BHCourier E-edition 010617

Page 1

Santa Monica Boulevard Reconstruction Begins! Plan Accordingly

BEVERLY HILLS VOLUME: LII

NUMBER 1

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SINCE 1965

January 6, 2017

BHPD Capt. Rosen Subject Of New Workplace Harassment Complaint

LAS MADRINAS — Las Madrinas honored 31 families and their daughters for service to the Southern California community and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles at the Las Madrinas Debutante Ball in The Beverly Hilton. More than 850 guests including the 32 debutantes, their families and friends, gathered to celebrate with the members of Las Madrinas. Back row, (from left): Grace Alexandra Palmer, Daily Elizabeth Hartmeier, Erin Corinne McCloskey, Charlotte Grace Watkins, Caroline Katsuko Chapus, Elizabeth Catherine Nolan, Anna Elizabeth Graves, Ashley Breony Roski Amendola, Audrey Ann Brittingham McDermott and Mary Babbitt Flanagan. Middle row, seated: Sarah Grace McRoskey, Hannah Ryen Bowlin and Lydia Grace McMahon. Second row, from left: Hilary Butler, Payton LeAnn White, Athena Alexandra Ranger, Genevieve Rose Worthe, Chloe Elizabeth Nelson, Sarah Ann Johnson, Madeleine Stewart Heldman, Olivia Anne Miller, Katharine Docker Pinney, Mary Elena Harding. Front row, (from left): Elizabeth Bayley Malloy, Emily Easterbrook Kolsky, Perry Montgomery Hotchkis, Mary Shea Holt, Christian Heyler Luhnow, Mia Stuart Maloney, Ella B Grossman, Elizabeth Anne Glenn, and Julia Tweed Pinney. Photo by Balfour-Boswell Photography

Beverly Hills police made an unusual arrest on New Year’s Day. 4

Before its Rose Bowl win, USC visited Beverly Hills for the annual Beef Bowl. 5 • Real Estate 8 • Arts & Entertainment 15 • Birthdays 18

Santa Monica Boulevard Reconstruction Begins Jan. 11 By Victoria Talbot The North Santa Monica Boulevard (SMB) reconstruction project is finally set to begin Jan. 11 on the western side of the City. The project will take 18 months to conclude, including the rebuilding of the roadway between Doheny Drive and Wilshire Boulevard to replace the centuryold drainage and install fiber-optic cable and new street lighting. The project will be built in east and west segments with four phases for each segment designed to minimize traffic disruption and maximize business access. Throughout most of the project four lanes of traffic will remain

open as work is conducted in the curb lane and sidewalk areas. However, about one-third of the project will be while the roadway is removed and replaced, during which two or three lanes will remain open. During those times, traffic will detour onto South Santa Monica Boulevard and the traffic will be available for southbound traffic. Street parking along South Santa Monica Boulevard between Beverly Drive and Wilshire Boulevard will be temporarily removed. South Santa Monica Boulevard will be reconfigured to (see ‘SANTA MONICA’ page 16)

School Board To Issue Final Set Of Measure E Bonds George Christy, Page 6 How And Why Mary Frances Reynolds Became Debbie, And Erin O’Connor’s Book For The Newcomer Little Leaguers Is A Winner

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By Laura Coleman The Board of Education is poised to adopt a resolution to issue its final set of Measure E bonds, in the amount of $141 million, at its upcoming formal meeting on Tuesday. The money will be used to continue renovating Beverly Hills High School and El Rodeo school. The school district estimates that it requires an additional $260 million to fully renovate all five schools. A bond for that amount, Measure Y, narrowly missed the

two-thirds vote needed to pass in last November’s election. “I am so pleased that the district is moving in the right direction by selling bonds to continue the construction at our various school sites,” said board VP Lisa Korbatov. “I know that Measure Y was hugely supported by more than 64 percent of our constituents, and sadly didn’t meet the two-thirds threshold. It is my fervent hope that we put up another bond in June 2018 and finish the modernization of our (see ‘SCHOOL BOND’ page 16)

School District was scrambling for school security after abruptly losing its contract with EBI (Evidence Based Inc.). On Aug. 5, 2014, Rosen told the City Council that BHPD was unable to provide security for the schools because of budget cuts. He advocated the district hire EBI, citing the number of former BHPD officers working for the company. Then in November 2014, EBI abruptly withdrew services when the district failed to make a scheduled payment on time, according to EBI founder John McLaughlin, forcing the firm into bankruptcy. (see ‘ROSEN’ page 27)

City Council To Review 332336 North Oakhurst Project By Victoria Talbot Plans for a four-story condominium development located partially in Beverly Hills and partially in Los Angeles, slated to replace a three-story 1930s apartment building in a potential historic district, will be on the City Council agenda Tuesday, facing a groundswell of grassroots opposition from local residents. Concerned Citizens of Beverly Hills and Beverly Grove have created a website with a petition at www.preserveoakhurst.org in protest of the proposed development, with the hopes of preserving the historic neighborhood of early Beverly Hills. The historic preservation of the district has

Celebrity Photo Agency/Scott Downie

THIS ISSUE

By Victoria Talbot Beverly Hills Police Captain Mark Rosen is the subject of a workplace harassment complaint that claims abusive conduct, retaliation, intimidation, sexual harassment and “quid pro quo,” meaning the officer was advised that if he voiced his opinion there would be negative consequences. The complaint, filed Wednesday with the City, has also been filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission by Field Training Officer (FTO) Andrew Myers regarding events that occurred in the department from Feb. to Dec. 2015. At the time, the Beverly Hills Unified

the support of the Los Angeles Conservancy. The project first drew attention when the group filed a Writ of Mandate challenging the approval by the City of Los Angeles that would have resulted in the demolition of the structure that fronts in Beverly Hills. Opposition to the project came on many fronts, including the eviction of long-time, at-risk residents on fixed incomes and height and density issues that vary from Beverly Hills to Los Angeles. Perhaps the most significant issue is the preservation of the neighborhood’s special character. (see ‘OAKHURST’ page 19)

GETTING TO KNOW YOU — Sistine Stallone, 18, Scarlet Stallone, 14 and Sophia Stallone, 20, are this year’s Golden Globe girls for the 74th Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton. A coup for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. For more photos, see George Christy’s column on page 6.


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