LOS ANGELES
DOWNTOWN
NEWS Volume 38, Number 37
INSIDE
Holiday Parties and Catering
September 14, 2009
11-18
2
A big building bankruptcy, and other happenings Around Town.
3
Downtown entities jump on the Facebook bandwagon.
W W W. D O W N T O W N N E W S . C O M
Meet the Parents As Families Increase in Downtown, A Club Forms to Arrange Play Dates And Other Kid-Friendly Activities
Outdoor art at Cal Plaza.
2
Urban Scrawl on L.A.’s lack of pro football.
4
Play 4th and Long Football and win prizes.
7
Bone business at Orthopaedic Hospital.
19
The LATC season is underway.
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Reviewing ‘August’ at the Ahmanson.
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22 CALENDAR LISTINGS 24 MAP 25 CLASSIFIEDS
by Richard Guzmán city editor
A
s rooftop pool parties go, the Aug. 29 gathering was not your typical Downtown
event. Yes, there was a guest list of sorts, and yes, only members of an exclusive new club were invited. And considering the warm temperatures and the emotional temperament of some of the attendees, it was entirely possible that someone would end up running around naked. Yet even with these factors, everything was entirely G-rated. In fact,
the noisiest revelers were the topic of most conversations — in a good way. “How old is he?” Downtown resident Steve Chang asked Nishith Dhandha as the two men held their sons in their arms. “He’s about 10 months old,” Dhandha replied, glancing down at Dez. “And yours?” “He’s five months,” Chang answered, referring to baby Dominic. The men moved the two babies closer to each other, sparking a silent staring contest between the children. “Say hi. Say hello,” Dhandha urged
photo by Gary Leonard
(l to r) Nishith and Dez Dhandha meet Dominic and Steve Chang at a get-together for the newly formed Downtown L.A. Parents club. Currently 34 families have signed on.
his son. The scene, or a similar version of it, was repeated dozens of times in the next few hours. The event at the Market Lofts in South Park was the first big get-together for the re-
cently formed group known as the Downtown L.A. Parents. “We’re developing our own community,” Dhandha said. “We’re all going through the same things in life, see Parents, page 10
Camacho’s Gets A Big Cup of No
When Bad Business Is Good for Business
High-Profile Restaurateur, Behind on El Pueblo Space Rent, Loses Bid to Have Payments Deferred
Downtown Bankruptcy Attorney Amy Goldman Stays Busy, Especially During the Recession
by Richard Guzmán
by Anna Scott
city editor
staff writer
B
C
amacho’s Incorporated is a politically connected restaurant business with concession contracts at Los Angeles International Airport, high-profile eateries such as the Liberty Grill in Downtown and, via its partnership with Levy Restaurants, a stake in dozens of concession stands at Dodger Stadium and Staples Center, among other locales. Despite the record of success, Camacho’s has fallen two months behind on rent for a delayed, underconstruction coffee house on Olvera Street. The situation led the company last week to ask a city commission to have its rent deferred. The El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument Board of Commissioners denied the request. Then the board, whose members expressed unease with the idea of a major company asking for something that could be construed as a loan from the city, went a step further — they said the city could pursue eviction proceedings in two months if the back rent is not paid. In a unanimous vote on Thursday, Sept. 10, the El Pueblo Board authorized department General Manager Robert Andrade to begin eviction proceedings if the company, run by successful restaurateur Andy
photo by Gary Leonard
usiness is bad for nearly everyone as the recession drags on, and news reports have been full of stories of companies slipping into bankruptcy. Ironically, that means busy times for Downtown-based attorney Amy Goldman, co-chair of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency department for the law firm Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP, and one of the most prominent bankruptcy attorneys in Los Angeles. On a recent Monday afternoon, every available surface in Goldman’s office was cluttered with piles of doc-
uments. She pulled a list of her active cases, printed on two sheets of pink paper, from a desk drawer. They tallied about 50, she said, almost triple her typical caseload in 2006. “Not that it’s necessarily going to be highly remunerative, but the sheer volume of people and small businesses seeking relief, yes, there has been a huge uptick,” said Goldman, 62, who has shoulderlength brown hair and a warm but no-nonsense demeanor. “I think July was the biggest filing month across the country since some time in 2005. It’s going to be a rocky road for a while, which is what all see Goldman, page 9
Don Camacho, president of Camacho’s Incorporated, which runs concession stands at places such as Staples Center and LAX, last week asked El Pueblo officials for a break on rent for an under-construction coffeehouse. The commission rejected the request.
Camacho, fails to pay $11,666 in back rent. The company had approached the board hoping to defer part of the $6,500 monthly rent until the restaurant opens so they could use the funds to pay for improvements on the property. Don Camacho, president of Camacho’s Incorporated, told the commission the company will find see Olvera Street, page 8
photo by Gary Leonard
Downtown-based bankruptcy attorney Amy Goldman, of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP, says her caseload has nearly tripled in the past three years.
Since 1972, an independent, locally owned and edited newspaper, go figure.