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BEVERLY HILLS VOLUME: LI
NUMBER 25
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www.bhcourier.com
SINCE 1965
June 17, 2016
Proposed Hillside Ordinance Designed To Protect Residents
Does Mirisch Want Residents To Pay For His Fight Against Hilton Initiative?
THIS ISSUE
This week, the Courier debuts the inaugural issue of the new quarterly lifestyle supplement, Beverly Hills Style. The Summer 2016 edition of Beverly Hills Style features the 2016 Rodeo Drive Concours d’Elegance. Additionally, Beverly Hills Style includes expert tips on fashion, entertaining, beauty, fitness and dining. 15-50 • Fashion • Arts & Entertainment • Letters to the Editor
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George Christy, Page 6 A Devout Cinema Historian, Mark A. Viera, Has Published Into The Dark With 82 Selections Of Film Noir Classics Complete With Compelling Photographs And Gossip
CLASSIFIEDS • Announcements • Real Estate • Rentals • Sales • and More
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By Laura Coleman For months now, Beverly Hills Mayor John Mirisch has been vocal in his opposition to the Beverly Hilton’s “Garden & Open Space Initiative.” Early last month, even before the 7,000-plus signatures that were collected to get the initiative on the ballot had been certified by L.A. County, the Courier asked Mirisch directly if the City was eyeing holding an election outside the normal protocol. Mirisch replied that at the moment he was ill-versed on just what was allowable given the number of signatures that the petition had collected. “I’m not sure what election code allows,” Mirisch said.
He is soon to be informed, along with the rest of the City Council on Tuesday, when the item comes up for discussion in open session, confirmed City Clerk Byron Pope. “We are still working on all of the cost estimates, and will have them for the staff report on Friday,” Pope wrote the Courier via email. Vice Mayor Nancy Krasne said that for the life of her, she can’t understand why anyone would even consider costing the City a dime by holding a “special election” in addition to what is already scheduled to take place on Nov. 8. “I do not want to waste taxpayer money for any kind of (see ‘HILTON INITIATIVE’ page 8)
Longtime Community Leader Donna Goldstein Dies At 99 By Matt Lopez For Donna Goldstein, there was never a volunteer job too big, or small, for her to tackle in Beverly Hills. It is that legacy that Goldstein, a beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, philanthropist and community leader leaves behind after her death Wednesday at 99, just four months shy of her 100th birthday. Although her roots were in Wisconsin, Goldstein perhaps made her largest impact in Beverly Hills, where she served for years as a loyal volunteer, working on several City cam-
Donna Goldstein
paigns and in more recent years, as part of the Beverly Hills Active Adult Club. Goldstein had a deep love affair with the Roxbury Park (see ‘DONNA GOLDSTEIN’ page 8)
Beverly Hills Police Remove Workers From Parcels 12 & 13 Tuesday By Victoria Talbot City staffers passing by Parcels 12 & 13 Tuesday, noticed workers on the property and reported the activity to the City’s Code Enforcement, said City Manager Mahdi Aluzri. Given the very public history of the parcels, heavily contaminated with arsenic and placed under the authority of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), City code officials checked with the DTSC to confirm that the activity was authorized.
Celebrity Photo Agency/Scott Downie
SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER SEASON – Summertime means hot weather, friends, family, fun and blockbuster movies. Both Finding Dory and Central Intelligence enjoyed star-studded Hollywood openings this week. For photos, see page 44. Photos by Scott Downie
By Victoria Talbot A letter written by local attorney Murray Fischer, apparently aimed at raising alarm among realtors and developers in Beverly Hills about a proposed Hillside Ordinance, was surprisingly inaccurate and misleading, according to City Planning Commissioners. Fischer refused to share the letter with the Courier, claiming confidentiality though it was sent to scores of people. WHAT NOT TO DO – The proposed ordinance The proposed would limit terracing to inflate pad size. Hillside Ordinance proposed Hillside will be before the Planning the Commission at a special meet- Ordinance, which is designed ing to be held June 30 at 7 p.m. to protect Hillside residents (see ‘HILLSIDE ORDINANCE’ page 9) These are the facts about
The DTSC reported that there was no authorization for activity on that property. Workers were seen with shovels and other equipment that presumably would disturb the contaminated soil. The DTSC has clearly stated that any work to be done on the property must be first authorized by that agency. Any work that disturbs the soil must be conducted by HAZWOPER trained workers. The City responded with police and code enforcement, (see ‘PARCELS 12 & 13’ page 8)
THE ANNUAL EVENT — Blythe Danner and Maria Bello joined Cate Blanchett, Claire Danes, Greer Grammer, Lake Bell, Natalie Dormer, Rosanna Arquet, Taraji P. Henson, Shari Belafonte during the Women In Film 2016 Crystal + Lucy Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel. For more photos, see George Christy’s column on page 6.