04-07-14

MOCA’s Massive ‘Mike Kelley’ Show | 12 A Dog Park in Danger | 5

APRIL 7, 2014 I VOL. 43 I #14

BROKEN WINGS Will Angels Flight Ever Roll Again?

photo by Gary Leonard

SEE PAGE 6

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Tuesday, April 22, 9am - 3pm

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2 Downtown News

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AROUND TOWN

Metro Charter School Open House This Week

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re you thinking about enrolling your child in Downtown’s still-new charter elementary school? If so, don’t miss Metro Charter Elementary School’s open house, which takes place Tuesday, April 8, at 8:45 p.m. at the school at 320 W. 15th St. The open house will give people a chance to meet with Metro Charter parents and speak with principal Maricela Barragán, as well as tour the facilities. While the enrollment deadline for snagging a lottery spot for the 2014-15 school year was on Friday, Metro Charter Elementary will continue accepting students through the summer and fall to fill any open seats. The school, which this year serves about 100 students in kindergarten to second grade, will add a third grade class in the upcoming school year. Additional information is at metrocharter.org or (213) 377-5708.

Yes, Dog-Friendly Downtown Has a Dog-Friendly 5K

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veryone knows that Downtowners love their dogs. But do they love them enough to run with them? Apparently, they do! The second annual Heart of the City 5K takes place Sunday, April 13, and local runners are encouraged to complete the course with their canine companions. The fundraising event will benefit

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS California Hospital Medical Center, with proceeds going to cover a CT scanner for faster, more detailed imaging with less radiation exposure, and the renovation of the patient care tower’s ninth floor. Registration is $40 for adults and $25 for children under 12; it includes a Tshirt that looks like a scrub top. The event begins at 8 a.m. at the hospital at 1401 S. Grand Ave. Race and registration information is at heartofthecity@kintera.org. Registration is also available at the event starting at 6:30 a.m. on race day.

April 7, 2014

TAKE MY PICTURE GARY LEONARD

Grand Park Concert Kerfuffle Continues

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ill Grand Park be jammed with 50,000 screaming music fans over Labor Day weekend? That’s still up in the air, as are any proposed street closures for the Budweiser Made in America festival. A fracas over the event, which would involve rapper Jay Z, arose when 14th District City Councilman José Huizar complained he had been left out of the planning process that the office of Mayor Eric Garcetti has overseen. The hullabaloo underscores the city’s lack of a coordinated system for street closures, Huizar said. Live Nation is seeking 10 street closures, some for several days, and intends to erect three stages and provide several beer gardens, according to its permit application. Huizar wants to withhold all permits until his office and the community receives more information about the festival. “When you’re talking about a proposed event of this magnitude, with 50,000 expected, multiple-day street closures, beer and for-profit ticket sales at a public park, it is imperative that we have

Bill Clinton & Eric Garcetti

Clinton Global Initiative

an open, inclusive dialogue in ensuring it’s a good fit for the neighborhood and if it is, that concerns are mitigated well in advance,” Huizar wrote in an email to the Downtown News.

Trader Vic’s Leaves, More Sushi Is Coming

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t’s a case of bad news-good news for Downtown diners, with one restaurant leaving, and another arriving. Trader Vic’s at L.A. Live shuttered last week after five years of serving prototypical Mai Tai cocktails and a big menu

City Hall

of South Pacific-themed fusion dishes. Meanwhile, the Historic Core will soon see the debut of the hotly hyped sushi restaurant Kazu-Nori.

The 42-seat restaurant comes from the team behind Sugarfish, and will focus on freshly crafted hand rolls. The restaurant’s design comes from DEX Studio, which has worked on Sugarfish restaurants around the city, and will feature a 150-square-foot outdoor patio. The name is a riff on famed sushi chef Kazunori Nozawa, who thrilled diners at Sushi Nozawa in Universal City for 25 years before shuttering the sushi bar in 2012 and transitioning into a background role for the Sugarfish line of restaurants.

100 year

The Midnight Mission has been providing meals and services to the homeless community every day since 1914.

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Dog-Friendly Race in Downtown LA | Sunday, April 13

to get involved to start fresh to volunteer to accept help

to come home.

HEART OF THE CITY 5K RUN/WALK is designed to raise funds for California Hospital Medical Center (CHMC), which has been serving downtown as an essential community health and public safety resource for 126 years.

Racers are invited to bring their dogs along to be part of the fun. The course is flat and will begin and end at CHMC, traveling up and down Grand Avenue, 11th and Figueroa. The festivities will feature an expo, health information, and even a doggie costume contest.

Are you a local businesses? Compete in our Corporate Cup! Team members with the fastest time will win a trophy (and bragging rights). Challenge other companies in your industry to sign up and compete with you for the top prize!

Register at : heartofthecity.kintera.org

Find out more at midnightmission.org/100 or call 213.624.4106

April 7, 2014

Downtown News 3

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

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4 Downtown News

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EDITORIALS

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

April 7, 2014

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

A Bigger, Better State Park

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ometimes, disappointment and joy come wrapped together. That’s the case on the edge of Chinatown, where Los Angeles State Historic Park just closed. The attraction that has lured visitors from other parts of Downtown and beyond will be off limits until about this time in 2015.

While that is bad news for people who come to the park to picnic, play and jog along the approximately mile-long dirt path, ultimately it will be good news for the entirety of Los Angeles. That’s because the park is undergoing a year-long, approximately $20 million renovation. When finished, it will add some much-needed amenities; it should emerge better than before.

The California State Parks Department, which operates the 34-acre attraction, gets immense credit for getting the project to this point, and officials there will deserve even more praise if things come off as planned (there’s no reason to expect they won’t, though as always, don’t be surprised if construction takes longer than expected). That’s because it would have been easy to leave the park as is. It is also because, just a few years ago, California endured a severe budget crisis, and parks throughout the state were at risk of closure. Although LASHP was never in imminent danger, one could have foreseen any local park funds being swallowed up and rededicated.

The site has an interesting history. It was long known as the Cornfield, for the corn that once grew there after seed spilled out from freight trains traveling through the whale-shaped site. It was used occasionally for films (a quarter-mile long faux New York City subway was constructed there for the 1995 movie Money Train), though early this millennium its future looked grim — a developer wanted to use the land for industrial purposes.

Things changed in 2005 when artist Lauren Bon secured the property and used it for a year-long art/ agricultural project called Not a Cornfield. Once that ended, Bon left the lights, irrigation and other infrastructure behind and the Parks Department took over.

Although only about one-third of the property was generally used by the public, it has been a pleasant attraction and often a wonderful escape from the bustle of Downtown.

Before the recession the state was exploring a much more expansive renovation. That never happened, and this is another place where plans could have died. It took vision and forcefulness from Parks Department leaders to secure the money for an upgrade and come up with a plan to reinvent the space.

While losing the park for a year is disappointing, that feeling is tempered by knowing that the attraction will gain amenities including permanent restrooms and dedicated parking. There will be large meadows, a children’s play area and places for the community to gather for events such as farmers markets and festivals.

Some hoped that portions of the park could stay open during construction, though State Parks staffers said that would have extended the work period and added costs. That’s a give-and-take we can live with, particularly since Downtown now has other green spaces to gather and play.

Still, we’re looking forward to the next phase of Los Angeles State Historic Park. It is primed to be a very important part of the future of the community.

Keep Pushing the Figueroa Bikeway Plan

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veryone likes to talk about a disagreement ending in a “winwin,” but frequently that’s just code for a result that leaves a lot of people disappointed over the compromises all sides are forced to take. While we are not certain that the debate concerning a proposed effort to improve bicycle and pedestrian access on Figueroa Street will end up an actual “win-win,” we now see the possibility of that occurring — and hopefully even a “win-winwin” if the question of vehicle access to businesses can be worked out.

That scenario makes this a crucial time for the MyFigueroa project. We hope that the sides that have come to the bargaining table will continue to engage in a good-faith dialogue, and that the government entities that have helped grease the wheels of conversation — the offices of Mayor Eric Garcetti and councilmembers Curren Price and José Huizar convened a nearly four-hour meeting with key stakeholders on the topic on March 21 — remain fully invested. The opportunity to find a solution that prepares a major street for the future is within reach. It is worth doing what is necessary to get shovels in the ground.

Los Angeles Downtown News last week reported on the advancement of negotiations for MyFigueroa. The $20 million effort funded by a state Proposition 1C grant for transportation investment would stretch between the Financial District and Exposition Park. To simplify, it would reduce the seven current traffic lanes to four, with a fifth lane for turns or a median. Two protected lanes would primarily serve cyclists.

Those in support of the plan to remake the Figueroa Corridor point to the environmental and other benefits. Creating northbound and southbound bicycle lanes, they note, will spur some people to get out of their cars and pedal instead; unlike painted lines, actual concrete dividers provide a real barrier for riders, and keep them out of the path of speeding vehicles and a bit away from spewing exhaust.

The proposal would also create bus platforms. New greenery would beautify what is at best a mediocre-looking streetscape.

While it is easy to get behind the environmental benefits, there are real-world concerns. Angelenos who are far too familiar with snail-like commutes have a tendency to think that eliminating au-

tomobile space from a heavily used corridor will squeeze more cars into fewer lanes and worsen congestion, and they are not wrong.

While supporting the MyFigueroa improvements, the city Department of Transportation report does acknowledge “some additional travel delay.” Business owners along the route fear that a loss of lanes would make it harder to attract or serve customers.

Those concerns rose to the forefront in August. Although the bicycle advocacy community strongly supported the effort, the project worried stakeholders including the Shammas Group, which owns a string of car dealerships along the Figueroa Corridor. They launched a legal challenge. The situation also caught the ear of newly elected Ninth District City Councilman Price, who sought to slow the momentum. One proposal aired was pulling the southbound bike lane off Figueroa Street and moving it a block east to Flower Street.

Although there may be a temptation to cast this as a case of bike power versus business interests, it is not that way at all. The corridor’s business community has been a key part of MyFigueroa ever since the plan was broached, and helped get funding for the effort.

It also doesn’t make sense from a city perspective to hamper business, which contributes heavily to tax coffers.

Although no one has signed off on an agreement, the progress achieved so far is notable. Right now, the plan involves keeping both the northbound and southbound bicycle lanes on Figueroa.

Additionally, the proposal would ensure that entry and exit points to the car dealerships remain free from traffic tie-ups. The same standard should exist for all businesses along the route.

Not everything has been resolved, and as of two weeks ago the Shammas Group had not withdrawn its appeal of My Figueroa.

Still, an attorney indicated that could happen if some remaining concerns are addressed.

Sometimes the final hurdles are the hardest to get over, and it would be unfortunate if the progress achieved so far cannot be built upon. That is why it makes sense to work harder than ever.

Despite some projected travel delays, always a teeth-gritting experience, in the end MyFigueroa could be an important step for a growing city. It is worth doing what is necessary to satisfy all sides and get to the “win-win-win.”

April 7, 2014

Downtown News 5

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

It’s Rough Times, Not Ruff Times, At Arts District Dog Park Formerly Free Facility Now Charges, and Few Are Showing Up

By Donna Evans here aren’t many wagging tails whipping about the Arts District Dog Park these days.

Three weeks ago, the gate to the pooch playground at Molino and Fourth streets was permanently locked. A note written by a member of the Los Angeles River Artists and Business Association, which operates the park, stated that running the facility is a “costly endeavor.” It added that pet owners could gain access to the park by buying a key — $60 for six months.

While the pay-per-use request may remind people that they shouldn’t take things for granted, area inhabitants worry that the obligatory charge will dissuade folks from using the 6,000-square-foot park, and ultimately will cause it to close.

“There used to be a significant number of people who would come to the park,” said Doug Yager, a daily park visitor who lives at the base of the Fourth Street Bridge in Boyle Heights. “Now, it’s sad. Gaston just lays there and hopes for another dog to show up,” he said of his 3-year-old English bulldog.

LARABA secretary Jonathan Jerald said although the volunteer organization was instrumental in creating the park in 2010, it never intended to assume all the property taxes, electricity, water and other maintenance costs, which

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run about $4,000 a year, or 15% of LARABA’s operating budget. The former Arts District Business Improvement District opened and closed the park each day, as well as emptied the trash, but LARABA still continued to cover the costs.

When the BID was disbanded last May, LARABA stepped in on the operational front, too. Jerald said that it is no longer financially feasible for them to operate the park and the organization, which uses the bulk of its budget on running a weekly farmers market. LARABA came up with the buy-a-key idea to shift some of the financial burden to the people who use it. Still, LARABA would continue to pay for part of the park, he said.

Keys can be purchased at the Corner Store on Traction Avenue. So far, seven keys have been purchased.

A new Arts District BID is scheduled to be operational by June. Though board member Dilip Bhavnani said running the park is on the list of to-dos, the BID will at first focus on “more pressing matters” such as returning clean and safe programs to the streets. The board will look at operating the park once funding starts rolling in, Bhavnani said.

This leaves area stakeholders in doubt. Heath Satow, a sculptor who created the Arts District Dog Park sign, has been regularly coming to the park with his 90-pound pitbull-mix Timber for the last two years. As the pooch learned to

photo by Donna Evans

The Arts District Dog Park, typically awhirl with wagging tails and canine companions, is all but deserted most days since its operator began charging a fee to use the facility. People can buy a key which gets them access to the site at Fourth and Molino streets.

socialize with other dogs, Satow also saw people meet their neighbors. He recalled that one time two people who live on opposite sides of the same wall in a nearby loft began their first conversation.

Satow occasionally pops by the park, only to find it empty. He fears that the new fee will keep people away, leaving the park deserted and potentially leading to its demise.

“People walk their dogs through the neighborhood, contributing to area businesses, to get to that park. It’s a worthwhile investment on the part of LARABA,” he said.

More promotion of the park might help, said Arts District resident Heather Strong, who has helped open and close the park since the BID

shut down. She also organized volunteers for various tasks to keep the park functioning last summer. Strong’s terrier-mix Lizzy loves the park, she said, noting the area affords a bonding time for people and their pets. Strong said she’d be willing to help fundraise and look for solutions to keep the park open.

“It would be a shame to close this, but it’s kind of like it’s closed now. The gate’s locked and that’s not very inviting for outsiders or insiders,” she said.

The sign affixed to the gate encourages anyone with questions to attend the next LARABA meeting, which will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 7, at Art Share, 801 E. Fourth Place. donna@downtownnews.com

At Walt Disney Concert Hall James Conlon, guest conductor Menahem Pressler, piano April 27, 2014 6:30 pm MOZART Piano Concerto No. 17 in G major, K. 453 ZEMLINSKY Die Seejungfrau (The Mermaid)

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6 Downtown News

April 7, 2014

Will Angels Flight Ever Roll Again?

Angels Flight has been shuttered since a derailment last September.

Regulators want to see an evacuation walkway built and taller end-gates on the cars installed before it reopens.

Issues That Caused September Derailment Are Resolved, But Regulators Want Other Improvements Before Operations Resume

By Eddie Kim n a recent Friday afternoon, streams of Bunker Hill workers and a smattering of tourists descended from California Plaza down to Hill Street, navigating a steep flight of narrow stairs — all 153 of them.

A year ago at least some of those trekkers would have taken a quick ride on Angels Flight, the historic railway that connects Bunker Hill and the Historic Core. Yet the funicular has not carried passengers since it derailed on Sept 5.

Although there were no injuries — unlike in a fatal 2001 accident —the incident and consequent investigations revealed a litany of mechanical, electrical and human errors, including the infamous use of a tree branch to override a start/stop safety feature.

While those issues have been addressed by the Angels Flight Railway Foundation, the nonprofit that operates and manages the funicular, two sticking points remain. Until these are resolved, the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates railways and other public utilities, and the National Transportation Safety Board, an investigative agency that issued a harsh report in October on the funicular’s operations, will not allow Angels Flight to reopen.

The CPUC and NTSB want to see the creation of a track-adjacent walkway for use in future evacuations. They also want to see the installation of end-gates on the rail cars that are tall enough (per NTSB recommendations) to pre-

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vent a passenger from being ejected in the event of a sudden stop.

Foundation President John Welborne contends that important mechanical and electrical systems have been revamped and that the railway is ready to operate safely. He pointed to the hiring of two independent engineers to review changes to the funicular safety system and the management process.

“We and outside experts have been looking at the two remaining issues since the CPUC gave credence to the recommendations in the October NTSB report,” Welborne said. “Angels Flight will be up and running safely as soon as we address those recommendations.”

However, he would not give a timeframe of when that may happen.

The delay is a concern to area residents and workers, but the greatest priority is ensuring that accidents don’t happen again, said 14th District City Councilman José Huizar.

“While I’m as frustrated as anybody about the non-operation of Angels Flight, the public’s safety remains my main concern,” Huizar said in an email to Downtown News. “If more needs to be done to ensure that safety, then so be it.

I would hope that this could be rectified in a timely manner.”

‘Pigeon Excrement’ The actual cause of the derailment on Sept.

5 was a redundant track brake system that engaged after losing power, which it was de-

photo by Gary Leonard

signed to do. Power to the system came from a third rail underneath the car, which was grounded by a wire brush. Grease had built up on the brush, blocking the flow of electricity.

That track brake system has been replaced with a “fail-safe” carrier rope brake. The CPUC and NTSB participated in the testing of that system, which they have deemed satisfactory, according to the CPUC. Welborne said other shortfalls have been addressed, including abnormal rail and wheel wear, as part of the Angels Flight Railway Foundation’s 15-point Corrective Action Plan. That was created in September with input from the CPUC, he said.

Still, questions remain. Though unrelated to the derailment, the investigation found that the funicular had been stopping intermittently because of an unidentified electrical problem, and that Angels Flight operators overrode the electronic system by depressing the start/stop button with a tree branch so that it would run without pauses. That issue was highlighted in the NTSB report, which also criticized senior Angels Flight officials for knowing about the

branch for months before it came to light.

Welborne now says that the cause of the start/ stop problem was faulty wiring that was damaged by “pigeon excrement.” The system has been fixed and approved by the CPUC, he added.

Welborne also maintains that despite the derailment and a 2010 month-long closure related to an open end-gate observed by a CPUC inspector, Angels Flight is a safe system.

“Some of this stuff, like the tree branch, is human nature. If a problem cannot be identified, there is pressure to keep operating as long as it isn’t dangerous,” Welborne said. “It was the operators’ idea to use the branch, and we don’t defend it at this point. But we don’t believe we were operating unsafely.”

Welborne has backing in his assertion. Greg Bryant and Ben Sheldon, engineers with experience in the theme park industry, were hired by the foundation to oversee efforts after the Sept. 5 derailment. In their report on behalf of the McLaren Engineering Group, they found that the nonprofit is doing everything possible Continued on page 8

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Downtown News 7

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8 Downtown News

ANGELS FLIGHT, 6 to fix the funicular.

“In addition to our visit, our review of the documentation we requested confirms to us that the management, mechanics, consultants and vendors have been, and are, competently addressing the safety and operational issues at the Railway,” the report stated.

The biggest issue that Bryant noticed was the ineffectiveness of the control system in accurately reporting maintenance issues and showing a way to fix it, as evidenced by the tree-branch incident, he said in an interview.

Otherwise, he believes the system is ready to operate, even without taller end-gates and the evacuation walkway.

“Mechanically, if this was a theme park ride

operating on theme-park safety standards, it would already be open,” he said.

Final Steps Part of what has sparked public concern is the previous accident. The current iteration of Angels Flight opened in 1996. Five years later, a problem with the gear and drive system caused one car to roll down the tracks and slam into the other, killing one man and injuring seven other people. Angels Flight remained closed for nine years as fixes were made and legal cases were settled.

That past record also sparks questions as to when the funicular will be allowed to resume operations. Despite the fixes to the direct cause of the derailment, the CPUC has indicated no cars will roll until the evacuation walkway and end-gates are addressed.

April 7, 2014

“Angels Flight cars have been operating in test mode for several hours per day, but are essentially unable to reopen without having dealt with the NTSB recommendations on the walkway and end-gates,” the CPUC said in a statement to Downtown News. “We understand that Angels Flight is working with engineers to develop a walkway proposal. No further information has been supplied by Angels Flight relative to the passenger containment issues resulting from the current end-gate design.”

While he confirmed that the foundation is exploring designs for a walkway and updated end-gates, Welborne fiercely argues that these features are not necessary to keep the system running safely.

Whether the Angels Flight Railway Foundation will continue to maintain and operate

the funicular indefinitely is also unclear. The nonprofit has a long-term lease on the railway from the city, but Welborne said that the original idea was for the nonprofit to help fund the project and support it behind the scenes, not run it day-to-day.

No matter what, Welborne wants the railway to stay in the private sector and rejects calls for government intervention in operating it.

“Our goal remains to have Angels Flight running safely and transition day-to-day operations to a successor,” he said. “It’s honestly not a pleasure to have to deal with this, but who would we even turn the keys over to even if I wanted to quit?”

Of course, that question doesn’t have to be answered as long as Angels Flight remains closed. eddie@downtownnews.com

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April 7, 2014

Downtown News 9

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Art Walk Wrongful Death Lawsuit Settled Parents of Infant Killed During 2011 Event Receive $500,000 From City

By Donna Evans epresentatives of the city and the Downtown Art Walk have reached a settlement with the family of the 2-month-old boy who was killed when a car jumped the curb and careened into a crowded sidewalk nearly three years ago.

On March 19, the City Council voted to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the parents of Marcello Vasquez for $500,000. The family sought damages for dangerous condition of public property, negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

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Whether you’re at the Music Center for a matinee or strolling through Grand Park just steps away, enjoy brunch à La Rive Gauche with patio seating available (for your friendly, little dog too!).

LES OEUF S & ENTREES FA R MER’S M A R K ET BR EA K FAST Poached Chino Valley eggs, rosemary roasted Yukon Gold potatoes, Bloomsdale spinach, grilled asparagus, pickled fennel, Toy Box tomato salad 13 OEUFS EN COCOTTE FOR T WO Four baked Chino Valley eggs, applewood smoked bacon, Parmesan fondue, Bloomsdale spinach, wild mushrooms, Yukon Gold potatoes 21

photo by Gary Leonard

The memorial near Fourth and Spring streets shortly after a 2-month-old boy was killed by a car during the July 2011 Art Walk. A plaque in honor of Marcello Vasquez will be placed in Downtown.

The incident occurred after dark on July 14, 2011. Tyrell Chandler was trying to parallel park a Cadillac DeVille on Spring near Fourth Street. With sidewalks packed by attendees, Chandler rolled up over the curb, struck a parking meter, hit two pedestrians and rammed into Vasquez’ stroller.

Art Walk Executive Director Qathryn Brehm would not say how much the organization will pay the family as part of the settlement.

“Art Walk does not believe it was in any way responsible for the accident which was caused by a third party, but agreed to honor this settlement in an effort to resolve the case and move forward,” the organization wrote Thursday in a prepared statement. “We are pleased that the parties were able to find a way to come together on a mutual resolution that was acceptable to all involved.”

Chandler, who did not have a driver’s license at the time of the accident, pled guilty to reckless driving causing great bodily injury in April 2012, said LAPD Det. Felix Padilla. Chandler received three years probation and was ordered to pay restitution to the family.

Jonathan Dennis of Rosen Saba, the law firm that represented Jimmy and Natasha Vasquez, Marcello’s parents, said, “It was an unfortunate accident but the family is happy the city has resolved the case.”

Following the accident, Art Walk took steps to thin out some of the largest crowds and most clogged sidewalks. One action involved moving all food trucks to a parking lot at Third and Spring streets.

As part of the settlement, Art Walk will provide a plaque that will honor the memory of baby Marcello. It could go in a park, according to Art Walk, and the Spring Street Park is close to where the accident occurred. According to the Art Walk statement, the city and the child’s parents will help determine what the plaque says.

The next Art Walk is this Thursday, April 10. donna@downtownnews.com

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April 7, 2014 photo by Gary Leonard

Sweet Smells, and a Little Something Sour Downtown Breakfast Club Honors Local Projects and Zings a Central City Holdout

By Donna Evans or 34 years, a group of Downtown stakeholders has honored pivotal projects with Rose awards, while doling out its dreaded Lemon to sources of civic disappointment.

This year’s recipient of the sour citrus is a business that has repeatedly ignored the Central City’s call. On the morning of Thursday, April 3, thunderous applause echoed through the Millennium Biltmore Hotel as Downtown Breakfast Club member Hal Bastian lemonized Trader Joe’s for failing to put down stakes in an area of 50,000 urban residents.

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“You should have been here a long time ago, but you can redeem yourself by opening — I’ve got five different sites [where] I can put you today,” said Bastian, who also serves as executive vice president and director of economic development for the Downtown Center Business Improvement District.

It wasn’t all sour news at the Roses and Lemon Awards. Another market won a Rose: Urban Radish, which opened last July at 661 Imperial St. in the Arts District, captured a prize in the Urban Essentials category. The $1.7 million project brought upscale grocery goods and 25

jobs into the neighborhood.

“People want a market that caters to an urban environment,” Urban Radish co-owner Carolyn Paxton said after receiving the award.

Two housing developments received Roses.

The Home Sweet Home award went to the Star Apartments, Skid Row Housing Trust’s stunning $21 million project designed by architect Michael Maltzan that opened in November. The building, which has a suite of amenities including onsite counseling and a vegetable garden, is the first low-income project in Downtown to be designed with prefabricated construction.

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Dana Trujillo and Mike Alvidrez of Skid Row Housing Trust accepted the prize for the Star Apartments at the Downtown Breakfast Club’s Roses and Lemon Awards.

A Rose for Market Rate Housing went to 1111 Wilshire, a City West development from Vancouver, Wash.-based Holland Partner Group. Move-ins at the $60 million, seven-story building began in March 2013.

In the Eat, Drink, Repeat category, Historic Core wine bar The Must took the Rose for Neighborhood Eatery, while the Downtown Breakfast Club honored Terroni as a Destination Restaurant. It was a sweet comeback for Must co-owners Coly Den Haan and Rachel Thomas. They originally opened in 2008, but closed two years later following a bizarre property dispute. They brought a new, larger version of their bar, which is already popular among locals, to 117 Winston St. in the Old Bank District last December.

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Downtown News 11

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Tom Warren and Brook Purcell received the prize for 1111 Wilshire.

Carolyn Paxton of Urban Radish won the Urban Essentials Rose.

The Must co-owners Coly Den Haan (left) and Rachel Thomas received the Neighborhood Eatery Rose.

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category Downtown’s Rose Garden. Honored for their ingenuity coupled with necessity were the Metro Charter and Ninth Street elementary schools, the Spring Street Parklets program and Grand Park, which stages numerous free community events, including well-attended Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Back to the bitter fruit, Jim White, sporting a lemon boutonniere and bright yellow pants, riffed alongside Bastian. Before handing out the Lemon, they offered commentary as a slideshow of Downtown problem spots flashed. Shown were trashstrewn sidewalks in Skid Row, darkened street lights and a police officer writing a jaywalking ticket to someone who made the expensive, illegal mistake of stepping off the curb after the countdown clock had begun.

Then came the big “prize,” and the zapping of the supermarket that has avoided Downtown even as Ralph’s, Target, WalMart, Smart & Final and Whole Foods have either opened or announced plans for the area.

A Trader Joe’s representative declined to comment. donna@downtownnews.com

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DT

April 7, 2014 photos courtesy Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts

12 Downtown News

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attack MOCA’s ‘Mike Kelley’ Takes a Twisted Disneyland Trip Through The Mind of the Late Artist

The MOCA retrospective Mike Kelley features more than 250 works by the late Los Angeles-based artist. Pieces on display include the felt banners “Animal Self” and “Friend of the Animals” (above) and “Switching Marys,” which contains video projection.

By Kirk Silsbee n 2012, MOCA delivered a taste of the life and work of the exceptionally prolific and influential artist Mike Kelley (1954-2012).

The show, in the museum’s Grand Avenue location, was almost a reflexive response to his death, by suicide, at his Pasadena home. A modest and random grouping, it was quickly assembled and drawn largely from the museum’s permanent collection.

MOCA’s staff at the time assured that something bigger would be coming. The museum’s recent executive and financial imbroglios and

I

shakeups cast some doubt on that promise, and the intrigue only added to the anticipation.

The museum’s Little Tokyo annex currently houses Mike Kelley, the largest Kelley retrospective ever, culled from collections worldwide. The show debuted at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, then landed in the Stedeliik Museum of Amsterdam, and stopped in Paris before coming to Downtown Los Angeles. According to organizers, it took on new work at each juncture.

Kelley’s career is inextricably linked to MOCA. He appeared in the museum’s First Show: Paintings and Sculpture From Eight Collections 1940-

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els, rooms and installations evoke the air of a 1983, and in 2004 curated Street Credibility, the theme park. But it’s a dark, uncomfortable, alsublime grouping of photographs by Diane Armost sinister Disneyland that Kelley depicted. bus and her contemporaries. Kelley and MOCA He was hard on America and he was hard on is a convenient pairing because no other inhimself. A Cibachome lineup of sock animal stitution in town could adequately contain mug shots includes a dour one of the artist, as the collection; to call it sprawling understates though he’s guilty of unknown crimes. So prevthe girth and depth of the exhibition. Certainalent are the childhood objects, themes and ly there have been smaller trade shows at the depictions that processing his youth must have Convention Center.

Born in Detroit, Kelley relocated to Los Angeles been a lifetime obsession.

Fabric dolls are one of Kelley’s recurring in the mid 1970s, where he remained for the rest forms; they may be cute and cuddly, but the of his life. He was part of the L.A. punk scene and copulating sewn figures of “Estral Star #3” helped found the band Destroy All Monsters.

(1985) suggests dark junctures. There are His years at Cal Arts were profoundly meaningenough recessed currents of pedophilia, early ful, particularly his studies with conceptual guru sexualization and conflicted Oedipal feelings John Baldessari. Indeed, Kelley’s work is quintesto make for a very uneasy viewing. A video sentially emblematic of the Cal Arts ’70s experiof4a little blond boy in a barbershop shows a ence; you couldn’t imagine theNow totality of these Playing/Starts Apr couple of snickering barbers with something pieces coming out of Otis, UCLA, Art Center or in mind other than a trim of the curls. Vaguely any of the local state universities. homoerotic ink drawings of monkeys that emKelley challenged society on almost every phasize their backsides take on a clinical look conceivable societal norm and expectation, and he did so in a bewildering variety of media: amid graphs and diagrams. It doesn’t appear as though Kelley took much joy in anything. sculptures, assemblages, drawings, paintings, “Animal Self” and “Friend of the Animals” videos, performances, photography and instal(1987), felt banners of the kind a kid might lations. He appropriated elements and motifs make at summer camp, look like a personal from popular culture, modernism and renecoat of arms. The pink-skinned central figure gade forms of expression. of the former has a snake running the length Walking through the massive exhibition, of his body, as a menagerie of heads peek out with more than 250 pieces, is probably as close from behind him like so many Hindu deities. as we can get to tramping through Kelley’s mind, and the different areas, levContinued on page 14

Now Playing/Starts Apr 11

April 7, 2014

Downtown News 13

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Giving Downtown the Business Speaker Series Brings Brilliant Minds to Downtown

By Eddie Kim rchitecture firm Gensler refers to its space at 500 S. Figueroa St. as the “Jewel Box,” and it’s easy to see why. Tucked between the twin 52-story skyscrapers of City National Plaza, the glass structure seems to glitter in the light.

It’s not just Gensler employees who get to enjoy the space. Several mornings a month, people from Downtown and beyond show up to hear some thought-provoking business minds speak. This week is particularly busy, with Twitter co-founder Biz Stone appearing on Thursday, April 10, and Moneyball and The Blind Side author Michael Lewis arriving the next morning. Pixar co-founder and President Ed Catmull speaks on April 16.

The events are part of the Live Talks Business Forums, created by Ted Habte-Gabr. More than anything, Habte-Gabr, who previously produced events for entities including the Library Foundation and the Drucker School of Management, was inspired by a lack of serious morning events where people could hear from experts, engage in business issues and network with like-minded peers.

“I didn’t want the focus to be on a roast chicken lunch,” he joked. “I wanted smart people onstage, smart people in the audience, an opportunity to connect with each other and be back in the office by 9:30.”

Habte-Gabr launched the arts- and culturefocused Live Talks series, which holds events around Los Angeles, in 2010, and created the

photo by Tabitha Soren

photo courtesy Biz Stone

photo by Deborah Coleman

A

The Live Talks Business Forums brings high-profile figures to the architecture firm Gensler’s Downtown headquarters. Upcoming speakers are (l to r) Twitter founder Biz Stone (April 10), Pixar President Ed Catmull (April 11) and Moneyball author Michael Lewis (April 16).

business-oriented offshoot a year later. The forums start at 7:45 a.m. and cost $20 (including a continental breakfast). Speakers have included Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, Whole Foods CEO John Mackey, Nobel Laureate in Economics Daniel Kahneman and author Malcolm Gladwell.

While the speakers vary wildly, each brings a take on progressive themes such as social entrepreneurship, innovation and business ethics, Habte-Gabr said. Speakers are also usually promoting a book or another product, as with

Stone’s Things a Little Bird Told Me and Catmull’s upcoming Creativity, Inc., which explores why and how Pixar became a cutting-edge leader in animation and entertainment.

Despite some thematic similarities, however, each guest requires a slightly different approach when crafting an event. Sometimes, the personality has enough name recognition to warrant attention, as with Twitter’s Stone.

Other times, the event seeks to address pressing questions and concerns through an expert who might not be a household name.

“In June, we’ll have Aneesh Chopra, whom most people wouldn’t know,” Habte-Gabr said. “But he’s the first chief technology officer to work in the White House, and he’s talking about innovation in government, which is so significant.”

No Boundaries Almost as important as the speaker is the venue. Practically speaking, Gensler’s first-floor atrium provides flexibility, as it can accommodate anywhere from a couple dozen people to more Continued on page 15

JohnAdams Special performanceS Conducts members of The Colburn Orchestra

Wednesday April 16, 8 pm Zipper Hall

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TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

14 Downtown News

MOCA, 12 Then there’s “Framed and Frame,” where a large cement mound nestles smiling Chinese figures and buckets for tossed coins. But circle around the dry fountain and glimpse the glow of the secret compartment with a mattress ready for action. At the top of the structure is a Catholic icon presiding over it all. Kelley also evidently wrestled with Catholic doctrine; the video projections in “Switching Marys” (2004) juxtapose Disney-like good and bad girls.

Some of the installations are worthy of Disney. A darkly lit section uses large video screens of evil-looking trolls in dungeon settings with ominous recorded sound to set the mood. Impressive machete displays of futuristic cities with phallic minarets and spires, made

NOC L E S D U ES

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of colored resin and lit from inside, glow with optimism. Is this the bunker of a mad scientist with global designs?

Some artists have to reorder or reimagine the world through their work to suit their visions, and Kelley had a lifetime of beefs with America that he had to air. He was rewarded with as much prestige as the art world can bestow — critical approbation, collectability, frequent shows and teaching positions.

In the end, it apparently wasn’t good enough for him.

Mike Kelley is at MOCA, 250 S. Grand Ave., and the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, 152 N. Central Ave., through July 28. Open 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

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Kelley frequently used stuffed animals in his work, and inserted himself in a set of mug shots of the creatures.

photo courtesy Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts

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than 150. The sleek, creative-office feel also sets the tone for the forums better than, say, a dull hotel ballroom, Habte-Gabr noted. The lack of boundaries (such as a big stage) between speakers and audience members helps the events seem more intimate.

“One of the beauties of doing this at Gensler is that speakers or interviewers can look into the eyes of the people in the front row and can engage based on audience reactions,” he said.

The choice of venue benefits Gensler, too. The events have introduced the company and its space to people unfamiliar with the firm, Managing Principal Rob Jernigan said, not to mention that employees enjoy listening to distinguished speakers. Another upside is that the Business Forums activate the space before office hours, giving the building life when it would otherwise remain unused.

“Can a private office be a public space? That’s the premise,” Jernigan said. “We recognize that it’s important to figure out utilization of a space outside of office hours. It’s a sort of gift we can bring to the community.”

A lack of public interactivity was one of the downsides of Gensler’s 20-year stay in Santa Monica, and outreach became a priority when the firm began brainstorming for the “next version of the company” before its move to Downtown, said Leslie Grant, regional marketing director at Gensler. The firm arrived in the Central City in 2011.

“It was important to everyone that we connected and got involved in the community,” she said. “Santa Monica was a lovely place to be, but we weren’t connected beyond our own world and office.”

That concern has been remedied in Downtown, and HabteGabr is eyeing ways to expand. He’s considering evening events or branching out to another part of town. A more immediate goal is to live-stream the Downtown Forums on the Internet.

It’s a lot of work considering that Habte-Gabr pretty much runs the show alone, with neither an office nor a full-time Live Talks staff. Still, people are showing up, and as long as that happens, Habte-Gabr plans to keep doing what he does best: give Downtowners the business.

Tickets and information for the Live Talks Business Forums are at livetalksbusiness.com. eddie@downtownnews.com

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E H T ON'T D S S I M LIST

EVENTS

Wednesday, april 9 Lorrie Moore at Aloud Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org.

7:15 p.m.: Short form fictionist Lorrie Moore shares her latest story collection. She’ll appear with playwright Brighde Mullins.

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Thursday, april 10 Biz Stone at Live Talks Business Forum Gensler, 500 S. Figueroa St. or livetalksbusiness.com.

7:45 a.m.: Guests will enjoy a continental breakfast as Twitter co-creator Biz Stone discusses his book Things A Little Bird Told Me: Confessions of a Creative Mind. No word yet as to whether or not Stone will acknowledge his role in destroying the English language.

Walter Kirn at Aloud Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org.

7:15 p.m.: In what seems like a wholly engaging yet grossly convoluted premise, tonight’s guest is writer Walter Kirn, whose new book delves into how he was once fooled into believing the lies of a bad dude pretending to be a Rockefeller.

Nerdy, Wordy and Dirty Bootleg Theatre, 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org.

8 p.m.: The L.A. Times Festival of Books weekend kicks off with live readings, comedy, booze and a bit of music from the Nervous Breakdown, the Rumpus and Hot Dish.

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Friday, april 11 Michael Lewis at Live Talks Business Forum Gensler, 500 S. Figueroa St. or livetalksbusiness.com.

7:45 a.m.: The author of The Blind Side and Moneyball is back, this time focusing on big-bucks financial shenanigans. Lewis will tout his Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt while folks eat breakfast.

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saTurday, april 12 L.A. Times Festival of Books USC Campus or events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks.

April 12-13: A variety of vendors, lectures and people watching as the last of the literate converge to celebrate the beauty of the written word.

MOCA Teen Night 2014 MOCA, 250 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-1745 or moca.org.

7 p.m.: Shockingly this isn’t an adept attempt by corporate coffee chains to get adolescents hooked on caffeine. Instead, it’s an evening for teens at our local contemporary museum in which our city’s youth is encouraged to participate in “Let’s Talk About Disobeying.”

What does the phrase “Barry Manilow musical” do for you? Before you answer, let’s just clarify that the music to the Ahmanson Theatre’s Harmony was indeed written by Manilow, but does not include terrifying classics in the vein of “Copacabana.” Manilow’s songs are one of the highlights in the musical centered around a proto-boy band blowing up the cultural scene in 1920s Germany. As with any story set in Weimar Germany, it’s not a spoiler alert to tell you that there is no fairytale ending. This is the last week for the show based on the true tale of the Comedian Harmonists.

Performances are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 8 p.m., Thursday and Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and finally Sunday at 1 p.m. At 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org.

FIVE photo by Geoff Glass

4

photo by Craig Schwartz

With his last name and iconic dreads, Ziggy Marley could only be the son of one person. No, not Jacob Marley, the miserly apparition from Dickens’ Christmas Carol. It’s Bob Marley, the long-deceased lion of reggae music, of course. On Tuesday, April 8, Club Nokia welcomes Ziggy and his merry band of backing musicians, the Melody Makers. They’ll be playing reggae cuts loaded with the classical flare of the Marley family’s famous patriarch along with bits of contemporary goodness. If you smell something sticky sweet in the venue, it’s probably just patchouli. Tickets were still available at press time. At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or clubnokia.com. photo by Gary Leonard

sunday, april 13 The 46th Magic Castle Awards Orpheum Theatre, 842 Broadway, (877) 677-4386 or laorpheum.com.

7 p.m.: The world of illusion will be commemorated by the Academy of Magical Arts. Rabbits and doves must be properly stowed within felt top hats.

MTV Movie Awards Nokia Theatre, 777 Chick Hearn Court, (213) 763-6030 or nokiatheatrelalive.com.

6 p.m.: Incapable of formulating your own thoughts about the derivative medley of films that passes as cinema these days?

Check out this tastemaker program hosted by Conan O’Brien to find out how you really should feel.

Few people in the world have had a more profound influence on modern dance than Paul Taylor. The 83-year-old choreographer pulls powerful performances out of his dancers and elicits ever-polarized responses from those who take in the shows. On Friday-Sunday, April 11-13, the Paul Taylor Dance Company drops by the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for the first time in 10 years. The three shows, under the title Love, War and Bugs, highlight a range of topics; the most interesting may be the “war” segment, explored in the piece “Banquet of Vultures” (shown here) with music by minimalist composer Morton Feldman. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. At 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-7211 or musiccenter.org.

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CALENDAR LISTINGS

April 7, 2014

photo by Tom Ca

16 Downtown News

ROCK, POP & JAZZ Belasco 1050 S. Hill St., (213) 746-5670 or thebelascotheater.com.

April 11, 8 p.m.: When security boots you out of tonight’s Ice Cube show for acting the fool, blame your conduct on gangsta rap. Ice will love it.

Blue Whale 123 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka St., (213) 620-0908 or bluewhalemusic.com.

April 7: New Rothenberg, Alex Cline, Marty Ehrlich and G.E. Stinson.

April 8: Bobby West, Roberto Miranda and Fritz Wise.

April 9: Josh Nelson with Sara Gazarek and Vardan Ovsepian

Another second Thursday of the month is upon us, and with it comes the Downtown Art Walk. Beyond the typical cavalcade of fringe religious groups, party hearty bros and flustered art seekers, the CB1 gallery on April 10 will feature the geometric minimalism of New York’s Emily Davis Adams, and artist Robert Reynolds will again be showing off his fanciful flight machine. Per usual, the LAPD will be offering free rides (to jail) for those too intoxicated to drive, so pass the word to your out-of-town friends: mass transit is your friend. In the Historic Core, (213) 617-4949 or downtownartwalk.org.

Do you enjoy philanthropy? Does chamber music tickle your fancy? Are you a fan of violinist Sarah Chang? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you’ll want to catch the Center Stage Strings’ benefit concert on Sunday, April 13, at 6:30 p.m. in the Colburn School’s Thayer Hall. The program features Chang bowing her way through selections from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Even better, the cost of your ticket benefits a summer camp for musically gifted students. Get down with generosity and a world-class violinist all at once. At 200 S. Grand Ave., (213) 6212200 or centerstagestrings.com.

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

April 7, 2014

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with Joon Lee and Travis Flournoy.

April 10: Chihiro Yamanaka Trio.

April 11: The North Trio.

April 12: Todd Sickafoose’s Tiny Resistors.

April 13: Gurrisonic.

Bootleg Bar 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org.

April 7, 8:30 p.m.: Lawrence Rothman may be this month’s Bukowski-inspired resident artist, but he’ll always be Larry to us.

April 9, 9 p.m.: Replete with droll irony, tonight’s lady-inspired programming features indie darlings Girlpool and their unrelated corollary Girl Tears.

April 10, 6 p.m.: Overly blond Scottish/Swedish pop upstart Nina Nesbitt is here to remind you that the music business is, in fact, a business.

April 12, 9 p.m.: Noise, jazz and a dash of funk collide with Kneebody.

April 13, 9 p.m.: The Lil’ Echelon Spring Fest Vol. 1 features a healthy dose of homegrown hip-hop.

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Downtown News 17

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM Club Nokia 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or clubnokia.com.

April 8, 8 p.m.: Reggae scion Ziggy Marley picks up where his father left off.

April 10, 10 p.m.: If you’ve got the cash, UK sensations Disclosure are dropping a DJ set.

April 11, 8:30 p.m.: Speed metal + captivating moles = Motorhead.

Escondite 410 Boyd St., (213) 626-1800 or theescondite.com.

April 7, 10 p.m.: If you enjoy large men playing vintage Gibson basses whilst belting out jazz vocals, you may just enjoy Yonatan and his Monster Mondays.

April 8, 10 p.m.: Bunny West and Boom Boom Boom will again be frontloading the Escondite’s weekly lineup with some musical fireworks.

April 9, 10 p.m.: Alice Wallace gives some love to the Black Tongued Bells.

April 10, 10 p.m.: Brothers Weiss and The Diamond Light, a

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Dim Sum

Lunch and Dinner • An Extensive Seafood Menu including Dim Sum at Moderate Prices • Relaxed Dining in an Elegant Ambiance • Live Lobster Tank

700 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Free Parking Next to Restaurant Tel: 213.617.2323

FREE YOGA mon & wed 9:30am 514 s. spring street f ‘yoga at the LATC’

‘Best Free Workout’ says LA Downtown News!

dynamic duo of performers who will brave the acoustic wilds of Skidrokyo.

April 11, 9 p.m.: For the Kings and Trevor Menear are the new TGIF. Sorry Urkel.

April 12, 10 p.m.: Charlie Chan & The SOBs practice a particularly virulent form of blues.

April 13, 1 p.m.: Funk Brunch with the Vibrometers.

April 13, 10 p.m.: RT N the 44s are exactly the band Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts wants to encourage to donate in the next election cycle.

Exchange LA 618 S. Spring St., (213) 627-8070 or exchangela.com.

April 8, 10 p.m.: Soul City.

April 11, 10 p.m.: Paul Van Dyk. April 12, 10 p.m.: DJ T. Grammy Museum 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org.

April 8, 8 p.m.: New York indie darling Ingrid Michaelson drops her new album on a sold out crowd.

Regent China Inn Authentic Chinese Cuisine in Chinatown

✤ Live Lobster and Crab ✤ Delivery, Minimum Order $15 ✤ Lunch Special $4.95 – Mon.-Fri. 11-5, Sat.-Sun. 11-3 ✤ Party Tray Available 739-747 N. Main St. Los Angeles, 90012 213.680.3333 Regentchinainn.com FREE PARKING

April 10, 8 p.m.: Tickets to see Martina McBride debut her new album are harder to find than a Martina McBride album that doesn’t sound like watered-down country music.

Ham and Eggs 433 W. Eighth St. or hamandeggstavern.com.

April 8, 8 p.m.: Ham and Eggs’ own provocative bartender Sie Sie Benhoff joins CB Brand and Vug Arakas for a night of free music.

Honeycut 819 S. Flower St., (213) 688-0888 or honeycutla.com.

April 9, 10 p.m.: DJ Dom P. April 10, 10 p.m.: DJ Rob Ackroyd.

April 11, 10 p.m.: Jack of All Tracks.

April 12, 8 p.m.: DJ Aaron Castle.

Redwood Bar and Grill 316 W. Second St., (213) 652-4444 or theredwoodbar.com.

April 9: Danger Junkies, Sex Wolf and Kill For Kicks.

April 10: Thursday Night Booty.

April 11: Palmayra Delran & Bubble Gun with Vicky & The Vengents, Lisa Mychols and Brainspoon.

April 12: Bombpops, Bad Cop/Bad Cop and Johnny Madcap.

April 13, 3 p.m.: Fools on Stools with Bliss Bowen, Chauncey Bowers, Gary Stockdale, Skip Heller and The Hollywood Blues Destroyers.

April 13: Roses and Cigarettes.

Seven Grand 515 W. Seventh St., (213) 614-0737 or sevengrand.la.

April 9: The Makers are a longstanding improvisational jazz band with no affiliation to Rick Astley.

April 10: Louis Van Taylor Experience, bringing saxy pleasures to Downtown.

The Smell 247 S. Main St. in the alley between Spring and Main or thesmell.org.

April 12: Street Joy, Banshee Boardwalk and Saint Sea Hat. April 13: Candy Warpop, Nocona, Corima and Body Snatchers.

FILM Downtown Independent 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or downtownindependent.com.

Continued on next page

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SUNDAY, MAY 4, 2014

pkins Paul F. Tom

Will Sheffrvil River from Okke

Los Angeles Police Academy (Elysian Park) L.A.’s Most Unique Urban Bicycle Adventure Is Back!

Superc hunk

Advanced Ride: 62 Miles Metric Century

Join us to see Wits, a public radio show hosted by John Moe. Wits mixes improv, sketch comedy, conversation and music in a program praised as “one of the rare public radio comedy shows that’s actually funny” (Huffington Post).

Saturday, April 12, 8 p.m.

Bovard Auditorium, USC

14FOB905

GET TICKETS:

latimes.com/FestivalAfterDark

Rolling closure for the start of the ride (first 10 miles), then a re-start and ride at your own pace for the rest of the ride.

Recreation Ride: 32 miles @ a 10-12 MPH pace Rolling closure for the entire ride.

Post ride lunch provided by Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill Huge raffle... win bikes, bike parts, clothing, accessories and more!

For more information and to register visit COAFUNRIDE.com Presents

Ride profits will benefit UCLA Blood & Platelet Center.

Special Thank You to the LAPD

18 Downtown News Continued from previous page April 7: 3, 5 and 6:30 p.m.; April 8: 3, 5 and 7 p.m.; April 9, 3 and 5 p.m. and April 10: 3 and 5 p.m.: Harvey Keitel and Gerard Depardieu star in A Farewell to Fools, a WWII farce in which a town idiot in Romania is convinced to take the blame for the murder of a German soldier.

April 7-8, 2:30 and 4:30 p.m., April 9-10, 2:30 and 4:30 p.m.: Hot Guys With Guns has been billed as “Lethal Weapon with Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as younger, hotter ex-boyfriends.”

April 10, 7 p.m.: Fester! is an ongoing program of short films featuring the outlandish and fantastic.

April 11-13: Go With Le Flo, a German romantic comedy about the pitfalls of international love.

April 11-17: LA Confidential’s Pierce Patchett, AKA David Straithairn, stars in No God No Master, a tale of bomb making

LAST WEEKS ANSWERS

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS and Fed busts-up set in the 1920s.

IMAX California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 744-2019 or californiasciencecenter.org.

Explore the remnants and wisdom of an ancient empire in Mysteries of Egypt.

Ice and polar bear enthusiasts will likely dig To the Arctic 3D. Experience the gripping story full of hope, crushing disappointment and triumph in Hubble 3D. Regal Cinemas 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 763-6070 or lalive.com/ movies.

Through April 10: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (11:50 a.m., 3:10, 6:30 and 9:50 p.m.); Captain America: The Winter Soldier 3D (12:30, 1:10, 3:50, 4:30, 7:10, 7:50 and 10:40 p.m.); Frankie and Alice (11:50 a.m., 2:20, 5:10, 7:40 and 10:20 p.m.); Cesar Chavez (1:50, 4:40, 7:30 and 10:10 p.m.); Noah (12:10, 12:50, 3:20, 4, 7:20 and 10:40 p.m.); The Raid 2 (12, 3:30, 7 and 10:30 p.m.); Sabotage (1, 3:30, 6:50 and 9:40 p.m.); Divergent (12:10, 2:50, 3:40, 6:20, 7:10, 9:40 and 10:20 p.m.); Muppets Most Wanted (1, 4, 6:50, 9:30 p.m.); Need For Speed (6:30 and 9:50 p.m.); 300: Rise of an Empire (1:20, 3:50 and 9:10 p.m.); 300: Rise of an Empire 3D (6:20 p.m.); Mr. Peabody & Sherman (1:20 and 3:40 p.m.).

THEATER, OPERA & DANCE Bob Baker’s Fun With Strings Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. First St., (213) 2509995 or bobbakermarionettes.com.

April 8-11, 10:30 a.m. and April 12-13, 2:30 p.m.: Whimsy knows no bounds as Bob Baker’s 54th season continues with a journey through a monkey circus, a vast winter landscape and Paris.

CROSSWORD

Harmony Ahmanson, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org.

April 8-12, 8 p.m. and April 13, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: Barry Manilow and his creative partner Bruce Sussman have made a musical about “the first sensational boy band,” a sextet that formed in 1920s Berlin. What more do you need?

Knock Me a Kiss Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., (213) 4890994 or thelatc.org.

April 10-13: The Robey Theatre Company drama about the marriage of Yolande Du Bois, the daughter of intellectual and activist W.E.B. Du Bois, to poet Countee Cullen despite her attachment to a less prestigious musician.

Paul Taylor Dance Company REDCAT, 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org.

April 11-12, 7:30 p.m. and April 13, 2 p.m.: Contemporary choreography legend Paul Taylor presents the length and breadth of his company’s immense repertoire.

Sleepaway Camp Downtown Independent, 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or downtownindependent.com.

April 8, 9 p.m.: Every Tuesday this irreverent stand up comedy cavalcade takes up residence at the Downtown Independent.

The Tallest Tree in the Forest Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org.

April 12-13, 8 p.m.: The life story of football playing, JD earning, stage and screen star Paul Robeson comes to life in this show from writer and performer Daniel Beaty.

Tingel Tangel Club + The Meeting Bootleg, 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org.

April 7, 2014 April 11, 7:30 p.m.: Two high-caliber New York cabaret acts bring their very-retro burlesque sensibility to the corner of Beverly and Alvarado.

CLASSICAL MUSIC Tuesday, April 8 Minimalist Jukebox: Maximum Minimalism Disney Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-0777 or musiccenter.org.

8 p.m.: Led by the incomparable John Adams, the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s New Music Group play (you guessed it) minimalist pieces from Steve Reich and world premieres by Missy Mazzoli and Mark Grey.

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.

2 YOUR EVENT INFO

EASY WAYS TO SUBMIT

4 WEB: LADowntownNews.com/calendar 4 EMAIL: Calendar@DowntownNews.com

Email: Send a brief description, street address and public phone number. Submissions must be received 10 days prior to publication date to be considered for print.

April 7, 2014

DT

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Balcony, Full Kitchen, A/C, Clubhouse, BBQ, Resource room, Laundry, SEC 8 O.K. Visit GSL SAN LUCAS.com 213-6232010.

MANAGEMENT ANALyST: BS/ BA + 5 yrs exp. Resume/Ad to: Archangel Home Health, 8607 Imperial Hwy, Ste 200, Downey, CA 90242.

To place a classified ad in the Downtown News please call 213-481-1448, or go to DowntownNews.com Deadline classified display and line ads are Thursday at 12pm.

FORfor 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.

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Design, monitor and configuration activities, conduct performance tuning, analyze and resolve content and system issues in eRC, SUS, ESS, ECC. Send resume to: Teri Lyons (ITD4846), Los Angeles Unified School District, 333 S. Beaudry Ave., 27th Fl., Los Angeles, CA 90017.

professional COMPLEMENTARy APPLICATIONS Specialist (Financial Applications) (Nestlé GLOBE, Inc., Glendale, CA): Provide apps expertise on Treasury & rel financial complementary apps to ensure quality of the delivery, availability, & performance on business critical apps. Req BS in Mgmt Info Sys, Comp Sci, Eng, Finance, or rel field & 5 yrs’ exp dev, config, & deploy’g ERP apps in a global mfg enviro. Stated exp must incl 3 yrs’ in tech config & troubleshoot’g of apps support’g financial flow & bank transfers (Sungard, Swift or rel), complementary apps based on Quantum Tech (Quantum Risk) & Service Mgmt v.7 or above.

Must have 2 yrs’ exp support’g Sales Force automation tools like Hamilton, Accenture (CPWerx), or Newspage. Must have exp in use of Windows Server, Swift SVNP security, Sungard Quantum, Swift Alliance access, Swift Alliance gateway, Quantum Trax, PERL, & Vb script. Must be available for on-call & weekend coverage as needed. Exp may, but need not, be gained concurrently. F/T. Resumes: M. Simo, Nestle USA, Inc., 800 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 91203. Ref. job code CAS-FA.

COMPLEMENTARy APPLICATIONS Specialist (Windows Technology) (Nestlé GLOBE, Inc., Glendale, CA): Provide apps expertise for HR (Payroll, Time Management), Sales, Tax, Treasury on Unix/Windows platform. Req Bach’s deg Info Tech, Eng, or a rel field & 5 yrs’ exp. install’g, configur’g, integrat’g, & support’g 3-tier apps. Exp must incl 3 yrs’ in each of the follow’g: Windows Server 2003 & 2008 administration; Service Mgmt. v.7 or above; & IIS. Must have exp. in the follow’g: support’g Sales Force automation tools such as Hamilton, Accenture (CPWerx), or Newspage; work’g in an organization unit structure setup w/delegated security; Citrix administration; Websphere; Cognos; Kronos; and BSI. Must be avail for on-call & weekend coverage as needed. Exp may, but need not, be gained concurrently. F/T. Resumes: M. Simo, Nestle USA, Inc., 800 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 91203. Ref. job code CAS-WT. Computer Systems Analyst: Resume/Ad to: Holy Family Hospice Care, 310 E. Rowland Street, Covina, CA 91723.

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20 Downtown News

April 7, 2014

Shellshocked! Velvet Turtle Is Razed

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The Velvet Turtle, which long sat empty at Hill and Ord streets, has been torn down.

The property owner is considering a $25 million mixed-use project for the site.

By Donna Evans he Velvet Turtle, a long-shuttered and crumbling eyesore in the heart of Chinatown, has been razed. In its place? An empty lot.

But perhaps, not for long.

The restaurant at 708 N. Hill St. was demolished last month.

Property co-owner Charlie Woo, of the family who owns toy wholesaler Megatoys and numerous properties in the Toy District, said in an email to Los Angeles Downtown News that he is studying different development options, though a plan announced in 2012 remains the main focus. At the time, that was a $25 million effort that would erect apartments above commercial space.

The Woos purchased the property at Hill and Ord streets in 1996 for $1.1 million, according to property tax records. Woo previously told Downtown News that he saw “tremendous potential” in the site, though plans to develop it were repeatedly thwarted due to changes in the marketplace.

The Velvet Turtle’s demolition comes as the $93 million Jia Apartments, visible from the former restaurant’s empty, fencedoff lot, opened in January. The six-story complex at 639 N. Broadway has 280 residential units and has altered the southern entrance to Chinatown.

Also underway in Chinatown is Blossom Plaza, a $100 million mixed-use development. The project from developer Forest City broke ground last year. It will create 240 apartments, along with 20,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, and a 17,000-square-foot plaza connecting to the Chinatown Gold Line station.

Noting that a “rising tide raises all boats,” Frank Frallicciardi, vice president of Forest City, said, “We’re always excited about any new development and revitalization in the neighborhood.

It’s great to see Blossom Plaza be a catalyst for new development.”

Given the upswing in development in Chinatown, it is perhaps fitting that the Velvet Turtle’s blighted building has become a thing of the past.

“We’re finally on our way to joining the rest of Downtown in terms of renewed interest in development,” said George Yu, executive director of the Los Angeles Chinatown Business Improvement District. “Suffering through the down years has actually given us a better perspective in terms of what we want to see and what we don’t want to see in our community.”

Although the dining room and kitchen are gone, one thing folks can still see on the Velvet Turtle property is a sign, standing sentry over the site, with an image of a turtle wearing a top hat and bowtie. donna@downtownnews.com

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