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INSIDE

Downtown’s New Top Cop Capt. Todd Chamberlain Gets Ready to Make His Mark on the Central City

by Ryan VaillancouRt staff wRiteR

A possible new Grand Avenue museum.

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Urban Scrawl on medical marijuana.

4

The artists take over a building.

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A new investor for Park Fifth.

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t 47, Central Division’s new top cop is still relatively young — his favorite hobby is surfing — but his word choice can be decidedly old school.

Capt. Todd Chamberlain refers to patrol officers, the men and women with their boots on the ground, as “coppers” (and sometimes as “troops”). Maybe that’s because he joined the force 26 years ago. And, by the way, if the surfing reference makes him sound hip, he was sure to specify that he only rides old-fashioned long boards.

By his count, Chamberlain has had stints in seven of the force’s 21 divisions, working his way up from a beat cop in Foothill Division to a commanding officer in the Emergency Operations Division, his post before taking the helm at Central on Jan. 3. Along the way, he had stops in South and Southwest L.A., Rampart, Hollenbeck and Hollywood. He also worked as a SWAT officer and supervisor, headed gang and vice details and coordinated counterterrorism intelligence efforts.

“When I look at my career and say, ‘OK, how is this career going to apply over here?’ I think that the foundation of everything that I’ve done in some way will have an aspect here in Central Area,” Chamberlain said.

The Pennsylvania native enters the job at a challenging time for Central: In 2009, crime in the division, which includes most of Downtown Los Angeles, fell to historic lows, dropping 10.3% from 2008. That marked a 4.8% decrease from levels attained in 2007, when the department heralded a 30% decline in the first full year of having 50 extra officers in Skid Row as part of the Safer Cities Initiative.

Though the recent numbers are impressive, Chamberlain acknowledges that the city’s budget crisis and possible cuts to public safety — officials including Council members Jan Perry see Police, page 9

photo by Gary Leonard

Todd Chamberlain took over as captain of Central Division on Jan. 3. The father of three is a 26-year veteran of the LAPD.

Angels Flight Closure Hits Nine Years As Railway Remains Grounded, City Official Calls Lack of Progress ‘Pathetic’

by RichaRd Guzmán city editoR

The Lazy Ox wakes up.

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And justice for Cornerstone.

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14 CALENDAR LISTINGS 16 MAP 18 CLASSIFIEDS

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here has been a lot of activity at Angels Flight Railway lately.

Olivet and Sinai, the two cars that run on the track, have been busy chattering back and forth on Twitter about their repairs and sharing pictures of their mechanical parts.

But one thing they have not been doing is shuttling people up and down the steep incline that separates Bunker Hill from the Historic Core.

Feb. 1 will mark the ninth anniversary of the accident, sparked by a problem with the gear and drive system, that caused one car to roll down the track and smash into the other, killing 83-year-old Leon Praport and injuring seven others. The funicular has been closed ever since.

Through the years repeated opening dates have been announced. Although the cars were returned to the tracks in late 2008 and test runs have taken place, Angels Flight officials are still not saying when the public will be able to use the railway. But they are once again implying that a resumption of service is imminent.

“We in fact believe we are very, very close to opening,” said John Welborne, the volunteer president of the Angels Flight Railway Foundation, the nonprofit that oversees Angels Flight.

“Angels Flight has been ready to open since April, but regulators said they wanted a few additional things

done so we’re doing them,” he said. “The minute we know when we open we will tell everyone on Twitter.”

However, that kind of message is not reassuring everyone. In the last three months, Ninth District Councilwoman Jan Perry has written at least two critical letters on the subject of Angels Flight, one to Metro urging them to consider taking over the railway, and one to the California Public Utilities Commission.

“There is a tremendous concern about the fact that this February 1, [2010] will mark the ninth anniversary of Angels Flight not operating,” Perry wrote to Metro.

“This is really pathetic.”

Long Wait Angels Flight was originally opened in 1901 by Colonel J.W. Eddy to ferry passengers between the then residential Bunker Hill district and the commercial businesses below. The railway is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

It was closed and dismantled in 1969 when Bunker Hill underwent redevelopment into an office hub. It reopened in 1996 and charged riders 25 cents to travel up and down the hill.

Following the 2001 closure, delays in reopening were first blamed on legal settlements with victims of the accident; those were resolved in 2006. Welborne has also blamed rising repairs costs on the National Transportation Safety Board investigation that faulted the city contractor, the Yantrak Company, for improper see Railway, page 8

The Voice of Downtown Los Angeles

photo by Gary Leonard

Feb. 1 will mark the ninth anniversary of the Angels Flight crash that killed an 83-year-old man.

2 Downtown News

February 1, 2010

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AROUNDTOWN Police Bust Downtown Bike Theft Ring

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os Angeles police detectives recently arrested two men who they believe are at the heart of a Downtown bicycle theft ring. On Saturday, Jan. 22, undercover detectives met a man in Santa Monica to buy a bicycle that he had posted on Craigslist, the same day the bike’s owner had reported it stolen from the 500 block of Olympic Boulevard in Downtown. Konstantin Rostovtsev, 51, listed the Specialized Sirrus bicycle, which retails for around $600, at $300, said Lt. Paul Vernon. After agreeing on the sale, detectives arrested Rostovtsev for receiving stolen property. Detectives used information from Rostovtsev’s arrest to identify Edward Rene Arciga, 43, as another source of stolen bicycles, Vernon said. The following day, undercover detectives met Arciga at a motel in Silver Lake, where he pulled a bicycle out of his trunk and showed it to the detectives. He was arrested, and detectives found bolt cutters and more bikes in a motel room, as well as counterfeit bills, a computer and a printer for making money. There was also evidence of heroin use. “There were 123 bicycles stolen Downtown in 2009,” Vernon said. “That’s 45 more than the year before, and we know there is more than one ring of thieves who are preying on bicyclists.”

A Batch of Distinct Downtowners

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he year 2009 may have been tough for many, but Downtown saw dozens of projects debut. That led to the naming of 13 recipients of Los Angeles Downtown News’ annual Downtowners of Distinction awards. Winners are chosen by district and are selected for projects that have an impact on the entire neighborhood. The winners are: the High School for the Visual and Performing Arts in Bunker Hill; the Skid Row 3-on-3 Streetball League in Central City East; Cirque Berzerk in Chinatown; the Police Administrative Building in the Civic Center; the ESPN Headquarters and Regal Cinemas Stadium 14 (a tie) in the Figueroa Corridor; Pershing Square’s Programming

in the Financial District; the Rowan Lofts in the Historic Core; the Haas Building and its Chabad of Downtown temple in the Jewelry District; Sakura Crossing in Little Tokyo; Rivera Restaurant in South Park; and the Gold Line Eastside Extension in Union Station/El Pueblo. (Not every Downtown district receives an award every year.) One of those winners will be announced as Project of the Year in the Feb. 22 issue of Downtown News.

in this economy and it’s time to retire,” he said. Although Kotzer is stepping down from the electronics business, he still hopes to venture into real estate development. He previously announced plans to turn the 39,000-square-foot building at 814-828 E. Traction Ave. into a mixed-use project with 31 adaptive reuse and 44 new live-work units. The project is on hold for at least three years due to the economy, Kotzer said, but in the meantime he plans to open an art gallery at the property. Late last year Kotzer put the three-story building up for sale but has since taken it off the market. There is no word yet on whether he will smash paintings during any future TV commercials for the art space.

El Pueblo Rents to Rise in April

Grant to Benefit River Cleanup

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enants at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monu­ ment will see their rents increase substantially on April 1. The move follows the release of a study conducted

by Simi Valley-based real estate appraisal and consulting firm Riggs & Riggs; it determined that rents for retail tenants at the area heavily trafficked by tourists should be between $2 and $6.50 per square foot. A recent audit by the city found that many tenants at the monument’s popular Olvera Street are paying well below market value, with the average rent being $1.35 per square foot, and some major tenants paying less than $1 per square foot. The study also found that tenants renting the small puestos, or kiosks, should pay $950-$1,150 per month. Robert Andrade, El Pueblo’s general manager, was directed by the El Pueblo Board of Commissioners to implement the increases recommended in the study. Leases, however, will be negotiated at a later date.

Crazy Gideon Says Goodbye With an Auction

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ideon Kotzer, the owner of the discount retailer Crazy Gideon’s, who is known for his frequent going-out-ofbusiness sales and smashing televisions in his commercials to show how crazy he is, was set to shut down over the weekend — really. The longtime Arts District businessman last week said he was planning a going-out-of-business auction for Saturday, Jan. 30. “I’ve been bleeding money for months

irst District City Councilman Ed Reyes last Thursday announced a $100,000 contribution from plastics industry entity the American Chemistry Council to the Los Angeles River Keepers. The grant, unveiled at an event at Rio de Los Angeles State Park, will benefit the River Keepers’ cleanup efforts along the L.A. River from the 134 Freeway near Glendale Boulevard through Downtown Los Angeles, said a Reyes spokeswoman. L.A. River Keepers is a program for young adult that combines environmental classroom education with outdoor work to help clean the waterway.

Sex Crime Suspect Arrested

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os Angeles police detectives last week arrested a registered sex offender for allegedly soliciting oral sex from a child outside the William Mead Housing project northeast of Chinatown. Marco Julio Gonzales, 41, was arrested on Jan. 25 and charged with annoying a child under 14 and soliciting an act of prostitution, both misdemeanors. A mother first reported to police that a man had approached her 12-yearold daughter one year ago and offered her $100 for oral sex, said Lt. Paul Vernon in a release. Last week, a resident saw Gonzales’s car and wrote down the license plate. Detectives later identified Gonzales, who turned out to be a sex offender for indecent exposure, Vernon said. Gonzales, a San Gabriel resident, was booked on the misdemeanors charges and his bail was set at $40,000. He posted bond and was released the same day. Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Josh Riggs at (213) 972-1235.

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Grand Avenue Museum Plan Sparks Excitement Proposed Facility Holding Some of Eli Broad’s Art Would Replace Portion of Mega-Development StAff writer

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lthough the $3 billion Grand Avenue plan remains stalled amid the global recession, Downtown Los Angeles stakeholders are salivating at the idea of a potential art museum that could rise on part of the project site.

Officials from the Grand Avenue Authority, the city-county panel overseeing the Bunker Hill mega-development, on Jan. 25 approved the start of negotiations to transform a parking lot adjacent to the REDCAT theater into a museum housing contemporary artworks from philanthropist Eli Broad’s 2,000-piece collections. The works are currently held by the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and the Broad Art Foundation (which are separate entities), and represent nearly 200 artists.

The approximately 1.3-acre parking lot at Second Street and lower Grand Avenue that is now a contender for the Broad museum had been slated to hold retail space in developer the Related Cos.’ Frank Gehry-designed Grand Avenue project, formally titled The Grand.

However, no deal has been solidified. The Broad Foundation is also considering locations in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica, said Broad spokeswoman Karen Denne. She said a final decision is expected in the spring.

If the museum comes to fruition, it would be just a short walk from the Museum of Contemporary Art’s location at 250 S. Grand Ave. Broad has long been an influential player at MOCA; he helped found the institution, and during its recent fiscal crisis delivered a $30 million bailout to the faciity.

As for whether the Broad museum would

constitute competition for MOCA, newly appointed museum director Jeffrey Deitch said it would be quite the contrary.

“It’s a great complement to MOCA and I think it’s a very, very exciting development,” said Deitch. “The proximity will create critical mass. When you think of MOCA, the Broad Foundation, Disney Hall and REDCAT all together, this is one of the greatest concentrations of visual and performing arts in the country.”

In terms of artwork, Deitch said, the Broad collections contain works largely different than those housed at MOCA, though there is overlap in some prominent artists such as Jasper Johns and Roy Lichtenstein. Also, while the MOCA collection includes particularly deep examples of work by 1960s artists, the Broad holdings specialize in the 1980s generation of artists, Deitch said.

While the Broad museum would operate independently of MOCA, he said, the two together could offer patrons a more comprehensive view of the careers of several seminal contemporary artists.

“You see that in very few other places,” said Deitch. “It’s very different from a more standard museum collection where you have one or two examples from each artist.”

Changing Plans The Grand, planned to include high-end condominiums, retail and a hotel tower, has been on hold for more than a year as the credit crunch has stymied the developer’s efforts to secure a $700 million construction loan for the first phase of the project. An already paid-for, $56 million, 16-acre Civic Park that is part of the project is still expected to break ground in the summer.

photo by Gary Leonard

A parking lot south of the REDCAT theater could hold a new museum housing some of Eli Broad’s art collection. The site had been slated for a retail pavilion as part of the Grand Avenue plan.

The Broad museum would rise on what is known as Parcel L, directly south of the entrance to REDCAT. Related West Coast president Bill Witte said last week that the Broad museum would “accomplish the same thing” as the retail complex previously planned for the site, “which is to bring people to the area.”

Otherwise, plans for The Grand have not changed. The first phase would include a 48-story hotel and condominium tower, a separate apartment tower and retail.

Subsequent phases would bring more than 1,000 additional residences and retail.

Related Cos. would not develop the museum, Witte said, though if it comes to Grand Avenue the developer will be involved at some level to ensure that it fits with the larger project.

No cost or timeline for the Grand Avenue museum proposal has yet been discussed, said Councilwoman Jan Perry, vice chair of the Grand Avenue Authority.

A proposed agreement between Broad and the city of Santa Monica to build the museum there reportedly included the provision that Broad would pay approximately $40 million-$60 million to build the facility and $12 million a year to run it.

The Grand Avenue Authority staff is currently negotiating with the Broad Foundation to come up with terms for a Downtown agreement. Any proposed deal would have to be approved by the City Council and the County Board of Supervisors.

Late last year, Los Angeles Downtown News reported that plans would change for one portion of The Grand while Related Cos. sought to wait out the economic downturn.

In the meantime, “It will be very exciting and a great show of enthusiasm to create some activity on one of the parcels,” said Perry.

Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.

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4 Downtown News

February 1, 2010

Twitter/DowntownNews

EDITORIALS

Time Has Come to Consider Reductions in Police Force

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he fiscal situation in the city of Los Angeles seems to be getting worse by the day. Just last week, in the effort to stanch the budgetary bleeding, local officials discussed significant staff cuts at numerous departments.

Controller Wendy Greuel warned against using the emergency reserve fund of $189 million to help patch a budget gap that is nearly $200 million.

Plenty of worst-case scenarios are already unfolding. Early retirement is being offered to 2,400 city employees, with the result that some of those with the most experience and institutional knowledge (and, consequently, the highest salaries) have already departed, with more to come. There could be 1,000 additional layoffs of municipal workers, and perhaps more; that process will unleash the disruptive and lengthy practice of “bumping,” with employees hopscotching across jobs and departments to stay on the payroll.

As tax revenues fall short of projections (as Chief Administrative Officer Miguel Santana noted they will the other week), the situation could become even more dire.

Reports indicate the deficit could swell to $1 billion in a few years without appropriate action.

Finally it seems, local office holders and other high-ranking officials are acknowledging that if serious and swift steps are not taken, Los Angeles could face bankruptcy. That is a horrifying thought. The city’s credit rating would suffer dramatically, costing us more in the long run; all agreements with unions would be null and void; and city services of all kinds would be at best delayed.

Amidst all this, some maintain that the Los Angeles Police Department should continue to grow, and if not grow, then at least remain at a consistent staffing level, with new officers hired to make up for attrition. We understand the stance, as the most

important service a government provides is public safety.

However, it is time to back off the position. Los Angeles should not be hiring new police officers at the same time it is losing thousands of employees it cannot afford. All city departments should share the sacrifice, at least to some extent.

This issue ignites passions all around. Residents and businesses demand safe streets. The police union will fight tooth and nail against any move to shrink their ranks. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa hitched his wagon to a department that saw vast improvement, including institutional change and a decreasing crime rate, over the seven years that William Bratton was chief.

This is not a call to begin cutting police officers (though Council Budget & Finance Committee Chair Bernard Parks has raised the issue as something to consider). Rather, it is an acknowledgement that the time has come to step back from demands that the police force be spared. It is time to question how officers are deployed, to re-examine the schedules they work, to determine if every possible officer is out from behind a desk and on the street (perhaps filling certain slots with lowerpaid civilian employees), and to analyze how low, in terms of number, the department could go and still keep the streets safe.

This is a tall order for new Chief Charlie Beck, who may feel he is being put in an impossible position by being asked to follow the popular Bratton and do more with less. Yet given the deficit and the fact that any delay only causes more pain down the line, this is exactly what he has to do.

Villaraigosa has staked a lot of political capital on growing the department to the approximately 10,000 officers it now has. The shrinking crime rate and the increased public trust in the LAPD show that this has paid off. Yet the change that has occurred stems from more than sheer numbers — Bratton’s repeated calls for additional officers dovetailed with shifts in deployment

LETTERS Benefits of a CRA Move Dear Editor, disagree with your editorial about the Community Redevelopment Agency’s move to City West (“Can CRA Remain in the Historic Core?” Jan. 11). City West is a community currently in a transitional period, growing in spurts. It will definitely be helped by the presence of a high-profile city agency in its midst. City West suffers from all the same problems that plague the entire central core of Los Angeles. The high visibility that the CRA will bring will give a great boost to the stability and growth of the community.

—Paul Sislin, stakeholder

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patterns, technological advances and an overall change in approach that started from the top and trickled down. Bratton didn’t accomplish more just because he had more, but also because, to use a popular phrase, he thought differently.

Now Beck and others must think differently. It may be time to question whether the so-called 3-12 schedule — in which many police officers work three 12-hour shifts a week — is the best way to go. Many tough questions will have to be asked.

There needs to be a quick yet solid assessment of how many officers are needed for the department not to fall back. Clearly it will be difficult to stay close to 10,000. Will a safe “floor” be 9,800? Will it be 9,500? Can sufficient policing occur with 9,200 officers or even fewer? Someone will protest no matter how low the level, and doomsday warnings will be issued, but it is important to determine what each of those numbers would mean, what the city would gain in cost savings and lose in service.

We recognize fully how the growth of the department has benefited Downtown, and understand what is at stake. The Safer Cities Initiative, which in 2006 deployed 50 additional officers to Skid Row, where they cracked down on quality-oflife crimes, has been a resounding success. We do worry that a decrease in the LAPD ranks could mean fewer people deployed to the area. That raises the possibility of a backslide.

That kind of issue will be debated in every community across Los Angeles. No one wants to see fewer police in their neighborhood.

To be sure, cutting police is neither the only nor the most important step officials can take to effect budgetary change — dealing with unions and gaining substantive pension reform are critical, especially in the long run. However, policing is the hottest of hot-button topics.

Dear Editor, ity West (the location of the Garland Building site) is witnessing some of the same transformation as the Historic Core, with new condos and loft developments, and should not be looked at as an unwanted stepchild, as it has been for years. As a former resident of the City West area, I witnessed the location not only as a crossroads with Downtown L.A., but with other neighboring communities such as PicoUnion and Westlake that the CRA can use to its advantage. Not only would this move help the bean counters by saving money, it should continue to have the CRA “lead by example” as they revitalize communities both physically and economically. The Historic Core has matured beautifully; now it is time for the CRA to take the show on the road and move to a different area that can use its help to provide a visible public example of community importance rather than bureaucratic impotence.

—Jerard Wright, Exposition Park

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Los Angeles Downtown News encourages letters. They become the property of Los Angeles Downtown News and may be edited. All letters should be typewritten and include an address and telephone number for verification.

Please send them to: Letter to the Editor 1264 W. First St. Los Angeles, CA 90026 Fax to: (213) 250-4617 Email to: realpeople@downtownnews.com

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Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie citY Editor: Richard Guzmán stAFF writErs: Anna Scott, Ryan Vaillancourt coNtributiNG Editors: David Friedman, Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jay Berman, Jeff Favre, Michael X. Ferraro, Kristin Friedrich, Howard Leff, Rod Riggs, Marc Porter Zasada Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins ProductioN AssistANt / EvENt coordiNAtor: Claudia Hernandez PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard AccouNtiNG: Ashley Vandervort AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin sAlEs AssistANt: Annette Cruz clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Steve Epstein, Catherine Holloway, Tam Nguyen, Kelley Smith circulAtioN: Norma Rodas distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles.

One copy per person.

February 1, 2010

Downtown News 5

DowntownNews.com

The Number Crunchers Downtown Census Office Has One of the Toughest Areas to Count

by AnnA Scott StAff writer

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ehind a locked glass security door, inside a nondescript ground-floor office on the border of Little Tokyo and the Arts District, government workers are gearing up for the big count.

That is the U.S. Census, the once-in-adecade statistical snapshot that aims to account for every resident in the country. The Downtown Los Angeles Census Office quietly set up shop at 701 E. Third St. in November 2008 to begin preparing for this year’s National Census Day on April 1 (an open house was held for the facility on Jan. 14).

The Downtown office will remain open until September. It is one of 39 regional census outposts, each tasked with tallying a swath of Southern California.

The results of the census, which is required by the Constitution and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, are used to redraw congressional districts and help direct hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds to projects such as hospitals, schools and roads.

Workers in the Third Street building are tasked with tallying some of Los Angeles County’s most hard-to-reach residents. They must count Downtown and surrounding areas including Pico-Union, Koreatown and Boyle Heights.

“This is a focal point for the county, because the majority of this office is hard to count,” said Los Angeles Regional Census Center Area Manager Armando Mendoza.

“The guiding principal for us is to make sure

we have the most comprehensive and accurate count.”

The Downtown region presents a challenge because it includes many multi-family households, new residents and a multi-lingual population, said Downtown census office manager Michael Carpenter.

In Downtown in particular, he said, challenges include “a dynamic population that didn’t exist in 2000,” as well as a large homeless contingent with no fixed addresses.

To bridge the gap, Downtown census employees have been reaching out to local missions, churches and other institutions that can serve the homeless population, Carpenter said. City officials are also getting involved.

Last week, 14th District City Councilman José Huizar announced a partnership with affordable housing developer Skid Row Housing Trust, the Census Bureau, local missions and others to ensure that Skid Row denizens are accurately counted. The informal committee will hold monthly meetings to raise awareness starting Thursday, Feb. 4.

“It is estimated that the City of Los Angeles was undercounted by approximately 76,800 people in 2000,” Huizar said in a letter. That, the letter stated, resulted in the city losing approximately $206 million in federal funding.

Long Process The Downtown census office has a makeshift quality, with employees working on laptops at communal tables on a recent afternoon. Maps and multi-colored sheets of construction paper labeled with various neighborhoods (Little Tokyo, Elysian Park,

photo by Gary Leonard

Census Center Area Manager Armando Mendoza at the Downtown L.A. Census Office, where government workers must count some of the county’s hardest-to-reach residents.

Koreatown, etc.) are tacked to the walls.

The census motto this year is “10 questions in 10 minutes,” as the survey that will be delivered next month to every residence in the country and Puerto Rico consists of 10 basic questions. The form includes queries about the number of people in each household, and age and race information about the head of each home.

Though National Census Day is not for another two months, government workers began verifying about 145 million addresses last year. It is no simple task.

“The 2000 census was the largest peacetime government operation in U.S. history,” Carpenter said, “and this year is even bigger.”

Approximately 50 employees are currently based in the Downtown office, including administrative workers, technology experts (a new addition this year, as census workers are using GPS technology for the first time to pinpoint addresses) and managers. When it comes time to send out “enumerators,” employees who follow up in person with

households that do not respond to the mailed questionnaires, Carpenter said, the office will likely deploy up to 1,200 people.

The Downtown office is part of a much wider push. Last year Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa opened a city census office to focus on getting the word out about the count. He has consistently been talking up the importance of an accurate tally, noting the money at stake.

“We reach out to volunteers and the community groups we work with in the city,” said Jazmin Ortega, a spokeswoman for that office, which is in City Hall. “We are also using the city’s resources in a way to reach the greatest amount of Angelenos,” she said, such as putting census notices inside Department of Water and Power bills.

Mendoza and Carpenter declined to comment on what the budget is for the local count or the overall census. “We operate efficiently,” Carpenter said.

Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.

Let It Grow Collective

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Goodbye Garmentos, Hello Artists Gallery Row Tower to House Studios After Years as Factory Building

by Ryan VaillancouRt staff wRiteR

L

ike many of the old towers in the Historic Core, the 14-story building at 724 S. Spring St. was born as bank offices, but for the past couple decades has housed mostly garment manufacturers. Building co-owner Rafi Shaoulian is now banking on the theory that artists will be better tenants than clothing makers.

Shaoulian, a member of the partnership that owns the Corporation Building, sensed an opportunity to capitalize on the property’s location on Gallery Row by offering affordable space to artists. He is in the process of converting the building’s vacant areas to studios and office space for creative users that he plans to lease for $1-$1.50 per square foot.

Shaoulian, who is also a partner in the real estate management firm D&R Brothers, which owns about 10 Downtown buildings, already has a few gallery tenants at other properties.

“They’re making good money and paying their rents on time and paying more than the garmentos,” Shaoulian said.

“Obviously when you have the tenants displaying their art and you have a gallery, the price of the property can go up at the end of the day, rather than having a factory in it.”

Shaoulian has partnered on the project with Art Walk director Jay Lopez, who is leading leasing efforts in the building, and Kevin Taylor, a longtime film location scout who is

converting one of the building’s floors to a set and who previously managed the nearby Spring Arts Tower.

“The general location for this is perfect, being right on Art Walk and Gallery Row,” Lopez said. “I knew that it would be important that Gallery Row would have something like this that would be less expensive.”

There are not many examples of former office towers in the Historic Core targeting creative users, though the Spring Arts Tower, at 435 S. Spring St., fits that bill. The renovated 12-story Art Deco building houses about 120 commercial tenants, most of which are in creative industries. Leasing manager Andrea Wand declined to detail rental rates. In September 2007, when Taylor managed the building, he told Los Angeles Downtown News that rents ranged from $1.45$1.55 per square foot.

The Corporation Building project is in the preliminary stages, but Lopez is looking to fill the 70% vacant building with everything from artists needing studio space to galleries to architects. Some of the floors are still occupied by garment manufacturers who are on month-to-month leases.

“We’re planning to start with the upper floors from the 14th and go down to the lower floors and not disrupt the existing tenants right away,” Shaoulian said.

Carving Space Most of the floors of the Corporation Building are com-

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As the building managers get a better sense of what kinds of tenants are interested in the building, they’ll refine their plans

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Downtown News 7

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to carve out individual spaces, Taylor said.

Shaoulian expects the project to cost about $100,000 up front, which he said will help refurbish common areas such as the lobby and elevators.

Taylor’s under-construction film set will also be a revenue generator for the property, said Shaoulian, who in turn will use some of those proceeds to finance more tenant improvements.

Ultimately, the project budget will approach $1 million, he said.

While no move-ins are immediately scheduled, Shaoulian is targeting early March for the first new tenants. That timeline will also depend on the permitting process — any new wall construction requires permits from the city’s Department of Building and Safety, though if basic fire safety infrastructure isn’t moved, that process can be quick, said Bob Steinbach, a spokesman for the department.

Though no artist leases have been finalized, a handful of potential tenants are currently looking at space.

Karin Liljegren is negotiating for up to 15,000 square feet to house her firm Omgivning, which she launched after 15 years working on dozens of Downtown adaptive reuse projects with architecture firm Killefer Flammang (she still works with the firm on a project-by-project basis).

“I think this project makes a lot of sense because it’s community based and supports a lot of the needs of the community,” Liljegren said. “It’s supporting people that are creating things that are sold in Downtown, or supporting the type of creative people that like to move Downtown that need an affordable space to create in, because not many of us can afford a 2,000-square-foot loft.”

One likely future tenant will be the Downtown Art Walk, which is planning to secure office space for its headquarters, Lopez said.

The project represents someting of an experiment for Shaoulian and his investor partners. If successful, he said, it could lead to similar conversions at other Downtown properties they own.

Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

Park Fifth May Get New Investor Oil Company Could Revive $1.3 Billion Project, Though Deal Not Yet Done

by AnnA Scott StAff writer

D

eveloper David Houk is close to securing a new investor for his proposed $1.3 billion Park Fifth project, he said last week.

“We have agreements, but nothing has happened yet,” said Houk. “It’s in process.”

The potential partner, Gabriel Hertzberg of the Triangle International Oil Company, said that he plans to take over for Park Fifth’s financially troubled former capital partners, Africa-Israel Investments and the Brentwood-based investment company Namco Capital Group. Hertzberg also said that he would purchase the site and provide a construction loan for the project.

This would mark Hertzbergs’s first real estate development.

He refused to disclose the loan amount, but said that it would amount to hundreds of millions of dollars.

“We own oil in the Middle East and have the funding to get this project,” he said. “I will probably be the owner of the whole thing.”

Hertzberg said he is in the process of transferring money to U.S. accounts and expects the deal to be finalized within a few weeks. He added that plans for the fully entitled development, to rise on a parking lot at Olive and Fifth streets north of Pershing Square, have not changed.

Those plans call for a 76-story building that would be the tallest residential structure west of Chicago, a 44-story tower and a 15-story residential building. Altogether the project would contain 790 condominiums, a 212-room hotel, retail and restaurants.

The new interest does not mean that the development will come online any time soon. Hertzberg said that he would like to break ground within six months if the deal comes to fruition, but real estate observers say it could be years before

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The $1.3 billion Park Fifth development, slated for a parking lot north of Pershing Square, could be revived by a new investor. The sign was ultimately splattered with paint and then whitewashed.

the economy can support large-scale development projects hinged on selling high-end condominiums.

Construction, Hertzberg said, would take at least three years.

Houk put the project up for sale in the summer of 2009. He would remain involved in developing Park Fifth if Hertzberg comes on board in financing it.

For years, the proposed development was marked by a large sign on the site with the project’s name, a telephone number and the slogan “Downtown Is Looking Up.” Yet the sign was not maintained, and was splattered with large blotches of colorful paint. Houk had the sign painted over late last year.

Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.

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Railway Continued from page 1 design and construction.

Throughout the process, Welborne has worked diligently to raise money for the railway’s restoration. He said he has secured all but about $200,000 of the $3.5 million needed to get the trains running again.

Approval from the California Public Utilities Commission is required before the railway can reopen. After a Nov. 20 commission hearing, where the railway’s system safety program and security plans were approved, Welborne said he thought they were ready to open.

“In mid-December we were told there were a few other things the PUC wanted and we’re getting them done,” he said.

Those requirements include getting clearance from the Fire Department about evacuation procedures and testing new end gates.

In an email to Los Angeles Downtown News, Christopher Chow, a public information officer for the CPUC, said the opening depends on Angels Flight resolving several safety issues.

“The restoration of Angels Flight is near completion, however [Angels Flight] has not resolved a few open safety issues. After [Angels Flight] resolves all safety issues CPUC staff will conduct a final review and inspection,” he wrote.

Chow would not provide a timeline on when that could occur.

Doubts Not everyone is convinced the hurdles can be overcome.

Perry has long pushed for Metro to assume control of the railway. Most recently, on Jan. 20, she wrote a letter to Art Leahy, CEO of the transit agency.

Perry cited the effects of the closure on the tourist trade and in particular Grand Central Market, which has lost Bunker Hill customers who are unwilling to walk up and down the 153 steps next to the railway.

“This situation should not continue,” she wrote. “It needs resolution and I would like to see it as a Metro operation.”

In a statement, Leahy said any decision to take over Angels Flight would have to be made by the agency’s board. He also noted that Metro is suffering from a budget shortfall that may impact its current operations.

Perry has also approached CPUC, and has been overtly critical of the overseers of the railway. In a Nov. 13 letter to Michael Peevey, president of CPUC, she wrote, “For whatever reason, Angels Flight has been promised to return to operating mode for several years and never gets there. The operator has shown contempt of the public by failing to resume the operation in a timely manner.”

Perry went on to note that the railway used public funds to reopen in 1996, and that it sits on land owned by the Community Redevelopment Agency. She urged the commission to set a timeline for reopening the railway.

Perry said if Metro does not have the money to take over Angels Flight, she will look for “other viable options.” She also said that in light of the history of missed opening dates, any word on a timely return from Welborne is not credible.

“I will be convinced when it’s opened,” she said.

Stay on Track Despite the years of inactivity, board members of the Angels Flight Foundation think they should continue on the current course.

“I think many of the delays have not been

the result of anything we have had control over,” said architect Brenda Levin, a foundation board member. “Obviously there’s been a lot of both federal and state intervention, and rightfully so, in the process. The combination of the construction efforts as well as the regulatory agencies that have oversight are what really take a long time.”

Michael Alexander, another foundation board member and head of Grand Performances, which runs a summer concert and event series near the top of Angels Flight, agreed.

“It’s a lot easier to say no than yes, because no one wants it on their shoulders if somebody gets injured, so everyone wants to be doubly assured that everything’s running right,” he said.

Alexander said handing the project over to Metro would not likely make things move any faster. He also said Welborne has a lot at stake.

“We have a dedicated individual who for one thing has been personally identified in various ways for not getting it open,” Alexander said, “so he’s got a real incentive to open and open safely as quickly as he can for his own good reputation.”

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

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Police Continued from page 1 and Bernard Parks have called for a halt in new hiring, with Parks going so far as to raise the possibility of LAPD layoffs — could make policing more challenging going forward.

If cuts to the department are made to help the city shore up a looming $400 million budget gap, “We’re going to have to be smarter about where we put our resources,” Chamberlain said.

Still, he said the division’s goal in 2010 is to reduce crime by another 5%. He considers statistics to be an important tool because it’s something tangible for residents and workers.

“It’s important for officers too because I think that they have to have a goal in mind — they have to have knowledge that what they’re doing is having an impact,” he said.

Ready for Calamity Chamberlain, who lives in the San Fernando Valley with his wife and three daughters, was born in Williamsport, Penn. and was raised and educated in Ventura County. He got his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at the Union Institute and University. He has a calm demeanor, potentially a helpful trait in busy Downtown.

For the 18 months before being tapped by new LAPD Chief Charlie Beck to lead Central, Chamberlain worked as the commanding officer of the Emergency Operations Division, which coordinates city emergency response and handles public demonstrations and other kinds of mass outdoor events.

Although none of Chamberlain’s previous posts were in Central, some of those jobs were housed at the Central Area Police Station at

Sixth and Wall streets, giving him a familiarity with the evolving nature of Downtown.

He admitted that it kind of shocks him to see residents walking their dogs up Main Street.

As a leader, Chamberlain said his focus will largely be on keeping an open line of communication between himself and his so-called coppers — he oversees 415 sworn officers.

Though the managerial nature of the captain’s post will sometimes tie him up with administrative work, Chamberlain hopes to get out on the street himself at least once a day, responding to calls and interacting with the officers taking reports and initiating investigations.

“I told the officers as soon as I started, it’s not to dog them or I’m not checking up on them,” he said. “I just want to do it to see what they’re facing and what they’re contending with and think how I can help them to do the job better. I want them to know that they have our support.”

Keeping Community Ties Another challenge for Chamberlain is following up a figure who in a short time made a deep impression on Downtown. Before being promoted to commander in Central Bureau, former Central Capt. Blake Chow earned a reputation for placing an emphasis on community building.

He posted information on Facebook, sent out a weekly email with the latest crime stats and organized an open house at the police station coinciding with Art Walk. That effort, he said, was part of a commitment to community-based policing that pays dividends in the long run by building networks and sharing information.

Chow was a captain at Hollenbeck Division when Chamberlain was a captain there. He

photo by Gary Leonard

One of Chamberlain’s toughest tasks may be following the popular Blake Chow, who was recently promoted from captain to commander. They work in the same building on Sixth Street.

said he recommended Chamberlain to Beck for the Central role because he saw a leader who built strong community ties.

“I told him that I thought Chamberlain would be a good fit for Downtown because in Hollenbeck, I saw that he had earned the respect of community members and the cops,” Chow said. “He’s a multi-talented person and I think he’s got the skill set to have him do well in Downtown.”

Beck agreed.

“Todd is a community bridge builder and an experienced tactician which will be important given the many special events that occur Downtown,” Beck said in a statement to Los Angeles Downtown News. “He is a well respected, tenured Commanding Officer who has earned respect from the communities he has served, the officers he has commanded and the department’s command staff.”

Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

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HEALTH

A Hard Habit to Break

It’s Not Easy to Quit Smoking, but the Benefits Are Nearly Immediate

by Tawny Mccray

S

moking is a hard habit to break. Many people who want to quit try several times before they’re successful.

“I smoked for about 10 years prior to quitting, although I tried quitting maybe five times during that time frame,” said Robert Anderson, 28, of San Diego.

Anderson, who smoked up to 15 cigarettes a day, said he decided to quit for several reasons.

“Health reasons is a big one,” he said. “The drain on the pocketbook was another. Although, the biggest reason I had that really did it for me was the fact that my wife and I were trying to get pregnant. Now that we have a little one on the way, the perspective I have is: I don’t have the right to die anymore.”

According to the American Cancer Society, each year about 443,600 people in the United States die from illnesses related to tobacco use. Smoking cigarettes kills more Americans than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide and illegal drugs combined.

Peer pressure is a big reason that people begin smoking, said Dr. Norman Edelman, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association.

“Smoking is a very social thing,” Edelman said. “Most people who get hooked on cigarettes get hooked as teenagers or even earlier.”

Edelman said that along with peer pressure, heavy advertising by tobacco companies and the addictive power of nicotine also play big roles.

“Nicotine is a very, very powerfully addictive substance,” Edelman explained. “It’s just as addictive as narcotics. It’s hard to quit smoking for two reasons: Nicotine is a chemical addiction, and smoking is a habit that people have gotten used to.”

For people who want to quit smoking, there are many options. The American Lung Association believes the most effective way is by combining its support program, called Freedom From Smoking, with a pharmaceutical — either a nicotine replacement product or pills.

Anderson said he quit partly by using a nicotine patch, but before that, he started weaning himself off smoking by sys-

tematically breaking down his triggers.

“Triggers were and are the biggest problems for me,” he said, citing driving, after meals, and drinking as the main triggers. “So I would skip my morning cigarettes and wait until after lunch to have my first one of the day. The next day, I would skip my afternoon and evening ones and wait until

‘Nicotine is a very, very powerfully addictive substance. It’s just as addictive as narcotics.’

—Norman Edelman, American Lung Association

the next day to have another. After some weeks of doing that consistently, I decided to try the patch, and it helped a lot.”

Anderson said it has been a difficult process, but he is determined to stick with it.

“I have had a few setbacks,” he said, “but the difference this time is that I am getting right back on the horse after I give in to the craving and not just giving up, as I did so many times before.”

The American Cancer Society says that within 20 minutes of your quitting smoking, your heart rate and blood pressure drop. Twelve hours after you quit, the carbon monoxide level in your blood decreases to normal. Two weeks to three months after you quit, your circulation improves and your

lung function increases. One to nine months after you quit, coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus and clean the lungs, which reduces the risk of infection.

Furthermore, the ACS says, one year after quitting, your excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s.

Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker’s five to 15 years after you quit. After 10 years, your risk of dying from lung cancer is about half of what it would have been had you continued smoking. The risk of cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix and pancreas decrease, too. Fifteen years after you quit, your risk of coronary heart disease is the same as a nonsmoker’s.

Anderson said quitting smoking is something you have to want to do, and it’s important not to give up.

“The only difference between a quitter and a person who didn’t quit is the fact that the quitter didn’t give up,” he said.

“It is one of the hardest things that I personally have done, and it feels as if I will always have an inclination to start again, but I know that I can’t. I can’t give up.”

Article by Creators News Service, copyright 2010, creators.com.

VITAL SIGNS Cancer Surveillance Program Details Disease Trends

T

he USC-based Los Angeles Cancer Surveillance Program (CSP) has released a new report, “Cancer in Los Angeles County, Trends by Race/Ethnicity, 1976-2006,” which presents 30 years of surveillance data gathered at hospitals and other facilities diagnosing and treating cancer.

The data serve as a resource to generate new hypotheses regarding the causes of cancer, to monitor trends and patterns of cancer incidence, to identify high-risk population subgroups, and to develop effective strategies for cancer detection, prevention and treatment. It is the first report that discusses the occurrence of cancer in migrant populations, including Vietnamese, Pacific Islanders and South Asians.

Among males, African Americans had the highest overall cancer rates. Among women, Hawaiian/Samoans and nonLatina whites had the highest rates of all cancers combined.

Cervical cancer rates declined among all groups, possibly due to effective screening methods. Lung cancer rates, on the

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other hand, increased in women for all groups, whereas rates declined in African-Americans and non-Latino white men.

Colorectal cancer rates increased in Filipinos, Koreans and Japanese.

The data included in the report are not available anywhere else in the U.S. because the CSP covers the most racially and ethnically diverse population in the country, while at the same time operating one of the most thorough surveillance programs in the nation, said associate professor Myles Cockburn.

The CSP is administered by the Keck School of Medicine and the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. The report was compiled by Cockburn, Lihua Liu, assistant professor, and Dennis Deapen, executive director of the Cancer Surveillance Program, in the Department of Preventative Medicine.

Article courtesy USC HSC Weekly.

USC Gets $3 Million For Stem Cell Training Program

T

he California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has awarded USC $3 million to support a training program in stem cell biology.

The grant received formal approval in December from the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee, the 29-member governing board of the institute. The Training II award provides funding for 16 positions in the program based at the Keck School of Medicine.

The future of regenerative medicine depends on training a new generation of leaders, said Martin Pera, professor and founding director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC. “We are delighted to learn that CIRM has decided to support this important program,” Pera said. “This award will

enable our growing team of investigators in regenerative medicine here at the Keck School of Medicine to attract the best young minds to the field, at the graduate and postgraduate level.”

The grant will support six predoctoral fellows, eight postdoctoral fellows and two clinical fellows for two years. During this time, participants will conduct research with faculty mentors, take courses in stem cell biology, stem cell ethics and other associated topics, present their work at combined stem cell biology/developmental biology research forums and attend a yearly retreat.

The governing board awarded a total of $11 million for two grants in the Training II program and five grants in the Bridges program, which funds coursework and internships to prepare undergraduates and masters level students for careers in stem cell laboratories. In January 2009, the grants were recommended by the Scientific and Medical Research Funding Working Group if funds permitted. With improvements in the state’s bond situation, the Board chose to reconsider the grants in order to further bolster successful programs training the next generation of stem cell scientists and laboratory staff.

“Training is critical to our mission of developing new therapies,” said Robert Klein, chair of the governing board.

“During a time when the state is having to cut funding to higher education, our agency is bridging part of the gap, ensuring that highly qualified students receive the training they need to fill the high-tech stem cell research jobs of the future.”

CIRM was established when voters passed Proposition 71 in 2004 to borrow and spend $3 billion over 10 years to support stem cell research. To date, USC faculty members working at the two main campuses and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles have secured $85.3 million in funding.

More information on USCs stem cell programs is at http:// stemcell/usc.edu.

Article courtesy USC HSC Weekly.

February 1, 2010

Downtown News 11

DowntownNews.com

RESTAURANTS

The Year of the Lazy Ox With Pig’s Ear and Beef Neck, Little Tokyo Establishment Is for the Adventurous Diner

by RichaRd GuzmĂĄn city editoR

W

hen you first enter the Lazy Ox and look up at the chalkboard menu, you may have a few questions.

Is that pig ear for me or my dog? Is the beef neck and lengua (tongue) done taco-truck style? What the heck is a whelk? And is there actual ox in the ox burger?

The Lazy Ox Canteen, a 2,400-square-foot eatery, opened in Little Tokyo in December.

The restaurant from Josef Centeno and Michael Cardenas, veterans of the L.A. food scene, is on the ground floor of the Sakura Crossing apartment complex at 241 S. San Pedro St. The restaurant is inviting, stylish and rustic, with an open kitchen, a bar near the entrance, stained wood-paneled walls and oversized light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. A cut-out image of an ox sleeping on faux grass dominates one wall.

The menu is described as new American with a global influence. Like The Gorbals, a new Historic Core restaurant run by Ilan Hall, the dishes are adventurous and not for the squeamish. But whereas The Gorbals is propelled by Hall’s Jewish-Scottish heritage, the Lazy Ox is driven by a small-plates concept and whatever ingredients Centeno happens to come across, even if he knows they will only last a day or so. “My foundation is French, but ingredient-wise, it’s pretty much across the board,�

Centeno said on a recent morning. The softspoken chef has been logging some long hours at the restaurant, working from about 9 a.m.-1 a.m. since opening day. But his lowkey demeanor perks up when he discusses finding inspiration for his cuisine. “There is so much great food all over the world that I could never focus on one type of cuisine. There’s just too many ingredients to play with,� he said.

Many of the lesser-known dishes are displayed on the chalkboard. In addition to those mentioned above, offerings have included whole fried baby pompano, and buttermilk fried quail. Mainstream dishes

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At Lazy Ox they’re prepared using a traditional French technique. The pig’s feet are braised in white wine for six hours until the meat and flesh soften. The meat is picked and left to cool slightly, then diced and mixed with herbs, seasoned with salt and olive oil, and wrapped in fat. “You sometimes think pig’s feet and it’s like, ugh,� Centeno said, “but I try to present it in a way where you’re not going to eat the pig’s foot on the table.�

Centeno also does seafood in the form of offerings like the steamed whelks. The large marine snail is usually found in Chinese or Italian markets. “We basically steam them with white wine and herbs and chile,� Centeno said. “They’re tender and meaty. When I see an ingredient like that, we’ve got to get that out there.�

The veal tongue is another popular item, upgraded from the traditional taco truck concept and served as a steak with pickled green tomato. Then there’s the beef neck, which is cut into quarters, braised in red wine, then cooked overnight in a brick oven using only residual heat. “It’s something that’s not used a lot,�

Centeno said. “I’ve never actually seen it on [another] menu.�

The restaurant grinds the beef for its burger as well. But with the adventurous menu, many customers assume it is fashioned from

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an actual ox. “We had to change the name to Lazy Ox Burger,� Centeno said.

Neighborhood Destination Centeno and Cardenas hope their restaurant will be a standout in the rapidly changing neighborhood.

Cardenas, whose ancestry is a mix of Japanese and Mexican, has always had a soft spot for Little Tokyo. He wanted his new restaurant to be in an urban location with a neighborhood feel.

He said the economic downturn made him realize that smaller neighborhood spots are what people are gravitating toward, rather than large, expensive restaurants like the ones he is known for. “It’s about going organic, it’s about neighborhoods,� he said.

Lazy Ox has also brought a bit of a “cool factor� to the area, said Rick Westberg, project manager for Sakura Crossing, an apartment complex from developer Related Cos. that opened last year. “We look at it as teaming up with these folks because they are going to add to the community just as we invest in the community and become part of the fabric,� he said. “It brings a unique flair to our building and the community.�

Contact Richard GuzmĂĄn at richard@downtownnews.com.

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The Lazy Ox Canteen opened late last year on the ground floor of the Sakura Crossing apartment complex.

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also make an appearance, among them fried chicken with biscuits and bacon gravy and spiced pork spare ribs. “It’s not another Subway sandwich, Starbucks or Johnny Rockets,� said Cardenas. “It’s something that truly can be considered a neighborhood canteen.�

New Fine Dining Centeno and Cardenas met last year, during the actual Year of the Ox, according to the Chinese calendar. (Cardenas, 48, was also born during a year of the ox).

At the time, Cardenas was set on doing a Downtown Los Angeles restaurant. The successful entrepreneur’s previous projects included Sushi Roku, Boa and Katana.

Centeno, meanwhile, has a long list of high-end eateries on his resume. He’s worked at La Cote Basque and Les Celebrites in New York, was executive chef at Meson G and Opus in Los Angeles, and chef de cuisine at Manresa in Los Gatos. Lazy Ox is the first place where the 35-year-old has had an ownership stake. “My whole background is fine dining. But when I moved to L.A. I realized that fine dining wasn’t the way to go or the direction the diner wanted to go,� Centeno said as he explained the concept behind the Lazy Ox menu. “I thought that there’s got to be a way to cook at the same level and use the same ingredients and technique, but at a more approachable price range.�

Many of the dishes at the restaurant are served tapas style, where guests order several small plates and share the meal. There are also “family style� plates meant for two or more people. Most dishes at Lazy Ox range from $5 to $30.

An ample number of options are unfamiliar to most diners, what general manager Kevin Travis describes as “not the standard fare.�

One such item is the pig ear, which is prepared chicharron style. They are crunchy, salty and very savory. The dish is served with lime and horseradish aioli.

The ear is not the only part of the pig that Centeno uses. He also serves pig’s feet, or trotters, as they are sometimes known.

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12 Downtown News

February 1, 2010

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photos by Gary Leonard

CALENDAR The Cornerstone Theater Company rehearses for On Caring for the Beast, a play about pain and justice. It runs Feb. 4-28 at Inner-City Arts.

n i h t i W t s The B e a Downtown-Based Cornerstone Continues Its Justice Cycle by Going to the Dark Side

by Richard Guzmán city editor

P

laywright Shishir Kurup wants audience members to recognize some possibly disturbing things about themselves after attending his On Caring for the Beast. Essentially, he wants those who see the Cornerstone Theater Company’s production to walk away more in touch with their dark sides.

“It’s basically a story about the idea of finding and embracing one’s shadow, the idea of shadow in people’s nature,” Kurup said.

“A lot of the piece is about issues of the sacred and the profane walking hand in hand, side by side, and I hope audience members say ‘I recognize myself in this other person,’ with the idea that the beast can rise in anybody.”

Written by the Cornerstone ensemble member in 2001, On Caring for the Beast runs Feb. 4-28 at Inner-City Arts, an arts education center for low-income children in Skid Row. The show, which continues the theater troupe’s process of exploring different elements of justice, addresses torture, pain and fear.

The play was originally commissioned by the Los Angeles Theatre Center and funded by the Flintridge Foundation. It opened in New York in 2001. Its West Coast premiere will be as the fifth play in Cornerstone’s four-year Justice Cycle series, which explores how laws shape and disrupt communities.

The series was launched in 2007 with Los Illegals, by Michael John Garcés, the artistic director of Cornerstone. The series will end with 3 Truths, by Naomia Iizuka, this spring.

Painful Connections On Caring for the Beast is set in San Francisco in a Victorian house that has been converted into three apartments. A writer lives there with her musician boyfriend. Also in the building are a gay couple and the property owner, an eccentric psychic.

The writer is working on her second book, about a doctor and war criminal who, backed by the ruling regime and its American connections, was involved in torture in his native country.

During the play, the writer becomes drawn into the doctor’s dark world. At the same time, the doctor grows more unstable.

“She becomes so entrenched in her subject matter that she begins to experiment with whether or not she can control her pain thresholds,” said Bahni Turpin, a Cornerstone ensemble member who is playing the writer. “So she starts a series of experiments with her boyfriend where she’s trying to overcome pain.”

Kurup said the play does not make any actual judgments about the morality of torture. It is more, he said, a rhetorical work that examines whether torture is right or wrong, and the effects on the individuals involved in the torture.

The characters, he said, react in an unusual way to the pain, though he would not reveal more of the plotline.

Meanwhile, the landlord communicates with the spiritual world and sets the return of an ancient goddess back to Earth, and the gay

couple deals with the crippling effects of a debilitating disease.

“Into this comes a kind of mysticism where people start dreaming,” Kurup said. “They start dreaming similar dreams and have connections without knowing what that connection is. But it comes together at the end to make a cohesive whole.

In addition to the characters’ psychological and spiritual journeys, the play touches on the topic of healthcare, in particular with the story of the medical problems suffered by the gay couple.

“It’s dealing with a fairly broken system that is highly unfair in how it cares for American citizens,” Kurup said. “It’s about the injustices in the medical system.”

Change of Pace Founded in 1986, the Arts District-based Cornerstone does both original work and adaptations of classic plays.

Most are performed by a combination of professional thespians and members of a community involved with the subject of a play.

Past productions have included bus drivers, members of religious communities and activists.

A previous production in the series, Touch the Water, was performed outdoors along the banks of the Glendale Narrows in the Rio de Los Angeles State Park.

For this play, Cornerstone departed from tradition. The show features ensemble actors along with guest artists who auditioned.

“Other plays have had a connection to the place where they’re produced,” said Garcés. “This play is an entity in itself but doesn’t have a deep connection or root in a place.”

A typical Cornerstone production utilizes about 20 actors. On Caring for the Beast is a much smaller show, and may seem like a chamber piece compared to the typical plays, Garcés added.

Additionally, it lacks the big gestures and live music that are often mainstays in Cornerstone’s work.

All that actually offers advantages.

“You can focus more on individual journeys of the play, and more detailed work,” Garcés said. “Working with all professionals relieves us of a certain responsibility to teach in the process. I love to work with the community, it’s why I’m here, but having the occasional show that allows a different kind of focus I think is healthy.”

Despite the shift in presentation, the show still clearly reflects the work in the Justice Cycle.

“It asks what does fairness mean?” Garcés said. “What does justice mean? And how can we be better people? But it doesn’t necessarily give us any answers.”

Ultimately, the play is about finding light, even in the darkest places.

“Underneath all of this is the search for finding the humanity in all people, even in the darkest souls,” Kurup said.

On Caring for the Beast runs Feb. 4-28 at Inner-City Arts’ Rosenthal Theater, 720 Kohler St., (213) 613-1700 or cornerstonetheater.org. Pay what you can performances are Feb. 4-7 and Feb. 17 and 24.

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

February 1, 2010

Downtown News 13

DowntownNews.com

WHAT’S IN STORE

(Sub) Urban Home Function and Art Meet in the Historic Core

by RichaRd Guzmán city editoR

I

f you’re a young man with a punk rock edge and a Downtown loft that’s just too cool for Ikea, then Paolo Ricartti and Ronnie Gene want to help you feel at home.

The Downtown residents along with Beatriz Ricartti opened (Sub) Urban Home at 101 W. Fifth St. They sell custom-made and off-the-floor furniture with a masculine appeal.

“We live here, so we get what it’s like to live in unique spaces and we make things to fit these spaces,” said Ricartti, who moved with Gene into the Judson Building about two years ago after being drawn to Downtown by the monthly Art Walk.

Also because of their love of Art Walk, they jumped at the

photo by Gary Leonard

The Temple Sectional sofa comes in two pieces so buyers can get it into Downtown elevators.

chance to rent the 1,800-square-foot space at Fifth and Main streets that formerly housed Pharmaka. Instead of art, (Sub) Urban sells beds, chairs, couches, coffee tables and bookshelves, many designed by Gene.

As part of a series highlighting local retail, Los Angeles Downtown News takes a look at what’s in store.

The Stud Bed: (Sub) Urban sells a queen-size platform bed with a patent leather headboard and metal stud spikes edging the side for $2,395. But since it is designed at the store and made by builders hired by (Sub) Urban, the look and price can be modified. If customers bring in their own fabric, the cost drops to $1,895. Also interchangeable are the studs; they come in silver, black or gold.

Table Talk: Dinner guests can enjoy a good meal at a $1,095, mid-century inspired table. Although it is one of the few items not manufactured by the store, the table is unique nonetheless because its legs and sub-top are made of solid walnut. “You’ll usually see walnut veneer, but this is a real high-quality piece,” Gene said. The 1950s feel is complemented with $195 replica Bertoia chairs; designer and sculptor Harry Bertoia was known for his contemporary diamond chair design made with polished steel wire.

Usually the chairs are seen in chrome, but at (Sub) Urban the masculine theme is continued with black versions. “I think that’s a pretty good deal. You can find cheaper chairs, but usually at Ikea,” Gene said.

The Roxy: A popular piece at the store is the Roxy Chair, which like much of the custom furniture is named after either streets or landmarks in Downtown. “This is named after the Roxy Theater on Broadway,” Gene explained. The Roxy is a boxy, low-to-the-ground chair made of faux leather and pyramid nail heads that are usually seen on punkish

photo by Gary Leonard

(l to r) Ronnie Gene, Paolo Ricartti and Beatriz Ricartti opened (Sub) Urban Home at 101 W. Fifth St.

fashion accessories. It sells for $995, and the color of the nails can be changed.

The Skull Society: As an accent to the custom furniture, the store offers limited-edition, $125 ceramic skulls. Made by Los Angeles area artists, the two-piece skulls currently come in turquoise, black and white. There are five in each color and once they sell out, more skulls will come, but in different hues. Next up are hot pink, followed by gold and chrome.

“We are in the heart of Art Walk, so we wanted these, like the furniture, to be art pieces,” Ricartti said.

Temple of Recline: The Temple Sectional is another piece designed for Downtown lofts. “This is one of the things that exemplifies the customization that you need to do in Downtown,” Gene said. The $2,795 couch is a simple piece with down cushions. It is also easy to maneuver. “We ran into a problem in our building. We wanted to get our sofa in and it wouldn’t fit in our elevator,” said Gene. Thus, they designed a sofa that comes in two pieces.

(Sub) Urban Home is at 101 W. Fifth St., (213) 243-5881 or suburban-la.com.

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@dowtownnews.com.

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14 Downtown News

EVENTS

February 1, 2009

DowntownNews.com

LISTINGS the

‘DON’t MISS’

Monday, Feb. 1 Waiting for Godot in New Orleans REDCAT, 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org.

8:30 p.m.: In November 2007, Alpert Award-winning video and media artist Paul Chan staged five performances of “Waiting for Godot” in the Katrinadevastated neighborhoods in New Orleans. The production played to large crowds of local residents, for whom the classic Beckett-penned lines rang with fierce immediacy. Chan will discuss the social and aesthetic ideas underpinning the Godot project.

lISt

A Cultural Celebration, Learning Lecture, Theater and Weird Science

by AnnA Scott, StAff writer

Tuesday, Feb. 2 Aloud at Central 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7000 or aloudla.org.

7 p.m.: Pulitzer Prize-winning music critic Tim Page discusses what it was like growing up with undiagnosed Asperger’s with Sasha Anawalt, director of the Arts Journalism Programs at USC.

See Complete Listings on the Web at ladowntownnews.com/calendar.

2

EaSy wayS To SubmiT your

EVENT iNfo

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.

photo by Joan Marcus

tWO

The Peacock Men, a new play, opens at the theater inside the Historic Core’s Alexandria this week. The show is billed as a dark comedy about five AfricanAmerican men exploring contemporary American culture, labels and their own sub-consciousness. Preview night for the Company of Angels production is Thursday, Feb. 4, at 8 p.m. Regular performances start Feb. 5 and run Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. through March 7. The Feb. 5 show will be followed by a benefit for Haiti relief efforts, with Haitian food, drinks and music. At 501 S. Spring St., third floor, (213) 489-3703 or info@ companyofangels.org.

S

Image © Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

saTurday, Feb. 6 Little Tokyo Korea Japan Festival Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, 244 S. San Pedro St., (213) 628-2725 or jaccc.org.

11 a.m.: This event celebrates through film the similarities and differences between the cultures of Japan and Korea. Featured films include Tina Yanagimoto’s “New Beginnings: Cultural Harmony in Little Tokyo,” which chronicles the history of Little Tokyo and how Japanese and Korean residents are building bridges. The program is hosted by “Heroes” actors James Kayson Lee and Eriko Tamura. Ticket includes two films, a box lunch and outdoor performances.

when the turday, Feb. 6, r hosts Sa on e g d ri b cultural munity Cente ted Help build a ltural & Com Cu n ent, crea ca ri e m stival. The ev Society, Fe Japanese A n a p Ja a kyo Kore Japan Korea the Little To dation and the un Fo rean comn pa Ja e th panese and Ko orean Ja n ee by the JACCC, tw be ural exchange s (the 2008 K bration of cult include two film screening sawa’s Tsubaki le ce g on yl da is a $20, ra Kuro ets, which are e of Japanese director Aki starts at 11 a.m., munities. Tick ak ie m re m 07 At s. The first ov t and a 20 film Rough Cu ch and outdoor performance The second film begins at 3. n . lu 30 x Sanjuro), a bo and lunch at 1: performances e liv c.org. by ed w follo 0-3700 or jacc 68 ) 13 (2 ., St o 244 S. San Pedr

photo by Reynaldo Pacheco

Friday, Feb. 5 Farmlab Public Salons 1745 N. Spring St., Unit 4, (323) 226-1158 or farmlab.org.

Noon: Simon Balm will discuss his experiences during a year in the South Pole, conducting astronomical research in one of the coldest and most extreme environments on Earth.

First Friday at Natural History Museum 900 Exposition Dr., (213) 763-DINO or nhm.org.

5:30-10 p.m.: The popular monthly series, devoted this year to the science of Southern California, features Caltech’s Dr. Nathan S. Lewis who will ask, and try to answer, “Where in the World Will Our Energy Come From?” His talk will address what would it take for the world to get away from fossil fuels and convert to renewable energy. Then, rockers Warpaint, Yeasayer and DJs ThemJeans and Ana Calderon take over.

No. 03

Rough Cut, © 2008 Sponge and Kim Ki Duk Film, All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, Feb. 3 Aloud at Central 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7000 or aloudla.org.

7 p.m.: Author Emil Draitser was born in Odessa, Ukraine, in 1937. He talks with Suzi Weissman of Saint Mary’s College about growing up Jewish under Stalin.

SCI-Arc Lecture Series 960 E. Third St., (213) 613-2200 or sciarc.edu.

7 p.m.: Documenting select undergraduate and graduate work made at SCI-Arc from 2007 through 2009, the second edition of Onramp features projects including “Library for the 21st Century” and “Family Dwelling after the Zombie Wars.” In this discussion, Florencia Pita focuses on select projects, showcasing the next wave of architects.

Comedy Wild Wednesdays Bolt Barbers, 460 S. Spring St., (310) 594-3150.

8-10 p.m.: The Urban Comedy Lounge sets up shop every Wednesday in this old school barber shop. This week features comedian Craig the Magic Man, plus spoken word from local author and poet Richard McDowell.

No. 01

Chim chim cheree, this week is your last chance to catch Mary Poppins at the Ahmanson Theatre. The musical, based on the original stories by P.L. Travers and the 1964 Disney film about a magical nanny, runs through Sunday, Feb. 7, with performances TuesdaySaturday at 8 p.m., and Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. The show combines the relentless cheeriness of the movie with some of the darker elements of the original books, as well as several new elements. Altogether, it’s supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. At 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org.

pend your lunch hour on Thursday, Feb. 4, digging into the past at the Central Library. Retired U.S. Army Col. Franklin Henderson will speak from 12:15-1 p.m. about the Buffalo Soldiers, the AfricanAmerican unit formed in 1866. The men, who began as four infantry regiments, represented the first African-American professional soldiers in a peacetime army. According to the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, the nickname was given to the soldiers

by Cheyenne warriors in 1867. See, you’re learning already. The event is in Meeting Room A at 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 2287000 or lapl.org.

R U O F

5

When it comes to lecture titles, this one doesn’t beat around the bush: “Where in the World Will Our Energy Come From?” is the name of a discussion being led by California Institute of Technology professor Dr. Nathan S. Lewis on Friday, Feb. 5, at the Museum of Natural History. The talk, focused on what it would take for the world to convert to renewable energy sources, kicks off the February edition of First Fridays, the museum’s monthly event combining science talks with live music and dancing. Lewis speaks from 6:30-7 p.m., and will be followed by performances from the indie rock trios Warpaint and Yeasayer and DJ-spun tunes. At 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 763-3466 or nhm.org.

Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.

A

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February 1, 2010

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BY THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES IN ACCORDANCE WITH HEALTH AND SAFTEY CODE SECTION 33490 ON THE ADOPTION OF THE FIVE (5) YEAR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (FY2010-FY2014 FISCAL YEARS) FOR THE WESTLAKE PROJECT AREA. Notice is hereby given that on Thursday, February 18, 2010 beginning at the hour of 10:00 AM, the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (“Agency”) will conduct a public hearing at the ofces of the CRA/LA, 354 South Spring Street, Suite 600, Los Angeles, California 90013, on the adoption of the Five (5) Year Implementation Plan (“Implementation Plan”) for the Westlake Project Area. The hearing also may be cancelled or set for another time in the future at any time until the scheduled hearing time. Any person desiring the opportunity to be heard will be afforded an opportunity to do so.

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Any and all persons having any objections to the proposed Implementation Plan, or who deny the regularity of this proceeding or wish to speak on any issue raised by the Implementation Plan, may appear at the hearing and will be afforded an opportunity to state their objections.

If any person desires to challenge in court the adoption of the proposed Implementation Plan or any proceedings in connection therewith, they may be limited to raising only those issues that they or someone else raised at the hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the CRA/LA at, or prior to, the hearing. Written correspondence on this matter may be addressed to the CRA/LA at either of the above noted addresses.

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Legal Notice NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

BY THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA ON THE FIVE-YEAR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR THE LITTLE TOKYO REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT: (FY2010-FY2013) NOTICE is hereby given that The Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles, California will hold a public hearing for the above-referenced redevelopment project on Thursday, February 18, 2010, at 10:00 a.m., or soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, at The Community Redevelopment Agency Offices, 354 South Spring Street, 6th Floor Board Room, Los Angeles, California 90013-1258.

The public hearing is being conducted to hear testimony of all interested parties regarding the proposed Five-Year Implementation Plan for the Little Tokyo Redevelopment Project.

At the above-stated time and place, any and all persons having any testimony regarding the proposed Five-Year Implementation Plan may appear before the Agency and be heard.

Copies of the proposed Five-Year Implementation Plan and other pertinent documents are on file and are available for public inspection during business hours at the following locations: CRA Main Office, Records Center 354 South Spring Street , 5th Floor Los Angeles , CA 90013-1258 Mondays through Fridays: 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Japanese American Cultural and Community Center 244 South San Pedro Street, First Floor (Reception Area) Los Angeles , CA 90012 Mondays through Fridays: 10 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

1/18, 1/25, 2/1/10 CNS-1774669# DOWNTOWN NEWS

Ad Copy: _________________________________________

________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________

Restrictions: Offer good on private party ads only. Ads must be pre-paid by cash, check or credit card. Certain classifications excluded. Deadline: Thursday at noon for next issue.

18 Downtown News

February 1, 2010

Twitters/DowntownNews

Continued from previous page

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PUBLIC NOTICE

BY THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, IN CONFORMANCE WITH SECTION 33490 OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA’S HEALTH & SAFETY CODE, REGARDING THE ADOPTION OF THE FIVE-YEAR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (FY2010-FY2014) OF THE PICO UNION No. 1 AND No. 2 REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREA OF COUNCIL DISTRICT 1.

NOTICE is hereby given that the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles, California (CRA/ LA) will hold a public hearing on the Five-Year Implementation Plan (FY2010-FY2014) for the Pico Union No. 1 & 2 Redevelopment Project Area of Council District 1, Hollywood and Central Region on Thursday, February 18, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. at the Community Redevelopment Agency, of¿ce located at 354 South Spring Street, 6th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013. A map showing the location of the Project Area is attached to this notice.

The public hearing being conducted to hear testimony of all interested parties regarding the Five-Year Implementation Plan (FY2010-FY2014) for the Pico Union No. 1 & 2 Redevelopment Project Area of Council District 1. Any person desiring the opportunity to be heard at the meeting will be provided an opportunity to do so. At the above stated time and place, any person(s) having any testimony regarding the proposed reporting of the Five-Year Implementation Plan (FY2010-FY2014) for the Pico Union No. 1 & 2 Redevelopment Project Area of Council District 1 may appear before the CRA/LA Board of Commissioners and be heard. The hearing may be cancelled or set for another time in the future at any time until the scheduled hearing-time.

Copies of the Implementation Plans are available for public review at the following locations: CRA/LA Records Of¿ce 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

354 South Spring Street, 5th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90013 (213) 977-1925

CRA/LA Hollywood Regional Of¿ce 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

3055 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 520 Los Angeles, CA 90010 (213) 977-2633

Of¿ce of Council District 1 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

200 N. Spring Street, Room #410 Los Angeles, CA 90012 (213) 473-7001

Pico Union Public Library 1030 S. Alvarado Street Los Angeles, CA 90006 (213) 368-7545

Any and all persons having any objections to the proposed reporting, or who deny the regularity of this proceeding or wish to speak on any issue raised by the proposed report, may appear at the public hearing and will be provided an opportunity to state their objections.

If any person desires to challenge in court the adoption of the proposed report or any proceedings in connection therewith, they may be limited to raising only those issues that they or someone else raised at the hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the CRA/LA, or prior to, the hearing. Written correspondence on this matter may be addressed to the CRA/LA at the above noted address.

The public hearing is being held pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 33490 and is open to the public.

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BY THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES IN ACCORDANCE WITH HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE SECTION 33490 ON THE ADOPTION OF THE FIVE (5) YEAR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (FY2010-FY2014 FISCAL YEARS) FOR THE EAST HOLLYWOOD/ BEVERLY NORMANDIE EARTHQUAKE DISASTER ASSISTANCE PROJECT AREA. Notice is hereby given that on Thursday, February 18, 2010 beginning at the hour of 10:00 AM, the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles (“Agency”) will conduct a public hearing at the offices of the CRA/LA, 354 South Spring Street, Suite 600, Los Angeles, California 90013, on the adoption of the Five (5) Year Implementation Plan (“Implementation Plan”) for the East Hollywood/ Beverly Normandie Earthquake Disaster Assistance Project Area.

The hearing also may be cancelled or set for another time in the future at any time until the scheduled hearing time. Any person desiring the opportunity to be heard will be afforded an opportunity to do so.

The purpose of the Public Hearing is to hear testimony of all interested parties for the purposes of reviewing the Implementation Plan for the Project Area. A copy of the Implementation Plan is available for public review at the following locations CRA/LA Main Office, Records Center 354 S. Spring Street, Suite 500 Los Angeles, California 90013-1258 CRA/LA Hollywood Regional Office 6255 W Sunset Blvd., Suite 2206 Hollywood, CA 90028-7423 (323) 960-2660 Council President Eric Garcetti Council District 13 Field Office 5500 Hollywood Blvd. 4th Floor Hollywood, CA 90028 Council Member Tom LaBonge Council District 4 Field Office 6501 Fountain Avenue Hollywood, CA 90028 Any and all persons having any objections to the proposed Implementation Plan, or who deny the regularity of this proceeding or wish to speak on any issue raised by the Implementation Plan, may appear at the hearing and will be afforded an opportunity to state their objections.

If any person desires to challenge in court the adoption of the proposed Implementation Plan or any proceedings in connection therewith, they may be limited to raising only those issues that they or someone else raised at the hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the CRA/LA at, or prior to, the hearing. Written correspondence on this matter may be addressed to the CRA/LA at either of the above noted addresses.

The meeting is being held pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 33490 and is open the public.

CNS#1768165

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February 1, 2010

Downtown News 19

DowntownNews.com

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ANNOUNCEMENTS Volunteer opportunities Free Arts for Abused Children is looking for volunteers to integrate the healing power of the arts into the lives of abused children. Call 310-313-4278 or volunteers@freearts.org.

LEGAL CiVil summons SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF TULARE NO. 09-233616 PLAINTIFF: E.M. THARP, INC. vS DEFENDANT: ENMEX CORP, DbA TRANS ENERGY USA, AND DOES 1-10 Notice! You have been sued.

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

Read the information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form, if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse near-

Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/ selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association.

The name and address of the court is: Superior Court of California, County of Tulare 221 South Mooney Blvd.

Visalia, CA 93291 Case Number: 09-233616 Dated: July 17, 2009 The name, address, telephone number, and fax number of Plaintiff’s attorney is: Robert Krase, Esq. #073388 132 East Morton Ave. Porterville, CA 93257 Telephone: 559-784-2353 Clerk: LaRayne Cleek Deputy: Anna L. Lopez Pub. 2/1, 2/8, 2/15, 2/22/10

est you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court.

There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program.

You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www. lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help

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Real Artist Lofts available in original 18 unit Downtown Artist Loft bldg. close to Southern Cal. School of Architecture. Starting at approximately 1200 to 2100 Sq. ft. large open space with new kit and bath. Laundry, gated parking and intercom entry from $1200.

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20 Downtown News

February 1, 2010

Twitter/DowntownNews

We Got Games Clippers Get Eric Gordon Back Los Angeles Lakers Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7100 or nba.com/lakers.

Feb. 3 and 5, 7:30 p.m.: The Lakers wrap up their brutal road trip with a Gasol brothers’ reunion in Memphis (Feb. 1), where they’ll take on a playoff-bound Grizzlies squad led by Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph. Then Kobe and company will return home to Staples Center. Though it’ll be nice to be back, the competition won’t get much easier as the Lakers host the red hot Charlotte Bobcats and the Carmelo Anthony-led Denver Nuggets. The Denver game is the first in a back-to-back that continues the following night in Portland (Feb. 6).

Los Angeles Clippers Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7100 or nba.com/clippers.

Feb. 6, 7:30 p.m.: Eric Gordon came back last week, and not a moment too soon. The Clippers are still a few games

below the .500 mark, but most of their recent losses slipped through their hands. Gordon could be the boost that turns upcoming matches in Chicago (Feb. 2) and Atlanta (Feb. 3) into wins. Then the squad returns to Los Angeles to host Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs.

Los Angeles Kings Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., 1 (888) KINGS-LA or kings.nhl.com.

Feb. 2 and 4, 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 6, 1 p.m.: The Kings are still hanging on to a playoff spot and have a golden opportunity in the form of a three-game homestand to cement their position. Captain Dustin Brown has played inspired puck lately, combining a hard-hitting game with a flurry of assists.

First the Kings take on the struggling New York Rangers, then host those Orange County quackers, the Anaheim Ducks. For the Saturday matinee, it’s the Detroit Red Wings.

—Ryan Vaillancourt

Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore!

Grand Tower 255 south Grand avenue Leasing Information 213 229 9777

Promenade Towers 123 south Figueroa street Leasing Information 213 617 3777

Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room

Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Pool / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Covered Parking

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

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

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museum Tower 225 south olive street Leasing Information 213 626 1500

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

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

Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room

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

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

TOWERS T H E

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MAID SERVICE • FURNITURE • HOUSEWARES • CABLE • UTILITIES • PARKING RESIDENCES: SINGLES • STUDIO • ONE BEDROOM • TWO BEDROOM