03-30-09

LOS ANGELES

DOWNTOWN

NEWS March 30, 2009

Volume 38, Number 13

INSIDE

Party at the Museum 12

2

Regional Connector meetings, Skid Row moves and other happenings Around Town.

5

Months after a financial crisis, MOCA looks at a major expansion in Little Tokyo.

W W W. D O W N T O W N N E W S . C O M

On the FAST Track With Downtown Skyscrapers on His Resume, Developer Jim Thomas Sets His Sights on Alleviating L.A.’s Gridlock

New members of the MTA board.

2

Urban Scrawl on the City Attorney’s race.

4

Famima bets big on Downtown.

9

All the latest Health news.

10

by AnnA Scott StAff writer

J

im Thomas has transformed the Downtown Los Angeles skyline during his decades as a developer, with projects including the iconic U.S. Bank Tower. Now the 72-yearold hopes to leave his imprint on the city’s streets too, by helping to fix L.A.’s traffic woes.

Approximately two years ago, Thomas commissioned a $300,000 study by the RAND Corporation on short-term, affordable solutions to the region’s gridlock. The report, released in November, lists 13 recommendations.

Thomas has also formed a nonprofit, public-private entity called Fixing Angelenos Stuck in Traffic to help implement the RAND recommendations.

FAST recently launched what Thomas expects to be a three-year outreach process, spreading the word about the study to the area’s wealth of neighborhood councils, labor and business groups and other community organizations.

A website, fastla.org, is also a major component of the campaign that Thomas hopes will create a grass roots groundswell of traffic activists.

“What we’re really driving at is getting see FAST, page 7

Power Play Erupts At Louie Louie, You Gotta Go $232 Million Long-Awaited Seventh Street Restaurant Arts School And Market Launches This Week Five Months Before Opening and With No Principal, Officials Duel Over Whether to Make Facility a Charter Campus

Tom Morello’s quiet side.

13

Five great entertainment options.

14

14 CALENDAR LISTINGS 16 MAP 17 CLASSIFIEDS

photo by Gary Leonard

Downtown-based developer Jim Thomas has created the organization Fixing Angelenos Stuck in Traffic, or FAST. He is advocating a series of small fixes to help L.A.’s traffic woes and hopes to create a groundswell of public activism.

by AnnA Scott StAff writer

L

ast Tuesday afternoon, the exterior of Bottega Louie Restaurant and Gourmet Market looked much like it has for the past few months; thick paper covered the windows and glass doors, obscuring any glimpse of the interior.

The sprawling space on the other side of those doors and windows, however, bustled with some of the establishment’s 250 employees.

Inside, executives, servers, baristas, chefs in stiff white coats and others were all preparing for the opening this week.

Bottega Louie, an upscale market and sit-down eatery on the ground floor of the Brockman Building at 530 W. Seventh St., opens on Thursday, April 2, after nearly three years in the works. The establishment has been compared to gourmet grocery chain Dean & Deluca.

“It’s a scary time to be opening a business,” Bottega Louie President Daniel Flores admitted last week.

He was seated at a table in the 10,000-square-foot space, taking a break from overseeing staff preparations. “But I think the value we’ll bring to Downtown is very big. We see Bottega Louie, page 8

photo by Gary Leonard

Less than five months before its scheduled opening, the state-of-the-art High School for the Visual and Performing Arts still does not have a principal. Two candidates have accepted the job, only to reverse course and turn it down. by ryAn VAillAncourt StAff writer

F

ive months from its planned opening, the $232 million High School for the Visual and Performing Arts remains entangled in a bitter political battle over who should control and run the landmark facility: the Los Angeles Unified School District or a charter

organization.

Additionally, the school at 450 N. Grand Ave. is without a principal, as this month the second high-profile East Coast candidate who had initially accepted the job reversed course and turned it down.

LAUSD Supt. Ramon Cortines assumed oversight of the school last see Arts School, page 6

photo by Gary Leonard

Daniel Flores, president of Bottega Louie, which opens on the ground floor of the Brockman Building this week. The project has been three years in the making.

Since 1972, an independent, locally owned and edited newspaper, go figure.

2 Downtown News

March 30, 2009

DowntownNews.com

AROUNDTOWN New Round of Regional Connector Meetings

San Diego-based Amerland Group’s attempt to secure $25 million in state bonds to help purchase the Mayfair Hotel in City West.

Amerland hopes to turn the property at 1256 W. Seventh St., which currently functions as a traditional hotel, into a 300-unit affordable housing project. The developer is seeking $25 million in state bonds to go toward the purchase. The hotel is currently owned by a large group of partners under the umbrella Mayfair LLC. A public hearing on the issuance of the state bond money will be held Tuesday, April 7, at 10 a.m. at interim City Administrative Officer Raymond P. Ciranna’s office at City Hall East, 200 N. Main St. Amerland already owns the Historic Core’s recently converted affordable apartment projects the Alexandria and the Rosslyn Lofts.

T

he Metropolitan Transportation Authority this week kicks off a new round of public meetings on the proposed Downtown Regional Connector, a transit link that would connect the Metro Gold, Blue and Expo lines through Downtown. The approximately two-mile Connector would most likely be an at-grade or underground light rail system. Both would run partly along Second Street, linking the 7th Street/Metro Blue Line station to the Little Tokyo/Arts District Gold Line station. The meetings that begin this week are the first step in the MTA’s preparation of an Environmental Impact Report analyzing the potential environmental effects of the project. Members of the public are invited to view information and renderings on the routing options, and the feedback will be incorporated into the EIR. The environmental review is expected to take up to three years.

Once completed and if approved, the MTA would begin seeking the $800 million to $910 million necessary to build the Connector. The Downtown meetings will be held Monday, March 30, at USC’s Davidson Conference Center, 3415 S. Figueroa St., from 4:30-6 p.m.; Wednesday, April 1, at the Japanese American Museum, 369 E. First St., from 6:30-8 p.m.; and Thursday, April 2, at the Central Library, 630 S. Fifth St., from noon-1:30 p.m.

Chapter 11 for Meruelo Maddux

S

hortly after announcing grim financial details, Downtown landowner Meruelo Maddux Properties and some of its subsidiaries have filed or will soon file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company will attempt to restructure its debt and reorganize operations in order to continue. Excluded from the filing is the company’s under-construction 35-story residential high-rise in South Park, 717 Ninth. “The company worked with diligence to avoid a reorganization filing,� said Richard Meruelo, company chairman and CEO, in a statement last week. “Despite our best efforts and careful consideration of all other alternatives, the filing became necessary given the challenging economic climate. Now, our goal is to implement a comprehensive reorganization and continue to seek additional

Amerland Eyes Mayfair Hotel Acquisition

T

he City Council voted unanimously on Wednesday, March 25, to support the

photo by Gary Leonard

On Thursday, March 27, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa appointed 14th District Councilman JosĂŠ Huizar (right) and Department of Transportation General Manager Rita Robinson (left) to the MTA board of directors. The mayor serves on the 13-member board and has the power to appoint three other members.

outside financing, which we believe will allow us to move forward.� The company, whose holdings include numerous industrial and warehouse properties in Downtown, said it expects to continue to manage its real estate portfolio and does not anticipate any disruption to its tenants.

Homeless Attacks to Be Treated as Hate Crimes

C

iting several recent and vicious attacks, the County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on March 24 to treat crimes against the homeless as hate crimes and to create a database to track them. Introduced by supervisors Zev Yaroslavsky and Don Knabe, the motion calls for the county’s

Human Relations Commission, the Sheriff’s Department and District Attorney to track and report all crimes against the homeless and determine if anti-homeless violence is becoming more frequent; the types of crimes that are occurring; and where they are taking place, all in hopes of reducing such crimes. “Recent incidents of vicious crimes targeting homeless individuals in our communities cry out for interventions to stop the senseless violence against vulnerable homeless people,� said Flora Gil Krisiloff, a deputy on homelessness and mental health issues for Yaroslavsky. The county cited instances such as the March 9 stabbing death of a 66-year-old homeless man in Lincoln Heights and the case last October of John Robert McGraham, who was burned to death in the mid-Wilshire area. see Around Town, page 6

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Downtown News 3

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EDITORIALS Hoping for a Bristol Bounce

D

owntown has numerous vacant buildings, but in recent years, few have been more troubling than the Bristol Hotel, a shuttered low-income residential complex on Eighth Street. Now, in what can be classified as a pleasant shock, the dilapidated property has been sold and plans have been announced to upgrade it. New inhabitants could arrive by the end of the year.

There are many steps between announcing a plan and an opening, and experience shows that projects developers envision taking a year can take three times as long. Still, we can’t help but be excited by the possibilities. An upgraded Bristol would be good for the neighborhood, transforming an eyesore that many

expected to remain vacant and ugly for years to come.

We hope the new owners, an experienced Downtown Los Angeles landlord named Izek Shomof, working with his son Eric, can pull off the turnaround. They plan to keep it as affordable housing. We hope they are able to raise money and partner with surrounding stakeholders and political officials to make their aspiration come to fruition.

The Bristol has a recent history as ugly as the building’s rundown state. In 2003 the 103-unit edifice was shuttered after it was sold to a businessman with a string of Hollywood establishments. The tenants were evicted, a move blamed on the previous owner. The businessman voiced plans to turn

the Bristol into an upscale hotel/nightclub/restaurant, which drew the opposition of city officials. They cited a previous loan arrangement in which the building was slated to remain low-income housing until 2015.

The conflict set the stage for what could require the property to sit empty until then (once 2015 rolls around, according to the agreement, it could be transformed to market-rate housing if the lost low-income units are replaced elsewhere).

Sitting empty all that time would be terrible, creating a dead spot in a neighborhood struggling to improve. One blighted building can negatively impact an entire block.

Frankly, given the economy, we expected it to remain empty.

Now, there is a plan not only to activate the structure, but also to bring a new restaurant to the ground floor. That’s good for Downtown. We look forward to a bright future for the Bristol.

Nightlife Operators Must Think of Residents

O

n the heels of the Downtown residential revolution, another trend continues to develop: that of Downtown Los Angeles as a nightlife destination. It is an evolution with a mixed record, as some club operators have clashed both with the police and those who call the community home.

It is a delicate balance, and there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. We hope some of the operators who have encountered problems, as well as anyone contemplating opening a nightlife venue, have learned to respect the community and treat it as a partner. Doing so makes business sense, since getting on the

wrong side of either law enforcement or the neighbors can mean an uncertain future.

Although Downtown Los Angeles has seen the arrival of thousands of apartment and condominium dwellers in the past decade, it does not have the residential oversight of many other communities. Partly because of this dearth of experienced, organized groups such as homeowners associations, when the neighborhood started to become more desirable early this decade, many bar and dance club proprietors also stormed into the area.

An influx of new nightlife businesses can be a good thing, but it can also create issues. While

Keep on Eating

J

ust when it might appear that Downtown has reached the restaurant saturation point, another new venue opens.

Actually, in March, at least four new spaces debuted. And more are coming.

It is surprising, especially when one remembers all the people who once looked down their nose at the Downtown dining scene, believing that while some establishments could draw a healthy lunch crowd, many would die due to a lack of a consistent dinner audience.

Nearly 20 restaurants opened in the final months of 2008, and the trend is continuing. This month’s highlight is the

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

residents and business groups like the concept of an active nightlife that attracts visitors, the situation can sour if music goes late and loud and if club-goers exiting at 2 a.m. — many fueled by a night of drinking — wake the neighbors who need to work the next morning.

In fact, several Downtown club operators have found that it is difficult to keep a business alive when they allow an environment that results in loud crowds and fights or other violent incidents in and around the venue. They have learned, the hard way, that appealing to zoning and other officials does not go well when they focus only on making a profit.

debut of a Downtown location of Chaya (in City National Plaza), but it is not alone: In the past few weeks Downtown has welcomed American food establishment The Mother Road in the Stillwell Hotel, the D-Town Burger Bar in the Historic Core and Magnolia in South Park.

This is hardly the end of the wave. L.A. Live is still awaiting some high-profile spots, among them Trader Vic’s and a Wolfgang Puck establishment. Other Downtown districts will also see new arrivals.

Not all of the new businesses will survive. An asterisk of the restaurant business is that many establishments never reach their second birthday. It is often a combination of food quality, location and business acumen on the part of the owner.

Expect that to be the case with some of the Downtown desti-

Other club operators, like the teams that run 213 Inc. (creators of the Golden Gopher, the Doheny and other spots) and the Tatou Supper Club in City West, have taken proactive steps to involve themselves with the community. The result is that each has cordial relations with the police and generally positive encounters with those who live in the vicinity of their nightspots.

Residential life and nightlife are not mutually exclusive. They can coexist, and people can and do live happily near bars and dance clubs. But it is incumbent on the operators to keep the neighbors’ needs in mind.

nations that fail.

For now though, it is worth marveling at the surfeit of options. It is a nice time to get a meal in Downtown Los Angeles.

How to reach us Main office: (213) 481-1448 MAIL your Letter Letters to the Editor • L.A. Downtown News 1264 W. First Street • Los Angeles, CA 90026 Email your Letter realpeople@downtownnews.com FAX your Letter (213) 250-4617 Read Us on the Web DowntownNews.com

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 sAlEs MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin sAlEs AssistANt: Annette Cruz clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Vanessa Acuña, Robert Dutcher, Catherine Holloway, 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. It is also distributed to the extended urban communities of Glendale, Hollywood, Wilshire Center, Los Feliz, Silver Lake & Larchmont Village.

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Downtown News 5

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MOCA’s Quiet Expansion Despite Financial Crisis, Museum Plans for Major New Building in Little Tokyo

by Richard Guzmán city editor

I

t has been a tough few months for the Museum of Contemporary Art. Late last year, news erupted that the Downtown Los Angeles institution had hit a major financial crisis highlighted by increased spending and a plunging endowment. Disaster was narrowly averted in December, when museum officials accepted a $30 million bailout plan from philanthropist Eli Broad. The situation led to the resignation of MOCA Director Jeremy Strick, along with the six-month closing of its Geffen Contemporary annex in Little Tokyo. In January, the museum slashed its budget and reduced its staff by 20%.

Despite these troubles, museum officials are looking at a major expansion in Little Tokyo. The plans call for a three-story, 90,000-square-foot building that would rise on a parking lot adjacent to the Geffen. It would create 6,000 square feet of educational program space, 18,000 square feet of exhibition/storage space (where some items will be on display) and 66,000 square feet of pure storage space to help alleviate the crowded storage conditions at MOCA. On April 14, the plan is scheduled to go before the city Zoning Administration for its first public hearing. City officials noted that the plan was initiated before news of the crisis became public.

“For the past year and half they’ve been working with the Planning Department to see if this is a possibility,” said Eva Kandarpa,

a spokeswoman for Councilwoman Jan Perry, whose Ninth District encompasses the Geffen Contemporary. “If it’s approved, it means they have the ability to do that.”

Citing the early stage of the project, museum officials are being tight-lipped about details and offered no cost or timeline estimates.

“The museum wants to be proactive about being able to have some kind of rights over the space to plan for the museum’s growth and expansion, whenever that might be,” said Lyn Winter, a spokeswoman for MOCA. Winter said it is also too early to tell what the expansion would mean for educational programs or exhibits at MOCA, where lack of sufficient space to house the permanent collection and temporary exhibits has long been an issue.

“We have small spaces in the museum to house small groups of students and teachers, but this would be a dedicated space for that,” Winter said. “But it’s too early to know what the programming would be.”

A Closer Look Documents filed with the city Planning Department offer a closer look at what the expansion could offer.

According to the documents, the exhibition/storage space would be enclosed by glass partitions and allow museum visitors to view MOCA’s collection while it is in storage.

“The exhibition space would provide viewers with a richer, more varied experience presenting less traditional selected works,” the report reads.

The project would not mean the creation

photo by Gary Leonard

MOCA officials are looking at building a three-story, 90,000-square-foot complex on a Little Tokyo parking lot adjacent to the Geffen Contemporary. No timeline or budget has been announced, and the first public hearing will take place April 14.

of more jobs at MOCA, and the timeline for construction is “somewhat variable,” with the museum requesting a 5-year period after approval to begin construction, which would take about 18 months.

The plan would also require approval from the Community Redevelopment Agency, since the project is in the Central Business District Redevelopment Area. The budget would come solely from fundraising and donations, according to the file.

MOCA is the city’s vanguard of contemporary art, housed in three facilities: MOCA Grand Avenue, its headquarters, which opened in 1986; the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, the largest of the venues; and the MOCA Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood.

The Geffen Contemporary, a former police car warehouse, opened in 1983 while the main facility was being constructed. It offers 40,000 square feet of exhibition space and has frequently housed large exhibits and installations.

Perry said she would like to see MOCA’s educational programs expand further with

the project.

“I’m a big fan of their educational and outreach programs, and to that end anything that provides a greater opportunity for that is a good thing for the community,” she said.

Chris Komai, a spokesman for the Japanese American National Museum, which neighbors the Geffen Contemporary, said that even though it is in the early stage, the plan for MOCA’s expansion offers a bit of good news for the art community, particularly during the recession.

“In a time like this when people’s capabilities are limited or being diminished by the economic situation that we’re in, the fact that people are thinking about the future I think is a good sign,” said Komai, whose own museum saw hours slashed in February due to the economy.

“We have to get through these periods and survive and think about the future and not just dwell on what’s going on right now.”

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

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March 30, 2009

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Arts School Continued from page 1 week from Local District 4 Supt. Richard Alonzo, who after 39 years with the district will retire on June 30, before the mega-school he had been tasked with planning ever opens.

Alonzo has borne the brunt of criticism for the school’s slow progress, but the district veteran attributes the delay largely to an ongoing battle with philanthropist Eli Broad and his allies who want the school to open as a charter. Charter schools, which receive money from the LAUSD, function with near complete autonomy from the district and are considered to be more flexible in their operations.

Hiring a principal is considered a milestone in the planning process, though LAUSD has been frustrated in its attempts.

The district’s first choice for the job, Rory Pullens, principal of the highly respected Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., accepted the job in February, but soon after declined the post in order to deal with a family crisis that required him to stay on the East Coast, Alonzo said.

The second potential principal, Kim Bruno, who leads the LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts in New York City, gave the district a verbal commitment early this month. Then, after a recent visit to Los Angeles, Bruno also rejected the district’s offer. In an email to Los Angeles Downtown News she cited “professional reasons.”

Bruno’s recent decision not to take the job, Alonzo said, has widened a rift between groups with competing ideologies for the state-of-the-art facility.

“What this has done is, now there are groups of people smelling blood and they think that the school should be a charter and this event may have played right into their hands,” Alonzo said. “Because now I’m getting thrown under the bus, with these people saying that the school is in the condition it is in because the district is not capable.”

Charter advocates argue that a successful arts high school will require autonomy from the LAUSD bureaucracy in order to devise a unique curriculum, hire the best teachers and operate facilities that include a 950-seat theater. The same advocates argue that the struggle to hire a principal is evidence of the district’s inability to open and successfully run the school.

Alonzo and Cortines have supported an administrative model for the school that would give it more autonomy from the district than traditional schools, but keep it in LAUSD control.

A.J. Duffy, president of the United Teachers Los Angeles and a staunch critic of charters, expressed skepticism last fall of the more autonomous governance model. But Duffy has since signed an agreement in support of the model, which Cortines said was a key step for the plan.

“This contract, which external people said we could never get, we have now,” Cortines said.

Big Players As Cortines presses to open the school in September, he is dealing with Broad and allies who advocate the charter model. According to Cortines, those allies include Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Board of Education President Monica Garcia. Garcia told Downtown News in October that she supported charter-like autonomies for the art school, but opposed a model that would relinquish district control.

In a letter to Cortines dated March 26, Broad names Villaraigosa, his chief of staff Robin Kramer, Garcia and Marshall Tuck, the former president of charter school organization Green Dot Public Schools, who now serves as chief executive of the mayor’s Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, as supporters of the charter route, Cortines said. (Garcia spokeswoman Emmanuelle Soichet said that Broad’s letter incorrectly included Garcia, but as of press time, Garcia did not comment on whether she supports charter status for the school.)

Cortines read portions of the letter from Broad aloud, but would not provide it in full to Downtown News.

In the letter, Cortines said, “[Broad] accuses me that if I proceed, ‘the school is deemed to be mediocre and a failure.’”

The Broad Foundation declined to comment. Villaraigosa’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

While Alonzo has been steadfast in his opposition to a charter, Cortines is open to the idea.

“I’m not against a charter, but that decision is made by parents and students,” Cortines said. “This school is not for sale and when students and parents file for a charter and have followed the proper procedures, so be it, but I’m not focusing on that.

I’m focusing on getting it open and getting the right people.”

Maria Casillas, executive director of the nonprofit Families in Schools and the spokeswoman for a team that Cortines assembled to help develop the school, said the group is leading

Around Town Continued from page 2

Official Pushing for Change to Digital TV Law

U

.S. Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard is pushing to amend a law that has so far rendered residents of single room occupancy housing — the predominant form of permanent housing in Skid Row — ineligible for a federal coupon program created to help consumers handle the upcoming nationwide switch to digital television. On June 12, all television stations will be required to broadcast using digital signals, instead of analog. At that time, households that rely on antennas like “rabbit ears” will go dark.

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As part of the law that required the conversion, Congress included a subsidy program that entitles households to $40 coupons toward the purchase of digital converter boxes, but SRO housing developments did not fit the legislation’s criteria for a household. Los Angeles Downtown News first reported the story on Feb. 23. In response to many Skid Row area residents, who largely lack cable or satellite TV and cannot afford the full price of converter boxes, Roybal-Allard recruited 26 co-signers to a letter requesting a change in the law. The letter was sent last week to Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which is administering the program. “My letter asks the Energy and Commerce Committee to direct the National Telecommunications Information Administration to extend the program to this vulnerable population,” Roybal-Allard said in a statement.

“No American should be left in the dark when the digital transition occurs.”

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the push to make the school a charter. Though the charter debate tends to evoke deep political and ideological divisions in the education world, Casillas argues that charters are still public schools.

“The way people act is like we’re giving it away to the nuns or the Pope,” she said. “We’re not giving it away. It’s just whether it’s going to be a regular old school. A charter school is a public school.”

With support from Cortines and Garcia, Casillas said she is optimistic that there is enough time to conduct the official charter organization process, which starts with a petition from parents, she said.

“We’d have to go out to the community at the same time that the district is doing all the logistical things like making sure they have phone lines, desks and equipment,” Casillas said.

Broad has been an influential figure in the school’s development since he lobbied for an upgraded design by Austrian architecture firm Coop Himelb(l)au and donated $5 million in seed money to the school.

The 230,000-square-foot facility is recognizable for its 140-foot spiraling tower that looms above the 101 Freeway, just opposite the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels bell tower. The steel-wrapped helix resembles a number nine, a reference to the school’s official name: Los Angeles Central Region High School No. 9.

Whereas Broad had envisioned a landmark institution that would cater to the city’s best and brightest young artists, similar to the highly competitive LaGuardia and Duke Ellington schools and the Los Angeles County School for Performing Arts, Alonzo sees an institution that would coax the potential out of local students whose socioeconomic backgrounds have limited their exposure to the arts.

Under the current district model, 70% of the seats at the 1,700-seat school are reserved for students from the local feeder district, known as the Belmont Zone of Choice. The remainder are open to students citywide.

That enrollment process would likely be altered by a charter organization, though it is unclear how.

As the battle continues, applications continue to stream in from students, both locally and citywide, even if they can’t be sure what to expect on the first day of school. The district expects to notify parents of acceptance in May, Alonzo said.

Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

Brookfield Inks $23 Million Lease

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rookfield Properties has scored a major lease in its Bank of America Plaza. The building owner announced that law firm Seyfarth Shaw has signed a 10-year, $23 million deal that will expand their Century City office into Downtown. About 45 employees are expected to make the move Downtown, including 30 attorneys, said Ken Youmans, managing partner for the Los Angeles office. “It’s a Class A building and a wonderful location for what we do,” he said. The 55-story Bank of America Plaza is at 333 S. Hope St.. “[The move] Downtown allows us to better serve a subset of our clients and it makes us more accessible to them, to where they are doing business,” Youmans added. The majority of the employees will be in place by the end of the month.

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March 30, 2009

FAST Continued from page 1 the silent majority of people who sit in traf­ fic to get active in looking for solutions,” said Thomas. “We’re providing a rational basis for a discussion about traffic.”

Only the county’s Metropolitan Trans­ portation Authority or the Los Angeles Department of Transportation could actually enact RAND’s recommendations. While Metro and LADOT officials have voiced support for Thomas’ efforts, critics point out that most of the recommendations in the RAND report have been floated in transit circles for years.

“I do support the concept of trying it,” said transit activist Harold Katz, who chaired the Los Angeles Business Council’s Transportation and Planning Committee for 18 years. “I just object to them spending $300,000 to find out things we already know.

“Most of the ideas they came up with, there are people that have been working on them 38 years and we’ve attacked all of these proposals and not met with a lot of success.”

Small Fixes, Big Gains Thomas, a longtime real estate player, was a partner with developer Rob Maguire from the early 1980s until the mid-’90s. Once coowner of basketball’s Sacramento Kings, Thomas split from Maguire in 1996 and the same year founded Thomas Properties Group, which he still heads.

Thomas Properties Group owns structures in Los Angeles, Sacramento, Houston and other cities. In 2006 the company completed a $125 million renovation of the Financial District complex formerly known as Arco Plaza, now City National Plaza. Thomas Properties also owns an eight-story commer­ cial building at 800 S. Hope St. Thomas’ traffic initiative was partly inspired

Downtown News 7

DowntownNews.com by his time as head of the Grand Avenue Committee, the public-private partnership that initiated the proposed $3 billion Grand Avenue project. The effort is on hold due to the econo­ my, yet in terms of striking public-private part­ nerships, Thomas considers it a success.

“The Grand Avenue process was a good prototype for this,” he said while sitting in the sunny sixth-floor conference room of the Paul Hastings building, one of the twin edi­ fices that comprise City National Plaza.

Regarding his personal inspiration for ad­ vocating traffic solutions, he said with some emotion, “The city’s been very good to me, and I want our city to be great. It’s my home.”

Thomas put $100,000 of his own mon­ ey into the RAND study. Metro and FAST board members, who include former Mayor Richard Riordan, USC President Steve Sample and former Metro CEO Roger Snoble, funded the rest.

The study started by looking at 65 trafficeasing systems used around the world. The focus all along, Thomas said, has been on coming up with short-term, affordable ways to alleviate gridlock.

“I don’t want to get caught up in the large capital projects,” said Thomas. “I want us to stay focused on interim, cheap solutions. We could do a lot of things right now to drasti­ cally improve our situation.”

Several of the 13 recommendations RAND came up with have already been attempted, or are being implemented by local transit authorities, including synchronizing traffic lights within L.A. and with other adjoining cities; developing a network of paired oneway streets along heavy traffic corridors; and congestion pricing, or charging drivers for using major roadways during peak hours through measures such as tolls.

“I think it was an excellent report,” said LADOT Principal Transportation Engineer Jay Kim. “A lot of things we already knew,

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but it gave it the authority and the weight.”

LADOT is working on a streetlight syn­ chronization plan as recommended by the study, said Kim. It is approximately twothirds finished, though budget issues could delay its completion.

Some Metro projects in the works also line up with the RAND recommendations, such

‘I don’t want to get caught up in the large capital projects. I want us to stay focused on interim, cheap solutions. We could do a lot of things right now to drastically improve our situation.’

—Jim Thomas

as a plan to launch a pilot congestion pricing program, said an agency spokesman.

Thomas said that by raising awareness about the RAND study, he hopes to build support for LADOT and Metro projects such as those already underway. The agencies, he said, appreciate “that there is a group build­ ing support for them to do smart things.”

Building a Movement Building consensus around even small traffic solutions in Los Angeles, however, is no easy task.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in 2007 an­

nounced a plan to make Pico and Olympic boulevards behave more like one-way streets, an idea the RAND report recommends and that Thomas champions. The plan, however, was met with significant community opposi­ tion and has been sidelined by a lawsuit filed by a group of Westside businesses.

County Supervisor and Metro board member Zev Yaroslavsky, who initiated the Olympic and Pico one-way plan, said it is “a perfect indication of how difficult it is” to make even small road changes in Los Angeles.

“When people feel that the pain of the status quo is sufficient that they want to do some­ thing about it, they’ll do something about it,” said Yaroslavsky. “If people aren’t ready for one-way couplet streets today, maybe they will be 10 years from now.”

Still, he added, “I am supportive of anyone like Jim Thomas who wants to put his money and intellect toward trying to resolve this issue.”

While Thomas admits that “maybe I’m dreaming that you can eventually get enough people and enough public officials on board,” FAST Executive Director Hilary Norton is making the rounds at neighborhood council meetings and other gatherings, presenting the plan and trying to build a coalition of support­ ers for concepts such as one-way streets.

Thomas said he hopes to get as many as 2 million people signed up on the website, and for those people to become a force to let leg­ islators know where and when they want to effect traffic change.

In the long run, even Thomas’ detractor admits that, at the very least, his track record gives him a potential few others can match.

“I do support Mr. Thomas in his efforts and he has the political capital, I think, to get things done that those of us who have been working on this just didn’t have the power to get done,” said Katz.

Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.

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8 Downtown News

March 30, 2009

DowntownNews.com

Bottega Louie Continued from page 1 believe in the area very much.”

Flores would not disclose the project’s budget.

Bottega Louie is seen by many as an important addition to the Seventh Street corridor, which for a time languished while the rest of Downtown Los Angeles thrived. The thoroughfare was once a major commercial hub, but during the 1990s saw fleeing businesses, partially the result of the construction of the Red Line.

Some new establishments have opened on the street in recent years, including the Mandel Lofts at Seventh and Olive streets and the nightlife spot Seven Restaurant Bar. Local officials hope that Louie will continue the momentum.

“It’s another reflection of the fact that Seventh Street is coming back in a big way,” Central City Association and Downtown Center Business Improvement District President Carol Schatz said of Bottega Louie.

“I can’t think of another street that was more decimated by the [subway] construction in the early ’90s and by the economy in the mid-’90s. Now with all these extraordinary renovations, we are once again creating a very vibrant retail scene.”

Still, with the national economy in turmoil, the news is not all good for Bottega Louie.

The Roosevelt Lofts, a massive condominium project at Seventh and Flower streets, has yet to fill with occupants despite a ribbon cutting last year. Additionally, construction on the rest of the 12-story Brockman, developed as a housing complex, was completed last year, but the building still has not opened. Last week, Los Angeles Downtown News reported that Brockman developer the West Millennium Group has defaulted on its construction loan.

The lack of inhabitants in the buildings means the residential population within walking distance of the market is smaller than Louie officials may have hoped.

“I would love for it to be different,” Flores said, with a shrug, of his landlord’s predicament. As for whether Bottega Louie’s lease is

secure even if the property changes hands, he said, “We hope so.”

A Careful Selection Flores heads a group of private investors, known collectively as the Beverly Hills Food Company, which owns Bottega Louie.

“Bottega,” which means shop in Italian, refers to the market portion of the establishment.

“Louie” was chosen as the name for the restaurant simply because it sounds friendly, “like the guy down the street making pizza,” said project executive Nicole Tilley.

Flores has spent most of his life in the food industry. His family owns San Diego’s Sanfilippo’s Pizza, and before launching Bottega Louie he helped distressed restaurants reinvent themselves.

Flores and his partners settled on the Brockman space approximately three years ago after carefully researching the surrounding area. They spent about three months surveying activity at local Starbucks, monitoring customer and pedestrian traffic. “We also familiarized ourselves with all the other restaurant groups in the area and studied the demographics,” he said.

Rather than compete with the Ralphs Fresh Fare that opened in 2007 in South Park or nearby convenience stores such as the 7-Eleven on Seventh and Olive streets, Flores said Bottega Louie will try to capture a niche with upscale but affordable cuisine and a thoughtful selection of grocery items.

Highlights of the Italian-inspired eatery include a deli case that will offer more than 100 rotating dishes throughout the day, a bar tended by a “mixologist” who specializes in hand-crafted cocktails, a patisserie catered by an in-house pastry chef and a pizza station serving up extra-thin Neopolitan pies. The full kitchen will also churn out three meals a day for diners who opt for the 185-seat dining room.

The small selection of grocery items just inside the Grand Avenue entrance features an eclectic mix of olive oils, wines, jams and other specialty goods.

“We wanted unique products that are hard to find,” said Flores. “They’re not things you would use every day, but they’re special things that are nice to have. For example, I think it’s nice to have a really great honey in

photo by Gary Leonard

Bottega Louie has several service counters and can seat 185 people. The market includes an array of artisan products.

the house.”

Leslie Kadin, director of gourmet markets for Bottega Louie, spent more than a year shopping for the grocery items. She considered three criteria, she said: taste, packaging and story.

“It’s about the artisan,” said Kadin. “It’s about the love behind the product.”

On that note, the market portion of Bottega Louie carries products such as pancake mix from SweetStacks, a company created and run by a Pacific Islander family; Blackberry Farm jams, homemade at a Tennessee bed and breakfast; and jarred, golden peaches prepared by the gourmet, family-owned DiCamillo Bakery.

From the Italian Carrera marble floors to

the brass appliqué, the decor at Bottega Louie was as painstakingly assembled as the food selection. The attention to detail (the brass elements alone took 18 months to create, said Flores), along with logistical challenges such as routing the kitchen vents through the building’s 12 upper floors, delayed the opening process, said Flores.

But with the finish line finally in sight, he hopes all the hard work will pay off.

“We expect to serve the business community, the residential community,” he said. “And we hope there’s enough value that we’ll attract people from some outlying areas as well.”

Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.

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Downtown News 9

DowntownNews.com

The Famima Invasion Japanese Chain Bets Big on Downtown, With Plans for Seventh Local Store

by Ryan VaillancouRt staff wRiteR

Ladies appareL Co.

photo by Gary Leonard

As vice president of Famima, which opened its sixth Downtown location last week, Pervez Pir is helping the Japanese company tweak the traditional cigarette and hot dog model. A seventh Downtown store will arrive in May.

that tends to be somewhat marginalized by traditional convenience stores: women, Lenard said.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if 60-70% of their customer base is female, which is not typical of most convenience stores,” Lenard said.

“Convenience stores traditionally think of the core customer as somebody that the industry would affectionately call ‘Bubba,’ somebody who just wants something, fast, and doesn’t care much beyond that…. What you want to do is maintain that core customer and expand, and that is what Famima does exceedingly well.”

The company also differs from more established chains because it is still corporate

owned and not a franchise, at least not yet, Pir said.

“Ultimately we’d like to be a franchise,” he said. “That’s the goal.”

For now, Famima is just looking to refine its model as it focuses on marketing and growing brand recognition. But Pir said the company takes customer comments seriously — there is a suggestion box in every store.

“Being small as we are, we can react to the customer’s needs,” he said. “We go through customer comments and literally the next week we’ll bring a product in. We listen to the customers. We have to.”

Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

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he convenience store Famima!!, known for an eclectic inventory featuring everything from sandwiches to savory sticky buns to Japanese pantyhose, is planting its neon green and black flag deep in Downtown’s retail landscape.

The Japanese-owned company, which debuted in the region in 2006 and now has 14 Los Angeles area locations, opened its sixth Downtown store last week (its first Downtown location was at 800 S. Figueroa St. in 2006). The outlet on the ground floor of the Roosevelt Lofts at Seventh and Flower streets came two weeks after the company opened a store at 700 Wilshire Blvd. In May, it plans to bring a shop to Union Station.

The Downtown push comes after an attempt to expand in suburban Los Angeles markets over the past two years with driveup stores was foiled by a lack of brand recognition, said Famima Vice President Pervez Pir. “The recognition factor has been the biggest downfall for us and I’m open to say it, because it’s the truth,” Pir said. “Once people recognize us we can expand, but the most important thing we saw was sales were always higher in the walk-up stores. We tested the roadside, but the test said nobody knows who we are.”

The focus on Downtown’s pedestrianheavy market explains why the company jumped at the chance to open at Seventh and Flower streets: The entrance lines up perfectly with a bus stop and sits next to a portal for the Seventh Street Metro Station.

During the store’s March 24 opening, the strategy seemed to be working as a group of students hopped off the bus, made a beeline for Famima and left minutes later with frozen slush drinks and ice-cream pops.

The slush drinks from the vendor Icee are also an example of how the company is expanding its focus from rare Asian products to include traditional American convenience store fare.

Initially, the company found that its Asian offerings were a hit with Asian customers, but fell flat with the mainstream. Japanese pantyhose, for example, may have thrilled a niche demographic, but most women couldn’t read the box, Pir said. So with the new stores, the Asian hair mousse is out and Axe body spray is in.

“We will never go away from Japanese

products because they are very important to us,” he said. “But we realized we had to reach out to the mainstream customer.”

Focus on the Food Famima provoked instant curiosity when it debuted in 2006 with an unlikely logo featuring its name, followed by two exclamation points. While many customers may believe it is a Japanese moniker, Famima is merely an abbreviation of parent company Family Mart, an industry leader in Japan, said Jeff Lenard, spokesman for the National Association of Convenience Stores.

Catchy as the name might be, it didn’t adequately convey to consumers what was inside, Pir said. That’s why the company changed its logo to feature a character getting ready to chomp a sizzling panini, and the phrase “Fresh Food” scrolls under “Famima.”

Unlike convenience stores such as 7-Eleven, whose sales are dominated by cigarettes, alcohol and sometimes gasoline, prepared foods are the focus at Famima, Pir said.

The offerings include paninis, which can be grilled onsite, fresh sushi that stays on the shelf for one day only and international meals made for the microwave — think Indian chicken dishes, tortellini with marinara sauce and salads.

But true to the company’s plan to lure more customers, new stores include hot dogs (not to mention corn dogs), as well as a candy shelf that pairs chocolate dipped Pocky sticks with Snickers.

The 7-Eleven chain, which currently has one Downtown location at Seventh and Olive streets, similarly prides itself on fresh foods, even if the leading American convenience store isn’t known for it.

“We’re all the time expanding and trying to upgrade our image,” said Daniel Porter, 7-Eleven’s vice president for real estate. “Our sandwiches, salads and fruits are made in a local commissary and delivered daily, so it doesn’t get much fresher than that.”

Porter said the company has aggressive expansion plans in Southern California, with two to three additional Downtown stores expected to come online in 2009. On a state level, Famima’s market share pales in comparison to 7-Eleven, which expects to open more than 50 new California locations this year alone. But in the Downtown market, 7-Eleven does see Famima as competition, Porter said.

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March 30, 2009

DowntownNews.com

HEALTH Training at Home How to Find the Right Exercise Equipment For Personal Use

by Diane SchlinDwein

W

hile some people enjoy the camaraderie of working out at a fitness club, others prefer to exercise in the privacy of their own homes.

Folks who sweat it out at a club often have an instructor to cheer them on, along with a plethora of exercise machines to choose from every time they hit the gym. On the other hand, home exercisers usually like their privacy and are often alone when they work out.

That’s why those who are buying fitness equipment for their personal use should visit a specialty fitness retailer who understands exercise, answers questions and demonstrates the proper use of equipment, according to

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exercise physiologist and fitness consultant Elizabeth Quinn.

Quinn, who reports on sports medicine for about.com, believes good home exercise equipment choices are treadmills, elliptical trainers, stationary bikes, recumbent cycles, step machines, cross country ski machines, rowing machines and resistance equipment.

She and others believe the biggest challenge is often deciding which product is right for the person or family who is going to use it.

“There is not one piece of equipment made for everybody. Getting in shape at home requires self-motivation, tenacity, setting attainable goals and at least one piece of the right kind of equipment,” said David Utinski,

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who owns and manages The Body Quest Store Inc. in Springfield, Ill. Although most people don’t come in for multiple machines, it’s important to find the right one.

“Very rarely do people come in to get a whole room of equipment,” he said.

“However, exercise is a serious thing to do as far as changing your body and your lifestyle.

That’s why we always qualify the customer who is buying the equipment.”

The person who is selling equipment should always ask several questions, said Utinski. How much space is available? How many people are using it? What are their activity backgrounds? Do they have any health or orthopedic problems?

“Let’s say someone just had bypass surgery.

We’ll set him up with something with heart rate controls,” he said.

Since manufacturers are continually coming out with new equipment, it’s important to do some research.

For example, Nautilus, Inc. recently introduced the Schwinn 460, an elliptical machine that lets users vary stride lengths dynamically. Designed for home use, this machine incorporates three foot-driven motions — stepping, walking and running — with an integrated handlebar system to engage upperand lower-body muscles. It works both sides of the body and features 11 workout profiles built by fitness professionals from Nautilus.

It also includes a backlit touch screen console, a water-bottle holder, contact and telemetric heart rate chest monitoring and an angle-adjustable fan.

Elliptical trainers are a no-impact machine, Utinski said. “With elliptical trainers there is no impact on knees, hips, backs or ankles.

They are kind of like putting together a ski machine and a bike.”

But these machines are not for everyone.

That is why treadmills have long been a popular piece of aerobic equipment for home use, according to Quinn. When buying a

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treadmill, she suggested looking for a solid, smooth action, a steady pace, safety shut off, wide belt and incline settings.

Utinski added that treadmills should have an all-steel frame, a motor with continuous duty horsepower and a hardwood deck.

Stationary bikes and elliptical trainers should also have a steel frame.

No matter what machine you choose, warranties are important. “Don’t buy something that has a 90-day warranty,” he said. “That is a big red flag.”

Where you set up the equipment is important, too. “I tell them to put it right in front of a TV. That way you can exercise and watch television,” Utinski said. “Putting exercise equipment in a basement isn’t a good idea, unless you have a nice room with a TV set up for the equipment.”

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Downtown News 11

Health

USC Studies Folic Acid Supplements Researchers Discover Supplements Linked to Higher Risk of Prostate Cancer

by Meghan Lewit

A

study led by USC researchers found that men who took a daily folic acid supplement of 1 mg had more than twice the risk of prostate cancer compared with men who took a placebo.

The finding came from a secondary analysis of the Aspirin/ Folate Polyp Prevention Study, a placebo-controlled randomized trial to determine the impact of aspirin and folic acid on colon polyps in men and women who were at high risk for the disease. The results appear in the March 10 online issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Folic acid (folate) is a B vitamin found in many vegetables, beans, fruits and whole grains. While evidence of its ability to reduce neural tube defects in infants while taken by the mother before or during pregnancy has been well documented, its effects on other conditions are unclear.

“We know that adequate folate levels are important in the prevention of several cancer types, cardiovascular and neurological diseases,” said lead author Jane Figueiredo, assistant professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “However, little has been known about its role in prostate cancer. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between folic acid supplements and dietary folate and risk of prostate cancer.”

The study, conducted between 1994 and 2006, found that aspirin reduced the risk of colon polyps while folic acid had a negative effect and increased the risk of advanced and multiple polyps.

The first analysis did not address the impact of folic acid supplements on prostate cancer risk. Previous observational studies have been inconsistent. Some studies suggest that increased folate in the diet or in supplements might actually Continued from previous page Of course, good quality equipment can be pricey, Utinski said. He believes, however, that good fitness equipment is one of the best investments a person can make.

“People spend a lot of money on houses and cars, but sometimes don’t consider they need to be healthy and alive to enjoy those investments,” he said. “When you think about it, for the reason you are doing it, [buying fitness equipment] it is not that expensive.

“I love seeing people change their lives. This is your health care and your stroke prevention. Exercising is preventative maintenance on your body.”

Once the equipment is purchased and set up in the home, it’s important to use it — no matter what.

“Everybody knows how to eat right,” Utinski said.

“If you don’t eat after 8 p.m. and get up in the morning and spend 30 minutes every single day kicking butt on that treadmill — or whatever piece of equipment — you will start seeing results in 30 days.”

Article by Creators News Service.

lower the risk of prostate cancer, and others have suggested no effect or even a potential harmful effect.

In the secondary analysis, researchers looked at prostate cancer incidence among 643 men who were randomly assigned to 1 mg daily folic acid supplements or placebo in the study and who enrolled in an extended follow-up study. The estimated prostate cancer risk was 9.7% at 10 years in men assigned to folate, compared with 3.3% in men assigned to placebo.

By contrast, dietary folate intake and plasma folate

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showed a trend toward reduced risk of prostate cancer, although the difference did not reach statistical significance.

It remains unclear why dietary and circulating folate among non-multivitamin users may be inversely associated with risk, Figueiredo said.

“The synthetic form of folate, folic acid, found in supplements is more bioavailable compared to folate from dietary sources, and we know the amount of folate available is critical,” she said. “Adequate levels of folate may be beneficial, but too much folate is unlikely to be beneficial.”

Alternatively, these results may be due to chance, and replication by other studies is needed, she noted.

“These findings highlight the potentially complex role of folate in prostate cancer,” said Figueiredo. “The possibility of different effects from folic acid-containing supplements versus natural sources of folate definitely merits further investigation.”

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12 Downtown News

March 30, 2009

DowntownNews.com

photo by Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

photo courtesy of the Natural History Museum

CALENDAR

Building on a Scientist’s Birthday, Natural History Museum Continues to Lure Young Crowds on Friday Nights staff wRiteR

E

veryone knows Charles Darwin is the evolution man, survival of the fittest and all. But as the Natural History Museum plans to show this week at its First Fridays event, natural selection is sort of like the prudish, if more successful, cousin of Darwin’s second theory: sexual selection.

The museum’s ever popular series, which takes place the first Friday of the month from January through June, features a hybrid program that blends pop culture and science. The museum has devoted this season to Darwin in the year of his 200th birthday. This year also marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of his seminal work, The Origin of Species.

Naturally, Darwin and his ideas about evolution have been hogging the curatorial spotlight, but on April 3 from 5:30-10 p.m., the museum will focus on sexual selection. And what better way to accomplish the series’ main goal, to bring in new visitors who may not be the typical science nerd.

“We’re trying to bring the museum to light in a way that’s different than the field trip memories that everyone has from when they’re young,” said Su Oh, the Exposition Park museum’s manager of performing arts and exhibits. “We want to bring the science to a point where people who aren’t science majors can understand it and enjoy it.”

Size Matters First Fridays events include a museum tour tailored to the month’s theme, plus a panel discussion with leading scientists on the same topic and, later, performances by popular and emerging bands.

This week, the museum’s entomology curator, or bug expert, Brian Brown, will highlight examples of insects that exemplify Darwin’s theory of sexual selection. The theory examines why males or females of the same species can differ so drastically in physical characteristics.

A male Hercules Beetle, for example, could have an unusually large horn, which is nature’s gift to help that bug convince females to mate with him, Brown said.

“Males have gigantic horns and antlers — females don’t have them at all — and they’re far above and beyond what the male needs to compete, but the males with bigger horns are more likely to win in a contest and produce offspring and it becomes a self perpetuating cycle,” Brown said.

After the insect tour, museum goers will be able to take a seat and listen in as Michael Quick, a professor of biological sciences and executive vice dean of the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, picks the brain of Michael Ryan, one of the world’s leading experts in frog evolution and sexual selection.

Quick was tapped by the museum in 2008 to curate the First Fridays panel discussions, and after a successful year, he is back. He says he’s able to bring in such decorated scientists — next month, the museum hosts

Don Johanson, who discovered the early woman fossil known as “Lucy” — because after speaking in countless academic circles, experts are eager to talk to regular people.

“I think scientists have come to realize that we need to get out more and talk to the general population,” Quick said. “To be asked to come to a museum and people are going to be hanging out and drinking and listening to bands but you’ll have the opportunity to talk in general about some cool, gee whiz things, they want to be a part of that.”

The Darwin fest continues with panels on human evolution in May, and in June, it hosts former evangelical Christian turned scientist Michael Shermer for an examination of the battle between religion and science.

Mission Accomplished?

The series that launched in 2005 with the premise that buzz-worthy music acts would help bring people to the museum who wouldn’t otherwise visit has turned into one of the most popular cultural events in town.

It’s not necessarily surprising given the $9 entrance fee to see acts like this month’s headliner, L.A. rapper Busdriver, who will be joined by the genre-bending indie favorite Tim Fite, from New York.

What has surprised museum officials is that more attendees seem to be showing up for the science, and not necessarily the art, Oh said.

“I would say in March, the science outsold the music,” Oh said. “We’re at that point where what would have been the teaser, which is the music getting people coming in to look at the science, well, now the science is exciting people.”

Whether attendees are there for the science, the art or a little bit of both, the mix is working: Lately, the events have been drawing between 1,500 and 1,700 people, overflowing the 500-person capacity North American Mammal Hall, where the bands set up.

“It’s been totally packed,” Quick said. “And we really do seem to be getting this amazing collection of people who do show up for the science and I think that’s got the museum really jazzed because that’s what they were really looking to do. We’ve got the fire marshal mad at us and everything.”

The next First Fridays event is Friday, April 3, 5:30-10 p.m. at the Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 763-3466 or nhm.org.

Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com. ing photo by Ryan Miller/Capture Imag

by Ryan VaillancouRt

/Capture Imaging photo by Ryan Miller

Bringing Sexy Darwin Back

The Natural History Museum in Downtown Los Angeles continues its First Fridays series on April 3 with a program about Charles Darwin’s theory of sexual selection. The events that pair science with bands and DJs routinely draw more than 1,500 people.

March 30, 2009

A Softer Rage Guitarist Tom Morello Brings His Acoustic and Political Sides to the Grammy Museum

by RichaRd Guzmán city editoR

R

age Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello is known as much for his outspoken liberal views as he is for his progressive and aggressive guitar skills, which have earned him a spot on Rolling Stone’s list of the top 100 guitarists of all time.

While his heavy riffs often fill large and rowdy settings, the guitarist will bring a subdued side to Downtown Los Angeles when he visits the 200-seat Grammy Museum Sound Stage on Tuesday, March 31. Although the guitar will be unplugged, expect the Chicago native to be as loquacious as ever; Morello, who also is involved with the folksy The Nightwatchmen and the new band Street Sweeper, will talk about his political activity and follow it with an acoustic performance.

But first, he spoke to Los Angeles Downtown News.

Question: Why did you want to perform at the Grammy Museum?

Answer: I actually really love the Grammy Museum. I’ve been to a lot of the different rock and roll museums and I think that’s a great one.

Q: How does your guitar style translate acoustically?

A: I’ve made a couple of records, One Man Revolution and The Fabled City, and have been playing solo acoustic shows since 2002 or 2003. And I’ve gone on quite a few world tours

Downtown News 13

DowntownNews.com

doing it as well, so it’s not entirely new to my repertoire. But the music falls into the category of, I suppose, protest folk music in the tradition of Woody Guthrie or early Bob Dylan. My goal with this is to always have it be kind of one part Che Guevara, one part Johnny Cash.

Q: What’s going on with Street Sweeper?

A: Street Sweeper is myself and Boots Ryley from the Oakland hip-hop group The Coup.

He’s tremendously talented as a lyricist and we have a lot of fun making that music. It’s actually some of the heaviest, hardest rocking music I’ve been involved with for some time. We’re going out this summer; we have a record that’s finished and will come out this year.

Q: Is there a release date for that album?

A: We don’t know yet. We actually currently don’t even have a record company. We just finished the record and we got offered to do this tour, so it kind of accelerated the whole pace.

Q: I was lucky enough to see Rage Against The Machine when you reunited at Coachella in 2007. Are you back together for good?

A: I’m not certain if there’s going to be any shows in 2009, but I had a fantastic time playing those shows and I hope that we play a lot more.

Q: What’s Axis of Justice about?

A: It’s a nonprofit political organization that I founded with Serj Tankian from System of a Down. The idea is to bring together fans of music and progressive-minded musicians and local grass roots organizations to fight for social justice. We also provide an alternative news source and a lot of recommendations, like book recommendations, band recommendations and film recommendations, things that have inspired us.

Q: Can you give me some recommendations for the budding activist?

A: I’ll give you a movie, a book and a record, how about that? So for a movie, why don’t we say a documentary called Hearts and Minds, which is about the Vietnam War era, which applies very well today. For a book, let’s start with The Noam Chomsky Reader, and for an album the Clash’s London Calling.

Q: As you get older, are you more of an inspired activist or more pessimistic?

A: I don’t know that I’m more optimistic or pessimistic. Each day, each record and each tour is part of what I see as my life’s mission; trying to use music and my creativity and talents to further the cause of social justice and to rock out in the meantime.

Q: You’ve been arrested a couple of times while doing this. When was the last time you were in jail?

A: I’ve been arrested four or five times actually. The last time was a couple of years ago; it was actually at the largest civil disobedience protest in the history of Los Angeles where hotel workers and their supporters were demanding unionization and better wages and

photo by Sean Ricigliano

On March 31, Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello will discuss his political activism and perform an acoustic set at the 200-seat Grammy Museum.

conditions for the hotel workers. We spent the night in jail.

Q: Does it help when someone recognizes you in the slammer?

A: It’s all right; some of the cops want your autograph and stuff. It’s funny. I did sign a couple of them.

Tom Morello is at the Grammy Museum on Tuesday, March 31. 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org.

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

Q: What about new music from Rage?

A: There are no plans for that right now.

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March 30, 2009

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LISTINGS EVENTS

Wednesday, april 1 ALOUD Business Forum 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7241 or lapl.org.

7:30 a.m.: An ALOUD Business Forum with Nandan Nilekani, called “A Visionary Look at the Evolution and Future of India.” He’s in conversation with Vijay Sathe, professor of Management, Drucker School of Management. Tickets $20. Visit aloudbizforum.org for reservations.

REDCAT 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800, redcat.org.

7 p.m.: The panelists in this “Be the Change” event include poet and educator Mark Gonzalez, artist Suzanne Lacy, curator and arts administrator Al Nodal and the art-activist group Beehive Collective. Each gives a presentation on current projects and touches on strategies rooted in models of social activism, public art, community organizing, education and policymaking.

SCI-Arc Lecture Series 960 E. Third St., (213) 356-5328 or sciarc.edu. In the W. M. Keck Lecture Hall.

7 p.m.: Evan Roth’s talk is called “Release Early, Often, and with Rap Music.” He’s an artist with interests in technology, tools of empowerment, open source and popular culture.

The

sunday, april 5 The Natural Wonders of Los Angeles, A Lecture Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St., Taper Auditorium, (323) 936-2912 or lapl.org.

2-4 p.m.: Elizabeth Pomeroy, natural historian, writer and former chair of the Pasadena Recreation and Parks Commission, examines the natural wonders of a city so often affiliated with Hollywood illusions.

Japanese American Cultural & Community Center Aratani/Japan America Theatre, 244 S. San Pedro St., (213) 382-04886 or jaccc.org.

Noon-4 p.m.: For Hanamatsuri, the JACCC campus is transformed for Buddha’s birthday.

MOCA Grand Avenue 250 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-1765 or moca.org.

1 p.m.: This “First Sundays are For Families

1

On Saturday, April 4, take advantage of the rare opportunity to watch two people whose first names start with “Sieg” fall in love, opera-style. If that doesn’t sound enticing (can’t imagine why!), think of it instead as a chance to see legendary tenor Plácido Domingo in L.A. Opera’s Die Walküre, the second part of Richard Wagner’s four-part Ring cycle. The opera at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion tells the story of doomed hero Siegmund (Domingo) and his soul mage Sieglinde. The show starts at 6:30 p.m., but brace yourself: The production is nearly five hours long. Performances continue April 16, 22 and 25 at 6:30 p.m. and April 8, 12 and 19 at 1 p.m.

135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8001 or laopera.com.

Two

3

Known for his angry-funny rants on everything from drugs to vegetarians to politics, the Golden Globeand Emmy Award-nominated Denis Leary is anything but shy. On Saturday, April 4, Leary, also known recently for his role on the FX network firefighter drama “Rescue Me,” brings his special brand of entertaining rants to L.A. Live’s Nokia Theatre. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the performance starts at 8. 777 Chick Hearn Court, (213) 763-6030 or nokiatheatrelalive.com.

photo by Scott Groller

saTurday, april 4 California African American Museum 600 State Drive, (213) 744-2024 or caamuseum.org.

1 p.m.: Bring your superhero characters and stories to life with local artist Eric Montenegro. All supplies provided. To reserve, call (213) 744-2024. Ages 10 and up.

List

by AnnA Scott, StAff writer

Thursday, april 2 Thursdays at Central 630 W. Fifth St., Meeting Room A, (213) 228-7241 or lapl.org.

12:15-1 p.m.: To Your Health features tips and advice for a healthier lifestyle.

ALOUD at the Central Library 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7025 or aloudla.org.

7 p.m.: Minal Hajratwala, author of “Leaving India: My Family’s Journey from Five Villages to Five Continents,” is in conversation with journalist Swati Pandey.

Friday, april 3 Farmlab Public Salons 1745 N. Spring St. #4, (323) 226-1158 or farmlab.org.

Noon: Farmlab hosts artist, writer and producer Sandow Birk, who will discuss his film adaptation of Dante’s Inferno, which will also be screened.

The film retells the classic with the use of intricately hand-drawn paper puppets and miniature sets and without the use of CGI effects.

SCI-Arc Lecture Series 960 E. Third St., (213) 356-5328 or sciarc.edu. In the W. M. Keck Lecture Hall.

1 p.m.: Jessica D’Elena presents “Graphitecture: The Graphic Designer Draws Lines in the Architect’s Sandbox.” She’s a Los Angeles-based graphic designer whose interest, study and practice are in the areas of publication, exhibition and environmental design.

‘ Don’ t Miss’ 5

Opera, Indian Insight and a New Play Come to Downtown photo by Monika Rittershaus

Tuesday, March 31 Downtown Public Space Planning The Exchange, 114 W. Fifth St., downtownsustainability.blogspot.com.

7-9 p.m.: The Sustainability Committee of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council hosts a public discussion about sustainability planning Downtown. Steve Davies of the Project for Public Spaces and transportation planner James Rojas will assist in the effort to devise a community greening strategy. RSVP to sustainability@dlanc.com.

4

If you learned everything you know about India from Bollywood movies, this week the Aloud series offers a chance to expand your knowledge of the subcontinent. On Wednesday, April 1, at 7:30 a.m., the Aloud business forum hosts Nadan Nilekani, Forbes’ 2007 Businessman of the Year and author of Imagining India, which examines India’s role as a global citizen and emerging economic giant. Thursday, April 2, at 7 p.m., Minal Hajrawala will discuss her book Leaving India: My Family’s Journeys From Five Villages to Five Continents. Both are at Mark Taper Auditorium at the Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7025 or lfla.org/aloud.

5

Lydia, a new play by Octavio Solis, comes to the Mark Taper Forum this week. Set in El Paso, Texas during the 1970s, the play’s title character is an undocumented maid hired by a Mexican-American family after their daughter is tragically disabled. All embark on a mysterious journey of discovery that threatens to uncover elusive secrets.

Previews start Thursday, April 2, at 8 p.m. The show runs through May 17. 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org.

Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com

Even if you have no clue what it is, you have to admit that the Ramayana Monkey Chant sounds like fun. In fact, it is a Balinese musi-cal drama that will be part of a two-day per-formance this weekend at REDCAT by the renowned Bali percussion ensemble Burat Wangi.. The L.A.-based group will perform Balinese court music and dance, featuring traditional and new choreogra-phy. Performances are Saturday, April 4 at 8:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 5 at 3 p.m. 631 W. Second St., (213) 2372800 or redcat.org.

photo by Carol Rosegg

March 30, 2009

Downtown News 15

SearchDowntownLA.com

But Wait, There’s More!

Additional Event Information on the Web

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM/CALENDAR : EVENTS | ROCK, POP & JAZZ | CLASSICAL MUSIC | THEATER, OPERA & DANCE ART SPACES | FILM | BARS & CLUBS | MUSEUMS | FARMERS MARKETS | TOURS

Workshop” explores works from MOCA’s permanent collection with local artist Alexandra Olson. A spotlight tour of “A Changing Ratio: Painting and Sculpture from the Collection” will be followed by a chance to make artwork inspired by worldrenowned contemporary artists. (213) 621-1765 or fflores@moca.org.

First Fridays at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 763-DINO or nhm.org.

5:30-10 p.m.: This First Fridays event explores Darwin’s second theory, sexual selection, which attempted to explain why males or females of the same species can differ so markedly. Dr. Michael Ryan, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and zoology professor at the University of Texas, Austin, reviews our understanding of sexual behavior in animals and NHM Entomology Curator Dr. Brian Brown takes guests on a whirlwind tour of some of the Museum’s 5.7 million insect specimens, looking for examples of the extremes in sexual selection. The Phatal DJ and special guests spin, and L.A. rapper Busdriver and New York indie songwriter Time Fite perform.

ROCK, POP & JAZZ 626 Reserve 626 S. Spring St., (213) 627-9800 or 626reserve.com.

Tuesdays, 6 p.m.: Live music with Goh Kurosawa.

Thursdays, 6 p.m.: More live sounds, this time with Jessie Torrez.

Café Metropol 923 E. Third St., (213) 613-1537 or cafemetropol.com.

April 3, 8-10 p.m.: Saxophonist Matt Otto and friends.

Casey’s Irish Bar and Grill 613 S. Grand Ave., (213) 629-2353 or bigcaseys.com.

Chop Suey Café 347 E. First St., (213) 617-9990 or chopsueycafe.com.

Thursdays, 7:30-9:30 p.m.: Live jazz on the patio of the restored landmark.

Club Nokia Corner of Olympic Blvd. and Figueroa St., clubnokia.com.

April 3, 8:30 p.m.: Country group Little Big Town with Zach Brown Band.

April 4, 9 p.m.: Tool frontman and wine impresario Maynard appears as Puscifer, with Into the Presence.

Conga Room L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic, (213) 749-0445 or congaroom.com.

April 1: Nacoteque is a bumping rock and roll party en español.

April 2: Hot salsa sounds from Ritmo Caliente.

April 4: Los Angeles salsa superstars Son Mayor play at Plata, the restaurant in the venue.

Friday, april 3 Los Angeles Philharmonic Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.org.

8 p.m.: Handel’s Organ Concerto in D minor, Op. 7, No. 4; Haydn’s Violin Concerto in C; and Haydn’s Seven Last Words of Christ. saTurday, april 4 Los Angeles Philharmonic Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.org.

8 p.m.: See April 3 listing. sunday, april 5 Los Angeles Philharmonic Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.org.

2 p.m.: See April 3 listing.

les-based gamelan Burat Wangi stages two performances of Balinese court music and dance, featuring traditional and new choreography, and the Balinese kecak music drama.

Brigadoon USC School of Theatre, (213) 740-2167 or theatre. usc.edu.

April 2-3, 7 p.m.; April 4, 2:30 and 8p.m.; April 5, 2:30 p.m.: The musical fantasy is about a town that disappears into the mist of the Scottish Highlands one day every 100 years. Through April 11.

Die Walküre L.A. Opera, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8001 or laopera.com.

April 4, 6:30 p.m.: In round two of the L.A. opera’s Ring cycle, Plácido Domingo and soprano Anja Kampe star in “Die Walküre,” the compelling love story between the doomed hero and his soul mate, which features some of Wagner’s most memorable music.

2

EASy wAyS tO SUbMIt yOUR

tHEAtER, OPERA & DAnCE Bob Baker’s Marionette Theater Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. First St., (213) 250-9995 or bobbakermarionettes.com.

Tuesday-Friday, 10:30 a.m.; Saturday, 2:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2:30 p.m.: Bob Baker brings back an old favorite, “Something to Crow About,” the barnyard themed show featuring handmade, antique marionettes.

Burat Wangi Redcat, 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800, redcat.org.

April 4, 8:30 p.m.; April 5, 3 p.m.: The Los Ange-

EvEnt InfO

4 wEb: www.DowntownNews.com 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.

CLASSICAL MUSIC Tuesday, March 31 Los Angeles Philharmonic Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.org.

8 p.m.: A night in the Chamber Music Society series, and a program of Haydn and Mendelssohn.

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Wednesday, april 1 Los Angeles Philharmonic Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.org.

8 p.m.: Pianist András Schiff tackles another night of Beethoven sonatas.

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Thursday, april 2 Los Angeles Philharmonic Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.org 8 p.m.: Conductor Yannick Nezet-Seguin leads pianist Martha Argerich and the L.A. Phil in a program featuring works by Maurice Ravel, plus Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5.

April 5: Marichi man Larry Hernandez.

Grammy Museum LA Live, corner of Olympic Blvd and Figueroa St., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org.

March 31, 8 p.m.: Museum Executive Director Robert Santelli sits down with Grammy-winning musician and social activist Tom Morello for a conversation about his songwriting, political activism, electric and acoustic careers. After the interview, Morello will take questions from the audience and perform a few songs acoustically.

Nokia Theatre 777 Chick Hearn Court, (213) 763-6000 or nokiatheatrelalive.com.

April 4, 8 p.m.: Tough talking Denis Leary and special guests.

Pete’s Café and Bar 400 N. Main St., (213) 618-1759 or petescafe.com.

Tuesdays, 10 p.m.-1 a.m.: Pablo Calogero and Fabiano Nacimento play Brazilian jazz.

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

March 30, 10 p.m.: Jake LaBotz, praised by Tatoo Magazine for his “sadder than hell balladry, razor sharp testifying, storied takes on loneliness, beatnikon-the-Mexican-border music, coffeehouse chic.”

With the Chris Duarte Group.

March 31, 10 p.m.: Deep-rooted country from Mike Stinson and Dave Gleason.

April 1, 10 p.m.: Paging Beto, featuring members of Social Distortion, the Blasters, Top Jimmy and more.

April 2, 10 p.m.: The Doghouse Lords and Rumble King. Watch out.

April 3, 10 p.m.: Movie Star Junkies, Lamps, Guilty Hearts and Ross Johnson.

April 4, 10 p.m.: Shipwrecked Sunday’s with Dexter Romweber with the Doghouse Lords.

Sheraton L.A. Downtown Hotel 711 S. Hope St., (310) 216-5861.

Fridays: The hotel presents a weekly live jazz night.

Listings for additional concerts, exhibits and more in Downtown Los Angeles can be found on our website. Go to downtownnews.com/calendar for full information, including time and location, for all the happenings in Downtown.

An Extensive Seafood Menu including Dim Sum at Moderate Prices Relaxed Dining in an Elegant Ambiance Live Lobster Tank

Free Parking Next to Restaurant

700 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 | Tel: 213.617.2323

available for private parties, bottle service, location shoots

Open M-F 4pm-2am, Sat 7pm-2am Happy HOur M-F 4pm-8pm: $4 Drafts, Wines, Wells & Appetizers 404 s. figueroa st.

on flower st. at the bonaventure hotel (between fourth & fifth st.) valet parking: $4.50 for up to 5 hours with validation.

213-489-3590

www.suedebarla.com

“Buy one combo and get 2nd combo of equal or lesser value FREE with this ad.”*

Regent China Inn Authentic Chinese Cuisine in Chinatown

catering specials available!

Lobster Special

12.95

$

Lunch Special

4.95 Saturday & Sunday 11-3

$

Weekdays 11-5

DELIVERY • DINE-IN • TAKE-OUT • CATERING

739-747 N. Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 Tel: 213-680-3333 • Fax: 213-680-3507 www.regentchinainn.com



myspace.com/suedebarla

F r e e

Extensive Health Menu Available Dine in • Take OuT • Drive Thru BreakfasT • Lunch • Dinner

P a r k i n g

Gourmet Fast Casual Restaurant Since 1973

7 Days 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.

1657 W. 3rd St. [at Union Ave.] (213) 483-8885 FREE Parking

*1 coupon per customer, per visit.

A HAndy MAP RefeRence To food, ATTRAcTions & enTeRTAinMenT F

Where to Eat

_

Where to Shop

§ Where to Live

§F § §

C5 C5 B5

Grand Tower • 255 S. Grand Ave. Museum Tower • 225 S. Olive St. Promenade Towers • 123 S. Figueroa St.

229-9777 626-1500 617-3777

§

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The Metropolitan Apartments • 950 S. Flower St.

489-3300

EF m C6 FF_ C6 E# # F m B7 F F F

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624-1011 687-2001 687-2190 626-1901

Wilshire Grand Hotel • 930 Wilshire Blvd.

• Cardini Ristorante • Seoul Jung • Kyoto

688-7777 896-3822 688-7880 896-3812

Downtown Dental Office • 255 S. Grand Ave., Suite 204

620-5777

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Points of Interest

Kyoto Grand Hotel & Garden • 120 S. Los Angeles St.

629-1200

Frying Fish Restaurant • 120 Japanese Village Plaza Mall

680-0567

The Los Angeles Athletic Club • 431 W. 7th St.

630-5200

Bunker Hill Real Estate • 800 W. 1st St., #401

680-1720

Dr. Silvia Kasparian DDS • 601 W. 5th St., Suite 1110

892-8172

CBS Seafood Restaurant • 700 N. Spring St.

617-2323

F C7

Clifton’s Brookdale Restaurant • 648 S. Broadway

627-1673

FF_ C2

Far East Plaza/Wing Hop Fung • 727 N. Broadway

626-7200

The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising/FIDM FIDM Museum Galleries & Shops • 919 S. Grand Ave.

624-1200

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels • 555 W. Temple St.

680-5200

E ☞ C8

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El Pollo Loco • 260 S. Broadway Orsini Apartments • 505 N. Figueroa St. Gus’s Drive-In • 1657 W. 3rd St. Medici • 725 S. Bixel St. Carl’s Jr. • 254 S. Broadway

626-7975 877-267-5911 483-8885 888-886-3731 625-1357

☞ B7

PIP Printing • 700 Wilshire Blvd.

489-2333

F NA

Tommy’s • 2575 W. Beverly Blvd.

389-9060

7+FIG • 7th & Figueroa Sts.

955-7150

Ernst & Young • 725 S. Figueroa St.

955-7100

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Contact Cartifact for the full-color, every-building version of this map and others. Available as a poster and in print, web, and mobile media.

700 S. Flower St, Ste. 1940 Los Angeles, CA 90017 213.327.0200 maps�cartifact.com

BAMBOO PLAZA

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16 Downtown News A

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March 30, 2009

Downtown News 17

DowntownNews.com

CLASSIFIED

pLAce your Ad onLine At www.LAdowntownnews.com

L.A. Downtown News Classifieds call: 213-481-1448 Classified Display & Line ads Deadlines: thursday 12 pm REAL ESTATE RESIDENTIAL LofTS foR SALE

Downtown since 2002 Don’t settle for anyone less experienced!

Call us today!

Bill Cooper 213.598.7555

TheLoftExpertGroup.com

ACREAGE/LoTS BUYER’S MARKET. NEw Mexico. Ranch Dispersal. 140 acres - $89,900. River Access.

Northern New Mexico. Cool 6,000’ elevation with stunning views. Great tree cover including Ponderosa, rolling grassland and rock outcroppings. Abundant wildlife, great hunting. EZ terms.

Call NML&R, Inc. 1-866-3605263. (Cal-SCAN) COLORADO BANK Foreclosure35 AC $29,900. Enjoy 300 days of sunshine. Rocky mountain views, utilities. Excellent financing. 1st come, 1st serve!! Call Today 1-866-696-5263 x4938.

(Cal-SCAN)

TheLoftGuys.net LA’s #1 Loft Site

Call 213-625-1313

REAL ESTATE CoMMERCIAL offICE SpACE LEASE/SALE

Prime Office Spaces As Low As 99¢/sqf.

FORECLOSED HOME auction. Las Vegas Auction: April 11 & 13. 500+ Homes Must Be Sold! REDC / Free Brochure.

1-800-280-0750. www.

USHomeAuction.com. (CalSCAN)

ApARTMENTS/UNfURNISHED

MILANO LOFTS Now LeasiNg!

■ Gorgeous Layouts ■ 10-15’ Ceilings ■ Fitness Center ■ Wi-Fi Rooftop Lounge ■ Amazing Views

6th + Grand Ave. www.milanoloftsla.com

213.627.1900

High-Rise Building on Olive St. Near Metro (train), Security, New Elevator System. Air Condition.

213.892.0088

Management on site LIvE/woRk LEASE/SALE

LIVE/WORK/ INCOME SFR+Restaurant+Store On Hoover,S/Melrose

HoMES foR SALE

Buying, Leasing or Selling a Loft?

“Be wary of out of area companies. Check with the local Better Business Bureau before you send any money for fees or services. Read and understand any contracts before you sign.

Shop around for rates.”

foR RENT

(323) 270-0604

Sell Your Car!

expose your auto to downtown Los Angeles. with one of the fastest growing residential areas Los Angeles downtown news gets results.

Call 213-481-1448

2 MONTHS FREE! (O.A.C.).

Studio, 1 & 2 bdrms available.

Upgraded interiors & washer/ dryer in every home. Pool & spa with a skyline view, gym, sauna.

FREE ONSITE PARKING. TheVisconti.com (888)7367471.

TwO MONTHS FREE! (O.A.C.) Brand New Resort Apartments.

Granite kitchens, washer/dryers, pools, spas, saunas, fitness ctr, free tanning beds & much more!

866-690-2894.

THE MEDICI 1 & 2 BDRM Apts. Granite Kitchens, washer/ Dryers, Business Center, 2 Pools, Spa! Visit TheMedici.com for a full List of Amenities. Call 888-886-3731 for Specials!

UP TO 2 MONTH FREE! (O.A.C.) New downtown luxury apartments with granite kitchens, marble baths, pool, spa, saunas & free parking. 888-736-7471.

UP TO 2 MONTHS FREE! Panoramic downtown views.

1 bed/1bath starting at $1398. washer dryer in unit, gated,Pool, spa and sauna. (888)265-1707.

APARTMENT FOR RENT: 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, balcony.

Downtown view, no pets. 562760-0101.

DOwNTOwN Los Angeles 2 Month’s Free Rent! Studio $1688/ month Luxury at it’s finest! Granite counters, w & D 888-262-9761.

HoME - UNfURNISHED

Live/Work 2 bed/2 bath. 1400 sqft.

Hard lofts. 1923 Bld. Pool, jacuzzis, b/ball crt, golf, Gym. Fashion Dist. $2500 neg.

EMpLoYMENT DRIvERS

People are looking here, shouldn’t your ad be here?

DRIVER - wEST COAST Regional New Hiring Area.

Newest equipment on the road. Competitive Pay. Run the western 11 States. On Site - Full Service Maintenance Shop. Reasonable Home Time. western Express - 22 yrs. old.

Good MVR, EOE, CDL-A, 1 yr.

OTR. Call Edna Today! 1-866863-4112. (Cal-SCAN)

(213) 481-1448

Continued on next page

Call 310-663-6314

FOR RENT? FOR LEASE? FOR SALE?

THE ANSWER to LAst weeK’s puZZLe

5 minutes to downtown LA

SilveRlake RoomS food included, laundry, cable, internet, rooms start at $1500, large room $2000, suite w/bath jacuzzi tub & fireplace $3000

323-833-5869 LofT - UNfURNISHED

oLD BANk DISTRICT

Lofts from $1,100. High ceilings.

A/C. Parking available.

High speed internet/T1 & direct T.V. Pets no charge.

Call 213-253-4777 LAloft.com

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

18 Downtown News

March 30, 2009

DowntownNews.com

Continued from previous page

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY 100% RECESSION PROOF! Be Your Own Boss! Your Own Local Vending Route. Includes 25 Machines and Candy for $9,995. MultiVend LLC, 1-888625-2405. (Cal-SCAN)

LOFT LIVING

Your number 1 source for Loft sales, rentals and development! downtownNews.com

SERvIcES laUNdRY

Let us do the dirty work!

Beverly's Laundromat Drop Off

20% OFF 1st time customers only. Minimum 25lb

FrEE Pick-up & Delivery with minimum 35lb

610 S. Rampart Blvd. @ 6th St (213)804-0069 Open Daily 7 a.m.-10 p.m. • Free Parking

PET walkINg “ACE VENTURA” private dog walker/pet sitter. Los Felix, Hollywood. $25.00 hour. 323977-0035. aTTORNEYS ADMINISTRATIVE LAW attorney to handle your professional licensing case. Represents physicians, nurses, laboratories, pharmacies and other professionals in disciplinary actions brought by state and federal agencies including license denials, suspensions and revocations and associated criminal matters. Please call John Dratz, Jr. at (213) 221-7564. www. medicalfraudattorney.com.

ABOGADO DE IMMIGRACION! Family, Criminal, P.I. for more than 20 yrs!

Familiar o Amigo Arrestado?

Necesita Permiso de trabajo? Tagalog / Español

get your gREEN caRd or cITIZENSHIP Law Office of H. Douglas Daniel Esq., (213) 689-1710

mUSIc lESSONS CHILDREN’S PERFORMINg group! Singing, dancing, performing and fun! For boys & girls ages 3 and up! See SunshinegenerationLA.com or call 909-861-4433.

advERTISINg

maSSagE THERaPY

EZ SHIATSU & MASSAGE $40 1 Hour massage!

Limited time offer.

400 E. 2nd St., #205 la ca 90012

(Honda Plaza Mall)

213-680-4970

NEWS RELEASE? Costefficient service. The California Press Release Service has 500 current daily, weekly and college newspaper contacts in California. Free email brochure.

Call (916) 288-6010. www.

CaliforniaPressReleaseService. com. (Cal-SCAN)

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISINg in 240 Cal-SCAN newspapers for the best reach, coverage, and price. 25-words $550. Reach 6 million Californians!. Free email brochure. Call (916) 288-6019. www.Cal-SCAN.com.

(CalSCAN) DISPLAY ADVERTISINg in 140 Cal-SDAN newspapers statewide for $1,550! Reach over 3 million Californians! FREE email brochure. Call (916) 288-6019. www.Cal-SDAN.com.

(CalSCAN) cOmPUTER FRUSTRATED BY computers? For services or solutions for home or business, call 213458-6873.

Why Chapman Flats are the fastest leasing lofts in Downtown?

Available Immediately

Luxury Rooms in Downtown

Exclusively Downtown Since 2001,

Iconic Beauty

Top floor of 11 story (18,000 SF) historic building available now!

Perfect for corporate hqtrs. Features separate executive suite(s).

Stunning views of LA two blocks away from Staples Center and across the street from the new LA Live complex. The building also has approx 4,000 sq ft of beautiful contiguous space and some small offices available. These spaces can be viewed by appointment.

Information available to qualified prospective tenants.

Email request to mdavis@shammasgroup.com or call (213) 746-6300

Monthly Rents Start at $880 1 & 2 Rooms Available

www.lOFTlIvINgla.com

• Rooftop Garden • Pet Friendly • Stainless Steel Appliances • BBQ • Refrigerators • Hi-speed Internet • Spa • Fitness Center • Ground Floor Dry Cleaners and Kelly’s Coffee *subject to change without prior notice.

On Broadway at 8th St. • 213.892.9100 C h a p m a n F l at s . C O m

Furnished single unit with kitchenette, bathroom.

Excellent location.

Downtown LA. Weekly rate $275 inc.

Monthly from $595 utilities paid.

(213) 612-0348

Special STUDeNT RaTe! $780 1 person

$100 OFF on 1st months Rent Exp. April 30, 2009

Mayfair Hotel 1256 West 7th street

nOw leasing

move-in specials $1395* - Free parking

• Fully Furnished • 100% Utilities Paid • • Refrigerator, Microwave & TV In Each Room • • Wireless Access Throughout Bldg. • Gym • • Close to USC & Loyola Law School • • Presidential Suite with Kitchen • Parking Available Onsite

Simin (213) 484-9789 Ext. 555 or (213) 632-1111

Thinking about Leasing or Selling?

Buyers visit us for...

• SHORT SALES • FORECLOSURES • RENTALS • VIDEO TOURS

is Now Leasing!

On-site laundry, free utilities, indiv. bathrooms, 24 hr. security & pet friendly. Close to metro, restaurants, farmers market & supermarket. Units starting at

Drew Panico

Keller Williams Realty 877-452-5638 DRE #01706351

You never know what you’ll find in the…

Children’s Performing Group

downtown news

Sunshine Generation

Classified

Singing, dancing, performing and fun!

For boys & girls ages 3 and up!

$570/month

income & other restrictions apply.

call 213.626.1743 or stop by for a tour

Place your classified ad online, its safe and secure at DowntownNews.com/classified. Or call 213.481.1448

CONCEPTO’S CLEANINg Crew. Professional, experienced, cleans apartments, homes, offices and restaurants.

Call for a quote. 323-459-3067 or 818-409-9183.

aUTOS & REcREaTIONal aUTOS waNTEd DONATE YOUR CAR: Children’s Cancer Fund! Help Save A Child’s Life Through Research & Support! Free Vacation Package. Fast, Easy & Tax Deductible. Call 1-800-2520615. (Cal-SCAN)

Help Wanted

OPEratiOns rEsEarcH anaLyst (F/t): LA’s SPEC. Industries, Inc. is a lighting fixture manufacturer in Los Angeles, CA. Master’s in Ops. Research, Mgmt. or MBA is req’d. Mail resume: LA’ SPEC. Industries, Inc., Attn: ORA-2009, 2315 E. 52nd St., Los Angeles, CA 90058

Call 877-4LA-LOFTs

The alexandria at 501 S. Spring St.

clEaNINg

SunshineGenerationLA.com 909-861-4433

madison hotel Clean furnished single rooms. 24-hour desk clerk service.

•Daily, $25.00 •Weekly, $99.00 •Monthly, $295.00 (213) 622-1508 423 East 7th St.

(2 blocks west of San Pedro St.)

GET THE

SCOOP downtownNews.com

CliCk Here! t

ke r a m d a / m o c . s DowntownNew

It’s that easy to place your ad on DowntownNews.com and you don’t have to wait for the print edition.

• Place ads 24 hours a day.

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March 30, 2009

Downtown News 19

DowntownNews.com

DONATE YOUR VEHICLE! Receive Free Vacation Voucher. United Breast Cancer Foundation. Free Mammograms, Breast Cancer Info www.ubcf. info Free Towing, Tax Deductible, Non-Runners Accepted, 1-888468-5964. (Cal-SCAN) pickup trucks 1959 FORD pICk-Up TRUCk. Needs repairs - excellent engine.

Los Angeles area. $3,000 OBO. 323-243-3505 Garfield.

items for sale misc. items TWO VOGUE TIRES yellowwhite wall. size 225-60-16 $250.00. Call 23-487-1303.

announcements donations JUST $5 CAN MAkE YOU feel good. www.homelessinamerica. blogspot.com. Make donations at www.servantsofthefather.org/ donation.

volunteer opportunity HELpING kIDS HEAL. Free Arts for Abused Children is looking for volunteers to integrate the healing power of the arts into the lives of abused and at-risk children and their families. Today is the day to get involved! Contact Annie at volunteers@freearts. org or 310-313-4278 for more information. notices CAN’T AFFORD a washer & dryer? Yes You Can! New Brand Name Washer & Dryers – No Cost!!! Quantities are Limited. Log on Now for Details: www.FreeOfferWD.com. (CalSCAN)

legal civil summons LOS ANGELES COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT NO. SC096622 CROSS-COMPLAINANT: ULTIMATE WATER CREATIONS, INC., A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION; DONALD GOLDSTONE, AN

INDIVIDUAL VS DEFENDANT: MILES ENGINEERING, ROUX ELECTRICAL, HA POOLS, INC. AND DOES 1 TO 50, INCLUSIVE You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form, if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form.

If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If

you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www. courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association.

The name and address of the court is: Los Angeles County Superior Court West District 1725 Main Street Santa Monica, CA 90401-3299 Case Number: SC096622 Dated: August 20, 2008 John A. Clarke, Executive Officer/Clerk By: D. Mckinney, Deputy The name, address, telephone number, and fax number of plaintiff’s attorney is: Willis J. king, III, Esq. (State Bar No. 193828) Bullard, Brown, Beal, LLp 234 E. Commonwealth Ave. Fullerton, CA 92832 Telephone: 714-578-4050 Fax: 714-578-4060 Notice to the person served: You are served on behalf of: H A pools, Inc. under CCp 416.10 (corporation) pub. 3/09, 3/16, 3/23, 3/30/09

fictitious business name FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 20090429490 The following persons doing business as: SIX-GUN ANTHEM, 1636 Sheridan Road, Glendale CA, 91206 is hereby registered by the following registrants: (1) SASHA BOGHOSIAN, 1636 Sheridan Road, Glendale, CA 91206 (2)MARGRIT

BOGHOSIAN, 1636 Sheridan Road, Glendale CA, 91206 (3) NATASHA BOGHOSIAN, 25424 Via Macarena, Valencia CA, 91355. This business is conducted by a general partnership.

Registrants has not began to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on March 25, 2009.

NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years

from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and professions Code). pub. 3/30, 4/6, 4/13, 4/20/2009.

Offices • Offices • Offices • Offices

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Please call 213.627.6913 www.cityloftsquare.com

MOVe-In SPeCIAL REAL ARTIST LOFTS FOR LEASE

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EstablishEd 1984 FOR RENT: ❏ Prom. West-2 Bed. 2 Bath. 7th Floor. Elegant Upgrades. Green House.

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Greenhouse Windows and Balcony. Stunning! $1,995 Month ❏ Prom. West-2 Bed. 2 Bath. 5th Floor. Move In Now. $2,200 Month. ❏ Bunker Hill Tower-2 Bed. 2 Bath. N/W View. $2,200 Month ❏ Bunker Hill Tower-1 Bed. 1 Bath. South View. $1,600 Month FOREcLOSuRES-LOS ANGELES ❏ Pasadena Home. Semi Circular Driveway. More. Price $379,900 ❏ 3 Bed. 2 Bath. Pasadena. Upgrades. 3 Car Gar. Big Lot. $547,800

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Promenade West Condo

Sorry No Dogs 1100 Sq Ft – 2000 Sq Ft. Prices from $1600-$2300 Call Emily (866) 425-7259

Fully furnished with TV, telephone, microwave, refrigerator.

Full bathroom.

Excellent location.

Downtown LA. Weekly maid service.

Prime location on 1st street 1 block East of Alameda. Parking lot adjacent/ spaces also available. Beautiful garden and patio in rear of building. 4 Offices currently available. Starting @375/mo. (month to month)

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VIP Room Available. The Best Way For Business Meetings & Entertainment

Professional massage for men & women. Services include Thai Massage, Shiatsu Massage, Swedish Oil Massage, Foot Massage, Sauna, Steam, and more. Lounge area.

sakura HealtH gym & sauna, inc.

HBODY

MASSAGEH

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3386766 0119

Call George: 818-634-7916 or 310-275-9831 x24

THAI MASSAGE SPECIALIST

111 N. Atlantic Blvd. Ste #231-233 Monterey Park, CA 91754 (626) 458-1919 [Corner of Garvey Ave.]

leasing-salesloans-refinance

www.bunkerhillrealestate.com

OFFICE/CREATIVE SPACE in Artist District (Little Tokyo) 618 ½ E. 1st St.

700 to 1500 Sq. Ft. Lofts.

High ceilings, skylights, cable, kitchen, bath+shower, laundry room, elevator, controlled access, sub. parking. Sorry no dogs.

Mirza alli

Broker/Realtor

(213) 680-1720 Call us for other condos for sale or lease Dwntwn & surrounding areas!! e-mail us: info@bunkerhillrealestate.com

Includes 1 Pkg space.

ARTIST LOFTS FOR LEASE Live/Work in Downtown Fashion District

2 Story Townhouse. West Facing With Downtown City View. Upgrades. Large Patio. Very Elegant.

Asking $599,900

208 W. 14th St. at Hill St. Downtown L.A.

For English Call Terri or Pierre 213.744.9911 For Spanish call Susana 213.749.0306

Monthly from $695 utilities paid.

(213) 627-1151

Luxury Living in the heart of Downtown Modern Gourmet Kitchen (gas) • Rooftop spa/garden/BBQ • Fitness Room • Billiard/Media room • Secured access • Magnificient City views and much much more...

STARTING FROm $1,350 Studio, 1 Bdrm, 2 Bdrm, Bi-Level Penthouses National City Tower Lofts 810 South Spring Street 213-623-3777 nctlofts.com

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3 Driving strategies 3 Mid/long iron techniques 3 Short game fundamentals

In golf, its you versus the course. Learn to manage the entire game, not just the mechanics of your swing. Learn course management and improve your game.

Steve Andelich Professional Golf Instructor

818.618.2099

Catering to Intermediate/Advanced Players

20 Downtown News

March 30, 2009

DowntownNews.com

We Got Games Final Weeks of the Regular Season Show the Winners and Losers Los Angeles Lakers Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7340 or nba.com/lakers.

Friday, April 3, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, April 5, 6:30 p.m.: After finishing up a lengthy road trip in Milwaukee (April 1), the purple and gold return to Staples Center to host the Houston Rockets and then their arena-mates, the Clippers. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers have only five more home games in the regular season, and are the class of the Western Conference. The only question is whether they can eclipse Cleveland for the best record in the NBA. Remember last year, when the loss of Andrew Bynum raised questions about how far the Lakers would advance in the playoffs? Me neither.

Los Angeles Clippers Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7340 or nba.com/clippers.

Wednesday, April 1, 7:30 p.m.: You know things are bad when you visit the Clippers’ website and are re-directed to a page advertising fire-sale ticket prices for the few remaining home games. Dubbed the “72-hour Shootout,” last week’s ad pictured Steve Novak, Eric Gordon and Baron Davis as gun-toting outlaws with nicknames like Bulls-Eye and QuickDraw. Somebody ought to tell those cowboys not to stop at the saloon before games. This week they host Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets, then visit Denver (April 4) and the Lakers (April 5).

Los Angeles Kings Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7340 or kings.nhl.com.

Tuesday, March 31, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, April 4, 7:30 p.m.: After this week, the Kings have only one more home game this season. On Tuesday, they host the Dallas Stars, then after a trip to Phoenix to play the Coyotes (April 2), those same Coyotes come to Staples Center. With post-season hopes gone, they call this playing out the string.

—Ryan Vaillancourt

photo by Gary Leonard

The final Lakers-Clippers game of the season takes place Sunday, April 5.

Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore!

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Promenade To w e r s 123 South Figueroa Street LEASING INFORMATION

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(213) 626-1500

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