VOL . LVII NO. 26
JUNE 25, 2021
IN THIS ISSUE
Jeanie Buss Honored at Rotary Club of Beverly Hills 6
THE NEWSPAPER OF RECORD FOR BEVERLY HILLS
BEVERLYHILLSCOURIER .COM
Beverly Hills Celebrates Father’s Day with Tour d’Elegance Car Show BY JACOB GURVIS
Beverly Hills Tour d’Elegance Brings Smiles Along the Route 7
The sight of Jay Leno, Caitlyn Jenner, and Beverly Hills Mayor Robert Wunderlich cruising through downtown Beverly Hills on Father’s Day, names affixed to their luxury cars, could only mean one thing: the city is back. Canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, the popular Concours d’Elegance
transformed into Tour d’Elegance this year, a moving rally that featured approximately 50 cars. The event benefited the Beverly Hills Police Officers Association and the Beverly Hills Firefighters’ Association. Earlier this year, the city had agreed to waive an
estimated $13,254 in fees and permits and to cover marketing and advertising costs for the parade. (Tour d’Elegance continues on page 9) Related story on page 7
LVMH Reopens a Parisian Landmark 1 0
Entertainer Jay Leno and organizer Bruce Meyer joined city officials at the Tour d'Elegance. Photo by Jacob Gurvis Courier Calendar 2
Beverly Hills Police Arrest Two Suspects for EDD Fraud
News 4 Community 6 Travel 1 0
BY SAMUEL BR ASLOW
Birthdays 1 2 Fun & Games 14 Classifieds 17
THE WEATHER, BEVERLY HILLS
Friday
75° | 61°
Saturday
77° | 63°
Sunday
78° | 65°
Monday
79° | 65°
Tuesday
80° | 65°
Wednesday
78° | 65°
Thursday
78° | 65°
SINCE 1965
The Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD) arrested two men suspected of committing unemployment fraud and identity theft on June 18. The arrests come nearly a year since the department announced dozens of arrests for alleged unemployment fraud and, more recently, since state officials acknowledged lapses in preventing fraud. The suspects are Jaevon Hamilton, 23, and Ramanze Timothy Robinson, 20, both of whom have addresses in Chicago. They are both out on $250,000 bail. Friday rush hour traffic through the Business Triangle was more congested than usual around 6 p.m. when a car parked itself in a red zone on Rodeo Drive and blocked traffic. Officers with the BHPD took notice and made contact with the occupants. “The occupants became angry and hostile towards
officers,” Acting Captain Max Subin told the Courier. The officers called for backup. With multiple squad cars on Rodeo Drive, officers detained the suspects and conducted a search. Subin said that the “field investigation” yielded several fraudulent unemployment insurance cards, “a large amount of U.S. currency, and several bags of recently purchased merchandise.” In the latest economic downturn precipitated by the pandemic, California saw an unprecedented surge in unemployment claims. Between March 2020 and Jan. 16, 2021, the state processed 19.5 million claims, according to the Employment Development Department (EDD). (EDD Fraud continues on page 13)
BHUSD is Ready to Rebound BY BIANCA HEY WARD
One week into summer break, Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) Superintendent Dr. Michael Bregy spoke to the Courier about masking requirements for next year, varying dips in enrollment, the future of the Independent Learning Center (ILC), and student vaccination rates as he prepares for a full district-wide reopening in August. Last spring, when Beverly Hills High School (BHHS) opened for hybrid learning, about 65 percent of students opted to remain virtual, zooming into their classrooms. (BHUSD continues on page 3)