LOS ANGELES
DOWNTOWN
40
C
NEWS Volume 42, Number 3
EBRATING EL
YEARS
Grand Avenue Plan Changes
Downtown’s Strangest Tree
5
6
Since 1972
W W W. D O W N T O W N N E W S . C O M
January 21, 2013
Want a Record With That Haircut? Downtown Gets a Pair of Hybrid ‘Lifestyle Businesses,’ as Owners Expand The Salon Concept With Jeans, a Party Space and Vinyl Albums
photo by Gary Leonard
Sherry Younge of the Artform Studio cuts hair and sells records in her Arts District shop. by RichaRd Guzmán city editoR
I
t’s common to hear music blaring in the background or to see stylish people at a hair salon. What is unexpected is the opportunity to pick up vinyl records after getting a trim, or to follow a cut and color by grabbing some sunglasses or designer jeans. That, however, is exactly what is happening in Downtown
Los Angeles, where a pair of businesses are operating on the philosophy that profits should not be based on haircuts alone. The Artform Studio in the Arts District and The Well in South Park are both hoping that a hybrid approach of mixing business and lifestyle will lead to success. The aim is clear even before visitors enter the Artform Studio at 701 E. Third St. A sign outside the business run by husbandand-wife team Adrian and Sherry Younge features a pair of scis-
photo by Gary Leonard
Herb Wesson Goes to Dinner! Imagining a Special Night on the Town With the Council President by Jon ReGaRdie executive editoR
M
any wondered how Herb Wesson would operate as president of the Los Angeles City Council. Now we know. A year after
ThE rEgarDiE rEpOrT
taking the post from the even-tempered and consensus-seeking Eric Garcetti, Wesson has emerged
as a combination of Niccolo Machiavelli and early Spanish Inquisition bigwig Tomas de Torquemada, with a splash of Lady Gaga hey-look-at-me! flair. It started right off the bat, when, following his election to the presidential post, Wesson told his colleagues, “It’s not about me, it’s about we.” Then last spring, during the city redistricting process, he abruptly removed council reps Jan Perry and Bernard see Wesson, page 14
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sors, a vinyl LP and the message “Haircuts & Records.” Sherry Younge, 35, first opened a hair salon seven years ago in Chinatown. Three years ago she moved it to the current Arts District site and a year later she added the record component. “I wanted to bring more promotion to the salon, so we decided to incorporate music,” she said. “Our clientele also has see Salons, page 16
City Council president Herb Wesson has a different approach from his predecessor in the post, Eric Garcetti.
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2 Downtown News
AROUNDTOWN We’re Looking for a Few Good Homes
D
owntown Los Angeles is full of people with a strong sense of design, individuals, couples or families who believe they have one of the nicest homes around. Now, it’s time for those folks to put their condominium or apartment where their mouth is. Los Angeles Downtown News is looking for Central City homes — don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be a traditional loft; we just want a nice place — to feature in our upcoming “What’s in My Loft?” section. The residences, which will be showcased in the March 18 issue, will be photographed by Gary Leonard, and a reporter will stop by to discuss design philosophy and a few of the occupants’ most treasured possessions. The stories include pictures of the inhabitants. So if you have the place and the place has the look, and you’re ready to share it all with Downtown, then email a short description and photo to Dawn Eastin at dawn@downtownnews.com.
Last Cops Out of Parker Center
W
hen the Los Angeles Police Department moved into a gleaming $440 million headquarters in October 2009, not everyone was freed from the confines of the bedraggled, earthquake-damaged Parker Center. Instead, about 150 staffers continued to toil in the outdated structure. Now, the building is empty. The last to leave the facility — all staffers working in photo operations, fingerprinting and polygraphing — moved to new offices at the Piper Technical Center, a police heli-
January 21, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years TAKE MY PICTURE GARY LEONARD
port east of Union Station. The clearing out of the dilapidated 1955 Los Angeles Street edifice was marked with a closing ceremony on Tuesday, Jan. 15. The Welton Beckettdesigned Parker Center is considered by some to be an important relic of Los Angeles Modern architecture, but its future remains uncertain. In 2009, the city allocated $1 million to study five options for the site, with choices including renovating it or tearing it down and building a new structure. The city Bureau of Engineering is still conducting its analysis on options for the site.
See Downtown Museums for Free
Lance Armstrong
W
hat’s better than a day at the museum? A free day at the museum, naturally. In honor of that truth, and as part of an effort to showcase the cultural opportunities in Los Angeles, a trio of Downtown destinations are offering gratis admission on SaturdaySunday, Jan. 26-27. During the Museums Free-For-All, locals and tourists won’t have to open their wallets to enter the Museum of Contemporary Art on Grand Avenue and Exposition Park’s California Science Center and California African American Museum. Those who want to check out the Space Shuttle Endeavour exhibit at the Science Center still need to get timed admission tickets. The free showcase is part of an effort organized by the Museum Marketing Roundtable. Sixteen other regional attractions, among them The Autry, the Getty Center and the Skirball Center, will also offer free admission on either one or both weekend days. Additional information is at museumsla.org.
Why does this little burger stand attract over a million people a year?
Ciclavia
April 2011
Little Tokyo @ 1st & Central
Regional Connector Work on Alameda
L.A. Live Ice Rink Returns
T
T
he Regional Connector won’t open for about six years, but its effects will be felt, on a small scale, this week. A contractor for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is slated to conduct geotechnical testing for the $1.34 billion project on Jan. 21-24 along Alameda Street between First and Second streets. The work will happen from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. The northbound left turn lane and adjoining lane of Alameda Street, at First Street, will be closed. Access to businesses and residences will be maintained, according to Metro. The work is part of the preliminary program to build a 1.9-mile underground light rail route that will add three new stations. The project is scheduled to open in 2019. Additional information is at metro. net/connector.
he ice skating rink at L.A. Live closed on Jan. 2 after a successful run. Now, to celebrate the fact that the NHL lockout has ended and the Stanley Cup champion Kings are playing once again, the Kings Holiday Ice facility is back. The 132-by-80 foot rink, which Anschutz Entertainment Group officials say is the largest outdoor ice facility in the city, resumed operations Jan. 11 and will stay open until Feb 4. Not everything is the same, however: The 66-foot Sequoia tree that was in the middle of the rink during the winter holidays has been replaced by a replica Stanley Cup trophy and banners celebrating the Kings’ NHL championship last year. The 113-day NHL lockout ended this month. The Kings’ first home game was Jan. 19.
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January 21, 2013
Downtown News 3
Celebrating 40 Years
Real People, Real Stories
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4 Downtown News
January 21, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years
EDITORIALS Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis
Not So Eager Meters
P
arking is a long-enduring problem in Los Angeles, and the issue can be thornier in Downtown than in almost every other part of the city. That’s why the fight over whether drivers should be ticketed for stopping at a broken meter is a good thing. Yes, in this case the fight is a positive. The next step in this battle is obvious: City officials should back off the stance that those who park at broken meters deserve tickets. It’s not right to hit someone with a big fine because something that should function is out of order. The issue garnered notoriety in December, when the City Council voted 12-1 to make the no parking stricture a permanent policy. The move came in response to a recently enacted state law that said people can not be ticketed for landing at a broken meter. Still, the state law let cities opt out, and that’s what Los Angeles did. Then, this month, state Assemblyman Mike Gatto introduced a bill that would block the city’s move — in other words, his effort would counter a city law that responded to a loophole in a state law. Confused? It’s understandable, but what’s clear is the folly of what the city wants to do — punish people who, in most cases, park at a busted meter only because they happen to chance across one. Instead, anyone who now sees a broken meter has to ignore it and, if nothing on the street can be found, head into a parking lot. We know how expensive those can be in Downtown. The debate follows Los Angeles’ move away from coin-operated meters to the now ubiquitous digital devices that accept credit cards. In recent news reports city officials said that only a handful of the new meters are broken at any time, down from as many as 10% of city meters that were previously out of order. The city’s logic goes like this: If you let people avoid fines at broken meters, then they’ll break meters to save money. That will mean lost parking fees for the city as well as having to pay for meter repair. It’s a concern, but, really, is it enough of a concern to prompt this overreaction? Do we expect thousands of meters to be vandalized every day? Should law-abiding Angelenos be subject to expensive tickets because a few bad seeds make some boneheaded moves? Let’s face it: When you’re searching for a spot and find a broken meter, you feel lucky. In most instances you leave before the posted time limit. If things function like they should, then the high-tech meters transmit notices of their malfunction and are fixed quickly rather than remaining out of order for days. This is one of those situations in which, even if the city ultimately prevails, it will lose in the court of public opinion. Zapping drivers because they find a broken meter they did not disable is not just unfair, it’s mean. The city doesn’t need to be mean. The council should reverse this silly meter action.
The Power of Huell Howser
W
e are among those still mourning the loss of TV host Huell Howser. He passed away Jan. 7 at the age of 67. It was too soon. It seemed he had too much enthusiasm still to share, too many destinations still to explore. Howser was known for what might be called a love affair with California. His passion was communicated through a batch of low-tech TV shows. The most well known was “California’s Gold.” He also turned his lens on the Central City with the series “Downtown.” “Downtown” did not have an extensive run — just 15 episodes from 2006 to 2009. Still, these programs, along with installments on Downtown destinations in Howser’s other series, were some of the best public relations the community received. In each one Howser did what he did best: took something he found interesting and expected that others would find it interesting too. Thanks to his natural and infectious curiosity, viewers learned of Downtown attractions such as the French Garden restaurant, the Biscuit Company Lofts and Los Angeles State Historic Park. As numerous individuals told Los Angeles Downtown News in a story published last week, the benefits lasted well beyond the day that Howser and
his cameraman arrived — every rerun brings out new visitors or customers. This is not to say Howser was a shill for Downtown, a guy there only to crow about the bright and shiny. He did an episode, for example, on safety in the area. He believed in Downtown and felt that it had many architectural and other treasures worth showing, but he worked by his own rules. He had to raise the money to produce the show, but he was independent in his reporting. In “Downtown,” Howser visited Walt Disney Concert Hall and Bottega Louie restaurant, but he also did episodes on things many Downtown residents and workers never give a second thought to, among them the educational programs at Los Angeles TradeTechnical College and the Christian Science Reading Room on Hope Street. His interests were varied, and yes, he sometimes communicated his fascination with his oft-mimicked “That’s amazing!” It’s safe to say that we won’t find another Huell Howser. Fortunately, the work he did throughout the state lives on and will continue to inform people through reruns. Downtown is lucky that Howser found so many things here so, well, amazing.
Another Case of the Pico House Blues
D
owntown has more than its share of problems. There are too many eyesores, as Los Angeles Downtown News recently addressed. There is the unfortunate and difficult issue of homelessness. There is crime that is rising in the community. Then there is a problem that seems like it should not be a problem: It’s the Pico House, a building erected in 1870 at what today is the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument. The big problem is that there seems to be a deep disconnect between what city officials want the Pico House to be and what the free market thinks it can become. The latest hiccup surrounding the city’s first three-story building just came to light — only two developers submitted bids in a city competition to find someone to reactivate the property, and the parties were far apart. One bidder wanted a 50-year contract for the building, while the city was offering a 20-year ceiling for an agreement. This is, unfortunately, par for the course. In 2010 the city conducted a similar competition, though no developer submitted a bid. The overinflated expectations date back to at least February 2007 — a Downtown News article that month noted that the city was seeking tenants, and the El Pueblo general manager at the
time said he expected “professional offices,” such as legal or architectural firms, to be in the edifice within a year. Obviously that never happened. There are complicating factors. Last October, the city settled a long-running lawsuit over the Pico House with a firm run by wellconnected Andy Camacho. The city paid $500,000 to the Old Los Angeles Company, which had filed suit in 2004 over the opening of the Chinese American Museum in an adjacent historic building. It was hoped the resolution of the lawsuit would remove some of the hurdles that may have dissuaded developers from pursuing the property. The limited recent interest shows that not to be the case. El Pueblo’s current GM said the city will now hire a consultant to determine what can be done to make the site inviting to developers. But, given everything tried with the building over the years, why don’t officials already know this? Is it necessary to pay someone to figure out what to do with a site that has an unparalleled history? This is frustrating. We hope that, finally, the city is ready to get serious and realistic, but given what has happened to date, we don’t have a lot of confidence. We’ll be happy if we are proved wrong.
January 21, 2013
Downtown News 5
Celebrating 40 Years
Developer Unveils New Plan for Grand Avenue Related Ditches Gehry Mega-Project for Phased Approach, Starting With Second Residential Tower by Ryan Vaillancourt staff writer
T
he real estate development firm Related’s long-delayed plan to build a $2 billion Frank Gehry-designed hotel, housing and retail complex on Grand Avenue has been off the table for several years. Now, a new proposal is finally coming into focus. Related faces a Feb. 15 deadline to break ground on the site across from Walt Disney Concert Hall known as parcel Q. The firm will instead ask for a third extension on that deadline, said Bill Witte, president of Related California, which in 2007 won the development rights for the project. The Grand Avenue Authority, a city-county panel that oversees the property, has already granted Related two-year extensions in 2009 and 2011. This time, however, instead of simply asking for more time to wait out the sour economy, Witte said Related will suggest building on the property in phases. The credit markets will not underwrite the kind of massive mixed-use project that was approved in 2007, Witte said. So the company will propose moving forward first with a residential tower on a portion of the site, likely near Second Street and Grand Avenue. The rest of the property would be developed in later stages, adding different uses according to evolving demand, Witte said. “There would be some flexibility built in to accommodate the market so that we can actually accomplish over time the objectives we originally sought, which was a vertically integrated mix of uses on this site,” Witte said. Related’s plan for the residential tower is in the early stage and remains fluid. Witte said the structure would be comparable to its project that broke ground on Jan. 10 a half-block south on Grand Avenue, next to the under-construction Broad art museum. The $120 million, 271-unit, 19-story apartment building will set aside 20% of the residences as affordable housing. All of the residential projects in the Grand Avenue development must contain the 20%
affordability component, per Related’s deal with the city and county. The parcel Q tower could go taller than 19 stories, Witte said, and the firm is considering a hybrid building that would blend condominiums on the upper floors with apartments in the rest of the structure. Gehry’s connection to the Grand Avenue development also remains uncertain. Gehry was hired to design the parcel Q project, but his contract with Related expired years ago. Witte said Related has not re-entered talks with the architect who designed the iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall. The revised approach to parcel Q is subject to the approval of the Grand Avenue Authority, which is scheduled to meet on Jan. 28. The board has the right to ask for changes or simply deny a deadline extension to Related, a move that would essentially sever ties with the developer. That scenario appears unlikely. County Supervisor Gloria Molina, who chairs the authority, recently told Los Angeles Downtown News that she wants to continue the partnership with Related, which had already spent $56 million on Grand Park before starting work on the parcel M tower. Unlike previous deadline extensions, however, Molina said she will expect Related to offer some kind of proposal to move forward with a feasible alternative for parcel Q. That’s exactly what Related believes it has. Ninth District Councilwoman Jan Perry, who was replaced on the Grand Avenue Authority by 14th District Councilman José Huizar after redistricting, said a phased approach for parcel Q seems sensible. “Nobody could have predicted the worldwide recession” that hobbled the original Grand Avenue plan, Perry said. The new approach, she said, is “far more realistic because, when the window of opportunity in the real estate market opens, they will be in a better position to respond to market forces and finally get those parcels developed.” In 2009 and 2011, when Related secured its extensions,
rendering courtesy of Related
Development firm Related has officially stepped away from the original vision for the Grand Avenue plan, which included two towers designed by architect Frank Gehry. This Gehry design was approved in February 2008.
detractors including Supervisor Mike Antonovich suggested ending the relationship with the developer and rethinking the entire Grand Avenue project vision. Related and its supporters have countered that it was not alone in its failure to finance and build a mega-project conceived toward the end of the real estate boom. In 2007, the Grand Avenue project was among a handful of mega developments planned in Downtown. They included IDS Real Estate Group’s Metropolis, David Houk’s Park Fifth and the Moinian Group’s L.A. Central. Like parcel Q, all three of those sites remain parking lots. Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.
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6 Downtown News
January 21, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years
The Strangest Tree in Downtown Five Floors Above Broadway, a 12-foot Ficus Grows Out of the Side of a Building by Richard Guzmán city editor
D
avid Gray, an architect and developer, has a lot of experience renovating old buildings in Downtown Los Angeles. He has worked on projects that brought back faded structures such as The Judson at 424 S. Broadway, the 308 E. Ninth St. Lofts and the Orpheum Lofts on Broadway. Gray has pretty much seen it all when it comes to Downtown buildings. But even with his vast experience, he was stumped by something completely unexpected when he inspected his latest property, a five-story building at Fourth Street and Broadway. “I thought, how the [expletive] did that get there,” Gray said when he reached the roof of the 1911 building at 351 S. Broadway that once housed the Graysons department store. Growing out of the top of the building’s south facing wall, five floors above the ground, is what appears to be a ficus tree. It is now about 12-feet tall, or approximately twice the size of
when he first glimpsed it in late 2011. It rises well above the roofline and a rooftop structure that houses the top of the old elevator shaft. From the street it looks as if the tree is sticking out of a top-story window. A pedestrian might think it is planted in a pot just inside the building. However, there are no windows on that side of the structure, and instead the tree is emerging directly out of a small ledge and the building’s wall. The tree’s roots are not visible. No one ever waters it or cares for it in any way. Yet judging by its rich green leaves, it seems to be quite healthy. The questions flow. How did it get there? How does it survive? Where did it plant its roots? “It’s magic,” Gray jokingly guessed when asked how he thought the tree could have grown. Mystery Solved Gray is working on a $7.5 million restoration project that will turn the structure into an office building. It is set to be
completed by the first quarter of 2014. The project also calls for the addition of a sixth floor and a bar in a 3,500-squarefoot ground floor space, Gray said. Except for the ground floor, the building has been empty since at least the 1970s. The tree had been happily living in the figurative shadow of a much more noticeable aspect of the building. The mural “Calle de la Eternidad” had covered the entire wall facing Broadway since the early 1990s. As part of Gray’s restoration, it has been removed, though the image has been recorded and is being put on a canvas, which will be affixed to the south-facing wall where the tree now grows. Although the tree may seem like one of the most baffling mysteries in Downtown, there is probably a logical reason for its appearance, said Jim Henrich, the curator of living collections at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. In fact, he said a ficus, or a fig tree as it is also known, growing out of a building is not that surprising.
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“It will persist fairly easily without much of any sort of soil accumulation,” Henrich said. “A lot of figs are not parasitic, but they can be hemi-epiphytic.” That means the roots can establish themselves just about anywhere, and that all they need is moisture and a place for the root to get a firm hold. It could be a building, a post or even another plant, he said. Henrich theorized that a bird may have dropped the seed somewhere in the walls, and with just a little moisture, it sprouted and the tree grew. “It’s not something people see every day, but it’s not uncommon,” he said. The ficus tree is native to Asia and Australia, but it’s common in Los Angeles. Many of the trees on city sidewalks are ficuses, Henrich said. The Broadway tree is not the first Downtown piece of greenery to get some attention. In 2008, the 60-foot-tall Aoyama Tree in Little Tokyo was dedicated as a HistoricCultural Monument. The tree on the side of the Broadway building won’t be as lucky as the mural, nor will it be around as long as the Aoyama Tree, but it has received some special treatment. David Gray, a construction superintendent who works for architect David Gray, and who shares the same name, has worked with the artist known as Gronk to decorate the tenacious tree with holiday lights. Every once in a while they illuminate it at night. Gray, the construction superintendent, has searched the building many times trying to find the tree roots. He has inspected the elevator shaft and the walls on every floor for other signs of the tree, but except for the part that grows on the wall, he has found nothing. “The tree has been here maybe five or six years,” he said. “In the last year alone it’s grown twice the size. It’s really surviving.” It won’t survive in the current location forever. Gray the architect said the Fire Department has told him that he needs to remove the tree as part of the building renovation. Eventually it will be pulled out of the wall, though he does not know when this will occur. Gray also is not sure what he will do with it once it is removed. He said that anyone who wants it is welcome to take it after it is cut from the side of the building. For now though, the tree continues to hang out of its Downtown home, high above the bustle of Broadway. Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.
Downtown News 7
Celebrating 40 Years
photos by Gary Leonard
January 21, 2013
A tree, believed to be a ficus, is growing high above the ground on the south-facing wall of a building at 351 S. Broadway. Architect and developer David Gray is in the midst of a $7.5 million renovation of the structure.
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8 Downtown News
January 21, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years
Thinking about proposing? New love in your life? LAPD Overhauls Skid Row Unit Amid Rising Crime, ACops special forPreach mom?Prevention and Outreach Downtown Beefvalentine Up Patrols,
LOVE LINES
by Ryan VaillancouRt staff wRiteR
I
n the city of Los Angeles, 2012 marked the 10th consecutive year of falling crime, with annual incidents dropping by 2%, according to recent LAPD statistics. Zoom in on the Central City, however, and the numbers tell a different story. Last year, part one crimes — a category that includes all violent crimes and serious property-related offenses — jumped 12% compared to 2011 in Central Division, which covers most of Downtown. Violent offenses alone increased 5%. About half of Central’s crime occurred in in our romantic Love Lines section online publishing February 11. the square-mile area of Skid Row. While not a new phenomenon, that fact was enough to prompt Central leadership in November Streetcar... I can’t wait to have you to overhaul the way it deploys officers to ride all over me... Broadway the neighborhood. All you haveAttothe dotime is…the changes photo by Gary Leonard were implemented, year-to-date crime was Central Area Capt. Horace Frank implemented up 16%, so there is evidence the newto • Email yourthat message new strategies in Skid Row in November. approach is working, said Central Area Capt. Among other shortfalls, the vaunted Safer Cities lovelines@downtownnews.com Horace Frank, who took the reins at Central Initiative unit was only patrolling the high-crime • 20 words or less in November 2011. neighborhood five days a week. Includemarks yourthe contact Still, the 12% •increase second info (name, phone and email) consecutive annual crimeforget jump (levels rose of areathe sawperson its first uptick since 2006 (the num• Don’t the name you are 5% in 2011) after sending a sustainedthe period of line sig- tobers fell again, by 10%, in 2010). love nificant reductions. The decreases started In 2012, Central was fighting more than • Limited to 1 FREE message per reader in 2007, when in the first year of the Safer the division’s recent history of success. (don’t try to be sneaky, we know) Cities Initiative — a crackdown on low-level Perhaps the most significant new challenge offenses in Skid Row — Downtown was the state prison reform plan known as DeaDline for crime entries plummeted by 30%. february 4 realignment. Part of what’s driving recent increases, The reform law AB 109, which was impolice officials say, is that after such drastic plemented in October 2011, has resulted in crime reductions, it’s difficult to post better shorter jail stints for many of the low-level ofnumbers every year. It’s the same refrain that fenders who drive property and drug-related came from Central officials in 2009, when the crimes in Downtown, said Frank.
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In previous years, Central officers focused on arresting the area’s most chronic offenders. These days, many nonviolent criminals, among them serial thieves, are back on the street within days of their arrest, Frank said. The steadily increasing residential and visitor population in Downtown also means that there are more potential victims and property to steal, Frank said. Reaching Out In April, LAPD brass, sensing that recent public safety gains were at risk in Downtown, transferred 40 additional officers to Central Division. The move, deemed temporary at the time, is still in effect, albeit in smaller numbers. About 10 of the officers transferred in April have since moved to other divisions. Those still here are focused on two things: narcotics enforcement and walking foot beats to increase visibility. The emphasis on foot beats will continue this year, as Central plans to invest more in crime prevention through community outreach. The division last year started experimenting with social networking, using Twitter (Twitter.com/LAPDCentralArea) to disseminate crime tips and a Facebook page (Facebook.com/LAPDCentralArea) to connect with civilians. The division is also working with 12 Downtown hotels to provide a business card that lists basic crime prevention tips. The cards are given to tourists along with their room keys, Frank said. Much of the theft last year involved unattended property, from purses sitting at a restaurant table during a restroom visit to bikes
left unlocked while an owner popped into a cafe. Frank hopes that in 2013 Central can reach more residents via social networking to instill better habits. The most dramatic strategic policing change, however, occurred in Skid Row. The November reworking of the Safer Cities unit, which included the replacement of longtime supervisor Lt. Shannon Paulsen with Lt. Pete Casey, addressed a slate of inefficiencies. Until November, the unit was only patrolling Skid Row five days per week. Regular task forces that focused on drinking in public tied up members of the unit in paperwork, keeping them out of the field for extended shifts. In addition, while the unit was implemented as a 50-officer team, the number had dwindled to about 44 due to some officers assigned to desk duty because of injuries. In November, Frank moved those officers out of SCI, replacing them with field-ready bodies, bringing the group back to 50, he said. An array of scheduling tweaks has bumped the Skid Row patrols to seven days per week. Before the changes, the unit was often deploying five cars in the SCI area, which extends from Alameda to Olive streets, between Second and Ninth streets. Now, SCI cars patrol a smaller area bounded by Spring, Fourth and Seventh streets and Central Avenue, with up to eight cars during the highest crime periods. “We lost focus in Skid Row, quite frankly,” Frank said. “Our deployment was not where it needed to be.” Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.
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January 21, 2013
Downtown News 9
Celebrating 40 Years
The Royal Treatment
The Kings will need other players to step up and fill the void but are a deep enough team to do so. Quick had back surgery and wouldn’t have been ready to play if the season started on time. In fact, he was only cleared to play recently. It will be interesting to see if Quick has fully recovered from the surgery and can show the quickness and athleticism he displayed last year.
Looking at the Stanley Cup Champion Kings’ New Season by Dave Denholm
Q: Why will the Kings repeat? A: Because they have the exact same team returning. While they won’t be able to duplicate what they did last post-season — winning 10 straight road games, winning the first three games of each series and knocking off the top three seeds in the West — they have the same nucleus intact and a coach that will hold them accountable. The forwards will find their scoring touch, the defense will be just as stingy and Quick will have another banner campaign in the net.
contributing writer
T
he bad news is that the NHL lockout chomped a large portion of the hockey season, meaning teams will only play 48 games before the playoffs begin. The good news is that, with millionaires and multi-millionaires finally working out their differences, the Stanley Cup champion Kings get to defend their title. The first puck drops Saturday, Jan. 19. I’d be lying if I said I thought the Kings were going to win it all last season, but in my 2011-12 season preview, my hockey guru buddy Dave Joseph was royally enthusiastic. In fact, when asked if they had the talent to reach the Stanley Cup Finals, he replied, “absolutely.” So, being not-so-bright about most things ice related, I am going back to the expert. By the way, Joseph is the team’s new P.A. announcer, taking over for David Courtney, who died unexpectedly in November. Still, he’s no homer. Trust his wisdom.
Los Angeles Downtown News: How do you think the shortened season will affect the Kings’ repeat chances? Dave Joseph: It should actually help the Kings’ repeat attempt since they shouldn’t have the “Stanley Cup hangover” that most teams suffer from after winning. The playoffs end in mid-June and the players get right back at it in September [in a non-lockout season] so there isn’t much time to recover and get excited. In this case, the players should be rested and ready since they’ve had several more months to recover and prepare. Q: The Kings basically kept their entire roster from the championship team in place. Is that common? A: It isn’t common at all. I think it’s the first time in the modern era of the NHL that has happened. Usually players leave via free agency or get traded but that wasn’t the case with the Kings this season.
Q: Why won’t the Kings repeat? A: If the Kings don’t repeat it’s because they couldn’t get their goal-scoring going during the regular season. Also, health will play a big factor. If they can stay healthy the Kings should be fine. If Kopitar is out for an extended period of time and Quick fails to bounce back from his surgery, the Kings won’t repeat. photo by Gary Leonard
If the Kings want to repeat as Stanley Cup champions in a truncated season, then left wing Dustin Penner will have to keep up the scoring pace he displayed in the playoffs last year.
Q: Do you buy into the thought that championship teams can get complacent the next year? A: I do, but given this unusual set of circumstances I think the Kings have had plenty of time to rest and reflect and have the locker room chemistry to repeat as champs. Their coach, Darryl Sutter, lit a flame under them when he was hired last season and will do the same this season. Sutter has experience with lockouts. He coached the Chicago Blackhawks during the 1994-95 lockout-shortened season. Q: How will the injuries to goaltender Jonathan Quick and forward Anze Kopitar affect the team? A: Kopitar injured his knee playing overseas during the lockout and he’ll miss at least a couple of weeks to start the season.
Q: Besides Quick, who has to have a big season for the Kings to succeed? A: Defenseman Drew Doughty needs to have a huge season. He showed what he is capable of during the playoffs and needs to maintain that during the 48-game season. He’s an elite defenseman and needs to bring that mentality every night. Left wing Dustin Penner needs to leave last year’s regular season behind and also pick up where he left off during the playoffs. He is a gifted goal scorer who the Kings will lean on. Q: Anything else fans should look for? A: The Kings will hang their championship banner from the rafters at Staples Center rather than on the wall next to the Lakers’ banners. AEG President and CEO Tim Leiweke said they are hanging it from the rafters so they have room for others in the future. Dave Denholm loves the atmosphere at Figaro, walking down Spring Street at night and living Downtown.
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10 Downtown News
January 21, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years
Is the Bloom Off the Blossom? Disappointment Rises as City Struggles to Reach Deal for Delayed Chinatown Mega-Project
I
n 2007, Chinatown stakeholders celebrated the approval and imminent groundbreaking of Blossom Plaza. They looked forward to the development that would connect the neighborhood to the Gold Line Station and create some 200 housing units, a plaza and more. Six years later, work has yet to begin. What’s more, it is uncertain when construction crews will show up on site. Although the city in November 2011 gave the go-ahead to enter into a negotiation agreement with Forest City Residential West to replace the original developer on the project, a deal has not been signed. City Councilman Ed Reyes, whose First District includes Chinatown, refuses to throw in the towel. “I’m the eternal optimist and I’m not going to give up on this project,” Reyes said. “I feel like we’re really close.” Reyes said his goal is to see the project break ground before he is termed out of office June 30. He said the development agreement between the city and Forest City could be completed within two months. Reyes blamed the delay on finalizing the deal on the dissolution of the Community Redevelopment Agency, which he said had taken the lead on Blossom Plaza. “We were depending on them to fulfill certain roles,” Reyes said. “If the state had not gone after the CRA when it did we would have been further along.” Although Chinatown leaders have grown frustrated by the delay, they still see transfor-
photo by Gary Leonard
In 2007, a developer received approvals to build a $165 million project on the site of the shuttered Little Joe’s restaurant in Chinatown. Six years later work has yet to begin, and the original developer is out of the picture.
mative potential in Blossom Plaza. It would add a connection to the Gold Line station, meaning people who get off the train would walk a flat surface into the heart of the community, rather than go down several flights of stairs, then head up a hill on College Street. It would also bring about new residents and lead to more market rate housing in the area, they say. While other residential projects are making headway in Chinatown, among them the under-construction Jia Apartments at 639 N. Broadway, the delays at Blossom Plaza have
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meant that the neighborhood’s revitalization has lagged behind other parts of Downtown, business leaders say. “The community is frustrated at the loss of opportunity,” said George Yu, executive director of the Chinatown Business Improvement District. “I think it’s slowed the growth of Chinatown.” Market Downturn In 2007, the CRA and the City Council gave the go-ahead for developer Larry Bond to proceed with work on Blossom Plaza. He received entitlements for a $165 million proj-
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ect on a 1.9-acre site that was once home to the Italian restaurant Little Joe’s. The establishment closed about 15 years ago. However, Bond and the city reached their agreement just as the housing market was about to turn south. Bond was never able to come up with financing for the project. In June 2009 the property fell into foreclosure. Lender Prime Property Fund took over. In 2010, the city purchased the land for approximately $10 million. Reyes and others began looking for a developer, and in late 2011 the CRA recommended going with Forest City for the project at 900 N. Broadway. The real estate development and management firm has properties in 27 states. In Downtown, their projects include apartment complexes The Met at 950 S. Flower St. and Metro 417 at 417 S. Hill St. Although the CRA recommendation of Forest City came 14 months ago, some of the hurdles concern money. The city had previously allocated $41 million for Blossom Plaza with funds coming from block grants, the CRA and the city Department of Transportation. The exact contribution in a deal with Forest City is still under discussion. So far, said Susan Wong, a planning deputy for Reyes, the city has secured $16 million from the state and $4.5 million from the federal government for the project. Forest City is applying for a 9% tax credit for the development, according to officials with Reyes’ office. The new budget for the project has been shrunk to about $90 million, Reyes said. Exact specifications have not been determined, though original plans called for 262 housing see Blossom Plaza, page 11
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by RichaRd Guzmán city editoR
January 21, 2013
Downtown News 11
Celebrating 40 Years
The Exit Interview: Mark Liberman The Head of the City’s Tourism Board Reflects on a Decade of Growth and Change by Ryan Vaillancourt staff writer
I
n 2003, Mark Liberman took the reins of the organization then known as L.A. Inc. For the next decade, he was in charge of selling the city to prospective travelers, trip bookers and organizations looking for a place to hold a convention. Last week, Liberman retired from the organization
that has since been renamed the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board. He spoke with Los Angeles Downtown News about the challenges and changes of the job and the growth of Downtown. Los Angeles Downtown News: When you took the helm at L.A. Inc., what was your primary charge? Mark Liberman: It’s really the same thing as today. I look at it as pretty simplistic: We want to bring more visitors to Los Angeles and have them stay in hotels. And of course this will have a positive influence on the local economy, which creates more jobs.
Q: In the first few years, what was the biggest challenge to reaching that goal? A: First, we were not getting our fair share of international travelers. When you took a look especially at Downtown, back in 2003, what you saw at L.A. Live were parking lots. We were just getting excited about the opening of Walt Disney Concert Hall. If you think about those two as the anchors of Downtown now, we didn’t at that time have a product to assist us in promoting Downtown Los Angeles. Q: How do you think tourists view Downtown today? see Liberman, page 12
One New Year’s Resolution That Can Save Your Life A Mammogram. Lose weight. Exercise more. Both are great things you promise yourself at the beginning of every new year, but yet never seem to keep. It’s so difficult. photo by Gary Leonard
Jan. 15 was Mark Liberman’s last day as CEO of the city’s Tourism and Convention Board. He retired after 10 years helming the organization in charge of booking major conventions.
Here’s one that’s easy to keep and so important, that it could save your life. Get a mammogram. The new Los Angeles Center for Women’s Health has doctors specializing in breast health and offers
Blossom Plaza Continued from page 10 units in two towers, along with 43,000 square feet of retail space, a 372-car garage and a 17,500-square-foot plaza. Forest City officials did not return multiple calls for comments. Eyesore Remains One of the problems with the lack of construction on Blossom Plaza is the state of Little Joe’s. The shuttered building sits as an eyesore in a prime Chinatown location. Despite the long wait for Blossom Plaza, Yu, like many in the community, is optimistic that it will be built. “I still remain confident in the councilman’s abilities to break ground on this project,” he said. David Louie, a member of the board of the Chinatown Business Improvement District and a first vice president of real estate firm CB Richard Ellis, said he views Blossom Plaza as the cornerstone for revitalization in Chinatown. Despite the demise of the CRA, which he also blamed for the latest delays, he believes the work will pay off. “The process has had a number of bumps on the path and sometimes you get diverted, sometimes you have to go back and redo what you’ve already done,” he said. “But if you’re persistent you’re going to get things done and that’s how I view Blossom Plaza.” Sherwood Lee, a longtime Chinatown business owner, said the delay is a missed opportunity for Chinatown to have a connection to the Gold Line. He also pointed to the eyesore factor of Little Joe’s, but like others in the community expressed the belief that the project will get built. Reyes called Blossom Plaza one of the most difficult projects he has worked on during his 12 years in office. He also labeled it one of the most important ones in his time on the council. “It’s one challenge after another. The easiest thing would have been to walk away,” he said. Still, the work continues, even if no one can say when, or if, it will all pay off. Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.
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January 21, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years
Q: How important is the proposed Convention Center expanQ: What’s on your wish list when it comes to tools to sell more sion that is part of the Farmers Field project in terms of atladowntownnews.com/news conventions? tracting more big events? A: We need more hotel rooms near the Convention Center, A: If we can have contiguous space at the Convention larger hotels. The other thing that we need that we hear Center [which is currently split between two separate builddelegates complain about is more retail, more upscale ings] and have more space with the ability to use Farmers retail. People visiting here, business travelers and tourists, Field at certain times, it will drive the development of more they want to shop. We have wonderful restaurants all over hotels. Then we will be able to not just drive a certain numDowntown but we need to have greater retail. International ber of conventions, but sell larger conventions with more visitors are coming here with obviously the thought of din- delegates and more use of hotels. We went from one level to ing, shopping and entertainment. the next when we created L.A. Live, but we’re still not there. If we get Farmer’s Field, we can get a Super Bowl. We Q: Los Angeles is notoriously difficult to navigate. What can can get the NCAA Final Four. These events themselves are the city do to make its public transportation system more probably bigger than any convention we’d have here. We user-friendly and appealing to visitors? had Microsoft with 50,000 hotel room nights in 2011 and
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Q: What’s your favorite city to be a tourist in, and what does L.A. have to learn from that city? A: I’ve lived in many of the major cities in the U.S. I lived in New York and Miami and San Francisco and Chicago. I spent a lot of time in Brazil, Argentina and Chile. When it’s all said and done, my favorite city, and that’s why I’m not ladowntownnews.com/calendar moving and I’m staying here, is Los Angeles. Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.
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Q: What advice did you give to incoming CEO Ernie Wooden? A: I said, let’s make sure that we keep our eye on the international marketplace and especially China and Australia, where we have seen dramatic growth. We opened a tourism office six years ago in China. At that time they were ladowntownnews.com/news probably the seventh or eighth most important country for visitation to Los Angeles. Today they’re the first. But we’re seeing greater competition in the U.S. for these visitors, so ladowntownne we have to provide focus there.
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Q: Absent that change, does L.A. have any chance at the Microsofts and other mega-conventions? A: We’ll always have a chance because we are Los Angeles and we have L.A. Live, but if we’re going to have a higher percentage chance of capturing that business we have to make the changes.
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Q: Some believe the city should privatize the Convention Center. Are you supportive of that effort? A: I definitely am supportive of it. I’m for privatization because, having talked to the city leaders, they have shown me that the city can save millions. Any way that we can save money for the city and provide superior service is a win-win situation.
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Continued from page 11 A: I look at it mostly from the eyes of the convention person, the meeting planner. In 2003, they came here and they realized we had no large hotel near the Convention Center. And up to 2008 [when L.A. Live opened], we didn’t have the amenities in place in Downtown. After the convention was over at 5 p.m., there was little for them to do. Then, of course, things started to change. We have a nightlife now and that nightlife has brought visitors, domestic and international, to Downtown. That’s why today you see lines outside of clubs and have difficulties getting reservations at restaurants. Are we there yet? We’re getting close.
we had the American Heart Association, which had 50,000 room nights. But we had one one year, one in the next. If we’re going to have more Microsofts and American Heart Associations, we need to make change.
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A: One of the first things we need to do is educate visitors that we do have public transportation. We have so many visitors that use public transportation. If I had that wish list, yes, an increase of public transportation infrastructure would be right on it. We as a tourism bureau have to make sure that our visitors understand what we have today and what they can use.
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January 21, 2013
Downtown News 13
Celebrating 40 Years
The Central City Crime Report A Rundown on Downtown Incidents, Trends and Criminal Oddities
I
n the Central City Crime Report, we survey the recent week in public safety. All information is provided by the LAPD’s Central Division. Alexandria Stabbing: A man was in critical condition after being stabbed multiple times on Jan. 8 in the lobby of the Alexandria Hotel. Two suspects identified by witnesses were arrested for attempted murder. Whether charges will be filed, however, remains uncertain be-
cause the victim has been sedated and is unable to cooperate with authorities, said LAPD Det. Willie Sera. The man had his spleen removed. It is unknown whether anyone involved was a resident of the Alexandria. Former Cook Sliced: A 23-year-old former kitchen staffer at the Arts District restaurant Church & State was attacked by three suspects and stabbed at about 1:05 a.m. on Jan. 13 in the area near the eatery. The incident was
captured on surveillance footage. The man was transported to a hospital for treatment for non life-threatening injuries, said Central Area Capt. Horace Frank. The incident did not appear to be a random act of violence, and is under investigation, Frank said.
$1,500 bike left outside and unlocked while its owner visited a post office (a suspect was arrested) and a purse left by a woman on a bench outside Macy’s Plaza. Police and the common sense patrol advise against leaving property unattended.
Ross Robbed: It’s not even open yet, but Ross Dress for Less was the victim of a theft at its under-construction 719 S. Broadway location. Sometime on Jan. 12 or 13, a suspect cut the padlock off a storage container inside the construction site and fled. The contents of the container were not revealed.
Bumper Kicker: A man was backing his vehicle into a parking area at his business near 1045 S. Santee St. when a suspect kicked the rear bumper. According to the driver, the suspect said he was sleeping in the parking stall and didn’t want the driver to park. A confrontation ensued and the driver sustained a two-inch cut on his face from a crushed can. A man who observed the incident tried to restrain the suspect, and he too was sliced with the can. —Ryan Vaillancourt
Watch Your Stuff: There were 14 reported thefts in Downtown last week, and six of them involved unattended property. That’s almost 50%! The things taken included a
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14 Downtown News
Celebrating 40 Years
Wesson Continued from page 1 Parks from the “we” party, ripping apart their territories, presumably because they did not back his council ascent. He followed it up in November when Richard Riordan testified before council on the city’s spiraling pension costs and a proposed sales tax hike. Although former mayors are often given some deference in council chambers, Wesson chose to dress down the 82-year-old, responding to his comments by snapping, “Why didn’t you fix it when you were mayor?” When Riordan tried to protest, Wesson hit him with, “No, there’s no back and forth. I get the last word,” and closed things out by proclaiming, “This is our house.” As if to prove that bit of political impunity was no fluke, in December he nominated the wife of a major fundraiser to the Ethics Commission. Let me repeat, the Ethics Commission. All this made me wonder: Is this the real Herb Wesson, or is he just showing a fierce face in public, knowing that displaying weakness can erode a power base? To find out, I planted a mini-camera on his golden tipped walking/hitting stick and used it to spy on him as he prepared for a recent evening out. Or I completely made up the below. I’m not sure which. Scene 1 Setting: Wesson Manor, 7:28 p.m. Wesson is being helped into his evening attire by a top aide. As the bowtie is tightened Wesson takes
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He is Wesson, hear him roar.
the walking/hitting stick and stands before the mirror. He grins. Wesson: How do I look, lackey? Aide: Like you were born to lead, sir. Wesson, anger creeping into his voice: Excuse me? Aide: Beg pardon. Like you were born to lead Los Angeles, all mighty sir who walks on water and makes the blind see. Wesson: Much better. Who shall be fortunate enough to dine in my presence this evening? Aide: Three council members, two Sacramento politicians running for City Council who will beg for your support, and one reporter.
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Wesson: Have the reporter killed. Aide: Sir? Wesson: OK, put out a press release describing how I gave CPR to a dolphin who swam into my 10th District. The reporter can cover that story. Aide: There’s no ocean in your district, sir. Wesson: Why didn’t you put an ocean in my district when you had a chance? Don’t speak! Just issue the press release. Aide: Very good, he who is doubly blessed because he has the Wesson name. Wesson, looking bored: Lackey! Aide: I have a name sir. Wesson, ignoring the comment: This is my house. Aide: I know that sir. Wesson, shouting: This is my house! Aide: And the finest house in the 10th district it is, sir. Wesson: That’s right. Call the taxi. Tell the driver to turn the on-board TV to cartoons. I love that “Tom and Jerry.” Aide: Cabs don’t have TVs, sir. Wesson: There’s no back and forth! Call the cab! Aide: Right away sir. Fade out. Scene 2 Setting: Wesson is in the taxicab hurtling to the fancy pants restaurant in Downtown Los Angeles. His legs are stretched across the entire back seat. His aide is scrunched into the well on the floor behind the driver. The aide unshells edamame and hands them one at a time to the boss. Wesson addresses the driver. Wesson: Do you like me, driver? Driver: I’ve never met you before tonight. You seem like a decent guy, but I wish you’d take your feet off my seat. Wesson: This is about we, not me. You’re lucky my feet are on the seat. Driver: I don’t think the next person in the cab would appreciate it. Wesson: Did I appreciate it when two council members didn’t show up on the day I was voted president? No, but I get the last word. I am Wesson, hear me roar! The aide pipes up meekly from the floor of
January 21, 2013
the cab: Sir, he’s just the driver. Please, make amends. We don’t want this getting into the media. Wesson: I thought we had the media killed. Aide: Not all of them, sir. Please, smooth things over. Wesson, after a moment: Lackey driver! Driver: The name’s Jack, but “driver” will do. Wesson: I don’t care. [pause] Do you like politics? Driver: I don’t follow it much. I work too many hours. Wesson: Have you ever been arrested? Driver: Couple times when I was a kid. I got caught with pot and did a hit and run once. One or three drunk and disorderlies. Arrested twice for driving without a license. Maybe an armed robbery too. I got busted last year for running over the foot of a lady who got out of my cab. I think her name was Jan Perry. Nothing serious though. Wesson, interest piqued: You ran over Jan Perry? Driver: Yeah, I guess I did. Wesson, smiling broadly: Would you like to be on the City Ethics Commission? We have an opening and you’re the right guy. Driver: I’ve never done that before. I don’t think— Wesson: It doesn’t matter what you think. This is my house! Driver: Actually, it’s my cab. Wesson: It’s my house! Driver, the lackey will get your information and you’ll join the panel next month. Driver: Sure, why not. Silence for a moment. Wesson, appearing bored, looks down at the aide on the floor. Wesson: I used to be Speaker of the Assembly, you know. Aide: And the finest speaker you were in the history of the great state of California, sir. Wesson: I once removed a man’s spleen with a plastic spoon and dental floss. He lived for 30 years. Aide: I was unaware, sir. Wesson is silent. The cab rides on into the night.
January 21, 2013
Downtown News 15
Celebrating 40 Years
Scene 3 Setting: Wesson sits on a throne in a private room of the fancy pants restaurant. A bejeweled goblet is in front of him and his aide stands behind him holding the walking/hitting stick. The other place settings have Dixie Cups. The other seats are made of hard orange plastic and are nine inches tall. The maître d’ opens the door to the private room and ushers in the guests. The three council members and two Sacramento lawmakers running for office bow deeply. One speaks. First Council Rep: Herb! How are— Wesson: Do you forget how to address your president? First Council Rep: Well, we’re not in City Hall. Wesson: Did I just hear you ask to be removed from the important Planning Committee and put on the wimpy Education & Neighborhoods Committee? First Council Rep: Must we go through this? Really? Wesson nods and gestures toward the orange plastic seats. All five guests look uncomfortable, but each squeezes
into a tiny chair. They force smiles to their faces and begin to sing. Politicians: We’re here to see Herb Wesson! The wonderful Wesson of Oz! Wesson: Better. I get the last word. Now how can I help you? Remember, it’s about we, not me. Second Council Rep: We all have elections coming up. We’d like your support, knowing your influence with the labor and business communities. I can assure you that we will continue to back you as council president. Wesson: Did I tell you it’s about we, not me? Second Council Rep: Yes, you did, and we agree wholeheartedly. Wesson: Good, did you bring “we” a present? First State Lawmaker: Of course sir. We have frankincense, gold and a Richard Riordan piñata. It’s hanging there in the corner. Wesson stands, takes the walking/hitting stick from the aide, and approaches the piñata that eerily resembles the for-
mer mayor. He lifts it as if to swing, but stops and speaks first. Wesson: You have my blessing. I shall marshal my resources for your campaigns. But I get to hit the piñata first. Without waiting for an answer he swings and smacks the Riordan piñata hard in the middle. A loud “Ouch!” is heard. Wesson looks surprised, then gives his biggest grin of the night. Second State Lawmaker: We thought we’d put a little something extra inside, knowing everything you’ve done for this city. Wesson: Well done! You really are beginning to learn how the game is played. Here, everyone pick up a stick. They all take sticks from the aide. Wesson swings again, the “Ouch!” is heard once more, and he motions for everyone to hit the piñata. As they all swing, Wesson shouts. Wesson: Keep hitting, everyone! It’s about we, not me! The crew keeps swinging. Curtain. Contact Jon Regardie at regardie@downtownnews.com.
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16 Downtown News
January 21, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years
photos by Gary Leonard
CALENDAR Salons Continued from page 1 a love for music.” The philosophy is kicked to a higher level at The Well, which 25-year-old Alex Weidner and his business partner, 30-yearold Jefferson Tangradi, opened at 1006 S. Olive St. in November. The hive of activity inside is a sharp contrast to what one first expects to find at the renovated 1918 building on the quiet and somewhat neglected corner. The front of the single-story, 7,500-squarefoot building is painted white, and a small vertical sign with “The Well” scrawled in hot pink neon letters is on the façade. Once through the door, however, customers see a sleek white display counter with jewelry, sunglasses and other accessories. On the walls above the cement floors are dark wood panels that display men’s and women’s attire such as designer jeans, dresses, shoes, jackets and purses. Toward the back of
(top) Alex Weidner and Jefferson Tangradi combined their love of fashion with a salon and a party space at The Well. The Olive Street business opened in November. (bottom right) Artform Studio incorporates old albums into the design.
the space is the salon, with comfortable dark brown chairs and black sinks. Hidden behind a door that blends into the rear white curtain-like wall is a fluorescent green hallway. It leads to an open, 2,500-square-foot party space. Weidner and Tangradi plan on having a mix of events produced in house and renting out the space for other happenings. “The concepts work well hand-in-hand,” Weidner said. “It’s a lifestyle of beauty and looking good. It all kind of falls under the same umbrella.” Right Track The Well grew out of an art collective s called Well Connected, .Awhich based wnNew ntowas om/L .Dow .c k o o b ce Fa in a warehouse at 35th and Hill streets. Tangradi would cut hair in the warehouse where he and others also held events and Like Downtown News on Facebook photo shoots. & Be Entered to Win Movie Tickets! He met Weidner about two years ago when Weidner came in for a haircut. The pair soon set upon the plan to make The Well into a mix between a high-end fashion store, a hair salon and an event space.
JAN 14
While uncommon at first glance, hy- ers have to pay close attention to the bottom events such as a record listening party in brid businesses that mix different factors line, and not treat it like a hobby. February for the band the Delfonics. She also under one roof may be on the right track, One risk, he pointed out, is that the hybrid plans on opening her space to pop-up stores. said Tommy Knapp, associate director of aspect could lose customers who may not like Younge, whose parents both had their own the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial one thing they do. If they have an unsatisfac- businesses — her father was a mechanic and Studies and assistant professor of clinical en- tory experience, they may not give the other her mom a pharmacist — has a cosmetology trepreneurship at the USC Marshall School elements of the store a try. license and a business degree. She thinks the of Business. “If someone has a bad haircut, they may record and salon aspects will work as bait “This is a great time for entrepreneurs to say screw it, I’m not going to that record for each other — if someone comes in for a do unique things,” he said. “Going out to store,” he said. haircut, she reasons, they may leave with a do something that has already been done is Ramping Up record. And vice versa. probably not going to garner a lot of attenWhether combining multiple businesses Younge’s passion for music bleeds into tion.” under one roof will work remains to be seen. every element of Artform Studio. One wall Knapp said that in Downtown Los Angeles Weidner and Tangradi said that traffic is is filled with album covers and the space Starts January 18 in particular, with its large youthful popula- slower than anticipated at The Well, though has record players from the 1960s and even tion, businesses like Artform Studio and The the space is still new. They expect that a social an eight-track player. There is also a pair of Well could be successful. media campaign and staging more events will turntables, where her DJ husband spins tunes “My guess is you wouldn’t go down to draw in customers. during special events. some white toasty neighborhood and put in Similarly, Younge said she hasn’t seen too The musical touch also flows into the hair a salon and record shop. You have to pick much of a boost in business by adding the styling. Her poster has images of cuts named your right location and your groove,” he said. record store, which features hundreds of vinyl after rock stars, with choices such as the Jimi While he applauds the approach, Knapp records from all sorts of genres such as rock, Hendrix, the Jim Morrison and the Patti noted that entrepreneurs who combine their funk, hip-hop, pop and country. Wood display Smith. Fullfilled Movie Listings LADowntownNews.com lifestyle with their Check business Our mustWebsite rememberforcases with old 45s face the front door. Contact Richard Guzmán at that business comes first. He said the ownStill, she expects business will pick up with richard@downtownnews.com.
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January 21, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years
Downtown News 17
Eight Things About the L.A. Art Show How to Navigate Through the Thousands of Pieces at the Convention Center by Richard Guzmán city editor
T
he Los Angeles Convention Center will turn into Downtown’s biggest gallery this week when the 18th annual L.A. Art Show opens. The Jan. 23-27 event will attract thousands of art lovers, as well as those who are just art curious. They’ll peruse, and perhaps buy, everything from contemporary work to 19th century paintings. Here are eight things to know about the L.A. Art Show. Opens With a Bang: Like any good megaevent, it starts with a party. The opening night fest takes place Wednesday, Jan. 23, at the Convention Center and will be hosted by Ali Larter of films including Final Destination and Varsity Blues, and her husband, actor Hayes McArthur. Tickets are $125-$500 and proceeds will benefit The Art of Elysium, a nonprofit that brings artists and their work to sick children, and the J. Paul Getty Museum’s Title One program, which buses students from all over the city to the facility. Last year about 5,000 people attended the party, among them James Franco, Dave Grohl, Rose McGowan and Moby. More Than Art: Think of the show as part museum, part sales event and part art lesson, since it includes lectures and discussions with artists and art experts. A highlight is on Jan. 24 at 4 p.m. when Peter Mays, executive director of the Los Angeles Art Association, moderates a discussion with gallery owners and curators about current trends in art and what to expect from the Los Angeles art scene in coming years. Also worth checking out is art dealer
Irving Blum, who will take part in a panel discussion called “The Legacy of Andy Warhol” at 2 p.m. on Jan. 26. Blum should know what he’s talking about — he offered Warhol his first show in L.A. 50 years ago. It consisted of 32 paintings of Campbell’s soup cans, which Blum ultimately bought for $1,000. He later sold them to the Museum of Modern Art for $15 million. High Five: The Art Show has been around for 18 years. It began in 1995 at the Pasadena Convention Center and later shifted to Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar. It moved to Downtown in 2009 and this marks its fifth Central City appearance.
photo by Jana Cruden
More than 15,000 pieces of art will be on display at the Los Angeles Convention Center during the L.A. Art Show, which runs Jan. 23-27.
Under New Ownership: The Los Angeles Art Show was created by the Fine Art Dealers Association. Last year it was purchased by the Palm Beach Show Group, a Lake Worth, Fla.based company that produces four other jewelry, art and antiques shows. The Downtown event will look much as it has during previous installments, except this year it will jump to a bigger room when it takes over a 190,000-square-foot space in the South Hall. Next year the company plans to launch a companion show. The Los Angeles Jewelry and Antique Show is scheduled for Jan. 1519, 2014.
A Foreign Affair: The event has special showcase exhibits, among them one called China: FUSION. The main area of the 3,600-squarefoot exhibit will feature cutting-edge Chinese artists from the 1940s through the 1980s. Also on display will be work from eight contemporary galleries from Beijing and Shanghai.
Art of Shopping: The Art Show is pitched both to newbies and experienced collectors. Items range from a few bucks to, for a few special pieces, more than $1 million. About 50,000 people are expected to attend the Downtown event and spend an estimated $25 million to
Think Local: Another featured exhibition is Letters From Los Angeles: Text in Southern California Art. It will look at everything from comic book captions to framing collages with words to using text to emblazon messages or statements on a canvas. Expect
buy art, according to show organizers. The event will include more than 100 galleries and 15,000 works with pieces in all mediums. Admission is $20.
artwork from Ed Moses, Ed Ruscha, Dennis Hopper and others. Invitation Only: The event is open to the public, but galleries have a harder time getting in. Participation is by invitation only and organizers say they look for galleries with a solid reputation in the art world and that have a history of staging their own shows. Organizers also seek a diversity of mediums and styles. Those who want to exhibit submit an application and must go through a selection process. About 75% of those who apply are accepted. The L.A. Art Show is Wednesday-Sunday, Jan. 23-27, at the Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St., (213) 741-1151 or laartshow.com. Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.
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18 Downtown News
EVENTS
The Don'T Miss LisT
Monday, January 21 Hail to the Chiefs 227 N. Spring St., (213) 972-8080 or grandpark. lacounty.gov 11 a.m.: Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Inauguration Day are celebrated with a free concert at Grand Park featuring Locura, Ferraby Lionhart, DJ Anthony Valadez, Mathai and Pinot.
CeLebraTe The inauguraTion, roCk anD roLL anD a Pension baTTLe by Dan Johnson, listings eDitor | calendar@downtownnews.com
2
Wednesday, January 23 SCI-Arc Lecture Series SCI-Arc, 960 E. Third St., (213) 613-2200 or sciarc.edu. 7 p.m.: Pier Vittorio Aureli discusses theory and all other things architecture. Public Pension Politics Millennium Biltmore, 506 S. Grand Ave., (213) 6241011 or townhall-la.org. 8 a.m.: Former Mayor Richard Riordan and policy expert Dr. Lanny Ebenstein discuss public pensions and the threats they pose to local governments.
P
Thursday, January 24 Nick Flynn at Aloud Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 2287500 or lfla.org. 7:15 p.m.: Nick Flynn, the author of four personal memoirs, discusses his most recent work, The Reenactments, with film critic Elvis Mitchell.
photo by Gary Leonard
one
Tuesday, January 22 Freedom, Addiction and Happiness Last Bookstore, 453 S. Spring St., (213) 488-0599 or lastbookstorela.com. 7 p.m.: Columnist and author John Waters, who is not to be confused with filmmaker John Waters, joins “All Things Considered” contributor Heather King in a chat about addiction. Add your own joke about coming high here.
D
owntown political junkies, come out into the open air this week! repare to kick out the jams On Monday, Jan. 21, the event “Park Your Politics: Hail to the on Thursday, Jan. 24, when the Chiefs!” celebrates both Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the second Grammy Museum hosts ace guitarinauguration of Barack Obama. Starting at 11 a.m., the Grand Park ist Wayne Kramer. If you’re unfamiliar, festivities feature Locura, Ferraby Lionhart, Mathai, Pinot and DJ the evening will celebrate the man who Anthony Valadez making and playing music to commemorate formed the 1960s Detroit hard rock band the land of the free and the home of the brave. Unlike freedom, MC5, and who has also released numerthis mini-festival is free. For those right-leaners still dismayed ous solo albums and done scoring work for by the election, selections by Ann Coulter are available in the HBO series “Eastbound & Down.” While the darkest corner of the Last Bookstore’s dollar section. Kramer’s 8 p.m. Q&A and brief acoustic set At Grand Park, 227 N. Spring St., (213) 972-8080 or may not be as incendiary as early MC5 shows, grandpark.lacounty.gov. the six-string savant is sure to please. At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymu grammymuseum.org. ? Pension battle. Did the phrase just make you fall asleep event ing morn les Ange Los If not, then a Town Hallthis week is for you. At 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 24, former Mayor Richard Riordan (shown here) and policy expert Dr. Lanny Ebenstein will weigh in on employee benefits and the municipal fiscal crisis — Riordan has repeatedly warned that surging worker retirement costs will bankrupt the city of L.A. The gilded halls of the Millennium Biltmore Hotel are the site of this discussion. Make sure to hydrate and arrive early. At 506 S. Grand Ave., (213) 628-8141 or townhall-la.org.
photo courtesy of Wayne Kramer
photo by Gary Leonard
3
ROCK, POP & JAZZ
y’s inch Vicki Ra at m n ca ts is The porary pian robust locks. ce er h e ar Few contem sh e stant presen ps, and non n a near-con stinctive cho ee b se as h so o virtu circles for clo ivory tickling and experimental music s cu fo e th she’s cal in local classi comes as no surprise that 2, at 8 p.m. it n. 2 to 20 years, so es event on Tuesday, Ja y, Ung, er h p S tr om S avinsk fr s of a Piano n o ti and ec el S aho, Reiprich at Poppe, Saari am the progr Campion form ool’s Zipper Sch the Colburn om ws heavily fr ra d Hall that sel guests, each ca si u m l ia ec esp herself. The ev ay R y b ed ct es le pride promis ning of piano collection of y to be a heart otch winding sc p 88-key ho ces new and through pie rand Ave., .G old. At 200 S r colburn00 o (213) 621-22 school.edu.
Five
The pied pipers of main stream rock, Muse, tak e over Staples Center Wedne sday, Thursday and Sa tu rday, Jan. 23, 24 and 26. Alth ough widely acclaimed for their captivating live energy, some might feel the En glish trio delivers a smattering of styles borrowed fro m other bands. There’s a stage presence reminiscent of Freddy Mercury, vocals that rem ind of Radiohead and song breaks filled with snipp ets of famous rock riffs you’ve heard once or twice be fore. It’s not everyone’s thing, but then again, with th ree nights in an arena, it’s a lot of people’s thing. Go figure. At 1111 S. Figue ro a St., (213) 742-7326 or staple scenter.com.
Send information and possible Don’t Miss List submissions to calendar@downtownnews.com.
photo by Gavin Bond
Four
photo by Lefteris Photography
Blue Whale 123 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka St., (213) 620-0908 or bluewhalemusic.com. Jan. 22: Anthony Shadduck Double Quartet. Jan. 23: The third installment of the John Beasley Residency. It may be the best of the bunch. Or it may not. Jan. 24: CMA Jazz Grant Workshop. Jan. 25: Bob Reynolds Group. Jan. 26: John Daversa Small Group. Jan. 27: You will hear The Brazil You Never Heard with Marcel Camargo and friends. Bootleg Bar 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org. Jan. 21, 8 p.m.: Curly hair and driving indie coalesce as Papa gears up for South by Southwest. Jan. 22, 9 p.m.: Precocious Japanese imports Benzel promise a bit of bumping psychedelic electro. Jan. 24, 8 p.m.: The Bergamot claims to be a songwriting voice in the strongest traditions of American folk style, yet their stance on the Second Amendment remains vague and ambiguous. Jan. 25, 8 p.m.: Feeling disenfranchised? Not sure where your next vintage shirt is going to come from? Life is full of questions. Maybe indie rockers The Reflections have some answers. Jan. 26, 8 p.m.: One half of Tenacious D brings the heat with the Kyle Gass Band. Jan. 27, 7 p.m.: Deck the halls with ample reverb because Garland’s in the house. Broadway Bar 830 S. Broadway, (213) 614-9909 or broadwaybar.la. Jan. 24, 10 p.m.: Broader Than Broadway, for all your electronic needs. Club Nokia 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or clubnokia.com. Jan. 26, 8:30 p.m.: Korean hip-hop sensations Leessang. Escondite 410 Boyd St., (213) 626-1800 or theescondite.com. Jan. 21, 10 p.m.: Bluegrass Monday returns with The Get Down Boys. Jan. 22, 10 p.m.: If it’s Tuesday, it must be Boom Boom Boom with Bunny West. Jan. 23, 10 p.m.: The Mighty Stef and Smooth Sound Stef. Jan. 24, 10 p.m.: Hop aboard the Downtown Train. Choo-choo! Jan. 25, 9 p.m.: Wash away your week with habitual blues Friday offenders Trevor Menear and Johnny Moezzi.
January 21, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years
January 21, 2013
Downtown News 19
Celebrating 40 Years
Plead the Fifth photo by Lisa Marie Mazzucco
Jan. 26, 11 p.m.: OG Charlie Chan and the S.O.B.s. Jan. 27, 10 p.m.: RT n the 44s with the Groovy Rednecks. Exchange LA 618 S. Spring St., (213) 627-8070 or exchangela.com. Jan. 25, 10 p.m.: Awakening with Max Graham isn’t a religious revival unless your god is bass. Jan. 26, 10 p.m.: Inception with Joachim Garraud. Grammy Museum 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org. Jan. 24, 8 p.m.: Fender enthusiast and overall good guy Wayne Kramer stops by for an interview and short acoustic set. Nokia Theater 777 Chick Hearn Court, (213) 763-6020 or nokiatheatrelalive.com. Jan. 26, 8:30 p.m.: Vowels abound as Shahkar Bineshpajooh takes the stage. Nola’s 734 E. 3rd St., (213) 680-3003 or nolasla.com. Jan. 22, 8 p.m.: Reggy Woods Jam Session. Jan. 25, 7 p.m.: The one, the only, Artwork Jamal. One-Eyed Gypsy 901 E. First St., (626) 340-3529 or one-eyedgypsy.com. Jan. 23: RT n the 44s. Jan. 24: Ubiquity presents an evening called “Frolic.” Jan. 25: Once again, climb aboard the Downtown Train. Jan. 25: Shoot it up with AK and Her Kalashnikovs. Redwood Bar and Grill 316 W. Second St., (213) 652-4444 or theredwoodbar.com. Jan. 21: Guaqeros, Storey & The Tellers and the Tammy Olea Band. Jan. 23: The Zoo Foundation. Jan. 15: Wooly Bandits, Swords of Fatima, The Thingz and Stars at Night. Jan. 26: Des Cadet’s Birthday with Izzy Cox, Lightnin’ Woodcock and more. Seven Grand 515 W. Seventh St., (213) 614-0737 or sevengrand.la. Jan. 22: If only the Makers would incorporate adultvendors? diapers into eadlines and Let their act, then we could avoid a set break and prolong the improvised jazz experience. your business communieadlines and vendors? Let The Smell togetherand all the resources eadlines vendors? Let your business communiDowntown Independent 247 S. Main St., alley between Spring and Main your business communitogether all the resources • Signs, posters and banners 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or streets, thesmell.org. together all the resources • Digital printing We’ve got the solution. Juggling too many projects, deadlines and vendors? Let •• Signs, Online posters ordering downtownindependent.com. Jan.and 24:banners Strategy, Pharoahs, Leech, LA Vampires, PIP manage the creation and re-ordering of all of your business communiDigital posters printing and banners • Signs, Jan. 21-23, 5:30 andtogether 7 p.m.,allJan. 4 and 5:30 DJ David Scott Stone and DJcations. Dane Chadwick. Online printing ordering • Digital In one location, your PIP consultants bring the 24, resources p.m.: Algiers, 1920s. Rabbi Sfar has more than one • Online ordering Staples Center you need, including: • Printing Signs, posters and banners problem. His beautiful ••daughter Zlabya is becoming 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7326 or • Copying Digital printing a teenager and above all, his ordering parrot-killing cat has staplescenter.com. • Graphic design • Online 700 Wilshire Blvd. 700 Wilshire Blvd., 510 just started talking. Le Chat Du Rabbin, a dandy Jan. 21, 7:30 p.m.: Let’s have some fun, this beat isSuite ph: 213-489-2333 sick, you’ll want to gouge your ear drums out fax: with213-489-2897 a piece of French animation. piparco@sbcglobal.net Jan. 21, 8:30 p.m., Jan. 22-23, 3:30 p.m. Jan. 24, 2 pointed stick: night two of Lady Gaga. Jan. 23, 24 and 26, 8 p.m.: British rock trio Muse p.m.: In Dead Sushi, Keiko, the daughter of a famous promises to inspire or at least bombard you with sushi chef, leaves home to escape his overbearing training in both sushi-making and martial arts. bright lights.
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eethoven’s Fifth is one of the most recognizable classical compositions around, the da-dada-dah! instantly capturing the attention of even those who’ve never set foot inside a symphony hall. On Thursday, Jan. 24, at 8 p.m., Friday at 11 a.m. (yep, a morning show) and Saturday at 8 p.m. again, the Los Angeles Philharmonic tackles the monumental work. The Walt Disney Concert Hall performance gets kicked up a notch with the guest pianist, superstar tinkler Emanuel Ax (shown here) playing Mozart’s c-major Piano Concerto. Also on the bill is The Shadows of Time, a Holocaust-haunted meditation on loss by Henri Dutilleux. There are pre-concert talks Thursday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Friday at 9:45 a.m. Attend one, so you can sound smart and know exactly what’s you’re listening for. At 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 8502000 or laphil.com.
Jan. 24, 7 p.m.: Ai Wei Wei: Never Sorry, the feature length story of dissident Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei, is the subject of a Mindshare L.A. sponsored evening. Jan. 25, 7 p.m.: The legacy and legend of Cream drummer Ginger Baker is explored in depth with Beware of Mr. Baker. Jan. 26, 6 p.m.: Five-minute micro pilots comprise this installment of Channel 101. IMAX California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 7442019 or californiasciencecenter.org. Explore the remnants and wisdom of an ancient empire in Mysteries of Egypt. Ice and polar bear enthusiasts will likely dig To the Arctic 3D. Experience the gripping story full of hope, crushing disappointment and triumph in Hubble 3D. Regal Cinemas 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 763-6070 or lalive.com/ movies. Through Jan. 24: Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (10 p.m. and 12:10 a.m.); Broken City (1:20, 4:20, 7:10 and 10:10 p.m.); The Last Stand (11:20 a.m., 2, 4:50, 7:40 and 10:30 p.m.); Mama (11:40 a.m., 2:20, 4, 5:10, 8, 9:50 and 10:50 p.m.); Gangster Squad (11:30 a.m., 2:10, 5, 7:50 and 10:40 p.m.); A Haunted House (12, 2:30, 5, 7:30 and 10 p.m.); Zero Dark Thirty (12:10, 2:50, 3:40, 6:20, 10 and 10:50 p.m.); Texas Chainsaw (11:50 a.m., 4:40 and 9:40 p.m.); Texas Chainsaw 3D (2:10 and 7:10 p.m.); Django Unchained (11:50 a.m., 3:20, 6:50 and 10:20 p.m.); Les Miserables (11:40 a.m., 3:10, 6:40 and 10:20 p.m.); Jack Reacher (12:40 and 6:40 p.m.); The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (12:20, 4:20 and 8:20 p.m.); Silver Linings Playbook (1:30, 4:30, 7:30 and 10:30 p.m.).
THEATER, OPERA & DANCE
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Backbeat Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 6282772 or centertheatregroup.org. Jan. 22-25, 8 p.m., Jan. 26, 2 and 8 p.m. and Jan. 27, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: Before Sgt. Pepper. Before Abbey Road. Even before Ringo, there were five Beatles. Five rowdy working class lads from the docks of Liverpool rocking out eight days a week in the raucous clubs and red-light seediness of Hamburg, Germany, creating an epic new sound. Here’s the story about the band you never knew, unless of course you happened to see Backbeat the movie 19 years ago. Bob Baker’s Nutcracker The Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. First St., (213) 250-9995 or bobbakermarionettes.com. Jan. 22-25, 10:30 a.m. and Jan. 26-27, 2:30 p.m.: Employing more than 100 of puppeteer Bob Baker’s famous marionettes, this family performance features all the characters from the beloved story. Call for reservations. Global Taxi Driver Inner City Arts, 720 Kohler St., (310) 998-8765
Jan. 26, 5 p.m.: This one-off is billed as a workin-progress and a panel discussion. The show is described as descending from the experiences of riding in and driving taxis, and explores the immigrant experience. Entrance is free. LoveSick Loft Ensemble, 929 E. Second St., (213) 680-0392 or loftensemble.com Jan 26, 8 p.m.; Jan. 27, 7 p.m.: It’s a love story! Or it is? Verse, song and prose smash together on the stage as Benjamin and Sophia share the same dream and find each other. Behold the dark comedy of odd amour. Through Feb. 24.
BARS & CLUBS The Association 610 S. Main St., (213) 627-7385. Carved out of the area that used to belong to Cole’s, the bar in front, the Association is a dimly-lit, swank little alcove with some serious mixologists behind the bar. Look for a heavy door, a brass knocker and a long line. Barbara’s at the Brewery 620 Moulton Ave., No. 110, (323) 221-9204 or bwestcatering.com. On the grounds of the Brewery, this bar and restaurant in an unfinished warehouse is where local residents find their artistic sustenance. Fifteen craft beers on tap, wine list and full bar. Bar 107 107 W. Fourth St., (213) 625-7382 or myspace.com/ bar107. Inside the keyhole-shaped door, tough-as-nails Derby Dolls vie for elbowroom with crusty old bar guys and a steady stream of Old Bank District inhabitants. Velvet señoritas, deer heads with sunglasses, a wooden Indian and Schlitz paraphernalia plaster the red walls. There’s no shortage of entertainment, with the funky dance room, great DJs and the occasional rock band. In the photo booth, you can capture your mug in old-fashioned black and white. Open from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week. Big Wang’s 801 S. Grand Ave., (213) 629-2449 or bigwangs.com. Wings, beer and sports: That’s the winning recipe at this sports bar. The Downtown outpost, the third for the Hollywood-based bar, has everything the other locations have, plus a comfortable patio with outdoor flat screens. Bonaventure Brewing Company 404 S. Figueroa St., (213) 236-0802 or bonaventurebrewing.com. Where can you get a drink, order some decent bar food, sit outdoors and still feel like you’re Downtown? It’s a tall order to fill, but this bar in the Bonaventure Hotel does it admirably. Come by for a taster set of award-winning ales crafted by Head Brewer David Blackwell. Sure, the hotel is vaguely ’80s, and you’ll probably encounter some convention goers tying a few on, but it only adds to the fun.
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January 21, 2013
Downtown News 21
Celebrating 40 Years
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.
Artful Dissidence N
ever Sorry is a feature length documentary on Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei, who happens to be his country’s most outspoken domestic critic. Against a backdrop of strict censorship and the country’s unresponsive legal system, Ai expresses himself and organizes people through art and social media. That doesn’t go over so well with the Chinese authorities, who have shut down his blog, beat him up, bulldozed his studio and held him prisoner. The story is told on Thursday, Jan. 24, at 7 p.m. at the Downtown Independent theater. The screening is followed by a panel discussion. The Daily Dose will serve food. At 251 S. Main St., downtownindependent.com.
photo by Ted Alcorn
Continued from page 22 Bona Vista Lounge 404 S. Figueroa St., (213) 624-1000 or thebonaventure.com. Located in the heart of the Financial District in the landmark Westin Bonaventure Hotel, this revolving cocktail lounge offers a 360-degree view of the city.
2your EvEnt info Easy ways to submit
4 wEb: LADowntownNews.com/calendar/submit 4 EmaiL: Calendar@DowntownNews.com
Email: Send a brief description, street address and public phone number. Submissions must be received 10 days prior to publication date to be considered for print.
THE ANSWER TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE
For tickets or information
www.swmusic.org
800.726.7147
Suim nner m i D ch and D Lun
Southwest Chamber Music Jeff von der Schmidt, Artistic Director
LA International New Music Festival The Colburn School at 8 pm 2013 January 26, February 2 & 23, March 2
An Extensive Seafood Menu including Dim Sum at Moderate Prices Relaxed Dining in an Elegant Ambiance Live Lobster Tank
Free Parking Next to Restaurant
700 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Tel: 213.617.2323
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
22 Downtown News
January 21, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years
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plaCe your ad online aT www.ladownTownnews.Com
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Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin
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
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Bill The LosCooper Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los 213.598.7555 Angeles. TheLoftExpertGroup.com One copy per person.
citY Editor: Richard Guzmán stAFF writEr: Ryan Vaillancourt coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese EVER coNtributiNG writErs: Dave Denholm, Jeff Favre,COnSiDER a Reverse SERVICES health & fitness Angeles At least 62Los years old? Downtown News Greg Fischer, Kristin Friedrich, Howard Leff,Mortgage? Ryan E. Smith, 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 Stay in your home & increase Marc Porter Zasada CAnADA DRUG Center is your
first prescription and free shipmade large by the right kind of mediate help. 1-888-865-0271 ping. (Cal-SCAn) advertising – Mark twain. Advertwitter: AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin (Cal-SCAn) tise your business card sized ad DowntownNews clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway DO YOU know your testosterin 140 California newspapers for AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Catherine Holloway, apartments/fUrnished one Levels? Call 888-904-2372 one low cost. Reach over 3 milSolfinanCial Ortasse serviCes and askNews about test kits and Thebrochure Los Angeles Downtown is theour must-read lion+ Californians. Free $375/MO. SHARE apartment sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez for Downtown is disget a Los freeAngeles trial and of Progene Allelizabeth@cnpa.com newspaper (916)288throughout the offices andSupplewith another woman. Private natural testosterone 6019. (Cal-SCAn) tributed every Monday GEt FREE of credit card debt circulAtioN: Jessica Tarr residences of Downtown Los Angeles. room/Private entrance. Utilities ment. (Cal-SCAn) now! Cut payments by up to half. paid. Quiet, clean, garden, ref- distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles tHE BUSinESS that considStop creditors from calling. 888One copy per person. erences. near Downtown L.A. distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Bonilla to advertising, ersGustavo itself immune 416-2691. (Cal-SCAn) 213-482-1417 after 3 p.m. finds itself immune to business. misC. serviCes Reach Californians with a classified in almost every county! At&t U-Verse for just $29/ Over 270 newspapers! Combomo! Bundle & save with At&t Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris California Daily and Weekly internet+Phone+tV and get a networks. Free Brochures. elizGENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin free pre-paid Visa Card! (select Fully furnished with tV, abeth@cnpa.com or (916)288plans). Hurry, call now! 800-3196019. (Cal-SCAn) telephone, microwave, 3280 (Cal-SCAn) ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie
refrigerator. Full bathroom. Excellent location. Downtown LA. Weekly maid service.
TM
All submissions are subject to federal and California fair housing laws, which make it illegal to indicate in any advertisement any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income or physical or mental disability. We will not Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris knowingly any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. GENErAl MANAGEr: accept Dawn Eastin All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie equal opportunity basis.
ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie citY Editor: Richard Guzmán stAFF writEr: Ryan Vaillancourt coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Dave Denholm, Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, Kristin Friedrich, Howard Leff, Ryan E. Smith, Marc Porter Zasada
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EMPLOYMENT aCCoUnting/Banking COntROLLER: RESUME /Ad/ Job: Carrini: 5500 E Slauson Ave, Commerce, CA 90040. drivers APPLY nOW, 12 Drivers needed top 5% Pay & Late Model Equip Plus Benefits, New Equip & 401K need CDL Class-A Driving Exp. 877-258-8782 www.addrivers.com (Cal-SCAn) DRiVER - $0.03 quarterly bonus, plus $0.01 increase per mile after 6 and 12 months. Daily or Weekly pay. CDL-A, 3 months current exp. 800-414-9569 www. driveknight.com (Cal-SCAn) DRiVERS: no experience? Class A CDL Driver training. We train and Employ! Central Refrigerated(877) 369-7091 www.centraltruckdrivingjobs. com (Cal-SCAn)
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employmenT
OPERATIONS AND LOGISTICS ANALYST: Assist to research operation methods; prepare operations & procedures manuals; collect & analyze data & develop logistics & forwarding scheduling. Require Master in BA or Bus. Mgmt. Resume: Mr. CT Leung, Harbil Industries, 1938 E. Gladwick St., Compton, CA 90220.
AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Catherine Holloway, Sol Ortasse sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez circulAtioN: Jessica Tarr distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla
Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins
The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles.
PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard
One copy per person.
Includes utilities, basic cable channels, laundry room on site. Gated building in a good area. 208 W. 14th St. at Hill St. Downtown LA
For English Call Pierre or Terri 213.744.9911 For Spanish Call Susana 213.749.0306
Children’s Performing Group
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January 21, 2013
Downtown News 23
Celebrating 40 Years
2008 PORSCHE CAYENNE GTS Certified, Sand White/Black, 4.8L V8, Low Miles ZP1556 / 8LA73049 ONLY....$50,898. Call 888-685-5426 www.porschedowntownla.com
2005 NISSAN ARMADA SE 5.6L V8, Silver/Blk, Leather, Only 38K Miles. NI4111 / 5N706134 Only...$15,999 call 888-8385089 www.downtownnissan. com
2009 CHEVY MALIBU HYBRID 4DR. Gray/Gray, Great Mileage, AC, Loaded F13074-1/ F131890 ONLY....$13,995 Call 888-3047039 www.felixchevrolet.com
2008 VW JETTA PASSAT 2.5S Certified, 5cyl PZEV., Gray/Blk, Only 10,115 miles ZV1959 / CC059045 Only...$18,980 Call 888-781-8102 www.vwdowntownla.com
2009 MERCEDES CLK350 AMG Certified, White Stone, 3.5L, low miles 5940C / F270087 ONLY....$25,991 Call 888-3198762. www.mbzla.com 2011 NISSAN SENTRA 2.0S SEDAN Certified, Red Brick Pearl/Silver, 30mpg, CU0827R / L651168 ONLY....$11,995 call 888-845-2267 www.carsonnissan.com
2009 AUDI A5 2.0T QUATTRO Certified, Turbo, Gray/Black, AWD, 35K Miles A13424D-1 / AA065553 ONLY....$32,995 Call 888-583-0981 www.audidtla. com
For a complete list of our pre-owned inventory, go to www.DTLAMOTORS.com
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Autos WAnted DONATE YOUR car - Fast Free Towing 24 hr. Response - Tax Deduction. United Breast Cancer Foundation. Providing Free Mammograms & Breast Cancer Info 888-792-1675 (Cal-SCAN) DONATE YOUR car, truck or boat to Heritage for the Blind. Free 3 Day Vacation, Tax Deductible, Free Towing, All Paperwork Taken Care Of. 888-9026851. (Cal-SCAN)
FOR RENT? FOR LEASE? FOR SALE? People are looking here, shouldn’t your ad should be here?
(213) 481-1448
notices DID YOU KNOW that Ten Million adults tweeted in the past month, while 164 million read a newspaper in print or online in the past week? Advertise in 240 California newspapers for one low cost. Your 25 word classified ad will reach over 6 million+ Californians. For brochure call Elizabeth (916)288-6019. (CalSCAN) WANTED DIABETIC test strips. Cash Paid. Unopened, Unexpired Boxes Only. All Brands Considered Help Others - don’t throw boxes away. For more Information, call (888) 491-1168 (Cal-SCAN)
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LEGAL Fictitious Business nAMe Fictitious Business name statement File no. 2012257489 The following persons doing business as: KUISHIMBO, 3407 West 6th St., #101-A, Los Angeles, CA 90020, is hereby registered by the following registrants: (1) TETSUYA TAKAYAMA, 5103 Vista Del Monte Ave., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403, (2) KEIKO TAKAYAMA, 14632 Otsego St.,
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403. This business is conducted by a general partnership. Registrants began to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on September 10, 1979. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on December 31, 2012 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. 1/14, 1/21, 1/28, 2/4/13
DOWNTOWN L.A. AUTO GROUP WWW.DTLAMOTORS.COM
NISSAN
of Downtown L.A. 888-838-5089 635 W. Washington Blvd. • downtownnissan.com
NEW ’13 Nissan Altima 2.5S Lease for only
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NISSAN
of Downtown L.A.
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NEW ’13 Volkswagen Jetta S
$139
Lease for only
per month for 39 mos
888-845-2267 1505 E. 223rd St., Carson • carsonnissan.com
NEW ’13 Nissan Rogue S
$179
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Felix
CHeVRoLeT 888-304-7039 3300 S. Figueroa St. • felixchevrolet.com
NEW ’13 Chevy Cruze
$199
Lease for only
per month for 39 mos
per month for 36 mos
per month for 24 mos
Plus tax, 39 month closed end lease on approved credit. $0 Sec. Dep. $5359 due at Signing. (Excludes taxes, title, other options & dealer fees). Residual $14,280. Model # 13113. $0.15/mile over 12,000 miles/year. 5 At this Price.
Plus tax 36-month closed end lease on approved VW Credit., $1,999 due at signing. (Excludes title, tax, 1st mo. pymt, options and dealer fees). MSRP $17,470 with manual trans. $0 security deposit. $0.20/mile over 30,000 miles. # 411724. Model #1622J1.
Plus tax 39-month closed end lease on above average tier approved credit., $2999 due at signing. (Excludes title, tax, 1st mo. pymt, options and dealer fees). $0 security deposit. $0.20/mile over 12,000 miles/yr. 1 at this offer # C130048/008216.
Plus tax 24-month closed end lease on approved credit., $0 due at signing. (Excludes title, tax, 1st mo. pymt, options and dealer fees). MSRP $19,035.20. $0 security deposit.. $0.20/mile over 20,000 miles. 5 at this offer.
2002 Nissan Altima Sedan ................
2011 VW Jetta 2.0L .........................
2007 Ford Focus .................................
2010 Chevy Cobalt Sedan ................
Only 87K miles, Looks and Runs great, N130239-1/2C197821
$6,999
2007 Nissan Altima Sedan ............... Only 42,000 Miles, Must See, N130227-1/7N418393
$13,999
Certified, Only 9421 Miles, Silver/Blk, 34mpg. ZV2000 / CM353677
$14,989
2012 VW Passat 2.5L .........................
Certified, Auto, Silver/Black, Only 24K miles. RZV1960/CC031604
$16,890
2005 Nissan Armada SE ...................
2010 VW Tiguan S ..............................
$15,999
$17,994
5.6L V8, Silver/Black, Leather, 38K miles, NI4111/5N706134
Plus 296 More New & Used In Stock & On Sale!
ToYoTA
Downtown L.A. 800-574-4891 1600 S. Figueroa St. • toyotadowntownla.com
NEW ’12 Toyota Camry LE Lease for only
$199
Certified, Turbo, Black/Black, Only 22K miles. ZV1916/AW534741
Plus 392 More New & Used In Stock & On Sale!
2007 Nissan Sentra 2.0 Sedan ......... Gray/Gray, Only 50K Miles, Auto, AC. CU0881R-1 / L690139
$10,995
2007 Hyundai Tucson GLS ................ Auto, Maroon, Low miles, CD, Alloys, ABS. C121929-1/7U538099
$10,995
Plus 311 More New & Used In Stock & On Sale!
AuDI
Downtown L.A. Motors
MeRCeDeS BeNz
$7,995
Black, Great Condition, Low Miles. CU0904P / W245655
of Downtown L.A.
888-319-8762 1801 S. Figueroa St. • mbzla.com
888-583-0981 1900 S. Figueroa St. • audidtla.com
NEW ’13 Mercedes C250
NEW ’13 Audi A3 2.0T TDI
Lease for only
per month for 36 mos
$299 per month for 48 mos
Lease for only
$299
Silver/Gray, Low miles, Great condition, UC336R/A7185887
$12,995
2009 Chevy Malibu Hybrid .............. Sedan, Gray/Gray, Great Mileage, F13074-1 / F131890
$13,995
2008 Cadillac SRX V6 ........................ Black/Black, Bose, Leather, Low miles, UC202R-1/80142946
$18,995
Plus 198 More New & Used In Stock & On Sale!
PoRSCHe
of Downtown L.A. 888-685-5426 1900 S. Figueroa St. • porschedowntownla.com
NEW ’13 Porsche Boxster Lease for only
per month for 42 mos
$598 per month for 39 mos
+ tax 48 month closed end lease on approved credit. $2399 due at signing excluding title, taxes, options, acquisition fees, dealer fees & first payment. Zero Sec. Dep. .25cents/ mile over 10K miles/year. 5 to choose. MSRP $36255.
+ tax, 42 month closed end lease on approved credit. $350 Sec. Deposit. $4343.26 Due at Signing. Excludes taxes, title, other options and dealer fees Lease price includes Audi Loyalty Rebate. Residual $18,099.20. $0.25 per mile over 10,000 miles per year. 1 at this payment DA011080
Plus tax 39-month closed end lease offered to highly qualified lessees on approved credit. $4088 due at signing. (Excludes title, tax, 1st month’s pymt, options and dealer fees). $0 security deposit. Residual of $30,615. $0.30/mile over 5,000 miles/year. 1 at this offer #DS113366.
2009 Toyota Prius IV .........................
2009 Mercedes C300 .........................
2011 Audi A4 2.0T .............................
2008 Porsche Cayenne GTS ..............
$21,988
$22,991
$26,980
$50,898
Plus tax 36-month closed end lease on approved above average credit. In lieu of factory rebate. $3425 due at signing. $24,060 MSRP, $13,208 residual. $0.15/mile over 36,000 miles. All Model #2532 Offer ends February 4, 2013.
Pearl/Gray, 51 MPG, Low Miles, Prem. Sound. TU0003/262487
Certified, Mars Red, 34K Miles, 7 Spd., Auto, 6174C/9R070114
Certified, Turbo, FWD, Gray/Black, Only 20K Miles. A13344-1/BN045638
Certified, 4.8L V8, Sand White/Black Low Miles, ZP1556/8LA73049
2009 Hyundai Genesis .....................
2009 Mercedes CLK 350 Coupe ......
2010 Audi A5 2.0T Quattro .............
2002 Porsche 911 Turbo ..................
$21,988
$25,991
$32,959
$52,898
Silver/Black, Alloy Wheels, Prem. Stereo. TU0013/679656
Certified, AMG, White/Stone, 3.5L, 5940C/F270087
Certified, Turbo, Gray/Blk, AWD, Only 35K Miles. A13424D-1/AA065553
Silver/Black, 3.6L V6 24V, Only 24K Miles, ZP1560/2S686321
2007 Toyota Tacoma Prerunner ......
2010 Mercedes ML350 ......................
2012 Audi A7 Quattro Sdn ..............
2012 Porsche Panamera 4 ...............
$22,288
$31,991
$56,890
$81,891
White/Gray, Low Miles, Double Cab. TU0041/384691
Plus 500 More New & Used In Stock & On Sale!
Certified, 3.5L V6, Silver/Black, 36K Miles. 6248C / AA535033
Plus 419 More New & Used In Stock & On Sale!
6 cyl, 3.0L Supercharged, Gray/Black, AWD, 11K Miles. A13597-1/CN019185
Plus 116 More New & Used In Stock & On Sale!
Certified, Silver/Black, Bose, 6500 Miles, P12340L/CL017874
Plus 112 More New & Used In Stock & On Sale!
24 Downtown News
January 21, 2013
Celebrating 40 Years
State of the Art Workplace Two California Plaza is a
Downtown Los Angeles Landmark surrounded by world class dining, transportation, art, culture, shopping and hotels.
www.twocalplaza.com
•
350 South Grand Avenue
•
Los Angeles
For more information, or to schedule a property tour, please contact:
www.cushwake.com
Norman S. Mitchell Senior Director (213) 629-6516 norm.mitchell@cushwake.com CA Lic. #00339426
Richard B. Grande Senior Director (213) 629-6552 rich.grande@cushwake.com CA Lic. #1056963
Steven E. Marcussen, MCR.h Executive Director (213) 629-6550 steve.marcussen@cushwake.com CA Lic. #00656631
Cushman & Wakefield of California, Inc. • CA Lic. #00616335 • 601 South Figueroa Street, 47th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017 • (213) 955-5100