Happy Memorial Day To All Current And Former Military Personnel
BEVERLY HILLS VOLUME XXXXVIIII NUMBER 21 $135 PER YEAR - $1.25 PER COPY •
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THIS ISSUE
NBA superstar Kevin Durant visited Beverly Hills last week. 5
Rabbi Baron honored for Jewish American Heritage month. 5
Joyce Rey and Stacy Gottula sit down with The Courier. 14
George Christy, Page 6 A Tradition In Its 15th Year, Media Mogul Charles Finch Hosted An Evening Honoring The Late Sir James Goldsmith Who Once Reflected, “When A Man Marries His Mistress, He Creates A Vacancy” Editorial from Rabbi Pressman AND MORE
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Announcements Real Estate Rentals Sales and More
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By Victoria Talbot & Matt Lopez The City Council majority happily rolled over on proposed Memorandums of Un-
AWARD WINNERS–The 40th Annual artSHOW celebrated their “ruby” anniversary with ruby-themed art Saturday and Sunday. First place winners & mayor’s purchase award recipient posed with Mayor Lili Bosse in front of the Lily Pond. Top row (from left): Nobe Babayan, Taman Vanscoy, Daniel Freund, Anita Bell, Paul Farmer, and Evan Chambers; Second row (from left): Lika Brutyan, Robin Raznick, Stephen Rowe, Bosse, Rene Porter, and Elaine Hyde.
Zero Tolerance Stance Taken After Loma Vista Accidents By Victoria Talbot The Beverly Hills City Council held a special Traffic and Safety session Tuesday prior to the City Council study session to address issues concerning the second fatal crash to take the life of an LAPD officer on Loma Vista Drive in
Trousdale. Three heavy truck accidents have occurred this year on the same stretch of the 900 block of Loma Vista. One included a cement mixer that struck five parked cars and severely injured the (see ‘LOMA VISTA,’ page 30)
derstanding (MOUs) that would grant City staff a 10-percent pay increase for fiscal year 2014-15 if approved. (see ‘PAY INCREASE,’ page 30)
GARDEN PARTY— (From left): Robinson Gardens tour chair Adrienne Horwitch, floral designer Brad Austin, Beth Dewoody and Grand Marshall Hutton Wilkinson repose at the annual garden affair. See page 4 for the full story.
Funding Approved For CVB, Rodeo Drive Committee By Victoria Talbot The Beverly Hills City Council unanimously approved funding for the Conference and Visitors Bureau (CVB) in the amount of $5.167 mil-
lion for fiscal year 2014-15, representing an 11 percent increase from the FY 2013-14 budget. The increase will primarily (see ‘CVB FUNDING,’ page 30)
Part II Of The Courier’s Election Editorial Board Interviews McDonnell, Tanaka, Hellmold Among L.A. Sheriff Candidates
33RD DISTRICT CONGRESS— Another round of candidates for the 33rd District Congressional Race visited The Courier this week to discuss their political platforms with The Courier’s editorial board. Pictured clockwise, from left: Matt Miller, David Kanuth and Marianne Williamson with Courier publisher Marcia Wilson Hobbs.
Matt Miller, Marianne Williamson, David Kanuth Talk Congress Race By Matt Lopez Three more candidates for the 33rd District Congressional Race visited The Courier last week to meet with The Courier’s Editorial Board consisting of Courier Publisher Marcia Wilson Hobbs, former Publisher Clif Smith, Senior Editor John L. Seitz, International Digital Editor Laura Coleman and Staff Writer Matt Lopez. Matt Miller brings a wide array of experience to the table, both as host of KCRW radio’s political show Left, Right & Center, as well
as with his time served as Senior Advisor in the White House Office of Management and Budget under President Bill Clinton. Miller says he wants to get a handle on rising healthcare costs that are “getting out of control... we pay twice per person as every other advanced nation on earth.” Miller also said another major issue that he hopes to tackle is education. He wants to “elevate the teaching profession. I want to (see ‘CONGRESS,’ page 30)
By Matt Lopez The race to become the next L.A. Sheriff is heating up and three of the leading candidates visited Beverly Hills last week to meet with The Courier’s Editorial Board consisting of Publisher Marcia Wilson Hobbs, former Publisher Clif Smith, Senior Editor John L. Seitz, International Digital Editor Laura Coleman and Staff Writer Matt Lopez. Long Beach Police Chief Jim McDonnell says he brings an “outsiders” perspective to the Sheriff’s Department that is sorely needed. Before joining Long Beach in 2010, McDonnell worked for the LAPD since 1981. He served on the Citizens' Commission on Jail Vio-
Steve Cohn
Charlie is a 3-year-old Boxer/Shar-Pei mix who needs a home. 4
May 23, 2014
Beverly Hills City Employees To Get Big Pay Increase
Part 2 of The Courier’s Election Endorsements Page 31
Mayor Lili Bosse named last Friday Franny Rennie Day. 4
SINCE 1965
lence and says he is running because he saw a need for change in the Sheriff’s department after hearing about the “repeated stories of brutality, favoritism and pay to play within the department.” McDonnell called for an end to the 6-to-7 years that new deputies must spend in the jail system before being put on patrol. On his position as an “outsider” to the department, McDonnell said, “When an organization is troubled, a fortune 500 company for example, they don’t reach out to someone from within. They go to another organization and find someone who has been (see ‘SHERIFF,’ page 30)
RAPTUROUS —L.A. Times’ music critic Mark Swed praises L.A. Opera’s produciton of A Street-car Named Desire with its fluid orchestral score by Andre Previn conducted by Evan Rogister. Renee Fleming stars as Blanche DuBois and Ryan McKinny is Stanley Kowalski. This Saturday is the final performance at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. For more photos, see George Christy’s column on page 6.