VOL . LVII NO. 46
NOVEMBER 12, 2021
IN THIS ISSUE
BritWeek Coming to Beverly Hills 4
THE NEWSPAPER OF RECORD FOR BEVERLY HILLS
BEVERLYHILLSCOURIER .COM
After a Dark Year, Beverly Hills Welcomes Back Holiday Lights BY SAMUEL BR ASLOW
Beverly Hills Residents Split Over City Bike Lane Goals 5
On Nov. 18, Beverly Hills will say let there be light, marking the return of the annual Rodeo Drive Holiday Lighting Celebration after its COVID-19 hiatus last year. From 5 to 8 p.m., a three-block stretch of Rodeo Drive will transform into an outdoor performance space, featuring singing, dancing, and acrobatics. The night will culminate in
an address by Mayor Robert Wunderlich followed by a fireworks display. “It's been 18 months of this pandemic. We all truly feel that the community is ready to celebrate safely,” Kathy Gohari, President of the Rodeo Drive Committee, told the Courier. “Between everything that we've all gone through, it just makes us appreciate
spending time together as a community.” The plans are a collaborative effort of the Rodeo Drive Committee and the City of Beverly Hills as a part of the city’s Beverly Hills Open Later Days (BOLD) initiative. (Holiday Lights continues on page 3)
Iconic Avedon Prints on Display in Beverly Hills 6
Rodeo Drive will become home to a cast of whimsical characters and bright lights for the Holidays. Photo by Samuel Braslow
Gabriel Halimi Appointed to BHUSD Board of Trustees
Courier Calendar 2 News 4 Community 6 Birthdays 1 2
BY BIANCA HEY WARD
Fun & Games 14
In a unanimous vote at its Nov. 9 Special Meeting, the Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) Board of Education approved Gabriel Halimi as its provisional appointee until November of 2022. Halimi will fill the vacant seat previously occupied by Tristen Walker-Shuman, former Board of Trustees Vice President. Walker-Shuman resigned from her seat on Sept. 22 after weeks of controversy surrounding her residency status. (BHUSD Board continues on page 10)
Classifieds 17 THE WEATHER, BEVERLY HILLS
Friday
86° | 61°
Saturday
83° | 59°
Sunday
81° | 58°
Monday
77° | 55°
Tuesday
67° | 53°
Wednesday
64° | 52°
Thursday
64° | 51°
Open Letter Calls for Limit to PACs BY SAMUEL BR ASLOW
An open letter, sent to the 2022 Beverly Hills City Council candidates and the Courier, is calling for office-seeking candidates in Beverly Hills to “actively discourage the establishment and support” of Political Action Committees (PACs) in the upcoming City Council election. With the June 2022 election less than a year away, the letter seeks to limit the role of PACs, which do not abide by the city’s limits on campaign spending and contributions. (PACs continues on page 15)
Gabriel Halimi
WORLD KINDNESS DAY Let’s Make Every Day a Kindness Day
November 13
SINCE 1965