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‘MAMMA MIA!’ Theater Company East West Players Puts an Asian-American Spin on the ABBA Jukebox Musical

MAY 13, 2019 I VOL. 48 I #19

See Page 11

Even More Arts District Housing Page 7

A Skid Row Cop’s Memoir

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AROUND TOWN

Voting Begins for the Best of Downtown

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t seems that everyone is eager to talk about his or her favorite things in Downtown, whether it’s a place to eat, drink or shop. Los Angeles Downtown News wants to hear those opinions. Really! On Monday, May 13, we’re opening the voting period for the 31st annual Best of Downtown issue. The balloting is free, easy and completely online, and people who go to VoteBestOf.com can detail their preferences in scores of categories, from Best Gelato to Best Wine Bar to Best Supermarket to Best Yoga Studio and beyond. Voting will continue through June 6. So sign up and support your favorite local restaurants, shops, entertainment venues and businesses. Please, no ballot stuffing — we have ways to tell, and fishy ballots will be disqualified. The Best of Downtown will publish on July 22.

Holy Spokes! Blessing of the Bikes Is Back or decades, Angelenos have taken their pets to Olvera Street on the day be-

fore Easter for the Blessing of the Animals.

But there’s another annual Downtown tradition with a similar theme — in this case, for two-wheelers. The Blessing of the Bicycles, hosted and organized by Good Samaritan Hospital in City West and in partnership with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, returns on Tuesday, May 14.

The event starts at 8 a.m. at the hospital at 616 Witmer St., and clergy from different faiths will offer prayers and bless cyclists, with the overall aim of promoting safe biking. There will also be a moment of silence for cyclists who died in accidents in the past year. The event, which started in 2004, is part of Bike Month, an effort to encourage people to use the two-wheeled transit option. More information is at blessingofthebicycles.org.

MOCA Bolsters Curatorial Ranks

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ast summer, the Museum of Contemporary Art announced that Klaus Biesenbach would replace Philippe Verge as director, following the latter’s bumpy tenure, which included the departure of respected Chief Curator Helen Molesworth.

Now Biesenbach has bolstered the curatorial ranks and unveiled his initial lineup of exhibitions. On Wednesday, May 8, MOCA announced that Mia Locks has been appointed Senior Curator and Head of New Initiatives. Locks most recently was an independent curator in New York and co-curated

MAY 13, 2019

the 2017 Whitney Biennial. Her resume includes stints at MoMA PS1 and MOCA. In a prepared statement, Biesenbach said, “Mia will help us to lead efforts to support the issues that artists care about most. For example, museums have to address pressing issues of equity and inclusion, and climate and ecology, among others. I know Mia will help bring attention to these issues and support MOCA in being a responsible citizen among citizens.” Biesenbach also promoted curators Amanda Hunt, to the dual posts of Director of Education and Senior Curator of Programs, and Bennett Simpson, to the slots of Senior Curator and Administrative Department Head. Additionally, the museum unveiled a slate of shows at its Grand Avenue and Little Tokyo locations, starting this October with the survey With Pleasure: Pattern and Decoration in American Art 1972-1985. There will also be exhibits for painter Jennifer Packer, Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist and a retrospective of Los Angeles artist Henry Taylor.

Fitness Fest at FIGat7th

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he shopping complex FIGat7th has a number of stores and restaurants. This week, the Financial District destination will also be a place where people can get healthier. A collection of fitness trainers are setting up shop at the outdoor mall on Saturday, May 18, for a celebration of fitness and healthy living. FITatFIG, taking place from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., will feature two guided group workouts (boxing and yoga) from fitness gu-

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rus such as Amy Rosoff Davis and yogi Marco Antonio. There will also be a wellness village where attendees can learn about healthy products, massages and cosmetics.

The event is organized through a partnership between FIGat7th and Luminhero, an organizer of pop-up fitness events. Admission is free, but a $60 VIP package includes samples of some of the participating wellness brands. More information is available at figat7th.com/events.

Annual Homewalk Fundraiser Returns

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owntowners have the opportunity this week to work up a sweat for a good cause with the return of the annual HomeWalk 5K Run/Walk. Organizers of the event on Saturday, May 18, hope to raise $1.5 million to address homelessness in the region. People can participate as either an individual or part of a team.

The route starts at Grand Park and on-site registration begins at 6:30 a.m. before an opening ceremony at 8 a.m. The start time for runners is 8:45 a.m. and walkers begin 15 minutes later. The route loops through Downtown before returning to Grand Park.

The United Way of Greater Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Rams are hosting the event, and head coach Sean McVay and players Aaron Donald, Andrew Whitworth and Johnny Hekker are scheduled to attend. Information and registration is at homewalkla.org.

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EDITORIALS

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MAY 13, 2019

TAKE MY PICTURE GARY LEONARD

A Downtown Garbage Disaster

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ere is something everyone in Downtown Los Angeles can agree on: The garbage on the streets in some neighborhoods is out of control.

Downtown is facing a severe refuse problem, much of it the result of people who toss various kinds of garbage onto sidewalks or in gutters, rather than take it to bins or dumpsters. This isn’t the occasional candy wrapper dropped on the sidewalk or an overflowing garbage can, but rather intentional, and illegal, dumping.

This is offensive, disgusting and violates what should be basic social mores. It is also an extreme health hazard. Remember the recent typhus outbreak?

The situation demands immediate and ongoing attention.

This does not mean a study of where the garbage is or why it is not being disposed of properly. This does not mean a task force that will report back in 60 days with “best practices” suggestions. This does not mean empty promises and Tweets from concerned leaders.

There are laws on the books about this. They need to be enforced, and Mayor Eric Garcetti and Downtown Councilman José Huizar should lead the way. This means attention and a plan of attack from the Bureau of Sanitation. The bureau may already have an action plan, but could be stymied by budget or resource constraints. If that’s the case, the elected officials should flex their muscles.

Those studies and 60-day reports? Sure, order them, but do that in concert with focused attention on cleaning the streets.

Los Angeles Downtown News last week reported on the situation and how numerous community leaders say garbage has proliferated since the launch of the RecycLA program in 2017. For those who have forgotten, this was the city effort to reconfigure garbage hauling in commercial buildings and housing complexes. Whereas property owners previously could hire a garbage hauler of their choice, RecycLA divided the city into 11 zones and an exclusive trash hauler was selected for each. The rollout was notoriously bumpy.

The chosen company is supposed to execute a trash-hauling contract with each building owner in its territory. But people who run the cleaning teams of local business improvement districts say the amount of garbage they pick up has spiked since RecycLA began. The Downtown News story reported that whereas Fashion District teams hauled 7.5 tons of garbage a day two years ago, now they pick up 14 tons a day. Other BID leaders reported similar spikes.

What happened? There are multiple factors, including refuse from tent encampments. The real question, though, is, in how many instances have property owners and the chosen hauler not signed a contract, with the result that the owner or building tenants are dumping their garbage with impunity, knowing that someone will take it away. Too often BIDs must pick up the slack. That’s not right.

There is probably blame to share here, but results are what matter.

Fair contracts must be signed. The haulers must do their job. City leaders must crack down on illegal dumping. The onus can’t be on the BIDs. Downtown is dealing with a garbage disaster. The situation must be treated as such.

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COMMENTS

Regarding the article “Eight Decades of Transit, One Big Party,” about Union Station’s 80th birthday celebration, by Nicholas Slayton Thanks for the nifty article on the celebration at Union Station. I am a Downtown resident who also just had an 80th birthday. I was born in Los Angeles, and attended the grand opening of the station in 1939. Alas, I do not remember it, having been only 6-months old, but was told that I enjoyed it more than my 3-year-old sister, who was terrified by the hissing steam engines. I was thrilled to be there for part of the birthday celebration.

—Virginia Elwood-Akers Regarding the article “Key Approval for Aerial Tram,” about the proposed funicular connecting Dodger Stadium and Union Station I’m hoping the implementation of this additional mode of travel will noticeably reduce surface traffic congestion near the stadium. But, even at the projected 5,000 people per hour, it would take over 11 hours to empty a capacity crowd solely via the tram. Fans singing the old song may have to stand by their declaration: “Take me out to the ballgame… I don’t care if I ever get back.”

—Circus Szalewski EDITOR: Jon Regardie STAFF WRITERS: Nicholas Slayton, Sean P. Thomas CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Tom Fassbender, Jeff Favre

S I N C E 19 7 2 Los Angeles Downtown News 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-533-6990 web: DowntownNews.com • email: realpeople@downtownnews.com

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Regarding the article “Continental Building to Become a Hotel,” by Nicholas Slayton It’s a beautiful building. I met a young couple who live there now while I was walking my dogs. They had just gotten their three-month notice and don’t know where they are going to move.

—Kendrick Rustad Regarding the article “Traxx in Union Station Closes,”

by Jon Regardie I’m so sad (and mildly shocked) to hear of the closing! I definitely made some memories at Traxx, often in vintage clothing, and it was the only disappointment of my train trip a few weeks ago that we traveled through the station prior to Traxx’s opening hours.

—Shawn Crosby

Hey You! Speak Up! Downtown News wants to hear from people in the community. If you like, or dislike, a story or editorial, let us know. Or weigh in on something you feel is important to the community.

Participation is easy. Post a comment online at the bottom of any story, or go to downtownnews.com, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click the “Letter to the Editor” link. For guest opinion proposals, email regardie@downtownnews.com.

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MAY 13, 2019

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DOWNTOWN NEWS 5

A Big Move, a Big Fight and A Big Warning At a Downtown Stop, Mark Ridley-Thomas Doesn’t Hold Back

By Jon Regardie ark Ridley-Thomas has been making big political moves since long before he became a County Supervisor, and he’s been a Supervisor for a long time. He was elected to the City Council in 1991, and although his Eighth District was

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THE REGARDIE REPORT anchored in South L.A., he emerged as the key council force pushing the approval of Staples Center, after Downtown Los Angeles rep Rita Walters bizarrely fought against the arena. Ridley-Thomas also rode herd on a now-forgotten but nearly successful effort to return the NFL to the Coliseum.

He did a stint in the state legislature, and since being sworn in as the Second District Supervisor in 2008 by Kamala Harris (yes, that Kamala Harris), he’s been among the most savvy and powerful leaders in the region.

He’s got labor backing but also maintains strong ties with the business community. He has pushed major transportation projects and helped create the lauded Martin Luther King Jr., Community Hospital in South L.A. Elected officials can be an overly cautious breed; Ridley-Thomas is willing to break that

mold more often than most. He took that tack when he was the speaker at a Los Angeles Current Affairs Forum luncheon at The Palm on May 1. During the nearly hour-long session he spoke with surprising candor on a trio of subjects, from his own future, to a nasty tangle with Sheriff Alex Villanueva, to L.A.’s effort to wrestle with homelessness.

Top Job When Mayor Eric Garcetti was pondering running for president, he deflected every query on the subject like he was the world’s greatest hockey goalie. Though everyone knew Garcetti wanted to run, he wouldn’t cop to it until the day he announced he wasn’t running.

So it was refreshing when, in front of about 65 Downtown power players, Ridley-Thomas veered from the traditional path of obfuscation. He is currently running to return to the City Council in 2020, but a lot of people think he wants to be mayor in 2022, when Garcetti is termed out. I asked him about that during the Q&A session.

He detailed some of his achievements, then said, “I have unfinished business in public service. And I trust that the people of the 10th District will be kind enough to acknowl-

County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas is running for an L.A. City Council seat in 2020. His next stop after that could be the mayor’s office, which opens up in 2022.

photo courtesy office of Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas

edge that and think that I have a little bit to offer. So that’s where I am today.

“It is impermissible to discuss step two, because if you are candidating for one seat, it has implications for raising funds and the like,” he continued, and even if “candidating” is not in my Webster’s New World College

Dictionary, it should be. “You can’t do both at the same time…. Therefore there’s one seat that I pursue at this time ladies and gentlemen, and the rest will take care of itself.”

This is where most pols would clam up.

This is also where, perhaps, Ridley-Thomas Continued on page 9

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MAY 13, 2019

Garcetti Environmental Plan Could Have Big Impact on Downtown Buildings Sustainability Effort Would Elevate Standards for Developers Building Housing, Office Space and More

By Sean P. Thomas ayor Eric Garcetti recently revealed his vision for a new and ambitious sustainability plan for the city. The far-reaching effort could have a significant impact on the busy construction and development scene in Downtown Los Angeles.

On April 29, during an event at the Getty House, the mayor’s home, Garcetti announced the city’s version of the Green New Deal, mimicking the moniker of the program championed by progressive politicians at the federal level. The city plan outlines a list of emissions and climate change metrics to tackle in coming decades.

“Who cares if we pave more streets, or fill more potholes if Venice is underwater?”

Garcetti said during the event. “How can we begin to reduce our 911 response time if our firefighters are off fighting fires across this region? And if our city is overwhelmed by a million climate refugees, you think we’re going to care about planning the Olympics or Paralympics, or reopening the L.A. River or what our tourism statistics are? This crisis has never been more intense.”

The Green New Deal builds off and takes a more aggressive stance against climate change than the sustainability plan Garcetti introduced in 2015. Elements range from phasing out plastic foam containers and plastic straws by 2021, to a move to an all-electric energy grid by 2045, to a push to achieve a zero-emissions Port of Los Angeles by 2050.

One of the loftier goals relates to buildings. It calls for all new properties constructed in the city to be zero emissions by 2030, and for every structure to reach that level by 2050.

Buildings are increasingly being examined for their role in climate change. According to a 2018 analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council, buildings are responsible for approximately 25% of California’s emissions.

Garcetti’s proposal would significantly impact Downtown, where scores of projects are in the development pipeline. The growth is expected to continue, as some projections say the Central City’s current 75,000 inhabitants will increase to about 200,000 by 2040.

Garcetti’s Green New Deal sets a number of targets for buildings and developers on the path to 2050, including the reduction of energy use for all buildings by 22% by 2025; 34% by 2035; and 44% by 2050. The overall goal is to move from relying on gas and fossil fuels to a system built on electricity and renewable energy sources.

Los Angeles Chief Sustainability Officer Lauren Faber O’Connor said that the city has been working with business groups, including the U.S. Green Building Council, to help persuade developers to adopt environmentally friendly construction protocols.

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photo by Gary Leonard

The 10-story United States Federal Courthouse, which opened in the Civic Center in 2016, achieved LEED Platinum certification for sustainability features including a façade that reduces solar heat. Mayor Eric Garcetti’s proposed Green New Deal would boost efficiency requirements for other buildings in the city.

“We have looked at and worked with our Planning Department and other stakeholders on how we are marrying community plans that are coming into place in all different communities,” O’Connor said. “Downtown is a great example — to look at how we combine all of these goals, whether that’s around efficient buildings, density or transit-oriented development. We think that the development that is going on is actually an opportunity to enforce these goals.”

Marketability Factor O’Connor mentioned that a number of projects in Downtown have already ramped up sustainable practices. She added that the transition to more electric devices and appliances will happen naturally over time as outdated gas-reliant equipment gives out.

Dan Rosenfeld, a real estate veteran with experience in the public and private sectors, said that a certain portion of the development community will be slow to adjust to the changes. Still, he thinks that ultimately the real estate industry would see an uptick from any environment-focused policy decisions.

“We in the real estate industry have the most to gain and the most to lose with the climate challenge,” Rosenfeld said. “Ultimately, we are the true beneficiaries because it’s our assets that will have the continuing value.”

O’Connor said that a push for cleaner buildings should make new properties more marketable for developers, as consumers Continued on page 8

MAY 13, 2019

DOWNTOWN NEWS 7

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Cracking Open the Walnut Building Former Arts District Commercial Structure Returns With 57 Live/Work Units

By Nicholas Slayton think we’re one of the tallest buildings in the Arts District,” Ryan Afari said on a cloudy weekday afternoon.

Afari made the comment while standing on the rooftop deck of the Walnut Building.

He pointed to the Toy and Biscuit Company lofts a few blocks away, the two structures that kicked off the Arts District residential boom more than a decade ago.

The Walnut Building is the latest project from developer the Hillcrest Company, which previously tackled Downtown endeavors including the Chapman Lofts in the Historic Core and the Commodore Building in City West. Like its Arts District neighbors, the Walnut is an aged commercial structure that has been turned into housing. The exterior has been fully restored, and the rooftop refashioned to provide a deck with a sweeping view.

The 98-year-old building at 691 Mill St. (though it fronts Seventh Street) has 57 live/ work units. It opened in March, adding residential life to a stretch of Seventh that is fast becoming one of Downtown’s busiest investment zones.

The 100,000-square-foot structure originally opened in 1921 and was known as the California Walnut Growers Association Building. After the walnut business left, the building sat vacant for decades. Developer Paul

I

photo by Gary Leonard

The Walnut Building started life in 1921 as a commercial structure serving the walnut business. Developer Hillcrest Company acquired the property in 2013 and in March reopened with 57 live/work lofts.

Solomon acquired the edifice and in 2012 announced plans for a live/work conversion, but he ended up selling the property to Hillcrest the following year. The buyer was bullish on the community.

“We’re in Downtown every day. We see what’s going on,” said Afari, whose family

owns and runs Hillcrest. “When we bought this, frankly, it was a cheap neighborhood.

But we knew something was going on. There was talk of the Ford Factory Building selling, Atlas Capital purchased the Row. You could begin to see the dots being connected.”

Work on the transformation started in

April 2017. Hillcrest did a full infrastructure overhaul, including a new HVAC system, installing new windows and updating the electrical system. Afari would not reveal the cost of the project.

While new elements were added, care was taken to preserve the original, unique design.

The front of the building stands eight stories, with a rooftop deck, while the rear of the structure, along Mill Street, is four floors with a saw-toothed roof, giving residents on the top floor unique skylights.

“This building is a treasure. We didn’t want to mess with it,” Afari said.

Creative Hub The Walnut Building is 21% leased, with 12 of the units taken, according to Laura Silver of the Silver Group, which is handling the leasing. Rents average about $4.50 per square foot. An 875-square-foot loft goes for $3,930, while a 1,610-square-foot apartment with a slightly separated bedroom space is $5,250.

Afari said the Walnut Building is targeting people running start-up businesses and those who work on creative enterprises.

“One thing we’re noticing, and it’s telling of where the Arts District is going, is we’re getting a lot of interest from people on the Westside, from people who have primary residences in high-end residences,” Afari said.

“People who are creative, they’re buying into the idea of Downtown as where the hub of the city is moving.”

The stretch of Seventh Street the building is on has seen a major turnaround in the Continued on page 16

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GREEN NEW DEAL, 6 are increasingly looking for environmentally friendly options. Rosenfeld echoed the point.

“Most developers, like most politicians, are pretty progressive, forward-thinking people,” Rosenfeld said. “They follow the development in this area very carefully and the amount of concern [about climate change] is very acute in the real estate world.”

The Los Angeles chapter of the USGBC, which operates the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification system, last year released a map of environmentally friendly buildings and businesses in Los Angeles. It identified Downtown as one of the densest neighborhoods in the city for properties that meet high levels of sustainability.

Indeed, Downtown developers have long been making an effort to have projects achieve LEED certification through steps such as ensuring access to public transportation and bicycle facilities, light pollution reduction and the installation of advanced energy metering technology. They include the United States Federal Courthouse in the Civic Center, which received LEED Platinum certification, the Wilshire Grand Center on Wilshire Boulevard (certified LEED Gold) and a new building for the Downtown Women’s Center on San Pedro Street (certified LEED Silver).

In an email to Los Angeles Downtown News, Ben Stapleton, executive director of the USGBC’s Los Angeles Chapter, applauded Garcetti’s move.

“We are grateful for Mayor Garcetti’s leadership in the face of climate change to help create a sustainable, more resilient future for our City, and especially for putting greener buildings at the top of his priority list,” Stapleton said.

Whether or not the move will cost developers extra money remains a point of contention. As early as 2000, studies indicated that construction of green-focused buildings could boost a project’s price tag by 10%30%. However, more recent studies have gone against those initial findings, noting that completion of LEED credits (used for LEED certification) added no additional, or minimal, cost to a project.

According to a 2007 study by construction consulting firm Davis Langston, buildings constructed specifically to meet LEED certification on average cost the same as nongreen buildings.

O’Connor said that developers would likely save money by altering their plans early. For instance, it would prove less expensive over the long run to build a structure fully reliant on electricity, rather than utilize gas or another fuel now, and then change later.

In addition to looking at buildings, Garcetti also aims to address the city’s transportation system. He reveled goals to fully electrify the Los Angeles Department of Transportation and Metropolitan Transportation Authority buses by 2030, and to completely remove fossil fuel-reliant vehicles from city streets by 2050 — that includes private vehicles. sean@downtownnews.com

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MAY 13, 2019

Downtown Homeless Housing Facilities Move Forward Bridge Shelter Site in Fashion District With 125 Beds to Open in the Fall

Downtown’s first bridge housing shelter, El Puente (shown here), opened last September.

Another project has been approved for the Fashion District.

photo by Gary Leonard

By Sean P. Thomas he effort to create more bridge and emergency housing for homeless individuals in Downtown Los Angeles is moving forward, with the City Council recently giving final approval of one project and green-lighting the start of lease discussions on another.

On April 16, the Council approved the lease for a facility at 1426 Paloma St. in the Fashion District, which will provide bridge housing for 92 men and 23 women. It is expected to open by the fall.

The site is on property owned by Michael Kaboud, who approached the city about using some of his land for homeless housing, according to the office of 14th District City Councilman José Huizar, who pushed the project. The 2018 Homeless Count had identified about 600 individuals living on the streets in the area south of Skid Row. The project would be the second Downtown facility to be created as part of Mayor Eric Garcetti’s A Bridge Home program. A 45bed center, El Puente, opened last September near Olvera Street.

On April 17, the council approved a motion introduced by Huizar to instruct the Housing and Community Investment Department to begin discussions on a lease or a transfer of a city-owned parking lot

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to the Downtown Women’s Center. The agreement would allow the lot at 501 E. Fifth St. to be converted into a facility for homeless housing and other services. The DWC currently has an agreement to use the lot for parking.

“We look forward to taking this first step with the City to develop additional permanent supportive housing to address the 35% increase of women experiencing homelessness in the Skid Row community,” Lisa Watson, DWC’s interim CEO, said in a prepared statement.

Huizar also recently filed a motion to direct $2.7 million in state Homeless Emergency Aid Program funds to Skid Row. The money would pay for health and hygiene facilities, improvements to two Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority homeless services engagement teams that work in Skid Row, the installation of five drinking fountains and improvements to a facility on San Pedro Street where homeless individuals can store their belongings.

“The $2.7 million will provide more hygiene options for the underserved population of people experiencing homelessness in Skid Row and will protect available storage for people to keep their property off of the streets,” Huizar said in a prepared statement. sean@downtownnews.com

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RIDLEY-THOMAS, 5 gauged what other chatted-about 2022 candidates might do. He forged ahead.

“A little tactual insight here,” he told the Palm crowd. “I was planning, frankly, to leave the Board of Supervisors, take 18-plus months as a private citizen, and build the campaign for what you describe as step two.”

Then Ridley-Thomas described learning that, due to a clause in city law, he could serve another four years on the council. He verified it with the City Clerk, the City Attorney’s office and his own counsel. A golden path had revealed itself.

“I shared it with my political consultants and some of my advisors, and they said, ‘You ought to recognize a gift from God when you see it,’” Ridley-Thomas said. “It’s better to run for step two, from the position of having secured step one, rather than going from zero to two.”

A moment later he told the audience, “Now you all know more than you’re entitled to know.”

Everyone laughed, as he knew they would.

Battle With a Boss Ridley-Thomas and fellow Supervisor Sheila Kuehl have been at the forefront of the fight with Villanueva, who was sworn in last December and has emerged as something of a law enforcement tornado. His path of destruction included replacing virtually the entire experienced upper crust of the department (as many new sheriffs do) and rehiring a deputy who had been fired in the

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wake of domestic abuse allegations (which no sheriff has ever done).

The clash has been stunningly public and vocal, with Villanueva asserting that he is providing deputies “due process,” and the supes maintaining that the sheriff can’t reinstate someone whose firing was OKed by the County Civil Service Commission. As the matter makes its way through the courts, relations are frosty.

Ridley-Thomas unloaded at the Current Affairs Forum.

“Who could have possibly believed that we would be tossed in the middle of this kind of conflict with the sheriff?” he asked. “It is unprecedented. I seek to remind you of the fact that I spent the first three or four years on the City Council wrestling with another law enforcement official by the name of Daryl Francis Gates. I want you to know that we won ultimately, and I suspect we’ll win again.”

People don’t bring up Gates frequently; it’s kind of like saying “Candyman” out loud five times. The late LAPD chief embodied all that was wrong with local law enforcement in the era before the 1992 L.A. riots. In Ridley-Thomas’ view, Villanueva is moving the Sheriff’s Department backwards.

“I cannot imagine the investments that we’ve made in reform of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s public safety agenda… being so rigorously subjected to the process of turning the clock back,” he declared. “We don’t countenance domestic violence. And if someone is fired on that basis, it is incomprehensible to some of us as to why anybody would have the temerity to rehire

such an individual.”

The Supervisor noted key differences between the present and the Gates era, chiefly that Villanueva is an elected official, which limits what the supes can do. It’s a point the sheriff has made repeatedly, and Villanueva has charged that those opposing him are doing so because they never supported his run against the man he toppled, Sheriff Jim McDonnell.

Ridley-Thomas continued, making sure that the room grasped the gravity of what’s at stake. The zinger was two short sentences.

Twelve words.

“It’s not good,” he pronounced. “I’m almost to the point of embracing Daryl Gates.”

The time the laughs were mixed with shock. Of course, Ridley-Thomas knew that would be the reaction.

On the Streets Ridley-Thomas and Garcetti have led the public charge to respond to the region’s out of-control homelessness crisis. They helped get a pair of voter tax measures, Proposition HHH and Measure H, passed to provide funds for housing and services, respectively. They have marshaled city and county resources for the challenge.

Like everyone, they’re awaiting the results of the next “Homeless Count” from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. Last year’s finding of a 3% decline in the county homeless population, to 53,195 people living without shelter, gave Angelenos hope that, even if the numbers are a travesty, progress is being made.

Ridley-Thomas said LAHSA officials met

DOWNTOWN NEWS 9

with the supes recently and revealed that many counties in California are seeing a spike in homelessness. He didn’t offer any numbers, but in a read-between-the-lines manner, the implication was that Los Angeles isn’t so special or unique that it will buck the state’s trend.

“Every other county that we have paid attention to, there is an uptick, and an appreciable uptick,” he stated. “Public records will reflect somewhere between 43% to 20%, that kind of swing. I do not necessarily anticipate that being the case in Los Angeles County, but we would be less than attentive if we didn’t acknowledge that the trend is something with which we have to be concerned and prepared.”

This was a warning shot, and it was exacerbated by Ridley-Thomas declaring that L.A. County has an affordable housing shortage of 560,000 units. He said issues of mental health and addiction play a role, but economic factors are increasingly contributing.

That will come as no surprise to anyone who writes a monthly rent check.

It’s not just tent encampments, either, he noted. In another possible foreshadow, he pointed to a trend that is often overlooked.

“More and more people are now living in their vehicles,” he said. “You have vehicular homelessness in some ways outstripping the street encampments and tents. The recent data is beginning to reveal that more and more.”

The report hits in a few weeks. Consider yourself warned. regardie@downtownnews.com

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MAY 13, 2019

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DOWNTOWN NEWS 11

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Here We Go Again

photo by Michael LaMont

East West Players Puts an Asian-American Spin on the ABBA Musical ‘Mamma Mia!’

By Sean P. Thomas ove them or something else, ABBA’s legacy runs deep.

The Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 and had a string of hits including “Dancing Queen” and “Take a Chance on Me.” Then, just when it seemed like they’d be consigned to the nostalgia circuit, their songs became the basis for Mamma Mia! Since debuting in the West End of London, at the Prince Edward Theatre in 1999, it has become one of the best known and most hummable jukebox musicals in the world.

In 2008, the musical was transported to the silver screen, where Meryl Streep, with flowing golden hair, played the mother Donna, and a young Amanda Seyfried played her daughter Sophie.

Seyfried and Streep share a trait that has been seen in almost every version of Mamma Mia! staged anywhere: They are both white, blonde-haired women.

That’s partly why a new production of Mamma Mia! that opens this week in Downtown Los Angeles is so unusual: It is being staged by East West Players, and as the Little Tokyo-based company commonly does, it is

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employing a majority Asian-American cast.

The question asks itself: How does a troupe known for its Asian-American take on stage classics tackle a quintessentially European jukebox musical filled to the brim with music from a Swedish pop band?

The answer is actually pretty simple, said cast member Anthea Neri, who plays Tanya, one of Donna’s eccentric friends. She jumped into the topic during a break from rehearsal last week at the David Henry Hwang Theatre, where the show opens on Thursday, May 16.

The idea, said Neri, is that you don’t have to change much. The themes and beats of the show are universal.

“When you take the story down, it’s just about a family,” Neri said. “It’s just humans having human experiences; living as a single mom, having friends and going through relatable things. It’s not, ‘Oh, they have to be a Caucasian family.’ We slap that on as a society. But what East West Players and what a lot of people are doing now is asking, ‘What if we take it and give it our own twist?’”

Set on the fictional Greek island of Kalokairi, Mamma Mia! follows Sophie Sheridan, a 20-year-old bride-to-be

who, without telling her mother, invites the three men who could be her biological father to her wedding.

The hope is that by getting to know the men, Sophie will discover who her father is, and achieve the dream of having her dad walk her down the aisle on her wedding day.

Donna isn’t exactly pleased with her daughter’s actions. That leads to two hours of squabbles, questions of marriage, relationships and identity issues, and almost two dozen disco-filled Abba songs.

The traditional themes remain in the EWP version, but are presented by a largely Filipino cast. That vision is important for Jules Aurora, who plays Lisa, one of Sophie’s bridesmaids. She said that the best part of the show is that it breaks the stereotype of the model minority, which is often lopped onto Asian-American cultures, allowing the actors to tackle the more risqué themes in Mamma Mia! “I don’t think our stories are even told at all in mainstream entertainment,” Aurora said. “I think adding elements of our heritages and adding little elements of what we know personally allows audiences to connect Continued on page 12

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MAY 13, 2019

MAMMA MIA!, 11 and kind of see how this translates into our lives personally.”

Culture Shock EWP’s current season carries the theme of “Culture Shock,” with shows that seek to disrupt and dispute the status quo by taking charge of the “outsider” narrative. That comes into play in Mamma Mia! for Danny Bernardo, who tackles the role of Harry, one of the three potential fathers. The show gives him an opportunity to play an Asian British man.

“To be Asian American is one thing, but to be Asian in England is a completely different thing,” Bernardo said. “There are just these great things that we get to examine as an actor of Asian descent. I was going to go into it as, oh, I’m just a British guy, but it was actually more fun to think, okay, what would a British, gay Asian be doing at this point, and why would he have this dialect versus what his parents would have?”

The largely Filipino cast was not intentional, Bernardo said, and happened organically as the roles were cast. And there was plenty of interest. Mike Depalma, who plays Bill, one of the potential fathers, and who has been performing with EWP since 1999, said there were more actors seeking roles for this show than for any production in the company’s history.

Depalma said that the popularity of Mamma Mia! and EWP’s name recognition helped, but he thinks the breadth of roles available prompted such a large turnout.

photo by Michael LaMont

The show at the David Henry Hwang Theater in Little Tokyo features nearly two dozen ABBA songs.

Neri said such a level of inclusion is refreshing for a demographic often shoehorned into specific parts.

“When you see the breakdown [for Mamma Mia!], usually it’s Caucasian,” Neri said. “For this one, it was like, oh my God, I can be anybody. I just have to show up as me.”

Dancing Queen The Little Tokyo show’s diversity is a call-

ing card, but the success of this Mamma Mia! will ultimately depend not on the look of the cast, but on how well they play the roles and tackle the songs and choreography. With such familiar material, audiences may arrive with high expectations.

Despite reaching Broadway in 1999, the music, penned by original ABBA members Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, was

written during the band’s heyday more than 40 years ago. Productions of the musical have sought to keep the 1970s feel, but Preston Mui, who is choreographing the EWP show, has moved the setting to the 1990s.

Bernardo said that the shift keeps the performance fresh.

“This is the ’90s and these guys are going to be steeped in hip-hop,” Bernardo said. “It just kind of subverts the expectations for the show. There are so many great surprises.”

Still, the cast knows the audience will arrive with a sense of familiarity. Ensemble member Steven Agdeppa remembers listening to ABBA Gold, a compilation of hits released in 1992. He said that members of the Asian American community have a connection to ABBA, as the band’s songs are a fixture at the karaoke bars popular in Asian-American circles.

“We grew up with this music,” Agdeppa said. “So watching the movie, and seeing the musical and now doing the musical myself, it’s kind of like a weird full circle. My parents are super excited to come. They’re going to be jamming out in the audience.”

The cast expects the audience to join them as well — literally. Aurora said that there are portions of the show where the actors enter the crowd, almost willing the people in the seats to sing along to those familiar songs.

Mamma Mia! runs through June 9 at the David Henry Hwang Theater at 120 Judge John Aiso St., (213) 625-7000 or eastwestplayers.org. sean@downtownnews.com

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DOWNTOWN NEWS 13

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22 Years in the ‘Asylum Without Walls’

SAN ANTONIO WINERY

Skid Row Cop Deon Joseph Releases a Memoir

By Sean P. Thomas t’s a cliché to say that someone needs no introduction. Deon Joseph proves that sometimes clichés are true.

Joseph is a 24-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, and for 22 of those years he has served as Senior Lead Officer for Skid Row. With his crisp blue uniform and muscular frame, he’s an unmistakable presence in the neighborhood, and has been the subject of scores of newspaper, magazine and other profiles.

Now Joseph is telling his story.

This week he will self-publish volume one of his memoir, Stepping Across the Line: A Skid Row Cop’s Story, which covers the first 10 years of his career, from 1995-2005 (it becomes available on Tuesday, May 14). A second volume is slated to be released next year.

Joseph will hold a book release party and signing on Saturday in Downtown Los Angeles. In advance of the appearance, he spoke with Los Angeles Downtown News.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

A: It’s clear that nothing is working right now. I think the solution is, one, to adequately decentralize. Places like Skid Row can no longer be allowed to be the mecca of all things homelessness. By doing that, you’re sort of creating an asylum without walls. We have 88 cities in L.A. County. We need to open more shelters outside of Skid Row. Two, we need to change the mental health system. Currently, we can only hold someone for 72 hours — it should not be 72 hours. It should be something like four to six weeks.

It takes at least four to six weeks for people’s prescribed medication to stabilize them, and then you have to detox them. As you do that, the service providers should be able to reach out to family and work out a conservatorship.

Third, we have to stop politicizing public safety. We have to allow the police to do their job. I believe that law enforcement and service outreach can work hand in hand in helping not only bring down crime, but to get people the services that they need. I know it has worked in the past.

Los Angeles Downtown News: You’re open on social media and other avenues about your work with the LAPD. What made you want to put your experiences into memoir form?

Deon Joseph: I was always kind of afraid to release it, but at this point, I don’t want the world to tell the story of this officer.

Volume one chronicles the first part of my career. I went from a young African-American male, who ended up losing everything, but then met my wife and started to put my name in as many hats as possible.

Fortunately, at the time, the police department was the only one that called for work.

When I was on the job, I ended up discovering that a lot of the things I was taught were wrong. Police officers are nothing more than human beings. My goal in this book is really to try to humanize not just police, but the homeless who really seem to get a bad rap.

I want to offer my solutions to the homelessness problem in a responsible way, from a truth-based foundation, not from a place of a political or dogmatic ideology.

Q: Being physically fit is one thing.

How do you stay mentally fit given everything you encounter on Skid Row? A: My upbringing and my faith are a huge part of who I am.

I’ve seen some horrible things that I’d like to put behind me at some point. I hope that this book is a way to cleanse some of that, but of course, it helps when you have family members that show they have your back. Also, I’ve just been blessed to have the best wife that a man could ask for. The thing is, she doesn’t worry about me. She just puts a blessing into the air and lets God work.

The thing that keeps me going, and I know it sounds clichéd, is that one life that we can change. I call it planting seeds. Sometimes you plant it and you kind of walk away and come back to a blossoming tree.

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Q: In a 2014 piece you wrote for L.A. Downtown News you mentioned feeling like police on Skid Row were putting a finger in the crack of a deteriorating dam. Since then, the situation in Skid Row has become more dire. How do we turn things around?

Q: You’ve been very successful connecting with the people on your beat.

Why are you able to communicate so effectively with the homeless population in Skid Row? A: Being African American, I was faced with the same indoctrination that a lot of other African Americans were faced with. Police and white people were the enemy, but the people who broke me of that was my parents, who taught me to love people no matter what.

Going into police work, I think I understood the mindset of the peo-

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Los Angeles Police Department officer Deon Joseph has patrolled the streets of Skid Row for more than two decades. This week he will hold a book release party and signing for his new memoir.

ple who I grew up thinking like. I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to help you. I’m just trying to show them love from a place they wouldn’t expect.

Q: What do you hope people take away from your memoir?

A: By the time they finish, I want them to learn to put down the dogmatic stances.

Let’s respond to this issue from a truth-based foundation. I don’t have a dog in this fight.

I’m neither left nor right. I left that stuff years ago.

But I’m able to help people from an honest place, and I think if we can all do that, we can really make a dent in this problem.

Stepping Across the Line: A Skid Row Cop’s Story will be available at steppingacrosstheline.org starting Tuesday, May 14. A book signing will be held at 1150 S. Hope St. on Saturday, May 18, from noon-2 p.m. RSVP at steppingacrosstheline@deonjoseph.org. sean@downtownnews.com

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MONDAY, MAY 13 Mystic Monday Comedy Resident, 428 S. Hewitt St. or residentdtla.com.

8 p.m.: Stand-up comedy all night. Ha! TUESDAY, MAY 14 Michael Pollan at Aloud Aratani Theatre, 244 S. San Pedro St. or lfla.org.

7:30 p.m.: The author, known for his writings about the food industry, discusses his new book on psychedelic drugs. Far out, man.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15 An Evening with Chris Kattan The Last Bookstore, 453 S. Spring St., (213) 488-0599 or lastbookstorela.com.

7:30 p.m.: Former “Saturday Night Live” star Kattan discusses his new memoir “Baby Don’t Hurt Me.” Yes, you will likely hear some Haddaway at this event.

FRIDAY, MAY 17 Pop-Up Magazine Theatre at Ace Hotel, 929 S. Broadway or acehotel.com/los-angeles.

7:30 p.m.: The “live magazine” returns with its “spring issue,” featuring music, film, speakers and more.

SATURDAY, MAY 18 Stepping Across the Line: A Skid Row Cop’s Story 1150 S. Hope St. 12 p.m.: LAPD Senior Lead Officer Deon Joseph reads from and signs his new memoir about his time patrolling Skid Row. Rights Night at Aloud Mark Taper Auditorium, Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St. or lfla.org.

6 p.m.: U.N. Special Rapporteur David Kaye discusses challenges to the First Amendment and speech in the modern age. Reggie Watts also provides music.

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In the Spanish opera El Gato Montes, the lead character The Wildcat returns from the mountains to vie for the affections of his lost love. Like The Wildcat, Plácido Domingo is descending upon the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion this week. Unlike The Wildcat, the legendary tenor will be received with open arms. Domingo will appear as the titular character on Thursday and Sunday, May 16 and 19, as part of a love triangle involving a bullfighter, his fiancé and the bandit. One of the lesser-known Spanish operas, L.A. Opera’s El Gato mixes beautiful music with top-notch choreography and stage design. It is sung in Spanish with English supertitles. The performances begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday and 2 p.m. on Sunday.

At 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8001 or laopera.org.

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If you took journalism, a podcast and a game show, and tossed them all into a blender, you’d get Freakonomics Radio Live!, which takes over the Theatre at Ace Hotel on Saturday, May 18. A live version of the radio show, itself spun off from the book of the same name, Freakonomics Radio Live! is hosted by Stephen J. Dubner (shown here) and Angela Duckworth, and features a collection of guests who try to impress the hosts with an interesting factoid. The best part is that you can be one of those guests by signing up online. The second best part is that Mayor Eric Garcetti is listed as a special guest for the evening. What fact will he present? The event starts at 8 p.m. and KCRW DJ Garth Trinidad will spin after the show. At 929 S. Broadway, (213) 623-3233 or freakonomics.com.

For 363 days out of the year, most people want nothing to do with the creepy crawlies of the world. For the other two days, bugs are getting the VIP treatment at Exposition Park.

The 33rd annual Bug Fair returns to the Natural History Museum on Saturday-Sunday, May 18-19, from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. The museum-wide festival highlights insects’ very special place in the animal kingdom through more than 50 exhibits and activities for the kids. There will even be a team of bug chefs who will cook up snacks and dishes. Crickets, anyone? We’ll understand if you pass. At 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 763-3466 or nhm.org.

MORE LISTINGS Hundreds of listings of fun and interesting things to do in Downtown Los Angeles can also be found online at ladowntownnews. com/calendar: Rock, Pop & Jazz; Bars & Clubs; Farmers Markets; Events; Film; Sports; Art Spaces; Theater, Dance and Opera; Classical Music; Museums; and Tours.

the Don't Miss list

MAY 13, 2019

3

4 The music of a small island nation will be in the spotlight this week. For the third year, the Cuban-American Music Festival is returning to Downtown Los Angeles, bringing a collection of local and international acts. Taking place on Sunday, May 19, from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes, the festival will feature performances from Cuban acts the Pedrito Martinez Group and local musicians the Arsenio Rodriguez Project and Las Chikas. The event is 21-and-up and will include activities such as domino tables, a cigar lounge, art exhibits and dance instructions.

At 501 N. Main St. or cubanamericanmusicfestival.com.

Over two decades, rappers Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli have released just a single studio album together as Black Star, but that disc’s impact in the alternative hip-hop world cannot be overstated. Poignant, progressive and above all else, talented, the duo helped set the tone for underground hip-hop in the late ’90s-early 2000s, before focusing on their equally prestigious solo careers. Now, with rumors of a new album in the works, the pair is returning to the stage, with a stop at The Novo on Saturday, May 18. Kicking off at 7 p.m., audiences will get a taste of Black Star’s socially conscious rap via tracks such as “Definition,” “Brown Skin Lady” and “Respiration.” The Novo is also hosting a $5 Nina Sky concert on Friday for people who remember her from the mid-2000s. At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or thenovo.com.

5

photo courtesy of Press Here

Send information and possible Don’t Miss List submissions to calendar@downtownnews.com.

photo courtesy of Live Nation

photo by Courtesy of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

EVENTS

BY SEAN P. THOMAS

DT

CALENDAR LISTINGS

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

photo by Audrey Bernstein

14 DOWNTOWN NEWS

MAY 13, 2019

DT

CLASSIFIEDS

To place a classified ad in the Downtown News call 213-481-1448 FORplease RENT

All submissions are subject to federal and California fair housing laws, which make it illegal to indicate in any advertisement any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income or physical or mental disability. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

REAL ESTATE RESIDENTIAL LOFTS FOR SALE

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Bill Cooper

213.598.7555 LEGAL LEGAL NOTICE

COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF TREASURER AND TAX COLLECTOR NOTICE OF DIVIDED PUBLICATION Made pursuant to Revenue and Taxation Code Section 3381 Pursuant to Revenue and Taxation Code (R&TC) Sections 3381 through 3385, the Notice of Power to Sell Tax-Defaulted Property Subject to the Tax Collector’s Power to Sell in and for the County of Los Angeles, State of California, has been divided and distributed to various newspapers of general circulation published in the County. A portion of the list appears in each of such newspapers.

NOTICE OF IMPENDING POWER TO SELL TAXDEFAULTED PROPERTY Made pursuant to Revenue and Taxation Code Section 3361 Notice is hereby given that the following parcels listed will become Subject to the Tax Collector’s Power to Sell on Monday, July 1, 2019, at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time, by operation of law. The real property taxes and assessments on the parcels listed will have been defaulted five or more years, except for: 1. Nonresidential commercial parcels, as defined in R&TC Section 3691, which will have been defaulted for three or more years; 2. Parcels on which a nuisance abatement lien have

been recorded, which will have been defaulted for three or more years; 3. Parcels that can serve the public benefit and a request has been made by the County of Los Angeles, a city within the County of Los Angeles, or nonprofit organization to purchase the parcels through Chapter 8 Agreement Sales pursuant to R&TC Section 3692.4, which will have been defaulted for three or more years.

The Tax Collector will record a Notice of Power to Sell unless the property taxes are paid in full or the property owner initiates an installment plan of redemption, as provided by law, prior to 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, on Friday, June 28, 2019, when the right to initiate an installment plan terminates. Thereafter, the only option to prevent the sale of the property at public auction is to pay the taxes in full.

The right of redemption survives the property becoming Subject to the Tax Collector’s Power to Sell, but it terminates at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, on the last business day before the scheduled auction of the property by the Tax Collector.

The Treasurer and Tax Collector’s Office will furnish, upon request, information concerning making a payment in full or initiating an installment plan of redemption. For more information, please visit our website at ttc.lacounty.gov.

The amount to redeem the property, in United States dollars and cents, is set forth in the listing opposite each parcel number. This amount includes all defaulted taxes, penalties, and fees that have accrued from the date of tax-default to the date of Friday, June 28, 2019.

I certify, under penalty of perjury, that the foregoing is true and correct. Dated this 26 day of March, 2019.

JOSEPH KELLY TREASURER AND TAX COLLECTOR COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES STATE OF CALIFORNIA PARCEL NUMBERING SYSTEM EXPLANATION The Assessor’s Identification Number, when used to describe property in this list, refers to the Assessor’s map book, the map page, the block on the map, if applicable, and the individual parcel on the map page or in the block. The Assessor’s maps and further explanation of the parcel numbering system are available in the Asses-

DOWNTOWN NEWS 15

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM sor’s Office, 500 West Temple Street, Room 225, Los Angeles, California 90012.

The real property that is the subject of this notice is situated in the County of Los Angeles, State of California, and is described as follows: PROPERTY TAX DEFAULTED IN YEAR 2016 FOR TAXES, ASSESSMENT, AND OTHER CHARGES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2015-2016 2043 $18, 785.47 FEO ENTERPRISES L P SITUS: 4921 SANTA MONICA BLVD LOS ANGELES CA 90029-2537 AIN: 5540028-009 PROPERTY TAX DEFAULTED IN YEAR 2014 FOR TAXES, ASSESSMENT, AND OTHER CHARGES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2013-2014 1851 $4, 161.34 ECHEAGARAY, VICTORIA L SITUS: 800 W 1ST ST APT 0807 LOS ANGELES CA 90012-2460 AIN: 5151027-036 2042 $41, 623.71 S P E N S L E Y, N I N A T R SPENSLEY FAMILY TRUST A N D S P E N S L E Y, N I N A SITUS: 731 N HARVARD BLVD LOS ANGELES CA 90029-3313 AIN: 5535-030002 CN960286 553 May 13,20, 2019 CIVIL SUMMONS SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) NOTICE TO DEFENDANT: (AVISO AL DEMANDADO): JULIO CESAR PEDROZO; REPUBLIC FLEET SERVICES, LLC; DALE DAVIS; AND DOES 1 THROUGH 10, INCLUSIVE YOU ARE BEING SUED

BY PLAINTIFF: (LO ESTÁ DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): J.J. BEST & COMPANY, A DELAWARE CORPORATION CASE NUMBER: (NÚMERO DEL CASO): 30-2018-01030718-CL-COCJC ELECTRONICALLY FILED SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF ORANGE 11/06/2018 AT 01:21:08 PM CLERK OF THE SUPERIOR COURT BY CLARISSA BUSTAMANTE, DEPUTY CLERK NOTICE! You have been sued.

The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or

phone call will not protect you.

Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case.

There may be a court form that you can use for your response.

You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo. ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court.

There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case. ¡AVISO! Lo han demandado.

Si no responde dentro de 30 días, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su versión. Lea la información a continuación.

Tiene 30 DÍAS DE CALENDARIO después de que le entreguen esta citación y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefónica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos formularios de la corte y más información en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www. sucorte.ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede más cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentación, pida al secretario de la corte que le dé un formulario de exención de pago de cuotas. Si

no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podrá quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin más advertencia.

Hay otros requisitos legales.

Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente.

Si no conoce a un abogado, puede llamar a un servicio de remisión a abogados. Si no puede pagar a un abogado, es posible que cumpla con los requisitos para obtener servicios legales gratuitos de un programa de servicios legales sin fines de lucro. Puede encontrar estos grupos sin fines de lucro en el sitio web de California Legal Services, (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California, (www. sucorte.ca.gov) o poniéndose en contacto con la corte o el colegio de abogados locales.

AVISO: Por ley, la corte tiene derecho a reclamar las cuotas y los costos exentos por imponer un gravamen sobre cualquier recuperación de $10,000 ó más de valor recibida mediante un acuerdo o una concesión de arbitraje en un caso de derecho civil. Tiene que pagar el gravamen de la corte antes de que la corte pueda desechar el caso.

The name and address of the court is: (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): Orange County Superior Court 700 Civic Center Drive West Santa Ana, CA 92701 Central Justice Center The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is: (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del

abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): Ofer M. Grossman, Esq. SBN 163150 310.367.7504 310-307-2993 Law Offices of Ofer M. Grossman P.O. Box 5576 Santa Monica, CA 90409 Date: (Fecha): 11/06/2018 David H. Yamasaki, Clerk of the Court Clerk by (Secretario) Clarissa Bustamante Deputy (Adjunto) Pub: 5/13, 5/20, 5/27 and 6/3.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 2019 121316 The following individual(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) BREADLAM, 826 E 3RD ST, LOS ANGELES, CA 90013 LA COUNTY, are hereby registered by the following registrants: (1) BREADLAM LLC, 1690 INTERLACHEN RD. APT. 42E, SEAL BEACH, CA 90740 (2) WILSON PITRUZZELLI INVESTMENTS LLC, 826 E 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90013.

This business is conducted by a Joint Venture. Registrant(s) began to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 03/2019 This statement was filed with DEAN C. LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk on May 08, 2019.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk.

A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself

‘ Helping Everyone Find their Place in Downtown Los Angeles Since 2002 ’ Bill Cooper 213.598.7555 • LARealEstateExpert.com Bill@LARealEstateExpert.com

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authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code).

Pub. 5/13, 5/20, 5/27 and 6/3.

LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF POLLING PLACES AND DESIGNATION OF CENTRAL TALLY LOCATION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office located at 12400 Imperial Highway, Norwalk, California 90650 has designated polling places and will be the central tally location for the MUNICIPAL AND SPECIAL ELECTIONS scheduled to be held on JUNE 4, 2019.

The Registrar-Recorder/ County Clerk’s facility and polling places shall be open between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on JUNE 4, 2019. Persons requiring multilingual assistance in Armenian, Cambodian/Khmer, Chinese, Farsi, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog/Filipino, Thai or Vietnamese regarding information in the notice may call (800) 481-8683.

POLLING PLACES 9000029B ALPINE RECREATION CENTER 817 YALE ST LOS ANGELES CA 90012 9003185A BUNKER HILL TOWERS 800 W 001ST ST LOS ANGELES CA 90012 9005543B EVANS COMMUNITY ADULT SCHOOL 717 N FIGUEROA ST LOS ANGELES CA 90012 9002089A WEINGART CENTER 554 S SAN PEDRO ST LOS ANGELES CA 90013 9003923A JAMES WOODS COMMUNITY CENTER 400 E 005TH ST LOS ANGELES CA 90013 9007015A LITTLE TOKYO TOWERS 455 E 003RD ST LOS ANGELES CA 90013 9000493A HAYWARD MANOR APARTMENTS 206 W 006TH ST LOS ANGELES CA 90014 9001372A THE MIDNIGHT MISSION 601 S SAN PEDRO ST LOS ANGELES CA 90014 9001913C KOLPING HOUSE 1225 S UNION AVE LOS ANGELES CA 90015 9002159A KOLPING HOUSE 1225 S UNION AVE LOS ANGELES CA 90015 9002364A TOBERMAN RECREATION CENTER 1725 TOBERMAN ST LOS ANGELES CA 90015 9003951B FIRE STATION #10 1335 S OLIVE ST LOS ANGELES CA 90015 9001114A UNION FERRARO TOWERS 455 S UNION AVE LOS ANGELES CA 90017 DEAN C. LOGAN Registrar-Recorder/ County Clerk County of Los Angeles CNS-3252598#

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

16 DOWNTOWN NEWS

MAY 13, 2019

WALNUT, 7

TRILOGY

Downtown...It’s Not Just Big Business Anymore!

255 GRAND 255 South Grand Avenue 213-229-9777 www.255GRAND.com Community Amenities: Expansive Outdoor Terrace Heated Pool & Spa Custom-Designed Interiors 24 hr. Manned Lobby Resident Concierge Fitness Center / Yoga Studio Wi-Fi Lounge State-of-the-Art HD Theater Gourmet BBQ Areas / Gas Fire Pits Contemporary Lounge with Gourmet Kitchen

Apartment Amenities: Breathtaking Views Spacious Floorplans Central Air & Heating Balconies / Urban Patios (Most Units) Deep Soaking Tubs Luxury Stainless Appliances & Finishes Sky Level 27th Floor Penthouse Units: Complimentary Wi-Fi & Basic Cable Waterfall Countertops Bosch Appliances Nest 3rd Generation Thermostats Up to 2 Parking Spaces Included On-Site: Dry Cleaners / Dental Office / Restaurants

PROMENADE TOWERS 123 South Figueroa Street 213-617-3777

photo by Gary Leonard

Lofts at the Walnut Building go for approximately $4.50 per square foot.

Units include exposed brick and high ceilings.

www.THEPROMENADETOWERS.com

Community Amenities: Expansive Outdoor Patio with BBQ Grills Heated Pool & Spa 24 hr. Manned Lobby Fitness Center Parking Garage

On-Site: Convenience Store Café Private Fitness Training Apartment Amenities: Floor-to-Ceiling Windows City Skyline Views Solarium and/or Balconies

MUSEUM TOWER 225 South Olive Street 213-626-1500 www.THEMUSEUMTOWERAPTS.com

Community Amenities: 24 hr. Manned Lobby Resident Concierge Heated Pool & Spa Fitness Center / Yoga Studio Outdoor Patio Gas BBQ Grills Recreation Room State-of-the-Art HD Theater Rooftop Patio with Views

years since Hillcrest’s purchase. Shorenstein Properties recently finished its overhaul of the Ford Factory Building to the east, with Warner Music Group relocating there in February. To the west, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles opened in 2017. In between, a number of restaurants and shops have arrived, including Guerilla Tacos, Everson Royce

Apartment Amenities: City and Mountain Views Luxury Appliances & Finishes Central Air & Heating Balconies (Most Units) Basic Cable *All Amenities Under Renovation

RESIDENCES STUDIO • ONE BEDROOM • TWO BEDROOMS PENTHOUSE UNITS • CORPORATE HOUSING

Bar and Commonwealth.

The Walnut Building’s commercial background is apparent throughout the structure. There is exposed brick and concrete pillars rising up in various points. Each loft has polished concrete floors and ceilings up to 15 feet in height. Residences come with an in-unit washer and dryer and Samsung appliances.

Bill Cooper, a Downtown residential broker and founder of the firm DTLA Loft Expert Group, said that the Walnut Building stands out from the recent wave of projects in the Arts District, which have mostly moved away from the live/work design. He said the new building fits into recent openings on Seventh Street.

“The Biscuit and Toy Lofts were their own community for a while; they were cut off,” Cooper said. “But if you look at all the stuff that’s come in since, like markets and restaurants and shops, it’s great for the Walnut Building’s residents.”

Miguel Vargas, executive director with the Arts District Business Improvement District, agreed that the area has recently been seeing more traditional apartments than live/ work projects, but said there is still a market for that type of living, particularly as more creative industries and businesses move into the neighborhood.

Amenities in the Walnut Building are limited. There is a compact gym and a pair of conference rooms, plus a roof deck.

Instead, Hillcrest is seeking to make the property stand out by offering services. There is complimentary monthly housekeeping and car washing in the 90-stall garage, as well as dry cleaning services (done off site, but the clothes are picked up from and returned to residents). Afari said the building will host activations and pop-up events from nearby businesses, such as catered meals from area restaurants or marketplaces set up in the property’s lobby.

Cooper said that as more properties open, a development’s amenities can make it stand out. He thinks the Walnut Building’s focus on services and activations will be an advantage.

Hillcrest is also working on another loft project across the street, at 1800 E. Seventh St. That development, with 122 units, is still in the planning process. nicholas@downtownnews.com