06-28-10 by Los Angeles Downtown News

LOS ANGELES

DOWNTOWN

NEWS June 28, 2010

Volume 39, Number 26

INSIDE

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The Westin Facelift Landmark Hotel Preps for the Future With a $35 Million Renovation by RichaRd Guzmán

Downtown wakes early for the World Cup.

Economic guru Jack Kyser looks back.

Alice’s wondrous outfits are at FIDM.

city editoR

isitors who wander through the lobby of the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites may soon notice a different vibe in the air of Los Angeles’ largest hotel. The sound of splashing water in the lobby’s six lakes will give way to the relaxing roll of waves over a rocky riverbed. Planters will change to lanterns aimed at offering a more zen-like, earthy experience. Even the check-in desks will be altered to create a more personal connection between customers and staff.

The changes don’t stop there. Already, 700 rooms have been gutted and updated with new furniture, carpets and flat screen high-definition televisions. Common areas and meeting facilities are also being upgraded. The changes are part of a major renovation intended to allow the 1,354-room establishment both to compete with and complement hotels such as the recently opened 1,001-room Ritz-Carlton/J.W. Marriott tower at L.A. Live, and give a needed facelift to one of Downtown’s most recognizable landmarks. Hotel officials estimate see Hotel, page 8

Lessons From The Ticket Scandal Why Free Admission to High-Profile Events Doesn’t Always Pay by Jon ReGaRdie executive editoR

The geeks shall inherit the Convention Center

n recent weeks Antonio Villaraigosa, whose day job is mayor of Los Angeles, has found himself swimming in a sticky swamp for apparently accepting free, great seats THE REGARDIE REPORT

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to scores of concerts, basketball and baseball games and other high-profile events. The resulting maelstrom of media coverage brings to mind three important lessons that every politician should know about political scandal. First, political scandal is not that hard to avoid. I realize this may sound shocking in a country where reports of graft and extramarital relations flow like a shopping cart in the L.A. River. But really, the key to not getting caught taking bribes or selling a senate seat is not to take bribes or sell a senate seat in the first place. This should be McChrystal clear by now: You may get away with it for a little while, but ultimately they’ll catch ya. It’s the same with sex scandals. If you don’t want your private life dragged into newspapers and across TV screens, then don’t do things like look for assignations in public rest-

photo by Gary Leonard

Mike Czarcinski, managing director of the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites, is overseeing a renovation of the 34-year-old Downtown establishment.

The Next Top Chef? A Water Grill Kitchen Staffer Shows Her Stuff on the Bravo TV Show by RichaRd Guzmán city editoR

manda Baumgarten has always had a love for being in the kitchen. Now, after surviving some tough challenges completed under the bright lights of TV cameras on a reality show, she’s proven that she can also take the heat. As of this week, Baumgarten is one of the 15 remaining contestants

on Bravo’s popular “Top Chef” show. However, shooting wrapped a month ago, and these days she can be found in the kitchen of the upscale seafood emporium Water Grill, where she serves as a sous chef under executive chef David LeFevre. The 27-year-old will be on the air every Wednesday, showing off her ability to whip up spontaneous meals until she either wins it all or see Baumgarten, page 9

photo by Gary Leonard

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, photographed at a time when he was not attending a high-profile sports or entertainment event for free.

rooms, don’t claim you’re hiking the Appalachian Trail while cheating on your wife, and don’t tell reporters that the reason you’re not wearing see Tickets, page 7

photo by Gary Leonard

Water Grill sous chef Amanda Baumgarten is competing on the Bravo reality show “Top Chef.”

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AROUNDTOWN Join Costco, Save at Medallion

said Nevin Harrison, a property agent in the county’s Real Estate Division. With leases expiring at previous spaces, Harrison said, “It provided an opportunity for us to go to a location where we could combine all the major programs under one roof with a cooperative [landlord] that was willing to provide funds for our build out and at a very competitive lease rate with the parking readily available.” The rent is $1.89 per square foot per month and the deal includes nearly $3 million for tenant improvements, Harrison said. L.A. Mart is owned and operated by Chicagobased Merchandise Mart Properties. In addition to Harrison, Farron Chaverria and Miguel Covarrubias worked on the deal for the county. Paul Heinan, Mark Furlet and Jim Nahin of MMP represented the landlord.

fter multiple construction delays, the Medallion project finally has an opening date: The development’s recently bolstered website, themedallionla.com, now says that the 96-unit, 200-store Historic Core complex will open Aug. 1, with move-ins beginning July 30. Additionally, the project by developer Saeed Farkhondehpour is offering a variety of unusual discounts: According to the website, members of Costco and the Auto Club can save 8% on the monthly rent, which ranges from $1,495-$2,435 for 617-squarefoot studios up to 1,048-square-foot twobedroom units. Union members, doctors, lawyers and certified public accountants can get an additional 4% off the rent, according to the website. Those are not the only ways to save; the site also notes that discounts of up to 15% can be secured depending on the length of a lease. Project representatives have already begun giving tours of the $125 million-plus development on the northeast corner of Fourth and Main streets.

Rockets and Robeks Grounded

wo Downtown Johnny Rockets have been temporarily grounded due to the economy, but are being sold and are expected to reopen, said the former owner. Moe Nariman, the founder and CEO of Downtown-based NutriPartners, has also shuttered a handful of Downtown juice stores. Nariman said he closed the Johnny Rockets in the Financial District at 445 S. Figueroa St. and in Little Tokyo at 135 S. Central Ave. about three weeks ago, and is finalizing a sale to a new buyer whom he would not identify. “We’re out of the Johnny Rockets business,” Nariman said. “The economy is just still really bad. We weren’t doing good because of the recession.” Nariman said NutriPartners has also shuttered four Downtown outposts of the Robeks juice chain due to poor sales. Additionally, he said, *

County Inks $48 Million Lease at L.A. Mart

he Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services has signed one of the largest leases of the year. Representatives last week said the department has inked a 15-year deal for 142,360 square feet of space at the L.A. Mart at 1933 S. Broadway. The deal is worth $48.4 million. The department is moving all of its programs, which have been housed in several facilities across the county, into the Fashion District building to put them in a single location,

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lagging profits led to a sale of a Quiznos on Bunker Hill; that establishment is currently closed. At its height, NutriPartners owned 14 businesses in Downtown.

A Park 101 Meeting

proposal to cap the Downtown stretch of the Hollywood (101) Freeway with a park will get another public airing this week. On Tuesday, June 29, officials will discuss the plan for Park 101 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. The proposed park, whose design is being handled by AECOM, would stretch from Grand Avenue to the Los Angeles River; its heart would cover the quarter-mile trench that sits roughly between Grand Avenue and Alameda Street. The project aims to create pedestrian-friendly linkages among various government buildings while converting some 100 acres currently covered in freeways or parking lots into green space. The meeting is a follow-up to a May workshop and will feature updates to the plan, said Emily Gabel-Luddy of Friends of Park 101, the coalition pushing the project. “We’re going to give feedback to the community about what we heard from the public and what the effects have been on the project as it has evolved,” Gabel-Luddy said. The meeting runs from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The cathedral is at 555 W. Temple St. Parking is $5.

Show Off Your Cool Loft

o you have one of the best-looking or best-designed apartments or condos in Downtown? Do you want to show it off without having strangers traipse through it? Then Los Angeles Downtown News wants to hear from you. We’re currently assembling entries for our next Downtown Living section. The special section, which publishes July 26, includes “What’s in My Loft,” in which proud Downtowners show off their

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residence and talk about a few of their favorite possessions. The stories include pictures of the lofts occupants. So if you have the place and the place has the look, then email a short description and photo to Dawn Eastin at dawn@downtownnews.com.

‘Koban Creeper’ Caught

Chinatown teenager was arrested June 23 for allegedly burglarizing a Little Tokyo shop and visitor’s center. The 17-yearold, whose name was not released because he is a minor, was captured on surveillance footage inside the Little Tokyo Koban store on June 14, when the shop owner discovered $120 missing from her purse, which had been moved. “We received a number of public tips following the news broadcast of the crime in Little Tokyo,” Lt. Paul Vernon said in a statement. Detectives fielded several phone tips from residents in Chinatown who recognized the suspect. The teen lives with his father in the neighborhood. “This is not his first arrest,” Vernon said. “We’ll be looking at other burglaries, especially in Little Tokyo and Chinatown. His arrest should cut into some of our theft patterns.”

Honor Thy Teacher

o you know an outstanding teacher of the arts? If so, a Downtown institution wants to hear from you. The Music Center is seeking nominations for its annual Bravo Award in the categories of School, School Arts Program, Generalist Teacher, and Arts Specialist Teacher. The awards program, established in 1982, recognizes teachers and schools for innovation and excellence in arts education. The nomination deadline is Oct. 15, and entry forms are available at musiccenter.org/ education or by calling (213) 972-3387. All Bravo Awards applicants will be recognized at an event at the Music Center in spring 2011.

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EDITORIALS The Ups and Downs of a Broadway Streetscape Plan

henever government tries to tell private-sector individuals what to do with their property, a clash is inevitable. Such a clash is occurring now in the Historic Core, where 14th District Councilman José Huizar is attempting to create a sense of uniformity amongst the mishmash of street-level businesses on Broadway. Recently building owners and tenants began receiving citations for an assortment of code violations. Property owners report that in some cases it will cost them tens of thousands of dollars to make fixes and bring structures up to code. The effort is part of Huizar’s Bringing Back Broadway initiative, which in large part is the best thing to happen to the street in decades. The aim of the program is to enliven the corridor, with the key being activating a dozen faded theaters between Second Street and Olympic Boulevard; a streetcar, infrastructure improvements and creating a more friendly and attractive look among the ground-level spaces are other elements. The effort to spruce up street-level space is well-intended and in many cases wise. The aim is to make the corridor inviting for pedestrians during the daytime and, especially, after dark. This means things like avoiding, as much as possible, a sea of gray, metal, roll-down gates — get a few of them in a row and it looks and feels like a fortress. It also recognizes that allowing people to peer into businesses, even closed ones, en-

courages street life. Given these aims, it makes sense that the City Council last year adopted into law the Broadway Theater and Entertainment District Design Guide, a document that lays out such improvements. Some property owners are objecting to notices they are getting from the Department of Building and Safety. In numerous instances they are citing the expense of the fixes. In others, it’s the cost in combination with a bruising recession. Then there is the complaint about selective enforcement and the question of why only Broadway building owners have to make the changes, while proprietors on neighboring streets can go about business as usual. The fact is, the street level of Broadway needs a lot of work, and property owners must be part of the solution, even if it means digging into their pockets or convincing cited tenants to make changes. The street is full of blaring neon signs, gaudy jewelry displays and other generally incompatible sights and sounds. Huizar is right to want to dial things back in an effort to welcome new business while also maintaining a sense of history. In the past he has noted that even if a chain retailer hopes to set up shop on the street, they would have to meet Broadway design standards, not the other way around. That’s a good thing. Some landlords are on board with the changes and have pledged to make the fixes. In other instances, property owners support the general concept but have issues with specific

details. The owner of Clifton’s Cafeteria has been cited for, among other things, some silver cursive lettering on a front window that according to code is too large. The fact that it has been there for nearly half a century and does not on its own prevent a view into the business is either not being taken into account or has been overlooked. The bigger issue is gates and fences. The code dictates that pedestrians be able to peer through any barriers, and that new gates (including replacements for non-permitted rolldown gates) be inside street-front glass. Naturally, tenants are worried about graffiti, whether from spray paint or etching. We don’t blame them, and while we support the idea of a pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare, we think the gates-insideglass requirement is premature. For now business owners need to be allowed to protect themselves from the financial and time expense of having to reverse the work of vandals every morning. The gate guidelines are a valid goal, but will only make sense once there are assurances that property can be protected. The Broadway improvement plan is a very good idea, but there needs to be better lines of communication between government offices and the land owners and tenants. We also hope that situations can be considered on a case-by-case basis. Additionally, there needs to be an easy, clear appeals process and the opportunity for rightful exemptions when there is a historic or other valid condition.

Fast Track the Hall of Justice

ecently, Los Angeles County CEO William Fujioka sent the Board of Supervisors a report about the Hall of Justice. It stated that the once gorgeous yet currently faded and empty landmark at 211 W. Temple St. could be renovated and filled with county workers for $216 million. That’s a lot of money, especially for a county that is suffering its own financial woes and has some severe problems to deal with, such as the travesties at the Probation Department. Yet, it is still an appealing price, all things considered — it is actually about $70 million less than the renovation cost six years ago.

County officials should recognize that this is an opportunity worth seizing. Fujioka said a final report on the project is expected by November. The supervisors should ensure that the document comes through by then, and should be ready to fast track this project. Six months ago, when the supervisors first stated that they were looking at renovating the 14-story building, this page urged them to push forward with the plan. The new information makes the need to be active all the more important. The building has sat empty since the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and a 2004 overhaul

was halted when costs soared toward $285 million. The reduction in price comes from an industry-wide decline; one unlikely benefit of the construction slowdown is that the cost of raw materials has dropped. Opening the Hall of Justice would pay immense dividends in Downtown. After a three-and-a-half year design and construction effort, a principal occupant of the 1926 structure would be the Sheriff’s Department, which would vacate space in Monterey Park. Having the department in an updated Civic Center home would be an appropriate complement to the LAPD’s $440 million new

headquarters a few blocks south. The area needs more workers to keep the streets active and patronize local businesses. The move would also reverse a troubling trend in the Civic Center. Although new landmarks such as the police building and the Caltrans headquarters have opened, the area has been blemished by the empty Hall of Justice and the nearly vacant Parker Center. Add in the graffiti-pocked lot west of City Hall and the hole in the ground at the southwest corner of First and Broadway and you have a district with too many eyesores. Fujioka and the supervisors should ensure that the final report is a six-month project that takes six months, not two years. Get the work done and get the Hall of Justice started as soon as possible, before costs rise again.

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

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Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie citY Editor: Richard Guzmán stAFF writEr: 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 Schmidt AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin sAlEs AssistANt: Annette Cruz clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Steve Epstein, Catherine Holloway, Tam Nguyen, Kelley Smith circulAtioN: Norma Rodas distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles.

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A Morning Cup of Victory Downtown Wakes Up Early for the World Cup by Ryan VaillancouRt staff wRiteR

here were three things that made the assignment my editor handed me last week different from any other story I’ve ever taken on: 1) It required me to be at an event at 7 a.m. on a Wednesday, reporter’s notebook

wide awake, notebook in hand and ready to capture all the details; 2) It involved me going to a bar and drinking one, but just one alcoholic beverage, because doing so would be necessary to get the feel for said event; 3) I had to watch sports for two hours. Why would anyone this side of Los Angeles Street be at a bar at 7 a.m.? To watch the World Cup of course, and last Wednesday, the USA was playing a crucial match against Algeria. To advance in the tournament, they needed either a victory, or a draw as long as the England/Slovenia game being played at the same time also resulted in a tie. I’ve grown to look forward to the World Cup, and am sort of jealous of the passion other nations have for soccer. So I wake up early for all the American games. Still, like many in this country, I don’t have soccer fever. The fact is, soccer, futbol, or whatever you call this internationally beloved game, is just not yet in our bones as a nation. So I was surprised when I arrived at Casey’s Irish Pub at 6:50 a.m., 10 minutes before game time, and I couldn’t nab an open seat. There were unoccupied chairs, but all were being reserved for friends of the

people already packing the joint. “Is this seat taken?” “Yeah.” “Mind if I join you?” “Well, sure, until my friends show up.” I felt like Forrest Gump trying to find a bus seat on the first day of school. I scrambled outside to the patio, where a small, quieter group was assembled under a sole outdoor television. Kick-off came and about three minutes into the match I didn’t recognize the American team, the guys in white uniforms. And the Algerians, dressed in red, I could have sworn were warming up just five minutes ago in their national green. As I sat there wiping the morning out of my eyes, someone informed me that I was actually watching the England/Slovenia match. Feeling like a stupid American, I bolted back inside and found an open stool in a corner that a few fans let me wedge between them up at the bar in front of the right game. Coffee and an Irish breakfast plate in front of me, the game began to unfold. The Americans were in attack mode, but the score was knotted at zero. Meanwhile, a sudden outburst of cheers on the patio meant that England had scored against Slovenia. Now the only way for the U.S. to advance was a win. I ordered a Bloody Mary. It was strong. Or maybe it was just 8 a.m. When patriotic sports fans are packed in a bar, all of them desperately hoping for the same outcome, the room starts to see World Cup, page 20

Team USA supporters gathered early and en masse at Casey’s Irish Pub for last Wednesday’s showdown between the United States and Algeria. They watched the game on overhead TVs, groaned at near misses, and they celebrated when the U.S. scored the game winning goal.

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Tickets Continued from page 1 your wedding ring is because you’ve been working out so much that you’re mucho buff and have lost weight in the fingers. Again, excuses may buy time, but in the long run, they’ll catch ya. The second important thing to know is that, if it’s a mini scandal and you didn’t hurt anyone or engage in any felonies, you can usually make it go away with a well-timed and sincere mea culpa. It’s the old adage about making something a one-day story. Come clean, admit mistakes, and the most lasting damage may be a knuckle-smacking editorial from a newspaper. But if it’s small stuff and you continue to deny, deny, deny, it can erupt like an Icelandic volcano. The third thing to know is the pretty truth about the American public: While your foes will always denigrate you, past supporters actually want to forgive you and, if you don’t treat your constituents like morons, they’ll give you a second chance. Ted Kennedy had a stellar career after Chappaquiddick. Marion Barry was elected to office in Washington, D.C., even after being videotaped smoking crack. Gavin Newsom survived some off-putting philandering and just snagged the Democratic nod for lieutenant governor. Bill Clinton has become an éminence grise despite being Lewinskyed. Any of the above lessons would serve AnVil well as his ticket pickle grows more sour, with the Ethics Commission now investigating and the District Attorney’s office inquiring into the matter. Villaraigosa finally released some details and tried to tell his side of the story on Friday, but it came so late that it can’t reverse the damage already done. More Lessons This is not to say that ticketpalooza has been without educational fodder. In fact, the growing scandal — it’s at the point where reporters are pestering him about it at many events, and he keeps dodging the questions — has taught us three important things. The first lesson is that this should not be called Ticketgate. Attaching “gate” to any political scandal of significance — e.g. Irangate, Iraqgate, and there are dozens of others on Wikipedia — is stupid and lazy. The case that Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein cracked was known as Watergate because

the complex that Nixon’s stooges snuck into was actually named Watergate. There is no need to pry “gate” from “water” and affix it everywhere. The only valid reason to use it would be for a scandal involving a fence company so it could be awesomely known as Gategate. The second lesson is that Villaraigosa actually has decent taste in music. It’s very mainstream, to be sure, but in the wake of reports by John Schwada on Fox 11 and in the Los

The issue isn’t that he got caught, but that he is wiggling and trying to evade the matter. It’s turning into ticket-whacka-mole, and each time a new charge comes down there’s a new excuse.

Angeles Times, we’ve learned that Villaraigosa and sometimes Lu Parker have taken in (or at least appeared at) performances by U2, Beyonce, Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Shakira and Mary J. Blige, among others. He seems to have an affinity for respected female R&B-tinged artists as well as critically lauded Latino pop acts and crooners such as Juanes, Luis Miguel, Mana and Pepe Aguilar. Yeah, he’d up his cool quotient if he mixed it up a bit and checked out/presented nice certificates to the Flaming Lips, Kings of Leon, Green Day or the Buzzcocks, but at least he’s not taking in the Jonas Brothers or Miley Cyrus. Good on ya, mayor! The third, and arguably most important lesson, is that he still doesn’t grasp why people are so upset. At this point

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the issue isn’t that he got caught, but that he is wiggling and trying to evade the matter. It’s turning into ticket-whack-amole, and each time a new charge comes down there’s a new excuse. Look, a legitimate argument can be made that the mayor of Los Angeles should be out in public, generating attention and excitement for the city. This adds up over time. One of the strikes against Jim Hahn was that he preferred to stay in the background and, when he did go out, barely chose to interact. But, if you attend these events and don’t pay, you need to follow the rules. You may think that rules such as having to report who gave you the tickets are stupid, but they’re still the rules. AnVil thought he found a loophole by claiming he was performing important city business and thus didn’t have to ID the donor. About the only way this could fly is if he persuaded Tina Turner and Juanes to oversee a chorus comprised of the City Council (I can totally picture Ed Reyes doing a solo on “Proud Mary”). Claiming that official business means presenting a pretty city certificate to celebs who could care less doesn’t fool anyone. Everything would be fine if Villaraigosa detailed his donors and then paid his own way to other concerts or games, and even though he has shared some sacrifice and taken a pay cut, his salary still allows him to afford some choice seats. Sure, he may not have cash like New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and be able to purchase four-figure front-row tickets to every home game of the NBA Finals, but why not at least pull a man-of-the-people stunt and watch a game or two in a bar? Uh oh, I think I just had a Good Political Photo Opp Idea. Stop me before I come up with another. Villaraigosa has turned this thing into a case of my-ticketyou-stick-it. After the story broke, all he needed to do was call a press conference, say, “My bad, I misinterpreted the law due to errant advice from my former legal counsel, and I apologize. In the future I’ll pay for my tickets or properly reveal who donated them.” The whole thing would have blown over. Instead, he waited a month, until he was forced to act. Actually, there is a fourth lesson in all of this. On at least two occasions, on nights when he could have done anything in the entire world, Villaraigosa chose to go to Staples Center to watch the Clippers. We’ve learned he may have been temporarily insane. Contact Jon Regardie at regardie@downtownnews.com.

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Hotel Continued from page 1 the cost of the years-long project at $35 million to $40 million. Those in the local hospitality industry applaud the move. “The Westin Bonaventure is the largest hotel in the city and by investing $35 million in renovations, they’re really showing a true commitment to the future of the growing meeting and convention business in Los Angeles,” said Mark Liberman, president and CEO of L.A. Inc., which is in charge of attracting major conventions to Los Angeles. The project is the largest renovation the hotel has undergone in at least 20 years, said Mike Czarcinski, the managing director of the 34-year-old hotel. Planning began two years ago when the hotel extended its agreement with parent company Starwood Hotels to continue to operate as the Westin Bonaventure. “Part of that agreement was an agreement to bring the Bonaventure up to the current Westin feel and standard,” Czarcinski said. Carpet Call The project has been overshadowed by the construction of the $1 billion L.A. Live tower down the street. But the improvements at the hotel at 404 S. Figueroa St. are extensive. Upgrades in the guest rooms include replacing the green carpet, wall vinyl and 1980s motif furniture with modern decor. That means a total of 450,000 square feet of brown carpeting for the rooms, more than 20,000 pieces of furniture including beige couches and chairs, light-colored wood dressers, headboards and desks, and more than 16,000 new light fixtures. The renovation is also adding 1,500 flatscreen HD TVs (all 42-inches or bigger) as well as several black and white framed photographs to each room. The first batch of room upgrades was completed in May. The remaining 654 rooms will be finished by the end of 2011. The hotel has remained open throughout the work, but the floors above and below where refurbishments are taking place have been closed during the noisiest parts of construction.

The common areas are also being spruced up. The hotel corridors will see 66,000 square feet of new carpet, while the pool has already got a splash of style with a new deck, patio furniture, umbrellas and tables. The hotel’s 100,000 square feet of meeting space will be renovated as well. But the first thing guests will notice will be the changes to the entrance and lobby. Work on that portion of the project will begin in November and be completed by March 2011, Czarcinski said. New benches and planters will arrive and new signage will be installed along the Figueroa Street entrance. But the more dramatic changes will be indoors, and all will adhere to the hotel’s three-pronged mantra of “personal,” “instinctive” and “renewal.” “Those are the three words that we always try to tie into,” Czarcinski said. “So a lot of the art and things that we’ll be using will be natural stone, greenery.” Green paint on the floor of the lobby lakes will be replaced with stones and the sound of splashing water will be quieted to a whisper. Czarcinski said the popular fish sculptures, which shoot a constant stream of water across a walkway that leads to the check-in counter, will remain intact. The check-in counter however, will be transformed into individual islands to allow for more personal interaction between customers and hotel staff. The lobby bar and restaurant will also get new furniture and flooring. Good Timing Opened in 1976, the Westin Bonaventure also houses a spa, a seven-story atrium and 42 restaurants and shops. It is a Los Angeles landmark, instantly recognizable for its glass face, exterior elevators and the four cylindrical cones surrounding a central hub. It has been featured in numerous films and television shows. It has also stuck out in another way. When Anschutz Entertainment Group was seeking approvals for the L.A. Live hotel, Peter Zen, the owner of the Westin Bonaventure, was the lone hotelier campaigning against the project. He argued that public subsidies, in the form of a waiving of the bed tax, would create an unfair playing field for his and other Downtown hotels and eat away at their business.

photo by Gary Leonard

The renovation includes upgrades to all 1,354 rooms. Among the additions are new furniture and high definition TVs.

Others, however, believed that Zen was trying to protect the Bonaventure’s status as Downtown’s primary place for convention business. The hotel was long the major beneficiary of area gatherings. Whatever the case, Westin hotel officials now have a positive view of the Ritz/Marriott, and say the more hotel options there are, the better it is for all of them. Indeed, the city recently announced that it will host an upcoming Microsoft convention, a gathering that will likely fill the L.A. Live hotel, the Bonaventure, and many other hotels in Downtown and beyond. The renovations, Bonaventure staff say, are not a result of the new L.A. Live hotel, although they admit it will help them. “Our new agreement with Westin, it was essentially time for a renovation,” Czarcinski said. “It just so happened that Ritz-Carlton and Marriott are now Downtown, and heck, if we hadn’t renovated there would be a competitive disadvantage. “So it would have been done anyway, but the fact of the matter is there couldn’t have been better timing.” Liberman said renovations like the Westin’s are helpful because they encourage visitors to come to Los Angeles. The city is pursuing other major conventions, including San Diego’s Comic-Con, and are seeking to assure organizers that Los Angeles has plenty of prime hotel rooms.

“With L.A. Live hotels and other Downtown properties like the Bonaventure updating their product it really gives our customers more to choose from,” Liberman said. “Now we have so much great and diverse inventory to offer groups that are interested in booking L.A.” Ironically, the timing of the recession also helped with the renovations, Czarcinski said. Less travel and lower occupancy rates allowed them to handle more room upgrades without inconveniencing guests. While several Downtown projects with multi-million dollar budgets have stalled due to the economy, Czarcinski said the renovation is being self funded and, once again, the recession helped them save some money. “A lot of hotels stopped their renovations during the recession. We kept it going and were able to benefit from very good pricing,” he said. “We’re doing it for $35-$40 million. If there was not a recession, it probably would have cost $60 million.” Meanwhile, Lawrence McCue, the Bonaventure’s director of sales and marketing, said the hotel’s renovation will help them attract more customers while still maintaining a familiar presence in Downtown. “Really what the renovation is going to bring to us is just a new look and feel on the inside, while still remaining very iconic on the outside,” he said. Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

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who during the past 10 years has worked with Baumgarten at several restaurants and served as a mentor to her. “She’s very dominant and very competitive,” he added. As the show continues, LeFevre will have his own “Top Chef” challenge, since he will prepare a special dish every Wednesday and Thursday night inspired by the ingredients Baumgarten used on that week’s episode. The special will continue as long as Baumgarten survives. If she wins, she will follow in the footsteps of Ilan Hall, who was the season two “Top Chef” winner. Last year he opened his restaurant The Gorbals inside the Alexandria Hotel in the Historic Core. Baumgarten, however, plans on staying at the Water Grill for a while, where she said the crunch time kitchen rush is just as exciting as being on “Top Chef.” “The show is no more stressful than being in the kitchen getting ready for a busy Saturday night service,” she said. Top Chef airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo. Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

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Continued from page 1 is sent home by the judges. The winner of the 13-week competition gets a feature in Food and Wine magazine, $125,000, an appearance at the Food and Wine classic in Colorado and invaluable exposure. In the show, contestants — who range in age from mid20s to 50 — are judged by a panel of chefs and other food experts. They undertake a variety of challenges, such as being asked to cook a dish with specific ingredients or to follow certain themes. After the challenges, usually two per episode, one contestant is told to “pack your knives and go.” In the season’s debut episode, contestants were asked to prepare a dish that reflected their hometown. Los Angeles native Baumgarten went wider with a state theme. “I wanted to take the Japanese and Asian influence in California cuisine and also highlight some really fresh seasonal ingredients which I think California cuisine is all about,” Baumgarten said. Although the judges weren’t crazy about her Thai red snapper carpaccio, which she sold as a throwback to the Wolfgang Puck era of Northern California cuisine, she said she was happy with the dish. In fact, LeFevre quickly came to her defense while the two sat at a table in the Water Grill dining room one afternoon last week. “I don’t think that it was a bad reaction to the dish,” LeFevre said. “The only thing that I heard was that it needed seasoning, which I don’t think is a bad thing.” The task was even tougher last week, when Baumgarten and the others had to prepare a healthy lunch for 50 schoolchildren while spending only $2.60 per kid. They were broken up into teams of four for the task. Baumgarten’s competitive edge was obvious, as she took control of the team and assigned herself the task of creating the main course, braised chicken thighs in sherry jus. But her confidence backfired when she ended up in the bottom four for serving what one judge termed an “unappealing” dish with sherry wine to schoolchildren. Still, she survived, as the judges instead sent home a contestant who used too much sugar in her banana pudding with strawberries. Baumgarten already knows the outcome of the show, but contractual obligations with Bravo prevent her from revealing details about upcoming episodes. Still, she talks freely about her love of being in the kitchen, especially under pressure. Cooking Soldiers Baumgarten always loved cooking. While attending college, she decided that academia was not for her, and that she belonged in the culinary arts. Her father challenged her to immerse herself in a professional kitchen before making it a career. “So I worked for free at L’Orangerie for five months at the age of 18 and I loved it,” she said. “I loved the feeling of working in a team and sometimes making the impossible happen and when everyone works together that synergy is really a magical feeling. I’m sure soldiers have the same feeling when they go into war.” Baumgarten later attended Le Cordon Bleu in London and has worked at restaurants such as Melisse and Patina in Los Angeles. She was the executive sous chef at Paperfish, then

moved to Ford’s Filling Station. Baumgarten said business was slow at Ford’s and owner Ben Ford was going to lay her off. He had been previously asked by “Top Chef” executives to be a judge on the show, but instead decided to recommend her as a contestant. “He sent me an email with the application and I thought, OK, I’ll do this and I’ll answer the questions as totally being myself, and we’ll see what happens. I did not expect to get on at all,” she said. “They ask you things like, if you had to make a dish inspired by the 12 days of Christmas what would you make? And I said, ‘Sorry, I’m a Jew.” Something clicked, and she wound up on the show that filmed for six weeks in Washington, D.C. It debuted June 16. It’s Real Those who know Baumgarten expect her to do well on “Top Chef.” “Amanda is very aggressive, very talented and very driven,” said Kevin Meehan, executive chef at Downtown’s Café Pinot,

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Not Your Typical Economist Jack Kyser, the LAEDC’s Quotable Economic Sage, Is Stepping Down by Jon RegaRdie executive editoR

his week, economy watchers throughout Southern California will be hit with one of the harshest blows since the 1994 Northridge earthquake: Jack Kyser will retire from the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation. Since joining the LAEDC in 1991, Kyser has become the go-to source for information and analysis of the Southern California economy. Known by seemingly every reporter in the region, he has been quoted in the media thousands of times. As senior vice president of the LAEDC and the founding economist of its Kyser Research Center, he has been the force behind the organization’s wealth of economic forecasts and reports. Kyser, 76, was born in Huntington Park and grew up in Downey and Vernon. He studied industrial design at USC and later received an MBA from the university. He went to Omaha, Nebraska in 1978 for a

job with Union Pacific Railroad, and after being laid off during a recession had a stint as a radio business reporter. He returned to Los Angeles where he worked for United California Bank and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, before joining the LAEDC. His last day as a full-time employee is June 30. Last week, Kyser sat down with Los Angeles Downtown News to discuss his career, what sets an economist apart, and the future of Downtown. Los Angeles Downtown News: Why are you retiring from the LAEDC now? Jack Kyser: It just sort of works out. Things are going well with the research function. I will help them get out the midyear forecast and then it’s a good time to step back and sleep in a few mornings. Q: You’ve been at the LAEDC since 1991. What is it about the job that kept you there so long? A: You are able to help people. I think that’s

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Jack Kyser is retiring from the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation this week. He’ll work part-time on the organization’s mid-year forecast, due July 21, then will likely do some consulting and some sleeping in.

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A: Downtown was very critical in my growing up. When I was young, once a month my grandmother would determine that I was “sick,” and she’d put on her hat and gloves and we’d get on the streetcar and come into Downtown. So it was always fun to come Downtown. Then you say, Downtown’s in the middle of the whole thing. It has good connections, transportation-wise, that are improving very rapidly. It’s not that hard to get from Downtown to the Burbank airport. So you say OK, it has some strengths. It doesn’t have the overlay that you have with the Westside with traffic congestion, and office lease rates are a bargain here compared to the Westside. Q: What Downtown sectors do you think are primed for growth? Housing? Fashion? A: I think housing is probably in the doldrums and will stay in the doldrums for a while, because you had sort of scattered housing development and never really got a whole critical mass of people that could support a lot of retail. The professional services firms will do well because you have healthcare reform, and then you will get financial services reform, so you will have to work with your clients to figure out how you conform to those regulations and what have you. You have businesses like AECOM headquartered in Downtown, and people don’t understand that they’re one of the major engineering design firms in the United States and they’ll have a lot of things to do because there is so much infrastructure work going on. I think tourism is starting to look better. It was very satisfying when the Convention Center hotels opened up. Q: What about the Cleantech Corridor near the Los Angeles River? That’s getting a lot of buzz. A: You’re going to have to do a lot of work. Cleantech firms tend to want a nice environ-

Downtown News 11

ment, and for the Cleantech Corridor you’ll have to go in and do a super pressure wash, and then you have to improve the overall infrastructure and the look of the area and provide some amenities. If you are down at, say, Washington and Santa Fe, and if you had a cleantech company, where would you go for lunch? That’s what they have to be realistic about. Q: What can be done to help spur the Downtown recovery? A: The Wilshire Grand project is moving along, but it is taking time to get through the city permitting process. How quickly can you speed that up and get that project going, because that would be very important. You’d have a new, modern, high-quality hotel not that far from the Convention Center. And then people are grousing about the giveaway of county land to [Eli] Broad for his museum, but you have to say, if you have the Broad museum along Grand Avenue, that would really nail it if you could figure out how to sell it — it’s a major cultural avenue. Q: What’s next? You said you are retiring from LAEDC, but not fully retiring? A: I’ll continue to monitor the economy. There are a couple of consulting opportunities out there that look very intriguing. Q: You’ve had a pretty good 19-year run. A: It’s been a fun run. But you look around and you keep going. One of my heroes is Warren Buffett because he continues to work when a lot of people have retired and are out on the golf course. Q: How’s your golf game? A: I don’t play golf. I was taught at an early age that golf is a bad game. Contact Jon Regardie at regardie@downtownnews.com.

12 Downtown News

June 28, 2010

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RESTAURANTS Restaurant Buzz

Date Night, More Izakaya and Some Big Trees by RichaRd Guzmán city editoR

ate Night: When it comes to a simple date night, nothing beats the combination of a good movie and an even better dinner. With that in mind, the Financial District Italian restaurant Drago Centro this Thursday is hosting the “Dinner & A Movie” promotion. Reservations are recommended for the $40 tasting menu. The four-course July 1 meal will include charcuterie and pickled vegetables, gnocchi amatriciani, roasted leg of lamb and chocolate torta caprese. The movie will be the 1953 comedy Roman Holiday starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. It will screen in The Vault, the restaurant’s private dining room, at 7 p.m. (you eat while watching). The one-day event is the second edition of Dinner & A Movie. Future programs have yet to be announced. Drago Centro is at 525 S. Flower St., (213) 228-8998 or dragocentro.com. n Goo Goo Fu-Ga: No matter what time of day, and what type of food you’re into, it seems

like Downtown Los Angeles has just what you’re looking for. Now, those who enjoy the Asian small-plates izakaya trend have a new option. Little Tokyo’s Izakaya & Bar Fu-Ga opened this month and is now serving lunch, dinner and late-night snacks. Located on First and San Pedro streets, the lounge-like business’ lunch menu includes Asian and mixed fare like charbroiled salmon teriyaki ($9.95), assorted sushi rolls ($9.95) and sandwiches such as grilled chicken ($8.95) and rib-eye steak ($9.75). The dinner menu offers items like shrimp tempura udon ($8), spicy sesame chicken ($6) and bacon-wrapped scallops with Japanese basil butter sauce. Those with the late night munchies can indulge in comfort quickies like the crispy tempura beer battered onion rings ($4) and chili shrimp harumaki ($7). At 111 S. San Pedro St., (213) 625-1722 or izakayafu-ga.com. n Take a Tour: A tour around the Hawaiian Islands would be a great way to start the summer. But if something like work makes that impossible, there’s another way to get a

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n Trojan Dining: USC photo courtesy of Drago Centro may be hurting over the The Vault, a private dining room in Drago Centro, will be the whole Reggie Bush scan- site of the restaurant’s second “Dinner and a Movie” program dal, but that doesn’t mean on July 1. Screening is the 1953 comedy Roman Holiday. the school has stopped recruiting young talent. Fortunately, for lunch and dinner and serve burgthe latest powerhouse to go Trojan ers, sandwiches, soups, salads and entrees has nothing to do with the athletic de- such as lemon and garlic roasted organic partment. Coming to the school’s new half chicken ($18.75), roasted Wild King Ronald Tutor Campus Center in August salmon ($19.50) and meatloaf wrapped is Moreton Fig, an 8,000-square-foot res- in bacon with mashed potatoes ($14.50). taurant. Open to the public as well as At 3607 Trousdale Parkway. Phone students, the restaurant is named after number not available yet. the century-old Moreton Bay fig trees Contact Richard Guzmán at that front the entrance. It will be open richard@downtownnews.com.

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taste of the islands. Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion last week launched its L.A. Ohana Tour rewards program. Available until Aug. 31, it gives diners perks when they visit different Roy’s in the region. On the first visit customers get the Ohana tour card, while a trip to a second location results in a free chocolate soufflé with the photo courtesy of Izakaya & Bar Fu-Ga purchase of an entrée. A meal at a third Roy’s earns Izakaya & Bar Fu-Ga opened at First and San Pedro streets this a $20 gift card and the month. It offers Asian small plates and a 2 a.m. last call for food and drinks. diner is entered to win a trip to Hawaii to have dinner with Roy Yamaguchi himself. The Downtown Roy’s location, along with Anaheim, Newport Beach, Pasadena and Woodland Hills are participating in the promotion. Roy’s is at 800 S. Figueroa St., (213) 488-4994 or roysrestaurant.com.

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Downtown News 13

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CALENDAR

Colleen Atwood’s costumes from Alice in Wonderland are showcased with props from the Tim Burton film (top). Also in the exhibit at FIDM is a gown by alumnus Clay Sadler (left). by Pamela albanese

owntowners who didn’t make it to the Regal 14 theaters at L.A. Live to see Tim Burton’s version of Alice in Wonderland in the spring can still check out a key part of the movie. They can do so while staying in the neighborhood, and without having to rent or Netflix a DVD. Last month, the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising Museum & Galleries launched an exhibit built around the jaw-dropping costumes from the film starring Johnny Depp. The Disney Alice in Wonderland Design Exhibition, timed to the movie’s DVD release, augments Oscar winner Colleen Atwood’s outfits with props from the film and other costumes inspired by Burton’s work. The show, presented by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment and Disney Consumer Products, juxtaposes the elaborate gowns worn by Helena Bonham Carter and others with two additional elements: The first are pieces created by designers such as Tom Binns and Sue Wong and singer Avril Lavigne. The display is intended both to showcase Alice’s “edgy” side and provide an easy access point to the Alice mystique. The third component of the exhibition showcases a unique collaboration between a group of FIDM alumni and one of its instructors: Nick Verreos, a FIDM graduate who appeared on “Project Runway” and now teaches at the school while also running the design firm Nikolaki, challenged six former students to create gowns inspired by characters from the film. It adds up to a one-of-its-kind exhibition. In a sense, it takes three disparate patterns and stitches them into a cohesive whole. “It’s a modern way of having an exhibition, of integrating all the different markets,” said Verreos during a recent tour of the South Park show. “You can reach the 14-year-old girl who’s into Avril Lavigne, the adult theater fan or bookworm who appreciates the costumes, and the Hollywood celebrity stylist or fashion designer who admires the red-carpet gowns. He added with a laugh, “This is not your grandma’s museum.” Atwood’s Eye Atwood’s Red Queen dress, worn in the film by Bonham Carter, is one of the exhibition’s highlights. Original costumes for that outfit as well as Depp’s Mad Hatter, Mia Wasikowska’s Alice and Anne Hathaway’s White Queen are all re-created in dioramas containing sets and props from the

Diensigners Wonderland

FIDM Showcases ‘Alice’ Outfits, But Doesn’t Stop There film. Atwood’s sketches are also included. Atwood, whose numerous awards include Best Costume Oscars for Memoirs of a Geisha and Chicago, has been designing for film since the early 1980s. She has collaborated with Burton since 1990’s Edward Scissorhands. Seventeen of her Alice designs are in the Downtown exhibit. The show offers an opportunity to get a much closer look at the creativity, craftsmanship and attention to detail than the film provides. For example, on the dress worn by Wasikowska outside the hedge maze, rabbits are embroidered onto the hemline. Even if a detail doesn’t register on screen, including it is necessary for the artistry of the individual piece, as well as the director’s overall vision. “The detail is glimpsed and felt,” said Atwood by email. “It is part of the art, which especially in Tim’s case is key.” The combination of execution and inspiration adds a timeless quality to the designs. Even though Atwood’s spark is old illustrations from Carroll’s period, her costumes still register as contemporary. The dress that Wasikowska wears in the Red Queen’s palace strikes Verreos as modern. “It looks very Alexander McQueen,” he said. “You could never pinpoint a period to it. There is still that element that she just tore up the drapes and came up with this fabulous dress.” A costume worn by Depp’s Mad Hatter also stands out as classic and cutting edge. Atwood shredded and dyed silk chiffon and layered it over a brocade jacket to give it a worn look. The combination of distressed fabrics, vibrant colors and textured tweed and tartan is reminiscent of a Malcolm McLaren creation. For Atwood, updating Alice in Wonderland for the 21st century was an enjoyable process, and Burton’s version of the story was her main inspiration. “The story really did it for me,” said Atwood. “I just had a great time playing with clothes that did not shrink or grow.” Student View Although Atwood’s creations are likely to pull visitors to the museum, they make up only a portion of the show. Almost as interesting are the alumni works. They came about when Verreos challenged six school graduates to create gowns inspired by key characters from the film. That led to an intensive workshop, also known as a FIDM SuperLab, and culminated in a runway show on May 26, the night the exhibition opened. Photographs by Alex Berliner, on

display along with the gowns, capture the elaborate makeup and styling that contributed to the dazzling show. The vision, says Verreos, “was red-carpet meets couture meets the fantasy of Alice in Wonderland. I made sure to tell the grads that I didn’t want them to do costumes, because Colleen Atwood already did such a beautiful job.” The designers only had about two weeks to transform their sketches into runway-ready reinterpretations of Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat and other characters. Verreos guided them in editing their vision, styling the runway show and troubleshooting some of the more daunting aspects of construction. The results vary wildly. Dominique Pearl David’s teal gown suspends an oversized bow above the shoulder to create the illusion of Alice shrinking. Under Verreos’ tutelage, a trip to Home Depot for some wire and metal solved the problem of how to defy gravity. Another workshop participant, Airi Isoda, re-imagines the White Rabbit with a faux fur mini dress and a clock-faced evening bag. Angela Avanesyan designed a tea-hued Mad Hatter gown exploding with upside-down hat-shaped bows. Kapasa Musonda’s iridescent layers of silver and turquoise mimic the movement and colors of the Cheshire Cat. Natalia Romano, a connoisseur of stripes, reinvents Tweedledee and Tweedledum’s red suspenders and bands of black and white with two gowns of billowy panels and bustiers. Verreos assigned the Red Queen to Clay Sadler, whose creation mixes fantasy and theatrics with a cabernet-colored satin gown adorned with hearts and a colossal train that seems to go on forever. Barbara Bundy, vice president of FIDM and the director of the museum, said that the show delivers an important message to students of the school. Seeing what the alumni have created, she said, puts a real-life spin on what they learn in class. “It’s been wonderful for the students to see all the elements pulled together to create a new Alice that’s not just the traditional Alice,” Bundy said. “The students see what the alumni have done and it’s very inspiring to them.” The Disney Alice in Wonderland Design Exhibition runs through Sept. 30 at the FIDM Museum & Galleries, 919 S. Grand Ave. Open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free admission. More information at (213) 623-5821 or fidmmuseum.org.

photo by Alex Berliner © Berliner Photography/BEImages

June 28, 2010

14 Downtown News

June 28, 2010

Twitter/DowntownNews photos courtesy of Anime Expo 2010

Manga Opus Japanese Anime Expo Expected to Draw 100,000 by Richard Guzmán city editor

his week, Downtown will be filled with battling warriors, conniving vixens, beings from a subterranean culture and maybe even a few pirates. And not just in City Hall. Viral, a member of the Human Eradication Army, and Revy, a ticklish yet extremely illtempered temptress who wears short shorts and carries a big gun, will be among the characters on hand for Anime Expo 2010. The July 1-4 event is set to bring more than 100,000 fans of Japanese animation and comic books to Downtown Los Angeles. With many of the attendees dressing up as their favorite characters, the convention is sometimes described as Halloween in July. Yet it also has a decidedly serious bottom line. “The economic impact of this convention is about $24 million over the Fourth of July weekend, which is sometimes a slow weekend,” said Mark Liberman, president and CEO of L.A. Inc., the city’s convention and visitors bureau. He said that the payout could continue into the future. “They’re committed to come back for the next couple of years but we’re hoping to make an announcement as the show opens,” he said. The event may strike some as similar to E3, the video game convention that last month took over South Park for three days and injected $23 million into the local economy. However, that was limited to professionals in the video game industry. Anime Expo, by contrast, is open to any member of the public willing to pay the $45

daily entrance fee ($35 pre-sale). The expo will include screenings, panel discussions, autograph sessions, concerts and the Masquerade, where costumed fans perform skits and compete to win prizes for their often elaborate creations. Attending artists include respected names in the world of anime and manga (comic books), including animator Toshihiro Kawamoto, voice actor and anime director Shinichi “Nabeshin” Watanabe and manga artist Rei Hiore. Screenings will include the latest installment of Hiore’s series Black Lagoon and the U.S. debut of the Japanese “East of Eden” TV show. “I’m excited that we were able to work closely with the Japanese anime community and we were able to deliver such quality talent from Japan for the expo,” said Michael Lattanzio, president and CEO of the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation, the organizer of the event. Cartoon Art Much like Marvel comic book characters have a huge following in this country, with some turned into feature films, anime is widely popular in Japan. Its complex storylines and often violent and even risqué characters typically appeal to older teens and young adults. Its appeal, however, reaches beyond Japan, with many considering the characters, with their exaggerated facial features and body proportions, to be an art form. As with any art form, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. “Some of these folks spend four to six months working on costumes for this expo,”

Japanese animation fans will dress up as their favorite characters for the July 1-4 event at the Convention Center.

Lattanzio said. One of the costumed attendees will be Kate Hopp, a 29-year-old graphic designer from Los Angeles who has spent months working on her outfits. She plans to wear a different one each day of the event. At 5 feet 10, Hopp will forgo the typically revealing female costumes and instead come as Monkey D. Luffy, a boy whose body turns into rubber after eating the devil’s fruit. He’s the main character in a series about pirates called One Piece. “I have a few characters but this is my main one,” she said. “He’s a cool guy. I could have dressed up as one of the female characters but I didn’t feel that much of a connection with them. And I’m really tall for a girl so it seemed like something I could pull off without looking too wrong.” Her other expo outfits include Kazuya Hiramaru, a character from Bakuman, which is a comic book about people who write comic books; a villain from the One Piece series; and Benisato from Ninja Scroll, a mid-

’90s anime action thriller set in feudal Japan. On Sunday Hopp is going as a “joke” version of Luffy. For Hopp, the Expo is like being at a costume party where she’s the star. “If someone stops you for a picture you want to be in character and pose like your character. It’s really great, especially if you can get a group of characters together. Then you can recreate a scene,” she said. That is what she is planning on doing Saturday for Masquerade when she teams up with other anime fans to recreate the entire movie Ninja Scroll. But since they only have about two minutes to reenact a 90-minute movie, they’ll condense several fight scenes that happen throughout the film into one massive battle. Anime Expo 2010 runs July 1-4 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St. Tickets and additional information at anime-expo-org. Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

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LISTINGS EVENTS

The ‘Don’t Miss’ List

photo by Greg Gorman

Monday, June 28 Live Talks Los Angeles The Colburn School, 200 S. Grand Ave., (800) 8383006 or livetalksla.org. 8 p.m.: Best-selling author Scott Turow will discuss his work and latest book, Innocent, the sequel to his debut novel Presumed Innocent. He’ll be in conversation with Dustin Hoffman. Tuesday, June 29 ALOUD at Central Library 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7025 or aloudla.org. 7 p.m.: Author Ayelet Waldman offers a sane and bracingly honest perspective on the challenges of motherhood in A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, & Occasional Moments of Grace. She speaks with novelist Susan Straight. Wednesday, June 30 ALOUD at Central Library 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7025 or aloudla.org. 7 p.m.: Los Angeles poets Erika Ayon, David Eadington, Dina Hardy, Georgia Jones-Davis, Russell

Continued on next page

One

The new spea ker series Liv e Ta lk s Lo s A n g e le s presen ts b e st -s e ll in g au T u ro w in co th o r S co tt n ve rs at io n w it h Dustin Hoffm an on Monda y, June 28, at 8 p. m. at the Colburn at Zipper Hall School. Turow will discuss hi s work and late st book, Innocent , the sequel to hi s debut novel, Pr esumed Innoce nt. Known for his intens dramas and ch e courtroom aracter insigh t, Turow brings back protagon is t Rusty Sabich (p layed by Harris on Ford in the m ovie version) an d puts him in the hot seat when hi s wife is found de ad under “mys terious circum stances.” Hmm m, very interesting. W in the moderat hy is Hoffman or seat, you m ay ask? Well, he’s a fa tioned the film n and has oprights to Turow ’s Personal Injurie s. At 200 S. Gran d Ave., (800) 8383006 or livetalksla.org.

photo by Jeremy Lawson Photography

SPONSORED LISTINGS World Cup at Casey’s Casey’s Irish Pub, 613 S. Grand Ave., (213) 6292353 or bigcaseys.com. Through July 11, 6:30 a.m.: If the World Cup fever has got a hold of you and you’re willing to get up at the crack of dawn to catch a few games, Casey’s will be right there with you. The Irish pub opens early to celebrate World Cup finals action on nine screens at 6:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Breakfast will be served from 7-11 a.m. And you can toast your team with the perfect pint of Guinness or a Bloody Molly (Mary’s sister served with Jameson). No cover. Winners Choice Fundraiser Midnight Mission, 601 S. San Pedro St., for tickets call (877) 338-2968. Through Sept. 15: A $50 ticket can earn you the chance to win a new 2010 BMW 750 or $65,000 cash while also helping those in need. Tickets for The Midnight Mission 2010 Winner’s Choice fundraiser are now on sale and include 30 prizes worth more than $100,000. The deadline for early bird drawings is July 14 while the final deadline is Sept. 15. For more information go to WinnersChoiceMidnightMission.com. L.A.’s Largest Mixer XII Shrine Auditorium Expo Center, 700 W. 32nd St., (323) 230-5656 or lamixer.com. July 22, 5-9 p.m.: Join Los Angeles area chambers and business organizations for the ultimate business networking event. Mix and mingle with hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of business people representing industries and companies in and around Southern California. L.A.’s Largest Mixer XII is a great opportunity to reach small to large companies, meet new clients and learn how the different chambers of commerce and business organizations can make your business grow. Admission is $20 per person.

by Lauren CampedeLLi, Listings editor calendar@downtownnews.com

Sunday, July 4, may be Independence Day, but there’s no need to celebrate independently. Join your fellow compatriots for the festivities at Exposition Park. Radio station KJLH will provide entertainment beginning at 5 p.m., and what would the day be without fireworks “bursting in air?” The display will get started at dark and rumor has it that the best viewing spots are Christmas Tree Lane, just north of the Coliseum, and on the South Lawn of the Natural History Museum. Fittingly, the park’s L.A. Sports Arena is the site of frequent naturalization ceremonies in which immigrants take the Oath of Citizenship. Access free parking via Martin Luther King Boulevard and Hoover Street. At 700 Exposition Park Dr., (213) 747-7111 or expositionpark.org.

Jesse Cook has international cred and an adventurous musical palette. Toronto-based, Paris-born and influenced by jazz, Latin and world music, the Nuevo Flamenco guitarist plays to sold-out crowds all over the world. Cook first picked up a toy guitar at the age of 3 and precociously sought to mimic the Gypsy guitar legend Manitas de Plata, who lived in the same region of Southern France. A musical journey to Colombia inspired his latest album, The Rumba Foundation. Let him take you there when he brings his high-energy concert and ferocious guitar to Club Nokia on Tuesday, June 29, at 8 pm. At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or clubnokia.com.

F O U R

Make your Bollywood dreams come true on Friday, July 2, when Dance Downtown features Bollywood/ Bhangra dancing under the stars at the Music Center Plaza. This is not your mama’s hustle — this is highenergy group dance East Indianstyle. Bhangra, the folk music and dance of the Punjab region of India, has morphed with other Indian regions as well as reggae, hip hop, and Arabic and Latin influences. Add the exuberance and choreography of Bollywood musical numbers and you’ve got one fun mash-up. Free beginner dance lessons at 6:30 p.m. and throughout the evening will take you one step and two spins closer to Bollywood stardom. At 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-3660 or musiccenter.org.

Three

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

photo courtesy of Jesse Cook

Big Name ReadeRs, Bollywood daNciNg aNd FiRewoRks BlastiNg

16 Downtown News

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But Wait, There’s More!

Additional Event Information on the Web

Listings Continued from previous page Salamon and Mike Sonksen read from their work in a showcase of diverse voices and styles. Last Remaining Seats Orpheum Theatre, 842 S. Broadway, (213) 430-4219 or laconservancy.org. 8 p.m.: Last Remaining Seats is the L.A. Conservancy’s annual series of classic films and live entertainment in the historic theaters of Los Angeles. Tonight’s screening is Peter Pan (1924). Thursday, July 1 Anime Expo Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St., (866) 229-3691 or anime-expo.org. 9 a.m.-6 p.m.: North America’s largest anime event invites fans of Japanese animation, manga (comic books) and pop culture to meet the creative forces behind them and enter this world through everything from costume play, karaoke and video competitions to exclusive screenings, artist panels and autograph sessions. Through July 4. Friday, July 2 Farmlab Public Salons 1745 N. Spring St. #4, (323) 226-1158 or farmlab.org. Noon: Robby Herbst. Music Center Plaza In the plaza at 135 N. Grand Ave., visit musiccenter.org. 6:30 p.m.: Dance Downtown with Bollywood Bhangra. Sunday, July 4 Fourth of July Fireworks Celebration Exposition Park, 700 Exposition Park Dr., (213) 7477111 or expositionpark.org. 5 p.m.: Radio station KJLH kicks off the festivities with musical entertainment; the fireworks display gets started around 9 p.m.

FILM California African American Museum 600 State Drive, (213) 744-2024 or caamuseum.org. June 30, 7 p.m.: The documentary Soundtrack for a Revolution, the second in the Black Music Month film screening series, tells the story of the American Civil Rights movement through its powerful music — the freedom songs and protest songs sung on picket lines, in mass meetings, paddy wagons and jail cells. Free admission. RSVP required. Downtown Independent 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or downtownindependent.com. June 28, 7 p.m.: Film Courage Interactive features the premiere of writer/director Archie Gips’ Chloe & Keith’s Wedding. It was first posted as a YouTube clip in 2008 and was viewed over 70 million times. June 30, 8 p.m.: The LA3DClub and Downtown Independent Theater have teamed up to present screenings of independent 3-D movies. Tonight’s screening of Night of the Living Dead 3-D will be followed by a Q&A with producer/director Jeff Broadstreet, writer/editor Robert Valding and cinematographer Andrew Parke. Both an homage to and a re-imagining of the original 1968 film, this update follows a group of survivors trapped in a farmhouse battling a siege of undead zombies. July 1, 8 and 10:15 p.m.: Our Footloose Remake, a fan-made remake of the 1984 Kevin Bacon classic, was created by a collection of amateur filmmakers from around the country who divided the original 1984 Footloose into 54 different scenes. What resulted was a variety of recreations from the iconic film, stitched together to tell the story of Ren McCormack’s fight to dance.  July 2, 6, 7:45, 9:30 and 11:15 p.m.; July 3-4, 4:15, 6, 7:45, 9:30 and 11:15 p.m.: Shoot-outs, robberies, gas-huffing, drug dealing, pill popping, murders and tap dancing are all part of the Wild and Wonderful White Family of West Virginia. This stylish, fastpaced family portrait exposes the powerful forces of corruption, poverty, and West Virginia’s environmentally and culturally devastating coal mining culture. Through July 8. IMAX Theater California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 7442019 or californiasciencecenter.org. Through Sept. 6: Hubble 3D enables movie-goers to journey through distant galaxies to explore the grandeur and mysteries of our celestial surroundings, and accompany space-walking astronauts as

they attempt the most difficult and important tasks in NASA’s history. Through Sept. 6: Journey to the royal tombs of Egypt and explore the history of ancient Egyptian society as told through the mummies of the past. Mummies 3D: Secrets of the Pharaohs follows explorers and scientists as they piece together the archeological and genetic clues of Egyptian mummies. Through Sept. 6: Featuring nine-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater, The Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D will immerse audiences in the story of an ocean wave and the lives it impacts and transforms. From astounding surfing action to the chaos of ocean storms, the film leads audiences on a quest to understand one of this planet’s most intriguing and dramatic phenomena. Regal Cinema L.A. Live 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (877) 835-5734 or lalive.com. Through June 24: Get Him to The Greek (12:20, 2:50, 5:30, 8 and 10:50 p.m.); The A-Team (1:30, 4:10, 6:50 and 9:30 p.m.); The Karate Kid (12:40, 3:50, 6:50 and 10:10 p.m.); Jonah Hex (12:50, 3, 5:20, 7:30 and 9:50 p.m.); Shrek Forever After 3D (11:30 a.m. and 1:50, 4:10, 6:30 and 8:50 p.m.); Toy Story 3 3D (11 and 11:40 a.m. and 1, 1:40, 2:20, 3:40, 4:20, 5, 6:20, 7, 7:40, 9, 9:40 and 10:20 p.m.); Knight and Day (11:10 and 11:50 a.m. and 1:50, 2:30, 4:30, 5:10, 7:10, 7:50, 9:50 and 10:30 p.m.); Grown Ups (11:20 a.m. and 12, 1:20, 2, 2:40, 4, 4:40, 5:20, 6:40, 7:20, 8, 9:20, 10 and 10:40 a.m.). July 2 (partial listing): The Last Airbender 3D (11:10 a.m. and 1:40, 4:20, 7:10 and 9:50 p.m.); The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (10:30 a.m. and 1:30, 4:30, 7:30 and 10:30 p.m.).

ROCK, POP & JAZZ Caña Rum Bar at the Doheny 714 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 745-7090 or canarumbar.com. July 3, 10 p.m.: Cuban music with Alonso Brito. Casey’s Irish Pub 613 S. Grand Ave., (213) 629-2353 or bigcaseys.com. July 2, 9 p.m.: Friday Night Fringe Radio Coalition features Rademacher and their tough American music. July 3, 10 p.m.: Lost Highway presents Stevenson Ranch Dividians’ folk music with emotion. Conga Room L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic, (213) 749-0445 or congaroom.com. July 1, 9 p.m.: El Potro de Sinaloa. July 3, 8 p.m.: Salsa with Bomba Mix. Club Nokia Corner of Olympic Blvd. and Figueroa St., clubnokia.com. June 29, 8 p.m.: Nuevo flamenco guitarist Jesse Cook. Grammy Museum L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org. These shows take place in the museum’s Sound Stage theater. June 28, 7:30 p.m.: The documentary The Greatest Ears In Town: The Arif Mardin Story chronicles the life, career and final recording sessions of Arif Mardin, one of the greatest record producers and arrangers of the past 50 years. After the screening, director (and Mardin’s son) Joe Mardin and close family friend Quincy Jones take part in a panel discussion on the film and musical contributions of Arif Mardin. Nokia Theatre 777 Chick Hearn Court, (213) 763-6000 or nokiatheatrelalive.com. July 31, 8 p.m.: Scorpions’ “Get Your Sting & Blackout” world tour. Orpheum Theatre 842 S. Broadway, (213) 622-1939 or laorpheum.com. July 2, 9 p.m.: Freak folk sisters-act CocoRosie incorporates elements of pop, blues, opera, electronica and hip-hop. Redwood Bar & Grill 316 W. Second St., (213) 680-2600 or theredwoodbar.com. June 28, 10 p.m.: Phil Alvin, Pookie LaFarge and Frank Fairfield. June 29, 10 p.m.: Dirty Ed presents Million Kids, The Gears, Sylvia Juncosa and Comprehend. June 30, 10 p.m.: Shake, Shout and Soul with DJ Benny Hammond. July 1, 10 p.m.: The Preservation. July 2, 10 p.m.: The Guilty Hearts and The Slighted (record release party). July 3, 10 p.m.: MOTO from Chicago, Midnight Creeps from Providence, Spurts from Santa Cruz and D.Rex. Seven Grand 515 W. Seventh St., sevengrand.la. June 28, 10 p.m.: Blues with the Robby Marshall

Group. June 29, 10 p.m.: House band The Makers. June 30, 10 p.m.: Deacon Jones Blues Review featuring Lady GG.

THEATER, OPERA & DANCE It’s A Musical World Bob Baker’s Marionettes, 1345 W. First St., (213) 2509995 or bobbakermarionettes.com. June 29-July 2, 10:30 a.m.; July 3-4, 2:30 p.m.: Bob Baker’s marionettes continues its special 50th anniversary season with “It’s A Musical World,” a marionette revue that includes a stop at an enchanted toy shop, the arrival of spring at a teddy bear’s picnic and a red, white and blue finale. Through July 11. The Lieutenant of Inishmore Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 6282772 or centertheatregroup.org. June 30-July 3, 8 p.m.; July 4, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: The namesake character, the Lieutenant of Inishmore, is clever, devilishly rakish and, when he’s not torturing his enemies, a lover of cats. It’s this sliver of humanity — juxtaposed against the cold, cruel circumstances of political terrorism — that drives this play to its wicked depths. Through Aug. 8. South Pacific Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 6282772 or centertheatregroup.org. June 29-July 3, 8 p.m.; July 3, 2 p.m.; July 4, 1 p.m.: Set on a tropical island during World War II, the musical “South Pacific” tells the sweeping romantic story of two couples and how their happiness is threatened by the realities of war and by their own prejudices. Through July 17. Wednesday Night at the Home of Michel Leiris: A Reading of the Play “Desire Caught by the Tail by the Painter Pablo Picasso” Bootleg Theater, 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.com. July 1-3, 8 p.m.: This play twists the true story of an underground meeting between Picasso and the French existentialists into a slamming-doors sex farce. Enduring hunger, the Nazis and each other, the greatest thinkers of the 20th century risk their lives to find that the master has written a play so unwatchable that even they cannot stomach the pretension. Through July 24.

MUSEUMS African American Firefighter Museum 1401 S. Central Ave., (213) 744-1730 or aaffmuseum.org. Ongoing: An array of firefighting relics dating to 1924, including a 1940 Pirsch ladder truck, an 1890 hose wagon, uniforms from New York, L.A. County and City of L.A. firefighters, badges, helmets, photographs and other artifacts. Annette Green Perfume Museum FIDM, second floor, 919 S. Grand Ave., (213) 6241200 or fidm.edu. Ongoing: One of a kind, the museum is dedicated to enhancing our understanding the art, culture and science of the olfactory. Originally opened in New York City in 1999, the collection — 2,000 bottles, perfume presentations and documentary ephemera dating from the late 1800s to the present — was donated to FIDM in 2005. Also, “High Style: Perfume and the Haute Couture” features a selection of fragrance bottles and packaging that reflect the many ways that fame inspires design. California African American Museum 600 State Drive, (213) 744-7432 or caamuseum.org. Through July 4: “Dance Theater of Harlem” is a multi-media exhibit exploring the choreography, costuming and dancers of the famed dance company. The exhibit also takes a close look at the company’s founders Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook, who started DTH in 1969. Through Oct. 31: “Our Love of John T. Scott” examines the New Orleans artist’s life, artwork, journey and private reflections and the people he influenced. The exhibition includes lyrical sculptures, paintings and four-by-six-foot woodcut blocks used to make large-scale prints. Ongoing: The multi-functional “Gallery of Discovery” offers visitors the opportunity to connect with the lineage of their own family, engage in artistic workshops, educational tours and other programs of historical discoveries. Hear recordings of actual living slaves from the Library of Congress archives and discover stories from the past. California Science Center 700 State Drive, (323) 724-3623 or californiasciencecenter.org. Opening July 1, limited time: “Mummies of the World,” the largest traveling exhibition of mummies

June 28, 2010

Listings for additional concerts, exhibits and more in Downtown Los Angeles can be found on our website. Go to ladowntownnews.com/calendar for full information, including time and location, for all the happenings in Downtown. ever assembled, presents a never-before-seen collection of both accidental and intentionally preserved mummies including ancient mummies and important artifacts from Asia, Oceania, South America and Europe as well as ancient Egypt, dating as far back as 6,500 years. Through Sept. 6: “Lost Egypt: Ancient Secrets, Modern Science” is an immersive quest for knowledge that reveals how archaeologists use modern science and technology to uncover and understand the ancient civilization of Egypt. Through Sept. 26: “Exploring Trees Inside and Out” is designed for young children (ages 2-7) to better understand the significant role trees play in the environment. Ongoing: The Science Center’s permanent exhibits are usually interactive and focus on human innovations and inventions as well as the life processes of living things. The lobby Science Court stays busy with the High Wire Bicycle, a Motion-Based Simulator, the Ecology Cliff Climb and Forty Years of Space Photography. The human body is another big focus: The Life Tunnel aims to show the connections between all life forms, from the single-celled amoeba to the 100-trillion-celled human being. Chinese American Museum 425 N. Los Angeles St., (213) 485-8567 or camla.org. Through November 7: “Hollywood Chinese: The Arthur Dong Collection” is an exhibition of movie memorabilia collected during the 10-years of research for Arthur Dong’s documentary on the Chinese in American feature films. Explore the filmmaker’s archive of over 1,000 items, including posters, lobby cards, stills, scripts, press material, and other artifacts dating from 1916 to present-day. Permanent: Re-creation of the Sun Wing Wo, a Chinese general store and herbal shop, and “Journeys: Stories of Chinese Immigration,” an exhibit exploring Chinese immigration to the United States with an emphasis on community settlement in Los Angeles. The display is outlined into four distinct time periods. Each period is defined by an important immigration law and/or event, accompanied by a brief description and a short personal story about a local Chinese American and their experiences in that particular historical period. El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument 124 Paseo de la Plaza, (213) 485-8372 or elpueblo. lacity.org. Ongoing: The whole of El Pueblo is called a “monument,” and of this monument’s 27 historic buildings, four function as museums: the Avila Adobe, the city’s oldest house; the Sepulveda House, home to exhibits and the monument’s Visitors Center; the Fire House Museum, which houses late 19th-century fire-fighting equipment; and the Masonic Hall, which boasts Masonic memorabilia. Check its website for a full slate of fiestas, including Cinco de Mayo, Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in November and December’s beautiful candlelight procession, Las Posadas. Open daily, though hours at shops and halls vary. FIDM Museum and Galleries 919 S. Grand Ave., (213) 624-1200 or fidm.edu. Through Sept. 30: “Disney Alice in Wonderland Design Exhibition” includes Colleen Atwood’s original costumes from the film as well as Alice–inspired clothing and products designed by a variety of celebrities, designers and fashion icons including Sue Wong, Tom Binns, Avril Lavigne and FIDM Alumni. Grammy Museum L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org. Through summer 2010: “Michael Jackson: A Musical Legacy” includes Jackson’s trademark fedora and gloves, six elaborately embellished jackets, original lyrics, a Jackson 5 stage costume and more. Across eight video monitors, the museum will also present footage of Jackson’s appearances on the annual Grammy Awards, as well as never-before-seen video of some of Jackson’s famous friends sharing their memories of him. The exhibit will feature a new interactive experience which will allow visitors to dance on a floor of light-up tiles, mimicking Jackson’s own moves in the “Billie Jean” music video.

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All submissions are subject to federal and California fair housing laws, which make it illegal to indicate in any advertisement any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income or physical or mental disability. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

CONSIDERING Foreclosure? Are you late in payments? A short sale may be your solution. Call Lady Rodriguez, Realtor 310-600-7534. Represent both buyers and sellers.

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June 28, 2010

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Apartments/Unfurnished FREE RENT SPECIALS Up to $3500 off select apartment homes! Additional Look + Lease specials may apply. Free parking, free tanning, free wi-fi + biz center avail. Cardio Salon, pool, Spa, steamroom, sauna. Call us today. 866-742-0992. ORSINI III - Now Pre-leasing for May 2010. Hard Hat Tours Available by appointment. Never Lived in, Brand New Luxury Apartment Homes, Free Parking, Karaoke Room, Free Wi-Fi, Indoor Basketball, Uncomparable Amenity Package. Call today to schedule a tour - 866-479-1764.

EMPLOYMENT Educational LEAD TEACHER: supervisory teacher position. Job/Intrvw: Los Angeles. Resume/ad to: H.R. Dept, Soledad Enrichment Action, 222 N. Virgil Ave, Los Angeles, CA. 90004.

SYSTEMS ANALYST (Nestle USA, Inc., Glendale, CA) Configure, devel. & implement SAP Material Mgmt. for Purchasing, EBP & Contract Mfg. tech. functions, on behalf of food & bev. mfr. w/ over 30,000 ees. Requires Bach’s deg. in MIS, CS, or rel. field, & 5 yrs exp. in configuring SAP Materials Mgmt. modules, spec. Purchasing & Contract Mfg., to devel. & implement purchasing tech. functions for co. w/ at least 5,000 ees. Stated or other exp. must incl. at least 3 yrs’ exp. in configuring, designing & implementing Purchasing & Contract Mfg. as end-to-end bus. processes & purchasing techs. Exp. may, but need not be, gained concurrently. Apply w/ resume to M. Simo, Nestle USA, Inc., 800 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 91203 Ref. job code SA. No phone calls or third party agents please. Drivers READY FOR A New Opportunity? Gordon Trucking - We have Home Weekly & Regional Options! *Team & Solo OTR positions *Regional Openings *New Equipment! *Better Benefits! *Lots of safe miles! *Consistent Home Time! If this sounds like the right opportunity for you then call 1-888-832-6484 or log onto www. TeamGTI.com to chat with a recruiter live! EOE. (Cal-SCAN)

COMPANY DRIVERS (Solos & Hazmat Teams) * Great Pay* Great Miles * CDL-A Required. We also have dedicated & regional positions available. Call 866-789-8947. Swift. (CalSCAN) DRIVERS IN DEMAND! 20 Positions Available. Solo OTR Drivers & Team Drivers West states exp/hazmat end, great miles/ hometime. Andrus Transportation 1-800-888-5838, 1-866-8065119 x1402. (Cal-SCAN) DRIVERS/CDL Training - Career Central. We train and employ you. Company drivers up to 40K first year. New team pay! Up to 48c/mile Class A CDL Training Regional Locations. 1-877-3697091 www.CentralDrivingJobs. net. (Cal-SCAN) NATIONAL CARRIERS needs O/Os, Lease Purchase, Company Drivers for its Regional Operations in California. Generous Hometime & Outstanding Pay Package. CDL-A Required. 1-888-707-7729. www.NationalCarriers.com. (Cal-SCAN) SLT NEEDS CDL A Team Drivers with Hazmat. $2,000 Bonus. Teams split $.68 for all miles. O/O teams paid $1.65-$2.00 per mile. 1-800-835-9471. (CalSCAN)

General AUTOMOTIVE Great jobs in downtown LA! Full time or part time. Two blocks south of the Staples Center at Figueroa & Venice. Toyota Central is growing! Sales Associates - all levels. Internet Associates. Service Technicians. Service Consultants. Drivers. Cashiers. Receptionists. Bilingual Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Middle Eastern and women encouraged to apply. Great compensation package and employee benefits. Please call 800-597-5516 or send resume to autosuccess@ aol.com. EOE. Health Care “ACUPUNCTURIST. Master’s degree in Acupuncture or Oriental Medicine required. Mail resume to Nazareth Clinic Corp., 2140 W. Olympic Blvd. Ste. 321, Los Angeles, CA 90006, Atten: Jeremy Choi.” Sales BETWEEN HIGH SCHOOL and College? Over 18? Drop that entry level position. Earn what you’re worth!!! Travel w/ Successful Business Group. Paid Training. Transportation, Lodging Provided. 1-877-6465050. (Cal-SCAN)

SERVICES

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Childcare SUMMER CAMP THEATRE Workshop Incredible opportunity for parents working in Downtown. Los Angeles Theatre Academy. $100 per week. latheatreacademy.com 323-343-9922

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Help Wanted ATTN: INTERNATIONAL Company Expanding. Work online, tele-commute, flexible hours, great pay, will train. Apply online at: www.KTPGlobal.com or 800 330-8446. (Cal-SCAN)

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Help Wanted

Advertising Account Executive L.A. Downtown News is looking for a enthusiastic self-starter who is well-organized and has the ability to sell advertising over the phone AND in person, with 3+ years in sales experience, preferably in advertising/media with a proven track record in prospecting and closing new business. The ideal candidate will have exceptional communication and selling skills, a strong work ethic and a great attitude. Compensation includes a base salary plus commissions and bonuses. This is a full-time position with benefits, including health insurance, disability, vacation, private health club, and a 401(K) retirement plan. Candidate must possess own vehicle and valid driver's license and insurance. If you are interested in applying for this position, please send your cover letter, resume, and salary requirements via e-mail to: jobs@downtownnews.com. Use subject line: Account Executive 2010

June 28, 2010

Downtown News 19

DowntownNews.com

NOW HIRING Individuals with advanced knowledge in Antiques, Coins, Currency, etc. Earn 50K-100K. Work only 42 weeks/yr. All expenses paid. Will Train. 217-726-7590 x146. (CalSCAN)

2007 VOlKSWAGEN RABBIT FWD, auto, gray/gray, carfax, one owner, vin236645, $12,888. Call 888-781-8102.

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AutOs WANtED A CAR DONATION helping sick kids! Donate Your Car to SONGS OF lOVE and make a sick child smile! Featured on NBC (TODAY SHOW), CNN. Tax-deductible, all vehicle conditions accepted. www.Songsoflove.org 888-909SONG (7664). (Cal-SCAN)

‘08 HONDA CIVIC EX only 16K miles with navi. N13552/507882, only $16,999. 888-838-5089. 2002 911 TURBO X-50 yellow, loaded, 28k miles, one owner,vin 686559, 888-685-5426. 2007 AUDI A4 Premium Pkg. Moonroof, leather, (200420), $17,995. Call 888-583-0981. 2007 TOYOTA (C100473-1/038999) Call 888-203-2967

DONATE YOUR VEHIClE! Receive Free Vacation Voucher. United Breast Cancer Foundation. Free Mammograms, Breast Cancer Info www.ubcf.info Free Towing, Tax Deductible, NonRunners Accepted, 1-888-4685964. (Cal-SCAN)

ANNOUNCEMENTS VOluNtEER OPPORtuNitiEs HElPING KIDS heal. Free Arts for Abused Children is looking for volunteers. Today is the day to get involved! Contact Annie at volunteers@freearts.org or 310313-4278 for more information. CHuRCHEs THE BRIDGE / little Tokyo: Contemporary worship, 4:00pm Sundays, 401 E Third St. www. thebridgewired.org.

PETS/ANIMALS ADOPt A PEt ADOPT (OR FOSTER) your forever friend from Bark Avenue Foundation. Beautiful, healthy puppies, dogs, cats and kittens available at Downtown’s largest private adoption facility. Call Dawn at 213-840-0153 or email Dawn@BarkAvelA.com or visit www.Bark Avenue Foundation. org.

LEGAL FiCtitiOus BusiNEss NAmE Fictitious Business name statement File no. 20100696012 The following person is doing business as: TEXTIlE ASSOCIATION OF lOS ANGElES (TAlA), 444 S. Flower Street, 34th Floor, los Angeles CA 90017, (Mailing address) PO

Box 71022 lA CA 90071, are hereby registered by the following registrant: CAlIFORNIA FASHION ASSOCIATION, 444 S. Flower St., 34th Floor, los Angeles CA 90071. This business is conducted by a corporation. The registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on 5/21/2010. This statement was filed with DEAN lOGAN, los Angeles County Clerk on February 1, 2010. NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and

Professions Code). Pub. 6/14, 6/21, 6/28, 7/5/2010 Fictitious Business name statement File no. 20100717853 The following person is doing business as: JESPER KYD PRODUCTIONS, 1210 North Maple Street, Burbank, CA 91505, are hereby registered by the following registrant: JESPER KYD JACOBSEN, 1210 North Maple Street, Burbank, CA 91505. This business is conducted by an individual. Registrants hascommenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on May 1, 2005. This statement was filed with DEAN lOGAN, los Angeles County Clerk on May 26, 2010. 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 state-

FOR RENT? FOR LEASE? FOR SALE? People are looking here, shouldn’t your ad should be here?

(213) 481-1448

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ment must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code). Pub.6/21, 6/28, 7/5, 7/12/2010

Be Inspired... 1900 sqft, open LOFT w/views $2850/mo • 17 ft ceilings, Live/Work space • 14 story bldg. • Rooftop garden terrace w/city view • Pet friendly

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Don't settle for anyone less experienced! Call us today! Bill Cooper • 213.598.7555 • TheLoftExpertGroup.com legal notice COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA NOTICE THAT THE COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA WILL CONSIDER THE ADOPTION OF A NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND A DESIGN FOR DEVELOPMENT (PHASE 1) ESTABLISHING DEVELOPMENT CONTROLS FOR PALLET YARDS AND RECYCLING CENTERS IN THE CENTRAL INDUSTRIAL REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AREA, IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA Notice is hereby given that on Thursday, July 15, 2010, beginning at the hour of 10:00 A.M. or as soon thereafter as this item may be heard, the Board of Commissioners of the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles, California (“CRA/LA”) will conduct a meeting at the CRA/LA Board Room located at 354 S. Spring Street, Sixth Floor, Los Angeles, California 90013, to consider the proposed adoption of a Design for Development in accordance with Section 522 of the Central Industrial Redevelopment Plan. The CRA/LA will also consider the adoption of a Negative Declaration for the proposed adoption of a Design for Development. The meeting may be continued from time to time until completed. The proposed Design for Development will impose development and design controls that may restrict any future pallet yards and recycling centers in the Project Area of pallet yards and recycling centers in the Project Area. Any and all persons having any objections to the proposed adoption of a Design for Development, who deny the regularity of this proceeding or wish to speak on any issue raised by the adoption of the Design for Development, may appear at the meeting and will be afforded an opportunity to state their comments or objections. If any person desires to challenge in court the proposed adoption of the Design for Development or any proceedings in connection therewith, they may be limited to raising only those issues that they or someone else raised at the meeting described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the CRA/LA at, or prior to, the meeting. Written correspondence on this matter may be addressed to the CRA/ LA, c/o of the CRA/LA, Downtown Region, 354 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles, California 90013. 6/28, 7/5/10 CNS-1887865# DOWNTOWN NEWS

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20 Downtown News

June 28, 2010

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World Cup Continued from page 5 breathe together. Seemingly in unison, those at the bar lifted and set down their pints of morning Guinness, mimosas, Bloody Marys and Bloody Mollys — the house specialty, which replaces vodka with Jameson. Each near goal for the Americans brought us to our feet, then back into our warm stools with a thud and collective groan. We traded curses when a referee disallowed a goal on a suspect call. Then, with less than four minutes to play, Landon Donovan, star of the Los Angeles Galaxy, finally put a rebound into the back of the net. The room exploded. Downtown office workers clad in suits jumped all around. A pair of USC students stood tall on their stool

rungs, arms raised to the sky. Strangers hugged. The bartender smiled, perhaps both at the win and in knowing the place sold as much food and booze on a Wednesday morning as it might over two hours on a Friday night. The team had advanced to the round of 16 (the match against Ghana took place after Downtown News went to press), and as we emerged from Casey’s, ambling onto Grand Avenue with smiles ear to ear, a chant of “USA! USA!” was still emanating from the bar. Meanwhile, the rest of Downtown was just starting its day. A couple across the street looked over at the bar entrance, confused stares directed at these buzzed, reveling hooligans of the morning. Clearly they didn’t know it was the World Cup. Soccer is not in our bones yet. Not in all of ours, anyway. Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

We Got Games Sparks Have Big Shoes to Fill Los Angeles Dodgers Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave., (213) 224-1400 or dodgers.mlb.com. Ouch. The past 10 days have been tough for the upand-down Dodgers: a sweep at the hands of the Boston Red Sox; dropping the Freeway Series to the Anaheim Angels; falling back to third place in the NL West. Then again, the baseball season is extremely long, so it’s not yet time to panic, even if the pitching staff is getting a little wobbly

again. Joe Torre’s boys have six games this week, all on the road, and 87 more games in the regular season. They start in San Francisco (June 28-30), then swing down to Arizona to take on the Diamondbacks (July 2-4) over Independence Day weekend. Los Angeles Sparks Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 929-1300 or wnba.com/sparks. June 29 and July 1, 7:30 p.m.; July 3, 2 p.m.: The Los

Angeles Sparks already were having a tough season, and then last week, superstar and league face Candace Parker went out with a seasonending shoulder injury. The Sparks will now have to lean on veterans Tina Thompson and DeLisha Milton-Jones as they try to string together some wins and regain prominence in the WNBA. This week the Sparks start a four-game homestand during which they’ll take on the struggling New York Liberty, the San Antonio Silver Stars and Lauren Jackson’s leagueleading Seattle Storm. If they don’t turn things around quickly, this could get ugly. —Ryan Vaillancourt

Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore!

Grand Tower 255 south Grand avenue Leasing Information 213 229 9777

Promenade Towers 123 south Figueroa street Leasing Information 213 617 3777

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

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

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

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

Now For Call n Specials Move-I

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museum Tower 225 south olive street Leasing Information 213 626 1500

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

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

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

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

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

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