04-28-14

A Long Delayed Project Finally Starts | 22 Culture Clash Goes From Stage to Film | 26

photos by Gary Leonard

APRIL 28, 2014 I VOL. 43 I #17

Watch City Living on DTTV New Episodes Every Monday @ 9am on DowntownNews.com

Union Station Celebrates Its 75th Anniversary SEE PAGE 5

Best Of downtown is just around the corner, Voting Starts May 12

THE VOICE OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES

2 Downtown News

DT

AROUND TOWN

LAPD Video Explains Jaywalking Citations

A

fter months of backlash following a flurry of jaywalking citations in Downtown, the Los Angeles Police Department has posted a video on its Central Division Facebook page defending the practice. During the three-minute and ten-second clip, Captain John McMahon states that last year 312 pedestrians were seriously injured in traffic collisions throughout the city, and that 92 of them died as a result of their injuries. McMahon also points out that it is illegal to step into the crosswalk once the countdown clock has begun, regardless of the time remaining; that has caused much of the rancor in Downtown, with people saying they never knew the practice amounted to breaking the law. As McMahon explains that police have taken a lot of heat on the subject, the video shows two editorials from Los Angeles Downtown News that opine that $250 fines are excessive.

McMahon goes on to state that officers on the street have discretion in writing the tickets, and often give warnings to walkers as well as to drivers who turn too soon into the intersection.

Seven-Story Condo Buildings Planned for South Park

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fter buying up six acres in South Park last October for $80 million, developer Mack

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS Urban has revealed plans to build two sevenstory buildings on a parcel bordered by Pico Boulevard and Olive and Hill streets. The design calls for 362 condominiums, including 23 townhome-style residences, with about 6,400 square feet of ground-floor retail and commercial space, according to documents filed with the city Department of Planning. Amenities at the project would include a swimming pool, dog run, gym, business center, lounges and several courtyards with green space. No budget or timeline has been announced. The project is being designed by prominent Downtown architecture firm AC Martin. The two seven-story buildings essentially compose half of Mack Urban’s plan to build an interconnected South Park project that features large amounts of public green space. Mack Urban officials in February announced plans for hotel and residential towers on a nearby site bounded by Grand Avenue and Twelfth and Olive streets. Mack Urban has partnered with AECOM Capital for the entire South Park development.

MTA Board Gives Green Light to Regional Connector

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he Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s board of directors last week approved a $927.2 million contract to a joint venture of firms Skanska USA and Traylor Brothers Inc. to design and build the Regional Connector light rail circulator. The approval, which came on Thursday, April 24, follows a Metro staff recommendation supporting Skanska/Traylor Bros., despite the partnership’s bid being $39 million more expensive than a second bid that Metro reviewed. In that recommendation, Metro staff

April 28, 2014

TAKE MY PICTURE GARY LEONARD

Nelson Rising honors Andrew Pira

Boiler Room

noted that Skanska/Traylor Bros. was willing to deliver the project 115 days sooner and to absorb any delay costs. In addition to the contract, the Metro board approved an additional $40 million increase to the budget of the Regional Connector, which will connect area rail lines with a new route and three stations built in Downtown. The project, now budgeted at $1.42 billion, is funded through a combination of federal grants and loans, local Measure R tax funds and state bonds. The Regional Connector is slated for completion in 2020, and Metro believes it will attract 17,000 new daily riders to the light rail system. It will allow riders to travel

PacMutual Building

April 24, 2014

across the region without having to change trains.

Downtown Entities Receive NEA Grants

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he City Department of Cultural Affairs and the County Arts Commission are among the local entities getting some federal funds for artistic endeavors. Congressman Xavier Becerra, whose district includes Downtown Los Angeles, this month announced that $700,000 Continued on page 32

Why does this little burger stand attract over a million people a year?

Metro Briefs Celebrate Union Station at 75

Find out at the landmark location near Downtown. Home of the original Chili-burger.

Quality and value since 1946:

Chili Hamburger .............. $2.30 Chili Cheeseburger ........... $2.80

Historic LA Union Station has served Los Angeles County for 75 years. Join Metro, in partnership with National Train Day, Amtrak and Metrolink for a fun->lled day of train exhibits, entertainment and other family activities on May 3 from 10am to 4pm. More at metro.net/unionstation.

Bike Week LA May 12–19 Join Metro and explore bicycling resources in your community. Learn how to >x your bike, enjoy a guided bike ride or pedal your way to work. More information and full schedule of activities at metro.net/bikeweek.

Crenshaw Boulevard Closed May 2–3 A temporary closure of Crenshaw Boulevard between Martin Luther King Boulevard and Stocker Street will be in e=ect from 10pm on Friday, May 2 to 1pm on Saturday, May 3. This closure is part of work on the future station at Martin Luther King Boulevard on the 8.5 mile Crenshaw/LAX light rail line planned to open in 2019. For more information, visit metro.net/crenshaw.

Fossils Unearthed at Purple Line Test Ice Age fossils that could be up to 2 million years old have been discovered during pre-construction work on the Metro Purple Line Extension to West L A . Metro is working with the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits to explore 75 feet below Wilshire Boulevard to test soil conditions.

Don’t let high gas prices ruin your summertime activities. Go Metro to the beach, museums, sporting events or the theater instead of driving. With a Metro Day Pass, you can ride all day for just $5, and enjoy Metro discounts at dozens of attractions. Check metro.net/discounts.

metro.net @metrolosangeles

Many Imitate, But None Compare!

facebook.com/losangelesmetro

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April 28, 2014

Downtown News 3

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EDITORIALS

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April 28, 2014

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

A Leadership Void as Downtown Homelessness Worsens

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ome changes in Downtown Los Angeles are instantly noticeable or are defined by empirical results. The building of skyscrapers and reports such as the Downtown L.A. Demographic Study fall into this category. Both speak to the advancement in the community.

Then there are the changes that lack the concrete footing but are felt and noticed on a personal or anecdotal basis. Spend enough time in Downtown and talk to those who have lived and worked here over the years, and you get a sense of the fluctuations in the neighborhoods. It may be an inexact science, but these on-the-streets and conversational encounters provide an invaluable and contextual look at life in Downtown.

It is this latter experience that has led Los Angeles Downtown News to an uncomfortable but irrefutable realization: homelessness, and some of the most difficult consequences of the condition, is worsening in Downtown.

There are not just more homeless, there are more people with obvious mental health issues, no matter what the diagnosis, wandering the streets of all of Downtown’s neighborhoods without the help that they need. To repeat, this is not a situation confined to Skid Row, but rather one impacting most of the Central City.

Even more troubling, there is a clear leadership void when it comes to addressing homelessness, with precious little proactive work on the matter from the people with the most power to direct funding and spark change.

There is no magic-bullet solution to eradicating homelessness — the issue is too large and complex, and is too deeply ingrained in the fabric of Skid Row and Downtown. Anyone who pledges to end homelessness within a certain abbreviated timeframe is either gunning for a headline or exposing how little they understand the matter.

Top-down responsibility and management by a battery of local leaders — both elected officials and appointed ones — working together is required. To start, we’d like the offices of Mayor Eric Garcetti, City Councilman José Huizar and County Supervisor Gloria Molina to step forward, roll up their sleeves and announce that they are taking immediate action to address this problem. They are the elected officials with the closest geographical ties to the area and who therefore have the greatest responsibility for forging a path out of the morass.

They should not be the only ones involved. Although Skid Row is the face of the issue, this is not solely a Downtown matter. The subject can only be addressed with a regional approach.

There is a lot of opportunity to help. City Attorney Mike Feuer has said he wants to be the city’s chief problem solver, and this is a problem that requires his resources and intellect. Although he is a relative newbie to the quagmire, his office has vast legal power, and he should use it to espouse solutions that are regional. Feuer must make sure that Downtown is not treated differently because of its history, and if some unsavory practice would not be allowed in a more affluent community, it should not be tolerated in Downtown either.

The other 14 council members, meanwhile, should

commit to swallowing hard and accepting some homeless services and housing in their areas. The same goes for the other four county supervisors. Though constituents will object, nothing will change if homelessness is treated as primarily Downtown’s problem.

The work doesn’t stop there. Leaders of the 87 other cities that make up Los Angeles County need to come together on homelessness, as otherwise they will try to shift the burden onto each other.

Historically most of these neighboring cities have dallied in an effort to avoid associated costs and to force Los Angeles to pay for a regional problem.

The issue has not been wholly ignored, and some positive steps have been taken. The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, recognizing the long-term costs of homelessness on taxpayers, has partnered with the United Way in the Home for Good program. Feuer recently made clear that the “dumping” of homeless individuals from other communities into Downtown will not be tolerated. Additionally, Skid Row is home to many people who have dedicated their lives to helping those on the streets by working in shelters, missions and recovery programs.

There are also new housing projects such as the Star Apartments.

That is only a start, however, and addressing homelessness requires constant vigilance and, again, leadership.

The changing situation has become most noticeable in the past few months. The street encampments and consequent health concerns recently prompted City Administrative Office Miguel Santana to propose a heightened cleaning regimen in Skid Row. That’s a good step, but it’s only a small one.

Beyond that is the experiential evidence, and we have seen or heard of an increasing number of encounters with mentally ill, homeless individuals in numerous neighborhoods. Most often their presence is manifested in raised voices, sometimes unprovoked shouting, and conversations with people who are not there.

Obviously these people suffer from a mental illness and are not getting the appropriate treatment.

In the future this page will offer specific suggestions, but one

immediate step would be for other government bureaucrats with resources to follow Santana’s lead and not only propose solutions, but implement them from within their own budgets. One wonders, for instance, why the County Health Department can’t enforce emergency solutions to teeming piles of garbage left on city streets and sidewalks — this clear public health risk seems to get beyond the tangles created by legal decisions preventing the removal of personal items from the streets. Everyone who has something to offer should step up and act.

The city and the county need to be partners in tackling the complexities of homelessness, and we’d like Garcetti, Huizar and Molina (the latter will be termed out this year, but she should lay more groundwork for a serious legacy she can leave for her successor) to take action on the current situation.

This issue will not be resolved quickly or easily. Skid Row is the way it is today because of decades of shortfalls and boneheaded policy decisions, including the city’s longtime “containment” approach (basically, keep the homeless in one part of Downtown by locating services for them mainly in one area) and the shuttering of mental hospitals in the 1980s. That concentration works counter to helping people change their lives, and provides a ready clientele for drug dealers and other criminals who prey on the addicted.

To complicate matters, well-intended policies can have unintended consequences. For instance, currently the Safer Cities Initiative is pushing some of the mentally ill off Skid Row into surrounding neighborhoods, in many cases without treating them. This is clearly not a solution.

The challenges are myriad. Some individuals don’t want to get off the streets or refuse to take medication that could improve their lives. In the post-Community Redevelopment Agency world, there is a lack of seed funding for housing projects that can be leveraged to make developments pencil out. The list goes on.

Changing the status quo won’t be easy, but the issue cannot be ignored. Homelessness is worsening in Downtown. A failure to act forcefully and regionally is asking for trouble.

April 28, 2014

Downtown News 5

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

A Downtown Transit Gem’s Diamond Anniversary Union Station Turns 75 With National Train Day, Library Exhibit and More

By Donna Evans conic. Historic. Gorgeous.

These are some of the most common adjectives used to describe Union Station, the Downtown transportation hub that debuted 75 years ago. On May 3, 1939, nearly half a million people stood in line for hours to watch as steam engines rolled down Alameda Street, celebrating the largest railroad passenger terminal in the West.

Seven decades later, the landmark is one of the last great railway stations, both because of its impressive architecture and its daily use as a regional transit center, said Art Leahy, CEO of station owner the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. To commemorate the milestone, Metro representatives have held a smattering of special events such as concerts and movie screenings at the station since last year.

On May 3, the actual anniversary, Union Station will host National Train Day, starting with a rededication of the building at 10 a.m. Activities, which continue through 4 p.m., will include one-of-a-kind railcar displays from Amtrak and more than a dozen musical acts performing jazz, blues and swing. There will also be a children’s theater performance and model train displays. Metro anticipates upwards of 10,000 people will attend.

To Leahy, a bus operator in the early 1970s whose Torrance route terminated at the transit hub at 800 Alameda St., Union Station is a “gem” that they continue to polish. Literally.

“It’s a wonderful place that gets more gor-

I

photo by Gary Leonard

Union Station, and its old ticket concourse, looks nearly identical to when it opened in 1939. Station owner the Metropolitan Transportation Authority will celebrate the building’s 75th birthday on Saturday, May 3.

geous by the day. Metal work that we thought was black was actually bronze,” he said of the ongoing effort to rehabilitate the facility.

Metro bought Union Station in 2011 for $75 million. The following year, the agency hired Gruen Associates and Grimshaw Architects to create a master plan for the future of the station and 40 surrounding acres of land.

Jenna Hornstock, deputy executive officer of countywide planning for Metro, said the agency spent eight months studying all facets

of the facility. Proposing changes for the future required that they be respectful of the past, she said. Representatives are addressing how the station, and the surrounding land, can be used in a growing Downtown. Early concepts include bringing in more retail, restaurants, housing and office space.

Additionally, Metro is working to make the transit hub easier to use for the 75,000 people who pass through the station every day. Improvements that have already been made in-

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clude a new message board in the waiting room and additional signage posted throughout the corridors to better direct travelers. Part of the master plan also involves widening the tunnel that leads pedestrians to the Metrolink and Amtrak rail lines, which is jammed with harried passengers during rush hour. The crowded pathway also connects the west and east ends of the station.

In 1939, Hornstock said, there were just three lines for passengers and freight. Today, Union Station is the center of L.A.’s transit universe, with Metro rail and bus service, along with Amtrak and Metrolink lines.

One component of the past that Leahy is keen to bring into the future is the Fred Harvey Restaurant. Harvey created a chain of restaurants that, beginning in 1875, opened alongside railway stations. Leahy imagines turning the former eatery at Union Station into a nightspot. Although the proposal has been broached many times over the years, Leahy said he can picture people heading home from the theater or a Dodgers game and stopping in before catching the train.

Long Build As beloved as Union Station is today, it took the better part of two decades to get on track, said Marylyn Musicant, senior exhibition coordinator at the J. Paul Getty Museum. Musicant is overseeing the exhibit No Further West: The Story of Los Angeles Union Station, which opens at the Central Library on May 2. Organized by the Getty Research Institute, the show examines the design process of the station, as well as the contentious politics behind it. No Further West runs through Aug. 10.

“The railroads didn’t want this,” Musicant said, noting that the Union Pacific, Southern

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Architects Donald and John Parkinson used a Mission Revival style to set the Downtown Los Angeles station apart from other transit hubs in the country.

Pacific and Santa Fe railroads each had their own modest station in the region. That led to a faceoff with city leaders who wanted an impressive, grand station, a symbol of Los Angeles’ prosperity and progress. Musicant added that safety was also an issue, as consolidating the tracks, rather than having trains crisscross the city, would be better for pedestrians, horsedrawn carriages and bicyclists.

In 1916, a number of surrounding cities filed complaints against the railroads, which started a two-year investigation that led to a 16-year

fight. The railroads argued that Los Angeles was the end of the line, not a place where people transferred. The battle reached the U.S. Supreme Court before the railroads relented and agreed to build a unified station.

Still, there were repercussions. The city needed up to 60 acres of land. That led to the decision to build on what was then Chinatown. The community was razed and Union Station rose.

Chinatown was moved to its current location.

Architects Donald and John Parkinson were tasked with designing a station that was unique

April 28, 2014

photo by Gary Leonard

The May 3 celebration includes National Train Day, with a variety of displays and performances (the USC Marching Band has participated). Metro expects more than 10,000 people to attend.

to California. The Mission Revival-style building with mahogany walls and travertine tile cost $11 million, a hefty sum as the Depression was unfolding, Musicant said. However, the construction provided a lot of jobs at a time when few were available.

“The really unique thing is this gorgeous, iconic station still functions as the transit hub for the region, and continues to accommodate growth. It’s impressive,” Musicant said.

So, impressive, in fact, that sometimes Musicant, her husband and two sons will travel to

Union Station just to walk around the 75-yearold building and explore, always looking for new discoveries. Not surprisingly, the Culver City residents take the train.

Union Station’s 75th birthday celebration and National Train Day are Saturday, May 3, 10 a.m.4 p.m. at 800 Alameda St. or metro.net. The exhibit No Further West: The Story of Los Angeles Union Station is open May 2-Aug. 10 at the Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St. (213) 228-7000 or lapl. org. donna@downtownnews.com

April 28, 2014

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Downtown News 7

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Apartment Buildings Planned Near Herald Examiner Structure

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April 28, 2014

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rendering by Harley Ellis Devereaux

Developer Forest City plans to build two seven-story apartment structures near the historic Herald Examiner building. No timeline has been announced.

By Eddie Kim outh Park stands as Downtown’s hottest neighborhood for new residential projects, and the trend is continuing with plans for two apartment complexes from developer Forest City.

The intersection of Eleventh and Hill streets would see the construction of a seven-story residential complex adjacent to the rear of the Herald Examiner building. The complex at 156 W. 11th St. would feature 177 studio to two-bedroom apartments and would have 7,300 square feet of retail and commercial space on the ground floor, according to plans filed with the city.

Amenities in the project, which was presented to the board of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council on Wednesday, April 22, would include a pool deck, courtyard and gym. The project would also offer 276 parking spaces (with two levels of underground and two levels of above-grade parking) and 201 bicycle parking spaces.

Renderings show pockets of white stucco framed by dark red facade articulations, and the design from architecture firm Harley Ellis Devereaux includes a pedestrian paseo between the project and the Herald Examiner building, with hopes of activating foot traffic on the block.

The intersection of 12th Street and Broadway, meanwhile, would see a similar seven-story apartment building with 214 apartments and about 9,000 square feet of street-level retail and commercial space. The project would feature amenities similar to those of the first structure, and there would be 231 parking spaces (on one underground and two above-grade levels) and 245 bicycle parking spaces. The design, again by Harley Ellis Devereaux, is similar to the first building.

Forest City has a $130 million to $140 million budget for the two buildings, and hopes to finish construction by early 2017, according to the developer. No groundbreaking date has been scheduled.

“There are a lot of interesting things going on in South Park, between the MyFigueroa bike plan, the Bringing Back Broadway revitalization, the Case Hotel coming nearby and the renovation of the Herald Examiner building,” said Forest City Director of Development K.C. Yasmer. “These two sites are close to a nexus of activity and we want to be a part of that.”

Forest City in December purchased the two parcels near the 1913 Herald Examiner building from the Hearst Corporation, which had previously secured entitlements for 23- and 37-story residential towers on the plots and planned to develop them in conjunction with a renovation of the Herald Examiner structure (which it still owns).

The recession prevented Hearst from pursuing its plan, and the company is now focusing on the renovation of the Herald Examiner building.

Forest City is also developing the Blossom Plaza site in Chinatown. eddie@downtownnews.com

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April 28, 2014

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Downtown News 9

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Luanna Lindsey Wells Fargo Luanna Lindsey L.A. Metro Community Bank Distrct Manager 213-253-3330 lindsell@wellsfargo.com

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Luanna Lindsey is senior vice president and district manager for Wells Fargo’s Downtown Los Angeles market for the L.A. Metro Community Bank. Lindsey oversees 188 financial professionals at 11 banking stores in Downtown Los Angeles with nearly $1 million in deposits.

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We have been helping small businesses thrive by providing access to capital and quality financial products and services for more than 160 years. Before we extend credit, we look for a business to show: It generates steady cash flow and has the resources to repay new loans. Its current debt load is manageable with a strong financial position to manage its debt payments and the ability to take on additional debt. It maintains a good payment history, which gives us confidence our customer has the ability to repay. When a business is not ready for a loan, Wells Fargo provides guidance on how to improve the financial condition of the business to get a “yes” on a credit application at a later date.

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April 28, 2014

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Dr. Eric Schockman is chair and associate professor at the Center for Leadership at Woodbury University. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and International Relations from UC Riverside. He has written several books on politics in California, the nation and international affairs. Dr. Schockman is frequently quoted in The Los Angeles Time, The Chicago Tribune, The Dallas Morning News, CNN, NPR and other national publications and electronic media.

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Ariane David is senior founding partner of The Veritas Group, a consulting firm specializing in change management. She has served as a special advisor to the SEC Commission on Public Trust and Private Enterprise and is the author of a number of publications on critical thinking, conflict transformation, organizational change and culture development. She holds a bachelor’s degree in physics, a master’s degree in organizational development, and a Ph.D. in human and organizational systems.

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April 28, 2014

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Kenneth B. Mak, DDS MKD Dental 523 W. Sixth St., Suite 515 Los Angeles, CA 90014 213-550-2697 mkddentistry.com

Elias Barajas started at Philippe’s with our dad and grandfather in the 1960s. He has held every job at the restaurant and has been manager since 1982. All six of his daughters worked at the restaurant before moving on to other careers. Barajas is starting his 48th year at Philippe’s.

Why doesn’t Philippe’s serve a cup of au jus with its French Dip sandwiches?

Our au jus is made from the drippings of our meats and combined with our house-made stock of beef bones, vegetables and spices, and reduced for more than 48 hours. We then combine the stock and the drippings from over 1,500 pounds of roast pork, New Zealand leg of lamb and roast beef to produce an au jus that you will find nowhere else. We simply cannot produce enough to give any extra on the side. Ask for your French Dip single dipped, double dipped or even triple dipped. So, how do you pronounce Philippe’s? There are a couple of versions. The first is the classic French pronunciation “Fil-LEEPS.” Or, the more common “Fi-LEE-pays.” People argue about the pronunciation and tell us they make bets on how to say the name. The answer is…we don’t care how you say it as long as you keep coming back.

Q A

Kenneth B. Mak, DDS, has been in practice since 1994 with extensive experience in dental implants as well as all phases of cosmetic/ general/family dentistry. An integral part of his philosophy is that clients should have a thorough understanding of their treatment and options that include practical solutions with state-ofthe-art dentistry. Your comfort and confidence is his utmost priority.

Does dental health have a link to your overall health?

The mouth is a window into the health of the body. It can show signs of nutritional deficiencies or general infection. The mouth is filled with countless bacteria, some linked to tooth decay and periodontal (gum) disease. Researchers have found that periodontitis (the advanced form of periodontal disease that can cause tooth loss) is linked with other health problems, such as cardiovascular disease, stroke and bacterial pneumonia. Several studies link chronic inflammation from periodontitis with the development of cardiovascular problems. Some evidence suggests that oral bacteria may be linked to heart disease, arterial blockages and stroke. What can you do?

Given the potential link between periodontitis and systemic health problems, prevention may be an important step in maintaining overall health. Brush your teeth thoroughly twice a day and clean between your teeth with floss once a day.

Q A

Downtown News 11

ASK THE EXPERT

Elias Barajas Philippe The Original 1001 N. Alameda St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 213-628-3781 philippes.com

Andy Bales brings more than 28 years of experience in community outreach and service to people experiencing homelessness as he leads Union Rescue Mission in providing unique and innovative services and resources for Los Angeles’ Skid Row community.

Established in 1891, the faithbased Mission has always served the most desperate men, women and children of the community.

What is the best way for me to help someone I believe is homeless who asks me for money?

When approached by someone asking for funds to get a place to stay or a bite to eat, buy them a meal from a nearby store or restaurant, and if possible, sit down in a safe public place with them and ask to hear their story. Make the person aware and encourage them to come to Union Rescue Mission to work with a case manager so they might be connected to the appropriate resources and a caring community. Ultimately, the goal is to get people off the street and enrolled in a long-term recovery program that will provide not only a roof over their head but also, possibly, a life-transforming experience. Giving someone cash will often do nothing more than aid and enable drug and alcohol abuse. On the other hand, by investing your time in someone and directing them to Union Rescue Mission, you can help someone change their life forever.

Andrew J. Bales, M.A.T. Union Rescue Mission 545 S. San Pedro St. Los Angeles, CA 90013 888-778-4392 urm.org

REAL ESTATE

PSYCHOLOGY

RESTAURANT INDUSTRY

12 Downtown News

Q A

Michael Kwan Wokcano, Downtown LA 800 W. Seventh Street Los Angeles, CA 90017 213-623-2288 wokcanorestaurant.com

Dr. Andra Brosh is a clinical psychologist, writer and thought leader. Her unique perspectives on life, love and connection stem from the fundamental truth that as humans we are all wired to be relational beings.

Dr. Brosh sees individuals and couples in her Downtown office where she offers therapeutic services for anxiety, depression, vocational transition, marital discord and divorce. You can also attend night class each month to learn about a variety of self-help topics.

What is the secret to happiness?

There is no secret to happiness, but there are ways to generate and sustain a feeling of being happy in your life. The most important way to increase your happiness quota is to become more aware both internally and externally. Happiness, like any emotion, is temporary, so being awake and conscious will help you recognize when you feel the happiest. Therapy is a great way to increase your self-awareness, and it offers a space to explore who you are, and what you want in your life. We know from research that a sense of connection and belonging increases happiness, and therapy can help cultivate and sustain the healthy relationships that make this possible. Happiness is an inside job, not something you can expect from other people or material possessions. It is a personal choice to do the inside work to find the happiness you deserve in your life.

Q A

In 1989, Michael Kwan stepped into the restaurant industry as a bus boy. In 1995, he opened his first restaurant. Today, Kwan has 14 restaurants with seven different concepts including, Wokcano, EMC, Le Ka, The Backhouse, Green Hut Café, The Bunker Hill Bar, and The Big Catch.

As a restaurant owner, how do you manage to control your low food costs and still provide quality ingredients?

Keeping food costs low while utilizing only quality ingredients is a challenging process for many restaurant owners. From my personal experience as an owner of multiple concept restaurants, good quality food doesn’t always translate into high expenses. We have found a solution that has served us extremely well in keeping our food costs down without sacrificing quality. Wherever possible, we bulk-purchase our food and produce requirements and consolidate deliveries to a central location. We purchase directly from wholesalers either locally or through imports, thus cutting out costs associated with the “middle man.” Our purchasing manager constantly communicates with a wide range of vendors, comparing prices on a daily basis.

Q A

April 28, 2014

ASK THE EXPERT

Dr. Andra Brosh, Ph.D.

Andra Brosh, Ph.D. Spring Arts Tower 453 S. Spring St., Suite 523 Los Angeles, CA 90013 310-720-4373 drandrabrosh.com

Bill Cooper of The Loft Expert!

Group has specialized in the Downtown L.A. residential market since 2002, providing full-service real estate support to buyers and sellers. The company has a thorough familiarity of the ins and outs of Downtown’s diverse communities coupled with an extensive knowledge of the shifting trends of the local, regional and national markets. We are ready to assist you with all your real estate needs.

What does the future look like for Downtown’s residents?

When I moved Downtown in 2002 it was a very bleak place for residents. I quickly joined those who were committed to bringing this community into the 21st century. We anticipated and then celebrated each addition and improvement. That kept us going and growing. During the next five years you will see a greater concentration of families with kids utilizing our successful Bill Cooper charter schools, additional playgrounds and parks while their parents, who work close by, benefit from the expansive Metro and streetcar system. They will be joined by more empty nesters that will trade their suburban homes and cars for our mixed-use developments and the LOFT expert! group walkable neighborhoods with every desired amenity outside their door. Downtowners will continue to expand on the concept of live, work, play and stay. I truly enjoy working with these visionaries and continue to be committed to Downtown’s growth. the loft expert!

The Loft Expert! Group Loftway Homes and Lofts 1020 S. Hope St. Los Angeles, CA 90015 213-598-7555 theloftexpertgroup.com

TM

TM

group

loft TM

April 28, 2014

Downtown News 13

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Q A

What is breast density and what does it have to do with my breast cancer risk?

Breast density describes the distribution of tissues that make up the appearance of a normal breast. Denser breasts have more glandular and/or fibrous tissues.

Relatively fatty breasts result in a dark background on mammography upon which a bright cancer is more easily identified. Dense breasts with a brighter background make it more difficult for a radiologist to identify the breast tumor.

Breast density typically decreases as you age, but if you have dense breast tissue, it may remain that way throughout your life. Women with increased breast density are also known to have a modestly increased overall lifetime breast cancer risk compared to those with more fatty tissue.

Doctors and health facilities are required to inform you of your personal level of density. Since breast density has been shown to be a significant risk factor for breast cancer, premenopausal women and older women with dense breasts should select digital mammography.

Q A

Dennis Holmes, MD, FACS

What heart attack symptoms should women pay attention to?

Heart Disease is the leading cause of death among women, partially because warning signs go ignored. For women, heart attack symptoms can be very subtle. In the weeks prior to a heart attack, women are more likely than men to experience atypical chest pain (like squeezing or fullness rather than pain), toothaches, jaw pain, elbow pain, stomach aches, sweating, and fatigue that is misdiagnosed as the flu. Of course, shortness of breath, chest pain and palpitations are a sure sign to seek immediate medical attention. Women develop heart disease about 10 years later than men, but post-menopause it speeds up rapidly. Regular cardiovascular screening tests should begin at age 20 and the frequency of follow-up will depend on your level of risk. Discuss your risks of heart disease with your doctor, including family history, diabetes, smoking, diet and exercise habits. Even secondhand smoke is a risk factor.

Dignity Health-California Hospital Medical Center Los Angeles Center for Womens Health (LACHW) 1513 S. Grand Ave., # 400 Los Angeles, CA 90015 213-742-6400 lacwh.org

Dr. Dennis Holmes is an internationally renowned breast surgeon and a sought-after authority on intraoperative radiotherapy. Patients find that Dr. Holmes is a warm, caring breast surgeon who possesses the experience and empathy to help each woman find a breast cancer solution that suits her physically and emotionally, while providing the best possible cancer control.

What are the advantages of Intraoperative Radiotherapy for breast cancer treatment?

Intraoperative Radiotherapy (IORT) is a practical and safe alternative to standard breast radiation therapy. IORT is administered to the inside of the breast during surgery, immediately after removal of the cancer. Intraoperative Radiotherapy replaces the entire 30-day course of breast radiotherapy with a single 30-minute treatment administered at the time of lumpectomy. The patient awakes from anesthesia having completed breast surgery and radiation therapy. IORT is not only more convenient than standard radiotherapy, it is also equally effective at preventing cancer recurrence. Since IORT is administered to the inside of the breast rather than through the skin, IORT also reduces radiation side effects on the breast resulting in better cosmetic results.

IORT also reduces the exposure of the heart and lungs to the effects of radiation with the use of a shield that may be temporarily inserted into the breast during IORT delivery.

Q A

David Brousseau, MD, PhD

Dr. David Brousseau is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and completed his residency in radiology at UCLA Medical Center.

A specialist in breast imaging, Dr. Brousseau operates differently than most radiologists by developing care plans directly with his patients. His office is located at Los Angeles Center for Women’s Health, a stunning Downtown facility dedicated to individualized, timely and thoughtful care.

Faye Lee, MD, FACC

Dignity Health-California Hospital Medical Center Los Angeles Center for Womens Health (LACHW) 1513 S. Grand Ave., # 400 Los Angeles, CA 90015 213-742-6400 lacwh.org

Dr. Faye Lee runs an active practice in both non-invasive and invasive cardiology. With a particular interest in women’s heart disease, she believes in compassionate care for each individual patient. A native New Yorker, she graduated cum laude from Barnard College, trained at Boston University School of Medicine, did her residency at the prestigious Boston City Hospital and was the first female fellow in cardiology at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California.

Dignity Health-California Hospital Medical Center Los Angeles Center for Womens Health (LACHW) 1513 S. Grand Ave., # 400 Los Angeles, CA 90015 213-742-6400 lacwh.org

CALIFORNIA HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER

HEART ATTACK

CANCER TREATMENT

BREAST SCREENING

CALIFORNIA HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER

BARBEQUE

REAL ESTATE

AMENITIES

14 Downtown News

Q A

Marc Gittleman Rising Realty Partners 523 W. Sixth St., Suite 600 Los Angeles, CA 90014 213-550-4850

What is a lifestyle office?

A lifestyle office takes creative office amenities, such as natural light, high ceilings, and collaborative workspaces and combines them with residential-style kitchens and bathrooms, living room-like communal areas, and a variety of other amenities that complement your lifestyle. These kinds of offices can be seen at Google or Facebook, for example. Lifestyle offices offer an authentic experience that gives you the opportunity to attend a performing arts show across the street, socially interact with others at a nearby restaurant, or experience weekend events during the weekdays. It allows you the ability to engage your profession and your social life — in a sense, your lifestyle. The lifestyle office concept can be applied to any industry today considering every industry is creative and collaborative in one way or another.

Q A

Marc Gittleman is Senior Vice President of property management solutions at Rising Realty Partners, a full-service commercial real estate company headquartered at PacMutual in Downtown Los Angeles. Gittleman is also the chief executive officer of 5 x 5 Telecom, a leader in rapidly deployed fiber, Internet and phone solutions.

Where is the best Free Wi-Fi in Downtown Los Angeles?

The best free Wi-Fi in Downtown Los Angeles may surprise you — it is located at PacMutual, a century-old historic campus of three interconnected buildings, adjacent to Pershing Square on Sixth Street. 5 x 5 Telecom Fiber Internet Services at PacMutual provides 20 mbps for both download and upload — that is 20 times faster than most public Wi-Fi upload speeds, and faster than most offices provide. PacMutual prides itself on integrating with 5 x 5 Telecom to provide the open office/open workspace experience, giving the Downtown community a sample of what PacMutual tenants have come to expect: the ability to work from across the campus and throughout Pershing Square, in the most efficient way. Whether you are using the Wi-Fi in Pershing Square or the PacMutual lobby, we are thrilled to give people superior access and productivity.

Q A

April 28, 2014

ASK THE EXPERT

Christopher C. Rising

Rising Realty Partners 523 W. Sixth St., Suite 600 Los Angeles, CA 90014 213-550-4850

What is the difference between grilling and smoking?

The main difference between the two is that grilling uses direct heat, usually over coals or gas that is a high-heat method great for cooking thin meats quickly to various internal temperatures. Smoking, which is our specialty at Spring Street Smoke House, uses indirect heat, usually incorporating fruit wood or nut wood like hickory, apple or cherry to induce flavors. Smoking’s indirect heat allows you to cook large or tough pieces of meat over longer periods (up to 18 hours). During this low-heat process, the meat is tenderized and imbued with subtle flavors from marinades, rubs and various hardwood accents. The meats we smoke include beef, pork ribs, Texas hot links, brisket and even deep-fried turkey. While grilling may be an American pastime, American barbecue and smoked meat is one of the great culinary gifts to the foodie world.

Christopher C. Rising is the President and Chief Operating Officer at Rising Realty Partners, a full-service real estate company headquartered at the PacMutual campus in Downtown Los Angeles.

RRP executives have created value for investors in California commercial real estate markets for more than four decades by striking the perfect balance between dynamic vision and trusted best practices.

Chris Patterson

Chris Patterson has been smoking meats at the Spring Street Smokehouse for nine years.

Located in Chinatown, Spring Street Smoke House quickly became a Downtown staple for barbecue lovers, foodies and tourists. Meats are smoked from two to 16 hours and come with a variety of sides such as mac-andcheese, baked beans and jalapeno cornbread. They also offer unique draft and bottle craft-style beers to round out the authentic barbecue experience.

Spring Street Smokehouse 640 N. Spring St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 213-626-0535 sssmokehouse.com

April 28, 2014

Downtown News 15

ASK THE EXPERT

Q A

We are in a great time for first-time homebuyers because both interest rates and home prices are still relatively low. Most first-time homebuyers make the mistake of finding their home before setting up their financing. So you are off to a good start as you are thinking about your mortgage costs. Your first call should be to your lender. Your lender can help you get prequalified for your loan and guide you through the many interest rate and loan options, finding the best one for you based on how long you plan to stay in your starter home.

Q A

Charles Chen, NMLS #617354 Water and Power Credit Union 1053 Sunset Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90012 213-580-1775 (Home Loan Office) wpcu.org

Misak Nalbandian is the director of sales for Water and Power Community Credit Union. He has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services and mortgage banking industry.

Nalbandian is a USC graduate, with a degree in business finance.

I have tons of bills. I need to get a plan to get out of debt.

It’s easy to let credit cards and other open-ended lines of credit get out of hand. At WPCCU we have some great, free online tools available to credit union members to help them to track spending, develop a working budget, and start to pay down debt. Consolidating your debt at a lower interest rate is one way to get your payments down so that you can stay on track. It’s also important to start a savings program, so that when unexpected expenses arise, you don’t have to resort to credit to pay for them. Finally, set a realistic time goal to have the debt paid off. You are more apt to succeed if you can see progress.

Q A

Charles Chen joined WPCCU in 2001. He grew up in Pasadena, and still lives in the area with his wife and two young daughters, ages one and three. A licensed mortgage loan officer, Charles understands the local market, and specializes in finding the right home loan for each member’s individual needs. Charles is trilingual, fluent in English, Mandarin and Taiwanese.

I’m getting ready to buy my first house.

Is interest rate the only consideration?

Misak Nalbandian Water and Power Credit Union 1053 Sunset Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90012 213-580-1600 wpcu.org

CFS Financial Advisor Bob Bayliff has worked in the financial services industry for more than 20 years, and for more than 15 years has assisted WPCCU members with a wide range of investment products, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, annuities and life insurance, as well as a wide range of tax-efficient strategies from college savings to 401(k) plans.

I’m in my mid 30s and starting to think about saving for retirement. Where do I start?

The important question is not just where you start, but when. And, the best time is always now. The where is dependent on your individual circumstances. Generally speaking, those working for a company that offers a 401K should take advantage of it. Many companies will even match your contribution percentage up to certain limits. For those that have their own small company or are self-employed, consider a SEP IRA. There are other methods if you are self-employed. If your employer does not offer a retirement plan you should look into your ability to contribute to a traditional IRA or Roth IRA. There are no cookie cutter answers.

That’s why it is always best for you to take the time to speak to a licensed financial adviser.

Non-deposit investment products and services are offered through CUSO Financial Services, LP. (“CFS”), (Member FINRA/SIPC). Products offered through CFS are not NCUA/NCUSIF or otherwise federally insured, are not guarantees or obligations of the credit union, and may involve investment risk including possible loss of principal.

Bob Bayliff, CFS Water and Power Credit Union 1053 Sunset Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90012 213-580-1623 wpcu.org

WATER AND POWER COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION

RETIREMENT

DEBT REDUCTION

HOME LENDING

WATER AND POWER COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION

OFFICE PRINTING SUPPLIES

CROSSFIT

WHISKEY

16 Downtown News

Q A

What makes Far Bar the best place to taste whiskey?

If you’re a whiskey lover, Far Bar has hundreds of whiskeys to quench your thirst. Far Bar’s selection is the largest in Los Angeles and includes bourbon, rye, Japanese whiskey, Irish whiskey and single-malt Scotches. Far Bar also offers a selection of 25 whiskey flights that range from the $20 Good Ole Flight to a $100 Pappy Van Winkle Flight. Moreover, whiskey purveyors unite monthly at Far Bar’s Club Mezz for a ticketed-tasting event where patrons try six different whiskeys made from six different grains that are paired with food made from the same grain.

Far Bar also barrel ages cocktails. They start with un-aged corn or rye whiskey, put it into oak bourbon barrels and age it for up to one year. Patrons can taste different stages of the aging process. Far Bar’s menu features an array of diverse food including signature sushi and burger specials. It is the only restaurant/bar in L.A. where you drink whiskey and eat sushi.

Q A

Adam Acuff

Ronnie Teasdale trained students and managed gyms for 10 years.

His goal of being the best coach in L.A. is reflected by the masses of people changing their lives almost as soon as they walk in the doors.

Two gyms in Downtown L.A. offer private training and a variety of group classes including CrossFit. First timers are welcomed with a complimentary introductory class plus two more free days.

Ronnie Teasdale

Why is the price of original brand ink so expensive, and what can I expect in terms of quality from buying refilled or compatible printer cartridges?

Original brand ink and toner cartridges are highly profitable for the printer manufacturers. The printer manufacturers sell their printers at very low costs and make up for it with high-priced printer cartridges, which of course need to be replaced as they get used up. This is similar to the “razor/razor blade” business model: The printer (a one-time sale) is sold at a very low price, but the ink cartridges are sold at a very profitable price. Some may call it sneaky (especially when you consider that some printers come with “low yield/starter cartridges” that run out pretty fast), but it is, after all, the business model of choice for printer manufacturers and they have done well with it. Many people know about the price savings of using refilled (remanufactured) or compatible cartridges. Buying from a professional remanufacturer can save you a considerable amount of money.

Bar manager Adam Acuff produces Club Mezz and directs Far Bar’s whiskey program. The Far East Café, Far Bar’s original name, opened in the 1930s and quickly became the place for family and friends. It drew both immigrants and politicians along with a string of notables including gangster Mickey Cohen. Part of Far Bar’s allure is its near-secret entrance.

Look for the clipboard sign and enter through a narrow alleyway tucked between two buildings.

Far Bar 347 E. First St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 213-617-9990 farbarla.com

How can I get everything: lean muscle mass, vigor, reduced body fat and mental clarity?

The only way to be completely healthy is to have balance. Fitness is achieved through a synergy of all aspects of you moving in a positive direction. With the correct formula of diet, exercise, sleep and relaxation, your whole body will move toward its optimal self. Exercise must be done to optimize your hormonal response to movement. All of your food must be viewed as a drug.

Your body responds depending on how you use it and what you put into it. A natural diet low in carbohydrates and with plenty of fat is necessary for the metabolism of healthy hormones. Movement must be at intensities that press your thresholds and at varying time domains, especially those under 20 minutes. Switch up your choice of movement daily. Routine is the enemy. And keep those chemicals out of your mouth.

Q A

April 28, 2014

ASK THE EXPERT

Los Angeles Health & Fitness CrossFit Mean Streets 265 S. Main St. 213.290.2367 CrossFit Smiley Streets 1377 S. Flower St. 213-973-2695 lahfgym.com

123 Refills has serviced the Downtown Los Angeles market for more than 10 years, and has earned the trust of many of its customers with low-priced, highquality ink and toner cartridges that save its customers around 50%, and sometimes as much as 70% or more compared to buying brand name cartridges from an office supply megastore.

Dr. Dimitris Constantinou 123 Refills 705 A S. Olive St. Los Angeles, CA 90014 213-488-9404 123refills.com

April 28, 2014

Downtown News 17

ASK THE EXPERT

Q A

How can one avoid knee injuries?

Low-impact aerobic exercise is a great way to begin any exercise program.

Aerobic exercise includes activities that make one breathe deeper, perspire and have a faster pulse. A bicycle, elliptical machine, treadmill, rowing machine and a pool all provide excellent aerobic exercise options. Each of these are good for the heart, the lungs and the lower extremities. They are all relatively safe choices that minimize the risk of knee injuries. When muscle building resistance exercises are added to the lower extremity workout the number of repetitions should remain between 10-15 per set. Start with light weights and gradually increase resistance. Each repetition should be as smooth as the first to avoid soft tissue injuries.

Q A

Orthopedic Computer Surgery Institute 637 S. Lucas Ave., Suite 101 Los Angeles, CA 90017 213-977-2280

Dr. Soha Dolatabadi received her medical degree at the Azad University, Tehran Medical in Tehran, Iran. She completed her internship in internal medicine at Rochester General Hospital in Rochester, NY, followed by a residency in internal medicine at Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield.

Dolatabadi is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

How can I keep my joints healthy?

Joints of the body are important because we use them every day for walking, simply standing or picking up items. Maintaining the health of your joints should be an important focus of your overall health and wellness. Some of the most effective methods for keeping joints healthy are to practice healthy lifestyle habits. This means eating well-balanced, healthy meals, maintaining appropriate body weight, and doing safe, regular exercise and conditioning. Low impact exercises such as aquatic exercise and tai chi are very useful.

Q A

William T. Long, MD

Soha Dolatabadi, MD Internal Medicine/ Rheumatology 1245 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 804 Los Angeles, CA 90017 213-977-1030

Dr. Marc A. Samson is an orthopedic and sports medicine specialist.

He completed his fellowship in sports medicine at Stanford University Hospital’s SOAR and is board-certified in Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. He received his medical degree at the UC School of Medicine – Irvine and completed his internship and residency at NY Medical College and Boston University.

How do I prevent shoulder injuries?

Shoulder injuries have increased recently along with the aging of the population. The most common injuries occur to the rotator cuff tendons or shoulder capsule. To help prevent injury I recommend the following: 1) Warm up prior to exercise with gentle stretches. 2) Work both sides of the shoulder with matched exercises, such as external and internal rotation, flexion and extension, chest and back. 3) Strengthen the rotator cuff with internal and external rotation, and abduction exercises. This can be done with free weights, nautilus type machines or tension bands.

Avoid exercises that elicit pain. 4) Do not neglect the scapular rotators. Many rotator cuff injuries are due to scapular dysfunction. Stabilize the scapula by strengthening the scapular rotators with horizontal rows and seated pull-downs. 5) Stretch after working out. 6) Do not overdo it!

Rome was not built in a day.

Dr. William T. Long received his medical degree from UC San Diego. He completed Orthopaedic Residency at MLK/Charles Drew Medical Center in L.A. He received Joint Replacement Fellowship Training at the Kerlan Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic and at the University of Southern California.

He is board certified and recertified by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and is a member of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons.

Marc A. Samson, MD Los Angeles Orthopaedic Center 1245 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 400 Los Angeles, CA 90017 213-482-2992

GOOD SAMARITAN HOSPITAL

SHOULDER INJURIES

JOINT HEALTH

ORTHOPEDICS

GOOD SAMARITAN HOSPITAL

CREATIVE OFFICE

CHILDCARE

RESIDENTIAL LENDING

18 Downtown News

Q A

What is the difference between Pre-Qualification and Pre-Approval?

Many people don’t know this, but there is a difference between being prequalified and becoming pre-approved for a home loan. Pre-qualification is not as thorough as an actual pre-approval. The process is less rigorous and provides an estimate on how much a potential homebuyer can afford.

A pre-approval on the other hand is written documentation backed by a lending institution that approves a loan for a specific amount. It requires a far more thorough review of your credit history and viability as a homebuyer. Typically, you should get pre-qualified when you are starting your home search and need to determine what you can afford. You should obtain pre-approval when you have identified a home that you are interested in purchasing and need to secure financing. With guidance and prior planning, you will be one step closer to the dream of owning your own home.

Q A

David Swatik, NMLSR #330035

Rocio Hernandez is the director at Grace Iino Child Care Center, a program of Little Tokyo Service Center since 2003, serves families who work or live in Downtown Los Angeles. Grace Iino is a developmental infant and toddler program actively practicing “responsive care.” Our staff is highly qualified with credentialed teachers and licensed by Community Care Licensing.

Rocio Hernandez

LTSC/Grace Iino Child Care Center 231 E. Third St., Suite G-103 Los Angeles, CA 90013 213.473.1699 213-617-8596 jkuida@ltsc.org rhernandez@ltsc.org

Donegan McCuaig is the owner/ broker of DTLA Real Estate. He graduated from UCLA and began leasing warehouse space to artists in Downtown’s Fashion District in December 2008. He has since become one of the most prominent leasing brokers of creative commercial space in Downtown L.A. with his company, DTLA Real Estate.

What is creative office space?

Creative office spaces are often found in older buildings with abundant historic charm. Being part of history often adds a vibe of originality and a lack of corporate influence, which are two important concepts. One standard among creative offices is a basic style: exposed ceilings (not dropped); original wood or cement floors (not commercial carpeting); and an open floor plan rather than compartmentalized rooms. These stylistic features are manifested in older warehouse buildings, which once housed artists who were attracted by the cheap and abundant space. These days, however, prices are at a premium and inventory is tight as creative office space has become increasingly popular with companies that want to project an innovative and non-traditional image. If you want to lease creative office or retail space in Downtown, commercial real estate broker Donegan McCuaig has the expertise to help make it happen.

Serving the Los Angeles area for more than 15 years in real estate finance, David Swatik has built a strong reputation in Downtown L.A. and beyond. Union Bank has an extensive array of fixedrate and adjustable-rate home loans, including loans for low- to moderate-income households.

Please contact David today to schedule your no-obligation prequalification meeting and learn how Union Bank can help meet your homeownership dreams.

Union Bank, L.A. Main Office 445 S. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90071 213-236-6843 david.swatik@ unionbank.com

What should I look for when searching for quality childcare for my new baby?

Whether your infant or toddler will be cared for by grandma, a licensed homecare provider or a childcare center, finding high-quality childcare is one of the most important decisions that working parents will make in their child’s young life. If you are considering center-based licensed childcare, first visit a center and meet the director. Ask about their philosophy, policies and procedures. Find out if the teaching staff has Early Childhood Education units, teaching permits from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, and are Pediatric CPR/First Aid certified. See what kinds of toys and activities are offered and included in the daily curriculum. As you visit each center, observe whether teachers are responding to children’s needs, and if the children look happy and well taken care of.

Q A

April 28, 2014

ASK THE EXPERT

Donegan McCuaig DTLA Real Estate 453 S. Spring St., Suite 818 Los Angeles, CA 90013 213-304-4727 DRE #01753250 dtlarealestate.com

AUTOMOTIVE

SMALL BUSINESSES

KNEE PAIN

April 28, 2014

Q A

How is osteoarthritis treated?

Traditionally, treatment of osteoarthritis has focused upon either pain and inflammation relief or total joint replacement. Pain relief measures have included NSAIDs, corticosteroids and in some cases pain medications with addictive profiles. However, these treatments fail to adequately address the underlying causative factor. Alternatively, total joint replacement as an ultimate solution that frequently results in unanticipated side effects and prolonged rehabilitation, excludes other potential beneficial therapies. Hyaluronate viscosupplementation and regenerative therapy offer a non-surgical solution as an alternative to conventional treatment of osteoarthritis. Regenerative therapy, which includes platelet-rich plasma and stem cells, treats the underlying condition which eliminates pain but also improves the function of the joint, thereby helping to prevent more invasive solutions such as joint replacement.

Q A

Dr. Paul Mogannam

Luanna Lindsey is senior vice president and district manager for Wells Fargo’s Downtown Los Angeles market for the L.A. Metro Community Bank. Lindsey oversees 188 financial professionals at 11 banking stores in Downtown Los Angeles with nearly $1 million in deposits.

Luanna Lindsey Wells Fargo Luanna Lindsey L.A. Metro Community Bank Distrct Manager 213-253-3330 lindsell@wellsfargo.com

What is the Downtown L.A. Auto Group?

The Downtown L.A. Auto Group consists of seven automotive dealerships in Downtown Los Angeles and one more in the city of Carson. They are owned and operated by The Shammas Group, which was founded by Nickolas and Jeanette Shammas. Nickolas began his car-selling career at Fairfax High where he refurbished and sold 22 used cars while still in school. After junior college, he opened a series of used car lots. The Downtown L.A. Auto Group includes Mercedes Benz, Porsche, Audi, Volkswagen, Nissan, Toyota, Scion and the iconic Felix Chevrolet, which was purchased nearly 60 years ago. Each dealership is a full service, state of the art facility that sells not only new vehicles but also has well over 1,000 pre-owned vehicles in stock.

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Downtown News 19

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Holter completed his Ph.D. in History at the University of Wisconsin. In 1995, Holter left UCLA to assist his father-in-law, Nick Shammas, with his Downtown businesses.

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TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

20 Downtown News

April 28, 2014

Money Pours In to Keep Arts District Dog Park Open

By Donna Evans early two months after a lock was affixed to the gates of the Arts District Dog Park, and entry was restricted to those willing to pay $60 for six months of access, a group of community stakeholders have stepped up.

A consortium of residents and business owners has pledged $13,500 to fund operations of the park. The one caveat to the money: The park has to remain free to the public.

Laura Velkei, a member of the Los Angeles River Artists and Business Association, which oversees the facility, said that signage touting some of the most substantial donors will be displayed in the park. Velkei worked with LARABA board member Chris Fudurich and Down-

N

town residents to secure the funding.

Attendance at the 6,000-square-foot park at Molino and Fourth streets fell off significantly after LARABA began charging an entry fee. In March, signs posted to the fence alerted dog owners that they would need to buy a key to unlock the gate.

LARABA officials said that was necessary considering that it costs about $4,000 a year to pay the park’s property taxes, electricity, water and maintenance fees. That totals 15% of the entity’s operating budget.

LARABA stepped in last May to take over the park’s operation. That had been handled by the now-defunct Arts District Business Improvement District.

The park opened in 2010. The land is owned by the Honda family of Little Tokyo, and was donated for use as a dog park.

The sale of keys was slow, with only about seven people buying them in the first three weeks. With some fearing the normally busy park would not survive, a group of area stakeholders took it upon themselves to solicit funds.

So far, the amount of money promised to the park would cover its costs for at least three years, and possibly four if a pending request to a developer comes through, Velkei said.

The matter will be on the agenda at LARABA’s May 5 meeting. The board could vote to create a committee, comprised of LARABA and community members, to oversee the costs and

photo by Donna Evans

The Arts District Dog Park has secured $13,500 in financial commitments from area stakeholders.

continuing care of the park. Or it could decide to pass it off to another entity. donna@downtownnews.com

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April 28, 2014

Downtown News 21

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Supervisor Says NFL Is ‘Feigning Seriousness’ With L.A. Football Effort Ridley-Thomas Also Touches on Transit Sales Tax at Downtown Event

By Jon Regardie ounty Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas first began trying to bring professional football back to Los Angeles more than 15 years ago. At the time, he was a City Councilman and helmed an effort to lure an expansion franchise to a refurbished Coliseum in Exposition Park. Although the then-$300 million aim pales in comparison to the $1 billion or more that new stadiums cost these days, the attempt fell short. Houston won out when businessman Robert McNair outbid L.A., paying $700 million for the rights to secure a team (beyond the cost of building a stadium).

Ridley-Thomas has continued to keep an eye on local football recruitment efforts, and to keep tabs with NFL officials. That made his remarks last week on the attempt to score a team particularly interesting.

In short, he said, don’t hold out hope for a team coming to Farmers Field or any location in the region anytime soon. In fact, he didn’t have endearing words for the league.

“I don’t believe the NFL is serious yet,” he said.

“They’re having a good time feigning seriousness. The only thing that they’re doing is stoking their brand and having a whole lot of people who are financially endowed pursue them.”

Ridley-Thomas’ comments came at a luncheon hosted by the Los Angeles Current Affairs Forum at the Downtown Palm on Wednesday, April 23.

The conversation occurred as Anschutz Entertainment Group’s effort to bring a team to a

C

photo courtesy office of Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who tried to bring the NFL to the Coliseum more than 15 years ago, questioned the league’s commitment to the city. “The only thing that they’re doing is stoking their brand and having a whole lot of people who are financially endowed pursue them,” he said last week.

$1.4 billion Downtown Los Angeles stadium (including a revamp of the Convention Center) has lost public momentum. Former AEG President and CEO Tim Leiweke, who had been the face of the effort, left the company in March 2013.

Although AEG officials maintain that they are

CLassiC FiLms and Live entertainment in historiC venues June 2014

still trying to land a team in Downtown, city officials have said they are looking at a plan to modernize the Convention Center without a football component if necessary. The city’s agreement with AEG on a Farmers Field project expires in October, though it could be extended.

Ridley-Thomas said he has been in conversation “with interesting parties inside the NFL,” and that the message is football will not return to L.A. unless there is a local deal that is economically attractive to the league. Los Angeles has been without a team since both the Rams and Raiders left in 1994.

“They seem not to be in any big hurry unless they have a level of confidence about the promise of what can happen in L.A. and how they can benefit from it,” he said.

Though he seemed skeptical about the prospects of luring a team, Ridley-Thomas noted the economic benefits. He pointed out that the economic impact of a Super Bowl in San Diego a decade ago was $350 million. He echoed others who have estimated that, with a new stadium, Los Angeles could host as many as three Super Bowls over a 10- or 12-year period.

“Everybody who knows anything knows that these Super Bowls are unofficial national holidays, and the economic impact is just huge over that three-day weekend,” he said. “I gotta tell you now, in Los Angeles, given the revitalization in Downtown and other portions of our region, they would just rock the house.”

Pushing Rail Ridley-Thomas is in a unique position on the

five-members board of supervisors. Two of his colleagues, Zev Yaroslavsky and Gloria Molina, will be termed out this year. The other two, Don Knabe and Mike Antonovich, will be termed out in 2016. Ridley-Thomas was elected in 2008 and could stay on the board until 2020.

Ridley-Thomas would not reveal who he is endorsing in the contested race to replace Yaroslavsky — the leading contenders are former Santa Monica mayor and Kennedy family member Bobby Shriver, and onetime state Sen. Sheila Kuehl. He said it is too early to pick a candidate.

He was more outspoken on another election, a potential 2016 county ballot that would ask voters to approve a half-cent sales tax hike to fund transportation infrastructure improvements. The measure, currently dubbed R2, after the Measure R tax increase that voters approved in 2008 that dedicated up to $30 billion for a variety of projects, will require a persuasive campaign from leaders across the region, he said.

To get voters to approve it, he said, it must be “regional, rational and equitable. It must be all three all the time.”

He noted that the measure could collide with an initiative city officials are discussing, to put a half-cent sales tax hike on the ballot for street and sidewalk repairs. Though he said functional sidewalks “ought to be a basic city service,” he forcefully touted the potential benefits of R2.

“I believe the city has some homework to do on the sidewalk sales tax agenda,” he said. regardie@downtownnews.com

Featuring the movie palaces of downtown’s broadway historic theatre district and the music Center’s dorothy Chandler pavilion

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22 Downtown News

April 28, 2014

Years Later, Work Starts on Cleantech Site Huge Project Moves Forward After Three Failures

By Donna Evans or a contaminated, 20-acre site on the southeastern edge of Downtown, the fourth time was finally the charm.

The Cleantech Manufacturing Center broke ground on April 10, more than four-and-a-half years after then-Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced a deal to activate the parcel at Washington Boulevard and 15th Street. That deal fell apart, and was only the start of a string of setbacks stemming from factors including, but not limited to, a tumbling economy and polluted land.

Now, the project is moving forward. Developer

F

Trammell Crow Company and its partner, Principal Real Estate Investors, have begun construction on a 370,000-square-foot campus that will create three new buildings. Two of them will be occupied by clothing manufacturer Ambiance USA. “It’s been a very long haul,” said Brad Cox, senior managing director for Trammell Crow.

For two years, Cox said, Trammell Crow has worked with the city to attract clients to the troubled site.

Securing Ambiance USA was a coup, as the fashion company had been looking to expand into Vernon.

Instead, 160 jobs will come to Downtown.

Trammell Crow is also in negotiations with a com-

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Executives from Trammell Crow Company and Principal Real Estate Investors were joined by city officials this month to break ground on the Cleantech Manufacturing Center. The long-delayed 20-acre parcel was originally intended to house a railcar-manufacturing facility.

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April 28, 2014 pany that uses “cutting-edge technologies in manufacturing and production” to occupy the third building, Cox said. He hopes to finalize the deal in the next couple of months.

When all is said and done, he said, there will be more than 200 jobs on the site. He called that a big turnaround for a property that has been vacant for more than 30 years.

“We’re creating over 350 union construction jobs during the development. We’re very excited,” he said.

According to Trammell Crow, the campus, located within half a mile of the 10, 5 and 60 freeways, offers the largest contiguous industrial space in Downtown. The project is being designed for truck access, and will include 52 loading docks. Trammell Crow is pursuing LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification for the project from the U.S. Green Building Council. Ecofriendly elements will include a rainwater harvesting system.

Completion is expected this year, he said.

Dirty Ground For the longest time, “completion” seemed out of reach.

The city purchased the site from the state for $14 million in April 2008. The land, adjacent to the Los Angeles River, has a long history of industrial users, which led to heavy contamination. Part of the site was occupied by the Crown Coach company as a manufacturing hub, and another section was occupied by Amtrak machine shops and railcar repair facilities. According to the now-defunct Community Redevelopment Agency, there was a railcar spill in the late 1970s or early ’80s. Other pollutants came from the repair work.

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM The city envisioned the project as the pearl in a necklace of eco-oriented businesses running along the river through and out of Downtown. The project was spearheaded by the CRA. A big step came in 2009 when Villaraigosa announced that a deal had been signed with Italian railcar maker AnsaldoBreda to develop a 240,000-square-foot, $70 million manufacturing facility on a 14.3-acre portion of the property. The company was slated to build 100 lightrail cars for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Instead, the deal fell apart before its midnight deadline on Oct. 30, 2009, when AnsaldoBreda refused to sign the contract it had negotiated.

Following that, the CRA was poised to strike a deal with electric car company Coda Automotive, which sought to develop a plant to manufacture batteries. That deal dissipated the morning it was slated for CRA board consideration.

Having no success in leasing the property, the CRA then opted to sell the site, but that led to new problems. A proposed acquisition by Culver City-based Genton Property Group collapsed in July 2011. The firm cited contamination issues when it backed out of the deal.

Finally, in November 2011, the CRA board of commissioners approved a $15.4 million sale — the same amount remaining on the loan — to Trammell Crow. The terms were negotiated, finalized and approved, though even that produced hiccups. The proposed transaction coincided with Gov. Jerry Brown’s decision to shutter CRAs throughout California. The move complicated any in-process deals.

Downtown News 23

rendering courtesy Trammell Crow

The three-building development at Washington Boulevard and 15th Street will create 200 jobs. The anchor tenant will be clothing manufacturer Ambiance USA.

Still, Trammell Crow worked with city officials and the state Department of Toxic Substances Control to solve the complex environmental problems associated with the property, Cox said.

The city spent $2.2 million cleaning the site.

At the groundbreaking this month, 14th District City Councilman José Huizar lauded Trammell Crow for their perseverance in getting the long-blighted property to “spring to life” and keep an “important fashion manufacturer” in the city.

Fred Walti, executive director of the Los An-

geles Cleantech Incubator, an Arts Districtbased nonprofit that works to nurture the growth of green technology companies in the city, praised Trammell Crow for continuing to push the project.

“It has been a long journey, and there have been a lot of environmental issues, so kudos to Trammell Crow that they kept at it,” Walti said. “Having a manufacturing center there is going to make a real difference in that part of the city.” donna@downtown.com

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

24 Downtown News

April 28, 2014

At City’s Center, New Life for an Old Building Merced Theatre Is Undergoing a $23 Million Renovation

By Eddie Kim hen it opened in 1870, the Merced Theatre was Los Angeles’ first theater. It soon became an entertainment destination for the wealthy socialites staying in the adjacent Pico House hotel.

The building quickly lost its luster as the city’s theatrical scene shifted to Broadway. For much of the next century, the theater at 430 N. Main St. housed retail and commercial businesses.

The Merced, along with several buildings around it, was eventually acquired by the city, and a 25-year lease was awarded in 1984 to a developer, Old Los Angeles Company, to revitalize what the city calls the Pico-Garnier block.

That never happened. Instead, the venue has sat empty and

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in disrepair for three decades. Today, only Nativity decorations, creaking wood floors and a healthy dose of dust grace the venue.

Now, finally, a brighter future is coming into focus. With the recent settlement of a long-running lawsuit from Old L.A., the city plans to embark on an approximately $23 million renovation.

The Merced will become the home of city TV station Channel 35, which broadcasts City Council and other governmental meetings and events. The second floor, which historically served as the main theater, will be the live studio. The studio will also be available to city-sponsored users, such as nonprofits or schools, that want to create educational, governmental or cultural programming.

“Space for a live audience of about 70 people will allow us to engage the public with debates, town halls and other events

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that we weren’t able to do,” said Mark Wolf, executive officer at the city Information Technology Agency, which oversees Channel 35. “The venue also gives us a full upgrade to digital technology, as we’ve been operating in an analog environment.”

The city is currently paying more than $300,000 annually to rent a facility in Little Tokyo for Channel 35, and stands to save money over the long run by having its own building, said Christopher Espinosa, general manager of city department El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument.

In addition, the renovation will create a small first-floor performance venue that will host shows or meetings from local schools, arts groups and more. The city has approached L.A. Opera to provide cultural programming, though no specific plans have been established.

The third floor will house office space for El Pueblo and Channel 35 staff. The refurbishment of the adjacent Masonic Lodge, meanwhile, will create space for additional offices as well as for studio equipment. An exterior elevator shaft will be constructed

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April 28, 2014

Downtown News 25

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

photo by Gary Leonard

Christopher Espinosa, general manager of the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, in front of the 1870 Merced Theatre. The building near Olvera Street will become the headquarters of the city’s Channel 35 TV studio.

on the southern end of the building to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements (currently, the building only has stairs).

The project is currently in the design phase, which is expected to last about a year, Espinosa said. The actual construction could take up to two years, and Espinosa said he hopes to see the revitalized building open in 2017.

Cable Providers Pay While the purpose of the changes is simple enough, the long neglect of the building means that the costliest im-

provements lie under the skin. Major upgrades must be made in seismic retrofitting, plumbing, security systems, electrical infrastructure and more, Espinosa said. That’s not to mention the technological infusion the building needs to support the Channel 35 studio.

“The city is investing a lot of money to make this a state-of-the-art facility that will serve the public for a long time,” Espinosa said.

Plans for the renovation of the Merced Theatre and the Masonic Lodge started rolling in early 2013. Later that year, Roto Architects was selected to handle the designs. The city Bureau of Engineering recommended spending $2 million on the design and engineering phase, according to city documents.

The price tag of up to $23 million will be covered by fees collected from cable providers for the support of public-access programming. No impact on the city’s general fund is expected, according to Bureau of Engineering documents.

The city did consider buying other venues, as well as a plan to build a property from scratch — both options would likely have been cheaper, Espinosa noted. The Merced’s proximity to the Civic Center and the fact that the city already owns the property, however, were justifications for taking on the hefty renovation.

The move has also drawn the praise of Adrian Scott Fine, director of advocacy for preservationist organization the Los Angeles Conservancy.

“The city has a vast collection of historic resources, so we’re supportive of [officials] being good stewards and reinvesting into what they already have,” said Fine. “The Merced, in particular, is an important building that can serve as a catalyst for the neighborhood in terms of foot traffic and visibility.”

While El Pueblo officials had hoped to see the building take on artistic and cultural uses, Espinosa noted that the current plan is a “compromise” that will reactivate the stagnant venue at the city’s birthplace. eddie@downtownnews.com

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The Central City Crime Report A Rundown on Downtown Incidents, Trends and Criminal Oddities

By Donna Evans n the Central City Crime Report, we survey the recent week in public safety. All information is provided by the LAPD’s Central Division.

I

Unwitting Accomplice: Four adults enlisted a child to help steal merchandise from Santee Alley on April 14. The girl jumped out of her stroller at 1129 S. Maple St. and was told to hold open a bag while the adults stuffed women’s clothing inside. Witnesses to the 2 p.m. incident blocked the entrance of the business while others called police, but one suspect pulled out a knife and the thieves made off with the goods.

Twice, Not Nice: Two men who on April 13 stole a $600 potted plant from UEvolution, at 621 S. Spring St., came back at 7 a.m. on April 15 and stole another one.

Purse Snatch: An 82-year-old woman was walking to her car at Fourth Street and Broadway just before 7 p.m. on April 13 when a woman grabbed her from behind and pushed her head into the vehicle. When the woman came to, her wallet was missing from the purse.

Bicycle Blues: A man riding his bicycle was shot in the leg at 3 a.m. on April 17 while pedaling down Grand Avenue at Venice Boulevard. The assailants took off and the victim was treated at California Hospital.

Bad Blade: On April 18, an employee at Lax-C, a market at 1100 N. Main St., told his colleague that he was going to take his lunch break. The two got into an altercation and the second man held a knife to the victim’s throat, causing a minor cut.

Always Lock Your Bike: A woman who works at the Central Library arrived at her job on April 16 but failed to lock her bicycle. Security officers responding to a stairwell alarm at 7 p.m. found another woman, who claimed she was looking for the restroom, in possession of the bike.

Always Lock Your Bike II: A man left his bike unsecured in front of a loading dock in the 600 block of Ninth Street for nine hours. When he returned at 10:30 a.m. on April 17 it was missing. From Chinatown to South Park, sing it with us: “Always lock your bike!”

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April 28, 2014

A New Kind of ulture lash

CC

Member of Adored Local Theater Troupe Takes ‘Water and Power’ From the Stage to the Screen

photo by Rafael Cardenas

26 Downtown News

(l) A still from Water and Power, based on a play by local theater troupe Culture Clash, that examines family and Chicano politics in Los Angeles. (r) Director and Culture Clash member Richard Montoya during the 12-day shoot.

By Eddie Kim he father, a longtime Los Angeles Department of Water and Power worker, has high hopes for his twin sons, Gilbert and Gabriel Garcia. One day, he thinks, they’ll become the movers and shakers of the city.

He nicknames them “Water” and “Power,” and imparts an important lesson about family: Without power, there is no water.

Without water, there is no power.

Water and Power, a new film written and directed by the acclaimed Los Angeles theater troupe Culture Clash’s Richard Montoya, explores how that bond is stretched to the breaking point in adulthood. Montoya adapted it from a 2006 Culture Clash play of the same name that won raves when it debuted at the Mark Taper Forum.

The film opens in Los Angeles on Friday, May 2. It had a premiere party at Grand Park last week.

In the film, Gabriel (played by Nicholas Gonzalez), has grown up to become a hotshot lieutenant with the Los Angeles Police Department. He is involved in a murder and needs help from his brother (Enrique Murciano), now a state senator, to survive.

Although none of the three Culture Clash members appear in the movie, Montoya’s film echoes the play in picking apart issues of corruption, the growing influence of Chicano politics and brotherly sacrifice, and wraps it all in a bittersweet love letter to the city.

The story follows Gabriel as he holes up in a seedy motel, high on drugs and emotionally torn apart after shooting a man who was recently released from prison. Gilbert can use his political pull to protect his brother, but that means potentially killing a cornerstone project to bring greenery to the Los Angeles River, betraying the hopes of his East L.A. community in favor of private developers who want to build luxury condos on the riverfront.

“Deep down, this is a Chicano movie filmed under the bridges and on the streets and in the shadows of L.A., but there’s a lot of romance in the way I filmed it,” Montoya said. “At the same time,

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this is very critical on Chicano society. It’s not enough to have Latino ambition. What happens when that ambition collides with our responsibilities to family and the city?”

Sundance Student Montoya began toying with a Water and Power screenplay in 2007. He admits that the original drafts “just didn’t work,” but he gained his footing after his selection to the Sundance Institute, an extension of the famed film festival that offers new filmmakers guidance and mentorship.

With input from directors such as Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen) and writers such as Walter Mosley, the “stage version was beat out” of the script, he said. The biggest challenge was translating the language of the play to a different medium, which meant cutting out monologues (“My babies!” Montoya joked) and finding ways to communicate ideas without words.

“After thirty years of directing and writing for the stage, it was humbling to work with such brilliant screenwriters and mentors,” Montoya said.

The film was shot over 12 hectic days with a slim $600,000 budget. With those resources, Montoya tried to shoot a gritty, stylized film that captured the mysterious swagger of classic noir while adding a cultural twist. He channeled his “inner Michael Mann” as the crew sped around the city at night, Montoya said.

Culture Clash’s Siguenza, who played Gabriel in the play, said Montoya’s efforts to capture the swirling currents of the L.A. political scene shows. He also compares the feel of the movie to Quentin Tarantino’s idiosyncratic first film, Reservoir Dogs.

“Richard is a new voice in Chicano cinema, and a lot of his sensibilities show in the film,” Siguenza said. “There’s just such a unique take on language and interactions and characters beyond what you expect from a ‘normal’ Chicano film or the usual cop film.”

While Water and Power, whose producers include actor Edward James Olmos, is Montoya’s alone, Culture Clash’s Salinas (who portrayed Gabriel’s wheelchair-bound confidante Norte

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The film was based on a 2006 play that opened at the Mark Taper Forum and co-starred Montoya (right). He wrote and directed the movie, which opens Friday, May 2.

Sur in the play) also said that the film is an extension of the theater troupe’s influence and work over 30 years.

“It shows off corners of L.A. that you don’t want to step into, and a mixture of subject and characters that just doesn’t exist in our film history,” Salinas said. “It is a perfect supplement to Culture Clash’s story and aesthetic of being an underdog and trying to put unheard voices out there.”

Montoya sums up the film by noting that he wanted to confront Chicano culture and politics head-on, criticizing in a way that will make viewers reflect on their own influence and work.

That criticism will only become more relevant, he said, as the city’s political sphere and its connection to the Chicano community continues to ebb and flow over time. eddie@downtownnews.com

Now Playing/Starts May 2

April 28, 2014

Downtown News 27

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The Many Faces of Paul Robeson Taper Play Doesn’t Dig Deep, but Still Manages to Satisfy Daniel Beaty plays Paul Robeson, and many other characters, in the solo show The Tallest Tree in the Forest. It is at the Mark Taper Forum through May 25.

photo by Craig Schwartz

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His voice earned him money to pay for law school and turned him into a movie star, but it also made him a hero among Russia’s citizens and with African Americans struggling for civil rights.

Each song Beaty delivers, accompanied by a trio of onstage musicians, tells more than the simple recitation of Robeson’s life, most notably his rendition of “Zog Nit Keynmol,” which Robeson sang in a 1949 Moscow concert in support of Jewish Russians who were being persecuted.

The Tallest Tree in the Forest scratches the factual surface of one of America’s most compelling figures, but it satisfyingly mines the depth of his emotion and energy.

The Tallest Tree in the Forest runs through May 25 at the Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-4444 or centertheatergroup.com.

but the emotion is there. Likewise, his portrayal of Essie imbues her with a sense of strength and practicality, while still showing her as a woman hurt by her husband’s ongoing affairs.

Beaty also avoids mimicking Robeson, and instead focuses on his robust verbal inflections when he’s giving speeches and his powerful stride when walking the stage. Their singing voices are distinct, and it’s jarring at first to hear Beaty if you know Robeson’s unique bass-baritone best exemplified in his iconic performance of “Ol’ Man River.”

Still, Beaty’s versions of “Ol’ Man River,” several spirituals and a couple of era-specific standards are the strongest elements of Tallest Tree because they get to the literal and figurative heart of Robeson. He was many things — lawyer, professional athlete, Broadway actor — but through it all, he was a singer who used his commanding voice to entertain, to enlighten

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more than to-the-point dialogue. A few minutes is all that’s allotted for understanding his relationship with his slave-born father, for his courtship of wife Essie, and for key points in his acting and singing career. Without prior knowledge of Robeson’s life, or reading the program, the timeline could be tough to follow.

It’s when he veers from the straight biographical that Beaty breathes life into Tallest Tree. He imagines conversations between Paul and Essie, several of which revolve around his affairs with co-stars. These provide more depth to Robeson the man.

Beaty tackles the internal struggle for the most challenging aspect of Robeson’s public life — his American patriotism versus his praise for Communist Russia. Even after witnessing the post-World War II shift in the USSR, which includes the imprisonment and killing of some of his Jewish friends, he is slow to criticize Stalin’s rule, choosing instead to speak against the treatment of African Americans and the working poor of his homeland.

Beaty for the most part avoids Robeson’s last decade, which included clinical depression, electroshock therapy and a reclusive lifestyle in Philadelphia. Instead, he chooses as his climax highlights of Robeson’s actual testimony in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee.

Known for his multi-character solo shows Emergency and Through the Night, Beaty shifts easily between key figures in Robeson’s life. His depictions of J. Edgar Hoover and President Harry Truman may not be spot-on impressions,

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By Jeff Favre t’s telling that the program for The Tallest Tree in the Forest contains an extensive biography about its subject, 20th century Renaissance man Paul Robeson.

An impressive, complicated and talented man whose fame put him in the company of kings and presidents before a public downfall, Robeson today is little known by the general public.

Los Angeles has been getting Robeson 101 crash courses this year, however, with simultaneous biographical stage productions.

A revival of Phillip Hayes Dean’s 1977 monologue-driven play Paul Robeson just closed at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center (the 83-year-old Dean died April 14). Poor timing has left it in the shadow of Daniel Beaty’s The Tallest Tree in the Forest, an inspiring, intriguing, yet somewhat slight one-man show of many characters, as well as a dozen songs. The recently opened play continues through May 25 at the Mark Taper Forum in Downtown Los Angeles.

Beaty’s two-act drama, which premiered last year in Kansas City (before moving on to La Jolla and Washington, D.C.), is directed by the veteran playwright Moisés Kaufman. The team delivers a well-paced two-hour primer on a man with enough experiences to fill a 10-part mini-series and then some, which is their biggest obstacle.

Instead of choosing two or three life-changing events, Beaty, roaming the sparse Derek McLanedesigned set, combines brief snapshots across more than 40 years, which leaves little room for

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28 Downtown News

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

April 28, 2014

LisT DT The Don’T Miss Lis

CALENDAR LISTINGS

An Early Cinco de Mayo, Heavy Music and More Downtown Fun

EVENTS

Tuesday, april 29 Town Hall on 2020 Commission City Club Los Angeles, 555 S. Flower St., 5th Floor, (213) 628-8141 or townhall-la.org.

11:30 a.m.: With the ominous subtitle “World Class City or the Next Detroit,” members of the Los Angeles 2020 Commission discuss the recent and controversial report that offers some cures to the things that ail L.A. The event is presented by Town Hall-Los Angeles.

ry tural Histo ht as the Na g ri b o s b n s y w a a ay d st Frid monthly Fir f the Museum’s ate event o im lt u n e p s it ill nanza hosts ing at 5 p.m., guests w rt ta includay, May 2. S ve lectures ti a rm year on Frid fo in ious DJs and tar pits and discover cop of the Rancho La Brea depths. iew at lurk in its op outfit th s il ss fo ing an overv e g A ie p trove of Ice ceased, ind the treasure adowed by the long de of perky instrumental rsh ustle eet a specia Not to be ove n here) offers a busy b diorama. M a t w u o o h ck (s e d h Holychil mething. C nhm.org. re. Learn so 63-3466 or tion. Go the position Blvd., (213) 7 00 Ex friend. At 9

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Thursday, May 1 Lucha VaVoom Mayan, 1038 S Hill St, (213) 746-4287 or luchavavoom.com.

May 1-2, 7 p.m.: Two consecutive nights of Mexican masked wrestling, burlesque and snarky commentary mark yet another appearance of the vaunted Lucha VaVoom.

Friday, May 2 First Fridays Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 7633466 or nhm.org.

5 p.m.: The Natural History Museum again hosts a night of lectures, tours and live music featuring acts including Holy Child.

il 29, Boy n Tuesday, Apr op by the George will dr tre Belasco Thea show for his second x si Downtown in ’80s e months. Are th ntown ow D truly back? Is ex un on to the hip if w ne a of pected revival make-up h uc m wave icon? How ring? We can only wea ture Clubber be ffice it to say, those will the ex-Cul t su the answers, bu will know all speculate as to is sold-out show To avoid th to s et ck ti without game. about the crying there is to know , check Craigslist or mill ntries such unpleasa d Hill er of Olympic an rn co e around th . Boy George before the show of you. At 1050 demands this ) 746-5670 or S. Hill St., (213 ter.com. thebelascothea

O

photo by Dean Stockings

T

he recent 2020 Commission took a look at life in Los Angeles.

Their findings sliced through the rampant boosterism surrounding the city to find a social fabric teetering on disaster. Infrastructure, social inequality and massive budgetary woes cloud our otherwise fair and sunny horizon, according to the report dubbed “A Time for Action.” On Tuesday, April 29, Town Hall-Los Angeles hosts two of the commission’s authors, Austin Beutner (shown here) and David Fleming, for a talk on all that ails the region. L.A. Times editor-at-large Jim Newton will moderate the discussion titled “Los Angeles at the Tipping Point: World-Class City or the Next Detroit?” At City Club Los Angeles, 555 S. Flower St., fifth floor, (213) 6288141 or townhall-la.org.

5

photo by Don Spiro

peaking of things from another era, the rightful scion of Southern rock, vintage doom metal and grindcore emerges from its ancestral home in Atlanta to stampede through Club Nokia on Friday, May 2. Yes indeed, Mastodon is back. With a highly anticipated album due this year, the grimy quintet promises another growling batch of skull-smashing stoner melodies to help brighten the otherwise banal sonic landscape of your life. By the by, they sing about everything from Rasputin to Stephen Hawking’s theories. No, we didn’t make that up. At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or clubnokia.com.

3

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

photo by Gary Leonard

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

May 1: Nick Mancini Chamber Trio.

May 2: Sara Gazarek Band.

May 3: Miguel Atwood-Ferguson.

May 4: Brandon Coleman.

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

April 28, 8:30 p.m.: Larry Rothman caps off his residency with a night of what will presumably be music.

April 29, 7:30 p.m.: Snide Bostonian Bill Burr headlines the All Things Comedy show.

April 29, 9 p.m.: Minnesota proto-punk outfit Howler promises to entertain and delight.

April 30, 8 p.m.: Skating Polly: because the family that plays pop punk together, stays together.

May 1, 9 p.m.: With gospel roots, rock chops and a name that sounds like an exotic Brazilian diet drink, Adam Arcuragi is poised to take the music industry by storm.

May 2, 9 p.m.: So committed to his low-key Louisiana roots is crash that the artist refuses to capitalize the first letter of his nom de rock.

May 3, 9 p.m.: It’s weird how band names get translated. Apparently in their native Sweden, I Break Horses’ name is synonymous with spooky synth pop, whereas in Kentucky they would call that a three-word resume.

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

May 2, 7:30 p.m.: You will likely split your lungs with blood and thunder when you see the white whale, and by white whale

TWo S

FoUR

sunday, May 4 L.A. Comic Book & SciFi Convention Shrine Auditorium, 665 W. Jefferson Blvd., (213) 748-5116 or shrineauditorium.com.

10 a.m.: Comic book dealers, celebrity guests and gaggles of adults dressed as their favorite pulp heroes mark this spectacle.

t to take in f you have ye is Lucha that the bounty ’s now time VaVoom, it room. By phant in the ay/October le e e th t n o to confr bruary/M mean the Fe delephant we d wrestling, gender ben e sk ng a li m zz f u ila g parade o ng and tequ ci n a d e u ’s n sq ing burle of Downtow become one nalia. fun that has es of baccha rc u so d e rd a , in the most reg iday, May 1-2 Fr d n a y a d l This Thurs VaVoom wil atre, Lucha e h T ip n a ty y in a M Mayo ng Cinco De be celebrati rrive early A . n io lar fash cu a ct e sp l ca batants e night’s com 038 th se p m li g to . At 1 tro car style arriving in re 46-4287 or 13) 7 S. Hill St., (2 .com. m luchavavoo

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photo courtesy of Goldenvoice

saTurday, May 3 Eat Prey Stuff Prey Taxidermy, 453 S. Spring St., Suite 417 or preytaxidermy.com.

9 p.m.-1 a.m.: Finally, Downtown has the taxidermy studio we’ve been yearning for. To celebrate the time-cherished art of stuffing deceased animals and positioning them in regal poses, Prey Taxidermy is hosting an opening soiree. RSVP via their website.

Symposium: Mike Kelley in Los Angeles Japanese American National Museum, 100 N. Central Ave., (213) 626-6222 or moca.org.

11 a.m.: Artists who knew the late Mike Kelley gather to discuss his work and current exhibition at MOCA.

one

photo courtesy of Holychild

By Dan Johnson calendar@downtownnews.com

April 28, 2014

Downtown News 29

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

we mean Atlanta’s Mastodon.

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

April 28, 9 p.m.: The Punknecks celebrate their return to Los Angeles with a little Monster Monday.

April 29, 10 p.m.: Bunny West and the Punknecks in a triumphant tandem.

April 30, 10 p.m.: The Punchdrunks and Smooth Hound Smith are on hand to play music and inform you about the necessity of having a living will.

May 1, 10 p.m.: Zach & Bridget kick off an evening that will peak with Paper Planes and culminate with you falling asleep fully dressed.

May 2, 9 p.m.: Temporarily displaced from Tuesday night, Boom Boom Boom gets what’s theirs.

May 3, 10 p.m.: Johnny Moezzi & The Drones join Charlie Chan & The SOB’s for a festival of blues and beer.

May 4, 10 p.m.: Leave your dignity at home for RT N’ the 44s during the Honky Tonk Sunday.

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

May 2: Aly & Fila.

May 3: Claude Vonstroke.

Grammy Museum 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org.

April 28, 7:30 p.m.: It’s folk outfit Hurray for the Riff Raff’s night to shine and distance herself from cornrow superstar Riff Raff.

April 29, 8 p.m.: Longtime rockers Drive-By Truckers will give a little taste of their magical musical milieu.

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

April 28: DJ Step Dad. May 2: Jack of All Tracks.

May 3: DJ Aaron Castle.

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

May 2, 8 p.m.: We are disturbed to tell you that tonight’s musical guest, funk legend George Clinton, has cut his hair.

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

April 28: Joey Briggs, Bobby Meader Music, Justin Chester, Michael Spaid and Divided Heaven.

April 30: Sick City.

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

April 28, 10 p.m.: Bass master Brandino returns with friends.

April 29, 10 p.m.: The Makers dedicate tonight’s show to the memory of your dignity, Continued on next page

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Angeles Downtown $2999 due at signing. (Excludes title, tax, 1st mo. pymt, options and dealer ment, tax, title, licensing feesLos and $695 bank acquisition fee.$0News Sec. Dep. Must qualify for the Art dirEctor: Brian Allison fees). $0 security deposit. $0.20/mile over 12,000 miles/yr. 1 at this offer 1264 W. First Street, CA 90026 Audi Loyalty or Audi Acquisition Rebate of $1,000. $0.25Los per Angeles, miles over 10,000 miles/year. 1 AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa # C130048/008216. at this offer EN022577. phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins web: DowntownNews.com 2005 Lincoln LS V8 Sedan .....................

2010 Honda CR-V ...................................

PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard email: realpeople@downtownnews.com Silver/Carmel, 3.9L, Leather, Moonroof, Low Miles. CU1294R/ Y626765 2.4L, Blue, Only 48K Miles. A140835D-1/ AC002386

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$17,795 facebook: 2011 Audi A3 Turbo ...............................

L.A. Downtown $23,995 Certified, 2.0L, Black/Black, GDI DOHC. A140811D-1/ BA102419 News twitter: 2011 Audi Q5 Turbo AWD .....................

DowntownNews $28,995 Certified, Deep Sea Blue, Tiptronic, ZA10805/ BA039480 PORSCHE OF DOWNTOWN L.A.

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AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt

AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Steve Epstein, Catherine Holloway sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez

circulAtioN: Danielle Salmon

©2014 Civic Center News, Inc. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Civic Center News Inc. All rights reserved.

The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles.

One copy per person.

distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles 888-304-7039 888-685-5426 AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla 3300 S. FIGUEROAdistributioN ST. • FELIXCHEVROLET.COM 1900 S. FIGUEROA ST. • PORSCHEDOWNTOWNLA.COM

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Porsche Cayenne Turbo .............. $7,995 2011 Certified, Silver/Blk, Nav, 37K Miles, Prem Pkg. ZP1733/ BLA83036 $74,898 2007 Nissan Frontier CrewstAFF CabwritErs: ............ Donna Evans, Eddie Kim 2012 Porsche Panamera S .................... coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese $16,995 4.0L, V6, Bedliner, UC1451/7C445065 Certified, Carbon Gray, 19K Miles, Bose, 20” Whls. ZP1702/ CL061983 $75,987 coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, 2013 Dodge Caravan SXT Kristin Minivan ...... Kylie Jane Wakefield 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera Friedrich, S IGTS N C E............

19 7 2 $19,995 3.6L, V6, Four Bucket Seats, UC1458R/DR520266 Certified, Blk/Blk, Spyder Whls, 25K Miles, Bose. ZP1731/ BS720923 $80,898 Los Angeles Downtown News Art dirEctor: Brian Allison 2004 Chevy Aveo SVM Sedan .................

1.6 L, 4 Cyl., Low Miles, Great MPG F14485-1/4B136890 ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie

AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins

1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

30 Downtown News Continued from previous page which you left at Seven Grand last Tuesday.

April 30, 10 p.m.: It was said of Robert Johnson that he knew how to fold a suit in just such a way that it would never wrinkle.

Rick Taub’s Midnight Blues Review is still working on it.

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

May 1: Bleak End at Bernie’s, Unrefined Feces, Dr. Zoo and Coward.

May 2: Sons of the Itch, Corima, Unctous Rump and Hex Horizontal.

May 3: Black Love, Black Lullabies and The Black Watch take the stage in the third annual Black Spring Festival.

LAST WEEKS ANSWERS

CROSSWORD

May 4: Needles & Pizza, Rudy de Anda, Santoros and Bastidas.

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

April 28, 7 p.m.: Shorts Open Screen is an open mic program for short films. If you’ve got a short under eight minutes, bring it down, sign up and take it all in.

April 28-May 1: Bible Quiz is the story of an unrequited romance set in the joyous world of competitive Bible verse memorization competitions.

May 1: Director Tom Gilroy crafts a portrait of an innocent yet worldly 11-year-old left to fend for himself after the death of his mother in The Cold Lands.

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. REDCAT 631 W. 2nd St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org.

April 28, 8:30 p.m.: The Art of Collision features a selection of montage films by Henry Hills.

May 3-4, 12 p.m.: The second week of the REDCAT International Children’s Film Festival features, you guessed it, kidsoriented content from around the globe.

Regal Cinemas 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 763-6070 or lalive.com/movies.

Through May 1: Brick Mansions (1:50, 4:30, 7:10 and 9:40 p.m.); The Quiet Ones (12, 2:30, 5, 7:30 and 10 p.m.); The Other Woman (1:20, 2, 4:10, 4:50, 7, 7:40, 9:50 and 10:30 p.m.); Walking With the Enemy (1:10, 4:20, 7:20 and 10:20 p.m.); A Haunted House 2 (11:50 a.m., 2:10, 5:10, 7:50 and 10:10 p.m.); Transcendence (1, 4, 7 and 10 p.m.); Heaven Is for Real (1:50, 4:20, 6:40 and 9:10 p.m.); Oculus (11:50 a.m., 2:20, 4:50, 7:20 and 9:50 p.m.); Rio 2 (12, 2:40, 4, 6:50 and 9:30 p.m.; Rio 2 3D (1:30 p.m.); Captain America: The Winter Soldier (12:10, 3:10, 6:30 and 9:40 p.m.); Captain America: The Winter Soldier 3D (12:50, 3:50, 7:10 and 10:20 p.m.); Noah (3:20 and 9:20 p.m.); Divergent (12:20 and 6:20 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 29-May 2, 10:30 a.m. and May 3-4, 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.

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

May 1-4: 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. Through May 4.

Porgy and Bess Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org.

April 28, 2014 April 29-May 2, 8 p.m., May 3, 2 and 8 p.m. and May 4, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: George Gershwin’s jazz age portrait of Charleston, South Carolina returns to the stage with the accompaniment of a rousing 23-piece orchestra.

Premeditation Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., (213) 4890994 or thelatc.org.

May 1-4: A world premiere written by Evelina Fernandez and directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela. It’s a dark romantic comedy about a marriage than ends in murder. Somehow, dirty underwear on the bathroom floor figures into the plot. Through May 11.

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 28, 2014

DT

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ITEMS FOR SALE BUilding/sUpplies

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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Downtown News 31

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

general

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edUCational “Professor of Church Music.

Bachelor’s in Music & 3 yrs exp in teaching or directing church music required. Send resume to employer: Chong Shin University In USA, 2975 Wilshire Blvd. #300, Los Angeles, CA 90010 Attn: Keun Soo Kim”.

LEGAL legal notiCe LEGAL NOTICE STATE Of CONNECTICuT SupErIOr COurT JudICIAL dISTrICT Of STAmfOrd/NOrwALk AT STAmfOrd 123 HOyT ST. STAmfOrd, CT 06905 rETurN dATE: 04/22/14 rOSA rOSALES vS. CArLOS E. mITCHELL NOTICE TO: CArLOS E. mITCHELL the Court has reviewed the Motion for Order of Notice in Family Cases which asks for Divorce (dissolution of marriage). the Court finds that the current address of the party to be notified is unknown and that all reasonable efforts to find Carlos E. Mitchell have failed. The Court also finds that the last known address of the party to be notified was: 151 West 101st Street, Los Angeles,

CA 90003. tHE COURt ORDERS (signed) that notice be given to the party by placing a legal notice in the Los Angeles Downtown News, a newspaper circulating in Los Angeles, CA, containing a true and attested copy of this Order of Notice, and, if accompanying a Complaint for divorce a statement that Automatic Court Orders have been issued in the case as required by Section 25-5 of the Connecticut Practice Book and are a part of the Complaint/Application on file with the Court. the Notice shall appear once a week for four successive weeks commencing on or before 04/22/14 and proof of service shall be filed with this court.

Superior Court Assistant Clerk: H. Valassis Date Signed: 03/20/2014 Pub. 04/07, 04/14, 04/21, and 04/28/2014

name CHange SupErIOr COurT Of CALIfOrNIA, COuNTy Of LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES SupErIOr COurT OrdEr TO SHOw CAuSE fOr CHANGE Of NAmE NO. ES017495 Petitioner (name of each): Ricardo Junior Martinez, 343 W. Central Avenue, Unit D, Monrovia, CA 91016, filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: RICARDO JUNIOR MARtINEZ Proposed name: RICARDO ALEJANDRO MARtINEZ tHE COURt ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter shall appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the peti-

tion for change of name should not be granted.

NOtICE OF HEARING Date: 06/02/2014 time: 8:30 a.m.

Dept.: E the address of the court is 600 East Broadway, Glendale, CA 91206. A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in CIVIC CENtER NEWS, 1264 West 1st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 of general circulation, printed in this county.

Prepared by: Sherri R. Carter LOS ANGELES SUPERIOR COURt 600 East Broadway Glendale, CA 91206 Date: April. 7, 2014 Hon. Mary thornton House Judge of the Superior Court Pub. 04/14, 04/21, 04/28, 05/05/2014

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TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

32 Downtown News

April 28, 2014

AROUND TOWN, 2

Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore!

It’s our business to make you comfortable... at home, downtown. Corporate and long term residency Call Now Fo is accommodated in high style at the Towers Apartments. Contemporary singles, studio, one r bedroom and two bedroom apartment homes provide fortunate residents with a courteous full service lobby attendant, heated pool, spa, complete fitness center, sauna and recreation room Move-In Spec with kitchen. Beautiful views extend from the Towers’ lofty homes in the sky. Mountain vistas and ial slender skyscrapers provide an incredible back drop to complement your decor. Far below are a host of businesses s ready to support your pampered downtown lifestyle. With spectacular cultural events nearby, even the most demanding tastes are satisfied. Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore. Visit the Towers Apartments today.

Grand Tower

255 South Grand Avenue Leasing Information 213 229 9777 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room

Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove, Microwave & Dishwasher (most units) ~ Central Air Conditioning & Heating ~ Balconies (most units)

On-site: ~ Dry Cleaners / Dental Office / Restaurants

Promenade Towers

123 South Figueroa Street Leasing Information 213 617 3777 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Pool / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Covered Parking

Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove & Dishwasher ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Solariums and/or Balconies

On-Site: ~ Convenience Store / Coffee House / Yogurt Shop / Beauty Salon

worth of grants are flowing to 21 recipients in his 34th Congressional District from the National Endowment for the Arts. The Department of Cultural Affairs is getting $75,000 and the County Arts Commission will receive $70,000. A number of Downtown cultural purveyors also are seeing the money, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association ($65,000), Center Theatre Group ($50,000) and the Library Foundation of Los Angeles ($45,000). Grand Performances, the Southern California Institute of Architecture and the Los Angeles Downtown Arts District Space will each get $30,000. “With this support from NEA grants, [Angelenos] can continue exploring and contributing to Los Angeles’ diverse culture and rich history,” Becerra said in a prepared statement. “But equally important, many of these grants encourage using art to engage our students and our communities.”

Event on Skid Row’s Future This Week

I

t seems that almost everyone has an opinion on the status and future of Skid Row. This week, those opinions will all be heard.

On Tuesday, April 29, the Downtown Women’s Center will be the site of a meeting dubbed “Skid Row Speaks Out.” From 6-8 p.m., the facility at 442 S. San Pedro St. will welcome residents, neighbors, businesses and agencies for a discussion about what comes next for the area. More than 100 local stakeholders are expected to participate, with representatives from Chrysalis, Lamp Community, the Inner City Law Center and even CicLAvia and Yarn Bomb LA, among others. The session is part of the LA2050 Listens series of events to gather public feedback on topics about the future of the city. The event is free and open to the public.

Additional information is at dcweb.org/la2050.

Big Residential Units Coming to Broadway

A

few years ago, Steve Needleman announced plans to turn Broadway’s Singer Sewing Machine Building into apartments. Then, the vision shifted to a boutique hotel. Now, the rental project is back on track, and construction is underway. Needleman, who runs the Downtown property firm Anjac Fashion, said the structure at 806 S. Broadway will be transformed into seven residential units, including one penthouse. Each apartment will span 6,000 square feet, except the 10,000-square-foot penthouse, and all will have a private balcony. Residents will also have access to a rooftop terrace, he said.

Needleman, who previously refurbished Broadway’s Orpheum Theatre and turned the building above it into apartments, anticipates having one ground-floor retail space in the Singer property. He said work could be completed by 2016.

A New Movie and a New Restaurant on DTTV

museum Tower

225 South Olive Street Leasing Information 213 626 1500 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room

Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove, Microwave & Dish washer (most units) ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Balconies (most units)

8 7 7 - 2 65 - 714 6

TOWERS T H E

A PA RT M E N T S

www.TowersApartmentsLA.com MAID SERVICE • FURNITURE • HOUSEWARES • CABLE • UTILITIES • PARKING

RESIDENCES: SINGLES • STUDIO • ONE BEDROOM • TWO BEDROOM

W

ant to learn about dinner and a movie without having to leave your home? Then check out DTTV, the weekly webcast from Downtown News. The episode that goes online on Monday, April 28, will feature Fifty Seven, the new Arts District restaurant built around changing the chef every few months.

Also profiled this week is Water and Power, a new film from theater troupe Culture Clash (it was based on a play that debuted in Downtown). The film had its premiere last week in Grand Park.

Check out the episode at downtownnews.com.

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