE TALKS LA

An Evening with James Franco

James Franco is an actor, director, author and visual artist. His film appearances include MILK, PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, HOWL and 127 HOURS; the latter earned him an Academy Award nomination. Franco’s debut novel, Actors Anonymous, arrives in stores this month; he is also the author of A California Childhood and short story collection Palo Alto, and his writing has been published in Esquire, Vanity Fair, The Wall Street Journal and McSweeney’s. Franco’s art has been exhibited throughout the world, including at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the Museum of Contemporary Art’s PS1 in New York, the Clocktower Gallery in New York and the Peres Projects in Berlin. $20 Aero Theater, 1328 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90403 www.livetalksla.org.

DRAMA

THRILLER

The story of how a murder at Columbia University in 1944 brought together the writers Allen Ginsberg (Radcliffe), Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs and how they would spark the Beat Revolution. Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Elizabeth Olsen Director: John Krokidas.

Set in the Southwest, a respected lawyer thinks he can dip a toe into the drug business without getting sucked down. It is a bad decision and he tries his best to survive it and get out of a desperate situation.

Stars: Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem Michael Fassbender, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz Director: Ridley Scott

Kill Your Darlings

The Counselor

Turn to back page to view trailer

11 October, 12am

The Breakfast Club

They were five students with nothing in common, faced with spending a Saturday detention together in their high school library. At 7:00am, they had nothing to say, but by 4:00pm they had bared their souls to each other and become good friends. John Hughes, creator of the critically acclaimed Sixteen Candles, wrote and directed this hilarious and often touching comedy starring Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy.

To the outside world they were simply the Jock, the Brain, the Criminal, the Princess and the Kook, but to each other, they would always be The Breakfast Club.

Tickets $11 www.landmarktheatres.com

brentwoodfocus.com 27

charitybuzz.com Charitybuzz is an online auction site which allows people to do extraordinary things like meeting Paul McCartney backstage, embarking on an wildlife safari, spending the day with a former President or going behind the scenes at New York’s Fashion Week. All the while, raising money for deserving charities. Here’s our pick of the month’s auctions.

HAVE LUNCH WITH DIANE LANE IN LOS ANGELES Diane Lane made her screen debut in the 1979 film A Little Romance, starring opposite Sir Laurence Olivier. Soon after, she was featured on the cover of Time magazine and dubbed ‘the new Grace Kelly’. She has since appeared in several notable films, including the 2002 film Unfaithful, which earned her Academy Award, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.

Bids close: Wed, 9 Oct 2:00PM EDT Charity: Heifer International Current Bid: $5000 (14 bids)

ENJOY A PHOTOGRAPHY LESSON WITH RENOWNED PHOTOGRAPHER TIM STREET-PORTER IN LA One lucky photographer will enjoy a photography lesson and Los Angeles architectural tour with famed photographer Tim StreetPorter, whose photography books include LA Modern, LOS ANGELES, and The Los Angeles House!

Bids close: Thu, 10 Oct 2:32PM EDT Charity: The Art of Elysium Current Bid: $500 (1 bid)

Hanukkah Family Festival Sunday, November 24, 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

$1

Halloween Special

Celebrating the importance of gratitude and focusing on Hanukkah’s central theme of giving thanks for our freedom and all of our blessings, this year’s Hanukkah Family Festival takes inspiration from the Thanksgiving holiday. Both holidays occur on the same day this year, something that has never happened before and will not happen again for almost 80,000 years. Join the day long celebration at Skirball for this once-in-a-lifetime chance to celebrate Hanukkah and Thanksgiving together.

Families of all backgrounds welcome!

There will be performances from Bill Burnett—The Young Maccabees, Shirlala and The Golden State Klezmers as well as drop-in workshops and activities, a Gratitude Tree and plenty more.

The first 100 people to bring this ad to Sweet Crush on Halloween will get our wickedly, delicious Halloween special.

11:30am-11pm T:310 820 0607 11753 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049

28 FOCUS | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013

Admission: All ages (children must be accompanied by an adult.) $10 General; $7 Seniors and Full-Time Students; FREE to Skirball Members and Children under 12 Advanced tickets recommended.

Skirball Cultural Center 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90049 www.skirball.org

Share your own Instagrams of Brentwood with us, and we will publish a selection of them, along with your name, next month. info@brentwoodfocus.com We would love to follow you too! brentwoodfocus

brentwoodfocus brentwoodfocus.com 29

1300 Minorca Drive Pacific Palisades

www.1300minorca.com

Mary Beth Woods Coldwell Banker Previews International Estates Director Work: 310.571.1358 Cell: 310.880.2026 Email: mwoods@marybethwoods.com www.marybethwoods.com

Darby Woods Coldwell Banker Previews International Broker Associate, MBA Work: 310.463.6662 Cell: 310.463.6662 Email: dgardner@marybethwoods.com www.marybethwoods.com

Real Estate REALTOR PROFILE

Who Is Your Real Estate Agent?

Have you seen the Home Depot commercial where the couple is landscaping their front yard on their own? Didn’t that look too easy? We live in an era where blogs, Youtube videos, commercials and articles are used as guides to help us build our projects on our own, in order to save time and money. However, the avenue we use to help us with our project is just that, a guide. Although some Do It Yourself (DIY) projects can be easy, there are a number of reasons why certain projects should be left to the experts. Can you remember a time when your DIY project didn’t go as planned and you had to hire a professional to finish the job?

Mona Cohen Mona Cohen has brought her 10 plus years of experience as an Independent Broker to Rodeo Realty in Brentwood.

Her knowledge of real estate ranges from probate court, to short sales, and of course the traditional standard sale.

Mona specializes in luxury real estate from Bel Air to Brentwood and the Pacific Palisades. Raised in Brentwood, Mona’s favorite activity is going to the Brentwood Farmer’s Market on Sunday’s. One of Mona’s passions is growing and tending to the passionfruit trees in her backyard. Her philosophy in life, which she applies to her real estate practices is: Do the best. Be the Best.

Being Second is not motivating!

T: 310 466-6675 mona@monacohen.com Rodeo Realty Brentwood 11940 San Vicente # 100 Los Angeles, CA 90049 www.monacohen.com

This same idea can be taken to Do it Yourself Real Estate. If you are contemplating on selling your home on your own, consider these significant values and expertise a realtor will bring to the transaction: Pricing A real estate professional’s main objective is to price your home accurately.

A home attracts the most excitement and interest when it is first placed on the market for sale. A competitively priced home will not only get the home sold in the least amount of time but also attract highest percentage of buyers.

Marketing/Exposure Having your home listed on the internet does not necessarily mean you are getting the exposure it deserves. There are several factors involved in marketing your home and exposing the home to potential buyers: photography, staging, print advertising, efficient open house showings and even attracting international buyers. Not to mention the added value of the broker’s database and networking, to get your home even more exposure.

A skilled negotiator In today’s market, having an expert negotiator from the beginning can save you time, money and prevent the risks involved in selling your home yourself. A real estate professional can pre-qualify potential buyers, review the contract, and speak on your behalf to the escrow officer, inspector and appraiser to make sure all the paperwork is handled properly.

When selling your home there are many factors involved: your time, effort, money, and legal aspects. If you are thinking of selling your home let’s talk about how I can save you money, time and give you peace of mind throughout the process.

Please give me a call at 310-466-6675, or email me at mona@monacohen.com with any questions or comments.

32 FOCUS | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013

On this Day

OCTOBER

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

Homemade Cookies Day World Vegetarian Day

American Library Association Founded (1876)

Eleanor Roosevelt born, 1884

World Food Day

Guggenheim Museum Opens (1959)

Hillary Rodham Clinton born, 1947.

Name Your Car Day

Child Health Day

Farmer’s Day Dia de la Raza (Mexico)

San Francisco Earthquake (1989)

National Nut Day

Mother-in-Law’s Day

SOS Established in 1906

The Great Chicago Fire started (1871)

Margaret Thatcher born in 1925

Puerto Rico Became U.S. Colony In 1898.

iPod First Revealed (2001)

Bill Gates born, 1955 Plush Animal Lover’s Day

National Denim Day

Moldy Cheese Day

Columbus Day

Star Spangled Banner First Sung In 1814.

National Bologna Day United Nations Day

Stock Market Crash – 1929 (1929)

World Teacher Day

National Poetry Day (England)

National Grouch Day

Sir James Chadwick (Discoverer of the Neutron) born, 1891

Pablo Picasso Born in Spain in 1881.

John Adams born in 1735.

31

Halloween

brentwoodfocus.com 33

Download any QR code reader app to your smartphone and scan these codes, to watch videos of some of the stories in this month’s issue.

Business and Technology

REALTY MOGUL

STRETCHY TV?

ROBOT INVASION

Invest in Real Estate with as little as $5000.

Page 9

UCLA develops a stretchable, foldable transparent light emitting material. Page 23

Seriously creepy video of a robot in motion.

Page 23

ANNA CALVI

BUDDY GUY

ENDERS GAME

The British singer is in concert at UCLA in November.

Page 18

The renowned blues guitarist at The Saban in November.

Page 18

Harrison Ford returns in a spectacular sci-fi movie.

Page 27

Watch the video

Watch the video

Watch the video

Performance

Watch her live

Watch him live

Family

FOLK FESTIVAL WEEKEND A day out at the farm, pumpkins and music.

Page 22 Watch the video

HOUSE TOUR Photo gallery of an amazing Spanish hacienda in the Palisades Page 30 Watch the tour

34 FOCUS | OCTOBER?NOVEMBER 2013

Watch the trailer

UCLA Bruins Fixtures

INTERIOR DESIGN FOR ELEGANT HOMES

LITTLE CASTLE PRODUCTIONS

info@littlecastleproductions.com T: 310 694 8111 littlecastleproductions.com

LISA MANSFIELD

Realtor, NRT’s Top 1,000 Sales Associates

310.481.4313

lisa.mansfield@sothebyshomes.com www.lisamansfield.com

Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc.

BRENTWOOD BROKERAGE | 11911 SAN VICENTE BLVD SUITE 200 | LOS ANGELES | CA 90049

SELLER’S TESTIMONIAL

Top

2%

of Sales Associates Nationwide

“We have seen how you have built a rapport with the neighborhood and how effective you have been in marketing homes in the Glen and winning the trust of your clients. And now we have discovered through our own experience how talented and capable you are as a realtor.”

– Brenda and David Noyes

DID YOU KNOW…

“When you sell your home, married couples can exclude from their taxable income up to $500,000 of gain.”

Benny L. Kass, Realty Times

…CALL ME TO DISCUSS! DIRECT: 310.481.4313

LISA MANSFIELD

IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS LISA MANSFIELD REPRESENTED 10+ PROPERTIES AT OR ABOVE ASKING PRICE!

CELL: 310.993.2303 WHAT’S NEW...!

11342 Waterford St

Asking $2,348,000

*NEW LISTING!!!

11331 Homedale St.. Asking $1,149,000 *NEW LISTING!!!

11420 Chenault St.

Lease $5,950/Mo

4812 Sancola Ave.

Asking $799,000

*NEW LISTING!!! *NEW PRICE!!!

333 Bundy Dr.

11350 Homedale St. 11326 Homedale St. 2101 Hillsboro Ave. 2160 Linnington Ave 3865 S. Budlong Ave

Asking $1,549,000 In Escrow!

In Escrow!

In Escrow!

Just Leased!!!

Just Sold!!!

Contact me to hear about my upcoming listings!

– Lisa