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Tent Fires Spike in Skid Row

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Patient ‘Dumping’ Case at Skid Row Mission Is Settled

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South Los Angeles nursing home has agreed to pay $450,000 to settle a case of alleged homeless patient “dumping.”

On Thursday, June 28, City Attorney Mike Feuer announced that a settlement has been reached in a case that began when a man, identified by the Los Angeles Times as Ronald Anderson, was transported from the Avalon Villa Care Center to the Union Rescue Mission in Skid Row; no plans for after-care were arranged for Anderson, who suffers from diabetes and uses a wheelchair. Avalon Villa did not admit wrongdoing. “Patient dumping is inhumane and must be stopped,” Feuer said in a prepared statement. “Leaving the most vulnerable patients to fend for themselves is unacceptable.” Under terms of the settlement, Avalon Villa will pay $75,000 in civil penalties and spend $325,000 to hire and train staff to help appropriately discharge homeless individuals and address quality-of-care concerns. Feuer has been aggressive in prosecuting incidents of patient dumping, and according to his office has settled seven cases and secured more than $4 million in penalties.

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Mayfair Hotel to Reopen Next Week

A

fter four years of work, the Mayfair Hotel is finally ready to pull back the curtains. The City West destination will reopen on Tuesday, July 10. Built in 1926, the 15-story edifice at 1256 W. Seventh St. has been in a renovation phase since 2014, when owner the ICO Group of Companies decided to turn the building into a boutique space; it follows the debut of other Downtown boutique hotels including the NoMad and the Freehand. Rates at the Mayfair will start at $185 per night.

Redesigned by architect Gulla Jonsdottir, with additional work from artist-in-resident Kelly “RISK” Graval, the Mayfair’s lobby is a throwback to its original look, with ample brass fixtures. The hotel, which has 294 guest rooms, has also overhauled its food and beverage program, with multiple restaurants and drinking spots. The property will be managed by Crescent Hotels and Resorts. More information and bookings are at mayfairla.com.

Master Chorale Gets $1 Million Donation

T

he Los Angeles Master Chorale last week announce a major donation: a $1 million gift from philanthropists Kiki and David Gindler. The announcement came

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at a board of directors meetings that doubled as David Gindler’s last meeting as Chair of the Board, a position he has held for two three-year terms. “On any given day, Kiki and I make many hard decisions.

Our gift to the Master Chorale was not one of them,” David Gindler said in a prepared statement. It marks the second $1 million gift from the Gindlers; the first came in 2012 and established the Artistic Director’s Circle, a group of supporters who donate $50,000 or more to the organization. The new donation was lauded by LAMC President and CEO Jean Davison, who also noted that the group’s operating budget has grown by 36% over the past five years. At the same meeting, board member Philip A. Swan was named Chair of the Board of Directors. He will serve a three-year term.

The LAMC recently completed its 54th season. Its next season will begin Sept. 22 with a concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Fashion District BID Earns Renewal

T

he effort to renew the Fashion District Business Improvement District has proven successful. On Wednesday, June 27, the results of the renewal balloting process were tabulated and announced.

Property owners representing 85.67% of the land in the district voted in favor of another five-year term for the organiza-

JULY 2, 2018

tion; operators needed a simple majority.

The BID, like other business improvement district, levies a fee on land and buildings within its boundaries to fund safety and cleaning teams for the area. The new BID term will run until 2023 and the organization has a budget of $4.3 million for 2018.

The Fashion District BID covers approximately 105 blocks, and is roughly bounded by Seventh Street on the north, the 10 Freeway on the south, Broadway and Spring Street on the west, and San Pedro Street on the east.

Architecture Firm Moves to Little Tokyo

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fter 15 years in Pasadena, the local offices of the Architecture Resources Group are now in Downtown Los Angeles. The San Francisco-based firm, which specializes in restoring and rehabilitating historic buildings, signed a lease for the Brunswig Square complex at 360 E. Second St. in Little Tokyo. The Downtown space holds 15 employees, who are working on projects including upgrades at Union Station and the restoration of the Trust Building. ARG is one of several new tenants in the building, joining apparel company The/Studio, Bicycle Coffee, fashion outpost JapanLA, toy store the Good Smile Company and the law firm Kasdan LippSmith Weber Turner.

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EDITORIALS

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TAKE MY PICTURE GARY LEONARD

Goodbye, Cornerstone Theater Company

L

ast week was a notable one for departures in Downtown Los Angeles. Police Chief Charlie Beck retired after 40 years with the LAPD and eight years atop the department. Gary Toebben stepped down after 12 years as president and CEO of the prominent business advocacy and lobbying group the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.

Then there is Cornerstone Theater Company. The troupe may not be as well known as Beck or Toebben, but it was an important part of the Arts District for two decades. It did stellar work in this community and others. It vacated its premises on Saturday, June 30.

Los Angeles Downtown News last week wrote about Cornerstone, which on June 15 announced its decision to leave its headquarters at 708 Traction Ave. In 1998 the company had traded Santa Monica for the then-sleepy Arts District.

Downtown News reported that one reason for the departure was a rise in rent, from $5,000 a month for a 5,000-square-foot space to $6,250. It’s worth noting that many spaces in the Arts District go for far more than the $1.25 a square foot the landlord is seeking. It is also worth noting that Cornerstone brass cited other factors in the decision to depart, including the overall evolution of the Arts District, the diminishing amount of parking in the area, and the company’s schedule, which involves staging shows in communities throughout the country.

The departure is troubling in certain ways, as we continue to see an exodus of some residents and institutions that filled the Arts District long before it became a destination for housing and other developers.

Many artists who lived and worked here when there was little evening activity or investment have been priced out as new housing complexes open. Two years ago another independent theater company, Loft Ensemble, left its home of 10 years, after a development company purchased its building on Second Street and opted not to renew the lease. Loft Ensemble is now based in Sherman Oaks.

It is always difficult to find the balance between pushing a neighborhood forward and preserving its past, of evolving and offering the new amenities people want — cafes, shops, parks, etc. — while maintaining a historic character and longstanding tenants. It is even more difficult when nonprofits such as Cornerstone are in play.

Cornerstone, which has not yet formalized its future plans, was not a traditional “community” theater company. Rather than stage a certain number of plays a year in its space, it continuously traveled to different neighborhoods and worked with a variety of individuals to craft shows that reflected that audience. It organized years-long “cycles” where it delved into expansive topics — think religion, hunger and justice — and produced multiple works examining facets of the issue. Like many theater companies, it depended heavily on donations and grants.

Art hasn’t completely left the Arts District. Amid the development boom the Hauser & Wirth complex has arrived, as has the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. The neighborhood still boasts some of its traditional character.

But Cornerstone Theater Company was special, and it will be missed.

Jeff Sessions Protest

S I N C E 19 7 2

twitter: DowntownNews

Clergy Arrest

June 26, 2018

DT

COMMENTS

Regarding the editorial “That Text Can Wait Until You Cross the Street,” which references Vision Zero, the city’s aim to eliminate traffic fatalities Yes, people walking should be aware of their surroundings, but shouldn’t car drivers be aware they can kill someone? I think city officials use distracted walking as a reason for the increase in pedestrian deaths because they are afraid of going against their car-driving base.

Pedestrians and cyclists aren’t getting hit and killed more often because they are texting. Pedestrians and cyclists are getting killed because car drivers refuse to slow down and aren’t aware there aren’t just cars out on the streets. Car drivers are more concerned about getting to their destination as fast as possible. Distraction is a problem, but a bigger problem remains vehicle speeds.

I moved to DTLA because I wanted to live in a walkable neighborhood. I can’t comprehend why this paper isn’t writing about how cars should have less access to streets in Downtown, especially with all of the public transportation. Doesn’t Downtown News realize why events like CicLAvia and Night on Broadway are so fantastic? There are no cars! Why aren’t you writing an editorial about why DTLA isn’t moving into the future and starting to ban cars like Oslo or Madrid, or at least have car-free Sundays like Paris to decrease pollution? Please Downtown News, get out of your cars and see how DTLA is changing! And are EDITOR: Jon Regardie STAFF WRITER: Nicholas Slayton, Sean P. Thomas CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Kathryn Maese CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Tom Fassbender, Jeff Favre

Los Angeles Downtown News 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 web: DowntownNews.com • email: realpeople@downtownnews.com facebook: L.A. Downtown News

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you really saying hundreds of times you’ve seen pedestrians carelessly crossing the streets in DTLA? Maybe it’s perspective, but hundreds of times I’ve seen a car driver parked in a bike lane, a car driver who is distracted, a car driver who can’t stop behind the line, a car driver who is speeding, and a car driver running a red light.

Vision Zero is simple: Have cars kill zero people. In 2017, 134 pedestrians were killed by car drivers in Los Angeles. I don’t wonder about the distracted pedestrian, but I do wonder what those car drivers were doing before they killed someone and then wonder how they are living with that fact. Please, when driving remember the simplest thing you can do to make everyone safe is slow down!

—Jerry Takakura

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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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DOWNTOWN NEWS 5

At the LAPD, It’s Chief Concerns The Shift From Charlie Beck to Michel Moore Feels Seamless, But You Can Never Quite Prepare for the Department’s Top Job

By Jon Regardie here are times when the changing of a Los Angeles police chief prompts the city to re-examine its relationship with law enforcement. In these instances the hiring of a new top cop propels widespread discussion about equality and justice, and the selection inspires introspection about not only what kind of police force the city needs, but even what matters to the city.

This is not one of those times.

T

THE REGARDIE REPORT On Wednesday, June 27, Charlie Beck retired after 40 years in the LAPD and more than eight years in the chief’s suite. He has been succeeded by Michel Moore, for whom many people’s biggest question might be, “Would you like to buy a vowel so you can put an ‘a’ in Michael?”

I’m not making fun of Moore or of spelling in general. Rather, I’m pointing out that the shift from one chief with decades of local experience to another chief with decades of local experience is the most seamless LAPD transition in generations.

There was never any serious consideration given to bringing in an “outsider” who would cleanse the culture.

It hasn’t always been this way. Consider how the resignation of cataclysmic Chief Daryl Gates in 1992 came after a chunk of the city burned in the Rodney King riots; the decision to hire former Philadelphia top cop Willie Williams was an attempt to rip out and re-weave the fabric of the department (it was a disaster, but that was definitely about Williams).

The arrival of William Bratton in 2002 (succeeding Bernard

Parks) was equally seismic, though at the opposite end of the spectrum: His tenure came to be interpreted as the L.A. police equivalent of a massive spring cleaning. Beck and now Moore continue Bratton’s approach.

Moore was a finalist for the chief’s job back in 2009, and he has long been near the top of the LAPD chain of command.

The general mood is, things have been pretty good in the department for a while. Let’s keep it that way.

It’s an unspectacular civic mindset that underplays the spectacular change that is afoot. Mayors come and go in eight years, or less if they lose an election or win the presidency. A police chief can lead the city’s most important department for a full decade, and his (and one day her) policies impact the most meaningful and/or frightening encounter an Angeleno may ever have with a representative of the city.

Put it all together and that makes last Wednesday both milquetoast and magnificent. We’ve just witnessed a changing of the guard, and only time will tell where the new guard will go.

Varied Skill Set Chief of Police is a weird job that demands an incomparable skill set. Actual law enforcement credentials are only the start. You need supreme management chops and the ability to wrestle with an approximately $1.4 billion budget that’s as easy to handle as a giant greased squid.

You also need ample political skills; a chief has to please the mayor who hired him and likely the next mayor as well.

There are council members with big egos who know little about policing but think they know a lot. Then there are the demands from the public and the media, not to mention a

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The transition from Charlie Beck to Michel Moore (background) means going from one chief with decades of local experience to another chief with decades of local experience. In other words, no one thought this was the time to shake up the LAPD.

powerful union in the Police Protective League.

Success requires understanding where the greater culture is going and when to take bold moves — history will reward Beck for being at the forefront of putting body cameras on officers (give loads of credit to the Police Commission, too, though everyone will forget that in a few years).

In the arc of LAPD history, Beck’s tenure has been relatively sunny, though with occasional dark storm clouds. Bratton had initiated a reform agenda, and had plucked out most of the officers who didn’t get with the program. Beck continued that approach and helped build a department that, in Continued on page 11

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That pace held steady in 2017; the Industrial District Business Improvement District recorded a total of 60 fires over the 12-month period.

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“Tent fires are constant,” said Estela Lopez, executive director of the Industrial District BID. “It is only getting more prevalent now, to the point where business owners are expressing very real concerns about what the threat is.”

The fires can quickly consume a tent and all of the belongings inside. Past blazes have left charred remains on the sidewalk and black burn marks on the side of buildings. In some fires, Lopez said, embers have risen as high as the roof of the building the tent is against, requiring firefighters to douse the structure; the water can in turn damage interiors and any inventory.

Since February, the Los Angeles Fire Department has recorded 84 fires in its Battalion 1 District, which includes all of Downtown Los Angeles, according to LAFD Public Information Officer Peter Sanders. It is uncertain how many were specific to Skid Row. The LAFD does not have the data to compare 2018 to past years, as it previously put tent fires under the broader category of “rubbish fires.” That changed early this year. Sanders said that since Jan. 1, the number of tent fires reported in Battalion 1 is likely close to 100.

LAFD Battalion Chief Mike Castillo said that despite the increase in tent fires he does not believe there is a rise in arson cases, though he acknowledged that some occur (he would not discuss specific arson cases under investigation).

“Any time you have an increase in the homeless population, you’ll have more disagreements and more cooking accidents,” he said. “And with the majority of the intentional fires we see, it’s over a property dispute or a grudge.”

Retaliation Although authorities have been recording a greater number of tent fires on Skid Row, they admit the figures are imprecise.

“General” Jeff Page, a longtime Skid Row activist, said that in many cases something will catch fire and be quickly put out, without people calling 911.

Page said tent fires have been an issue in the neighborhood for the last few years. He has not personally noticed a spike this year, though he noted that as overall homelessness increases, there are more dense clusters of tents than in the past.

“Before people had tents set up, you would see more fisticuffs over disputes,” Page said. “Now with the high concentration of tent encampments, that’s been a new attack point over the last few years.”

Los Angeles Police Department Senior Lead Officer Deon Joseph, who has patrolled Skid Row for nearly two decades, said that tent fires are sometimes used by gangs as a way to intimidate or retaliate against someone who reports crimes to the police.

“There’s no way to quantify the number of fires, since people are afraid to come forward,” Joseph said. “I was at Fifth and San Julian recently. An elderly man had been beaten with a golf club. When he went to flag down police officers, his tent was engulfed in flames. There’s a whole black mark where his tent used to be.”

The fires happen all across Skid Row. The Industrial District BID’s data shows them relatively spread out. Joseph said that whereas they used to be concentrated along Fifth Street, between San Pedro Street and Central Avenue, now they are “springing up everywhere.” He said there are fires on San Julian Street between Sixth and Seventh streets, at Seventh and Wall streets and elsewhere.

There have not been any reported deaths or serious injuries due to tent fires, and tents set ablaze have not ignited street-wide fires, Joseph said. However, officials say that the number of fires is a serious public safety concern.

“Let us not forget, there are people living in those tents,” Lopez said. “I’ve talked to women whose tents have been burned down in domestic violence incidents. There are human beings in these tents who might not get out. These fires have consequences.”

Lopez said that for the last six months, BID security and maintenance trucks have been outfitted with fire extinguishers, so that if workers see something on fire, they can try to put it out quickly. nicholas@downtownnews.com

DOWNTOWN NEWS 7

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The Scooters Are Coming

photo courtesy Skip Scooters

s for e n i l e d Gui icles h e V s s Dockle rward. o Move F to Ban al Propos wntown n Do Them i ixed Is N

Skip Scooters is one of several companies that hopes to bring electric scooters to Downtown.

By Sean P. Thomas lectric scooters and bicycles that can be rented for short-term trips have popped up in cities across the country.

They are frequent sights on the streets everywhere from Washington, D.C. to Chicago to Santa Monica.

They haven’t arrived en masse across all neighborhoods in Los Angeles yet, but they likely will soon. That includes Downtown, which is significant — just a month ago a city proposal sought to keep scooters and private bike share programs out of the Central City, so as not to compete with the existing Metro bike share.

On Wednesday, June 27, the City Council’s Transportation Committee approved guidelines for a one-year pilot program that would allow companies such as Bird Scooter, LimeBike and Ofo Bikes to operate within city limits. The city and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation have been working on guidelines for dockless vehicles since 2016.

Some guidelines approved last week run counter to proposals that had been discussed in May. A previous 2,500-vehicle cap on each operator in the city has been bumped up to 3,000, and it could go higher if certain conditions are met. Demands for specific parking requirements and a locking mechanism have been dropped.

Perhaps the most contentious element initially proposed — and one no longer on

E

the table — was a three-mile buffer around existing or planned Metro bike-share stations. That would have kept sharable bikes and scooters out of Downtown and other neighborhoods.

Metro’s $11 million bike share program launched in Downtown in 2016 and has 65 kiosks with about 700 bikes than can be used for short trips (it also operates in Pasadena, Venice and other neighborhoods). Plans call for expanding it to neighborhoods near Downtown including Echo Park, Koreatown and Pico-Union.

The three-mile buffer proposal drew the ire of companies seeking to expand into Downtown, and sparked questions as to why the city should be so keenly interested in protecting Metro’s bike share program.

During a Transportation Committee meeting in May, Councilman Mike Bonin, whose 11th District includes Venice, requested that LADOT look into removing the no-ride zones.

“I’m not convinced we need buffer zones yet,” Bonin said during the meeting. “You would be taking away dockless in San Pedro, you would be taking away dockless in Downtown, you’d be taking away dockless in Venice.”

By the Minute Dockless vehicle-share programs allow users to download an app and then unlock a bicycle or scooter by scanning a bar code with their smart phone. Rates vary, but often

are similar to Bird scooters, which charge $1 for the rental and 15 cents for each minute of use. When a rider is done, they use their phone again and then leave the scooter or bike. As the name implies, no docking mechanism is required.

Dockless systems have been heralded as an option for short trips within a neighborhood, and as a potential solution to the socalled “first-mile, last-mile” dilemma, which involves helping mass transit users get from

JULY 2, 2018

their home to a train station, or from the station to their job, so they can leave their car in the garage. Metro’s bike share operates on the same principle.

Under the guidelines approved last week, operators that deploy vehicles in a “disadvantaged” neighborhood, as outlined by the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool, can increase their 3,000-vehicle cap by an additional 2,500. If they meet specific guidelines outlined by the LADOT, including an average daily use of three rides, the numbers could increase even further.

LADOT General Manager Seleta Reynolds would have to sign off on any fleet increases.

Reynolds said the current guidelines were drawn from a recently approved 16-month pilot program for dockless operators in the city of Santa Monica. That includes a cap of 2,250 vehicles for each operator, though it can rise if usage requirements are met. The program permits a maximum of four rental companies — two electric scooter operators and two electric bike services — to operate in the city.

San Francisco approved a similar pilot program in April.

The Los Angeles guidelines require operators to pay an annual $20,000 permitting fee and $130 per vehicle; a company that deploys 2,500 vehicles would pay $325,000 per year. However, vehicles in disadvantaged neighborhoods face only a $39 fee.

The extra fleet size for underserved communities is intended to incentivize companies, said Marcel Porras, the LADOT’s chief sustainability officer. The goal is to ensure that operators do not just flood high-income neighborhoods such as Downtown.

The guidelines come in the wake of a March moratorium the city passed on new dockless transportation until a concrete regulatory system is established. Council districts that represent areas including Northridge, San Pedro and Wilmington have worked out pilot programs with companies such as Lime Bike. There are currently no pilot agreements in Downtown Los Angeles.

At the Transportation Committee meeting Wednesday, Bonin noted that the process is evolving.

“These regulations are not going to be final and permanent for all time,” Bonin said.

“These are how Los Angeles is going to start governing dockless. We are a big city and

Jump Bikes aims to place dockless bicycles in Downtown Los Angeles and other communities. The systems have drawn praise in many cities, but also complaints from those who say they cause clutter.

photo courtesy Jump Bikes

JULY 2, 2018

we are a diverse city. We are not Santa Monica. We have a lot of different neighborhoods and a lot of different needs and a lot of different interests to consider. It will be changed over time. We are going to learn things from this.”

Congestion and Clutter Dockless systems have sparked complaints about clutter, as users often leave them in the middle of a sidewalk or other locations. Controversy has arisen in cities such as Dallas and New York, where scooters and bikes frequently block the public right-of-way. Additionally, there are safety concerns, as many riders skirt the law and do not wear helmets.

Peter Hobans, COO for Bicycle Transit System, which operates the Metro bike share program, told the Transportation Committee in May that 10% of the bicycles in Seattle, or about 1,000 two-wheelers, block the public right of way; he cited a report completed by Portland, Oregon’s Department of Transportation.

Seattle has gone on to abandon a city-run, station-centric bike share effort in favor of private operators, and has painted specific locations where dockless vehicles can be parked.

Additionally, concerns have arisen over where riders use the electric vehicles. Under California law they are not allowed on sidewalks.

Bonin requested that each vehicle have a sticker noting that the scooters and bikes are not intended to be used on city sidewalks.

Many in Los Angeles see potential for dockless scooters and bikes in Downtown and other areas.

That includes Jessica Lall, president and CEO of the Central City Association. She agreed that clutter should be a concern when drafting pilot program guidelines, but thinks dockless systems will help with the “first-mile, last-mile” issue and could complement Metro bike share.

“We hope to work with the city and DOT and the folks who provide these scooters to come up with proper enforcement mechanisms to prevent clutter from happening while focusing on the benefits,” she said in an interview with Downtown News.

City Councilman José Huizar, whose 14th District includes Downtown, has not taken a position on the dockless vehicles. During the Transportation Committee meeting, Huizar Transportation and Planning Deputy Kevin Ocubillo said the councilman wants the LADOT to address the cost and mechanisms associated with having public agencies respond to clutter.

According to the current guideline, city sanitation workers and the Bureau of Street Services staff would be responsible, in part, for removing scooters from the public right of way.

What happens in Downtown could be shaped by what works in other cities. In Chicago, which allows both a station-based and a dockless system, dockless vehicles are required to have a locking mechanism that allows them to be affixed to a structure. LADOT initially proposed the idea of requiring a locking structure, but has backed off from that.

“It’s a balance,” Reynolds told the committee.

“It’s also a crawl, walk, run approach. LADOT has spent the last two years thinking carefully about how to change the way we manage and deploy private mobility operators because they are a precedent for everything that is going to come after it today.”

The recommendations still require approval from the full City Council. In a statement to Downtown News, a spokesman for Mayor Eric Garcetti said that he hopes to have a pilot program green lit in the coming months. sean@downtownnews.com

DOWNTOWN NEWS 9

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JULY 2, 2018

Downtown News Wins Nine L.A. Press Club Prizes Publication Collects Five First Place Honors, Including Journalist of the Year Award

T

he Los Angeles journalism world had its biggest night of the year last week, and Los Angeles Downtown News walked away with its biggest-ever haul.

The Los Angeles Press Club held its 60th annual Southern California Journalism Awards on Sunday, June 24, drawing nearly 600 people to an awards banquet at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel. Downtown News captured five first place prizes.

Editor Jon Regardie was named Journalist of the Year for newspapers with a circulation under 50,000. The judges, having examined a portfolio of Regardie’s work, wrote, “Here is why local watchdog journalism matters — perhaps now more than ever.”

This marked the second time that a Downtown News staffer has received the prestigious its. He was honored in Editorials for “The award. Then-staff writer Ryan Vaillancourt was DWP Pay Hike Stinks,” which lambasted the lack of transparency and public input as Maynamed Journalist of the Year in 2013.

Regardie earned a second first-place prize or Eric Garcetti and the City Council granted for newspapers under 50,000 circulation; that hefty raises to thousands of workers in the was in the Entertainment News or Feature department.

He also won in the Humor/Satire Writing category for “The Close-Up Artist,” about magician Siegfried Tieber, who was performing category — open to all media platforms and publications of all sizes — for “The New LAPD in a small space in the Historic Core.

“The attention to detail in this piece really Cadet Program Handbook,” a piece sparked stood out,” the judges wrote. “The reader can by the scandal that involved LAPD cadets vividly see what Tieber’s show is like from the taking patrol cars on unauthorized joy rides.

800.900.5788 I aerioconnect.com Broadband A fifth Downtown News first place prize writing alone.I ”Voice I WiFi I HDTV Regardie earned two other first-place went to former Senior Writer Eddie Kim for awards in categories without circulation lim- Personality Profile from newspapers with a

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The five first-place trophies earned by Downtown News at the L.A. Press Club’s Southern California Journalism Awards.

circulation below 50,000. Kim wrote “Meet the Skid Row Fixer,” an extensive feature on Wendell Blassingame, who sets up a table at San Julian Park each day and helps area residents gain access to apartments and services.

The judges wrote, in part, “You get a great sense of Blassingame both from the descriptions (“built like a boulder,” “a cross between a social worker and a town ambassador”) and the excellent use of quotes and dialogue throughout as Blassingame interacts with the people he is trying to help. You feel like you’re sitting there next to him and can hear his voice and feel his compassion. This is an all-around great story.”

Downtown News also received third-place prizes for: Doug Davis’ editorial cartoon “Sheriff Lee Baca’s Legacy,” about the disgraced former L.A. County sheriff; Nicholas Slayton’s Entertainment News or Feature entry “NEA Cuts Threaten Downtown Art Institutions”; Regardie’s “Regardie Report” work in the Columnist category; and a collection of articles and editorials titled “Addressing the Homelessness Crisis in Downtown L.A.,” in the Investigative/Series category.

The Press Club this year set a record, drawing more than 1,400 submissions, and judges from other press clubs across the nation chose the Los Angeles winners. Altogether more than 100 prizes were given out to journalists working for local newspapers, magazines, websites, and radio and TV stations.

Other prizes went to students and international journalists.

In addition to the awards presented to local journalists, the Club also honored NBC News anchor Lester Holt with its Lifetime Achievement Award, and Dolly Parton received the Public Service Award for her work promoting childhood literacy. Kimi Yoshino of the L.A. Times, who drew widespread attention this year when she was briefly suspended by former Editor Lewis D’Vorkin (whose run atop the Times lasted approximately three months) received the President’s Award for Impact on the Media.

Saudi Arabian blogger Raif Badawi was given the Daniel Pearl Award for Courage and Integrity in Journalism. The award was accepted by Badawi’s wife, as he has been jailed in the country for six years for his writings.

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DOWNTOWN NEWS 11

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LAPD, 5 terms of diversity, looks more like the city it patrols. He made inroads into minority communities and worked hard to help those neighborhoods build trust with a department that, in the Gates era, was often viewed (and experienced) as a paramilitary force.

Beck also vociferously opposed using the LAPD as an agent of immigration enforcement, despite the Trumpian thunder pounding out of Washington, D.C. Crime goes in cycles, and the Bratton-to-Beck era saw a steep drop, allowing city leaders to proclaim that Los Angeles was safer than it had been in decades. When crime spiked in 2015 and continued rising, Beck deployed officers from the elite Metro unit to problem areas, and by the middle of last year the situation had stabilized. He goes out with violent crime down 2.7% from last year.

This doesn’t mean everything was perfectly peachy. As homelessness has worsened cops are frequently cast as the first responders, which is utterly ridiculous. The person who figures out how to effectively deploy an army of social workers and outreach staff, and thus lets police concentrate on law and order matters, will win some sort of Nobel Prize.

Additionally, like many police forces across the nation, the LAPD was involved in some deeply controversial shootings of African-American men, including the killing of Ezell Ford in South Los Angeles in 2014, and the death of Charly “Africa” Keunang in Skid Row in 2015. The organization Black Lives Matter has long lambasted Beck and the department for these and other incidents.

Then there was last year’s wackadoodle LAPD Cadet Program scandal, in which teenagers were, uh, borrowing, and sometimes crashing, patrol cars. There was even a 2014 kerfuffle involving Beck’s daughter Brandi Pearson selling a horse named George to the department, pocketing $6,000.

Still, none of this capsized the chief, and though Beck lacked the media charm of his predecessor Bratton, he generally projected steady confidence and consistency, and maintained strong ties with Garcetti and other city brass. Though the homelessness crisis has raised concerns, people generally feel safe in L.A. Job Like No Other What will Moore bring? That’s what everyone is waiting to find out.

By nearly all accounts he’s super intelligent and a potential visionary; people who follow this stuff say he can see the forest, the trees, and the little blue bird sitting on a branch.

Moore long helmed the LAPD’s weekly Compstat meetings, which, to oversimplify, uses a smarty pants computer program to identify crime hot spots and how to respond. It’s the ultimate police accountability tool, and thus it’s no surprise that he appealed to Garcetti, a metrics aficionado who chose Moore from three accomplished finalists.

Moore will face heated moments. This is the era, after all, where nearly everyone has a smart phone and a social media application like Twitter, MySpace or Facebook (I may have one of those wrong). It’s a certainty that some LAPD officer will do something controversial and video will spread like wildfire. When it does everyone will watch to see how the new chief responds.

The job is never easy. The LAPD claims over 10,000 sworn officers and more than 3,000 “civilian” workers, and any stupid thing that any of them does can reverberate. Additionally, a lot of people expect the economy to tank in the near future, and when it does and city departments need to cut back, LAPD overtime will be scrutinized.

Moore has 36 years in the LAPD and was most recently director of operations. His resume details nearly everything you could think of, including that he is a director of the Los Angeles Police Federal Credit Union. So if you need a loan for a Jetta, he’s your guy.

Car cash aside, Moore is now in a job that has challenged everyone who has held it, and felled a few. No previous experience can quite prepare him for what lies ahead.

Los Angeles is watching. regardie@downtownnews.com

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JULY 2, 2018

A Field Guide to Anime Expo Expect Karaoke, Brilliant Costumes, Screenings and More At the Japanese Animation Festival

By Nicholas Slayton ne of Downtown Los Angeles’ most colorful events is back this week. It’s the time of year when anime enthusiasts, video game fans and lovers of Japanese culture converge on the Central City for four days.

Anime Expo takes over the Los Angeles Convention Center on Thursday-Sunday, July 5-8. The celebration of Japanese animation, comics, games and culture draws more than 100,000 people each year to meet anime creators, attend panel discussions, enjoy screenings and catch sneak peaks of everything from cult classic “FLCL” to current sensation “Attack on Titan.”

Single-day tickets are $70 while four-day passes go for $120. Enjoying the brilliant costumes of people wandering through South Park all weekend is free.

Here are some of the highlights to the 2018 Anime Expo.

O

Karaoke Contest Friday, 9 p.m., J.W. Marriott Gold Salon 2 This is serious karaoke: Dozens of contestants (most pre-registered, although a few spots will be open the day of the contest) will compete over three rounds to show who has the best vocal skills, and Anime Expo program-

mers have more than 7,000 songs available.

The catch: They are almost all Japanese pop songs, or anime and video game themes. For the less serious, there are karaoke rooms set up across the expo.

AMV Competition Thursday, 8 p.m., Hall B One of the most beloved parts of anime fandom is AMVs, or anime music videos. They can be dramatic, operatic or farcical, depending on the editing skills and song choices.

Join fans for three hours of music videos.

Prizes will be awarded.

Masquerade Saturday, 8 p.m., LACC Hall B This is always one of Anime Expo’s biggest draws. The Masquerade mixes costumes with in-character performances, often with exacting choreography. Part runway show, part theater, the groups go through precise moves and bring cartoon and video game characters to life.

After Hours Every night, 6 p.m., LACC 403A What happens when anime fans get together after a day of walking the convention floor?

They party hard. This event includes drinks,

photo courtesy Anime Expo

The 27th edition of Anime Expo returns to the Convention Center on Thursday-Sunday, July 5-8. Thousands of people will don elaborate outfits, and there will be screenings, shopping and much more.

DJs, burlesque performances and lots of people in costume dancing. There will also be games with prizes. Tickets are $30 and come with a drink.

JoJo’s Bizarre Escape: The Hotel Every day, multiple times, LACC Gold Ballroom Based on the popular anime “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure” and designed by an escape room company, this puzzle game pits teams against each other to solve a mystery using clues and contraptions. There will be people in character throughout the game. Tickets are $40.

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Convention Floor Every day, Los Angeles Convention Center The special events are fun, but most Anime Expo action happens all day on the convention floor. Grab prints from the Artist Alley or see what fan-made accessories and imported toys are for sale. This is also a chance to interact with other fans.

Anime Expo runs July 5-8 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St. or anime-expo.org. nicholas@downtownnews.com

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FLCL Premiere Saturday, 2 p.m., LACC Petree Hall “FLCL” is one of the more beloved animes in the United States. The six-episode blend of robots, hormones, absurdism, action and eyebrows — seriously — became a cult classic. Now Adult Swim has made two sequel seasons, and the English dub cast is on hand to screen some of the new episodes.

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DOWNTOWN NEWS 13

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Shop Hop: The Downtown Retail Roundup Arts District Grappling, Japanese Fashion at The Bloc, and New Kicks in Little Tokyo

By Nicholas Slayton et Your Sweat on, Part I: Downtown Los Angeles continues to see new restaurants, new coffee shops and, perhaps as a response to those two, new gyms.

The roster will expand even further this month when F45 Training arrives. The gym will debut next to the Hennessy + Ingalls bookstore in the One Santa Fe complex. F45, which has outposts in Culver City and Brentwood, focuses on a mix of high-intensity workouts and circuit training, all done in groups. Expect some boxing, mace swings and more traditional weights and aerobic exercises. Exact class bundles and membership prices have not yet been set. Bonus: The F45 Facebook page shows DJs spinning while people exercise.

Coming to 300 S. Santa Fe Ave., (310) 9511896 or f45training.com/artsdistrict.

G

Get Your Sweat on, Part II: Speaking of ways to work out in the future in the Arts District, there’s Gracie Barra DTLA. The Palmetto Street establishment will instruct you in grappling, choke holds, arm bars and other fun jiu-jitsu activities. The 3,000-square-foot martial arts studio is expected to open by the end of July, according to co-owner Joseph Pennino (who, for the record, is listed on the website as Professor Joseph Pennino). If the Gracie moniker sounds familiar, then you’re probably thinking of the legendary Brazilian

photo by Nicholas Slayton

Shoe Palace opened in Little Tokyo in April. The two-story shop carries offerngs from Puma, Adidas and other brands.

family whose grappling influence has spread throughout the world. Class prices have not been set, but the space will offer both fundamental and advanced courses. Classes will eventually be offered seven days a week.

Coming to 1327 Palmetto St., (323) 708-8876 or gbdtla.com.

Something Unique: The Bloc shopping center has been slowly adding stores over the last year. The next addition will be one of the bigger draws: Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo has signed on for a two-story space. Uniqlo will fill approximately 15,000 square feet and will offer its traditional roster of acces-

sibly priced casual wear and business-casual outfits. Expect shirts in the $10-$25 range, and pants hovering between $30-$60. No opening date has been set.

Coming to 700 W. Seventh St. or uniqlo.com.

Footwear Castle: Downtown just cannot get enough sneaker stores — as seen by all the spaces that have debuted on Broadway.

The latest spot to appeal to fans of Nike, Adidas and beyond is Shoe Palace. The sleek shop debuted in April on Second Street, just south of Japanese Village Plaza. Shoppers can check out Puma sneakers that run $85$90, and Air Jordan Flyknit Elevations for

$169. Shoe Palace also has a moderate selection of athletic apparel from brands such as Nike or Jordan.

At 326 E. Second St., (213) 477- 7005 or shoepalace.com.

Industrious Looks: A quiet block on Olive Street is steadily becoming more active.

The hair salon Industry DTLA has opened just south of Ninth and Olive. Industry DTLA moved to a 2,500-square-foot location on Mother’s Day, leaving a previous home at 113 E. Eighth St. According to owner Christian King, the salon offers a range of services, from men’s haircuts (starting at $45) to full highlights (from $175). Prices vary depending on the stylist. Industry DTLA’s new home is next to the Recliner L.A. store, which arrived in February. The Hill Street restaurant Shekarchi is expected to move next to the salon later this year.

At 916 S. Olive St., (213) 361-4863 or industrydtla.com.

Hex Out: The store Hex has left Broadway.

The shop’s final day in the Tower Theatre building at 804 S. Broadway was Saturday, June 30. The exit came after notices to leave were sent by the property owner, according to staff. The store, which carried bags, custom phone accessories and cases, originally opened in the building in June 2016. A new location is being sought, according to store employees.

Heard about any store openings, closings or other retail news? If so, contact Shop Hop at nicholas@downtownnews.com.

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Hauser & Wir th Los Angel es in the Arts D istrict recent ly opened a co llect shows, includ ion of five ing Larry Bel l: Complete Cu bes. It holds nearly 30 of the wor ks he cr the course of eated over his career.

CALENDAR

CUBES, PAINTINGS AND BEYOND or many people, a cube is a cube, maybe a delivery system for sugar, or the shape of a die. For Larry Bell, a cube is something greater: the perfect tool to explore light and the way objects interact with each other.

Over the course of a nearly 60year career, the Los Angeles native has been creating cubes of various sizes, shades and materials. Some of those works have been collected in a new show at the Arts District’s Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles complex.

Larry Bell: Complete Cubes brings together nearly 30 of the artist’s creations, including three massive glass cubes fashioned for the exhibition. It is one of five recently opened shows at the Third Street complex, with two of the others surveying the works of Jack Whitten and Mary Heilmann.

Complete Cubes is an exercise in Minimalism. It takes advantage of the gallery’s wide space to present a stark, neutral look at cubes.

Each cube is unique and plays with light and space. They are all made of glass, but some are tinted, while others are reflective.

They range in size from two inches to six feet tall, wide and deep.

A few sport checked patterns, and one is a swirling mix of transparent glass and a reflective surface. They are essentially evenly spaced throughout the gallery, forming alternating patterns depending on where a visitor is standing. Several smaller cubes are grouped together on a table. “[The cubes] use whatever they’ve got to use. Each one is different in how it uses light,” Bell said at a media event. “All the

pieces have elements that suggest certain kinds of relationships that change as you move around them.”

Bell’s show is the first ever to organize his glass cubes by scale, according to Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles Senior Director Stacen Berg.

Perhaps the most interesting works are the new ones. In the back of the gallery, behind a wall, are the three cubes that measure six feet on each side. They are translucent, with pillars painted red, white and blue in the center of each one. The overall effect is a hazy splash of color in the otherwise neutral-toned room.

Other Direction Mary Heilmann’s show is a far cry from Bell’s work. The artist’s first solo show in Los Angeles in more than 20 years, her Memory Reflex features mostly creations with an abstract quality, although some familiar shapes and patterns emerge. At the media event she noted that in school she was good in geometry; her fascination with form and angles is evident in the works.

Her paintings and sculptures are roughly grouped together by color scheme — a collection of red-heavy paintings adorn the back walls of the gallery, for instance — and general style.

Heilmann, a California native, drew from the West Coast Pop Art movement, as well as elements natural to the state.

Berg said that Heilmann is known as a New York artist, as she is based there and came up in the city’s contemporary art scene, but her work is grounded in the “soul” of California. Heilmann agreed with the description, pointing to a painting inspired by the region.

“There’s one here called ‘Right.’ It’s a geometric, minimal painting that’s super expressionist and emotional, because it is about surfing,” Heilmann said.

Also on display is Jack Whitten: Self Portrait with Satellites, a Continued on page 16

photo by © Mary Heilmann, Courtesy the artist, Hauser & Wirth and 303 Gallery, New York

F

By Nicholas Slayton

Arts District’s Hauser & Wirth Opens Five Diverse Summer Shows

photo © Larry Bell, courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth, photo by Mario de Lopez

14 DOWNTOWN NEWS

Mary Heilmann: Memory Reflex collects more than two dozens brightly colored paintings and sculptures from the artist, who mixed abstract designs with geometric patterns.

JULY 2, 2018

DOWNTOWN NEWS 15

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Eight Things About Grand Park’s Fourth of July Party Big Crowds Will Come to the Civic Center, But Don’t Bring Alcohol or Selfie Sticks

By Sean P. Thomas n recent years, Grand Park has emerged as a focal point of Los Angeles on Independence Day. That will continue this Wednesday, as the facility operated by the Music Center holds its sixth annual Fourth of July Block Party.

It’s more than a fireworks show, as the 12-acre park will be active from 3-9:30 p.m. in celebration of the country’s 242nd birthday. Here are eight things to know about the star-spangled party.

I

Flush With Fireworks: As with all Fourth of July happenings, the highlight is the pyrotechnics display. Grand Park Interim Director Julia Diamond said a total of 3,620 shells of colorful explosives will be set off at 9 p.m. from the roof of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The 12-minute show will be accompanied by pop and patriotic tunes.

“There are some hits, some classics, but it always has some tracks that people will recognize that are current, energetic, strong musical voices in America,” Diamond said.

Bust-a-Move: The fireworks cap a full day of festivities, and no matter where you are in the park, at the Fourth of July Block Party you can expect to hear a DJ spinning or a band playing.

Musical acts will perform on two stages, and the sounds will only stop when the pyrotechnics begin. The lineup includes DJs Joe Kay, Andre Power, Andres Uribe, DJ Puffs and Rhettmatic.

“We try to keep the party going all the way throughout the event,” Diamond said.

Food Trucks on Deck: Diamond said 30,000 people are estimated to attend. When people get hungry, more than 60 food and drink trucks will be available at and around Grand Park, selling everything from barbecue plates to boba tea.

Free Is the Best Price: As with many Grand Park events, admission to the Block Party is free. Diamond said the gratis entrance helps keep the event accessible and family friendly.

Try Public Transit: Traffic will get thick in Downtown as the day goes on, and parking will become scarce. Diamond suggested that people who plan to picnic at the park arrive early and stake out a spot on the lawn.

Attendees would be wise to leave the car at home, and either ride share or use public transportation. There is a Red and Purple line stop fittingly called the Civic Center/Grand Park Station.

Or, take the Gold Line to Union Station or the Little Tokyo/Arts District Station and walk from there.

“It’s just a good way to get to the event easily,” Diamond said.

“It’s also a good excuse to have a sort of adventure if you’ve never used Metro.”

Future Vision: The Grand Park staff always has a theme for its major events. Diamond said this year the crew landed on the concept of America and its future. As part of that, Jimi Hendrix’s version of the “Star Spangled Banner” will open the fireworks show.

Continued on page 16

photo courtesy The Music Center

An estimated 30,000 people are expected to show up for Grand Park’s Fourth of July Block Party. The Independence Day celebration will be capped off by a 9 p.m. fireworks show.

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FOURTH OF JULY, 15 “That’s a little bit of an interesting curatorial choice,” Diamond said. “It’s a guitar solo and kind of wild. It was a powerful artist’s take on America and his feelings of America as an artist.”

Many Faces: Attendees will see images of dozens of people they don’t know on the wall of the Los Angeles County Hall of Records. That’s part of the park’s “Big L.A. Portrait Gallery” display. It features the work of 12 Los Angeles photographers and continues the theme of looking forward.

“Visitors will be able to see this show where photographers are talking about their vision of the future,” Diamond said.

“That will be a fun element for the people, especially when the sun begins to go down.”

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Follow the Rules: The party is free, but freedom comes with responsibility, and Diamond advises visitors to pay attention to what you can and can’t bring to Grand Park. Every bag will be checked at the entrance, and alcohol, drugs, personal fireworks, matches, masked costumes and even confetti cannons and selfie sticks are among the forbidden items (a full list of what’s prohibited is at july4.grandparkla.org). It’s all about ensuring safety.

“The most annoying thing for people is to have made the effort to pack their bags with all of their stuff, especially if you take Metro, and then be told you can’t bring something in,” Diamond said. “It’s really important that we all have a safe and uneventful, eventful Fourth of July.”

The Grand Park Fourth of July Block Party is Wednesday, July 4, 3-9:30 p.m. at 200 N. Grand Ave. or july4.grandparkla.org. sean@downtownnews.com

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series of paintings and mosaics that play with perception. The artist, who passed away earlier this year, created each piece as a tribute to artists who inspired him, as well as family and friends. One piece, “Quantum Wall, VIII,” is the last work Whitten made before his death.

Whitten was an abstract artist who often focused on patterns and layouts inspired by science. He received the National Medal of Arts for his work.

Another show goes in a totally different direction. An untitled exhibition holds approximately two dozen photographs

by Sir Don McCullin.

McCullin started out shooting impoverished parts of England, but gained notoriety as a war photographer, documenting conflicts in Vietnam, Lebanon, Afghanistan and other global hotspots. Those are on the gallery walls, shown both in the magazine and newspapers they first appeared in, and reproduced in platinum prints.

The retrospective is split between two spaces: a gallery of prints hangs in an upstairs room, while Hauser and Wirth’s Book and Printed Matter Lab holds a collection of magazine covers and features bearing his photographs. The latter space also holds a helmet, boots and camera used by the photographer. The camera, a Nikon F, has a hole in it; according to text that accompanies the display, it blocked a bullet in Cambodia in 1970, and saved McCullin’s life.

McCullin also shot scenes of nature and daily life. At the opening event, he said that shots taken outside the war zones are equally important to him.

“I’m all over the place,” McCullin said. “I think it’s important to show both sides of my work.”

The final show is on the gallery’s mezzanine. Portable Art, organized by Celia Forner, collects a menagerie of wearable works from artists such as John Baldessari and Paul McCarthy. The items range from necklaces to metal pieces and are a cross between arm covers and gauntlets.

All of the shows run through Sept. 23.

Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles is at 901 E. Third St., (213) 9431620 or hauserwirthlosangeles.com. nicholas@downtownnews.com

DT

THE DON'T MISS LIST

CALENDAR LISTINGS EVENTS

ONE

TWO You’ve probably never heard of Anton Zaslavski. But if you dig electronic dance music, then you’re in deep with his alter ego, Zedd, a prolific DJ, songwriter and record producer. He routinely spins in front of massive crowds, and that’s what he’ll find at Los Angeles State Historic Park on Tuesday, July 3, at the Zedd in the Park event. Doors to the 18-and-over show open at 5 p.m., and Zedd will be joined on the bill by fellow DJs Whethan, Oliver Tree and Medasin. It’ll be a little like Coachella, except with the Downtown skyline in the background. We’re almost certain he’ll play his current hit “The Middle.” At 1245 N. Spring St. or zedd.net/zeddinthepark.

How many times have you said to yourself, “I can’t decide: Should I enjoy Puccini tonight, or Andrew Lloyd Webber?” Whether the answer is a zillion times or never, this week in Downtown you get both at the same concert. That’s because the California Philharmonic is continuing its summer residency at Walt Disney Concert Hall with the program “Phantom Meets Puccini.” Maestro Victor Vener (shown here) will grab the baton on Saturday, July 8, for a 2 p.m. performance that features excerpts from Turandot and La Bohème, and pieces from Webber and Rodgers & Hammerstein. The guest vocalists include James Barbour, who recently completed a three-year run on Broadway as the masked man in Phantom of the Opera. Arrive at 1 p.m. for a talk with Vener. At 111 S. Grand Ave. or calphil.com.

photo by Bruce W. Talamon

FOUR In the early 1970s, a young photographer named Bruce Talamon was at the center of the R&B scene. He shot Isaac Hayes at the 1972 Wattstax festival, and Stevie Wonder and Berry Gordy after Wonder delivered the tapes for his Songs in the Key of Life album. These images and many others are on display at the Grammy Museum as part of the just-opened exhibition Bruce W. Talamon: Soul, R&B, and Funk Photographs 1972–1982. The images reveal a cadre of influential figures — including Muhammad Ali and Gil-Scott Heron — and were taken everywhere from smoky clubs to the Los Angeles Coliseum. Dig the shots of Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Earth, Wind and Fire (the band’s Maurice White is shown here) and many others in the show that runs through Aug. 3. At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org.

photo courtesy Cal Phil

THREE

ROCK, POP & JAZZ

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

July 2: Jesper Dutz Group.

July 5: Tierney Sutton and Tamir Hendelman.

July 6: Kenny Sara & New Orleans Vibes.

July 7: Nick Mancini Octet. That’s a fancy word for “eight people.”

July 8: Jon Hatamiya Group.

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

July 2: Johanna Samuels has a residency. Help her break the place in.

July 3: Diamonds Under Fire vet Vanessa Silberman plays some raw rock and roll.

July 5: Rob Magill and Peter Redgrave team up for a duet.

July 6: Existential heaviness from Petal.

July 7: Silentshout has a video release show.

July 8: Kylland plays folk-pop.

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

July 6: The Howling Faith, Blind Pony.

July 7: The Kings Inn Presents.

July 8: Wicklow Atwater and the Fallen Flame is what happens when you mix the Howling Faith with Blind Pony and also fire.

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

July 6: Mercer.

July 7: Lady Faith, Stephanie.

July 8: Claude Vonstroke, Sirius Hood, Wyatt Marshall vs. Rybo.

Grand Performances Two California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Ave. or grandperformances.org.

July 6: Gingkoa, the Vignes Rooftop Revival.

July 7: Non-stop funk that will melt your face off and make you giddy as it happens, courtesy of Bootsy Collins.

Los Angeles State Historic Park Continued on next page

photo courtesy Grand Performances

The musician Bootsy Collins’ legacy has long been secure — he played with James Brown in the early ’70s and later joined Parliament-Funkadelic. He entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame more than two decades ago. Yet Collins continues to bring the funk as if he’s on a mission, and on Saturday, July 7, at 8 p.m., he delivers it to the heart of Downtown Los Angeles with a free performance at the Cal Plaza Watercourt as part of the Grand Performances series. Expect the classics along with more current works, including numbers from his 2017 album World Wide Funk.

Every so often the Watercourt amphitheater literally shakes with all the people jumping up and down. This will be one of those nights. At 350 S. Grand Ave., (213) 687-2190 or grandperformances.org.

photo by Nick Walker

TUESDAY, JULY 3 True Crime Tuesdays Book Club Last Bookstore, 453 S. Spring St., (213) 488-0599 or lastbookstore.com.

7:30 p.m.: Journalist and author James T. Bartlett leads the club that digs into crime and murder. On the docket this Tuesday is author David Grann’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which goes back a century to the murders of dozens of members of the Osage Indian nation.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4 Fourth of July Block Party 200 N. Grand Ave. or july4.grandparkla.org.

3 p.m.: This free Independence Day celebration will have live music, DJs, food trucks and, of course, a fireworks spectacle at 9 p.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 6 Dance DTLA, DJ Nights, at Grand Park 200 N. Grand Ave. or musiccenter.org/dancedtla.

9 p.m.: The third installment of the summer series features lessons in line dancing and two step. Yee-haw.

SUNDAY JULY 8 The Three Stooges, Live on Stage The Regent, 448 S. Main St., (323) 284-5727, or theregenttheater.com.

7:30 p.m.: This is a stage show that show brings together all of the slapstick, schemes and pie fights of the classic films.

Anti-Wave Podcast Last Bookstore, 453 S. Spring St., (213) 488-0599 or lastbookstore.com.

6 p.m.: Catch a live taping of the podcast that dives into movies that go against the grain of Hollywood trends.

DOWNTOWN NEWS 17

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

FIVE

What’s the difference between graffiti and street art? Find out in a giant warehouse on the edge of Chinatown, where the exhibit Beyond the Streets is on display, but only for a few more days. Curated

by Roger Gastman, who also organized a 2011 MOCA street art show, it features works by more than 100 international artists, and includes everything from graffiti to full-on installations like Ron Finley’s “Gangsta Gardener” (shown here). The show offers familiar names including Shepard Fairey and Takashi Murakami, and Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh also makes an appearance. Hurry though, because Beyond the Streets will leave the streets on Sunday, July 8. At 1667 N. Main St. or beyondthestreets.com.

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

photo by Sean P. Thomas

JULY 2, 2018

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18 DOWNTOWN NEWS

LISTINGS, 17 1245 N. Spring St. or zedd.net/zeddinthepark.

July 3: The Zedd in the Park event brings together the superstar DJ and other EDM standouts including Whethan, Oliver tree and Medasin.

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

July 3: Frog Eyes says its latest album is inspired by Marx and Brexit. We’re hoping they mean Groucho, but we’ll take Karl.

July 5: New Madrid doesn’t have Lionel Messi signed with them.

July 6-7: Two nights of indie music from Hunny.

July 8: The Bird and the Bee member Inara George takes the stage.

Resident 428 S. Hewitt St. or (323) 316-5311 or residentdtla.com.

July 2: Rubio. No, not the senator with the water bottle.

July 5: Work through those post-Fourth of July feelings of nervous patriotism and too many hot dogs with Here Lies Man. July 6: Interior decorating tips from Mortuary Drapes.

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

July 2: Slim Pickin’s doesn’t see many options left in the World Cup. July 3: The Makers would like Anthony Kennedy’s Supreme Court seat, please.

July 4: Rick Taub’s Midnight Blues Review delivers its own brand of pyrotechnics.

July 5: The Racket Squad is a tennis-loving group out to run a protection scheme.

July 7: Rumproller Trio.

July 8: Sour Mash Hug Band.

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

July 3: Jon and the Vons, The Allyrgic Reaction, Autogamm,

Sweet Shakers, Some Daggers.

July 5: Enemy Proof, Black Adidas, The Howling Faith.

July 6: Los Blancos, Wyldlife, Danny Dodge, Dirty Few. July 7: The Rip Katz, The Centuries, Rumble Kings.

July 8: Sleeping Pills, Jurors, Matter Room, Wish Blade.

The Regent 448 S. Main St., (323) 284-5727, or theregenttheater.com.

July 6: Code Orange, Disembodied, Twitching Tongues, Show Me the Body, Vein.

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

July 5: Egrets on Ergot, Round Eye, Flying.

July 6: Signor Benedick the Moor, Negro Galacticus, DNM, Big Blind.

July 7: Treasure Mammal, Padilla, DJ Kyle H. Mabson, Fogitholl.

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

July 7: One of Washington, D.C.’s preeminent stoner rock groups is in town. Light it up and rock out with Dead Meadow.

THEATER

Bob Baker Marionette Theater: Enchanted Toy Shop Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. First St., (213) 250-9995 or bobbakermarionettes.com.

July 6, 10:30 a.m., and July 7-8, 2:30 p.m.: Let the puppet masters at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater bring all of your favorite toys to life in this ode to imagination.

Through Sept. 15.

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

July 3, 5-7, 8 p.m., July 5 and 7, 2 p.m., and July 8, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: A Thanksgiving dinner turns dark as the Blake family’s anxieties come to the surface in this Tony Award-winning

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play by Stephen Karam. This production set in New York City stars the original Broadway cast. Through July 29.

CLASSICAL MUSIC

Phantom Meets Puccini Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.com.

July 8, 2 p.m.: The California Philharmonic teams up with Broadway star James Barbour to meld Andrew Lloyd Weber with the Italian composer’s work.

FILM

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July 6-8: Family drama and outer space collide in To Infinity.

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

It’s a throwback trip to a bio-diverse land in Amazon Adventure 3D. The film follows the journey that naturalist and explorer Henry Walter Yates undertook through the Amazon rainforest in the 1850s.

Who doesn’t love pandas? The adorable bears take center stage in the appropriately titled Pandas 3D. Kristen Bell narrates the film about the efforts to reintroduced captive-born pandas into the wild.

It’s all about space in Hubble 3D, which carries audiences on a celestial journey, touching on everything from spacewalk-

Three Questions With: a Stooge Player Brad Server, Grandson of Original Stooge Curly Howard, Talks About a Stage Show at The Regent

By Nicholas Slayton here’s something immortal about the Three Stooges. The trio mastered slapstick comedy in the early 20th century, and their eye gouges and head slaps remain legendary. Now Downtown Los Angeles can enjoy all of their gags.

Sort of.

Larry, Moe and Curly passed away decades ago, but their antics are on display in Three Stooges, Live on Stage. A revival of a 1990s Las Vegas stage show, it runs Sunday-Tuesday, July 8-10, at The Regent theater in the Historic Core.

The plot, complete with plenty of “nyuck, nyuck, nyucks,” involves the Stooges working with a young rising actress and trying to save a theater. Of course, there’s a pie fight.

The cast includes Brad Server, the grandson of original Stooge Curly Howard. Server doesn’t play Curly, but instead assumes multiple roles, often as a foil or opponent to the Stooges. He spoke with Los Angeles Downtown News about the show.

T

Los Angeles Downtown News: How does this work? Is it a live re-creation of Three Stooges films?

Brad Server: It’s kind of the same vibe as the Three Stooges shorts. Usually the Stooges shorts started with some sort of task, and they’d do it while playing off a villain or straight man, and at the end, the Stooges come through and there’s usually a happy ending. That’s kind of where this goes. It leads you through an adventure.

Meredith Patterson, the female actress in the show, has an extensive background on Broadway. The Stooges sing with her in some shorts. The skits are all tied together, and hopefully when you leave you have a smile on your face.

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JULY 2, 2018

Q: The Three Stooges are known for their physical comedy. How do you avoid getting hurt?

A: Obviously there are props involved; we

photo courtesy Spaceland Presents

The Three Stooges, Live on Stage, draws from classic Stooges skits, complete with slapstick humor and pie fights. The performance at The Regent includes Brad Server, the grandson of original Stooge Curly Howard.

don’t use real sledgehammers. But there is a risk if we don’t use these items properly.

My grandfather never wore pads! He did his own stunts for years. I have the pride of my grandfather; we all have that riding with us. If getting a little hurt comes with this show, then that’s part of the game.

Q: Is there a certain part of the Three Stooges routines you’re trying to capture?

A: It’s got a bit of everything. If you look at some of the traditional Stooges shorts, there’s Western scenes, doctor scenes, plumbing gags and so on. This is not an exact replica, but it has the same message, the same nostalgic flavor.

That said, we’re staying true to the short, but with some added dialogue that brings it more to today’s time. There’s music, comedy, mayhem, pies — all the stuff that made the Three Stooges popular.

The Three Stooges, Live on Stage runs Sunday-Tuesday, July 8-10, at The Regent, 448 S. Main St., (323) 284-5727 or spacelandpresents.com. nicholas@downtownnews.com

JULY 2, 2018

ing astronauts to distant galaxies.

Dive into the history of Egypt and the impact of the Nile River as Omar Sharif hosts Mysteries of Egypt.

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

Through July 8: Sicario: Day of the Soldado (12:20, 12:50, 3:30, 4, 6:50, 7:10, 10 and 10:20 p.m.); Uncle Drew (11 and 11:40 a.m., 1:40 2:30, 4:20, 5:20, 7, 8:10, 9:50 and 10:50 p.m.); Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (11:20 a.m., 12, 12:40, 2:40, 3:20, 4, 6. 6:40, 7:30, 9:20, 10 and

10:55 p.m.); The Incredibles 2 (11:10 and 11:50 a.m., 12:10, 2:20, 3, 3:40, 5:40, 6:20, 7:20, 9:40 and 10:40 p.m.); Tag (12:30, 3:30, 6:20 and 9:10 p.m.); Superfly (9 p.m.); Hereditary (1:20, 4:30, 7:40 and 10:50 p.m.); Ocean’s 8 (11:20 a.m., 2:10, 5, 7:50 and 10:40 p.m.).

Rooftop Cinema Club Level DTLA, 888 S. Olive St. or rooftopcinemaclub.com/los-angeles.

July 3: George Clooney shows off his charm as a thief in Soderbergh’s Out of Sight.

July 5: Celebrate 30 years of Stand and Deliver, followed

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LEGAL FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2018123829 The following individual(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) RICH BROWN COFFEE, 5317 ABBOTT PLACE, LOS ANGELES, CA 90042, LA COUNTY are hereby registered by the following registrants: (1) ROAST RIGHT NOW, LLC, 5317 ABBOTT PLACE, LOS ANGELES, CA 90042. This business is conducted by a Limited Liability Company. Registrant(s) began to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: N/A This statement was filed with DEAN C. LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk on May 21, 2018.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code).

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Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2018135611 The following individual(s) is

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(are) doing business as: (1) SQUARE BUSINESS CUTS, 1357 E 83RD ST, LOS ANGELES, CA 90001, LA COUNTY, are hereby registered by the following registrants: (1) VANCE R. KNOX, JR. 1357 E 83RD ST, LOS ANGELES, CA 90001. This business is conducted by an Individual. Registrant(s) began to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 06/2013 This statement was filed with DEAN C. LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk on JUNE 4, 2018.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code).

Pub. 6/11, 6/18, 6/25 and 7/2.

CIVIL SUMMONS SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) NOTICE TO DEFENDANT: (AVISO AL DEMANDANDO): MIRLAND FREEMAN, an individual, YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF: (LO ESTA DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): SYD’S OUTPOST & SUPPLY, a California Corporation NOTICE! You have been sued.

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

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you.

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

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

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

The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case.

AVISO! Lo han demandado.

Si no responde dentro de 30 dias, la corte puede decidir en su contra sin escuchar su version. Lea la informacion a continuacion.

Tiene 30 DIAS DE CALENDARI0 despues de que le entreguen esta citacion y papeles legales para presentar una respuesta por escrito en esta corte y hacer que se entregue una copia al demandante. Una carta o una llamada telefonica no lo protegen. Su respuesta por escrito tiene que estar en formato legal correcto si desea que procesen su caso en la corte. Es posible que haya un formulario que usted pueda usar para su respuesta. Puede encontrar estos

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by a Q&A with Lou Diamond Phillips.

July 6: The coming-of-age drama Mystic Pizza.

July 7: See John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club.

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.

formularios de la corte y mas informacion en el Centro de Ayuda de las Cortes de California (www.sucorte. ca.gov), en la biblioteca de leyes de su condado o en la corte que le quede mas cerca. Si no puede pagar la cuota de presentacion, pida al secretario de la corte que le de un formulario de exencion de pago de cuotas. Si no presenta su respuesta a tiempo, puede perder el caso por incumplimiento y la corte le podra quitar su sueldo, dinero y bienes sin mas advertencia.

Hay otros requisitos legales.

Es recomendable que llame a un abogado inmediatamente.

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

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

CASE NUMBER: (Número del Caso): BC685405 The name and address of the court is: (El nombre y direccion de la corte es): LASC, Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 N. Hill Street Los Angeles, CA 90012. The name, address and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is: (El nombre, la direccion y el numero de felefono def abogado def demandante, o def demandanfe que no fiene abogado, es): Eric J. Wu, Esq., Leech Tishman Fuscaldo & Lampl, 841 Apollo Street #325, El Segundo, CA 90245 (424) 738-4400 DATE: December 7, 2017.

Sherri R. Carter, Clerk (Secretario), by Glorietta Robinson, Deputy (Adjunto).

Published June 18, 2018.

SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) CASE NUMBER (Número del Caso): BC672715

NOTICE TO DEFENDANT: (AVISO AL DEMANDADO): TAMPA LIMO & CAR LLC d/b/a TAMPA LIMO & CAR, a Florida limited liability company; ROBERTO GONZALEZ, an individual; and DOES 1 through 10, inclusive.

YOU ARE BEING SUED

BY PLAINTIFF: (LO ESTA DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): NATIONAL FUNDING, INC., a California corporation.

NOTICE! You have been sued.

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

Aviso! Lo han demandado.

Si no responde dentro de 30 dias, la corte puede decider en su contra sin escuchar su version. Lea la information a continuacion.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you.

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

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

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

There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney

✔ WEB: LADowntownNews.com/calendar ✔ 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.

referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self- Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case.

The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case.

The name and address of the

court is: (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): Los Angeles Superior Court, 111 N Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is: (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): Neal S. Salisian / Yujin Chun, 550 South Hope Street, Suite 750, Los Angeles, CA 90071; Telephone: (213) 622-9100.

Date: (Fecha) August 17, 2017, Clerk of the Superior Court (Secretario), by Sherri R. Carter, Deputy (Adjunto), by C.L. Coleman

CREATIVE OFFICE SPACE IN VARIOUS SIZES AVAILABLE From $600-$1000 per Month

Terms are Flexible. 747.333.5511 LEGAL NOTICE NOTICE OF BRANCH OPENING Notice is hereby given that Open Bank, headquartered at 1000 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 500, Los Angeles, California 90017, will be filing an application with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation on July 6, 2018 for the authority to establish a branch at 2540 Old Denton Rd, #314; Carrollton, Texas 75006. Any person wishing to comment on the application may file his/her comments in writing with the regional director of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 25 Jessie Street at Ecker Square, Suite 2300, San Francisco, CA 94105, not later than 15 days after the date of this newspaper publication. The non-confidential portions of the application are on file in the appropriate FDIC office and are available for public inspection during regular business hours. Photocopies of the non-confidential portion of the application file will be made available upon request. This notice is published pursuant to 12 CFR 303.7.

OM FR 75/ * ,9 $2 NTH MO

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JULY 2, 2018

GOOD SAMARITAN MEDICAL PAVILION: WHERE YOU’LL FIND THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE – WE BRING L.A. TO LIFE Just as Downtown L.A. is undergoing a spectacular rebirth, Good Samaritan Hospital is undergoing an amazing transformation of its own. With the upcoming opening of the new Medical Pavilion we have created this magnificent 196,000 square foot, leading-edge facility, which is home to the Frank R. Seaver Ambulatory Surgery Center, Radiation Oncology, pharmacy, physicians’ offices and boutique café.

Artfully designed as a place where physicians, patients and family members will feel comfortable, the Medical Pavilion creates an environment that enhances the efficiency and convenience of acquiring some of the most advanced medical care. It’s all part of Good Samaritan Hospital's investment in Los Angeles and our commitment to meeting the health care needs of our growing community – today, and for years to come.

Make Good Samaritan Hospital the destination for all your health care needs. For more information and referrals to physicians practicing at Good Samaritan Hospital, go to goodsam.org or call 1-800-472-2737.

Francis Te, MD Internal Medicine

Carol Richardson-Te, MD Internal Medicine

Andrew B. Leeka President & CEO

Physicians are independent practitioners and not employed by Good Samaritan Hospital.

A Tradition of Caring