08-10-09

LOS ANGELES

DOWNTOWN

NEWS

11-15

2

Bratton leaving, Clifton’s selling, and other happenings Around Town.

4

Editorials: The Civic Center ‘graffiti pit’ is a public embarrassment.

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

August 10, 2009

Volume 38, Number 32

INSIDE

What’s on The Menu?

Digging for Dining Dollars New Downtown Restaurants Battle Against Recession, High Competition and A Summer Slowdown

Urban Scrawl on Bratton’s departure.

4

A 3-on-3 basketball tournament.

5

How to dispense Downtown knowledge.

6

by RichaRd Guzmán city editoR

I

n January, the Los Angeles food scene was buzzing over the opening of Rivera restaurant.

There was an enthusiastic response to the new project from celebrated fusion chef John Rivera Sedlar. The Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles magazine gave the South Park establishment rave reviews. Food blogs also celebrated the restaurant, which was soon seating up to 400 people a day.

Seven months later, business has fallen about 20-25% off its peak, said Bill Chait, managing partner of Rivera. While that might cause some to worry, Chait is taking

it in stride, noting that it comes when the Lakers, Kings and Clippers are all in the offseason, and that programming at the Music Center has slowed.

“It’s not bad relatively speaking. We are very happy with the sales we have given the nature of the market,” Chait said. “When you lose some of the Music Center events and the Lakers are out, that’s a significant amount of traffic. And with law firms and other business people going on vacation, the general feeling of commerce Downtown seems a bit sedated in the summer time.”

Rivera is not alone. More than two dozen establishments opened in Downtown Los see Restaurants, page 9

photo by Gary Leonard

Drago Centro is one of the more than two dozen restaurants that opened in Downtown in less than a year. In addition to arriving during a recession, they face competition from each other.

What I Really Want To Ask the Mayor

The Next Picture Show

Now That He’s Taking Questions on His Website, Here Are 40 Things Inquiring Minds Want to Know

Downtown Film Festival Returns, With 200 Screenings in 11 Days

by Ryan VaillancouRt staff wRiteR

F

by Jon ReGaRdie

Nisei Week transforms Little Tokyo.

16

executiVe editoR

L

ast month, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa launched a new element of his website. As part of an upgrade of the WWV (World Wide Villaraigosa) portal, he has inTHE REGARDIE REPORT

More on the Downtown Film Festival.

18

Five great entertainment options.

19

19 CALENDAR LISTINGS 21 CLASSIFIEDS

cluded a feature at mayor.lacity.org called “Ask the Mayor.”

It’s exactly what it sounds like.

Seizing the power of streaming video, Villaraigosa seeks to get around the media and instead purports to take inquiries from regular ol’ Angelenos.

“This is our chance to have an online dialogue,” he says on the page.

It’s nice, this effort to be “of the people.” However, the only problem, if the first installment turns out to be typical, is that “Ask the Mayor” is about as exciting as spending the afternoon with Jim Hahn at a somnambulists’ convention. In fact, the most notable thing from the debut episode was that the voice didn’t match his lips, so it looked like a poorly dubbed Hong Kong action flick.

The question now is whether AnVil’s staff will carefully pick/make up questions to be featured, or if they’ll really go for things that the public wants to know. Hoping it’s the latter, and realizing that 98% of the populace will gloss over at party-line policy queries, I’ve come up

photo by Gary Leonard

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is fielding questions from the public on his website.

So far, no one has asked him about Rocky Delgadillo or Lu Parker.

with 40 things I’d really like to ask the mayor. In no particular order, they are: 1) Mr. Mayor, do you plan to date any other brunette television newscasters?

2) Did you really once have a “Born to Raise Hell” tattoo, or is that a Los Angeles rumor? If true, how much hell did you raise?

3) Speaking of hell, do you think you have a snowball’s chance in hell of balancing the city budget for the next couple of years?

4) How was your vacation to Iceland?

5) What did you think of the television newscasters in Iceland? see 40 Questions, page 9

or most of the year, Downtown is fairly barren when it comes to movies. That all changes this week, when the Downtown Film Festival Los Angeles brings a trove of premieres, experimental works, low-budget indies and Hollywood classics to the Central City.

The festival that crammed nearly 200 films into five days during its debut last year begins its sophomore run on Wednesday, Aug. 12. It continues for 10 more days, with about the same number of films as the 2008 model.

By most accounts, the festival’s inaugural year was a success: More

than 10,000 filmgoers from across the city turned out for screenings and related events. But it had a few hiccups. In retrospect, said co-director Greg Ptacek, the five-day event, held mostly at the Barker Block condominium complex in the Arts District, with other screenings in the Laemmle Grande 4-Plex, was probably too short and geographically constrained.

This year, the festival is utilizing six primary Downtown venues — including the AT&T Center in South Park, the Grammy Museum and the Downtown Independent theater.

Dozens of restaurants and nightlife establishments will host parties and other festival-related activities. see Film Festival, page 17

photo by David Lee

Passing Strange The Movie is Spike Lee’s documentary on the Tony Award-winning play Passing Strange. It opens the Downtown Film Festival on Aug. 12.

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

2 Downtown News

August August10, 10,2009 2009

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AROUNDTOWN Bratton to Stay Until Downtown Police Headquarters Opens

and hopefully we’ll go back to that position with a lease and a landlord, and maybe we’ll have just a little more money in our pocket,” he said.

L

APD Chief William Bratton may be moving on to a job in the private sector, but at the press conference for his announcement, he revealed that one of the key elements keeping him in Los Angeles until Oct. 31 is the opening of the new police headquarters building south of City Hall.

Bratton said announcing his departure nearly three months in advance allows the city time to look for a new chief, but added, “[On] Oct. 24 we open that magnificent structure directly across the street, and I certainly want to be there for that opening, and so that was in fact one element of my decision.” The $440 million headquarters will replace the aging Parker Center, and Bratton has been talking up the impending debut for months. Yet he noted one regret about leaving the LAPD for a job with the firm Altegrity, where he will help build police forces in developing nations. “I’ve got a beautiful office up there and a patio,” he said. “I guess I won’t have the opportunity to move anything into it.”

Clifton’s Cafeteria Staying Put

T

hree years after the family that owns Clifton’s Cafeteria announced a deal to buy the building where it had operated for more than seven decades, they have put the property on the market. However, Robert Clinton, a member of the family that owns and operates the restaurant at 648 S. Broadway, last week said that once a sale occurs, Clifton’s is not going anywhere. “Nothing is going to happen with Clifton’s,” Clinton told Los Angeles Downtown News. “Clifton’s is going to continue doing what we’ve been doing here on Broadway since 1935.” The 1916 building went on the market for $4.7 million. While he acknowledged that the business is “struggling,” which he blamed on the economy, Clinton would not go into details about why the decision was made to sell the building, saying only that it was based on family issues. Clinton said he is looking for a buyer that will allow the restaurant, famous for its woodland decor and low prices, to stay in the building and return to being tenants under a lease. “We paid rent for 71 years,

Homeless Man Murdered Near Sixth Street

R

obert Burrus, a 67-year-old homeless man, was found dead near Sixth Street and the Harbor (110) Freeway early on Aug. 1. Later that day, police arrested Timothy Bishop, a 50-year old homeless man on suspicion of the killing. Detectives believe Bishop killed Burrus by slashing his throat with a broken bottle in a dispute over money, LAPD Lt. Paul Vernon said. They also believe Bishop gouged Burrus’ eyes out in hopes it would keep the victim from identifying his assailant. Police tied Bishop to the killing with the help of a witness, also a homeless man, who discovered Burrus’ body at a homeless encampment near Sixth Street and the freeway at dawn. “We’ve seen it time and again, that in spite of their condition, many of the homeless Downtown still have a sense of pride among them that they are willing to come forward and report crimes,” said Vernon. “We solve more murders Downtown because of it.”

Police Arrest Man Believed to Be Behind Six Armed Robberies

D

owntown police officers got a double bonus last week, when they determined that a 42-year-old man they arrested is the prime suspect in two sets of robberies that had appeared unrelated. Over two months, Central Area detectives had been investigating two suspects believed to be responsible for six armed robberies and an additional attempted robbery. One suspect, described as heavyset, was known as the “Braids Bandit,” because of his braided hair; the other, who appeared slimmer, was labeled the “Do-rag Bandit,” for the head covering — a sort of nylon bandana — that he wore. On Wednesday, Aug. 5, police arrested Anthony Brown, a parolee, in Skid Row. Police believe that

between the start of the spree on July 10, and the time he was apprehended, Brown, 42, had been using drugs, lost weight and shed the braids. He is suspected of staging robberies in banks, convenience stores and a fast food restaurant.

Parking Lot Owner Convicted on Tax Charges

D

owntown-based parking lot owner Sohrab Sahab is facing up to 150 years in prison following his Aug. 4 conviction on 295 criminal counts for pocketing an estimated $400,000 in taxes owed to the city. Sahab, 47, the owner of Downtown-based Prestige Parking, is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 14 by Superior Court Judge Edmund Clarke.

Sahab, whose business operates 29 lots throughout the city, was convicted of 149 counts of failing to file parking occupancy tax report forms, 135 counts of failing to remit parking occupancy taxes to the city, and 11 counts of operating parking lots without a permit. “He’s hanging on to money he collected from the community,” said Richard Kraft, supervising attorney of the City Attorney’s Special Trials Unit. Sahab referred all questions to his attorney, Roger Jon Diamond, who disputed the claims, saying that the company has paid its taxes. “We’re going to be filing a motion to dismiss and if it’s denied, we’re appealing it,” Diamond said.

Potential Jumper Detained After Two-Hour Standoff

A

man threatening to jump off the Wilshire Boulevard overpass of the Harbor (110) Freeway snarled traffic for about two hours on Tuesday, Aug. 4, as authorities closed the freeway. At different points, the man, who was not identified, dangled himself from the rails on both sides of the overpass. Crowds of rapt onlookers watched from the Sixth Street overpass and on other streets as law enforcement officials set up airbags on the freeway. Finally, at about 1:30 p.m., the man appeared to heed an official’s plea to get off the ledge. Just after he swung both legs over the railing and took a step toward the center of Seventh Street, authorities rushed him and took him into custody, drawing cheers and expressions of relief from onlookers.

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Downtown News 3

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Six Attempted Suicides, No Easy Answers Downtown Sees a Rise in People Trying to Jump to Their Death

by Ryan Vaillancourt staff writer

B

efore his body was found on the corner of Third and Hill streets on an early April morning, Sun Sannes was the lively front man of the funky rock and soul group Hot Sauce Johnson. The 32-year-old seemed to like things loud: He sometimes sang into a megaphone that he held in front of a microphone.

On April 8, Sannes leapt from the top of the 10-level Grand Central Market parking structure. The singer, who was born Doral Fields and later changed his name, didn’t send any warning signals to his family, said Laura Brown, one of his four siblings.

“It was a shock to us,” Brown said.

Brown said she later found out that her brother had been using drugs and was about four months behind on some of his bills.

The scene after Sannes’ death, set off with yellow police tape, was disconcerting enough for LAPD Central Area Capt.

Blake Chow to send a community-wide email that morning explaining what had happened.

More alarming than Sannes’ death was that it would turn out to be the first of six “jumper” suicide attempts in Downtown in less than four months. Though LAPD officials could not provide suicide statistics in Downtown from previous years, multiple officers said the area usually has about four such suicides per year.

“Does it seem unusual, for this many to jump to their death?” asked LAPD Homicide Detective Robert Nelson. “It does.”

About 24 hours after Sannes’ died, 26-year-old Reuben Escocio Bie jumped to his death from his 20th floor apartment at Promenade Towers. Based on a note left behind, Bie appeared to be struggling with depression tied to a troubled relationship, police officials said.

On April 20, a 35-year-old man jumped from an interior atrium at the Central Library, in what police deemed an attempted suicide. The man survived but was severely injured, LAPD Lt. Al Pasos said.

Two months later, on June 9, Cheryl Ilene Donalds, 36, who lived on the 12th floor of the Hayward Hotel — a 525unit affordable housing development at Sixth and Spring streets in the Historic Core — fell to her death from the

Suicide Signs Things to Watch For and Ways to Help There are indicators when someone is at risk of suicide.

Signs to Be Aware of: n Unrelenting low mood, pessimism, hopelessness, desperation, anxiety, psychic pain and inner tension, withdrawal, sleep problems. n Threatening suicide or expressing a strong wish to die. n Making a plan: Giving away prized possessions, sudden or impulsive purchase of a firearm, obtaining other means of killing oneself such as poisons or medications.

What to Do n Take it Seriously: Fifty to 75% of all suicide victims give some warning of their intentions to a friend or family member. n Be Willing to Listen: If a person is depressed, don’t be afraid to ask whether they’re considering suicide, or if they have a particular plan or method in mind.

In a Crisis If a friend or loved one is threatening, talking about or making plans for suicide, these are signs of an acute crisis. n Do not leave the person alone. n Remove any firearms, drugs or sharp objects that could be harmful. n Take the person to an emergency room or walk-in clinic at a psychiatric hospital. n Call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-TALK (8255).

More information is at afsp.org or suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

Information reprinted with permission from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

building’s fire escape. Police ruled the incident a suicide.

On July 20, at about 4 a.m., 27-year-old Daniel Stanley died after falling from his 10th floor apartment at the SB Lofts at 548 S. Spring St. Police have ruled the death a suicide, though at least two of Stanley’s friends insist it was an accident.

The latest suicide occurred on July 23. Multiple witnesses saw Lifang Liang, a 73-year-old woman, jump from the 10th floor of the Cathay Manor Apartments at 600 N. Broadway in Chinatown at about 1 p.m., said Ed Winter, assistant chief of the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.

There was nearly another incident last week. On Aug. 4, police officials talked down a man who for nearly two hours

was threatening to jump off an overpass of the 110 Freeway.

Questions, Prevention and Survival The number of jumper suicides in such a short period in Downtown raises questions about an underlying cause. But finding a link that connects multiple suicides in a general region may be impossible, suicide experts say. Laura Levinsky, the Los Angeles area director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, said media coverage of the issue tends to oversimplify trends by connecting suicides to societal woes such as a poor economy.

It takes up to four years for groups that compile statistics, see Suicides, page 8

4 Downtown News

August 10, 2009

DowntownNews.com

EDITORIALS Civic Center Graffiti Is, Again, a Public Embarrassment

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n important plot of land in the Civic Center is covered with graffiti. Unfortunately, no one is doing anything about it. The county, which in the past has assumed responsibility for the site, appears to have fallen down on the job.

It is time to spend the few hours and the probably few hundred dollars to step up and whitewash the blight on the site of a former office building on First Street between Broadway and Spring Street. After that, officials need to keep a close watch on the land.

Blame does not go just to the county. For some reason, no city, state or federal officials — all of whom have stakes in the area — are doing anything about the problem. They need to be the police force here and speak out when a prime spot becomes an eyesore.

This is, simply, an embarrassment.

The site in question is immediately west of City Hall and north of the Los Angeles Times building. Long empty, it has been defaced be-

fore, and only after questions were raised did anyone act. Now the problem is back.

“Tagging” public or private property is, of course, never excusable. But the situation is more bothersome here than in many other instances because of the land’s high visibility. Anyone who comes to one of the jewels of Los Angeles, City Hall, may also glimpse the ugly, blighted block next door. Anyone who drives down First Street to the Caltrans building, or who has an appointment at the County Hall of Administration or the police headquarters building that will open this fall, or who has jury duty at a courthouse, may pass by the dilapidated plot. It is not a good message to send about Downtown.

The site has a long and tangled history. It is still known to many as the location of a state office building, even though the 1914 edifice that once stood there was damaged and closed after the 1971 Sylmar earthquake. The building was eventually razed and the site

cordoned off.

In ensuing years some proposals were floated for the plot (including a late 1980s vision for an office building; it died in the recession of the early ’90s). However, none gained traction, and the land has stood empty. For a while it was covered by wooden boards, though they were taken down when it was revealed that a homeless encampment has sprung up there.

Now it is set off by an iron fence. That is not enough of a deterrent, as evidenced by the ubiquitous tags and the skateboarders who use the remainders of the building.

A complicating factor has been ownership.

The graffiti-strewn plot shares the block with a parking lot, and at various times the city, county and state have each controlled part of the parcel. The city later gave up its portion.

As we said above, this is not the first time that graffiti on the land has grown out of control. In 2007, a Los Angeles Downtown

Benefits of Berzerk

A

lmost every time something new happens at the Los Angeles State Historic Park, we are impressed. The just-ended run of Cirque Berzerk continues that chain of pleasant surprises, and reminds us of what can occur when dead land is re-imagined and reclaimed.

For more than a month Cirque Berzerk set up its 1,700seat tent on the 32-acre plot formerly known as the Cornfield.

This was not traditional Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey fare — instead, it was a modern, gothic-tinged circus, full of fishnet stockings and references to the underworld. Like in Cirque du Soleil, there were no animal acts, as audiences took in performers including a quartet who pulled some wild feats on trampolines and two men who engaged in a homoerotic aerial ballet. The crowd loved it.

The best thing about Cirque Berzerk was not the acts themselves, but rather how the entire presentation activated the park. This is land, after all, that was dead for decades, until 2005 when artist Lauren Bon used the site in her “Not a Cornfield” work. After growing and harvesting corn on the

Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis

property for about a year, infrastructure such as lights and irrigation were left behind and the state took over.

The park has been a Downtown jewel ever since, and has hosted some unexpected things, from rock concerts to a field of wildflowers. More importantly, it has been utilized by all manner of Downtowners, from joggers on a running track to families who come to play on the grass.

Cirque Berzerk proved that the park can also work as a nighttime entertainment destination. The troupe’s run was extended twice, and during the evening performances colorful crowds showed up. Many people heeded the Cirque’s urge and arrived early to picnic, then stayed after the show to listen to a live band.

Granted, there were a couple shortcomings. Ticket prices were on the high side, as much as $85, and charging $10 to park on the Cornfield site smacked of exploitation. The Cirque sought to encourage public transit use, and some people were able to do that, but the car fee was unfair to an audience that had few other options. A $5 parking charge would have been easier to stomach.

News story detailed how tagging proliferated over a five-month span. Only when a reporter began asking questions did change come — and it was shockingly quick, given the stagnation: Three days after the reporter made contact with a county official (who said the county had voluntarily taken charge of the land’s upkeep), the blight was painted out.

It would have been nice if that incident sparked future vigilance. We hoped that civic pride, as opposed to more questions from the media, would have compelled those in charge to keep the site clean.

Law enforcement and other officials will point out that letting graffiti linger is a bad idea. When tags stay up, it sends a message that people don’t care, and the problem often sorsens. This should not be allowed anywhere, but it is painful and embarrassing in the heart of Downtown and across the street from City Hall.

Despite these issues, Cirque Berzerk was a positive addition to the area, and once again proves how important the turnaround begun four years ago by Bon has been to Downtown.

Surely, she never could have predicted that her art installation would lead to a subversive circus complete with a guy in ghoulish makeup who manages to pull a hat out of a rabbit.

Cirque Berzerk’s success also shows how important it is that the park not be a victim of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s plan to save money by cutting the budget of the state Parks Department (it was on an early list of possible facilities to close). The benefits to the community from Cirque Berzerk and other events at the Los Angeles State Historic Park far outweigh what would be saved by closing the facility.

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Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie citY Editor: Richard Guzmán stAFF writErs: Anna Scott, Ryan Vaillancourt coNtributiNG Editors: David Friedman, Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jay Berman, Jeff Favre, Michael X. Ferraro, Kristin Friedrich, Howard Leff, Rod Riggs, Marc Porter Zasada Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins ProductioN AssistANt / EvENt coordiNAtor: Claudia Hernandez PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard AccouNtiNG: Ashley Vandervort AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin sAlEs AssistANt: Annette Cruz clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Robert Dutcher, 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. It is also distributed to the extended urban communities of Glendale, Hollywood, Wilshire Center, Los Feliz, Silver Lake & Larchmont Village.

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Downtown News 5

Downtown’s Basketball Bonanza Lakers 3 on 3 Hoops Tournament Tips Off This Weekend

by Ryan Vaillancourt staff writer

T

his may be a Lakers town, but you don’t need a fourfoot vertical, expert handle or a silky smooth jumper to play at Chick Hearn Court (nor do you have to know what those mean). At least for a weekend.

On Aug. 14-16, the Lakers and Anschutz Entertainment Group will put on the inaugural Lakers 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament at L.A. Live. They plan to set up 50 half-courts all over the $2.5 billion sports and entertainment campus.

Baskets are slated to line Chick Hearn Court, which will be closed to traffic all weekend, and another main event court will be set up in Nokia Plaza, said Scott Hanley, vice president of AEG Sports. As of press time, about 300 teams of four players each (including one substitute) had registered, Hanley said.

“What we’re trying to do with L.A. Live and Downtown is not only attract national events and international events, but also create new events that will bring exposure and really get the community involved with the campus,” Hanley said.

In plotting out the event, organizers canvassed Los Angeles County. Teams have registered from everywhere from Venice, home to one of L.A.’s most popular and competitive street basketball leagues, to Skid Row. “We’re talking Brentwood down to Long Beach, Carson and Torrance; really, there’s not a part of L.A. we haven’t hit to try to find folks,” Hanley said. “We want this to be a great local and regional community event.”

Help From Up North AEG may be an international sports, media and entertainment titan, and the Lakers may be one of the most storied NBA franchises and the current NBA champions, but for help producing this tournament, the entities turned to an organization in Spokane, Wash.

They partnered with the people behind Spokane Hoopfest, a three-on-three tournament that takes over the city’s downtown area for two days. Launched in 1990 by two friends,

the event started with 512 teams that played on 35 courts. In June, at the 20th annual tournament, they had 6,725 teams on 428 courts.

“It’s a little nutty,” said Kirstin Davis, Hoopfest’s marketing manager. “We play 13,000 games in two days. That equals 26,656 players.”

AEG recognized that 20 years of producing what has evolved into an international draw in Spokane makes the architects of Hoopfest an able partner, Hanley said.

Hoopfest annually draws teams from up to 43 states, Canada and far-flung countries such as Taiwan, Davis said. But perhaps the most enviable statistic that applies to Spokane’s event is the estimated $35 million economic impact it has on the city, Davis said.

Beginners to Elites Lakers 3 on 3 organizers are going out of their way to ensure the tournament is open to everyone. It features six divisions: wheelchair, Special Olympics, youth, high school, adult and elite. All teams are guaranteed to play at least three games.

Hanley is hoping the event draws spectators to take in not just the tournament play, but live music and exhibition games.

Actors David Arquette, Dean Cain, Zach Levi (from the television show “Chuck”), boxer Shane Mosely and singer Drew Lachey are among players slated to participate in celebrity games. Additionally, the mascots from a slew of Los Angeles professional sports teams will face off in a mascot game. The event is free for spectators (teams of four paid $160 to register).

For much of the city, actually playing on the court is the main draw.

“General Jeff” Page, a Skid Row activist and member of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council, assembled a team to represent the Skid Row 3 on 3 Street Ball League.

“I’m excited because this is the first time that it’s ever happened here,” said Page. “We thought it would be a wonderful way to promote our league and bring positive exposure to Skid Row.”

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Fifty basketball half-courts will be set up around L.A. Live Aug. 14-16 as part of the Lakers 3 on 3 tournament. About 300 teams have signed up.

Page’s squad, The Skid Row Street Ballers, which will play in the adult division, was sponsored by an anonymous donor.

“It was just an act of goodness,” he said. “But it adds a little pressure, because they told us, ‘You better represent.”

If 300 teams pales in comparison to the scope of Spokane Hoopfest, Davis said there’s reason to expect the Los Angeles tournament to grow in coming years.

“Here’s they key: No matter how many teams you have, what matters is that you put on a good tournament and everyone walks away saying that was great,” Davis said. “What we’ve seen year after year is that when they come back, they’re going to bring two or three more teams with them. They’re going to spread the word.”

Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

6 Downtown News

DowntownNews.com

August 10, 2009

Ask Me! A Reporter Takes the Downtown Challenge, And Finds That Being a Downtown Guide Involves More Than Answering Questions

by RichaRd Guzmán city editoR

I

was smiling. I said hello to everyone in sight. I waved as people passed and constantly pointed to my secret weapon, a big, round, white button reading “ASK ME!” that was attached to my purple windbreaker.

“Any questions? Want to ask me anything?

Anything you want to know?” I said constantly to strangers near Pershing Square while pointing to my button.

After a few blank stares, some uncomfortable smiles and even one lady who seemed to clutch her purse a little tighter as she went, I found out that it takes a lot more to be a Downtown Guide than looking good in purple and the “ASK ME!” button.

If you’re out in Downtown Los Angeles frequently, you’ve seen them. The Downtown Guide program was launched in November by the Downtown Center Business Improvement District as a way to offer personal, helpful tips to tourists and locals. As part of the Downtown Challenge, wherein Los Angeles Downtown News goes along for the ride with people who have diverse jobs in the community, I wanted to see what it is like to help people I’ve never met.

“It’s very hard. Part of the job is to make people feel comfortable,” said Jennifer Becerra, a Downtown Guide who was showing me the ropes as we stood in front of her information booth during the Wednesday Farmer’s Market at Pershing Square.

“It’s not easy. Sometimes people will ignore you and not say anything, but you just keep smiling and maybe the next time they see you they’ll say hi.”

The guides work in zones around Downtown in eight-hour shifts. They usually walk around in busy areas or set up booths at events. They give directions, recommend restaurants and events, pass out maps and even offer the weather forecast to people walking through Downtown.

The six-member team went through a week of training to learn about Downtown.

They add to that knowledge base by going to tastings at various restaurants so they can better recommend places to eat, and they meet with business owners to talk about what they have to offer tourists and locals.

The team gathers every morning for a briefing about events going on in Downtown and things they should recommend that day.

“The Downtown Guides are fun peo-

photo by Gary Leonard

The author dons a purple windbreaker and scores an “assist.” The Downtown Guides, organized by the Downtown Center Business Improvement District, have been offering tips to tourists and locals since November.

ple,” said Alexander Stettinski, director of marketing and communications for the DCBID. “They’re customer-service people ready to help.”

Ready to Guide I’ve always considered myself a pretty outgoing person. I’m friendly, approachable, a bit charming even. I know Downtown fairly well, I’m talkative and I look decent in purple.

So I seemed like the perfect candidate for the job.

Leonardo Hoffman, who runs the program for the DCBID, put me right to work.

He handed me a purple polo shirt, a purple hat, a purple windbreaker and the big white button. I learned that the latter is a new addition.

“It’s something we’ve been using for a few weeks,” he said. “It was a citizen’s suggestion to make the guides more approachable. They really help.”

After putting on my outfit, which included a messenger bag filled with “survival gear” such as maps and pamphlets, I was ready to guide.

“You’ll need to be proactive, approach-

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able,” Hoffman instructed. “We encourage people to smile and have a positive attitude and introduce yourself. People at first can be a little defensive, they’re not sure who we are or what we do. But once that initial fear passes you can engage them in conversation.”

The topic of conversation today was to encourage people to attend “The Magic of Tony Curtis,” a June 13 event honoring the acting legend and organized by the Jules Verne Film Festival and the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation, the Grand Performances concert that same day, and to let people know about the Dog Day Afternoon event taking place in July.

Smile Hard I started being friendly as soon as I hit the streets.

As we walked to the Pershing Square booth I practiced my smile, waved at a few people and said hello. Pretty much every time I got one of two reactions: People either averted their eyes and started walking faster, or they looked at me like I was a homeless, sad dog sniffing at their heels in hopes of being petted.

When we got to Jennifer’s booth at Sixth and Olive streets, things didn’t get better for me, at least at first. I smiled harder, waved faster and pointed to my button with more determination, but people just walked by, including the lady who clung to her purse. I don’t know what it was — maybe she once got robbed by Barney the dinosaur and my purple outfit brought back terrible memories.

Still, I was undaunted. I finally spotted a couple of tourists who looked lost. I approached with my friendliest smile.

“Do you need anything?” I asked, leaning in with my button shoulder so they could verify that, indeed, they could ask me anything. “Anything you want to ask I’m here to help.

Can I interest you in some information about Jules Verne or a Grand Performance, maybe some information about Dog Day Afternoon?”

They wanted information, just not from me. The couple walked right past me and to Jennifer, who helpfully gave them directions to Hollywood, where they wanted to check out the Walk of Fame.

I guess I don’t blame them for skipping me. It isn’t only that Jennifer is prettier than me, but she is also pregnant and has a glow about her that makes her look approachable.

While my stomach is about the same size as hers, I guess my glow wasn’t there that day.

It was Jennifer’s seventh “assist” that day, which is Downtown Guide lingo for every time they help someone.

They log in every assist every day to monitor how many people they help. In a month’s time guides can log about 3,000 “contacts,” which include assists and interactions with local businesses.

Assist!

Despite Jennifer’s advantages, I was determined to get some assists of my own. Finally, after about 30 minutes at the booth, I was approached by a middle-aged Asian woman who spoke very little English.

The woman looked at a few maps and I pounced. “Can I help you with anything? Interested in any information about Jules Verne? ” She nodded and pointed to a map of the Downtown Art Walk. She looked at me and pointed to the map again.

I handed it to her.

Assist!

“It’s tonight, don’t miss out,” I helpfully suggested as she walked away. It wasn’t until a few minutes later that I realized the Art Walk was the next day, but I still counted it as an assist, since I did hand her the map.

My second assist was pretty much the same thing — another tourist, a 20-something man this time. He pointed at pamphlets at the booth. I smiled and handed him some.

Assist!

I got about eight assists in an hour and a half, and most of them were pretty similar to the first two. My most helpful moment came when I helped a woman and her grandson.

“We wanted to know what’s going on with the tents. Is that the farmer’s market? Is it open?” she asked, pointing to the farmer’s market a few feet from us.

I looked to the right and visually verified that, indeed, it was open.

“Yes, it’s open,” I told her.

Assist! Solid assist!

“It feels good when you’re able to answer people’s questions, tell them something they didn’t know about Downtown,” Jennifer said.

It does, and though I really wasn’t that much help that day, it did feel good to be so friendly and approach perfect strangers, even if I scared a few.

Mark Ferem, another Downtown Guide, best summed up why he loves being a guide.

“When somebody’s visiting here and you help them, they’ll remember that,” he said. “It was personal and they take that home. It’s a better memory than pictures.”

Have a suggestion for the Downtown Challenge? Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

Downtown News 7

DowntownNews.com photo by Gary Leonard

August 10, 2009

Downtown Guide Jennifer Becerra shows the author how it’s done. The guides sometimes set up booths at special events. They meet each morning so they have information about upcoming Downtown happenings.

8 Downtown News

August 10, 2009

DowntownNews.com

Suicides Continued from page 3 like the AFSP, to record annual data. The most recent statistics, from 2005, showed a slight increase from the previous year, over a stretch when the economy was booming — an indication that any increases in frequency since then are not easily tied to the economy, Levinsky said.

Roughly 90% of suicide victims suffer from some kind of mental illness, including depression, whether pre-diagnosed or not, Levinsky said. Most victims send warning signs before acting, she said. “I think blaming it on the economy is a cop-out,� she said. “One single event might be a catalyst for someone thinking about doing it, but there’s got to be the underlying mental illness there. You don’t get a suicide because somebody lost a job or lost a business.�

That appears to be borne out in the case of Sannes. Family members, who remember him as a loving father and a kind man, were surprised by his death. Only after he died did they learn he had been using drugs and, in the wake of a strained relationship, was behind on his bills.

Investigating possible suicides can also be tricky for police, especially in jumper cases in which the victim does not leave a note and there are no witnesses.

That came into play in the case of Daniel Stanley. Two individuals, who identified themselves as close friends of Stanley in emails to Los Angeles Downtown News, insisted that Stanley did not intentionally jump. One friend and former roommate, who declined to be identified, said Stanley had been drinking heavily and abusing prescription drugs, but was not suicidal. The friend thinks it is more likely that Stanley lost his balance while sitting near or trying to close his apartment window.

Though Nelson, who investigated Stanley’s death, considers that case closed, he admits that his determination of sui-

cide could be questioned. “My investigation caused me to believe that it was a suicide,� Nelson said. “But there’s only one person that would have an answer to that and that would have been a decedent.

What I’m saying is, could he have accidentally fallen? Is there that possibility, no matter how big or small? Yes there is.�

If suicides are inherently difficult to analyze and track, there are resources to aid individuals (see sidebar, page 3).

There is also help for those dealing with the loss of a loved one to suicide, said Lizette Martinez, a board member of the local AFSP and a member of the Los Angeles Crisis Response Team, which operates out of the mayor’s office. Her brother committed suicide. “Suicide is an entirely different monster compared to any other loss,� Martinez said. “It takes learning about mental illness and understanding it to understand that [someone] did it because of these problems in their mind, not because of their own hand.�

Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

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Downtown News 9

DowntownNews.com

40 Questions Continued from page 1 6) Regarding that “shared sacrifice” you’ve been touting, how much is Miguel Santana, your new choice for city administrative officer who will make $256,000 a year, sharing?

Like, is he sharing any sacrifice?

7) Do you miss Rocky?

8) Who’s your favorite Council member?

9) Who’s your least favorite Council member?

10) If you were trapped on a desert island with a union leader and a developer and you had one cookie, and you weren’t allowed to eat it yourself or break it in pieces, who would you give it to?

11) Were you bummed out that you only learned about Chief Bratton’s departure from the LAPD the night before he told the world?

12) Once Bratton leaves, do you think you can fill the spot of most popular politician in Los Angeles?

13) Do you get a little tingle inside when you veto something the Council passed?

14) Have you tasted Eric Garcetti’s Green Passion Milkshake that is part of the Got Milk campaign? (He does too have a milkshake.)

15) Do you think Garcetti wants your job?

16) What will happen to the mayor’s Partnership for L.A. Schools when you’re no longer mayor?

17) So what are you up to in 2012?

18) Or 2013?

19) Do you miss the days when everyone referred to you as the “Energizer Bunny?”

20) Did you share any sacrifice today?

21) Who will you vote for for governor? You can’t say yourself. Oh, that’s right, you don’t have to.

22) Do you follow Lu Parker’s Twitter account? If so, what do you think was the more informative post?: The July 30 “The Undie Run @ UCLA has been canceled. Will students fight to bring the tradition back? What some say they will do. My story airs @ 10pm”; the July 26 Tweet, “Chipped my tooth…:(”; or the July 12 post, “OMG. Just ran Runyan Canyon with friends and my dog Monkey. It is so hot up there. Too much sun, and ready for a nap”.

23) After sharing some sacrifice, you earn just under $200,000. With the city’s $530 million budget deficit, why should Miguel Santana make $256,000 per year?

24) Remember that time you promised Council District 14 voters you’d complete a full term but then left after two years to run for mayor? Looking back, was that a good idea?

25) How many times have you personally Tweeted on the Antonio Villaraigosa Twitter account?

26) Are you jealous that San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom gets to run for governor?

27) Do you still subscribe to Los Angeles magazine?

28) What’s the most amount of money you’ve ever raised in a single campaign event?

29) Lemme get this straight: Do you blame Jan Perry because, while you were on vacation in South Africa, your office sent out a press release saying the city was trying to get public donations to help cover costs for the Michael Jackson memorial?

30) How was your vacation to South Africa?

31) What did you think of the television newscasters in South Africa?

32) Do you like Monkey the dog?

33) Does Monkey the dog like you?

34) Just wondering, who is your favorite local journalist?

35) About that Million Trees L.A. program you announced in 2005 — are we there yet? Are we one-quarter of the way there yet?

36) What do you think of all those posters that have gone up that have your picture, along with some message about coal, and the word “Successful” at the bottom?

37) What do you think about the fact that if you go to the website those posters mention, reapinfo.org, you see that David Freeman, your deputy mayor for energy and the environment, is listed as president emeritus of the organization behind those? I’m not saying it’s not kosher to have your deputy mayor somehow affiliated with a campaign that praises you publicly, but, is that kosher?

38) Have you figured out how the heck you managed to get only 55% in the last election?

39) If you were to run for another office, would you consider the campaign slogan “caveat emptor?”

40) You’re giving Miguel Santana $256,000. What, can the guy turn dust into $530 million worth of gold?

Contact Jon Regardie at regardie@downtownnews.com.

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Restaurants Continued from page 1 Angeles in the past year. While planning for all of them began years ago when the economy was booming, many have arrived in a relatively short period of time.

This means the new wave of Downtown restaurants are facing something of a perfect storm, with three unique challenges: heightened competition, the recession, and the summer slowdown.

It all makes for potentially tough times, say restaurant industry observers. According to the National Restaurant Association, nearly 60% of restaurant owners reported a traffic decline in May, compared to the previous month.

“Although restaurant operators remain relatively optimistic that economic conditions will improve in six months, their outlook for sales growth and capital spending activity have softened somewhat,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of Research and Information Services for the Washington, D.C.-based organization.

Mixed Results For new restaurants, the first two to three years are the toughest, said Daniel Conway, spokesman for the California Restaurant Association.

The first year is the hardest of all — according to an April 2007 report in Business Week, about 60% of restaurants either close or change hands before their first birthday.

“If you can kind of clear that threshold and get your legs underneath you and get that solid core of customers, you’ll be in good shape at that point,” Conway said.

Right now, the new batch of Downtown establishments are reporting mixed results.

Jill Bigelow, who co-owns Provecho with her husband and executive chef Gabriel Morales, said they are not where they thought they would be at this point after their Dec. 1 opening. But they remain optimistic in see Restaurants, page 10

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Restaurants Continued from page 9 both their business, in a ground-floor space at Wilshire Boulevard and Flower Street, and in Downtown as a dining destination.

The upscale Mexican restaurant is seating about 60-120 people for lunch and 50-120 for dinner, she said. They started with about 40 at each meal and have gown by approximately 10% a month.

“This is probably about half what we expected to do, but given the circumstances of the economy and everything, we’re really happy with how it’s moving forward,” Bigelow said.

Provecho has partnered with a real estate company to put together pool parties, said Bigelow. She has also hired a PR firm to drum up business from the office crowd.

“Our goal is to be here for the long haul,” she said. “Downtown has become a nice community of restaurants. We’re all cheering for each other and I think it’s going to get better when more and more people discover they can come Downtown and pick a place.”

Another restaurant that is faring well, but is also not yet where its owners hoped, is Drago Centro. The $7 million, high-end establishment from celebrity chef Celestino Drago opened in a 9,500-square-foot space in City National Plaza in November.

Reviews have been overwhelmingly positive at Drago. At lunch the restaurant gets about 120 to 140 people daily, although General Manager Matteo Fernandi, who is also a partner in the restaurant, said they would have liked that number to be 200 by now.

The dinner crowd, he added, has slowed from a peak of about 140 on weekdays to around 110 during the summer. Still,

August 10, 2009

DowntownNews.com Fernandi noted that the restaurant exceeded its projections in July.

“Without the opera it’s been a big difference on the weekends when we were doing 250 people, but really we cannot complain,” he said. “We are a dining destination so people have been coming and we’ve been blessed with a few private parties.”

Fernandi also said that people are spending less amid the recession. This summer, he said, the average check for lunch is down $4 per person, while dinner spending has dropped about $4.50 per customer.

Fernandi, like others, is not worried, saying they are looking long term.

“We are going to be just fine,” he said.

“We’re booking a lot of parties in the private rooms for the holidays. It looks like people are gaining some confidence back and we’re looking to do 8% more in 2010 than this year.”

Bucking the Trend One establishment that is bucking the trend is Casa. The mid-range, 5,000-squarefoot Mexican restaurant that opened at the California Plaza Watercourt in December has been sizzling in more places than just the kitchen.

“It’s going really, really well. The summer has only helped us,” said Sean Krajewski, a partner in the restaurant along with Mario del Pero of Bunker Hill sandwich joint Mendocino Farms.

When the restaurant opened, they served about 150 people for lunch and 80 for dinner on the weekdays. On weekends they served about 110 people for dinner, said Krajewski.

Today, he said, Casa serves about 250 for lunch on weekdays and about 230 for dinner.

On Friday and Saturday nights they do 220260 people.

Krajewski said part of that success has to do with the restaurant’s expansive patio, which offers eating areas where groups can cluster together outdoors. They also have

photo by Gary Leonard

Casa is one of the few new Downtown restaurants that is drawing bigger-than-expected crowds. The Bunker Hill establishment has gone from serving about 150 lunches after it opened to 250 today.

a DJ on Saturdays and benefit from the crowds that flock to the free weekend Grand Performances shows at the Watercourt stage.

Krajewski said that unlike some other establishments, Casa has not been heavily dependent on getting crowds before they go to games at Staples Center.

“We never really tapped into that demographic anyway. We get a lot of the pre-theater, the ones that go to the younger, more fun shows like Spamalot,” he said.

Waiting for a Hotel The biggest concentration of new Downtown restaurants is at L.A. Live, with 10 arriving since November and one more set to open this month. They range from upscale spots such as Fleming’s steakhouse and Trader Vic’s to mid-range establishments like the burger and beer oriented Yard House.

“Like all the other restaurants in Downtown and throughout the city, the smaller amount of events at Staples Center and Nokia Theater has had an effect on the business,” said Michael Roth, vice president of communications for Anschutz Entertainment Group, the developer of L.A. Live.

Still, Roth expects that to change soon.

Not only do the sports teams begin playing in October, but in February the $900 million Convention Center headquarters hotel is slated to open. That will come a few months after a 14-screen cineplex debuts.

“The restaurants knew that the first summer was going to be a little slower, but we also know that in February when the hotel opens, that’s 1,001 rooms where people will be looking for places to eat when they are Downtown,” Roth said.

While summer concerts take place at venues such as the Nokia Theater and the Conga Room, L.A. Live has also lowered parking to $5 for two hours to encourage more people to visit during non-event times.

“The restaurants at L.A. Live all have established names and clientele and great track records, and that I think is also helping them now,” Roth said.

Meanwhile, restaurateurs like Chait of Rivera are looking beyond the summer and beyond the recession.

“I think Downtown is going to be one of the top restaurant markets for the next 10 years,” he said. “The good ones will survive.”

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

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Downtown News 11

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12 Downtown News

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Downtown News 13

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14 Downtown News

August 10, 2009

What’s on the Menu

12 Locations in Downtown Los angeles

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BurGers All Burgers Served with Fries Burger 5.95 Teriyaki Swiss Burger 6.46 Avocado Swiss Burger 7.34 GriLLeD chicken Breast sanDwich Original 7.25 Avocado, Jack 7.95

DeLi sanDwiches RoastBeef 6.95 Pastrami 6.25 DeLi MeLts in Pita Turkey, Ham, Jack Melt 7.34 Pastrami, Cheddar Melt 7.34 exPress Lunch coMBinations All Specials served with medium fountain drink Lite Lunch 7.34 Soup ‘N’Salad Express 7.34

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cLuB triPLe Deckers Turkey, Ham, Swiss 7.34 Turkey, Bacon, Swiss 7.34

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AT&T Center 1139 S. Hill St. (213) 742-6774

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LAUSD 333 S. Beaudry St. (213) 241-6952

Paramount Plaza 3550 Wilshire Blvd., #116 (213) 382-8818

Bank of America Tower 333 S. Hope (213) 680-2261

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August 10, 2009

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Downtown News 15

DowntownNews.com

16 Downtown News

August 10, 2009

A Parade of Tradition Nisei Week Festival Returns to Little Tokyo, Bringing Plenty of Floats and Streamers

by RichaRd Guzmán city editoR

T

he nine-day Nisei Week Japanese Festival, one of the longest running ethnic festivals in the nation, returns to Little Tokyo this week. It marks the 69th celebration of Japanese-American culture.

Held from Friday, Aug. 14, through Sunday, Aug. 23, the festival will include a sumo and martial arts demonstration, a gyoza eating contest, a parade featuring traditional Kodomo Nebuta floats and, for the first time, the Tanabata Festival, in which hundreds of Japanese streamers will decorate the plaza in front of the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. “It displays the Japanese and Japanese-American culture, food and activities that all in Southern California can come out and experience,” said Terry Hara, president of the Nisei Week Foundation, a nonprofit group that organizes the festival.

The Nisei Festival was started in 1934 by a group of secondgeneration Japanese Americans to attract business to Little Tokyo. The first festival included poster and essay contests, a fashion show, a few cultural exhibits and an “ondo,” a traditional Japanese street dancing parade.

Despite an interruption between 1942 and 1948 during World War II, when many Japanese Americans were placed in internment camps, the festival has continued to draw crowds every year. Recently, in addition to the core attendees, it has also lured many of the people not of Japanese ancestry who have moved into new housing complexes in and around Little Tokyo.

“It’s growing every year, and when you see the attendance it’s very much a diverse group of people and newcomers coming into Little Tokyo,” Hara said.

The first weekend of the celebration kicks off with the Tanabata Festival opening ceremony at 4:30 pm. on Friday, Aug. 14, at the Geffen Contemporary plaza.

Japanese Valentine Known as the “Seven Star Festival,” the Tanabata tradition goes back to Sendai, Japan, where it is celebrated each summer with large streamers known as kazari.

The celebration was inspired by the legend of Orihime

and Hikoboshi, a love-struck man and woman who were punished by the gods after neglecting their duties to pursue their romance. They were turned into two stars, Altair and Vega, and placed on opposite sides of the Milky Way. But once a year, they are allowed to reunite in celebration of their love.

“It’s the Valentine’s Day of Asia,” said Brian Kito, chairman of the Tanabata Festival.

The festival will feature 10 kazari made in Sendai for the Downtown event, as well as 250 pieces created by local organizations.

“We’re tailoring this after the festival in Sendai, which is the biggest in the world. They make thousands; we’re making 250, but it’s a good event that has involved a lot of the community,” Kito said.

The kazari are comprised of a 12-inch ball decorated with about 150 handmade paper flowers and long, colorful tails.

Meant to sway in the wind, they will be hung about 10 feet off the ground. Fans will be on standby in case the wind doesn’t cooperate, Kito said.

The Tanabata Festival will also include food booths serving dishes found in Japanese festivals, such as barbecued squid, Kito said.

Big Floats One of Nisei Week’s highlights occurs early in the celebration. On Sunday, Aug. 16, the Grand Parade will snake through the streets of Little Tokyo beginning at 5:30 p.m.

The parade will take off from Central Avenue, travel west on Second Street, north on Los Angeles Street, then turn east on First Street before ending back at Central Avenue.

The parade’s Grand Marshal will be Masaaki Tanaka, president and CEO of UnionbanCal. He will be joined by KTLA news anchor Frank Buckley, who will serve as parade marshal.

Also marching will be high schools bands, representatives from Nagoya, Japan, one of Los Angeles’ sister cities, as well as the 2009 Nisei Week Queen and Court.

But the main attraction will be the Nebuta, or illuminated Japanese floats. They are built on a wood base and are lit from the inside, and are known for their hefty size and mobility.

With its roots in Aomori, Japan, the Nebuta Festival is

one of the largest traditional events in the country. It attracts about 3.5 million participants and spectators to Aomori each year.

The first Nebuta float appeared at Nisei Week in 2007, when a 30-foot high, 30-foot wide depiction of a Samurai soldier wowed crowds in Little Tokyo. However, Mike Okamoto, chairman of the Nebuta Festival, said the float was so large that navigating through city streets posed a problem.

So this year, the main float will be a scaled-down Kodomo Nebuta, which translates into “smaller” or “children’s” Nebuta.

At 12-feet tall and 10-feet wide the main float is considerably smaller than its predecessor. It was created in Aomori and consists of four elements that are meant to celebrate the history of Japan through archeological finds.

Surrounding the float will be taiko drummers, Japanese pipers and Haneto dancers wearing traditional outfits. The main float will be preceded by six smaller, locally made Kodomo Nebuta floats.

“It a great opportunity for the community to see a part of Japanese culture and come together to participate as well,” Okamoto said. “You don’t see this here a lot.”

The weekday activities will be a little more subdued, with the Nisei Week Awards Dinner Aug. 17 to honor various organizations. The Pioneer Luncheon is scheduled for Aug. 18 to pay tribute to community leaders, and the Elder Law Seminar will occur Aug. 19.

The final weekend will feature a gyoza (pot stickers) eating contest on Aug. 22 at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, with two-time champ Joey Chestnut defending his title and hoping to best his performance from last year, when he ate 231 gyoza in 10 minutes. Straight from the 1980s, a Rubik’s Cube competition is also scheduled that day.

“This event is about community spirit, about reaching out and connecting with the other communities in Los Angeles and getting together and experiencing each other’s cultures,” Hara said.

Nisei Week is Aug. 14-23 at various locations in Little Tokyo.

Information at niseiweek.org or (213) 687-7193.

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

photos by Gary Leonard

CALENDAR

August 10, 2009

Film Festival Continued from page 1 “The problem with doing a film festival in L.A. is so many people miss the festival because there’s so much going on,” Ptacek said. “Now, if you’re out of town for a week, there’s still something you’ll be able to see.”

The festival has an emphasis on diversity. The lineup includes everything from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, part of a tribute to Paul Newman, to a series of experimental music videos by art rockers Devo. Spike Lee’s documentary on the hit Broadway musical Passing Strange, written by Los Angeles musician Stew of the band The Negro Problem, opens the festival on Aug. 12.

The festival is honoring Seymour Cassel, a prolific actor known for his roles both in indie films — he’s been a mainstay in works by John Cassavetes and Wes Anderson — and Hollywood features like Dick Tracy, with a lifetime achievement award. Cassel stars in the festival’s Centerpiece Gala film, Reach for Me, on Aug. 14. He plays Alvin, a bitter man who starts to discover the joys of life only while confined to a hospice.

“I play a cantankerous son of a gun but there’s a lot of humor in it,” Cassel said, adding that he hopes the film will encourage people not to forget about their elderly loved ones.

“Those people, when you were little and growing up, they were always there. Then when they go to a home, everyone gets so involved in their own life and they forget about going out and visiting them.”

The festival closes on Aug. 22 with the West Coast premiere

Good Things Come In Short Packages Festival Features Daytime Screenings of 3-5 Minute Films

by Anna Scott staff writer

T

he Downtown Film Festival this year will introduce a slew of full-length feature films. But if you do not have the time to take in any of the big movies, one festival event will keep it short and sweet — literally.

The festival’s Shorts and Sweets series will take place Aug. 17-21 at the 7+Fig Arts Space, on the second level at Ernst & Young Plaza. The series consists of five free, 90-minute short film programs that will be shown twice daily, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4:30-6 p.m. To sweeten the pot, so to speak, free coffee and desserts will be available during the screenings.

Shorts and Sweets was created to draw in Downtown commuters, said Downtown Film Festival Director Greg Ptacek.

“This was a concept that we devised last year as a means of reaching the Downtown commuter community,” he said. “If you don’t have time to catch a movie after work… you can still get a ‘taste’ of the film festival.

You can pop in for five, 10, 15 minutes at a time.”

Altogether, more than 50 short films, averaging three to five minutes each, will be screened as part of the program. The films come from around the world, Ptacek said, and deal with a variety of subjects.

Several of the mini-movies were originally created for Tropfest, the world’s largest short film festival, which is held in Australia. Tropfest asks filmmakers to create works specifically for the festival, based on a particular theme, Ptacek said.

The Tropfest works that will be part of Shorts and Sweets represent a sort of “best of” compilation from that event, he said. Shorts and Sweets will also include several nonfiction segments that first aired on the cable channel Current TV. “It’s really an international showcase for short films from around the world,” he said.

In addition to complimentary desserts, the Shorts and Sweets series will offer daily prizes. Goodies up for grabs include gift certificates from businesses at 7+Fig, and of course, Downtown Film Festival merchandise such as hats and T-shirts.

Shorts and Sweets will be held Aug. 17-21, from 11:301 p.m. and 4:30-6 p.m. at the 7+Fig Arts Space, on the second level of Ernst & Young Plaza at 725 S. Figueroa St. More information at (213) 623-1929 or check dffla.com.

Contact Anna Scott at anna@downtownnews.com.

DowntownNews.com of Jackson 5 in Africa, an intimate look into the family band, and young front man Michael. It screens at the Los Angeles Theatre on Broadway.

Fundraising Challenges In its second year, the festival organizers have some new partners.

LBA Realty, owner of the AT&T Center, signed on as a principal sponsor, and the building is functioning as the festival headquarters and primary screening venue. The 32-story South Park office tower has a 500-seat theater, which was originally built as an executive screening room for United Artists, which Transamerica owned, said Eric Brown of LBA Realty. Until now, he said, the facility has never been used for an event like the festival.

“There seems to be some momentum surrounding the sports and entertainment district and we feel like we’d like to draw more entertainment related uses and tenancies to the project,” Brown said.

Downtown News 17

Another sponsor, Brookfield Properties, is offering its 7+Fig shopping center as a venue for free screenings. The open-air plaza will host the Paul Newman tribute on Aug. 13, the one-year anniversary of the actor’s passing. It will feature free back-to-back screenings of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Hud. Newman’s costar in the former, Cloris Leachman, will introduce the programs.

While some things have changed, the festival will again offer a cadre of music-oriented films. But this year, those works have perhaps a more appropriate venue.

The Grammy Museum at L.A. Live, which has a 200-seat theater, will host seven nights of music films, some of which will be accompanied by live performances. The partnership goes hand in hand with museum executive director Robert Santelli’s belief that film and music, as artistic mediums, are a classic marriage.

“You can go back to the ‘soundies,’ in the 1940s; they were kind of like early music videos, or even back to the 1920s with continued on next page

18 Downtown News

DowntownNews.com

Film Festival Continued from page 17 performances by Bessie Smith in motion pictures,” Santelli said. “The fact is the film medium and the music medium have always existed side by side, and of course today music is more visual than ever before.”

The series, which runs from Aug. 15-21, starts with My Generation, Barbara Koppel’s documentary on Woodstock. It will be shown on Aug. 15, on the 40th anniversary of the original Woodstock.

On Aug. 16, Gerry Casale, founder of the art rock group Devo, will attend and discuss a collection of short works, including a compilation of music videos and a new piece of video art called “Don’t Shoot (I’m a Man).” Other highlights include a performance by Poncho Sanchez, the legendary conguero whose Latin jazz is featured in the 2004 film Poncho at Montreux (screening on Aug. 20), and the world premiere of Dirty: One Word Can Change the World, a documentary on the late rapper Ol’ Dirty Bastard (Aug. 21).

This Is Not Hollywood The Downtown Film Festival will have red carpets.

There will be after parties. There will be celebrities.

But Ptacek said the organizers are intent on making sure all the swank doesn’t break the average attendee’s bank. Tickets for most single screenings are $12 and the opening, centerpiece and closing night galas are $25.

“We treat our ticket holders really well,” Ptacek said.

For those not looking to part with any cash, the festival is also ripe with free screenings, including the Paul Newman tribute and a series called “Shorts and Sweet” on Aug. 15 (see sidebar, page 17).

“We’re not trying to be Hollywood,” Ptacek said.

“We’re all about celebrating the independent and avant-garde filmmaker. Our festival is much more proletariat.”

The Downtown Film Festival is Aug. 12-22 at various venues. More information at dffla.com.

Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

Green Is In

Highlights and Hot Spots

Downtown Film Festival Event Focuses on the Environment

by Richard Guzmán city editor

E

nvironmentally conscious filmmakers and fans are uniting under the motto “Living Green. Living Great,” for the Downtown Film Festival’s Sustainable L.A. event.

“It’s our commitment to sustainability and particularly, sustainability as to how it relates to the urban setting,” said Greg Ptacek, the festival director.

The free Aug. 20 program will take place mostly at the 7+Fig mall. It will feature environmentally themed films and a panel of authors and activists talking about green topics such as water conservation, sustainable gardening and cooking, and even planet friendly fashion.

A farmer’s market and product expo is also scheduled for the main level of the plaza, while 20 short films will be featured at the 7+Fig Art Space on the second level of the mall from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

“We’re really going to run the gamut in terms of films people want to see, which will inform as well as delight,” said David Andrusia, the event director.

The program will include films that touch on topics such as global warming, ocean pollution, air qual-

Locals Night California wine & Cheese tasting Thursday, augusT 13 | 5:30 – 7:30pm Mingle with your neighbors who live, work and play downtown! $5 wine & cheese pairings | $6 summer cocktails $30 three-course prix fixe | live band | win prizes visiting wineries include Pine Ridge, Primus and Calcareous

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August 10, 2009

ity and animals affected by pollution. Also screening is a Current TV piece titled World Without Water. It is a 28-minute examination of three places, including the Florida Everglades, where a lack of water has reached crucial levels.

Headlining the day is the Los Angeles premiere of Sea of Change, a documentary by Barbara Ettinger, which will show at 7:30 p.m. at the AT&T Center theater.

It addresses the dangerous levels of acidity that are developing in the world’s oceans.

“It’s the first feature documentary about a frightening phenomena called ocean acidification,” Ptacek said.

While many of the topics in the festival can be depressing, organizers said they want to make sure attendees still have a good time.

“We wanted to be interactive, to show people it’s not only easy, but fun to be sustainable,” Andrusia said. “The films are not preachy.

Some are sarcastic and witty, which I think will keep people on their toes and let them think about sustainable issues in a new way.”

A 7+Fig, 735 S. Figueroa St., (213) 623-1929 or dffla.com Contact Richard Guzman at richard@downtownnews.com.

Not-to-Miss Moments From the 11 Days of the Downtown Film Festival Wednesday, Aug. 12 7:30 p.m., AT&T Center: Spike Lee’s Passing Strange The Movie opens the festival. A party at the 32nd floor penthouse follows.

Thursday, Aug. 13 Noon-5 p.m., Gallery Row: Digital Art L.A. is a festival within the festival, showing an array of digital and art videos. It runs through Aug. 16.

8 p.m., 7+Fig: Paul Newman tribute (free) features Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and then at 10 p.m., Hud. Friday, Aug. 14 7:30 p.m., AT&T Center: Reach For Me, featuring festival Lifetime Achievement Award winner Seymour Casel.

Saturday, Aug. 15 3 p.m., AT&T Center: Free screening of shorts, highlighting the work of young filmmakers in the Downtown area.

7 p.m., AT&T Center: My Suicide, in which a high school student tells his film class that he is going to commit suicide on screen.

Sunday, Aug. 16 7:30 p.m., Grammy Museum: Films and videos by Ohio art rockers Devo.

Monday, Aug. 17 7:30 p.m., Grammy Museum: In Search of Beethoven is billed as the first truly comprehensive feature length documentary about Beethoven.

9 p.m., Downtown Independent: Aime Cesaire: A Voice of History, part of the African Diaspora program, focuses on the celebrated author from Martinique.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 7:30 p.m., AT&T Center: In Commit, two strangers meet at a coffee shop for what seems like a blind date. Viewers soon learn that the two have actually formed a suicide pact.

Wednesday, Aug. 19 7:30 p.m., Grammy Museum: Still Bill shines a light on Bill Withers, whose hits “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Lean on Me” made him an icon.

Then he seemingly walked away from music.

Thursday, Aug. 20 10 a.m.-7 p.m., 7+Fig: “Sustainable L.A.” (see sidebar) is a day of ecominded programming, including a “slow food” cooking demonstration.

Friday, Aug. 21 7:30 p.m., Grammy Museum: Dirty: One Word Can Change the World is a posthumous look at rapper Ol’ Dirty Bastard, who managed to be filthy, crass and poetic at the same time.

Saturday, Aug. 22 7 and 9 p.m., Los Angeles Theatre: Jackson 5 in Africa closes the festival.

The film features rare footage from the band’s first foray into Africa.

A full schedule is at dffla.com.

August 10, 2009

DowntownNews.com

EVENTS SPONSORED LISTINGS Locals Night Nick + Stef’s Steakhouse, 330 S. Hope St., (213) 239-2568 or patinagroup.com/locals.

Aug. 13, 5:30-7:30 p.m.: The Patina Group’s Locals Night series continues at Nick + Stef’s Steakhouse with a California wine and cheese tasting. Munch on complimentary sweet corn blinis with crème fraîche and American sturgeon caviar. An assortment of five California cheeses, to go with California wines, is $5. Music by Crimson Crowbar Band.

Paul Newman Tribute, Free Screenings 7+Fig, 735 S. Figueroa St., arts.brookfieldproperties.com.

Aug. 13, 8 p.m.: Brookfield Properties and the Downtown Film Festival-L.A. present a Paul Newman retrospective with “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “Hud.” The festival has free events at 7+Fig all week, including Sustainable L.A., a “green” expo featuring a farmer’s market, product demos, guest speakers and films (10 a.m.-7 p.m., Aug. 20); and the “Shorts & Sweets” film series (11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.-6 p.m., Aug. 17-21).

LA Kings Hockey Fest ’09 L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., lakings.com/hockeyfest.

Aug. 28-30: This three-day interactive celebration of the L.A. Kings kicks off with a special acoustic performance with Eddie Kowalczyk of the band Live. Highlights include autograph sessions with Kings players, the re-unification of the legendary Triple Crown Line, and 17 NHL trophies and memorabilia on display. Threeday all-event passes cost $60 and include an upper level ticket to any October home game.

Thursday, August 13 Downtown L.A. Art Walk Gallery Row, info and map at downtownartwalk.com.

Noon-9 p.m.: The Downtown Art Walk is a selfguided tour that showcases the many art exhibition venues in Downtown Los Angeles — art galleries, museums and nonprofit spaces.

Pirates of the Comedians Company of Angeles Theater Company, 501 S. Spring St., companyofangels.com.

9 p.m.: This Art Walk comedy event returns, with a Pirate Theme. Knock Knock. Who’s There?

Shiver. Shiver who? Shiver Me Timbers.

Chrysalis’ Summer Rooftop Event Ten Ten Wilshire, 1010 Wilshire Blvd., (310) 401-9393 or changelives.org/rooftop.

6 p.m.: Chrysalis, the nonprofit that provides job training to low-income and homeless individuals, is celebrating its 25th anniversary with this rooftop fundraiser bash. Open bar courtesy of Grey Goose Vodka, appetizers and complimentary parking at 637 St. Paul St. Friday, August 14 Farmlab Public Salons 1745 N. Spring St. #4, (323) 226-1158 or farmlab.org.

Noon: Freya Bardell and Brian Howe of the Los Angeles-based design studio Greenmeme will discuss a variety of their projects. Their cross-disciplinary collective has worked to bridge artistic and scientific disciplines to produce public art, architecture, landscape and ecological design projects that seek to raise awareness of the cultural and environmental conditions around them.

Serendipity Madera Design House, 1503 Central Ave., treetopproductions.org.

8 p.m.-2 a.m.: A 3,600-square-foot warehouse space is transformed into a lively enchanted forest, where cocktails, performance art and installations collide. Doors at 8 p.m., performances start at 9 p.m.

Also Aug. 15.

Lakers 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., lakers3on3.com.

Aug. 14-16, all day: The Lakers 3 on 3 basketball tournament is a three-day Downtown hoops bonanza. The tournament will have 50 temporary courts lining Chick Hearn Court and Nokia Plaza, where players in four divisions will compete for the title.

The free event includes celebrity games, a mascot competition and more.

Saturday, August 15 Junior Scientist at the Natural History Museum 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 763-DINO or visit nhm.org.

Continued on page 20

LISTINGS

Downtown News 19

20 Downtown News

August 10, 2009

DowntownNews.com

But Wait, There’s More!

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

Additional Event Information on the Web

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

Listings Continued from page 19 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.: Catch a glimpse of the amazing specimens and artifacts you won’t see on a routine visit to the museum, and meet members of the curatorial team. The museum’s land-related specimens from Entomology (insects), Herpetology (reptiles and amphibians), and the tar pits of Rancho La Brea are coming out of the cupboard. Children ages 6-9 and their families are invited to participate in the Junior Scientist component.

Vegas in Little Tokyo David Henry Hwang Theater, 120 Judge John Aiso St., (213) 625-7000 x. 17.

6 p.m.: The Asian American theater group East West Players hosts a Vegas-style fundraiser, “That’s Sooo Vegas.” The show puts its twist on Las Vegas traditions, with crooning from an Asian American

Rat Pack, a lounge lizard, female impersonators and the non-verbal theatrical act of an all Filipino Brown Man Group.

Used Book Sale Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St., lapl.org.

10-noon: This used book sale features hundreds of bargain books, LPs, videos and more.

Japanese American Cultural & Community Center JACCC Plaza or Aratani/Japan America Theatre, 244 S. San Pedro St., (213) 382-0486 or jaccc.org.

10 a.m.-7 p.m.: 69th annual Nisei Week comes back to Little Tokyo. The two-day, all day street festival features cultural exhibitions, ikebana demonstrations and sumo wrestling (noon). Also on Aug. 16 (10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.).

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

Aug. 14-15, 7:30 p.m.: Vocalist Jesse Palter.

Happy Hour Draft Beer

99¢ / (Reg. $6)

• Snow Crab Sunomono • Maguro Coin • Dynamite • Downtown California Roll

(213) 687-7178 • 923 E. Second Street, Ste. 109 Los Angeles, CA 90013 • R23.com

Pitcher

Lawrence Stoneking is a musician who draws influence from pre-war blues, jazz, 1920s calypso, folklore, and personal experience.

Aug. 11, 10 p.m.: C.W. Stoneking and His Primitive Horn Orchestra with Hobo Jazz.

Aug. 12, 10 p.m.: C.W. Stoneking and His Primitive Horn Orchestra with Los Duggans.

Aug. 13, 10 p.m.: C.W. Stoneking and His Primitive Horn Orchestra with Sean Wheeler and Zander Schloss.

Aug. 14, 10 p.m.: C.W. Stoneking and his Horn Orchestra with Grey Delisle and Capt Jeffrey and His Chumbuckets.

Aug. 15, 10 p.m.: C.W. Stoneking with The Bonebrake Syncopators and Frankie Fairfield.

Aug 16, noon: Brunch with Deke Dickerson, The Rainieros, The Buddy and Suzy Combo and The Midnight Boys.

Aug 16, 10 p.m.: C.W. Stoneking and His Primitive Horns with Frankie Fairfield and Mario Matteoli.

2

EAsy wAys tO submit yOuR

EvEnt infO

4 wEb: www.DowntownNews.com 4 EmAiL: Calendar@DowntownNews.com

Email: Send a brief description, street address and public phone number. Submissions must be received 10 days prior to publication date to be considered for print.

Free valet parking 11:30am-8pm

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Cicada Cicada Restaurant, 617 S. Olive St., (213) 488-9488 or cicadarestaurant.com.

Thursdays, 8-11 p.m.: The velvet-voiced Max Vontaine recreates the sounds and styles of rat packers Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. His smoking jackets and tunes are vintage; his bawdy repartee is less so. Keep a close eye on the unlit cigarette.

Sundays, 6-11 p.m.: The restaurant is transformed into a vintage, old Hollywood-style dance club every Sunday. Come out to appreciate the big band, swank costumes, dinner and cocktails. Visit cicadaclub.com.

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

Aug. 15, 8:30 p.m.: Beto Cuevas, former lead singer of the Chilean band La Ley, hits it solo.

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

Aug. 15, 9 p.m.: That good salsa sound, from Son Mayor.

Grand Performances 350 S. Grand Ave., visit grandperformances.org.

Aug. 14, noon and 8 p.m.: Toto La Momposina y Sus Tambores, straight out of coastal Colombia.

Aug. 15, 8 p.m.: World beat, hip-hop and multiple languages collide in a dance-inducing trance from Zap Mamma.

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

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

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

Aug. 10, 10 p.m.: C.W. Stoneking and His Primitive Horn Orchestra with Dave Gleason and Chris

An asian-inspired steakhouse for meat lovers and vegetarians

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August 10, 2009

Downtown News 21

DowntownNews.com

CLASSIFIED

pLACe your Ad onLine At www.LAdowntownnews.Com

l.a. downtown news classifieds Call: 213-481-1448 Classified Display & Line ad Deadlines: thursday 12 pm

“Be wary of out of area companies.

Check with the local Better Business Bureau before you send any money for fees or services. Read and understand any contracts before you sign.

Shop around for rates.”

REAL ESTATE RESIDENTIAL lofts for sale

acreage/lots SEALED BID LAND AUCTION- Saturday, August 29 @ 11:00am. 51.21 (+/-) acres in San Benito County. 10% Buyers Premium, 30-Day Closing. Now Accepting Offers, Reserve. (714) 622-1295 or www.REAA.us.

Real Estate Auction Associates, DRE#1834785. (Cal-SCAN)

BUYER’S MARKET. New Mexico. Ranch Dispersal. 140 acres $89,900. River Access. Northern New Mexico. Cool 6,000’ elevation with stunning views. Great tree cover including Ponderosa, rolling grassland and rock outcroppings. Abundant wildlife, great hunting. EZ terms. Call NML&R, Inc. 1-866-360-5263.

(Cal-SCAN) LAND FORECLOSURE Southern Colorado Warranty Deed, Survey. Rocky Mtn. views, utilities. Enjoy 300 days of sunshine.

Low down payment. CALL TODAY! 1-866-696-5263 x5338.

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REAL ESTATE COMMERCIAL

out of state

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

Call us today!

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TheLoftExpertGroup.com

Buying, Leasing or Selling a Loft?

TheLoftGuys.net LA’s #1 Loft Site

Call 213-625-1313

20 ACRE RANCH Foreclosures Near Booming El Paso, Texas.

Was $16,900. Now $10,755!! $0 Down. Take over payments $159/month! Owner Financing.

Free Maps/Pictures. 1-800-3439444. (Cal-SCAN) UNPRECEDENTED MONTANA LAND Offerings 20AC w/ Road, Utilities, Gorgeous Views- $2949,900 160-1000 acres starting at Under $1000/ Acre Beautiful treed ridges, mtn. views, ponds, the best elk & deer territories in Montana! Over 100 properties All Offers Considered See pictures at www.WesternSkiesLand.com Or call for a guided tour 888-3613006. (Cal-SCAN)

office space lease/sale

office space for lease, 1,500 square feet, fully furnished with kitchen.

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

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FOR RENT apartments/unfurnished

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213.627.1900 APARTMENT FOR RENT: 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, balcony.

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BEAUTIFUL 1 BDRM. Quiet 4-plex. Hardwood floors. Private garage. Patio. $990. 2501 West 5th street. L.A. 818-352-1732.

FREE RENT SPECIALS (O.A.C.) Brand New Resort Apartments. Granite kitchens, washer/dryers, pools, spas, saunas, fitness ctr, free tanning beds & much more! 866-690-2894.

FREE RENT SPECIALS Los Angeles Studio $1688/ month Luxury at it’s finest! Granite counters, W & D 888-262-9761.

FREE RENT SPECIALS (O.A.C.) New downtown luxury apartments with granite kitchens, marble baths, pool, spa, saunas & free parking. 888-736-7471.

FREE RENT SPECIALS @ the Medici. Penthouse 1 & 2 bdrm apts. Granite kitchens, washer/ dryers, business center, 2 pools, spa! Visit TheMedici.com for a full list of amenities. Call 888886-3731.

FREE RENT SPECIALS Panoramic downtown views. 1 bed/1 bath starting at $1398. Washer dryer in unit, gated,Pool, spa and sauna. 888-265-1707.

duplexes SILVER LAKE DUPLEX, Upper Floor, Unbelievable View, very Large Private Terrace, 2 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Dishwasher, Refrigerator, Garage, quiet, very clean, 2 months security.

Per month $2750. 213.386.0200 homes/unfurnished HOUSE Downtown, West 8th Street / Garland Ave. Large 3 bedroom 1 bath, new kitchen, windows, carpet & paint. $1500.

213-383-9082

BEAUTIFUL VIEW Beautiful View Home Minutes from Downtown. 3bd/21/2bth. Hrdwd flrs, Frnch drs, quiet patio and decks with views of Mt Wash/ Hlwd.Updated kitch/bth with 16ft ceilings and bonus fam rm/off/ den. Wash/Dryer. 2 car carport.

Beautiful garden with pond. Must see to appreciate. $3,000 mo + 1st, last security dep. Small pet considered. Custom furnishings left if desired. 323-221-1976 Continued on next page

downtownnews.com

loft/unfurnished

old Bank District The original Live/Work Lofts from $1,100 Cafes, Bars, Shops, Galleries, Parking adjacent. Pets no charge

THE ANSWER to LAst weeK’s puZZLe

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LA Live Loft 1500 sq.ft., 1 Bedroom, 1 Bath, Hardwood, Bar, AC, Sauna, Greenhouse, all appliances, Was./Dryr., Secure, Garage. $1495 • (213) 747-0523

downtownnews.com

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

22 Downtown News

August 10, 2009

DowntownNews.com

Continued from previous page

FOR RENT Homes/UnfUrnisHed

Altadena Home for rent (2 wks free) 3 Bd. 1 Bath Central Air, Near J.P.L./ Downtown/Cal Tech $1,650/mo. (626) 791-2785

TRUCK DRIVERS: CDL training. Part-time driving job. Fulltime benefits. Get paid to train in the California Army National Guard. May qualify for bonus. www.NationalGuard.com/Truck or 1-800-GO-GUARD. (CalSCAN)

roommate Wanted SILVER LAKE, Wonderful Mediterranean Home, Large Room with french doors overlooking gardens, quiet, available, must like animals. Male preferred. $925. per month. 213.386.0200

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SERVICES

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ATTENTION: International Wellness Company Expanding Online Computer Work! Work from anywhere 24/7. Great pay. Will train. Request info online: www.

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Earn Above Average $$$ with Fun Successful Business Group!

No Experience Necessary. 2wks Paid Training. Lodging, Transportation Provided. 1-877-6465050. (Cal-SCAN)

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photo by j. mcnicol

Premiere Towers:

Distributing Medical Supplies, Food & Clothing to Children & Families.

2 bdrm/2 bath, $1550/mo. • Rooftop garden terrace/GYM w/city view • 24 hr. doorman • free (1) parking

3 Clothing & Shoes for girls, boys, men & women 3 Personal Hygiene items: shampoo, conditioner, soap, facial cleanser, tooth paste, tooth brushes etc.

3 Medicine/Vitamins 3 School Supplies, Computers, Notebooks, Pens/Pencils

820 sqft, 13 ft ceilings, $1500/mo. • Granite marble top • Stainless steel appliances/ refrigerator etc. • Pet friendly We are located in a prime area in Downtown LA nice neighborhood w/ salon, market, café etc. Wired for high speed internet & cable, central heat & A/C

All products must be in there original packaging and clothing with price tags due to customs.

Items will be collected at:

Please call 213.627.6913

Global Travel Outreach 1105 Wesley Ave. Pasadena, CA 91104

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626-791-7900 www.GlobalTravelOutreach.com

Mission to Cambodia

HoUsekeepinG MONTE CARLO MAIDS References available. All major credit cards accepted, call for a free estimate. Licensed & Insured.

(213) 489-9401 mUsiC Lessons CHILDREN’S PERFORMING Group! Singing, dancing, performing and fun! For boys & girls ages 3 and up! See SunshineGenerationLA.com or call 909861-4433.

HELPING KIDS heal. Free Arts for Abused Children is looking for volunteers to integrate the healing power of the arts into the lives of abused and at-risk children and their families. Today is the day to get involved! Contact Annie at volunteers@freearts. org or 310-313-4278 for more information.

ITEMS FOR SALE CLotHinG/JeWeLry BEAUT. QUINCEANERAS Gown w/slip, white, lt pink trim, sz 6-10. $99 323-292-6998.

Books FOR SALE: LAW BOOKS of California Forms of Pleading and Practice. $895 will negotiate. Practically brand new. Will be perfect for any law office library downtown. Call/fax 818243-3508. misC. items HAND CARVED Wooden sculpture from Haiti, 12 x 10 detailed biblical scene. Signed $150 323257-8513 MICHAEL JACKSON Thriller original album. Almost new - one small scratch. $100.

YAMAHA KEYBOARD & stand $100. 10-Speed men’s bike $75. Both used very little.

323.937.7985

Monthly from $695 utilities paid.

(213) 627-1151

VaN For Sale

Global Travel Outreach aides Daughters of Vision

6,573 miles A three phase program, DaughtersOnly of Vision seeks to aide the poverty-stricken children of Cambodia. like-new fOr $22,000

Phase I

Items In Need:

City Lofts:

TAX RELIEF! Do You Owe Over $15,000 In Back Taxes? Need to Settle State, Business, Payroll Tax Problems, Eliminate Penalties, Interest Charges, Wage Garnishments, Tax Liens! Call American Tax Relief 800-4969891. Free, Confidential, No obligation, consultation. (CalSCAN)

Phase II

Phase III

LIQUIFIED TEALIGHTS and votives dozen/box $16 and $12 respectively, call 626-679-1332.

voLUnteer opportUnities

CAN YOU HELP?

Mission to Cambodia

2300 sqft. w/1 bdrm LOFT $2,800/mo. • Live/Work space • 14 story bldg. • Rooftop garden terrace w/city view • Pet friendly

GET OUT OF DEBT in Months!

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Fully furnished with TV, telephone, microwave, refrigerator.

Full bathroom.

Excellent location.

Downtown LA. Weekly maid service.

HELP?

Spring Tower Lofts:

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

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

MONTE CARLO CLEANERS offering Free Pick Up & Delivery 7 Days a Week on Dry Cleaning,Laundry,& Alterations.

Call for specials. (213)489-9400

CAN YOU On Spring St.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

CLeaninG

Now

attorneys

Movie extras

Home improvement

An existing structure bequeathed to Global Travel Outreach will be transformed into a school and community hall.

We will open the Daughters of VisionExCELLEnt Girls home, a place dedicated towards ending the extremeConDition poverty & destitution under affecting Cambodia’s children, as well asStill a refuge and sanctuary warranty! for young girls from the reach of child traffickers.

Create a medical clinic to service the community.

For more visit our webextd site wb or call toll free.vanDonations the form CHevroLet 2008 info eXpress 3500 passenger 6,573 inmiles. of checks, cashiers checks money orders can be made payable to: 15-Passenger, excellent condition, all or power.

5 year /100,000 mile powertrain limited warranty with 24 hr roadside 4-Door, loaded with power Globalassistance.

Travel Outreach steering, power windows, power locks, tinted windows, 1105 Wesley Ave. Pasadena, CAsecurity 91104 alarm, tilt wheel, air conditioning. Remote keyless entry, loaded with an 6.0 Liter vortec 626-791-7900 v8 engine. Passkey III theft deterrent, am/fm stereo CD player w/mp3 format.

GlobalTravel08@gmail.com $22,000. (323) 721-3947 Virginia or (323) 314-4360 Fernando.

www.GlobalTravelOutreach.com

AUTOS & RECREATIONAL aUtos Wanted DONATE YOUR CAR: Children’s Cancer Fund! Help Save A Child’s Life Through Research & Support! Free Vacation Package. Fast, Easy & Tax Deductible. Call 1-800-252-0615. (CalSCAN) 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) vans & BUses CHEVROLET 2008 EXPRESS 3500 extd wb passenger van6,573 miles. 15-Passenger, excellent condition, all power this is a like-new Chevrolet Express Passenger Van with 15-passenger seating capacity! Still under warranty, 5 year /100,000 mile powertrain limited warranty with 24 hour roadside assistance.

4-Door, loaded with power steering, power windows, power locks, tinted windows, security alarm, tilt wheel, air conditioning.

ABS brakes, deluxe console, remote keyless entry, van is loaded with an 6.0 Liter vortec v8 engine that delivers plenty of power. Transmission automatic 4 speed. Passkey III theft deterrent, child seat latch system, am/ fm stereo CD player w/mp3 format. Exterior color- white /interior color- gray. $22,000. (323) 7213947 Virginia or (323) 314-4360 Fernando.

Low Move in Special Unfurnished bachelor rooms with shared bath at $550/mo. with private bath $650/mo.

Includes utilities, basic cable channels, laundry room on site. Gated building in a good area.

208 W. 14th St. at Hill St. Downtown LA

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

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

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

(2 blocks west of San Pedro St.)

CANsell?

YOU Do you have something to

Ad Copy: _________________________________________

Ad Prices

________________________________________________

(Marketplace and Automotive Categories ONLY) • Items under $300 • Items $301 to $500 • Items $501 to $1200 • Items $1201 to $2000 • Items $2001+…

Name: Address: City Phone: Cash $ Credit card #: Exp. Date:

12 words, 2 weeks 15 words, only 15 words, only 15 words, only 15 words, only

3 Clothing & Shoes 3$19.00 Personal Hygiene Items 3 Medicine/Vitamins 3 School Supplies Drop-Off Location:

Global Travel Outreach

1105 Wesley Ave. Pasadena, CA 91104

State Check $

Zip

HELP?

Distributing Global Travel Outreach “Daughters of Vision” Medical Supplies, All ads run for 2 weeks.

A three phase program, Food & Clothing to FREE! Ads mayDaughters be renewed of Visionafter seeks Children $11.50 & Families. to aide the poverty-stricken two weeks for 50% off the children of Cambodia. $14.00 Items In Need: original price of the ad. $16.50

Toll Free: 626-791-7900 www.GlobalTravelOutreach.com

Credit Card $

For more info visit our web site or call toll free. Donations in the formof checks, cashiers checks or money orders can be made payable to:

With a Global Travel Outreach on of circuTolllaFree:ti626-791-7900 9,000 , 4www.GlobalTravelOutreach.com our classifieds get results!

1105 Wesley Ave. Pasadena, CA 91104 GlobalTravel08@gmail.com

________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________

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

August 10, 2009

Downtown News 23

DowntownNews.com

LEGAL Adoption/term of pArentAl rights IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE STATE OF OREGON FOR MARION COUNTY JUvENIlE DEpARTMENT IN THE MATTER OF lIlIANA pINTOR-vERMIlYEA A CHIlD. CASE NO. 08J0567 TO: RUbEN pINTOR INOCENCIOT IN THE NAME OF THE STATE OF OREGON: A petition has been filed asking the court to establish permanent guardianship for the above-named child. YOU ARE REQUIRED TO PERSONALLY APPEAR BEFORE the Marion County Juvenile Department, 3030 Center Street NE, Salem, OR 97301, on the 31st day of August, 2009 at 8:30 a.m. to admit or deny the allegations of the petition and to personally appear at any subsequent court-ordered hearing. YOU MUST APPEAR PERSONALLY IN THE COURTROOM ON THE DATE AND AT THE TIME LISTED ABOVE. AN ATTORNEY MAY NOT ATTEND THE HEARING IN YOUR PLACE. THEREFORE, YOU MUST APPEAR EVEN IF YOUR ATTORNEY ALSO APPEARS. This summons is published pursuant to the order of the circuit court judge of the above-entitled court, dated July 16, 2009. The order directs that this summons be published once each week

for three consecutive weeks, making three publications in all, in a published newspaper of general circulation in Marion County, Salem, Oregon.

Date of first publication: July 27, 2009 Date of last publication: August 10, 2009 NOTICE READ THESE PAPERS CAREFULLY IF YOU DO NOT APPEAR PERSONALLY BEFORE THE COURT OR DO NOT APPEAR AT ANY SUBSEQUENT COURT-ORDERED HEARING, the court may proceed in your absence without further notice and ESTABLISH PERMANENT GUARDIANSHIP for the abovenamed child either ON THE DATE SPECIFIED IN THIS SUMMONS OR ON A FUTURE DATE, and may make such orders and take such action as authorized by law.

RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS (1)YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO BE REPRESENTED BY AN ATTORNEY IN THIS MATTER. If you are currently represented by an attorney, CONTACT YOUR ATTORNEY IMMEDIATELY UPON RECEIVING THIS NOTICE. Your previous attorney may not be representing you in this matter.

IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO HIRE AN ATTORNEY, and you meet the state’s financial guidelines, you are entitled to have an attorney appointed for you at state expense. TO REQUEST APPOINTMENT OF AN ATTORNEY TO REPRESENT YOU AT STATE EXPENSE, YOU MUST IMMEDIATELY CONTACT the

Marion Juvenile Department at Marion County Juvenile Department, 3030 Center Street NE, Salem, OR 97301, phone number 503-588-5291, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. for further information.

IF YOU WISH TO HIRE AN ATTORNEY, please retain one as soon as possible and have the attorney present at the above hearing.

If you need help finding an attorney, you may call the Oregon State Bar’s Lawyer Referral Service at (503) 684-3763 or toll free in Oregon at (800) 452-7636.

IF YOU ARE REPRESENTED

BY AN ATTORNEY, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH YOUR ATTORNEY AND TO KEEP YOUR ATTORNEY ADVISED OF YOUR WHEREABOUTS. (2) If you contest the petition, the court will schedule a hearing on the allegations of the petition and order you to appear personally and may schedule other

hearings related to the petition and order you to appear personally. IF YOU ARE ORDERED TO APPEAR, YOU MUST APPEAR PERSONALLY IN THE COURTROOM, UNLESS THE COURT HAS GRANTED YOU AN EXCEPTION IN ADVANCE UNDER ORS 419B.918 TO APPEAR BY OTHER MEANS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, TELEPHONIC OR OTHER ELECTRONIC MEANS. AN ATTORNEY MAY NOT ATTEND THE HEARING(S) IN YOUR PLACE. PETITIONER’S ATTORNEY Kristen Palladino Farnworth Assistant Attorney General Department of Justice 162 Court Street NE Salem, OR 97301-4096 Phone: (503) 934-4400 ISSUED this 20th day of July, 2009.

Issued by: Kristen Palladino Farnworth #00344 Assistant Attorney General PUB. 7/27, 8/3, 8/10/09

Free Rent!

ELEGANT WORLD CLASS RESORT BRAND NEW APARTMENT HOMES

Orsini

IMMEDIATE OCCUPANCY! studios from $1,685* • 1 bedroom from $1,818* • 2 bedroom from $2,212* *Availability and prices are subject to change at any time.

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• Brunswick Four Lane Virtual Bowling • Full Swing Virtual Golf • 3100 Square Foot Cybex Fitness Facility • Massage Room, Sauna and Steam Room • Rooftop Pools with Dressing Room • Free Abundant Gated and Garage Parking • Business Center, Conference Room • Directors Screening Room

UNITS FEATURE: Private Washer and Dryer • Fully Equipped Gourmet Kitchens Maple European Style Cabinetry • Granite Counter Tops Natural Stone Marble Counter Baths

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Offices • Offices • Offices • Offices

noW leAsing

from $1,300’s/mo. free parking

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Beautiful Offices For As Little As $400 Fully Furnished/Corporate ID Programs Flexible Terms/All New Suites

Luxury Rooms in Downtown

Services Include: • Reception • Mail • T-1 • State-of-the-Art Voice Mail & Telephone • Westlaw • Fax • Photocopy • More Additional Features: Kitchen Facilities, All Support Services, Great Views, Free Conference Room Hours, Fully Trained Staff, Cost Effective.

Jenny Ahn (213) 996-8301 jahn@regentBC.com www.regentbc.com

Furnished single unit with kitchenette, bathroom.

Excellent location.

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Monthly from $595 utilities paid.

(213) 612-0348

BUNKER HILL TOWERS • Must See! CAN YOU

HELP?

800 W. 1st St./Hope Unit 2606

For Sale $349,000 or For Lease @ $1,700

1 bedroom, 1 bath, completely remodeled high fl., skyline views. 24 guards, underground parking. All amenities, low HOA. Shown by appointment only.

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

Special STUDeNT RaTe! $690 1 person

50 Channels Direct TV

RENT /lEASE Warehouse/ Office Space 13,000 sqft.

25 Parking Space Loading Docks Downtown Area 3,500/mo.

(323) 231-4150 (818) 257-3771

Distributing Medical Supplies, Food & Clothing to Children & Families.

Items In Need:

3 Clothing & Shoes for girls, boys, men & women 3 Personal Hygiene items: shampoo, conditioner, soap, facial cleanser, tooth paste, tooth brushes etc.

DowntownNews.com makesplacing a classified ad in the 3 Medicine/Vitamins L.A. Downtown News is easier than ever.

3 School Supplies, Computers, Notebooks, Pens/Pencils Your ad will appear online and in our publication a couple of easy All products must be in there originalinpackaging and clothing withsteps. price tags due to customs.

• Items Online ads will appear after they are approved. will beimmediately collected at:

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

Bunker Hill real estate Co, inC.

EstablishEd 1984

For sale: bunker Hill Tower ❏ 1 Bedroom, 1 Bath. Elegant. Ready To Move In. South City Lights View. Recently Refurbished.

Offered At $315,000.

❏ Prom. West-2 Bed. 2 Bath. 5th Floor. Move In Now. $2,200 Month. ❏ 1 Bed. 1 Bath. Lafayette Park Place. Move In Now. $1200 Month. ❏ Prom. West-2 Bed. 2 Bath PenthouseFor renT: Sophisticated, Spectacular One Of A Kind ❏ Bunker Hill Tower-1 Bed. 1 Bath. 28th Floor.

Condo. Top Of The Line Upgrades & Décor.

Move in now $1600 Gorgeous Furnishings Adorn This Pride Of ❏ Prom. West-1 Bed. 1 Bath Penthouse. Overlooks Ownership Home. Corporate Lease Welcome.

Pool & Gardens. Greenhouse Windows And Furnished $3500 Per Month. Un-Furnished Balcony. Stunning! $1995 Month. $3200 Per Month.

Promenade West Condo

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

Asking $579,900 Call us for other condos for sale or lease Dwntwn & surrounding areas!!

Mirza alli

Broker/Realtor leasing-salesloans-refinance

(213) 680-1720

e-mail us: info@bunkerhillrealestate.com

www.Bunkerhillrealestate.com

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

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

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

Information available to qualified prospective tenants.

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

CAN YOU HELP?

the Alexandria at 501 S. Spring St.

is Now Leasing!

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

$775/month

August move in speciAl: ½ off 1st & 2nd month’s rent income & other restrictions apply.

Must move-in by Aug. 31

call 213.626.1743 or stop by for a tour

Global Travel Outreach aides Daughters of Vision A three phase program, Daughters of Vision seeks to aide the poverty-stricken children of Cambodia.

fiCTiTiOus

Phase I

An existing structure bequeathed to Global Travel Outreach will be transformed into a school and community hall.

Phase II We will open the Daughters of Vision Girls home, a place dedicated towards ending the extreme poverty & destitution affecting Cambodia’s children, as well as a refuge and sanctuary for young girls from the reach of child traffickers.

Phase III Create a medical clinic to service the community.

For more info visit our web site or call toll free. Donations in the form of checks, cashiers checks or money orders can be made payable to:

Global Travel Outreach

• Print Global ads must be received before Thursday at noon PST Travel Outreach to beWesley processed forPasadena, the following 1105 Ave. CA Monday's 91104 edition.

1105 Wesley Ave. Pasadena, CA 91104

Deadlines subject to change for special issues and holidays.

GlobalTravel08@gmail.com

626-791-7900 For legal notices please call 213-481-1448 www.GlobalTravelOutreach.com

877-267-5911

WWW.THEORSINI.COM

Available Immediately

Mayfair Hotel 1256 West 7th street

photo by j. mcnicol

760-880-4526 Mission to Cambodia EASY AS

Monthly Rents Start at $780 1 & 2 Rooms Available

Orsini

550 NORTH FIGUEROA ST. LOS ANGELES, CA 90012 OPEN DAILY

Children’s Performing Group

Sunshine Generation Singing, dancing, performing and fun!

For boys & girls ages 3 and up!

626-791-7900 www.GlobalTravelOutreach.com

SunshineGenerationLA.com 909-861-4433

Business

name

sTaTemenTs:

Only

$ 85.

fOr 4 inserTiOns

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

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

HealtH Dept. rank a for 7 ConseCutive Years

sAKurA heAlth gYm & sAunA, inc.

Call (213) 481-1448

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

(The Downtown News does not perform filing services)

First Professionally Licensed Massage Shop in L.A. County.

HBODY

MASSAGEH

3386766 0119

Burbank • Brentwood Century City • Downtown L.A. Woodland Hills

ROOFTOP GARDEN RETREAT WITH BBQ AND LOUNGE • GRAND LOBBY FITNESS CENTER • SPA • MODERN KITCHEN WITH CAESAR COUNTERTOPS HIGH SPEED INTERNET • DESIGNER LIVING SPACES • PET FRIENDLY DRAMATIC VIEWS • WALKING DISTANCE TO RALPHS SUPERMARKET STAINLESS APPLIANCES INCLUDING REFRIGERATOR GATEWAY TO FASHION DISTRICT GROUND FLOOR DRY CLEANERS • KELLY’S COFFEE

24 Downtown News

August 10, 2009

DowntownNews.com

We Got Games An Old Giant Does It for the Dodgers, And the Sparks at Full Strength Los Angeles Dodgers Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave., (213) 224-1400 or dodgers.mlb.com.

The Dodgers, aka The Best Team in Baseball, take their show on the road this week, starting with a trip to face the hated San Francisco Giants (Aug. 10-12), followed by a visit to the Arizona Diamondbacks (Aug. 14-16). The team has been propelled lately by walloping bats throughout the lineup, but keep an eye on the rotation too: Jason Schmidt, the former Giants ace, has reinvented himself and is slated to take the ball in game one against his old squad.

Los Angeles Sparks Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St.,

(213) 929-1300 or wnba.com/sparks.

Aug. 10, 7:30 p.m.; Aug. 11, 6 p.m.; Aug. 14, 7:30 p.m.: This week, the Sparks play three crucial home games, and they need to start winning in bunches if they’re to steal a playoff spot. Only 16 games remain in the regular season, and as of press time, the Sparks were in fifth place in the Western conference — only the top four teams advance to the postseason. But there is good news: Veteran star Lisa Leslie is back after an injury, bringing the team to full strength against Indiana, New York and Sacramento. On Saturday, they visit Sacramento.

Lakers 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., lakers3on3.com.

Aug. 14-16: The Lakers and Anschutz Entertainment Group are teaming up to produce a three on three basketball tournament at L.A. Live. The sports and entertainment complex campus will be decked out with 50 half-courts, most of them lining Chick Hearn Court, as hundreds of teams vie for titles in six divisions. Celebrity and mascot games are planned, and Laker player appearances are possible. The event is free. There’s live music and other entertainment throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday.

—Ryan Vaillancourt

photo by Gary Leonard

Lisa Leslie is back from an injury. The Sparks hope there is still enough time in the season to make a playoff run.

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

8 7 7 - 2 65 - 714 6

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. Even the most demanding tastes are satisfied the cultural events that make headlines. Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore. Visit the Towers Apartments today.

TOWERS T H E

A PA RT M E N T S

www.TowersApartmentsLA.com

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