VOL . LVIII NO. 10
MARCH 11, 2022
THE NEWSPAPER OF RECORD FOR BEVERLY HILLS
Deadline for City Candidates Arrives
IN THIS ISSUE
Cafe Istanbul Assailants Sentenced for Hate Crimes 4
BY SAMUEL BR ASLOW
BEVERLYHILLSCOURIER .COM
With Looming Bond Shortfall, Board Hears from CCAC for First Time BY SAMUEL BR ASLOW
Women of the Year in Beverly Hills 5
Pop-Up Designer Event in Beverly Hills Aids UNICEF 6
The time for electoral speculation comes to a close on March 11 at 5 p.m., when the deadline to file to appear on the 2022 ballot for Beverly Hills City Council or City Treasurer ends. As of press time, nine candidates for City Council and two for City Treasurer have officially qualified for the June 7 ballot. The period to qualify as a write-in candidate begins April 11 and ends May 24. An updated list of the final candidates will appear online at bhcourier.com. City Council candidates will be vying for three open seats currently held by Councilmembers John Mirisch, Robert
From the Pandemic to Ukraine: It’s OK Not to Feel OK
Courier Calendar 2 News 4 Community 6
BY EVA RIT VO, M.D.
Education 1 0 Birthdays 1 8 Fun & Games 1 9 Classifieds 2 1
THE WEATHER, BEVERLY HILLS
Friday
71° | 48°
Saturday
75° | 52°
Sunday
72° | 51°
Monday
75° | 54°
Tuesday
74° | 56°
Wednesday
75° | 56°
Thursday
78° | 55°
SINCE 1965
Wunderlich, and Lester Friedman, all three of whom are running for reelection. In addition to the three incumbents, the candidates include Shiva Bagheri, Akshat "A.B." Bhatia, Darian Bojeaux, Kevin Kugley, Andy Licht, Vera Markowitz, and Sharona Nazarian. Kugley, who has not previously publicized his candidacy, owns a local financial planning firm and is running on a platform of improving public safety and supporting small businesses. (Deadline continues on page 8)
Eva Ritvo, M.D. Almost exactly two years ago, I wrote about our “fight or flight response.” I explained that our brains are wired to look for danger and
that our prehistoric ancestors who survived were the ones who were best at spotting it. The first ones to see the saber tooth tiger and run were the most likely to survive. Those ancestors passed their genes on to us, and we can’t help but look for danger everywhere we go. When we spot it, our primitive “fight or flight” response kicks in. Tragically, our sympathetic nervous systems, responsible for our “fight or flight” responses, are once again in overdrive. We are consuming extremely alarming news, and our bodies are secreting high levels of cortisol. (Ukraine continues on page 11)
In 2018, amid growing criticism of its management of a $334 million bond measure meant to pay for school construction and renovations, the Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) Board of Trustees called on residents with construction and development experience to join a new advisory group. In a move meant to reassure the taxpaying public, the Board tasked the Citizen Construction Advisory Committee (CCAC) with “help[ing] the board provide accountability to the Beverly Hills community.” But more than three years later, the Board and the public had yet to hear from the committee. That was, until March 4, when the three members of the CCAC presented an update on district construction projects at a study session on offering a mostly positive take on the controversial and expensive efforts. Board members expressed frustration with the committee, saying that a group tasked with transparency had operated with anything but. (Bond Shortfall continues on page 17)
Courier Exclusive: LA County Sheriff Candidate Cecil Rhambo BY SAMUEL BR ASLOW
Even though Beverly Hills has its own police department, voters in the city will still have a say in the county’s next top lawman. In the closely watched race for Los Angeles County sheriff, Sheriff Alex Villanueva faces challenges from six other individuals with law enforcement backgrounds, including LAX Police Chief Cecil Rhambo. (Cecil Rhambo continues on page 14)
