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a beloved restaurant closes

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moca turns 40

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The corner of Fourth and Wall on a recent Wednesday afternoon. photo by Sean P. Thomas

THE VOICE OF DOWNTOWN L.A. SINCE 1972

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AROUND TOWN

Grand Central Market Nears Monument Status

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wo iconic Downtown buildings are advancing on the path to becoming designated city Historic-Cultural Monuments. On April 18, the city Cultural Heritage Commission recommended adding Grand Central Market and the adjacent Million Dollar Theater to the list of registered monuments. Grand Central Market, built in 1898, is on the National Register of Historic Places, but not the city’s official list. The Million Dollar Theater was built in 1917. Langdon Street Capital purchased both buildings in 2017 and applied for monument status. The decision now rests in the hands of the City Council.

ArtCenter Takes Over Main Museum Site

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ast May, Downtown’s Main Museum launched a partnership with Pasadena’s ArtCenter College of Design. Then, in December, the museum abruptly closed and the staff departed. Now there are plans to revive it as an art space, as last week ArtCenter and building owner Gilmore Associates announced that the site at 114 W. Fourth St. will become a satellite location for the college. The

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first exhibit, a show of work from MFA candidates called Going Clear, will open May 16.

Gilmore Associates, headed by Tom Gilmore and Jerri Perrone, will continue to own the building, and ArtCenter will rent the space for $1 a year for 10 years. It will be renamed ArtCenter DTLA. “We’re grateful to Tom and Jerri for their generosity in providing us with this new Downtown space,” Art Center President Lorne Buchman said in a prepared statement.

“We plan to serve as a resource to the L.A. art community by presenting exhibitions and programs integrating the mission of the former Main Museum with the mission of ArtCenter.”

Two-Way Bike Lane Added to Spring Street

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owntown Los Angeles received its first two-way bike lane last week, part of the city’s push to improve bicycle infrastructure.

The lane was installed along Spring Street, between Third and Ninth streets, and opened on Monday, April 29. The work involved converting the southbound bike lane on the east side of Spring into a two-way route. The project is part of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation and 14th District City Councilman José Huizar’s Main and Spring Forward, a $2.3 million effort to improve the Spring Street corridor with protected bike lanes and pedestrian crossings. “Our bicycle community needs improved access wherever we can implement it and in Downtown these twoway bike lanes will allow for a safer and more convenient experience that we hope leads

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to more being installed throughout the City,” Huizar said in a prepared statement. Improvements to Main Street, which include two-way protected bike lanes from Cesar Chavez Avenue to Ninth Street, are planned for the fall.

Charger Cheerleader Auditions in South Park

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hink you have what it takes to become a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Chargers? Downtown might be Rams country, but that isn’t stopping Los Angeles’ “other” team from hosting an open call audition on Sunday, May 19, at the South Park Center City View Penthouse at 1149 S. Hill St. Check-ins begin at 10 a.m., with the auditions starting promptly at 11 a.m. Applicants must be 18 or older and available for twice-weekly rehearsals and the full slate of Chargers home games and publicity events. Pre-audition workshops will be held at Equinox South Bay in Hawthorne on Saturday, May 11. More information is at chargers.com.

Key Approval for Aerial Tram

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he proposal to construct a 1.25-mile tram to ferry baseball fans between Union Station and Dodger Stadium took a step forward on April 25. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors approved the start of the environmental review process for Aerial Rapid Transit Technologies’ proposal to build the privately financed gondola system. The project was announced in April 2018

MAY 6, 2019

and, according to AART, could alleviate Dodger Stadium traffic by serving more than 5,000 riders per hour. Martha Welborne, AART’s project manager, called the vote a milestone. “We look forward to continuing to advance this innovative and sustainable — privately funded — transportation project and appreciate the continued support of the Los Angeles Dodgers for this exciting opportunity to expand transportation options for Dodger fans,” she said in a prepared statement. Once the environmental review is complete, the board will vote on the project. If approved, AART, headed

by Drew McCourt, the son of former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, hopes to start service by 2022. No budget has been announced and the cost of a ride has not been revealed.

Huge New Mural on Convention Center

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colorful addition has been affixed to the exterior of the Los Angeles Convention Center, but it is not related to an exhibition or show inside the facility. Instead it’s a mural that will be up through the fall. The project, titled “Shaping L.A.,” comes from the art collective Portraits of Hope. The mural, a collection of geometric patterns in bright red, green, yellow and other hues, is 400 yards long and runs along the South Hall and the West Hall’s parking garage. The Convention Center commissioned the project, which will be up for approximately six months. More than 7,000 people from around Los Angeles County helped paint it, according to the Convention Center.

MAY 6, 2019

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EDITORIALS

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TAKE MY PICTURE GARY LEONARD

The High Price of Bridge Housing Patrols

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hen Mayor Eric Garcetti last spring unveiled his plan to build emergency homeless housing projects in each of the 15 City Council districts, he knew he would meet resistance.

It’s a fact of life in Los Angeles: Every time someone in any community outside Skid Row seeks to create new services for those living on the streets, there will be opposition; it ranges from gentle pushback to virulent vocal and social media-driven NIMBYism.

So Garcetti was smart to promise that whenever a project in his A Bridge Home initiative opened, there would be corresponding services in the surrounding blocks. These “special enforcement zones” would see increased street and sidewalk cleaning, as well as a prohibition on tents from 6 a.m.-9 p.m. each day.

As with almost every project in Los Angeles, it has taken longer than anticipated for the bridge housing sites to come online. Now they are arriving, and as they do, the cost of enforcement is becoming clear. When it comes specifically to security, which is provided by the LAPD, the price tag is far higher than almost anyone could have anticipated.

This raises a pressing question: Can the cost be lowered while still providing the level of service needed to aid homeless individuals and meet the demands of residents and workers?

Los Angeles Downtown News last week reported on the high costs tied to the bridge housing patrols. The story revealed that police overtime will run $96,171 per month in the next fiscal year for patrols in the vicinity of the first A Bridge Home site; that’s El Puente, which debuted last September on a former parking lot near Olvera Street.

Over a year, that works out to $1.15 million, and that’s in addition to the 45-bed project’s annual operating cost of $1.3 million (which includes private security on the site). Garcetti’s new budget allocates the same funding for enforcement zone patrols at two other A Bridge Home locations: one in Hollywood, and another coming to Downtown Los Angeles, a 115-bed facility at 1426 Paloma St. in the Fashion District.

There are currently plans to open at least 20 A Bridge Home sites in the next year. If 20 in fact arrive, and each has the same price tag for nearby police patrols, that would work out to $23 million annually.

Over two years that amounts to $46 million.

That’s a hefty expenditure, and while Garcetti’s current $10.6 billion city budget allocates a lot of money for LAPD overtime, an economic downturn could slash the cash available.

The high cost — more than $3,000 per day — stems from the fact that LAPD officers in enforcement zones earn overtime wages 24 hours a day, with two two-officer teams on foot or bike patrol each working 12-hour shifts. Officers volunteer for the duty, so after their regular weekly shifts, they can sign on for the assignment. That has to please the police union.

One has to question if this is sustainable going forward. A Bridge Home sites are a vital part of the city’s response to homelessness, but we’d like to think that the smart minds in city government can find a way to reduce the cost.

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COMMENTS

Regarding the editorial “Downtown Issues for 14th District City Council Candidates” It’s a great idea to publish the CD 14 issues from the Downtown perspective. Redistricting will soon be here and perhaps Downtown ought to be shared by more than one council district.

—David Tokofsky I am one of the candidates and I am ready to handle all those issues partly by making the policies simpler to understand without complicated deals for special interest groups, like out of state real estate developers that do not show concern for the existing residents (I am one of the residents). I know how to negotiate so that all the communities that currently live in District 14 benefit and the quality of life improves for all. There should be updated information and training for law enforcement and private security that includes mental health issues. I am an interior architect with knowledge of city planning and development issues.

—Kendrick Rustad Regarding the article “The Natural History Museum Explores When Dinosaurs Ruled Antarctica,” by Nicholas Slayton The article mentions the Terra Nova expedition led by Robert Falcon Scott in 1910-1913. Scott’s team arrived at EDITOR: Jon Regardie STAFF WRITERS: Nicholas Slayton, Sean P. Thomas CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Tom Fassbender, Jeff Favre

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the South Pole after Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his team. So although Scott wasn’t the first to reach the pole, he and his team made an amazing contribution to the sciences (meteorology, climatology, paleontology and the list goes on) during their three-plus years on the ice. Ernest Shackleton was another Antarctic explorer known for getting all his crew to safety after their ship, the Endurance, was crushed in the ice.

—Jacquie Sewell Regarding the article “Continental Building to Become a Hotel,” by Nicholas Slayton This building used to be called the “Braly Block,” named for the man who paid for its construction. It would be nice if it had that name again. The architect was John B. Parkinson. That’s the same man who designed City Hall and Union Station.

—Liam Bean

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

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

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Nurses only need a moment to improve a life forever.

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By Jon Regardie ix months ago this week, Angelenos witnessed one of the most stunning scenes ever to unfold in City Hall. On the morning of Nov. 7, 2018, a battery of FBI agents stormed the third floor suite of

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THE REGARDIE REPORT 14th District Councilman José Huizar. They emerged a few hours later carrying a batch of cardboard boxes. Other FBI teams conducted similar raids at Huizar’s home and his Boyle Heights field office.

The activity, complete with a sniffer dog named Ginger who reportedly had a nose for flash drives and electronic equipment, looked like something straight of a CBS procedural, though it turned out this was actually a reality show. I’d call it “Survivor” but the name is already taken. Plus, the castaways who spend 39 days starving and getting sunburnt on an island in the middle of the ocean seem to have things better than Huizar, who appears to have little room to maneuver.

The anniversary of the raid lands on Tuesday, May 7, but there won’t be a party, and I doubt Team Huizar wants presents. That said, half a year after that fateful day seems a good time to take stock of what has transpired, and to ponder what lies ahead. Here we go.

The Upside: Look Ma, No Charges!: If Huizar is seeking a silver lining, it’s that even after seven search warrants were served, and the councilman shattered the record for bad press in a single month by a Los Angeles politician, no charges have been filed and no one has been arrested. In fact, in standard FBI fashion, we haven’t heard boo from the bureau since that day. Plenty of people have made plenty of inferences, and speculating on what if anything Huizar did has become a popular parlor game even for people who don’t have parlors. But the FBI has not publicly commented on the case or any potential targets, and no one outside the federal building has any clue what, if anything, prosecutors are planning.

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The Downside: The Waiting Game: Although Huizar has yet to publicly face the wrath of the Feds, his reputation is toast.

Even if the fall of the house of Huizar is no longer daily news, people in Downtown who follow City Hall continue to talk about the raid, and to wonder when the other shoe will drop.

Actually, that’s not right; given the gravity and the public nature of the situation, the other shoe is actually a 900-pound Kevlar boot.

This has to be brutal for Huizar himself. You know how sometimes you go to a party and see people talking quietly and are convinced it’s about you, even though that’s impossible? In Huizar’s case, they’re all whispering about him, and they’re all wondering what he’ll face next.

photo by Gary Leonard

This week brings the six-month anniversary of the FBI raid on the offices and home of 14th District City Councilman José Huizar.

Quiet Time: So what is happening? One person well-versed in law enforcement and investigations cautioned against thinking that for Huizar the lack of news is good news. Instead, the individual pointed out that the FBI and federal investigators will take as much time as they need to assemble a case, and won’t be rushed, no matter the cawing of constituents or the media. It takes work to sift through boxes of documents, and if computer equipment or flash drives were uncovered, there could be thousands of emails to peruse.

Plus, the Feds in L.A. have been kinda busy lately, what with the case of Michael Avenatti, the college admissions scandal and last week’s breaking news of an Army veteran who had been planning a serious local terror attack. Any of those could pull attention and resources away from a case against an elected official.

Bad Pattern: While the raid was jaw-dropping, it continued a string of unsettling news involving Huizar: In the preceding weeks, the councilman was the subject of two lawsuits filed by former employees, who charged retaliation and harassment. Both also alleged that Huizar had engaged in an extramarital affair with a different former employee. Last week attorneys for Huizar dropped a bid to seal documents related to one of those suits.

Huizar denied the allegations, but they made everyone recall Francine Godoy, another former employee with whom Huizar admitted having an affair back in 2013. In the court of public opinion, politicians usually get one mulligan for a sexual dalliance, but the second one is the sinker.

Continued on page 12

MAY 6, 2019

DOWNTOWN NEWS 7

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Dealing With Downtown’s Dumping Debacle Local Leaders Say More Garbage Is Being Tossed on Streets Than Ever Before.

Some Say the Problem Worsened After the Launch of RecycLA

By Sean P. Thomas owntown Los Angeles faces numerous challenges, from teeming tent encampments to worsening gridlock. Now add another issue: a surge in illegal garbage dumping.

Leaders of multiple Business Improvement Districts, the private organizations that tax property owners to pay for services such as clean and safe teams, say large amounts of garbage are increasingly and illegally being deposited on public and private property. The situation is stressing the ability of the BIDs to respond.

“We can pick up a couple of crates of rotting tomatoes without batting an eye,” said Estela Lopez, executive director of the Industrial District Business Improvement District.

“But what has become increasingly clear is that illegal dumping is on the rise. The more we pick up, the more we become free trash triage for people who should be properly disposing of their own waste.”

BID leaders say numerous factors are contributing to the rise. That includes longstanding issues such as business owners who ignore trash disposal regulations, and people who drive in from other communities to drop their garbage.

Then there’s another potential factor:

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photo by Sean P. Thomas

The Fashion District is a frequent site of illegal dumping. The local business improvement district says its teams pick up 14 tons of garbage a day, up from 7.5 tons two years ago.

Some local leaders say garbage has spiked since the 2017 launch of RecycLA. The city-orchestrated program vastly altered garbage pick-up in Los Angeles, dividing

the city into 11 zones and awarding exclusive franchise agreements to trash haulers.

Previously, building owners had been able to negotiate their own garbage hauling

with a company of their choosing.

The program was marred by early problems including missed pick-ups and soaring fees. While the public anger has largely subsided, some BID heads say they are hauling more garbage, not less, in the RecycLA era.

Rena Masten Leddy, executive director of the Fashion District BID, said that since RecycLA went into effect in the Fashion District in August 2017, the average amount of trash picked up per day by the BID has increased from 7.5 to 14 tons.

“We are seeing a direct correlation from when RecycLA started, and when our numbers started to increase,” Leddy said.

Anthony Rodriguez, the Fashion District’s operations manager, said his patrol teams have experienced a spike in trash from area vendors and businesses. This means everything from pallets of rotting mangoes and avocados to bags filled with marijuana waste, an apparent result of the surge in cannabis shops.

On a recent Wednesday afternoon, Rodriguez showed a reporter a number of locations in the district where garbage bags were left near a light post or on the curb.

Rodriguez said that the problem has placed a strain on his clean and safe teams, as well as the BID’s budget.

All Kinds of Clutter While the term “illegal dumping” typically generates visions of large, bulky items left on sidewalks and in alleys, people active in trash pick-up in Downtown say it is manifested in a variety of forms, from garbage bags to leftContinued on page 8

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GARBAGE, 7 over food scraps to collections of cardboard boxes.

The Industrial District, which has numerous large warehouses and few residents, has long been a spot for those dumping refuse. But things are getting worse: Lopez said that her crews saw about a 10% spike in the amount of trash picked up last year. She added that her teams frequently respond to construction materials and food left to rot on the streets.

Lopez said that the numbers are impacted by the Operation Healthy Streets cleanings that the city conducts in the area four days a week. Meant to address garbage left by homeless encampments, the cleanings include power washing streets and sweeping away trash. Without the cleanings, she said the spike for the Industrial District would be even higher.

“We see furniture, old tires, and all sorts of commercial discards,” Lopez said. “Plus, it’s an industrial zone where commerce shuts down at an early hour, providing ample opportunity for people to dump in the dark.”

The problem is different in every district. Blair Besten, executive director of the Historic Core BID, said that her neighborhood has also recorded an increase in the amount of trash being dumped. Additionally, she said, there has been an issue with leftover food scraps and containers from curbside food vendors.

Like Leddy, Besten said the Historic Core has seen a massive jump in trash picked up since RecycLA went into effect.

Whereas her staff hauled approximately 34,000 “bulky items” in 2017, she said that if the first quarter numbers remain consistent, Historic Core crews will remove about 55,000 bulky items this year.

It is difficult if not impossible to fully account for the rise in garbage on the streets. The increasing tent encampments contribute, and there have long been businesses and build-

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Garbage from the Fashion District is brought by BID cleaning teams to these bins in the southern portion of the district. The teams fill about two of these each day.

ing owners who never had a contract with a hauler, and tenants than in the past may be disposing of their garbage any way they see fit. dumped with impunity.

When RecycLA began, NASA Services was awarded the Still, some Downtown leaders believe that, since RecycLA went into effect, certain building owners that previous- contract to provide garbage hauling service in most of Downly had a contract with a trash hauler have not worked out town (the company Universal Waste Systems handles hauling 800.900.5788 I aerioconnect.com Broadband whether I Voice I WiFi HDTVin parts of El Pueblo and Chinatown).

Jack Topalian, general service with the replacement company, dueI to miscommunication or unhappiness with higher rates. With manager for NASA, said he could not speak to the amount of no contracted service, more property owners or individual trash being picked up by area BIDs, or why they are hauling

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more trash than before the implementation of RecycLA. Topalian said that new property owners are signing up with NASA Services every day, but acknowledged that there are still businesses that ignore their franchise hauler in lieu of an illegal service, or no service at all.

He said that enforcement responsibilities against businesses that do not use a proper trash hauling service do not fall on franchise haulers like NASA. He added that NASA employees do document and notify businesses when they become aware of a property without proper service.

Masten Leddy said that her teams frequently call the city Bureau of Sanitation to remove large and bulky items. The Fashion District BID also operates a parking lot in the southern portion of the district where some large items are stored until the Bureau of Sanitation can take them away.

Leddy and Besten both applauded the bureau’s responsiveness, but each questioned the rollout of RecycLA, pointing to the evidence of more trash on the streets being taken away by their teams. They questioned the city’s enforcement efforts.

While acknowledging that illegal dumping occurs in Downtown, Elena Stern, a spokeswoman for the Bureau of Sanitation, said that the city has not noticed an uptick in incidents in Downtown, expect around holidays and other events that draw large crowds.

Stern said the department fields a constant stream of dumping reports throughout the year. She said the city has heard the complaints related to RecycLA, and is consistently

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DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

photo by Sean P. Thomas

Garbage is tossed on the street in the Toy District. The neighborhood is a frequent site of illegal dumping.

trying to address and respond to problems.

“We acknowledge that the launch of RecycLA was bumpy,” Stern said. “We are always working to improve the program and one of the benefits of the way it was set up is the amount of accountability that service providers are held to.”

Masten Leddy countered that if the Bureau of Sanitation has not noticed a spike in garbage on the streets, it is likely because the heavy lifting is being handled by various BIDs. Referring to business owners, she said, “They know that if they put it out on the sidewalks and the alleys, it’s not going to stay there for very long because we do our jobs.”

Long-Running Problem City leaders have long sought to get a handle on dumping. In 2015, 15th District Councilman Joe Buscaino introduced a motion to create a strategy to reduce illegal dumping. The following year, Eighth District Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson introduced a similar motion, requesting that the city explore ways to increase penalties against people found guilty of illegal dumping. In January, Third District Councilman Bob Blumenfield introduced a motion seeking to explore ways to curb illegal dumping at apartment buildings.

While illegal dumping is a misdemeanor that carries a fine of $1,000 per violation, that seems to have no effect on the streets of Downtown. As previous city motions have noted, the potential fine is seen as a “cost of doing business” for some. State penalties of a fine of up to $10,000, and up to six months in jail for illegal dumping on public and private property, also appear not to have stopped the flow.

Stern said that catching people who do not properly dispose of their trash requires tips and video evidence. Yet she and others note that can prove difficult, as perpetrators often act at night or dump their garbage in unmonitored areas.

Stern suggested that people who come across an illegal dump site, or notice someone dumping items from vehicles, call the city’s 311 line, or the Bureau of Sanitation’s illegal dumping and bulky item pick-up line at (800) 773-2489.

Lopez said that waiting for a response

DOWNTOWN NEWS 9

from the city is often unacceptable for BID directors who must heed the requests of stakeholders.

“We cannot wait. Our crews cannot simply drive by and ignore a problem,” Lopez said.

Masten Leddy had a similar response. She said the Fashion District BID prepared for an increase in dumping when putting together its most recent budget. Still, she wonders when the strain will become too much. According to Rodriguez, her operations manager, if trends do not change, the garbage hauling allotment will be approximately $100,000 over budget by December.

“We will not be able to keep doing this,” Masten Leddy said. “But if we did not do this, that’s 28,000 pounds of trash on city streets.” sean@downtownnews.com

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DOWNTOWN NEWS 11

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Lavish Mom With a French Brunch

Millennium Biltmore Hotel Has Two Ways to Treat Her Right

Le Petit Paris Offers a Sumptuous Three-Course Mother’s Day Meal

T

he landmark Millennium Biltmore in Downtown Los Angeles offers two splendid ways to celebrate extraordinary moms this Mother’s Day. The “Celebrate Super Moms” Continental brunch buffet is available from 11 a.m.3 p.m. in the opulent Crystal Ballroom, also known as the “Birthplace of Oscar.” Highlights include breakfast stations (omelets made to order, freshly pressed waffles), a chilled antipasti station, salad station, seafood selections (poached prawns, crab legs, ahi tuna poke, smoked salmon, marinated mussels and clams, bay scallops), carving stations (roast prime rib, brown sugar-basted bone-in ham, Cajun-rubbed free range turkey breast), chafers (grilled salmon, braised lamb shank, baked Japanese egg-

plant), an Asian cuisine station, a kids’ buffet, and, to end things in a sweet way, a gourmet dessert display.

The price is $75 per person including free-flowing champagne. It is half-price for children (ages 5-11) and free for kids 4 and under. Reservations are required at (213) 612-1562.

The Biltmore Afternoon Tea will be served in the famed Rendezvous Court from 2-5 p.m. Tea service includes an assortment of sandwiches, scones and pastries to nibble on, along with a pot of fine-blended custom tea. Pricing for the Sunday Afternoon Tea is $65 (Traditional) and $80 (Royal) per person.

The Millennium Biltmore Hotel is at 506 S. Grand Ave., (213) 624-1011 or millenniumhotels.com.

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avish your mom this weekend with a bountiful French brunch at Le Petit Paris in Downtown L.A. Mom deserves the best and this year, you can give her a day she will long remember.

Mothers will enjoy a three-course prixfixe menu created by Executive Chef Matthieu Audinot. It will tantalize the senses and make you feel like you have been transported straight to Paris. Choose from a list of three sumptuous appetizers including Fregola salad with grilled artichokes, La Burrata topped with eggplant caviar or a sea bream tartare. Chef Audinot’s entrees include mouthwatering cod papillotte, beef bourguignon or a coconut cauliflower veloute.

Le Petit Paris is the vision of Cannesbased restaurateurs David and Fanny Rolland. The 300-seat restaurant brings a quintessential brasserie dining experience to the Historic Core. The restaurant is an architectural marvel, featuring multiple skylights, two bars, a mezzanine level and a large outdoor patio.

Le Petit Paris-Los Angeles marks the third successful restaurant for the husband and wife duo. It is open for brunch, lunch, happy hour and dinner, and valet service is available on Mothers Day. The Rollands look forward to welcoming you this Sunday.

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12 DOWNTOWN NEWS

Traxx in Union Station Closes Move Is Latest in a Wave of Landmark Downtown Restaurant Departures

photo by Gary Leonard

Tara Thomas, the chef and owner of Traxx, is shown here at the Union Station restaurant in 2012. Its final day of service was Monday, April 29.

By Jon Regardie nother iconic Downtown Los Angeles restaurant has closed. This time, it’s Traxx, which had drawn diners to Union Station for more than two decades.

Tara Thomas, the chef and proprietor who founded Traxx on Dec. 4, 1997, said the final meal was served on Monday, April 29. She said business had been difficult since the opening last October of the Imperial Western Beer Co., which debuted in the space of the former Fred Har-

A

HUIZAR, 6 Wesson’s Hammer: Eight days after the raid, City Council President Herb Wesson yanked Huizar from every one of his council committee posts, including his slot as chair of the powerful Planning and Land Use Management committee. For those who don’t speak City Hall, being chair of PLUM is like learning a secret handshake that tells every developer who wants to get anything built in L.A. that he or she should write big checks to your political campaigns, officeholder account and favorite charities. It has ever been thus. Not that it makes it right.

For constituents, this stripping of power has some of the most important ramifications. With no committee assignments, and with the Council President no longer going to bat for him, Huizar has almost no juice in City Hall. The guy who represents Downtown, the most thriving part of Los Angeles, can’t throw his weight around. And local politics is all about throwing weight around. District residents have lost an effective champion.

A Likable Guy: Here’s something amid the trouble: Huizar is a likable guy. He’s friendly and projects a regular dude vibe.

He has a compelling and impressive per-

vey Restaurant on the campus of the transit hub, which is owned by Metro.

“There are only so many cocktails that can be sold in a specific site plan,” Thomas said.

Thomas got her start in Downtown in 1992, working at a restaurant at Fourth and Boyd streets in the Toy District. Later she was approached by Ira Yellin, a Downtown real estate developer who at the time was working for Catellus, which owned Union Station in the 1990s. Catellus was restoring the

sonal story of going from a small town in Mexico to being elected to the L.A. City Council. In the years before the Godoy affair, I saw him appear at numerous events and, from the stage, he frequently and warmly introduced his wife Richelle. It was always a sweet gesture.

Before his downfall, he seemed to be trying to do a good job. He sought to help the district respond to a devastating homelessness crisis, and with an urban planning background he undertook numerous efforts to address mobility in Downtown. He pushed the Broadway streetcar, which always seemed like a pipe dream, and a modernization of Pershing Square, which is 114% necessary.

All that work may be remembered in time, but right now it is overshadowed by his personal and professional troubles.

About Richelle: Six months after the raid, people also continue to chatter about Richelle Huizar. That’s because the councilman had spent more than a year publicly grooming her to be his successor, and she accompanied him to dozens of community events. She was the frontrunner to win his City Council seat even before she formally declared her candidacy last September.

Then things exploded, and as story af-

MAY 6, 2019

property and Yellin was seeking a restaurant to help activate the space and lure people to the station. “[Yellin] said, ‘Would you be interested in doing something at Union Station? It was a wing and a prayer, because there was nothing else at Union Station. So I said, ‘Hell yeah, let’s do it,” Thomas said last Tuesday morning. “I got this amazing opportunity to open this amazing restaurant which has become an institution. It’s been a great 25-year ride.”

Traxx had an elegant Art Deco dining room, and frequently hosted private events in the restaurant and on an attached patio at Union Station. It served fine dining American cuisine at lunch and dinner.

Traxx opened before Staples Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall and other attractions that helped lure consistent crowds to Downtown. It also debuted when Central City office workers had a hefty number of lunch choices, but relatively few spots after the work day ended. Traxx, particularly in its early years, was known for a busy bar scene.

That changed as new restaurants, including Imperial Western, debuted. Thomas said that she sought help from Metro, but was unable to get assistance that would enable her to continue operating.

In a prepared statement, Metro said it was “disappointed”

by Thomas’ decision to “vacate” her properties before the end of her lease in September 2020.

The statement continues, “Metro, which owns Union Station, believes that there will be substantial interest in the space and will continue to market and manage the property in a manner that is in the best interests of the public and the taxpayers.”

The closing of Traxx came just days after another landmark Downtown restaurant, Café Pinot, closed. The establishment run by the Patina Group had been in the Maguire Gardens next to the Central Library for 25 years.

A number of other prominent Downtown restaurants have also closed recently or announced their impending departure. Roy Choi’s Chego in Chinatown shuttered last week, and the owners of Church and State in the Arts District have sold the business, though it is expected to continue serving under the Church and State banner. regardie@downtownnews.com

ter story broke, the questions she would face on the campaign trail became apparent. She quit the race the day before Thanksgiving.

Many continue to wonder if she will be enveloped in the investigation. The L.A. Times last November reported squishy details about donations to a Boyle Heights high school where she was a paid fundraiser.

Like her husband, Richelle Huizar has not publicly commented about what went down. All that said, I’ve also heard people wonder whether she might be able to run for this seat or another one day in the future. We’ve seen bigger political comebacks.

Tip of the Iceberg: Here’s the really big thing that people wonder about: Does this go deeper than José Huizar?

In January George Washington University counterterrorism expert Seamus Hughes posted information on Twitter about a warrant related to the investigation, and it mentioned other names in City Hall. The warrant involved the FBI seeking information on a flotilla of developers — including several based in China who have big Downtown projects — and political figures, including Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Ray Chan, Wes-

son’s Chief of Staff Deron Williams, and Ninth District Councilman Curren Price.

Two Huizar staff members were also mentioned in the warrant.

But just like a TV season-ending cliffhanger, no one knows what’s coming next.

There is no clue as to whether any of the named individuals are being sought as witnesses or are being investigated. We don’t know who has talked to the Feds or what has been revealed. Again, no one has been arrested or charged.

On the Horizon: So where is this going?

Will Huizar play out the string for his remaining 18-plus months in office, earning a paycheck and taking occasional small steps on local projects, but without any significant role to play in the city? One can see the reason to keep a low profile, not that he has any choice — the salary is darn good, and resigning is akin to admitting wrongdoing.

Then again, while the Feds don’t rush things, they also are not known to dedicate so many resources to something, generate such a big splash, then to walk away. At the same time that nothing seems to be happening, everything could be happening, just behind the scenes.

Time will tell. regardie@downtownnews.com

MAY 6, 2019

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

DT

DOWNTOWN NEWS 13

The Grand Avenue headquarters of the Museum of Contemporary Art is showcasing a pair of exhibits tied to the museum’s 40th birthday.

Shown here is a gallery in Open House: Elliott Hundley, which the local artist helped put together. Below is Bruce Connor’s “Eye-Ray-Forever.”

photos courtesy of The Museum of Contemporary Art. Photoss by Zak Kelley

CALENDAR

MOCA at Middle Age Downtown Institution Marks 40 Years With a History Lesson and Some Artist-Driven Shows

By Sean P. Thomas n 1979, philanthropist Marcia Weisman and five other local art collectors announced that they would donate a number of their works to what would become the Museum of Contemporary Art. Thus began a sometimes rollercoaster-like existence for one of the most important cultural facilities in Downtown Los Angeles.

The institution lacked a permanent home at first, and staged shows in a former police car warehouse in Little Tokyo (that building is now the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA). A landmark building designed by Arata Isozaki opened at 250 S. Grand Ave. in 1986. The first exhibit at the new space was A Selected History of Contemporary Art, 194586, featuring more than 400 pieces from 77 international artists.

In the ensuing decades MOCA has experienced tremendous ups and downs. There have standout shows that drew huge crowds, with single-artist exhibitions displaying the work of Claes Oldenburg, Jean Michel-Basquiat, Louise Bour-

I

geois, Robert Rauschenberg, Kerry James Marshall and almost every other blue chipper. The 1992 survey show Helter Skelter: L.A. Art in the 1990s, curated by Paul Schimmel, was the first of numerous group exhibitions that garnered international attention.

On the other hand, MOCA has endured severe financial stumbles and, in the past decade, a revolving door of directors. Top curators, including Schimmel, were fired, sparking outrage from the art community.

Still, MOCA has persevered, and 40 years and approximately 500 exhibits after its debut, the institution still bills itself as “The Artist’s Museum.” MOCA is now celebrating that history, with a pair of recently opened exhibits and another coming up this month that all draw on the institution’s rich history, its extensive collection and its role in the city.

On April 14, the museum debuted two exhibits: Open House: Elliott Hundley is part of an artist-driven series featuring work pulled from the permanent collection. The second show, 40 for LA, explores the museum’s history, from a fledg-

ling institution to a place that todays plays a leading role in Los Angeles art circles.

Mining Old Material Amanda Hunt and Bryan Barcena curated 40 for LA. The pair dug through four decades of documents, programs, letters, newspaper articles and photographs, and also got some items on loan from former and longtime MOCA employees.

Hunt said spending time in the museum’s vaults was initially daunting, but eventually the thesis behind the exhibit fell into place.

“It a little dusty, but fun,” Hunt joked. “It’s always overwhelming at first, but the priorities emerge because we are curators and we are trained to find the best material, and to edit and to shape that material to a story and history.”

The exhibit tackles four essential components of MOCA’s history: the artists, the architects, the patrons/staff, and the exhibitions.

One wall features the names of artists who have had a solo exhibit at the museum or were part of a group show — there are 1,928 names. Hunt said it was important to place the artists at the forefront of 40 for LA. “So often you see, and rightfully so, the people who support the institution recognized officially on a plaque in the lobby or outside,” Hunt said. “We wanted to do that for the artists.”

On the opposite wall is a timeline that traces the museum’s history, from its first exhibit to Zoe Leonard: Survey, which wrapped on March 25. It includes forgotten shows as well as ones where the reputation endures, among them 2012’s Tribute to Mike Kelley, and 2007’s Wack!: Art and the Feminist Revolution, a historical survey that explored feminist activism and art making from 1965-1980.

There is also a wall dedicated to the two architects who designed MOCA’s buildings: The Japanese-born Isozaka, who in March was awarded the prestigious Pritzker Prize (essentially architecture’s Nobel), and Frank Gehry, who turned that Little Tokyo warehouse into the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. The display showcases Isozaka’s geometric designs of the Grand Avenue building, as well as early photos of the sites.

“We wanted to turn to the things that don’t change,” Barcena said. He added that the goal is to determine, “what is cenContinued on page 14

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14 DOWNTOWN NEWS

MOCA, 13 tral to our mission that doesn’t turn up in the headlines, and those things are our history, our permanent collection and artists.”

The show is a natural lead-in to an upcoming MOCA exhibition. The Foundation of the Museum: MOCA’s Collection, debuting at the Geffen Contemporary on May 19, will present a selection of art from the museum’s archives that represent its history.

The exhibit is organized around artist Chris Burden’s 1986 installation “Exposing the Foundation of the Museum,” in which the artist literally dug three large trenches into the ground, revealing the physical foundations of the property. Though Burden died in 2015, it is being re-created on site.

Other galleries in the exhibit will look at the importance of artist gifts to the museum and the intersection between illustrations and the political world.

Works from Maria Nordman, Laura Owners, Judy Fiskin, Albert Oehlen and others will also be on display.

The Artist’s Eye While 40 for LA traces the history and evolution of the museum, the show it is paired with draws on the artists who made that history possible.

Open House: Elliott Hundley, was organized

by Hundley, a Los Angeles-based multimedia artist. It is the first in a series of Open House shows that will pair a local artist with a curator to organize an exhibit through the lens of the artist. Future artists have not yet been announced.

Hundley worked with Barcena, and the effort was collaborative and cooperative, Barcena said.

“The curator and the artists sometimes have different aims,” Barcena said. “With Elliott, it is very much about having different kinds of people in the gallery; overlooked artists and the more well-known ones.”

Barcena said that Hundley was given carte blanche to look through the museum’s vaults. Over the course of a year, Hundley devised nearly 10 different ideas for an exhibit before settling on the current iteration.

Barcena said that the exhibit holds works that would not typically be shown together, and focuses on collage and assemblage pieces created across various mediums. It encompasses this while also representing the themes and techniques of Elliott’s own creations (though his work is not on display).

The pieces on display include Betye Saar’s “The Destiny of Latitude and Longitude,” which depicts large ships trapped inside of a large, gray-hued birdcage that represents the African diaspora. Nearby is Bruce Connor’s “Eye-Ray-Forever,” a collection of rapidly changing black and white video images.

“I don’t think it was ever really about showcasing the genius of one single artist or work,” Barcena said. “It was about showcasing the craft.”

Both 40 for LA and Open House: Elliott Hundley are on view until Sept. 16.

40 for LA and Open House: Elliott Hundley are at the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, 250 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-2766 or moca.org. sean@downtownnews.com

MAY 6, 2019

Goodbye MOCA Gala, Hello MOCA Benefit L

ast year, the Museum of Contemporary Art cancelled its annual fundraising gala amid a controversy over diversity.

This month, MOCA will hold a different fundraising event, sans the “Gala” nomenclature.

On April 22, the museum now headed

by Director Klaus Biesenbach announced that the MOCA Benefit will take place at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA on May 18. The event honors “all the artists that have made, do make and will make MOCA, MOCA,” the museum said in a press release. It added that the event will showcase “the museum’s renewed commitment to be of service to the City of Los Angeles.”

Last year, Mark Grotjahn, one of MOCA’s artist board members, declined to accept an award at the gala, charging that there had been a lack of diversity in past gala honorees, with the museum continuing to fete heterosexual white males. MOCA initially indicated that the 2018 gala would continue, with a different focus, but the museum, then run by Director Philippe Vergne, opted to cancel the event.

Historically, the gala has been one of the biggest sources of funding for the

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museum. The 2017 event raised nearly $3 million.

The new “benefit” will invite 700 guests, nearly 300 of whom are artists. MOCA Trustee Marina Kellen French made a donation that will cover the cost of admission for the artists.

Throughout the evening, artists will help celebrate the museum’s history and future. That includes Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla, who will reimagine their performance work “Temperament and the Wolf (2014).”

The benefit will also celebrate the exhibit The Foundation of Los Angeles: MOCA’s Collection, which will open at the Little Tokyo satellite space the following day.

Additionally, the event will help benefit the institution’s “WAREHOUSE Programs,” a revamped effort at the Geffen Contemporary that promotes performances, public programming, arts education and community engagement.

Individual tickets to the MOCA Benefit are not currently available, but there are table purchase opportunities. For information call (213) 633-5318 or email benefit@moca.org.

—Sean P. Thomas

MAY 6, 2019

DOWNTOWN NEWS 15

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Shop Hop: The Downtown Retail Roundup A Broadway Store Returns, Another Gym, and the Mechanical Deer Arrive

By Nicholas Slayton ex Marks Its Spot: The accessories and travel store Hex opened in the Tower Theater in 2017. It closed a few months ago, as did other adjacent tenants, ahead of Apple taking over the building for its coming store. Now Hex is back on Broadway, with a spot at the base of the 939 Lofts next to the Theatre at Ace Hotel. The 700-square-foot shop was scheduled to open on Saturday May 4 (after Los Angeles Downtown News went to press), and carries the Hex brand’s collections of cell phone cases and bags. There’s a patterned black duffel bag for $99.95, as well as gray and khaki fanny packs for $29.95. For phone cases, the store carries options for almost all types of iPhones, with leather backing and embossed wallet cases. There are even Star Wars-themed selections, including a $59.95 Darth Vader case, for those whose calls turn to the Dark Side.

At 939 S. Broadway or hexbrand.com.

H

Hit the Iron: Downtown Los Angeles honestly cannot get enough fitness. Gyms keep sprouting up for the growing population. Maybe it’s to work off all of the ice cream available, well, everywhere. The latest addition is Iron L.A.

The Santa Monica-based gym is expanding to a 13,000-square-foot location on Wilshire Boulevard and Hope Street in the heart of the Financial District. No opening date has been announced, but the space will feature a sleek, modern aesthetic with free weights, barbell racks, machines and group classes for yoga and strength conditioning. Membership provides access to Iron L.A.’s other location.

Coming to 626 Wilshire Blvd. or ironla.com.

“It is hard to describe what makes a composer’s voice authentic. But you know it when you hear it. Nico Muhly has a voice, a Muhly sound.”

—The New York Times

Private Commons: Just like gyms and pet stores, coworking spaces continue to invade Downtown Los Angeles. The latest announced addition is CommonGrounds Workspace, which is taking approximately 46,000 square feet in an office building at 915 Wilshire Blvd.; the company has inked a 13-year lease, though no opening date has been announced. As with most coworking spaces, customers can expect an open-office floor plan with long benches, a coffee bar and amenities such as printers and fax machines. There will also be private spaces that can be reserved. Membership starts at $250 per month. The San Diego-based company is in the process of expanding into Los AnContinued on page 16

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SHOP HOP, 15 geles County, having already opened a location in Long Beach. Two additional spots are in the works.

Coming to 915 Wilshire Blvd. or cgworkspace.com.

Oh, Deer!: Broadway’s Gentle Monster has one of the most distinctive store interiors in Downtown. Actually, make that one of the most distinctive in the entire city. Ostensibly and officially a sunglasses store, the Broadway shop has detailed art projects in its showroom that double as displays for its wares. The Korean store recently unveiled its latest exhibition, dubbed Harvest in the 13th Month. Walk into Gentle Monster and you’ll see a kind of cross between 1970s kitsch and a re-created forest, with grass, ferns and a number of mechanical deer. The display is for the store’s Collection 13 line, a menagerie of futuristic and colorful sunglasses that feel like something from The Matrix or a video game. Prices run around $200$300. Please don’t feed the deer.

At 816 S. Broadway, (213) 935-8114 or gentlemonster.com.

On the Hunt: Downtown Los Angeles has lost a few vintage home furnishing shops in recent months. Now the trend is being reversed. The Hunt Vintage relocated from a spot on York Boulevard

The Broadway sunglasses store Gentle Monster recently unveiled an art exhibition that takes over its entire showroom. The forestthemed piece, complete with multiple mechanical deer, is for a new collection of shades.

photo courtesy Gentle Monster

in hip Highland Park to the also-hip Arts District. The store carries a wide selection of items from the mid-20th century, including a custom desk for $1,300, a gaudy golden cloud chandelier for $3,000, and rare posters from the 1960s and 1970s. There are even sets of vintage cocktail glasses, including six highball glasses for $75. The Hunt is on a busy stretch of Mateo Street, so look for the large painting of a chair pierced by an arrow on the outer wall.

At 812 Mateo St. or thehuntvintage.com.

Tread on Me: Broadway has a plethora of cool and trendy shoe stores. Now there’s one more, though it is only temporary. Tread by Everlane launched at

the end of April across the street from the Ace Hotel. The pop-up shop carries environmentally friendly sneakers for men and women; the shoes use less than 50% new plastic and are made in a carbon-neutral process. The basic Trainer edition is $98. The 800-squarefoot store has a minimalist set-up, with white walls filled in by displays of the footwear. The Downtown pop-up runs only through May 17. It comes ahead of Everlane opening a store in Venice; the Broadway location is open every Wednesday-Sunday.

At 958 S. Broadway or treaddtla.com.

Heard about any store openings, closings or other retail news?

If so, contact Shop Hop at nicholas@downtownnews.com.

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May 7: Indie rock giants The National share their new album and the new short film they made, “I Am Easy to Find.”

May 8: It’s KCRW favorite Kevin Morby.

May 10: Composer Nico Muhly shares a new three-part performance.

May 11: Dresden Doll veteran, former living statue, and allaround artistic force Amanda Palmer.

May 12: Rock out with Eels.

Blue Whale 123 Astronaut E.S. Onizuka St. Suite 301, (213) 620-0908 or bluewhalemusic.com.

May 6: Kira Kira.

May 7: Miller Wrenn Group.

May 8: Sharing Skies.

May 9: Kait Dunton Group.

May 10-11: Billy Childs Jazz/Chamber Ensemble.

May 12: Marcel Camargo and Friends.

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

May 7: Dark sounds from synthwave group ASHRR. May 10: Intense Aussie alt-rock with Camp Cope.

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

May 10: The Hayla Adler Trio, Nightbloom.

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

May 10: If you thought last week’s trend of band names involving theft was over, haha! Here’s Grandtheft and Wuki.

May 11: Solardo, Skream.

Grammy Museum 800 W. Olympic Blvd. or grammymuseum.org.

May 6: The Bangles, The Three O’Clock, Dream Syndicate, and Rain Parade team up for a performance.

Moroccan Lounge 901 E. First St., (213) 395-0610 or themoroccan.com.

May 8: Talos is an Irish musician named Eoin French, and not Ben Mendelsohn’s villain from “Captain Marvel.”

May 9: Songhoy Blues brings the latest sounds of Mali’s desert rock tradition to the Arts District.

May 10: OHMME is a two-piece rock act from Chicago. If you Continued on page 18

List

For nearly 50 years, bassist Bootsy Collins and sound engineer Jim Vitti made beautiful, funky music together. Whether it was with the seminal funk group Parliament-Funkadelic, or the lesser known outfits Bootsy’s Rubber Band and the Brides of Funkenstein, Collins and Vitti have worked closely together, molding a sound all their own. But like all good things, Collins’ time in the sun is wrapping up — he recently announced that he is retiring from the stage. On Thursday, May 9, Collins and Vitti will discuss their life in the music industry, when they show up at the Grammy Museum for an intimate discussion called Sounds of Parliament-Funkadelic. The discussion starts at 7:30 p.m. At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org.

3

The phrase contemporary classical music sometimes reads like an oxymoron, but when it comes to composer Nico Muhly, the term rings true. On the cutting edge of the classical music scene, Muhly is a sought-after composer and collaborator, known for bringing freshness to the genre. Similarly, the CAP UCLA series is also on the vanguard of Los Angeles’ art scene, regularly bringing thought-provoking acts to The Theatre at Ace Hotel. So of course, the two are partnering for a three-act concert on Friday, May 10, dubbed Nico Muhly: Archives, Friends, Patterns. An exploration of Muhly’s musical inspirations, including Philip Glass, Gamelan music, drone music and noise, Muhly will partner with Thomas Bartlett, Nadia Sirota, Caroline Shaw and others for the evening. The show starts at 8 p.m. At 929 S. Broadway, (310) 825-2101 or cap.ucla.edu.

photo courtesy Heidi Duckler Dance

2

If you happen to be strolling though the Fashion District and look toward the giant neon sign at the Bendix Building on Thursday, May 9, at 5:30 p.m., you’ll likely catch the faint strains of Latin music. The Latin Grammy-nominated Trio Ellas, known for melding traditional mariachi sounds with various modern genres, is kicking off Zoot Velasco’s Bendix Sunset Rooftop Salon this week with an unplugged and al fresco set at the historic building. The concert will benefit local troupe Heidi Duckler Dance and other Downtown charities and art organizations. There will also be a bar and art on display. Velasco will emcee the evening. Heads up: Seats are very limited. At 1200 Maple Ave. or zootshows.com.

4

Bootsy isn’t the only musician doing the conversation thing this week. Moby, who is marking the 20th anniversary of the release of his star-making album Play, is pulling up a seat at the Aratani Theatre on Monday, May 6, to discuss the second part of his memoir Then It Fell Apart. The event is part of the Live Talks Los Angeles series, and the book details Moby’s life following his surprise ascent to superstardom, and the darkness that followed. A copy of Then It Fell Apart comes with a ticket purchase. On Tuesday, the Aratani Theatre will hosts another Live Talks event, a discussion between Melinda French Gates and John Legend about Gates’ book The Moment of Life: How Empowering Women Changes the World. At 244 S. San Pedro St. or livetalksla.org.

photo by courtesy Venice Design Series

ROCK, POP & JAZZ

1

Don't Miss photo courtesy the Grammy Museum

MONDAY, MAY 6 Mystic Monday Resident, 428 S. Hewitt St. or residentdtla.com.

8 p.m.: Stand-up comedy all night.

Moby at Live Talks L.A. Japanese American Cultural Community Center, 244 S. San Pedro St. or livetalksla.org.

8 p.m.: Moby is a musician, but he is also more than that. He’s in Downtown this week to talk about his new memoir “Then It Fell Apart.”

WEDNESDAY, MAY 8 Bar Wrestling: It’s Going to Be May Bootleg Bar, 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org.

8 p.m.: You know the drill by now. It’s wrestling. In a bar. With N.SYNC references.

THURSDAY, MAY 9 It’s a Guy Thing Bootleg Bar, 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org.

8 p.m.: Comedians and performers dish on “guy stuff.”

Soul of a Nation Gallery Talks The Broad, 221 S. Grand Ave. or thebroad.org.

8 p.m.: Painter Kohshin Finley discusses his work and how the artists featured in The Broad’s “Soul of a Nation” show inspired him.

the

photo by Jonathan Nesvadba

EVENTS

BY SEAN P. THOMAS

DT

CALENDAR LISTINGS

DOWNTOWN NEWS 17

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

photo by Heidi Solander

MAY 6, 2019

5

Take a gander at where some Downtown artists make the magic happen by hopping on the Venice Design Series’ Downtown Los Angeles Artists’ Studio Tour on Saturday, May 11.

Curated and led by art collector and consultant Cecilia Dan, the event starts at 9:30 a.m. and will take attendees inside a number of work spaces, including the As/Is Gallery, the New Artists’ Studio and David Wiseman Studio (Wiseman is shown here). The event includes a lunch at Momed in Atwater Village. Note: According to the website, tickets start at $500 and proceeds benefit Venice Community Housing, a nonprofit affordable housing organization. At various locations or venicedesignseries.org.

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

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

SAN ANTONIO WINERY EVENT CALENDAR

Wine Tastings, Wine Festivals, Wine Tours & More at our Los Angeles Winery Location.

MAY 19, SUNDAY • 11am to 2pm • $65

Soulful Sunday Brunch Prepared by Cheryl Lindsay from Taste with Grace Catering.

Menu to include: Eggs, Southern Fried Chicken, Homemade Macaroni and Cheese, Southern Style Cheesy Grits, Collard Greens, Corn Muffins, Sweet Treats. Stella Rosa Prosecco, Stella Rosa Orange Moscato, Sparkling Wine and Mimosas.

Menu subject to change.

JUNE 23, SUNDAY • 1 to 4pm • $55

Tri-Tip Oak BBQ We invite you and your friends to enjoy this lively afternoon event with us! Along with refreshing wine and beer offerings, we will be serving Santa Maria style BBQ tri-tip, teriyaki chicken, sausages, veggies, and all the fixings. Additionally, live music will be played throughout the event.

We hope to see you for this festive June afternoon!

JULY 21, SUNDAY • 1 to 3pm • $70

Wine & Sushi Pairing Although sushi is most often served with Sake, our awardwinning wines make a delicious and exceptional pairing. We invite you to enjoy an afternoon with us while eating sushi prepared by Master Chefs. Together we will explore the art of wine and food pairing, while tantalizing the taste buds.

Wine and Sushi can make for a magical experience.

San Antonio Winery, Maddalena Restaurant, Tasting Room, Bistro & Gift Shop 737 Lamar St, Los Angeles, CA 90031 Phone: 323.223.1401

MAY 6, 2019

LISTINGS, 17 miss Local H, try this duo’s early show out. Then, it’s emo and rock karaoke with a live band. Let’s do it, let’s go sing early My Chemical Romance.

May 11: Hip-hop and EDM collide with a show from FALCONS. Resident 428 S. Hewitt St. or residentdtla.com.

May 7: Dirty Blonde is back, so enjoy nothing but disco and dance.

May 9: Versing, Gum Country, Cryogeyser and Dummy all have great names.

May 10: Phantom Planet is here! It’s been years since “California” was used as the theme for “The O.C.” but the band has a much deeper catalog and some great songs.

May 11: Classic hip-hop night covers 1979-1999, showing just how heavily the passage of time weighs on us.

Seven Grand 515 W. Seventh St. or sevengrandbars.com/la.

May 6: Slim Pickin’s.

May 7: The Makers have launched a 2020 exploratory committee.

May 8: Roy Jones.

May 9: Rumproller featuring Woody Mankowski.

May 10: It’s the California Feetwarmers. You know who these guys are.

May 11: The Electones.

May 12: Is Yeti inspired by Laika’s recent film “Missing Link?” Go and find out.

The Novo 800 W. Olympic Blvd. or thenovodtla.com.

May 11: Darell, Brytiago.

The Redwood 316 W. Second St., (213) 680-2600 or theredwoodbar.com.

May 6: An evening with Sharon Little.

May 7: The Darbies, Color Up, Los Marauders.

May 8: Los Fauna, Camarones Orquestra Guitarrística, Twisted Black Sole, Pepper Sunlight, The Sad Girls, The Famous Wolf.

May 9: Campfire Jubilee with Kirpatrick Thomas.

May 10: Year of the Dragon record release party with Dr. Maddvibe & The Missin Links and Mega*Nut. May 11: Cross Cutter, Titanic Titanic, Blackwater Jukebox, Los Waraperos, Sol y Mar. May 12: Honeychain, The Touchies, Godspeedball, Sector 7G. The Regent 448 S. Main St. or spacelandpresents.com.

May 9: La Impératrice, The Undercover Dream Lovers.

May 10: Combichrist, Silver Snakes.

May 11: Left: A Night of West Coast Hip-Hop features sets from rapper and DJs who’ll be spinning California classics.

May 12: Are you ready for some American Football? Also, Illuminati Hotties opens.

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

May 10: Osiris8, The Raven Agent, Sadboisam, Shaka D. Cakes.

May 11: Negro Galacticus, Chud, Color Quest, This Uni. May 12: Fleshies, Dimber, Marriage Material, Honduh Daze.

Teragram Ballroom 1234 W. Seventh St. or teragramballroom.com.

May 10-11: Two nights of noise rock band Health. You might remember their cover of “Blue Monday” from “Atomic Blonde.”

FILM

Bootleg Theater 2220 W. Beverly Blvd. or bootlegtheater.org.

May 12: Cinematic master Fritz Lang’s 1929 expressionist sci-fi film Woman

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in the Moon gets the big screen L.A. showing it deserves.

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

May 7, 9-10: A reggae DJ battles fascists and doubters while trying to make it in Margaret Thatcher’s far-right London of the early 1980s in Babylon.

May 10, 12-13: Enjoy the 4K restoration of John Carpenter’s horror standout The Fog. IMAX California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 744-2019 or californiasciencecenter.org.

Dogs can do more than just slobber over your shoes. Check out all of their unique abilities in Superpower Dogs 3D. Patrick Stewart narrates Journey to Space 3D, about the effort to send astronauts to Mars. Since we’ll never go to space ourselves, at least we can hear Captain Jean-Luc Picard talk about it.

Witness the destructive and raw power of volcanoes as Volcanoes 3D: The Fires of Creation tours different hot spots around the globe.

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

Through May 12: El Chicano (10:20 a.m., 1:20, 4:10, 10:10 and 11 p.m.); Longshot (9:50 a.m., 1:10, 4:20, 7:30 and 10:40 p.m.); The Intruder (12:10, 2:50, 5:40, 8:30 and 11:10 p.m.); Ugly Dolls (9:40 and 11:40 a.m., 2:10, 4:40, 7:20 and 9:50 p.m.); Avengers: Endgame (9:30, 9:40 and 10:30 a.m., 1:50, 2, 2:40, 6, 6:20, 7, 10, 10:50 and 11:20 p.m.); The Curse of La Llorona (10:10 a.m., 12:50 and 3:50 p.m.); Captain Marvel (11:10 a.m., 2:30, 6:10 and 9:20 p.m.).

Rooftop Cinema Club Level Furnished Living, 888 S. Olive St. or rooftopcinemaclub.com.

May 7: Enjoy the 90s, when life was so much simpler and Paul Rudd looked exactly like he does now, in Clueless.

May 8: True Romance features scene-stealing cameos from Christopher Walken and Brad Pitt.

May 9: Humphrey Bogart battles Conrad Veidt while Peter Lorre has misfortune befall him in the classic Casablanca. It’s everything you could want from a Golden Age of Hollywood picture.

May 10: Detention never was as fun as The Breakfast Club made it out to be.

May 11: Jawbreaker is not a biopic about the band Jawbreaker.

CLASSICAL

Dudamel Conducts Mozart and Adés Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.com.

May 10, 11 a.m. and May 11-12, 2 p.m.: The L.A. Phil performs a world premiere piece from Thomas Adés, as well as a symphony from Mozart.

Pierre-Laurent Aimard Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.com.

May 12, 7:30 p.m.: French pianist Aimard offers a solo performance of Bach’s “Goldberg Variations.” We don’t think it was inspired by Rube Goldberg.

THEATER Follow Us Falsettos Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org. on ISSUU

May 7-10, 8 p.m., May 11, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and May 12, 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.: The Lincoln Center Theater brings the rapid-fire comedy to Los Angeles. The musical follows an extremely neurotic gay man, his wife, his boyfriend, their son, his therapist and the lesbian couple next door as they try to get through modern life. Through May 19.

Revoluciones Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St. or thelatc.org.

Regent China Inn Authentic Chinese Cuisine in Chinatown

Live Lobster and Crab Delivery, Minimum Order $15 Lunch Special From $6.00 – Mon.-Fri. 11-5, Sat.-Sun. 11-3 Party Tray Available

TAX

2 Downtown Locations CORNER of BROADWAY & 3rd

260 S. Broadway, 213-626-7975 • 213-626-8235, Tel/Fx: 213-626-4572

FASHION DISTRICT at CORNER 9TH/SANTEE 226 E. 9th St. , 213-623-5091 • 213-327-0645, Tel/Fx: 213-623-9405

739-747 N. Main St. Los Angeles, 90012

213.680.3333

PARKING IN REAR

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18 DOWNTOWN NEWS

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MAY 6, 2019

DOWNTOWN NEWS 19

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May 9-11, 8 p.m., and May 12, 4 and 7 p.m.: Stuck in a totalitarian country, a mother searches for her son amid political upheaval. This is the final week. Through May 12.

Birdland Blue Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St. or thelatc.org.

May 9-11, 8 p.m., and May 12, 7 p.m.: It’s the last week to catch this show from the Robey Theatre Company. On a single night in 1959, the Miles Davis sextet has to deal with issues, interpersonal drama, drinking and jazz. Through May 12.

MUSEUMS

African American Firefighter Museum 1401 S. Central Ave., (213) 744-1730 or aaffmuseum.org.

Ongoing: An array of firefighting relics dating to 1924, including a 1940 Pirsch ladder truck, an 1890 hose wagon, uniforms from New York, L.A. County and City of L.A. firefighters, badges, helmets, photographs and other artifacts.

Broad Museum 221 S. Grand Ave., (213) 232-6200 or thebroad.org.

Ongoing: In the galleries at the Grand Avenue institution are about 250 works from Eli and Edythe Broad’s 2,000-piece contemporary art collection. It’s big-time blue chip, with work from Rauschenberg, Warhol, Basquiat, Koons, Kruger and every other big name.

FIDM Museum FIDM, second floor, 919 S. Grand Ave., (213) 624-1200 or fidmmuseum.org.

Ongoing: “Accessories from The Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection” surveys footwear, fans, gloves, purses and hats.

Through April 12: The “27th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design” features real costumes from of the past year’s biggest films, including Oscar winner “Black Panther.”

California African American Museum 600 State Drive, (213) 744-7432 or caamuseum.org.

Through April 28: “California Bound: Slavery on the New Frontier, 1848-1865” explores the Golden State’s history in slavery.

Through Aug. 25: “Plumb Line: Charles White and the Contemporary” features artists working in response to the multimedia creator White.

Ongoing: The multi-functional “Gallery of Discovery” offers visitors the opportunity to connect with the lineage of their own family, engage in artistic workshops, educational tours and other programs of historical discoveries. Hear recordings of former slaves from the Library of Congress archives and discover stories from the past.

California Science Center 700 State Drive, (323) 724-3623 or californiasciencecenter.org.

Ongoing: “Mission 26: The Big Endeavour” presents Los Angeles’ very own Space Shuttle in all of its splendor.

Ongoing: “Science in Toyland” presents physics through favorite kids’ toys. This hands-on exhibit engages museum visitors with Dominos, Sails and Roller Coasters in a fun, but informational primer on friction, momentum and chain reactions.

Ongoing: The Science Center’s permanent exhibits are interactive and focus on human innovations and inventions as well as the life processes of living things. The lobby Science Court stays busy with the High Wire Bicycle, a Motion-Based Simulator, the Ecology Cliff Climb and “Forty Years of Space Photography.” The human body is another big focus: The Life Tunnel aims to show the connections between all life forms, from the single-celled amoeba to the 100-trillion-celled human being. The “Ecosystems” exhibit explores how life on our planet is shaped by geophysical and biological processes.

Chinese American Museum 425 N. Los Angeles St., (213) 485-8567 or camla.org.

Through Nov. 10: “Lightscapes: Re-envisioning the Shanshuihua” uses light installations to update the traditional art form of Chinese landscape paintings.

Permanent: “Origins” presents the story of the Chinese-American community in Los Angeles.

Permanent: Re-creation of the Sun Wing Wo, a Chinese general store and herbal shop, and “Journeys: Stories of Chinese Immigration,” an exhibit exploring Chinese immigration to the United States with an emphasis on community settlement in Los Angeles. Outlined into four distinct time periods, each is defined by an important immigration law and/or event, accompanied by a description and a personal story about a local Chinese American and their experiences in that particular historical period.

El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument

DT

CLASSIFIEDS

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REAL ESTATE RESIDENTIAL LOFTS FOR SALE

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Bill Cooper

213.598.7555 LEGAL PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF CONTRERAS BERTHA CASE NO. 19STPB00313 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of Contreras Bertha.

A Petition for Probate has been filed by: Frank Contreras in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles.

The Petition for Probate requests that: Frank Contreras be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

The petition requests

authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act with limited authority. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: Date: 5/17/2019 - Time: 8:30 A.M. - Dept.: 29 Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles Address of the court: 111 N. Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Branch Name: Probate Stanley Mosk SVP CT. If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing.

Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

124 Paseo de la Plaza, (213) 485-8372 or elpueblo.lacity.org.

Ongoing: The whole of El Pueblo is called a “monument,” and of the 27 historic buildings, four function as museums: the Avila Adobe, the city’s oldest house; the Sepulveda House, home to exhibits and the Visitors Center; the Fire House Museum, which houses late 19th-century firefighting equipment; and the Masonic Hall, which boasts Masonic memorabilia.

Check the website for a full slate of fiestas. Open daily, though hours at shops and halls vary.

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

Through Spring: Cheech and Chong’s “Up in Smoke” is a comedy icon. Pay homage to 40 years of the stoner film with “Cheech & Chong: Still Rollin’ — Celebrating 40 Year of Up In Smoke.”

Ongoing: “360 Sound: The Columbia Records Story” provides an in-depth look at all aspects of Columbia Records’ history and offers a virtual history of the music industry from its infancy, tracing the label’s pivotal technological as well as business innovations, including its invention of the LP. Ongoing: White sequined gloves and other wardrobe pieces are the focal point of the exhibit case paying tribute to the life and legacy of Michael Jackson.

Ongoing: “Roland Live” is a permanent installation courtesy of the electronic musical instrument maker, Roland Corporation. The exhibit gives visitors a chance to participate in the music-making process by playing a wide variety of products, from V-Drums and BOSS pedals to VIMA keyboards and the MV-8800 Production Studio.

Ongoing: “Shining Like A National Guitar” references both Paul Simon and the celebrated six-string company known for their metallic resonators.

Institute of Contemporary Art Los Angeles 1717 E. Seventh St., (310) 284-8100 or theicala.org.

Through June 30: It’s an ode to failed food products with Maryam Jafri’s “I Drank the Kool-Aid But I Did Not Inhale.”

Through July 21: Lucas Blalock: An Enormous Oar” features scenes of daily life and still objects created by the multimedia artist.

Italian American Museum of Los Angeles

If you are a creditor or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within four months from the date of first issuance of letters as provided in Probate Code section 9100.

The time for filing claims will not expire before four months from the hearing date noticed above.

You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the

estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk.

Attorney for petitioner: Frank Contreras, 929 E. Foothill Blvd., SP104, Upland, CA 91786. (909) 576-0503 Pub. 4/22/2019, 4/29/2019, 5/6/2019

644 N. Main St., (213) 485-8432 or iamla.org.

Ongoing: A collection of artifacts and interpretation panels document the long and proud history of Italian natives in Los Angeles.

Through May 19: “Leo Politi’s Los Angeles: Works of Love and Protest” show the famous children’s book author’s affection for the city, with paintings and sketches of various neighborhoods over the decades.

Japanese American National Museum 369 E. First St., (213) 625-0414 or janm.org.

Ongoing: “Sadako’s Crane” shows off one of Sadako Sasaki’s origami cranes, made after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

Ongoing: “Common Ground: The Heart of Community” chronicles 130 years of Japanese American history, from the early days of the Issei pioneers to the present.

Through July 7: See all manner of strange beasts and colorful Japanese superhero toys in “Kaiju Vs. Heroes: Mark Nagata’s Journey Through the World of Japanese Toys.”

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes 501 N. Main St., (888) 488-8083 or lapca.org.

Current: The exhibition “LA Starts Here!” reveals the essential role of Mexicans and Mexican Americans in the founding and shaping of Los Angeles’ history and culture — a multicultural project from the very beginning.

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.

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The Central City Crime Report

TRILOGY

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

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

MAY 6, 2019

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

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

I

■ Three people demanded an unidentified individual’s belongings shortly after midnight on March 31 at Eighth and Flower streets. The person asked why, and was punched multiple times.

■ A pedestrian was punched twice in the face at Fifth and Wall streets at 1 a.m. on March 31. The attacker then took the victim’s wallet.

■ Shortly after 3 a.m. on March 31, an unidentified individual at the Seventh Street/Metro Center station demanded money from another person. The victim said no, and was pepper sprayed in the face.

■ On March 31, an unidentified individual walked up to a car with an open window at Fifth and Seaton streets. The person reached in, grabbed a phone, then ran off.

■ Two people began arguing on a Metro bus in Downtown on the evening of March 31. One spit on the other, took the person’s glasses, then got off the bus at Grand Avenue and Venice Boulevard.

PROMENADE TOWERS 123 South Figueroa Street 213-617-3777 www.THEPROMENADETOWERS.com

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

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

■ A driver left a Mercedes-Benz unlocked at a parking lot on Figueroa Street on March 31. When the owner returned, money, a bag and a computer were missing.

■ A man walked into a Hill Street apartment early on April 1, pulled out a knife, and demanded the occupant give him money. The would-be thief was startled by a noise and ran off.

■ Two men got into an argument over a parking spot on Hill Street on the morning of April 1. One man pulled out a knife and threatened to kill the other.

■ A woman entered a Figueroa Street bike shop with her dog on the evening of April 1. She grabbed an employee’s bags and left the store.

MUSEUM TOWER 225 South Olive Street 213-626-1500

■ At dawn on April 3, someone broke the window of a Spring Street store. Some clothing was taken. nicholas@downtownnews.com

www.THEMUSEUMTOWERAPTS.com

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

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

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*All Amenities Under Renovation

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

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