Next Friday: Results From The Courier’s Editorial Board Interviews
BEVERLY HILLS VOLUME XXXXVIII NUMBER 6 $135 PER YEAR - $1.25 PER COPY •
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February 8, 2013
City Of Beverly Hills Short $106 Million For Pensions Mayor Willie Brien’s “Surplus” Fake; Debt Jumps $23 Million Since 2009
El Rodeo students spend this week harvesting in the school garden. 4
The City of Beverly Hills today is short $106 million to cover its existing pension obligations to its former employees. The shortfall ballooned from $83 million in 2009 while current Mayor Willie Brien has served on the city council. The amount has grown
largely as a result of excessive pension commitments and reduced earnings by the California Public Employee Retirement System (“CalPERS”). Beverly Hills looks to CalPERS to pay pensions from contributions by the City and portfolio earnings.
Sources inside City Hall confirmed the new amounts to The Courier. Previous shortfalls were reported by City Treasurer Eliot Finkel. Finkel has warned consistently that the City’s pension obligations are “unsustain(see ‘PENSIONS,’ page 18)
Metro La Cienega Facts Beverly Hills High ASB gets ready for Spring. 5
BHUSD staff read to El Rodeo students during “Bedtime Stories.”
Joan Rivers reviews Broadway’s The Other Place. •Health & Wellness •Dr. Fran Walfish •Birthdays
George Christy, Page 6
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Announcements Real Estate Rentals Sales and More
City Council in next month’s election. During the 1.5-hour forum, moderated by Teen BHEF President Anton Saleh, candidates Mayor (see ‘TEEN BHEF,’ page 10)
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By John L. Seitz Today marks the debut in The Courier of a regular weekly column of Dr. Fran Walfish, the Brighton Way-
Beverly Hills City Council candidates will meet with The Courier’s editorial board starting tonight and through next week. The Courier’s editors and a representative of Beverly Hills High School student government will question candidates and report their responses. Five of the six candidates
Courier Photo by Laura Coleman
23rd ‘Night Of 100 Stars’ Set For Beverly Hills Hotel On Feb. 24 By John L. Seitz As ABC’s late night host Jimmy Kimmel once put it:, “The ‘Night of 100 Stars’ has the most beautiful girls of all.” What he was referring to will once again occur for the 23rd straight time on Sunday, Feb. 24, in the Crystal Ballroom of The Beverly Hills Hotel.
Dr. Fran Walfish Column Debuts In The Courier based child ,couples and family psychotherapist. Recognized as one of the nation’s leading practitioners (see ‘DR. FRAN,’ page 11)
Courier Editorial Board Set
CHINESE NEW YEAR— 14 Beverly Hills 15 c e l e b r a t e d 20 Chinese New Year last Friday night Canon Drive.Pictured right: Beijing Haidian Minzhu Primary School Dance Team of Beijing. 8
Editorial from Rabbi Pressman AND MORE
CLASSIFIEDS
Teen BHEF Hosts Beverly Hills City Council Candidate Forum By Laura Coleman The Beverly Hills Education Foundation’s Teen Candidates’ Forum on Wednesday brought over 100 eligible and imminent high school voters face-to-face with five of the six candidates running for
In Her 20s, Megan Ellison is a Major Presence In Hollywood, Producing Zero Dark Thirty and The Master . Megan is the Daughter of Third Richest American Larry Ellison ($41 billion).
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ACADEMIC CHAMPIONS—Beverly Hills High School’s Academic Decathlon Students bested 47 other L.A. County schools this past weekend on the “Super Quiz” portion of the competition. Pictured above (L-R): Heidi Hart, Victor Lee, Annette Chang, Hal Smith, Joye Yang, David Mnitsa, Laurie Wang, Adina Babaian, and Jenny Chieu. See page 4 for the full story. Courier Photo by Laura Coleman
The “Night of 100 Stars,” hosted by veteran music agent /producer Norby Walters, is a black tie viewing gala for celebrities not attending that night’s Academy Awards. According to Edward Lozzi, the event’s media coordinator, more than 50 former Oscar win(see ‘100 STARS,’ page 12)
SWINGIN’ AND SWAYIN’ – Jane Seymour chose a pretty pink frock to attend the Art Director’s Guild Awards for excellence in production design at The Beverly Hilton. Jane began painting during the 1990s, prompted by a period of personal challenge with her art becoming the expression of a very private healing process. She exhibits her paintings, watercolors and limited edition prints in numerous galleries. For more photos, see George Christy’s column on page 6.
have accepted invitations to appear. Those candidates who have confirmed their appearance are: Mayor Willie Brien, Vice Mayor John Mirisch, former Mayor Nancy Krasne, Planning Commission Vice Chair Brian Rosenstein and Beverly Hills resident Katherine Cohan.
Scott Downie/Celebrity Photo
New Beverly Hills Children’s Library set for Sunday grand opening. 5
“... We’re going to move this forward, this is going to be a great line to the Westside...” -- Beverly Hills Mayor Willie Brien congratulating Metro at the groundbreaking for the subway leg from Western Avenue to La Cienega Boulevard, with L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, . (Video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7dLJAr7OBc), Nov. 13, 2012. Editor’s Note Metro’s “The Source” and some others locally who are partisans of Metro dispute facts alleged by The Courier. The following are all taken directly from Metro’s documents filed with the Federal Transportation Administration: •Wilshire/La Brea to Wilshire La Cienega: Construction time 2014 – 2023 = nine years. •Wilshire/La Cienega to Century City via Rodeo Drive: Construction time 2017 – 2026 = 9 years. For more see METRO, Page 18