09-27-10

LOS ANGELES

DOWNTOWN

NEWS Volume 39, Number 39

INSIDE

Clifton’s Is Changing 13

2

Olvera rents, Plácido re-ups, and other happenings Around Town.

6

Rail advocates weigh in on a $40 billion high-speed train plan.

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

September 27, 2010

The $100 Million Ride Everyone Wants a Broadway Streetcar. The Question Is, How Much Will the Public Have to Pay?

Urban Scrawl on the development scene.

4

PICK THE

PROS Pick football games, win prizes.

7

Anatomy of a deal gone bad.

8

rendering courtesy of LASI

A new rendering depicting the streetcar turning onto First Street in front of Walt Disney Concert Hall. The $100 million project will need the support of the private sector.

by Richard Guzmán city editor

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are not expecting to raise millions for the project at the fundraiser. In fact, if the streetcar, a key component of Huizar’s Bringing Back Broadway initiative, is ever to come to fruition, the councilman will have to go to people far removed from his three co-hosts: He’ll need to persuade Downtown Los Angeles property owners to dig into their pockets and pay for the bulk of the project.

In a sense, the VIPs in the house at the L.A. Live event may be the ones who own buildings along the proposed four-mile route. Huizar will hope to show them that such a method paid dividends in Portland and Seattle, two cities that have streetcars

thanks in part to self-assessments.

“I think property owners will see that a small investment will give them a huge return,” Huizar said last week. “As you saw in Portland, there were businesses not doing well. When streetcars went in, these businesses were booming.”

In Portland, about 20% of a $100 million streetcar project was paid through an assessment district. In Seattle, about 60% of the money for a $55 million streetcar project came from property owners along the route.

In both Seattle and Portland, officials created see Streetcar, page 10

9

his week, 14th District City Councilman José Huizar will find himself in well-heeled company when he hosts a cocktail fundraiser for the proposed $100 million Downtown L.A. Streetcar. His co-sponsors at the Sept. 30 L.A. Live event are billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad, mall creator and possible 2013 mayoral candidate Rick Caruso, and Tim Leiweke, the powerful head of Anschutz Entertainment Group, the company behind Staples Center and L.A. Live.

Officials with Los Angeles Streetcar, Inc. (LASI)

Catch up on the Health scene.

The Mayor, the TV and the Ape

Meet the new DLANC leaders.

14

How Does L.A.’s Elected Leader Not Have His Own Reality Show?

by Jon Regardie executive editor

Reviewing L.A. Opera’s ‘Il Postino.’

17

18 CALENDAR LISTINGS 21 MAP 22 CLASSIFIEDS

E

arlier this month, City Council President Eric Garcetti played the mayor of Los Angeles on an episode of the TNT series “The Closer.”

The appearance instantly generated five thoughts, the regardie report

listed here in descending order of awesomeness.

5) A Los Angeles politician is spending his time focused on TV rather than leading the city? Who does he think he is, Antonio Villaraigosa?

4) Hope he enjoys this, because if Rick Caruso runs for the top job in 2013, this is the only time anyone will call Garcetti mayor.

3) Yes, the council president is the “acting mayor” when the real mayor goes out of town. No, it does not mean that he or she is supposed to act on

TV as the mayor.

2) Be careful what you wish for.

1) Garcetti’s playing the boss? Uh-oh, Mayor Beutner’s not going to be happy.

Garcetti’s guest slot on the Emmy-winning drama raises some interesting issues, chief among them why politicians are so enamored with TV cameras.

After all, a large handful of the city’s elected leaders seem to subscribe to the 21st century version of the tree/forest/noise mindbender: If a politician takes a position and it is not reported on television, then has he or she actually done anything?

Of course, no local figure has courted TV cameras like Villaraigosa. Also, no local figure has courted comely brunettes who stand in front of TV cameras like Villaraigosa. Legend has it that, on the day he moved into the Getty House, the see TV, page 12

The Voice of Downtown Los Angeles

photo by Gary Leonard

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa appears to be a magnet for TV cameras.

2 Downtown News

AROUNDTOWN Olvera Street Rent Results Expected Soon

BID is planning an Oct. 12 symposium on the future of the Central City. Titled Downtown 2020: Continuing the Renaissance, the half-day event at the Downtown L.A. Marriott will start with the discussion “Foundations for the Future: Intersection of Transportation and Land Use,” featuring Planning Director Michael LoGrande, Metro CEO Art Leahy and Christine Essel, CEO of the CRA. The second panel discussion, “The Downtown Experience: Live, Work, Play 2010,” brings figures including CB Richard Ellis broker Derrick Moore and Andrew Meieran, owner of The Edison and, as of last week, Clifton’s Cafeteria. The culminating panel, “Titans of Downtown: Charting the Course,” features philanthropist Eli Broad, AEG President Tim Leiweke, Nelson Rising, president and CEO of MPG Office Trust, and Jim Thomas of Thomas Properties Group. Developer Tom Gilmore will moderate. To register, call (213) 624-1213.

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decades-long rent battle between the city and merchants at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument may be coming to an end. An arbitration hearing to determine how much rents should rise for merchants at Olvera Street is complete, and a decision from a mediator is expected soon, 14th District City Councilman José Huizar told Los Angeles Downtown News last week. “We’ll be getting a report from the mediator soon outlining several options and we will go from there,” Huizar said. Merchants at Olvera Street, along with representatives of City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Huizar met with the arbitrator this month. Since April 1, when the city raised rents, about 43 of the 74 tenants have paid only their old rates.

Regional Connector Meetings on Tap

Domingo to Stay at L.A. Opera

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os Angeles Opera kicked off its season last week, but company officials and audiences had another reason to applaud: the announcement that Plácido Domingo will stay on as general director at least through the 2012/13 season. “I must say how thrilled I am to continue leading L.A. Opera in the years to come,” Domingo said in a statement. “As an artist who has been committed to the growth and development of L.A. Opera since its earliest days, I find my position here both creatively challenging and deeply rewarding, and I am proud to call this company home.” Domingo has had a role in the company since its founding: He starred in the first production, Otello, in 1986, and became artistic director in 2000 and general director three years later. Domingo’s re-up came with another change at the top: Stephen Rountree has been named CEO of L.A. Opera, replacing Marc Stern, who continues to be the chair of the company’s board of directors.

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he public has two opportunities to weigh in on the Downtown Regional Connector. On Tuesday, Sept.

28, from 6:30-8 p.m., the Metropolitan Transportation Authority will host a meeting at the Japanese American National Museum (369 E. First St.) to present its analysis of several alignment options for the proposed $1 billion-plus project. The two-mile transit link would connect existing and under-construction light rail lines so passengers would not have to transfer when traveling through Downtown on their way to Pasadena, East L.A., Long Beach or Culver City, speeding up travel times. There are several alignment options that include underground tunneling or at-grade tracks, with up to four new Downtown stations. A second meeting is slated for 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Oct. 4 at the LAPD headquarters building at 100 W. First St. More information is at metro.net.

Downtown Parks Pioneer Dies

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onald P. Schafer, the superintendent of the California State Parks Angeles District, who was instrumental in creating two Downtown area parks, has died. He was 53.

Schafer worked with California State Parks for 35 years and

Envision Downtown’s Future

N

September 27, 2010

Twitter/DowntownNews

ow that the final quarter of 2010 is near, the Central City Association is looking ahead to… 2020. The

helped create Los Angeles State Historic Park on the edge of Chinatown and Rio de Los Angeles State Park just north of Downtown near Cypress Park. “He championed the idea of bringing state parks to Los Angeles,” said Sean Woods, state parks superintendent for the Los Angeles sector. “It was a new concept to the department. But he really felt that, as a resident, it was your right to have access to a great outdoor experience.”

Schafer died Sept. 15 at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center of complications from a stroke he suffered Sept. 10.

A Pershing Square Fright Fest

P

ershing Square is getting into the Halloween spirit early as it launches the Friday Night Fright Flicks series this week. The month-long line-up of free scary movies starts Oct. 1 with the 1976 telekinetic horror tale Carrie. It’s followed by Alfred Hitchcock’s classic Psycho on Oct. 8 and the zombie comedy/horror flick Shaun of the Dead on Oct. 15. Two 1960s films round of the series, with House of Usher on Oct. 22 and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, starring Bette Davis, on Oct. 29. Films are free and start at sundown. Pershing Square is at 532 S. Olive St., (213) 847-4970 or laparks.org/pershingsquare.

Chef Shuffle

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here’s another kitchen change at the Arts District’s Church & State. Jeremy Berlin, who most recently helped open Gordon Ramsay at the London West Hollywood, took over the head chef position this month from Josh Smith. The French bistro opened in September 2008 and, after a bumpy debut, gained a following with the cooking of Walter Manzke, who left early this year to pursue his own restaurant. Lawrence Moore, a spokesperson for the restaurant, said the menu will be more “aggressive” under Berlin’s watch, although popular items such as the crispy pig’s ear will remain. Berlin studied at the French Culinary Institute in New York and has worked with the likes of Eric Ripert at the three Michelin-starred Le Bernardin, and Cyril Renaud at Fleur de Sel.

Correction The Sept. 20 review of East West Players Mysterious Skin incorrectly referred to the character played by David Huynh as Nick. The character is named Neil.

University of Southern California

Writing in Exile Zimbabwean author headlines panel exploring censorship “Enemy Number One”: Lion Feuchtwanger and the Literature of Exile Wednesday, Sept. 29, 12 p.m.

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Lion FeUChtwanger knew what it was like to be censored, and worse. Exiled from his native Germany in the 1930s, this feted literary figure eventually found himself in an internment camp in occupied France. His crime: being an outspoken critic of the Nazi Party. In honor of Banned Books Week, the USC library that houses Feuchtwanger’s extensive collections hosts a discussion panel featuring modern-day literary exile Christopher Mlalazi. The award-winning Zimbabwean poet and playwright left his homeland after being placed under government surveillance for writing critically about the Mugabe regime. Joining him in a freewheeling discussion on censorship, repression and writing in exile are African-American literature scholar Michelle Gordon, an expert on migration and exile studies, and German historian Wolf Gruner, an expert on Nazi-era persecution.

USC your cultural connection

AlSO At USC

Aradhna Fusion Music Saturday, Oct. 2 at 8 p.m.

Aradhna means “adoration” in Hindi.

It’s also a band comprised of Chris Hale and Peter Hicks, American interpreters of traditional Indian music. This week, they perform a spiritual concert of Yeshu bhajans, a genre of devotional songs to Jesus that appeals to a multi­ faith audience of Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and others. Hear how the band blends vocals, sitar, guitar, violin and tabla in a fresh approach to this ancient devotional form.

University Religious Center, Fishbowl Chapel (626) 512­0056 General admission: $5

For more information visit www.usc.edu

September 27, 2010

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September 27, 2010

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EDITORIALS Make a Downtown Target Happen

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bout a year ago, word began circulating in Downtown circles that Minneapolis-based Target and landowner Brookfield Properties were holding advanced discussions about bringing the retailer to the outdoor mall at the southwest corner of Seventh and Figueroa streets. Last week, Los Angeles Downtown News reported that proceedings appear to be progressing. Ironically, the most significant indicator of activity is that some tenants of the shopping center have received notices to vacate their space by the end of the year. The talk around the mall, and in Downtown real estate circles, is that this is happening because a deal with Target is imminent, and that a two-year construction project to vastly reconfigure the space could begin in early 2011.

This is great news for Downtown, but as every businessperson knows, a deal is not done until the contracts have been signed. Even then, well-intentioned plans can fall apart due to economic or other factors.

This is all a way of saying that it is too early to celebrate, and that whatever can be done to bring the Target deal to fruition should be done. If other power players in the business community can provide expertise or help persuade the retailer to make the jump Downtown, they should step up.

If local government officials can do something to bring the project — and the construction and then permanent jobs it would create, as well as the tax revenue — across the finish

line, with incentives or other tools, then they should make their capabilities known. Offer — don’t wait to be asked.

It is simple: A Target would be a tremendous benefit to Downtown, on both the practical and symbolic sides. On the former front, it would serve a community that, despite the recession, continues to expand, as housing projects planned before the economy went south are still opening. The demographics of the area might even support one of the extra-large Targets that includes grocery items — after all, Ralphs in South Park continues to boom.

The customer base for a potential Downtown Target is massive. Many of the people who have moved into apartments or condominiums in the past 10 years would patronize the store. There is significant spending power in the nearly six-figure median household income of new Downtown residents (as reported in a study by Downtown News and the Downtown Center Business Improvement District). It is the type of crowd that utilizes or has shopped at Targets in Glendale, Pasadena, the Westside or other parts of Los Angeles. It is probably not a stretch to say that the crowds will pack the place on day one.

Not to be overlooked are the hundreds of thousands of people who work in Downtown, and who could conceivably visit the store during the 9-5 hours, or after work on their way home. The huge parking garage adjacent to the mall makes this concept feasible (one also assumes a Target deal would

include changes to facilitate getting shopping carts to the parking area).

On weekends in particular, Target’s proximity to the Red Line (cater-cornered across the street) would insure the same deluge of underserved customers from Westlake/MacArthur Park that nearby Macy’s was surprised to discover when the subway went online in 1993.

The almost limitless use factor is certainly a tool to entice Target. More important to the future of Downtown Los Angeles is the message that securing the store would send.

Like Ralphs, Target is a name that retailers follow, and when their market research demonstrates that a community can support a store, other businesses often take it as a reassuring sign. In other words, Target’s benefits would extend well beyond Target.

Those who dream big will take heart that for the first time Target and Neiman Marcus are co-anchors of a shopping center — of the Westfield Topanga in Canoga Park. Hey, it could happen here. Possibly soon.

The signs indicate that positive news is coming, but it would be foolish to make assumptions at this point — the 7+Fig tenants are still there and the deal has not been formally announced. Downtowners who have the ability to help make this happen — and there are plenty of them — should do so. It will have positive benefits for years, even for those who never step foot in the store.

High Points in a Recession

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he economy is lousy. Everyone knows this. Even last week’s report by the National Bureau of Economic Research that the U.S. recession technically ended in June 2009 doesn’t make the situation any easier for those who have seen their incomes or business drop, in some cases precipitously.

Downtown, of course, has felt the pain of the recession, as many projects that were in the pipeline have stalled or been canceled. There has been no progress for years on funding Related Cos. $3 billion Grand Avenue plan. A possibly dramatic South Park condominium tower being designed by highprofile architect Daniel Libeskind is going

nowhere fast. The list goes on.

While things may be tough all over, Downtown’s evolution is not finished. In fact, a surprisingly large rush of projects has come online recently. Taken together, they might be reason to re-think the state of the neighborhood.

Los Angeles Downtown News last week published its Development issue, which comes out three times a year. The update on 76 Downtown projects yielded a fact that will surprise a lot of people: In the last four months alone, six new housing projects with a cumulative 663 residential units have come online. These are market-rate developments

and the list does not include a gigantic housing complex near USC that provides residences for 1,600 students.

The new additions are the El Dorado (65 condominiums in a formerly dead Historic Core building), the Medallion (96 apartments in a new structure at Fourth and Main streets), the Jewelry Trades Building (63 rental units in the Jewelry District), the Spring Arcade Building (143 apartments in another formerly defunct Historic Core edifice), the Blackstone Tower (82 apartments at Ninth Street and Broadway) and the Watermarke Tower (214 apartments in a 35-floor South Park high-rise).

This is a serious advancement for

Downtown. Not only does it mean another block of patrons for area restaurants, bars and service businesses, it activates six parcels where, a few years ago, absolutely nothing was happening. Even if it takes the projects months or more to fill up, it continues the residential momentum.

There is no question that business has slowed and that many people Downtown have been hit hard. That said, this batch of new places to live is a reminder that the neighborhood is on the way up. People are still moving in to the Central City, and once the credit market thaws and consumers begin spending again, the advancement will ratchet up considerably.

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

twitter: DowntownNews

Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie citY Editor: Richard Guzmán stAFF writEr: Ryan Vaillancourt coNtributiNG Editors: David Friedman, Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Pamela Albanese, Jay Berman, Jim Farber, 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 PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt AdvErtisiNG dirEctor: Steve Nakutin sAlEs AssistANt: Annette Cruz clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Catherine Holloway, Brenda Stevens, Billy Wright, Lon Wahlberg circulAtioN: Norma Rodas distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles.

One copy per person.

September 27, 2010

Downtown News 5

Opinion

The Readers Talk Back Website Comments on Target, Downtown Birds and the Sale of Clifton’s

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os Angeles Downtown News posts comments to stories on our website. Here are some of the most recent responses. Additional comments appear on downtownnews.com.

Further responses are welcome.

Regarding the article “Downtown May Be Close to Hitting Target,” by Richard Guzmán, published online Sept. 17

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arget will be a great boon to DTLA because it will hopefully attract other much-needed retailers (I’m looking at you Trader Joe’s), which will theoretically attract more residents to move Downtown and help create a vibrant city center (as demand grows and infill mixed-use projects meet that demand), which ultimately could change the reputation of Los Angeles as a whole and not just DTLA per se (since most cities are judged by their walkable urban cores and not just their suburban housing stocks) and attract more tourists/ visitors to L.A. to boost a sagging economy.

—posted by Brigham Yen, Sept. 17, 12:30 p.m.

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ell, it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. They’ve been advertising and marketing at L.A. Live since it opened almost two years ago. Next up... you guessed it!

Trader Joe’s.

—posted by Your Neighbor, Sept. 17, 1:12 p.m.

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arget, then Trader Joe’s, and then Whole Foods? That seems to be the gentrification trifecta. Or has Whole Foods fallen out of favor in these tougher economic times?

—posted by Chris Loos, Sept. 17, 4:02 p.m.

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hope the report of a Target store entering the Downtown market does come true. If this store is built, soon WalMart will follow. Then, as these stores gain higher profits, hopefully Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods will follow. Lastly, the Beverly Hills stores like Neiman-Marcus, Saks-Fifth Avenue, Barneys New York, Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom

will also follow. Additional stores like these will cater to the growing Downtown Los Angeles residential boom — locals and tourists.

—posted by Michael Tagupa, Sept. 17, 8 p.m.

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’m wondering how they can incorporate a Target store on two levels of a subterranean shopping mall. It’s not visible from the street, which really reduces foot traffic.

—posted by Whitman Lam, Sept. 18, 12:51 a .m.

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s to Target’s plan, they were the founders of the 2-story floor plan, as in the conversion of the Robinson’s store on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, and have developed many units in that format subsequently. The common area will be eliminated and the existing escalators will be utilized within the store.

—posted by Carter, Sept. 17, 1:12 p.m.

Regarding the article “Look, Up in the Sky,” about a flock of Vaux’s Swifts in Downtown, by Ryan Vaillancourt, published online Sept. 17

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he Chester Williams Building is not abandoned. The upper floors are not occupied right now, but only because the building is being converted into lofts which will open early next year, at which time all four corners of Fifth and Broadway will be residential, which might be the first four corners of residential adaptive reuse buildings in Downtown.

But, getting back to the swifts, they have been roosting there for at least 10 years, and they also stayed in the upper floors of the Rowan and other empty buildings, and some have stayed in the ficus trees along Fifth Street across from Pershing Square. Soon the only empty building in the area will be the Alexandria Annex, which the swifts have usually ignored, so hopefully the building’s owners will keep the old chimneys intact so we can enjoy seeing the swifts visit us twice a year and we can benefit from their feeding on the

local mosquito population.

—posted by Brady Westwater, Sept. 18, 10:11 a.m.

H

ope no one in the City of L.A. departments reads this story: They will require permits for the birds to live in an adaptive reuse building. Someone will sue for non-ADA compliance. Fire and life safety issues for the birds will require a very, very expensive habitat. Relocation expenses will be expected. PETA will somehow find the conditions inhumane (inaviary?). The ArtWalk will morph even more into a pub crawl, food court festival and bird watching.

—posted by Russell Brown, Sept. 18, 10:39 p.m.

T

hank you for reporting on this very interesting phenomenon. My husband and I stood out on Broadway for about an hour, fascinated by these little birds. We watched as they dipped and circled and eventually dove into the chimney. Luckily we didn’t see any hungry ravens waiting! Great story. And Russell... your comments... so true!

—posted by Kathleen, Sept. 20, 6:52 p.m.

Regarding the article “Clifton’s Cafeteria Sold,” published online Sept. 21

T

o me Clifton’s is a magical place. My maternal grandparents took the whole family to Clifton’s often. I remember the kids’ meal, which was meat patty, vegetables, mashed potatoes and Jell-O. I remember feeling very grown up when the day came that my grandmother announced to all us kids, time for grown-up desserts! That was when I got a slice of Clifton’s fabulous strawberry cake. Long live the memory of Clifton’s.

—posted by Dorothea, Sept. 22, 2:04 p.m.

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h, to have a bakery nearby. Please tell them to do breads; we have plenty of places offering sweet breads and pastries, but the nearest decent loaf of bread is at Ralphs.

—posted by Tobasco Jack Pepper, Sept. 23, 10:29 a.m.

Community Workshops CRA/LA wants to know about

Your Figueroa!

How do you use Figueroa?

What can make this street better?

Attend one of two workshops or tune in to a webcast!

1

Saturday, October 2, 2010

10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

St. Vincent School (Auditorium) 2333 S. Figueroa Street Free parking on site.

2 Tuesday, October 5, 2010

or

6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

7th + Fig (Shopping Center) (Middle Level, Adjacent to 7th+Fig Art Space) 735 S. Figueroa Street Paid parking on site. Accessible to the 7th Street/Metro Center Rail Station.

3 Webcast

www.myfigueroa.com simulcast October 5; 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Funded by a Grant From

Downtown News Ad.indd 1

The Figueroa Corridor Streetscape Project team is studying the different ways people use Figueroa and its design. The team will propose improvements to the street, crosswalks, and sidewalks to better support community life and economic development.

The goal of these public workshops is to create a vision for the Figueroa Corridor. Attend one of the workshops to tell us about Your Figueroa.

Continue the conversation at www.myfigueroa.com Facebook®: “My Figueroa” Twitter®: @MyFigueroa For more information or to join our mailing list: call (213) 802-1137 or e-mail info@myfigueroa.com As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles does not discriminate. The meeting facility and its parking are wheelchair accessible. A Spanishlanguage interpreter will be available. Any additional translation services, sign language interpreters, assistive listening devices, or other auxiliary aids and/or other services must be requested 72 hours prior to the meeting by calling Samantha Foley at (213) 802-1137 or by e-mail at info@myfigueroa.com.

10/22/10 11:00 AM

6 Downtown News

September 27, 2010

Twitter/DowntownNews

The Rail World Engineers and Stakeholders Examine How a $40 Billion High-Speed Train Would Impact Downtown

by Ryan VaillancouRt

Diego route, which will eventually connect the two cities via the Inland Empire in the system’s later phase two.

The Palmdale to Los Angeles route would largely parallel Metrolink tracks through the San Fernando Valley, passing through Burbank and several northeast L.A. communities before approaching Downtown. One alignment option for the Union Station approach would require cutting a temporary trench in Los Angeles State Historic Park. That alternative, which would require the temporary closure of the park, has already been met with sharp criticism from green space advocates.

Another alignment involves elevated tracks along North Spring Street. First District City Councilman Ed Reyes said that it is still too early to grasp the potential impacts posed by the various route alternatives.

“If we’re going to be favoring alignments, the concept is important, but just as significant is a level of analysis that speaks to which streets are we going to close, are we going to alter?” said Reyes, who strongly opposed the authority’s early proposal to study only one alignment out of Union Station to Palmdale; that segment would have traversed the eastern edge of the L.A. River.

“I’m very appreciative of the range of choices we have today,” Reyes said. “But to choose one line at this point is almost impossible.”

Reyes and a growing coalition of park and community groups are urging the authority to investigate a so-called “long tunnel” option that would bore under the Los Angeles State Historic and Rio de Los Angeles State parks. Martinez said the group is indeed considering such an alignment.

To Anaheim, but How? The authority is also mulling several options for how to approach Union Station in the L.A. to Anaheim section.

Alignment options include elevated viaduct platforms that would cut through or snake around a mostly industrial neighborhood near First Street and the L.A. River. The routes have variable angles in their approach to the station. Sharp

staff wRiteR

W

ith service not expected until 2020, the $40 billion plan to link San Francisco with Southern California via high-speed rail may seem too far off to consider seriously.

But don’t tell that to the more than 100 Downtown area stakeholders who last week packed a town hall meeting to praise and criticize the train’s three future approaches to Union Station.

The historic Downtown transit hub is primed to be a crucial node in a voter-approved system to get riders between San Francisco and Los Angeles in 2 hours and 40 minutes, and between L.A. and San Diego in 80 minutes.

The meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 21, at Metro’s Union Station-adjacent headquarters marked a continuation of an ongoing outreach effort by the California High Speed Rail Authority. The session was primarily intended to allow project engineers who are currently preparing draft environmental studies for the various route sections to get community feedback, said project spokeswoman Valerie Martinez.

Attendees of the session sponsored by state Assembly Speaker John Pérez (who canceled a scheduled appearance because of Sacramento budget discussions) were almost entirely supportive of the high-speed rail concept: With its promise to create 54,800 jobs by 2020 and greatly reduce travel times between key California cities, the project appeals to a wide demographic. But there remains a healthy dose of public skepticism when it comes to the authority’s specific alignment options for approaching and departing Union Station.

Downtown stands to be impacted by three sections of the high-speed rail system. The Los Angeles to Anaheim route, the portion most likely to be finished first, will approach Downtown from the south and probably along the L.A. River; the Palmdale to Los Angeles spur, which approaches Union Station from the north; and the Los Angeles to San

photo by Gary Leonard

More than 100 Downtown stakeholders turned out at a public forum on Sept. 21 to learn more about the high-speed rail project and its potential routes. Spokeswoman Valerie Martinez gave a presentation.

angles are often built to lessen community impact, but the sharper the angle, the slower the train’s speed in that section of track, said Tyler Bonstead, project manager for the L.A. to Anaheim route.

Currently, the Los Angeles to Anaheim route is on the fastest completion track, said Martinez. The draft environmental study is scheduled for completion in January. The board would then be slated to select an alignment by September 2011, with shovels hitting dirt in early 2013. The Palmdale to Los Angeles route is about three months behind, she said.

The Los Angeles to San Diego portion is part of phase two and requires much more environmental and route analysis.

More detailed alignment information is at cahighspeedrail.ca.gov.

Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

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September 27, 2010

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Anatomy of a Deal Gone Bad The $32 Million 2121 Lofts Languishes Amidst a Four-Player Fight

by Ryan VaillancouRt

Staff WRiteR or the gamblers betting on an Arts District condominium project, 21 proved to be an unlucky number.

When Lapchih Fan and Michael Shannon purchased a former industrial property near the southeast corner of Seventh and Santa Fe streets in 2006, and launched a $32 million renovation, they named it the 2121 Lofts. They envisioned a 78-unit project that, Shannon told Los Angeles Downtown News in 2007, would be like “an old Spanish bungalow: half that, and half gritty new urbanism.”

Three years later, the project is empty, unfinished and caught in a stranglehold of lawsuits.

The future remains uncertain, but as several legal conflicts unfold, a new player — Arts District developer Linear City, which built the Toy Factory and Biscuit Company lofts — has acquired the debt on the project, and now hopes to finish and open it as a rental property.

“I don’t need financing,” said Yuval BarZemer, a partner in Linear City. “I’m ready with cash in my pocket. I’m ready to bring it back to life immediately.”

Linear City bought the outstanding loan on 2121 Lofts from lender East West Bank in March. As the project’s new lender, Linear City wants to foreclose on 2121 Lofts’ primary investor, Phoenix Housing Partners West, and complete the development. Phoenix purchased the note from East West Bank in September 2008 but defaulted after not making interest payments, according to court records.

Both Linear City and East West Bank have

F

photo by Gary Leonard

Leonard Hill (left) and Yuval Bar-Zemer, partners in the development firm Linear City, purchased the note on the embattled 2121 Lofts (in background). Bar-Zemer said they hope to gain control of and complete the 78-unit project near the southeast corner of Seventh and Santa Fe streets.

estimated that the project needs $5 million to $6 million to finish construction on the second phase. Bar-Zemer said his company has the money in hand and is ready to spend it on final construction.

Phoenix Housing Partners West, however, is trying to maintain a grip on the project. When Linear City bought the loan in March, Phoenix unsuccessfully sought to block the sale. In July, the firm filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on the project, essentially buying more time. It has 90 days from filing to present a reorganization plan to the court.

Phoenix Housing Partners West is a division of real estate investment fund manager Phoenix Housing Group, which is based in New York and Century City. The firm declined to comment, citing the ongoing legal proceedings.

From Partners to Enemies The turmoil is the latest twist for a threebuilding property that has seen plenty of change over the decades.

One building on the site, a concrete former warehouse that dates to the 1920s, once housed a rag-sorting business. Another structure was where the Heinz company con-

ducted ketchup taste tests. Artist Robert Rauschenberg owned that building for a time in the 1960s.

The Rauschenberg building was turned into rugged rental units in the 1990s. In 2000, a conversion to more modern apartments began, and a courtyard was added.

In 2006, Fan and Shannon, working as Concerto Development (no relation to Astani Enterprises’ Concerto project in South Park), acquired the complex. Rental tenants were moved out as the developers set about building condominiums with prices intended to start in the mid- $400,000s. The developer’s plans included re-landscaped courtyards with a reading lawn and a dog-walking area.

According to court documents, Phoenix supplied 90% of the equity needed to secure the project’s initial $27.8 million construction loan from East West Bank. Shannon and Fan oversaw construction and put up the remaining 10% equity investment.

As work on the project continued, Shannon sought $4.2 million in additional financing that he said was needed to finish work in a second phase. Phoenix refused to invest more money, so Shannon secured the second loan with a letter of personal credit, matching the loan amount.

Concerto launched a sales effort on the project’s first phase, a collection of 19 townhomes, in early 2008, just as the faltering housing market began to teeter on a fullblown collapse. Sales were slow and, in September 2008, Concerto defaulted on the $27.8 million construction loan. According to court records, Phoenix then negotiated with East West Bank to purchase the two loans totaling about $32 million, plus Shannon’s letter of credit, for $22.3 million. The bank required a $6 million down payment.

After acquiring the note, Phoenix sued Shannon and Concerto for $6.9 million — the difference, according to the firm’s complaint,

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2010 Corporate Honoree Bank of America

Introducing the new Chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District Dr. Daniel LaVista

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For additional information, please contact Dr. Rhea Chung at chungr@lattc.edu or www.lattc.edu/lattc/foundation.htm.

September 27, 2010

Downtown News 9

DowntownNews.com

New Blood for Council Board Patti Berman Sets Her Agenda as DLANC President

by Katie Schaufelberger

W

hen the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council executive committee met last week, it looked a lot different than it had for the last four years. The change started at the top.

The meeting on Thursday, Sept. 23, was the first one helmed by newly elected DLANC President Patti Berman. She succeeded Russell Brown, who sat atop the volunteer group for four years.

Berman said strengthening DLANC’s community partnerships and increasing its visibility are her two main priorities as president, and that outreach issues will be the central topic of her tenure.

Berman said the city’s budget constraints have left DLANC’s funding in doubt.

“For the next two years, we don’t have any money,” Berman said. “Now with new projects, we’re going to have to say, ‘That’s a great idea, let’s find the partners to get this done.’

And outreach is the major component.”

Although new as president, Berman is no stranger to DLANC. She has been a member of the board for more than two years and oversaw the creation of the new DLANC website and newsletter. She also served as chair of the council’s Parks, Recreation and Open Space Committee for the past five years.

In the near term, Berman wants to make the community more aware of the neighborhood council.

“One of our main challenges is getting the word out to people that we’re here for

photo by Gary Leonard

them,” Berman said. “People bring their passions to us, and we give them a platform.”

Berman moved to Fourth and Main streets nine years ago. She became active in the community as a math tutor with School on Wheels, and worked with the Big Sisters program. She also chaired the Historic Core Neighborhood Block Grant committee, which provided funds for small businesses starting in the area.

“If I could have seen all the changes that have happened here in the past nine years then, I wouldn’t have believed it,” Berman said. “It has become a wonderful place to live, and you see so many more families with children living here.”

To continue that progress, Berman said she wants to bring more businesses to the area and develop it further as a cultural destination.

DLANC sat its new board of directors on Sept. 14, more than two months after

T I S N A R T RE

MO

Two important rail projects have reached a key milestone: draft environmental reports for both have been released for a 45-day public comment period.

Patti Berman (center) last week helmed her first meeting as president of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council.

She succeeds Russell Brown, who led the volunteer panel for four years. New to the executive committer are (l to r) Jay Kim, Celina Mancia, Scott Bytof and Shira Blatt.

the election. The installment of officers was delayed due to challenges filed over one of the seats. Berman, who previously held the post of vice president of Communication and Outreach on DLANC, is the only officer from the previous executive board continuing to serve.

New to the executive board are Celina Mancia and Jay Kim, the vice presidents of Administration, and Outreach and Communication, respectively. Scott Bytof is the new treasurer and Shira Blatt was elected secretary.

Not only did Brown step down as president, he also left DLANC. During his time with the council he was involved in hundreds of issues related to the growth of Downtown.

“Russ was a great leader,” said Berman.

“But we understand that he put in a lot of hours and it was enough.”

More information on the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council is at dlanc.com.

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The project would create a two-mile transit link through downtown LA between the Metro Gold, Blue and Expo lines. > Connections with the Metro Blue and Expo lines at 7th Street /Metro Center Station and with the Metro Gold Line at Alameda Street. > The reports look at three light rail alternatives – a combination of underground and at-grade segments; entirely underground except for an at-grade crossing at 1st and Alameda; fully underground with four new stations and traveling under the 1st and Alameda intersection. > The project team has designated fully underground as its Locally Preferred Alternative — the version proposed for further study.

For more information visit: metro.net/regionalconnector

Five alternative routes for extending the Metro Red or Purple lines are being considered, all basically traveling under Wilshire Boulevard west to Santa Monica. > Alternatives include extending the line to either Westwood/UCLA or the VA Hospital; extending the line all the way to Santa Monica; and adding a segment between Hollywood and Beverly Hills via West Hollywood. > Estimated travel time between Union Station in downtown LA to the Westwood/UCLA station would be 25 minutes.

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Both of these projects are included in the 30/10 Initiative, which seeks to accelerate the completion of 12 countywide transportation projects within 10 years.

update-wsc-ii-11-001 ©2010 lcmta

between the original loan amount and the discounted price. Shannon and Concerto countersued, accusing Phoenix of breaching its fiduciary duty to the partnership. Phoenix would later sue East West Bank, alleging that the bank misrepresented assets involved in the deal. All three suits are pending.

Fan, of Concerto, said the firm is fighting to regain control of 2121 Lofts, but declined to elaborate on the company’s plan or strategy.

“We would love to be back in the driver’s seat but there are a lot of intricacies, and I don’t want to comment on what our goals are,” said Fan. Linear City’s Bar-Zemer said he offered Phoenix a deal to share in future profits at a completed 2121 Lofts if it would allow the foreclosure process to proceed “peacefully.”

The offer, Bar-Zemer said, was designed to allow Phoenix to recoup its sunk costs in the project. According to Bar-Zemer, Phoenix officials declined that offer before filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

As Phoenix, Concerto, East West Bank and Linear City continue to wrestle over the property, stakeholders in the Arts District say the vacancy is disappointing, but not a problem.

“Since it’s been sitting there vacant we’ve kept an extra watch on the area,” said Estela Lopez, executive director of the Central City East Association, which manages the Arts District Business Improvement District.

“We have had some incidents of graffiti and illegal dumping. Have they risen to a critical or chronic state? No.” For now, the embattled project’s fate remains unclear, but stakeholders in the 2121 Lofts are first awaiting resolution of the original dispute: Phoenix’s case against Shannon and Fan, and the defendants’ related cross-complaint. The matter is set for trial in November, Fan said.

Contact Ryan Vaillancourt at ryan@downtownnews.com.

10 Downtown News

September 27, 2010

Twitter/DowntownNews

Streetcar Continued from page 1 what is known as a Special Benefit District to help pay for the construction and operation of the streetcar. LASI is studying the method and, while rates have not been determined, early projections are that 40-60% of the total cost will have to come from property owners. In Downtown Los Angeles that could amount to more than $50 million.

LASI is conducting an economic analysis to determine what an assessment district would look like and who would be taxed — whether it would be just property owners on the proposed route linking L.A. Live, Bunker Hill and Broadway, or also landlords in the surrounding area and other privatesector funding options.

“There are a lot of different variables, so we spent a lot of time coming up with those figures,” said Dennis Allen, executive director of LASI. “We’re getting there now. We’re in the very final stages. I would say in the first part of October we’re going to start having real conversations with the property owners about what the costs look like.”

Waiting for Numbers St. Vincent’s Jewelry Center co-owner Peklar Pilavjian, who has about 300,000 square feet of space on Broadway, is one of the people waiting to find out what it would cost him to jump on board with the streetcar, which Huizar recently said would be pushed back from an anticipated 2014 debut to a later, still undefined date.

Pilavjian said the streetcar would benefit Downtown, but before deciding to take on an additional tax, he needs to know solid numbers.

“I would think it would be beneficial, but I can’t say yes or no yet. It’s all about the rates,” he said.

Streetcar proponents like Huizar and Allen said the plan involves convincing property owners that any expense for the streetcar is really a business investment.

“The increase in property value far outweighs any type of a cost,” Allen said. “Transit investment really drives property value.”

photo by Gary Leonard

photo courtesy of Security Pacific National Bank Photograph Collection/Los Angeles Public Library

The streetcar is a key component of 14th District City Councilman José Huizar’s plan to revive Broadway.

In the early and mid 1900s, streetcars were a common sight on the streets of Downtown Los Angeles.

To make their case, Huizar and Allen are using facts and figures from the two northern, streetcar-boasting cities.

According to Bringing Back Broadway, the Portland streetcar system is estimated to have generated $3.5 billion in economic development on and around the streetcar route since opening in 2001; 55% of it occurred within one block of the streetcar line.

Rick Gustafson, executive director of Portland Streetcar, who was also a consultant for the Seattle streetcar (which opened in 2007) and currently serves as a consultant for LASI, said he had to convince property owners in those cities that the investment would pay off. The toughest to persuade, he said, are people who own property but don’t see the benefit of growth in value.

Gustafson said that small retailers may not want to take on the added expense. He said he also gets opposition from absentee landlords.

A Lot of Questions “Taxing” property owners for services beyond what government provides is not new in Downtown Los Angeles. The community’s wealth of business improvement districts all

came about because landowners felt they needed more than the city offers, and they were willing to pay for it.

It is a situation Carol Schatz, president and CEO of the Central City Association, knows well. She spearheaded the creation of the Downtown Center Business Improvement District, the area’s largest BID. She had to convince property owners to self-fund cleaning, safety and marketing campaigns.

Schatz, who sits on the LASI board of trustees, noted that when it comes to the streetcar, there are many unanswered questions about the assessment. She pointed out that people along the route have the economy in mind.

“It’s a big undertaking at a terrible time,” said Schatz. “It’ll depend on the situation of each property owner. Many understand the potential positive impact, but if you can’t afford an assessment before the benefits kick in, it’ll be difficult.”

Allen actually thinks time is on their side. He pointed out that if an assessment district is approved by the private sector, they would raise bond financing for it, which could take a couple years. The tax payment could be deferred into the future when the economy is better, he said.

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Project topics will include updates on the project, proposed alternative alignments, station locations, design options and a review of the environmental process.

The San Gabriel Valley Community Open House is an opportunity for residents and stakeholders to speak directly with members of the project team, ask questions and provide feedback. Please plan on joining us on October 6, 2010.

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Tour homes on Sunday October 3, noon to 5pm in Historic Garfield Heights. Admission is $12 per person in advance, or $15 the day of the tour.

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September 27, 2010

Downtown News 11

DowntownNews.com

Schatz said that having big names behind the project is important and can convince others that it’s a beneficial venture. She said she employed a similar tactic when setting up the BID — she secured the support of large property owners before reaching out to smaller ones.

Gustafson agrees with the tactic.

“This event on Sept. 30 will have its impact because it has major property owners jumping on board,” he said. “That’s what they need, the big names talking to their colleagues so they can convey that it would be a good investment for Downtown property owners.”

Long View David Gray, who owns about 65,000 square feet of space on Broadway and sits on the LASI Board of Trustees, said that despite the tough economy, property owners need to have a long view. He called supporting a streetcar assessment tax a “no brainer.”

“This is a chance to participate. The government can’t do it, and it really will benefit everyone,” he said. “This will be the single biggest piece of infrastructure that will guarantee success and reinforce the whole Downtown area.”

Not all property owners see it that way.

Robert Clinton, the longtime owner of Clifton’s Cafeteria, cited the poor state of the economy. Although he sold his business last week, he still owns the building at 648 S. Broadway, and would be impacted in an assessment district.

“These trolleys are great in other cities. They’re a great way to move people around. But the time to do that would have been in the good years,” he said. “I want to see the government putting in at least as much as they’re asking of taxpayers, because if the government can’t afford to do it, why ask us? That’s not fair.”

Huizar and LASI officials are also looking at local and federal funding for the streetcar. They have raised about $10 million from the CRA, but were dealt a blow last month when their request for a $25 million federal grant for the streetcar was rejected. At the time, Jessica Wethington McClean, executive director of Bringing Back Broadway, said federal officials indicated they want the project to have a local matching funds program in place, and want the streetcar’s environmental process to be further along before money is allocated.

No matter what the future holds, Huizar has resolved to push forward on the effort. He thinks that people are ready for it.

“One way or another I’ve committed to find the funding,” Huizar said. “The time is right and we’re going to make it happen.”

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

Lot at Ninth and Hill Sells for $5 Million Transaction Could Mean the End of Proposed Park

by Jon RegaRdie executive editoR

T

he effort by a group of Downtown stakeholders to turn a parking lot into a park was dealt a serious setback last week, when the .7-acre parcel at Ninth and Hill streets was sold to a developer active in Downtown Los Angeles.

The Kor Group sold the lot for $5 million to Mark Farzan, said Mark Tarczynski, senior vice president of real estate services firm CB Richard Ellis. The sale was first reported by the website Curbed LA. Farzan co-developed the Chapman Lofts, an apartment complex at Broadway and Eighth Street that opened in 2008. Tarczynski said he does not know what Farzan intends to do with the property, which is adjacent to the Eastern Columbia Building.

Farzan did not return a call for comment.

This month, Rick Morris, a resident of the Eastern Columbia and the co-director of the 9th and Hill Street Park Task Force, said the group was expecting to hear soon on whether they would get $5 million in state funds to help them acquire the property. Morris said the recipients of the first round of the state Prop 84 grants are supposed to be announced within weeks, and that the group is also working with City Councilman José Huizar to get $1 million in city Quimby funds.

Additionally, the group had just posted an animated walk-through of the proposed park on its website, ninthandhillpark.com. Their plan involved trees, walking paths, a stage and a children’s play area.

Tarczynski said the Kor Group opted to go with the sure thing.

“Have you ever seen the state or the city or any govern-

photo by Gary Leonard

(l to r) Rick Morris, Geralynne Krajeck and Bill Cooper have long worked to turn a parking lot at Ninth and Hill streets into a park. Their plans were dealt a setback last week when the lot was sold to a developer.

ment do anything on time?” he said. “[Farzan] walked in the door, said a seven-day close, [and] put the money up.”

Morris said the park proponents were taken unawares by the sale. He expressed surprise at the sudden transaction.

“It is really disappointing,” he said. “The people around here have put so much time and work in this, and money of their own. This is an area where there are so many homes and it’d be great to have a park.”

By the middle of last week, Morris said he had yet to reach Farzan, but hopes to work with him and Huizar to see if there is a way to preserve the park project.

“If we can’t,” he said, “we’ll pick ourselves up and try to get a park somewhere else.”

Contact Jon Regardie at regardie@downtownnews.com.

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12 Downtown News

September 27, 2010

Twitter/DowntownNews

TV Continued from page 1 mayor’s official residence, he planted a TV lens in the garden, hoping it would blossom into a camera and bring him good luck.

Villaraigosa’s relationship with television is twisted and fascinating, though one thing stands out more than the hounding reporters and the personal romances: How does Antonio Villaraigosa not have a reality show?

Seriously, why has some programming whiz kid at Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS, MTV, Bravo or another network not inked a deal that puts AnVil in front of a camera every week? It’s a no-brainer, as a show would benefit him, boost attention for Los Angeles and generate hefty ratings. Some may claim it would cheapen the office, which just makes me giggle.

This makes complete sense — or at least more sense than the Million Trees campaign — in a world where half-baked chefs, pastyfaced business execs and plastic surgery disaster housewives all get their 60 minutes (minus commercial time) of fame a week. If

nothing else, it would be a surefire way to get AnVil’s message out without the annoying media “misinterpreting” it.

Five Shows I have no idea if Villaraigosa ever explored the reality TV route. But I have come up with five shows that would allow him to get his teeth-whitened mug seen nationally, and if he has any desire to boost his visibility in anticipation of a future run for higher office, well then wouldn’t that be a coincidence? The shows are: 5) “So You Think You Can Lead the DWP”: This contest show is built on the philosophy that, with nine Department of Water & Power heads in the past decade, one more can’t do too much damage. Follow “The Apprentice” formula and have mid-level execs from utilities across the nation dance for AnVil as they engage in tasks like pleading for a rate hike to the City Council, or seeing who can bow down the farthest to the head of the union representing DWP employees. Every time someone gets canned Villaraigosa can reference a former department GM and utter the catch phrase, “It’s my way or the Nahai way.” In the final challenge, two contenders/ lackeys will see who can carry the most water

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for the mayor when a new solar power ballot measure comes up. The loser gets the job.

4) “Who Wants to Date a Mayor?”: Oh wait, they already did this and it ran on all the local stations. Mirthala Salinas won the first season. Now Lu Parker is champ.

3) “Political Survivor”: Pick a Los Angeles department head under Villaraigosa, or an inner circle advisor to the mayor, and see who can hold the job the longest before they get fired, quit or their head explodes. Among those already eliminated for leaving are: Police Chief William Bratton, CRA CEO Cecilia Estolano, Chief of Staff Robin Kramer, Planning Director Gail Goldberg, Animal Services leader Ed Boks, DWP GM David Nahai, DWP GM David Freeman, Chief Deputy Mayor Jay Carson, Fire Chief William Bamattre, Fire Chief Douglas Barry, legal counsel Thomas Saenz, LAUSD Supt. Roy Romer, LAUSD Supt. David Brewer, Transportation leader Gloria Jeff, Building and Safety boss Andrew Adelman, Deputy Mayor Jimmy Blackman — OK, I’ll stop here. I’m not sure there is enough newsprint in the world to keep going.

2) “The Most Interesting Mantonios in the World”: Team the mayor with the suave, bearded “Most Interesting Man in the World” from the Dos Equis commercials, and turn them loose on Los Angeles with the cameras following. Plot twists are impossible to predict, but the results should be a cross between “Mad Men” and the former Paris HiltonNicole Richie vehicle “The Simple Life.” Each week follow the 50-somethings’ frat-style fun: One episode can involve them sitting courtside at Staples Center where at least one does some important city business. In another episode they’ll head to the rooftop bar at the Downtown Standard and chat up some visit-

ing Valley dwellers. In the final episode of the season, they’ll stand in the back of council chambers and throw darts at the folks around the horseshoe — if caught, they’ll just blame the economy. Of course, the show needs some catch phrases, so once an episode the bearded one will quip, “Stay thirsty my friends.” Also each week, AnVil will look deeply into the eyes of an intern and, remembering the good ol’ days of his inauguration speech, will intone, “Dream with me.”

1) “The Mayor and the Ape”: One can assume that Villaraigosa has grown frustrated by all the vacancies and all the people jumping ship. So, in exchange for a generous donation to the city’s general fund, he will heed a TV network’s request to hire a mature chimpanzee as a top advisor. The lankyarmed simian, Deputy Mayor Chimpstone, will get his own office in City Hall, with a tire swing in place of a city-provided car. Each week the voiceover introduction pronounces, “It’s yuks aplenty as this new hire learns that compared to the zoo he came from, City Hall is really the wild kingdom.” Chimpstone will be given increasing responsibilities as the season wears on, but will also face plenty of conflict. In one episode he’ll fight a proposed banana tax brought by the council, and in another he’ll deal with an audit by Controller Wendy Greuel that questions the mayor’s office’s expenditures on diapers (for Chimpstone). Tensions will rise throughout the season, and in the finale he’ll get tossed in jail by City Attorney Carmen Trutanich for a crime no one else in Los Angeles can understand.

I can’t wait to collect my Emmy.

Contact Jon Regardie at regardie@downtownnews.com.

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Downtown News 13

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Clifton’s Cafeteria Sold Plans Call for Adding 100 Jobs, a Lounge and 24-Hour Service

by RichaRd Guzmán city editoR

A

fter more than 70 years as a family business, Clifton’s Cafeteria has changed hands.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Sept. 21, Robert Clinton, whose family opened the restaurant in 1935, announced that it has been sold to Andrew Meieran, who is best known in Downtown for opening The Edison, a bar and nightclub in the Higgins Building.

“There’s certainly mixed emotions,” Clinton said after the press conference at the restaurant at 648 S. Broadway.

“Dad and I aren’t getting any younger. We feel it’s time for a younger person with more energy. Andrew is certainly that person.”

According to the office of 14th District City Councilman José Huizar, plans call for restoring the 75-year-old cafeteria to its original condition while upgrading the infrastructure and other building systems. The cafeteria-style portion of the restaurant will be augmented with sit-down and bar service on the upper floors, and Clifton’s bakery will be reactivated.

Meieran also plans on partnering with the Midnight Mission to provide a training and job placement program in the restaurant. Plans also call for serving food 24 hours a day.

Meieran said he will create 100 jobs in the building while

continuing to employ the 65 people currently working at the restaurant.

The business was sold for an undisclosed amount, and Meieran will hold a master lease on the four-story, 1916 building. Clinton will retain ownership of the property.

Clinton said there is no timeline on when upgrades will be completed or when his last day will be, but he said the restaurant will remain open throughout the changes.

Clifton’s was founded by Clifford Clinton, who purchased the lease of the former Boos Brothers Cafeteria. For decades the Historic Core establishment has been known for throwback meals such as the $7.99 turkey dinner or the house specialty, apple pie with vanilla sauce. It also stands out for a fanciful interior featuring faux redwood trees and a waterfall made to give the restaurant a mountain lodge feel.

In 2006, after decades of paying rent, the Clinton family purchased the building. However, last year they put the 1916 edifice up for sale for $4.7 million. It has since been taken off the market, Clinton said.

Earlier this year, Clinton butted heads with the city after he was cited for violations related to his window sign, which has been on the restaurant’s entrance since 1960. The citation was part of an effort to create a more uniform look among the hodgepodge of street-front Broadway businesses.

photo by Gary Leonard

Robert Clinton last week announced the sale of Clifton’s Cafeteria, which his family opened in 1935.

According to Huizar’s office, part of the new plans for Clifton’s include bringing activity to the street both during the daytime and evening hours as a “contributor to the Bringing Back Broadway initiative.”

Meieran, meanwhile, professed a desire to pay heed to the past and bring the establishment into the future.

“We feel honored to be a part of the Clifton’s legacy and the history it represents,” he said in a statement. “We hope the venue will once again help establish Broadway as a nightlife destination and will help bring life to Broadway after dark.”

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

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September 27, 2010

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HEALTH Health Summit Cites Dangers of Childhood Obesity Researchers, Policy Makers Come Together to Look for Solutions

by Meghan lewit

C

hildren growing up in the U.S. right now may be the first generation that will not exceed the lifespan of their parents, unless health leaders and policymakers come together to combat the growing childhood obesity crisis.

This was the message of a USC-sponsored health summit held Sept. 10 at the University Park Campus. “Childhood Obesity: A Call to Action” brought together more than 325 policymakers, educators and advocates to discuss solutions and lay groundwork for federal policy on education and child nutrition. The summit was held in cooperation with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

USC Health Sciences faculty who participated in the event highlighted the need for both broad public policy solutions and community-focused interventions to address the obesity crisis.

“Focusing on lifestyle changes alone will not cure obesity and associated diseases such as type 2 diabetes,” said panelist Michael Goran, professor of preventive medicine, physiology and biophysics, and pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine, and founding director of the USC Childhood

Obesity Research Center.

“The process by which our bodies regulate calorie intake and energy balance is complex,” he said. “Humans are designed to store excess calories as fat as a protection against famine.”

“There’s no one factor that causes obesity. It’s not just due to over-eating and lack of physical activity,” Goran said, adding, “We’re working against evolution.”

Children are programmed to crave unhealthy foods, and it’s not just enough to tell them to eat healthier, Goran said. Early and individualized interventions are needed to change behavior.

Other discussions focused on the impact of community outreach efforts. Cheryl Resnik, assistant professor of clinical physical therapy and associate chair of the Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, has led USC students in establishing a pro-bono community clinic for school children and their families in East Los Angeles.

Fit Families focuses on education, exercise and nutrition counseling. The program has partnered with local parks and community organizations to encourage physical activity, and to assist families who live in “food deserts,” areas with little or no access to fresh, high quality groceries.

“We can’t change the behavior of children if we’re not impacting what parents do at home,” Resnik said. “Safety and access is key.”

Mel Baron, associate professor of clinical pharmacy at the USC School of Pharmacy, leads a team that has developed and produced a series of bilingual fotonovelas to educate the Latino community about issues such as diabetes prevention, folic acid and birth defects and obesity.

“We’re improving health literacy and changing behavior,” he said.

The summit coincided with the first National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Keynote speaker Audrey Rowe, deputy administrator of Special Nutrition Programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, outlined new legislation and federal programs that will cover screenings for childhood obesity and provide nutrition education and assistance.

“Hunger and obesity are two sides of the same coin, both fueled by lack of nutrition,” Rowe said. “We have a real opportunity to use these programs to effect change. We can make a real impact on habits and health of our most precious resources, our children.”

Article courtesy USC HSC Weekly.

USC Professor Gets Top Award Martin Kast Named Eminent Scientist of the Year

by Ryan ball

W

. Martin Kast, a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology, and obstetrics and gynecology at the USC Keck School of Medicine, was named the 2010 Eminent Scientist of the Year and North American Immunologist of the Year by the International Research

Promotion Council (IRPC).

The charitable organization is dedicated to supporting scientists whose work is of particular significance to underdeveloped and developing countries. Kast received the Millennium Golden International Award for his life’s research of human papillomavirus (HPV), which is linked to cervical and other forms of cancer.

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“The virus is very relevant for underdeveloped and developing countries because the most cases of cervical cancer are in those countries,” Kast said. “There are about half a million cases of cervical cancer diagnosed each year, of which 80% or so are in underdeveloped or developing countries. This award supports our efforts in finding new treatments that could benefit patients in all countries.”

The award was presented on Sept. 9 in the Edmondson Faculty Center on the Health Sciences campus. IRPC Chief Coordinator (international) Thomas Koilparampil traveled from India to present the award to Kast and stress the importance of his work.

“Unfortunately, carcinoma of the uterine cervix is the leading cancer of which women in Third-World countries die,” said Koilparampil. “His contributions to immunology and [the study of] human papillomavirus, and the field of therapeutic vaccination

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to control cervical and other cancers, we consider wonderful achievements on the part of Dr. Kast.”

Upon receiving the award, Kast thanked Keck department chairs Jae Jung (molecular microbiology and immunology) and Laila Muderspach (obstetrics and gynecology), as well as USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center Director Peter Jones and other colleagues for their support of his research.

IRPC was formed in 1993 with the aim of coordinating the activities of scientists whose research tackles issues facing Third-World countries. The organization has five chapters spanning the globe, and counts more than 300 scientists among its members.

Kast earned his Ph.D. in medicine from the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and has been at USC since 2003. He is the Walter A. Richter Cancer Research Chair at Keck and co-leader of the Tumor Microenvironment Program at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. His research is focused on developing effective new therapies for cervical cancer, prostate cancer and melanoma.

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Downtown News 15

Health

Taking Control of Risk Factors Food Choice and Preventing Cancer

by Tom Roebuck

D

espite decades of research, the origins of cancer remain a mystery. Advancements in treatments have increased the survival rates for many forms of cancer, but what causes cancer in the first place is still unclear.

The link between smoking and many cancers has been well known for some time now, and family history is considered a key factor. Countless studies have been devoted to discovering how cancers develop from just about every angle, including the effects of living near power lines, getting too much sun and exposure to household cleaning products.

With this onslaught of information, it is understandable when people become overwhelmed and conclude that not much can be done to prevent cancer besides saying no to smoking. However, the choices we make, especially regarding diet and exercise, can either help us or haunt us.

“A lot of people think they don’t have much control over their risk, but they really do,” says Colleen Doyle, director of nutrition and physical activity at the American Cancer Society. “They have more than they think.”

Diet plays a crucial role in almost every health-related issue, and cancer is no exception. Though there is no direct link between a particular food and its ability to prevent or cause cancer, the evidence continues to mount that what we eat can reduce or increase our risk of developing cancer. The foods that most studies have found to help prevent cancer are the same nutrient-packed fruits and vegetables that are staples of a well-balanced diet. n Broccoli, cauliflower, kale and other cruciferous vegetables may reduce the risk of breast, stomach and skin cancers. n Berries contain antioxidants, which counteract, reduce and repair damage to cells. n Orange fruits and vegetables — such as carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupes and mangoes — contain beta carotene, an antioxidant thought to protect cell membranes from damage. n Beans are good sources of protein, making them good alternatives to red meat, which is associated with colon cancer.

They’re also low in calories and loaded with fiber.

n Others include whole-grain bread, rice and pasta, fish, tomatoes, watermelon and garlic.

It is probably not practical for most people to keep up with every new study that touts the latest cancer-fighting food.

Doyle recommends a reasonable approach.

“When you look at all the evidence, what it really points to is that it’s the overall diet that we eat, not an individual food, that reduces our risk from cancer,” Doyle says. “It really is the combination of plant food, whole grains and not eating a lot of red or processed meats.”

Because research continues to find that obesity can lead to several cancers, maintaining a healthy diet is especially important. Obese people tend to have poor diets and exercise habits — which can lead to several chronic conditions — but it is the higher levels of hormones that concern cancer experts.

“We know there are certain hormones — insulin, estrogen — that tend to be associated with cell and tumor growth, and we know people who are overweight have higher levels of those circulating hormones,” Doyle says.

Soy products contain weak estrogen-like compounds, and some researchers have considered the possibility that if you eat more soy, your body will produce less estrogen. We know that estrogen has an effect on cell and tumor growth, so when your body produces lower levels, it may lessen your risk of developing hormone-related cancers, primarily breast and testicular cancers. However, there have been limited studies on how soy affects the body, and some researchers have found risk factors associated with soy that outweigh any positives.

“The jury is still out on that,” Doyle says.

Even though beef and pork are on the list of foods to avoid, how you cook them can make a difference. Grilling meats at high temperatures can create carcinogens, but cooking meat in the oven at a lower temperature and then putting it on the grill for a short time lessens the risk and may result in more tenderness.

Studies continue to find associations between alcohol and

Researchers says diets heavy in cruciferous vegetables, as well as rice, pasta or fish, can reduce the risks of developing some types of cancer.

numerous cancers, including liver, breast, esophageal and oral cancers. The American Cancer Society, along with many other health organizations, recommends that women have no more than one drink per day and that men have no more than two.

“Some of that evidence is getting stronger and stronger,” Doyle says.

Article copyright 2010 creators.com.

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Take a Leap Center Theatre Group Presents a Musical Based on Faith, Fraud and a 1992 Movie

by RichaRd Guzmán city editoR

D

on’t be surprised if you hear an “amen” or two emanate from the theater this week, or if you suddenly feel like dancing to some gospel tunes.

Don’t worry either if you start to fall for the charismatic conman leading the tent revival. It doesn’t mean the Center Theatre Group has tricked you into a religious experience — it just means you’ve caught the spirit of Leap of Faith, a world premiere musical at the Ahmanson Theatre that is currently in previews and opens Sunday, Oct. 3.

Based on the 1992 Steve Martin-Debra Winger movie, and featuring a score by eight-time Academy Award-winner Alan Menken, the musical stars four-time Tony Award-nominee Raúl Esparza and Golden Globe-nominee Brooke Shields. It’s directed and choreographed by Tony winner Rob Ashford.

Yes, that’s a lot of awards. It’s intentional, considering that the work is brand new and, like any new musical, has Broadway aspirations.

“It’s a wonderful story from the movie which is very much intact as a musical,” said Neel Keller, the Center Theatre Group’s associate producer for the show. “There are some changes, but the basic story and characters have remained the same.”

The story follows Jonas Nightingale (Esparza), a part-time reverend and full-time

con artist who pitches a tent and invites the locals to a revival when his traveling ministry breaks down in a small Kansas town. There are hurdles from the start, as the local sheriff is determined to stop Jonas from taking the townspeople’s money.

That’s small time for a guy like Jonas. His real challenge comes when he meets Marva (Shields), a pretty waitress with a young son.

Musical Character While the music is a key component of the film, in the musical it becomes another character, Keller said.

“What the musical has that is different than the movie is really wonderful Alan Menken music and songs written specifically for the musical, and not just to sort of create a mood for the revivals like the music did in the movie, but to really tell the story in the tradition of musical theater,” Keller said. “The songs and the lyrics are all geared toward explaining the characters and revealing the characters and furthering the story.”

Ashford may be a stranger to Downtown audiences, but his work is not. Last year he directed the Mark Taper Forum’s powerful hit Parade, and he also helmed the Ahmanson’s 2006 musical Curtains. That show made the jump to Broadway, where it garnered a Tony nomination for Best Choreography.

Ashford expects Leap of Faith will be another fun, gratifying experience for audiences.

“It’s uplifting which is always great, and it

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New Character Just as important as the music is the choreography. Ashford uses it to help define the small Kansas town of Sweetwater.

“The dance really functions as the way Sweetwater moves and the way Sweetwater exists,” Ashford said.

While the town has a contemporary, ballet-like tone, the gospel choir adds an urban feel, Ashford said. That also ties in to what Ashford said is his biggest challenge with the show: dealing with faith and not religion.

“It’s not about a specific religion but about faith in general, and we worked hard to make sure those lines were drawn clearly,” he said.

While most of the story stays true to the film, the musical includes the addition of the character of Ricky, played by Leslie Odom Jr., whose pervious credits include roles in Rent on Broadway and Jersey Boys at the La Jolla Playhouse.

Ricky is the son of Ida Mae Sturdevant, the choir leader. He’s a Bible college student who is invited to join the choir for the summer without knowing it’s all a fake.

“This role was created to challenge Jonas,” Odom said. “Ricky is a real believer, so when he discovers it’s a sham it puts him in a very compromising position.”

Odom said he read the Bible to prepare for the role. He also drew from his childhood experiences.

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(l to r) Leslie Odom Jr. plays Ricky and Kecia Lewis-Evans is his mother in Leap of Faith, a musical that premieres at the Ahmanson Theatre Oct. 3; Raul Esparza plays the lead role of Jonas Nightingale.

Steve Martin played the sham preacher in a 1992 movie.

“I grew up in this gospel world, so that was pretty much my preparation beforehand,” he said.

Odom said the movie is a perfect vehicle on which to build a musical, because Jonas is in essence a showman, and the tent revivals translate well to the stage.

Still, he expressed a bit of personal concern.

“I had a little trepidation about how they would handle the sort of sacrilegious nature of it, being a person of faith myself,” he said. “But I actually think that like life, there’s room in this story for a lot of different perspectives and not everybody believes the same thing. Nobody looks at the story in the same way.

As with any world premiere, there are numerous changes being made as the show goes from the script to the stage, and kinks need to be worked out. Still, those involved with the production say it is coming together, and that in preview performances, the audience has responded well, especially to the music.

Ashford said people even clap along to the gospel tunes.

“Yes, we’ve had a couple of amens from the audience,” he said.

Leap of Faith is in previews through Oct. 2.

It runs Oct. 3-24 at the Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 628-2772 or centertheatregroup.org.

Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.

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Downtown News 17

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An Unlikely Comeback and a Sweet Homecoming Bassist Henry Grimes Performs at REDCAT, Not Far From Where He Was Once Homeless

by Kirk Silsbee

O

n Saturday, Oct. 2, at REDCAT, Henry Grimes will be celebrated by some of the leading lights of the Los Angeles jazz and new music community, as part of his 75th birthday tour of the West Coast. Universally recognized as one of the most versatile and capable jazz bassists to emerge in the early 1960s, he plays other concert dates and will conduct music workshops as far north as Mills College in Oakland.

But the Downtown Los Angeles evening resonates with irony and poetic justice.

Less than 10 years ago, the world jazz community presumed Grimes dead. In fact, he was living a hand-to-mouth existence in Downtown L.A., working sporadic menial jobs and barely surviving. Sometimes homeless, Grimes was in a 30-year exile from music. When he takes the stage at REDCAT, he will do so as a symbol of the triumph of the human spirit, not so terribly far from the subsistence hotel he lived in on Main Street.

Grimes was a Julliard alum, quickly thrust into work with high-profile bandleaders in New York. He had the technique and the versatility to work with swing era icon Benny Goodman, bebop visionary alto saxophonist Lee Konitz and tenor sax explorer Sonny Rollins. When the jazz avant garde took shape, Grimes turned his gifts to the largely improvised music of pianist Cecil Taylor and saxophonist Albert Ayler. There were seemingly no limits to the bassist’s abilities.

Bassist Roberto Miranda offers a theory: “Either his protean approach to the music was applicable to such different styles, or those bandleaders heard something in Henry’s music that touched their hearts and that they could use in their music.”

Cornetist Bobby Bradford heard Grimes play one night in New York in 1961. Part of an ad hoc group that included saxophonist Charles Lloyd and drummer Roy Haynes, Grimes stepped to the microphone that night to give a tour de force performance of “Donna Lee,” the labyrinthine Miles Davis

variation on the chord changes to “Back Home in Indiana.”

“Henry played the theme all by himself,” Bradford recounts, still awed. “After that, he played about five hellacious choruses.”

Yet it would not last. A 1970 job in San Francisco left Grimes stranded. He had to sell his bass, which quickly took him out of music and into the ranks of the homeless.

Keeping in Musical Shape Jazz enthusiast Marshall Marotte tracked Grimes down in Downtown L.A. and got word back to New York that he was alive and well. One of the first to respond was a jazz activist named Margaret Davis, who saw to it that a bass was delivered to Henry. In 2004, she became Mrs. Grimes.

Not long after his reemergence, Grimes sat in with Bradford’s band. Bradford recalls, “Henry had some serious chops. I tried to figure out how he was able to play that well after 15 years away from the bass. I asked Roberto if he hadn’t touched the bass in 10 years, could he just pick it up the way Henry did? He said no way.”

From his home in New York, the soft-spoken Grimes shed some light on his shrouded years.

“I did pushups on my fingers,” he reveals, “to keep my hands in shape. I had to do something because all I was doing was construction work at the time.”

Could Grimes foresee a return to music in those years?

“Well,” he pauses, “I wasn’t absolutely sure, but I was hoping.”

Miranda heard Grimes play his first post-exile jam session.

It made an impression.

“Henry picked up the bow that night, and if you haven’t played the bow in a long time — just forget it. What he attempted was so Herculean that it was worth the effort to try and imagine what it might have been. I thought, ‘If he plays that well after being away for so long, once this cat gets it together he’s going to be incredible.’”

Saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell, who teaches at Mills College, will host Grimes in both classroom and concert. He too sees a bright future for the 75-year-old.

photo by Mark Sheldon

A decade ago, Henry Grimes was living in a low-income hotel on Main Street. On Saturday, Oct. 2, he’ll be celebrated by the city’s jazz scene during a 75th birthday concert at REDCAT.

“He sounds exquisite,” Mitchell proclaimed after hearing Grimes recently. “Like all the great bassists, Henry has the ability to get a great sound. He just continues getting stronger.”

Henry Grimes and Friends appear Oct. 2 at 9 p.m. at REDCAT, 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org.

The Joy of Operatic Poetry It Takes a While, But Ultimately L.A Opera’s Il Postino Delivers

by Marc Porter Zasada contributing writer

O

pera fans may be forgiven for anticipating a new work with skepticism — even fear. Composing a functional opera is harder than it looks, and for some decades, new works have often proven to be tuneless ironies or awkward experiments. Recent L.A. disasters like The Fly and Nicholas and Alexandra are still fresh.

So it’s a great relief that L.A Opera’s Il Postino, which premiered last week at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, is a modest but genuine delight, a true lyric romance. Local composer Daniel Catán has transformed the Oscar-winning 1994 movie by Michael Radford and the original book by Antonio Scármeta into a charming and often moving mix of love, poetry and tragedy. Singers are allowed to express emotion. Music is allowed to soar.

Il Postino tells the fictional story of Mario Ruoppolo, a shy and awkward postman who develops a friendship with the great Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, who is living briefly in political exile on a small island off the Italian coast. Mario is struck

by Neruda’s passionate love for his wife, Mathilde, and he discovers the power of metaphor to seduce a local barmaid.

When Neruda leaves the island, Mario must fall back on his own meager imagination. It’s a story about the deep human need for poetry, but also one about class and the politics of the mid-20th century.

Despite the title and the setting, Catán’s libretto is in Spanish — better to capture Neruda’s verse.

There are still a few kinks to work out in

the first act. We could use a scene that better develops the social landscape of the island and the presence of the sea. Musically, Catán struggles against the modern tendency to write a thin vocal line above rich orchestration, or to needlessly repeat musical and scenic ideas. There were some awkward transitions to more fully realized, almost Puccini-like passages.

The production itself starts tentatively, with spare, low-budget sets and little use of the superb projection technology that L.A. Opera has put in place. A little more of the chorus would be preferable.

In the second half, both Catán and the production designers find their footing and begin to work with more confidence.

Catán delivers a depth and quality to Mario which is lacking even in the excellent film.

The music gains in subtlety and purpose.

The themes expand. Also, at last, the design team kicks in with some beautiful projections (Philip Bussman) when the Postman goes out to record the sounds of the sea, intending to send the tapes back to Neruda, far away in Chile.

Plácido Domingo, at 69, is stellar as Neruda in late middle-age. He projects a gentle fatherliness, but he has lost none of his fire or his voice. The opera has been written for two tenors, and it is wonderful to see the masterly Domingo and the talented Charles Castronovo (as the Postman) onstage like father and son, mentor and rising star.

Castronovo, familiar to L.A. audiences as a resident artist in the late 1990s, perfectly captures the innocence and awkwardness of Mario, recalling the performance of Massimo Troisi in the 1994 film. He has a large and compelling voice, solid through-

out the range, which he can control to a fine, but always-masculine sweetness.

CristinaGallardo-Domâs is a sexy, full-throated Mathilde, wildly in love with Neruda, his poetry and his Communist mission. We believe her as his mature, but still passionate muse, and her duets with Domingo, after an awkward start, were electric.

Amanda Squitieri makes for a fine, if perhaps tooinnocent Beatrice, Mario’s love and muse.

Director Ron Daniels, like everyone else, is a bit tentative in the opening.

He could have brought Squitieri and Castronovo together with a more physical and satisfying passion. photo by Robert Millard The premiere was con- Plácido Domingo (left) is Pablo Neruda and Charles Castronovo is ducted with great exuber- the title character in L.A. Opera’s world premiere of Il Postino. ance by Grant Gershon, who in the first half struggled a little to find the right balance between orchestra and singers, but erupts. It throws out explosive metaphors ultimately settled down in the second half and confident truths. It is a poetry of love and brought the opera home. and politics which has no patience for care Many people around the world, reading fully constructed ironies. A little of Neruda’s him in many translations, consider Pablo deep joy-in-living invaded the world of film.

Neruda to be the greatest poet of the 20th It is worth celebrating that it has now incentury — but his verse is still loved more vaded opera. by the masses than by the professors. He Il Postino plays through Oct. 16 at the was not a formalist and he had no interest Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand in urbane academics. His poetry boils and Ave., (213) 972-8001 or laopera.com.

18 Downtown News

September 27, 2010

Twitter/DowntownNews

Thursday, sepT. 30 Literary Luncheon with Robin D. G. Kelley USC Doheny Memorial Library, Friends of the USC Libraries Lecture Hall, 3550 Trousdale Parkway, (213) 740-2328 or www.usc.edu/esvp.

11:30 a.m.: USC Professor Robin D. G. Kelley discusses his book Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original, a biography of the life and

one

by Lauren CampedeLLi, Listings editor

|

calendar@downtownnews.com

S

trolling down Grand Avenue, you follow a white rabbit down a mysterious hole and end up at… the FIDM Museum and Galleries, where you’re just in time to catch the final days of the Disney Alice in Wonderland Design Exhibition. The sumptuous visual magic and character of Tim Burton’s film Alice in Wonderland is owed in part to Academy Award winner Colleen Atwood’s costumes, many of which are on display in the show that also includes Alice-inspired couture gowns created by FIDM graduates. See Johnny Depp’s original Mad Hatter fighter garment, a few of Mia Wasikowska’s Alice dresses and Helena Bonham Carter’s Red Queen dress, along with costume sketches and props from the film. It’s also your last chance to yell “Off with her head!” in a museum. The show closes Sept. 30 at 919 S. Grand Ave., (213) 624-1200 or fidm.edu.

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I

n the late 1970s, a group of about 150 artists dreamed up a new museum for Los Angeles dedicated to contemporary art — they nicknamed it “The Artist’s Museum.” The dream became the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the nickname became the title of an exhibition that showcases the creative types who have helped shape the city’s artistic landscape since the museum’s inception. The Artist’s Museum is currently open in a sort of sneak preview mode at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA; the museum, however, is waiting until Oct. 31, when the show also takes over MOCA’s Grand Avenue space, to really bang the drum. The exhibition represents the diverse and unique L.A. community, and highlights legendary and emerging artists, visionary artists of various street cultures and subcultures, and crossover artists connected to performance, music and film. Through Jan. 2011. At 152 N. Central Ave., (213) 621-2766 or moca.org.

photo by Perian Flaherty

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lassic comedy plus masterpiece opera equals Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, which opened Sept. 26 and runs this week on Thursday, Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 3, at 2 p.m. Plácido Domingo conducts the madcappery at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The L.A. Opera revival stars bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch as the crafty Figaro, sopranos Marlis Petersen and Rebekah Camm sharing the role of his betrothed Susanna, and baritone Bo Skovhus as Count Almaviva, who schemes to thwart their marriage. It all comes down in a single day of madness, plots, passions and secrets in which virtue and true love prevail. The show runs through Oct. 17. At 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8001 or laopera.com.

photo by Barbara Follett

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ungry for some stimulating conversation?

The new series Live Talks L.A. is bringing some great speakers to Los Angeles this fall. This week alone, you can camp out at Colburn School’s Zipper Hall for two thought-provoking events. On Wednesday, Sept. 29, at 8 p.m., author and former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich (below right) discusses the current economy; his new book Aftershock contends that its problems are structural.

The following night, also at 8 p.m., novelist Ken Follett appears in support of his new tome Fall of Giants: Book One of The Century Trilogy. It follows five families throughout England, the United States, Russia and Germany during the 20th century. Don’t be sassy and ask how many books will be in the trilogy. At 200 S. Grand Ave., (323) 791-2584 or livetalksla.org.

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reepy, crawly and just in time for Halloween season, the Spider Pavilion is back at the Natural History Museum.

Hundreds of the gentle but shiver-inducing creatures are on display in a walk-through habitat where you can “sit in” at mealtimes when crickets and roaches are served. Fifteen local and exotic species are represented and each spins a unique web, inc l u di ng the Nephila maculata from Malaysia, whose creations can reach six feet across. There will be flashlight tours after the sun goes down to catch the critters at their liveliest, as well as a Halloween Festival on, fittingly, Oct. 31. Eek. Through Nov. 7 at 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 7633466 or nhm.org.

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

five

Wednesday, sepT. 29 The Literature of Exile, A Panel Discussion USC Doheny Memorial Library, 3550 Trousdale Parkway, (213) 740-8185.

Noon: This panel on censorship, political repression and writing in exile features Feuchtwanger Fellow Christopher Mlalazi of Zimbabwe, a playwright under government surveillance for writing critically about the Mugabe regime, and Cornelius Schnauber, director of USC’s Max Kade Institute.

SCI-Arc Lecture Series W. M. Keck Lecture Hall, 960 E. Third St., (213) 3565328 or sciarc.edu.

7 p.m.: David Benjamin, principal of the architecture firm The Living, appears. His practice emphasizes open source research and design.

Zócalo Public Square MOCA Grand Avenue, 250 S. Grand Ave., zocalopublicsquare.org.

7:30 p.m.: “Are Hedge Funds Heroes or Villains?”

Sebastian Mallaby, a Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow and author of More Money Than God: Hedge Funds and the Making of a New Elite, reveals the hidden history and workings of hedge funds, and the way they’ll shape the future booms and busts of our economy.

Live Talks Los Angeles Zipper Hall, Colburn School, 200 S. Grand Ave., (323) 791-2584 or livetalksla.org.

8 p.m.: Author and former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich discusses his new book Aftershock, about the current state of the economy.

Adios Alice, Big Talk and the Spiders Take Over

four

Tuesday, sepT. 28 Start Up Do’s and Don’ts Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7000 or lapl.org.

6-8 p.m.: Learn everything it takes to start up a business from tax structure and DBAs to market research and business plans at this workshop.

For more information contact the Business and Economics department, (213) 228-7110. Meeting Room A. ALOUD at Central Library Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 2287025 or aloudla.org.

7 p.m.: Journey through history, geopolitics and religion to investigate whether Islam is indeed the cause of some of today’s most important international crises and how we might move conversations beyond religious and ideological divides, with Graham E. Fuller, author and former vice chairman of the National Intelligence Council at the CIA. He’s in conversation with Rabbi Reuven Firestone.

Based on a True Story: Hollywood Screenwriters on the Art of Dramatizing Real Life USC, Mark Taper Hall, THH 102, 3501 Trousdale Parkway, (213) 740-3250.

7-9 p.m.: What are the challenges of adapting real life material for the screen? What obstacles and ethical conundrums come into play? Whether they drew inspiration from historical events, a juicy autobiography or from a provocative magazine article, the writers on this panel wrestled with these issues.

The ‘Don’t Miss’ List

photo by Robert Millard

SPONSORED LISTING Outdoor Cinema Food Fest Los Angeles State Historic Park, 1745 N. Spring St., (323) 602-0608 or outdoorcinemafoodfest.com.

Oct. 9, 5:30 p.m.: This event series combines the nostalgia of outdoor movies with the contemporary sensation of gourmet food trucks. Introducing new trucks every week creates the ultimate picnic. Watch movies on the largest outdoor movie screen on the West Coast. Tickets are $8, available online and at the door. Opens at 5:30 p.m., band at 6:30 p.m. and movie at 8 p.m. Follow the event on Twitter at @outdoorcinemafo. The event screens Back to the Future on Oct. 9; Zombieland on Oct. 30; and, this time at Exposition Park, The Shining on Oct. 31.

photo courtesy of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

EVENTS

photo by John Sciulli © Berliner Photography/BEImages

LISTINGS

September 27, 2010

DowntownNews.com

legacy of one of America’s greatest jazz musicians.

Thursdays at Central Central Library, Meeting Room A, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7000 or lapl.org.

12:15-1 p.m.: “What’s New in Teen Lit?” Young Adult librarian Rachel Kitzmann guides a tour of the wild world of teen literature.

MOCA Grand Avenue Ahmanson Auditorium, 250 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-1745 or moca.org.

6:30 p.m.: Focusing on the post-World War II era, USC professor of philosophy Edwin McCann will trace the social and political values that contextualize the work of the abstract expressionists and early pop artists on view in MOCA’s permanent collection.

Together We D.R.E.A.M. The French Garden Restaurant, 1936 E. Seventh St., (213) 689-1766 or lacentralcity.org.

6:30-9 p.m.: Central City Community Outreach is a grassroots, nonprofit organization serving the holistic needs of the Skid Row homeless community and its fastest growing segment: families and children. Their Together We D.R.E.A.M. fundraiser includes dinner and a silent auction.

ALOUD at Central Library Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 2287025 or aloudla.org.

7 p.m.: Investigative journalist Elisa Griswold discusses her book The Tenth Parallel: Dispatches From the Fault Line Between Christianity and Islam in which she examines the complex relationship of religion, land and oil; local conflicts and global ideology; and politics and contemporary martyrdom, both Islamic and Christian, in that critical latitude.

Live Talks Los Angeles Zipper Hall, Colburn School, 200 S. Grand Ave., (323) 791-2584 or livetalksla.org.

8 p.m.: Novelist Ken Follett discusses his new historical trilogy Fall of Giants: Book One of The Century Trilogy.

Friday, Oct. 1 Friday Night Fright Flicks Pershing Square, 532 South Olive Street, 213-8474970 or laparks.org/pershingsquare.

8-10 p.m.: The Friday Night Fright Flicks program kicks off with scary Carrie. Movies are free with lawn seating in the Pershing Square outdoor amphitheater. Bring a blanket and snacks. Free popcorn too.

Saturday, Oct. 2 L.A. Burning Man Decompression Arts & Music Festival L.A. State Historical Park, 1245 N. Spring St., laburningman.com.

Noon-midnight: Experience the art, music and culture of the Burning Man festival right here in L.A.

with 12 hours of art, performance, live music, DJs, dancing, theme camps, art cars, green technology, puppetry, circus, fire and 2010 imagery. Children welcome.

2010 All That Skate LA Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., (800) 745-3000 or allthatskate.com.

7 p.m.; Oct. 3, 3 p.m.: The American debut and Los Angeles premiere of the international figure skating spectacular “2010 All That Skate LA.” Reigning Olympic champion Yuna Kim and Michelle Kwan headline an all-star champion cast.

Sunday, Oct. 3 MOCA Grand Avenue 250 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-1745 or moca.org.

1 p.m.: Sunday Studio: Drop in, create art and share Sundays with your family at the museum’s hands-on, artist-led workshops for families with children ages 5 and up. All family workshops and gallery activities are offered in English and Spanish.

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

Oct. 1, 8-10 p.m.: Singer/songwriter Lucia Iman.

Oct. 2, 8-10 p.m.: Hot Club of Detroit applies a modern touch to the Django Reinhardt tradition.

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

Oct. 3, 4-7 p.m.: The Regulars play regularly the first Sunday of the month.

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

Sept. 29, 8 p.m.: Eclectic Latin alternative pop with Natalia LaFourcade Sept. 30, 8 p.m.: The Golden Boy of Salsa: Jerry Rivera.

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

Oct. 1, 8 p.m.: Benise, “The Prince of Spanish Guitar.”

Oct. 2, 9 p.m.: OohLaLA Festival presents the Gotan Project’s tango-infused electronica with General Elektriks and El Hijo De La Cumbia.

Grammy Museum L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org.

Sept. 28, 8 p.m.: The Grammy Museum welcomes Jerry Lee Lewis, joined by Phoebe Lewis, for an onstage interview about his career and new album Mean Old Man. After the interview, he’ll answer audience questions and give a short performance.

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Sept. 29, 8 p.m.: Alan Parsons will discuss his past albums and his latest venture, an instructional DVD series entitled The Art And Science Of Sound Recording, as well as his newest song.

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

Oct. 1, 8 p.m.: The Avett Brothers and Brandi Carlile.

Oct. 2, 8 p.m.: The Australian Pink Floyd Show.

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

Oct. 2, 8:30 p.m.: Legendary jazz bassist Henry Grimes makes his first L.A. appearance since moving to New York in 2003.

Oct. 3, 7 p.m.: Robert Henke, composer, soundscaper and co-creator of the Ableton Live software, gives a special Monolake Live performance.

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

Sept. 27, 10 p.m.: Phil Alvin and Friends.

Sept. 28, 10 p.m.: Dirty Ed Tuesdays with September residents A Pretty Mess, Dead Relatives and Heart of Giants.

Sept. 29, 10 p.m.: Sassafrass.

Sept. 30, 10 p.m.: Clovis de la Foret, The Faraway Places, Loch & Key and DJ Adam Wade.

Oct. 1, 10 p.m.: White Flag Down, Dirty Eyes and Bat Bombs.

Oct. 2, 10 p.m.: Death Hymn #9, Brownbird Rudy Relic and Chango Ray. Oct. 3, 10 p.m.: The Vice Five, Cactus Pricks and Crawlspace.

CLASSICAL MUSIC thurSday, Sept. 30 Colburn School Thayer Hall, 200 S. Grand Ave., colburnschool.edu.

11 a.m.: Solo and chamber music performances by conservatory students selected by school faculty.

Free, no ticket required.

Saturday, Oct. 2 Toyota Symphonies for Youth: Pianissimo Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.org.

11 a.m.: Conductor Manuel Lopez and the Los Angeles Philharmonic explore the history of the

Downtown News 19 piano with music by Mozart, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Ravel and Chopin.

THEATER, OPERA & DANCE Bob Baker’s Halloween Hoop-Dee-Do The Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 1345 W. First St., (213) 250-9995 or bobbakermarionettes.com.

Oct. 2-3, 2:30 p.m.: Bob Baker’s Halloween Hoop-Dee-Do features a fantastical cast of more than 100 Halloween themed puppets, from the Purple People Eater and the Invisible Man to a gaggle of Roaring ’20s skeletons dancing the night away. Through Oct. 31.

Cecilia Valdes Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., (213) 489-0994 or thelatc.org.

Oct. 1-2, 8 p.m.; Oct. 3, 3 p.m.: The Bilingual Foundation of the Arts presents one of the most popular Cuban zarzuelas. The classic love story filled with symphony and popular music and love, betrayal and revenge, all set among the different classes and races of 19th Century Cuba.

Detained in the Desert Casa 0101 Theater and Art Space, 2009 E. First St., or casa0101.org.

Opening Oct. 1, 8 p.m.; Oct. 2, 8 p.m.; Oct. 3, 5 p.m.: This satirical drama set in Arizona examines the anti-immigrant sentiments prompted by Arizona’s Senate Bill 1070. Sandi Sanchez, a second generation Latina, and hate-talking radio host Lou Becker are on opposite sides of the immigration debate. Through Oct. 24.

The Glass Menagerie Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 6282772 or centertheatregroup.org.

Sept. 28-30, Oct. 1-2, 8 p.m.; Oct. 2, 2:30 p.m.; Oct. 3, 1 and 6:30 p.m.: Tennessee Williams’ classic starts two-time Tony Award winner Judith Ivey as Amanda Wingfield. Through Oct. 17.

Il Postino Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8001 or losangelesopera.org.

Sept. 29, 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 2, 2 p.m.: Based on the popular 1994 Italian film, Il Postino by Daniel Catán stars Plácido Domingo as the poet Pablo Neruda.

Through Oct. 16.

La Razón Blindada 24th Street Theatre, 1117 West 24th St., 213-745-6516

Continued on next page

20 Downtown News

September 27, 2010

Twitter/DowntownNews

Listings Continued from previous page or 24thstreet.org.

Opening Sept. 17, 8 p.m.; Sept. 18, 8 p.m.; Sept.

19, 3 p.m.: In La Razón Blindada, Argentine playwright/director Aristides Vargas infuses Cervantes’ El Quijote with Franz Kafka’s The Truth About Sancho Panza and testimonies by Chicho Vargas and other political prisoners held in the 1970s during Argentina’s dictatorship. Two political prisoners, oppressed by physical and emotional abuse, find solace in meeting every Sunday at dusk to tell the story of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. Through Oct. 17.

La Victima Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., (213) 489-0994 or thelatc.org.

Opening Oct. 2, 8 p.m.; Oct. 3, 3 p.m.: La Victima is the story of a family in search of a better life — separated by borders, lost dreams and lost identity. There’s plenty of live music and dancing, too.

Through Oct. 31.

Leap of Faith

THE ANSWER TO LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE

Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 6282772 or centertheatregroup.org.

Sept. 28-30, Oct. 1-2, 8 p.m.; Sept. 30, 2 p.m.: Con man Jonas Nightingale brings his gospel-charged tent revival to rain-starved Kansas in a world premiere musical. Through Oct. 24.

The Marriage of Figaro Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8001 or losangelesopera.org.

Sept. 30, 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 3, 2 p.m.: Plácido Domingo conducts one of opera’s greatest comic masterpieces. From the opening notes to the final curtain, The Marriage of Figaro turns convention upside down when the wily Figaro (Daniel Okulitch) outwits his master, Count Almaviva (Bo Skovhus).

Martina Serafin takes the part of the Countess. Rebekah Camm and Marlis Petersen share the role of Susanna. Through Oct. 17.

Mysterious Skin East West Players, David Henry Hwang Theater, 120 Judge John Aiso St., (213) 625-7000 eastwestplayers.org.

Sept. 29-30, 8 p.m.; Oct. 1-2, 8 p.m.: Oct. 3, 2 p.m.: This drama follows the story of a boy who believes he was once abducted by aliens. All roads lead back to a childhood classmate, now a hustler, who holds the key to the terrifying and heart-breaking truth. (Mature audiences only.) Through Oct. 10.

The Reckoning Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., (213) 489-0994 or thelatc.org.

Oct. 2, 8 p.m.; Oct. 3, 3 p.m.: A Louisiana crawfish farm owned by an affluent African-American family was once a sugar plantation worked by slaves, and is consequently filled with all manner of secrets and treacheries. The Robey Theatre Company presents this world premiere. Through Oct. 24.

The Wiggle Room Alexandria Hotel, 501 S. Spring St., (213) 489-3703 or companyofangels.org.

Opening Oct. 1, 8 p.m.; Oct. 2, 7 p.m.: In a moment of economic paralysis, a question of ownership comes between two people: Who owns what, and is it worth it? Through Oct. 24.

FILM Downtown Independent 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or

downtownindependent.com.

Sept. 27, 7:30 p.m.: LA Talk Radio’s Film Courage hosts the L.A. premiere for Spare Change with writer/director Azariah Gunn, producer Miles Maker and executive producer Jeff Greene.

Sept. 30, 4 p.m.; Oct. 1, 3 p.m.; Oct. 2, 4 and 6 p.m.: Automorphosis looks into the minds and hearts of a collection of eccentrics, visionaries and just plain folks who have transformed their autos into artworks. Through Oct. 6.

Flagship Theatres University Village 3323 S. Hoover St., (213) 748-6321 or flagshipmovies.com.

Through Sept. 30: Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole 2D (11:30 a.m. and 1:55, 4:20, 6:45 and 9:10 p.m.); Devil (noon, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 p.m.); Easy A (12:15, 2:30, 4:45, 7:15 and 9:30 p.m.).

IMAX Theater California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 7442019 or californiasciencecenter.org.

Through Nov. 28: Featuring nine-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater, The Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D immerses audiences in the story of an ocean wave and the lives it impacts and transforms.

Hubble 3D takes movie-goers on a journey through distant galaxies to explore the grandeur and mysteries of our celestial surroundings and accompany space-walking astronauts as they attempt the most difficult and important tasks in NASA’s history.

Journey to the royal tombs of Egypt and explore the history of ancient Egyptian society as told through the mummies of the past in Mummies 3D: Secrets of the Pharaohs.

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

Sept. 27, 8:30 p.m.: The Best of Ottawa 2009: A selection of 12 outstanding films from the Ottawa International Animation Festival 2009, from Canada, England, Estonia, France, Germany, Poland and the U.S. Race to Nowhere AT&T Center, 1150 S. Olive St., (925) 310-4242 or racetonowhere.com Sept. 30, 7 p.m.; Oct. 4, 7 p.m.: A documentary examining the unintended consequences of the pressures on young people and their teachers in our achievement-obsessed education system and culture.

Regal Cinema L.A. Live 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (877) 835-5734 or lalive.com.

Through Sept. 30: Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole 3D (12, 2:30, 5, 7:30 and 10 p.m.); Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (1:50, 4:20, 6:50 and 9:20 p.m.); The Virginity Hit (12:50, 3:10, 5:20, 7:50 and 10:30 p.m.); Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (12:40, 1:30, 3:50, 4:40, 7, 7:50, 9:30, 10:10 and 11 p.m.); You Again (12:10, 1:40, 2:40, 4:30, 5:10, 7, 7:40, 9:40 and 10:20 p.m.); Alpha and Omega 3D (12:20, 2:50, 5 and 7:10 p.m.); Devil (12, 1, 3:20, 4:30, 5:30, 7:40, 9 and 9:50 p.m.); Easy A (12:10, 2, 2:30, 4:50, 6:40, 7:20 and 9:40 p.m.); The Town (1;10, 1:50, 4:10,4:50, 7:20, 8, 10:10 and 10:50 p.m.); Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D (1:20, 4, 6:40 and 9:10 p.m.).

Oct. 1 (partial list): The Social Network (1, 4, 7 and 10 p.m.).

MORE LISTINGS Hundreds of listings of fun and interesting things to do in Downtown Los Angeles can also be found online at ladowntownnews.com/calendar: Rock, Pop & Jazz; Bars & Clubs; Farmers Markets; Events; Film; Sports; Art Spaces; Theater, Dance and Opera; Classical Music; Museums; and Tours.

2

Easy ways to submit Your

Event Info

4 WEB: LADowntownNews.com/calendar/submit 4 EMAIL: Calendar@DowntownNews.com

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

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

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22 Downtown News

September 27, 2010

Twitters/DowntownNews

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(213) 627-1151

6th+Grand Ave. • milanoloftsla.com • 213.627.1900

Ad Copy: _________________________________________

Ad Prices

________________________________________________

• 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:

FREE! $11.50 $14.00 $16.50 $19.00

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

All ads run for 2 weeks.

Ads may be renewed after two weeks for 50% off the original price of the ad.

With a circulation of State Check $

Zip Credit Card $

47,000,

our classifieds get results!

REAL ARTIST LOFTS 15001946 sq.ft. $1,775-2,200. High ceilings hardwood/concrete floors, kitchen, pool/spa, gated parking, laundry, sorry no dogs.

Open house Sundays 12-3pm.

Leasing office @ 1250 Long Beach Ave. 213-629-5539 TERRIFIC WORK STUDIO near downtown & freeways.

300sf, large skylight, private, airconditioned, gated parking, part of larger studio at Santa Fe Art Colony. $485/mo. + sec. 213509-4403

EMPLOYMENT restaurant/hotel

Fuddruckers Hiring Apply 2-4 p.m. Daily 10250 Santa Monica Blvd.

221 North San Fernando

Great Oppty’s!

Drivers

DRIVERS - 100% Tuition paid CDL Training. Start your New Career. No Credit Check. No Experience required! Call: 888417-7564. Crst Expedited www.

JoinCRST.com. (Cal-SCAN) NATIONAL CARRIERS needs O/Os, Lease Purchase, Company Drivers for its Regional Operations in California. Generous Hometime & Outstanding Pay Package. CDL-A Required.

1-888-707-7729. www.NationalCarriers.com. (Cal-SCAN) REEFER DRIVERS Needed!

Experienced drivers and Class A commercial students welcome!

Our Incredible Freight network offers plenty of miles! Call Prime today!1-800-277-0212. www.

PrimeInc.com. (Cal-SCAN)

Sell Your Car!

Do you have something to sell?

(Marketplace and Automotive Categories ONLY)

TM

Voted Best Downtown Residential Real Estate Agent

Fully Trained Staff

Take us home

the loft expert! group

Call 213.253.4777 LAloft.com

20 Drivers Needed - For Dedicated Run. CDL-A, Experienced 11 Western States. Stable Family Owned - Andrus Transportation. Good Pay, Routes, People!

1-800-888-5838 or 1-866-8065119 x1402. (Cal-SCAN)

Reception y Mail y Fiber Optic Internet y TelephoneServices & Voice Include: Mail y West Law y Reception y& Mail Optic Internet y Photocopy FaxyyFiber Video Conferencing Telephone & Voice Mail y West Law y Photocopy & Fax y Video Conferencing

1256 West 7th Street

AMAZING RENOVATED Studio available for lease. Live/work from your own home, 4000+ sq/ ft. Up to five roomates. Call today!! 323-201-5060

Downtown Los Angeles Brentwood y Century City Woodland Hills Downtown Los Angeles Brentwood y Century City Woodland Hills

from $1,100 Cafes, Bars, Shops, Galleries, Parking adjacent. Pets no charge

Cooks, Cashiers, Shift Leaders!

Loft/Unfurnished

Now Leasing!

Old Bank District The original Live/Work Lofts

________________________________________________ ________________________________________________

Expose your auto to Downtown Los Angeles. With one of the fastest growing residential areas Los Angeles Downtown News gets results.

Call 213-481-1448

DOW

NTOW

NNEW S.C

OM

________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________

Now eD at u p d i ly a d

________________________________________________ ________________________________________________

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.

Featuring a more robust local search powered by Yellow Pages.

September 27, 2010

Downtown News 23

DowntownNews.com

REGIONAL DRIVERS Wanted!

More Hometime! Top Pay! Excellent Benefits! Newer Equipment! Up to $.41/mile company drivers! Heartland Express 1-800-441-4953. www.HeartlandExpress.com. (Cal-SCAN) DrivErS/CDL Training - Career Central. We Train and Employ You. Company Drivers up to 40K First Year. New Team Pay! Up to 48c/mile Class A CDL Training regional Locations! 1-877-3697091 www.CentralDrivingJobs. net. (Cal-SCAN) DRIVERS - Become an Owner Operator or Trade-in your old truck for a 2008 Freightliner.

Easy and Affordable with zero down payment. Call Comtrak at 866-338-2958, or apply online at www.ComtrakLogistics.com.

(Cal-SCAN) General HELP WANTED Movie Extras.

Earn up to $150/day. People needed for background in a major film production. Exp. not required. 888-366-0843 Office/clerical JOBS NATiONWiDE! Admin., Hr, Clerical, Accounting, Mgmt., Tech., etc. - www.Jobs444.com and www.JobsBloom.com.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Help Wanted ATTN: COMPUTEr Work.

Work from anywhere 24/7. Up to $1,500 Part Time to $7,500/ mo. Full Time. Training provided. www.KTPGlobal.com or call 1-888-304-2847. (Cal-SCAN)

SERVICES attOrneys

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

Child Support / Custody Necesita Permiso de trabajo? Tagalog / Español / Korean

Get your Green card or citiZensHip Law Office of H. Douglas Daniel Esq., (213) 689-1710

massaGe tHerapy

Thai massage Med. & Physical Therapist Downtown • Improves Circulation • Promotes Healing

educatiOn HiGH SCHOOL Diploma! Graduate in 4 weeks! Free Brochure.

Call Now! 1-866-562-3650 ext.

60 www.SouthEasternHS.com.

(Cal-SCAN)

(818) 399-5087

Arthritis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome EArLy Bird $35 (9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.)

Business services ADVERTISE ONLINE in a network of 140-plus newspaper websites. Border to Border with one order! $10 cost per thousand impressions statewide.

Minimum $5,000 order. Call for details: (916) 288-6010. www.

CaliforniaBannerAdNetwork. com. (Cal-SCAN) CLASSiFiED ADvErTiSiNG in 240 Cal-SCAN newspapers for the best reach, coverage, and price. 25-words $550. reach over 6 million Californians! Free email brochure. Call (916) 2886019. www.Cal-SCAN.com.

(Cal-SCAN) DISPLAY ADVERTISING in 140 Cal-SDAN newspapers statewide for $1,550! reach over 3 million Californians! Free email brochure. Call (916) 288-6019. www.Cal-SDAN.com.

(CalSCAN) cleaninG CONCEPTO’S CLEANiNG Crew. Professional, experienced, cleans apartments, homes, offices and restaurants.

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

HealtH & fitness $10__YOGA! Mark Blanchard 304PowerYoga (Olympic/ Olive) **Power-Hour__ classes** 6:30am&12pm. www.304poweryoga.com 213488-0820

financial services iT’S YOUr Money! Lump sums paid for structured settlement or fixed annuity payments. rapid, high payouts. Call J.G. Wentworth. 1-866-294-8772. A+ Better Business Bureau rating.

(Cal-SCAN) LOCATED iN THE CMC (9th & Main, 3rd Flr,C-374) vinyasa Yoga. 1st Class FrEE; 4 classes for $20. theyogaplaceLA.com.

(213) 290-1897 leGal BUSINESS ATTORNEY all litigation matters, transactions and contracts 26 years experience ivy League background Paul Bloom, ESQ. (805) 984-8375.

AUTOS

2006 vOLKSWAGEN PASSAT 2.0T value Edition, Turbo, auto, only 31k miles. #Zv980/ 141587. $16,410. 888-781-8102.

2007 AUDi A4 premium pkg., black/black, certified, (ZA9755/ vin7A273041), $21,888. Call 888-583-0981.

2008 BMW 328i Mint condition, white/tan, stk C01055D1-2/ L53028 $23,887. 888-879-9608.

2008 MErCEDES BENZ CLK350 convertible certified, low miles, navigation, leather, (243042), $37,994, Call 888319-8762.

2009 NiSSAN ALTiMA 2.5 S Certified,(Stock#Ni3617/9C175764) $15,999, call 888-838-5089 2009 POrSCHE 911 TUrBO Cabriolet Basalt, Blk/Blk, Certified, Only 6k miles, Tiptronic, Loaded vin773136, $125,988, 888-685-5426.

For a complete list of our pre-owned inventory, go to www.DTLAMOTORS.com autOs Wanted

pre-OWned

dOWntOWn l.a. autO GrOup Porsche VoLkswAgeN AuDi MerceDes-BeNz NissAN cheVroLet cADiLLAc

2004 TOYOTA MATriX Recent trade-in, low miles, must see stk C101088 vin 311604, only $11,988, call 888-203-2967.

A CAr DONATiON Helping Sick Kids! Donate Your Car to Songs of Love and make a sick child smile! Featured on NBC (TODAY SHOW), CNN. Tax-deductible, all vehicle conditions accepted. www.SongsofLove.org 888-909SONG (7664). (Cal-SCAN)

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)

PETS/ANIMALS adOpt a pet ADOPT (Or FOSTEr) your forever friend from Bark Avenue Foundation. Beautiful, healthy puppies, dogs, cats and kittens available at Downtown’s largest private adoption facility. Call Dawn at 213-840-0153 or email Dawn@BarkAveLA.com or visit www.Bark Avenue Foundation. org.

ITEMS FOR SALE furniture

Orsini WWW.THEORSINI.COM

Medici

I c o n I c B e au t y S e e k S S t y l i S h M at e

725 SOUTH BIXEL ST.

877-239-8256

WWW.THEMEDICI.COM

2 bdrm/2 bath, 900 sqft. $1,600 12 Story Luxury Condo for lease • Located in a prime area in downtown L.A. • Rooftop w/city view/GYM/ Business Center • 24 hr. doorman • free (1) parking

Please call 213.627.6913 www.cityloftsquare.com

nOW leasinG

$1,400’s/mo. free parking

Proudly serving the communities of San Gabriel, Alhambra, Monterey Park, Montebello and El Monte.

Cal Best Realty Emi Terauchi

Realtor / Notary

Lic.No.00810238 English/Japanes/Chinese speaking emiterauchi@yahoo.com (626) 786-9086

Sunshine Generation Singing, dancing, performing and fun!

For boys & girls ages 3 and up!

SunshineGenerationLA.com 909-861-4433

vOlunteer OppOrtunities

Air GAS WELDiNG TANKS 100 CF & 200 CF part full $200 firm. 323-254-2530

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.

DAYTON 220 vOLT Arc welder, copper windings $180.00 323254-2530 THE DYNASTY COLLECTiON, all (9) seasons on DvD. Starring John Forsythe and Linda Evans. $99.00. Call Arthur. (213) 3219828 viCTOr WELDiNG set with 2’ tall tanks, cart $250.00. 323254-2530

cHurcHes THE BRIDGE / Little Tokyo: Contemporary worship, 4:00pm Sundays, 401 E. Third St. www. thebridgewired.org.

LOFT LIVING

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

LADowntownNews.com

Best Downtown Locations!

877-231-9362

Children’s Performing Group

misc. items

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Be Inspired...

550 NORTH FIGUEROA ST.

Real Estate Specialist of San Gabriel Valley

FrEE GrEEN & YELLOW cactus & 2 palm trees. You dig up. Hillside LA 90032. 323-2542530.

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)

Premiere Towers:

Pricing subject to change without notice.

NEW NORWOOD SawmillsLumberMate-Pro handles logs 34” diameter, mills boards 28” wide. Automated quick-cyclesawing increases efficiency up to 40%! www.NorwoodSawmills. com/300N 1-800-661-7746 ext.

300N. (Cal-SCAN)

The Downtown Renaissance Collection

On Spring St.

756 S. Broadway • Downtown Los Angeles 213-892-9100 • chapmanf lats.com

plants/flOWers

JAPANESE ANTiQUES Warehouse Show!! Oct. 16,17 9:00am - 3:00pm Oct. 18-21 12:00pm - 6:00 pm Check Yelp Los Angeles for “itchy Knee Japanese Antiques” for detailed info. 323447-3071.

HERNIA REPAIR? Did You receive A Composix Kugel Mesh Patch Between 1999-2007? if patch was removed due to complications of bowel perforation, abdominal wall tears, puncture of abdominal organs or intestinal fistulae, you may be entitled to compensation. Attorney Charles Johnson 1-800-535-5727. (CalSCAN)

ROOFTOP GARDEN RETREAT WITH BBQ AND LOUNGE GRAND LOBBY • FITNESS CENTER • SPA MODERN KITCHEN w/CAESAR COUNTERTOPS HIGH SPEED INTERNET DESIGNER LIVING SPACES • PET FRIENDLY • DRAMATIC VIEWS WALKING DISTANCE TO RALPHS SUPERMARKET

laWn & Garden/farm equip

Furnished single unit with kitchenette, bathroom.

Excellent location.

Downtown LA. Weekly rate $275 inc. 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.

Monthly from $550 utilities paid.

(213) 612-0348 Casaloma L.A. Apartments Clean unfurnished bachelor rooms with shared bath at $550/mo. with private bath at $695/mo. sec. deposit special @$100

(2 blocks west of San Pedro St.)

Includes utilities, basic cable channels, laundry room on site.

Gated building in a good area.

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

downtownnews.com

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

Elegant World Class Resort Apartment Homes

Piero 616 ST. PAUL AVE.

877-235-6012

WWW.THEPIERO.COM

Visconti 1221 WEST THIRD ST.

866-690-2888

WWW.THEVISCONTI.COM

FREE Rent Specials On Select Floor Plans • Free Resident/Guest Parking in Gated Garage • Private Library, Business Center & Conference Rooms • Free Wi-Fi & DSL Computer Use • Resident Karaoke Lounge • Directors Screening Room • Lavish Fountains & Sculptures • On-Site Private Resident Park with Sand Volleyball, BBQ’s and Jogging Track • Night Light Tennis Courts • Indoor Basketball

• Brunswick Four-Lane Virtual Bowling • Full Swing Virtual Golf • 3100 Square Foot Cybex Fitness Facility • Free Tanning Rooms • Massage Room, Sauna & Steam Room • Rooftop Pools with Dressing Rooms • Concierge Service • 24-Hour Doorman • 24/7 On-Site Management • Magnificent City Views *Amenities vary among communities

Version 1

Client: Publication: Size/Color:

G.H. Palmer Associates LADT News 4.3125” x 8” 4C

Design by: apluscreative@yahoo.com

Ph: 323.474.4668

24 Downtown News

September 27, 2010

Twitter/DowntownNews

We Got Games

Food You Want - Prices You Like!

Dodgers Tuck Tail and Trojans Host an Old Friend Los Angeles Dodgers Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave., (213) 224-1400 or dodgers.mlb.com.

Oct. 1-2, 7:10 p.m.; Oct. 3, 1:10 p.m.: If a tree falls in the forest but nobody is there to hear it, did it make a noise? What if your favorite baseball team loses a bunch of games in a row, but the measly hitting and error-riddled defensive performances happen on the road, out of sight and sound from Chavez Ravine? We Got Games won’t venture an answer to the first question, but unfortunately, we know that when it comes to the latter, well, yes — the Dodgers did drop two more games in San Diego last week.

The club starts the week on the road in Colorado (Sept. 27-29), then comes home to try to save some face with the locals in a three-game set against the Diamondbacks. Who’s ready for the Don Mattingly era?

USC Trojans Football L.A. Coliseum, 3911 S Figueroa St., (213) 747-7111 or usctrojans.com.

Oct. 2, 5 p.m.: Former USC assistant coach Steve Sarkisian returns to the Coliseum for the first time as head coach of the Washington Huskies.

This may be bad news for Lane Kiffin and his Trojan defense, which will have to contend with Washington’s

Heisman candidate quarterback Jake Locker. Then again, the Huskies defense could have its hands full with the increasingly dynamic connection between USC quarterback Matt Barkley and receiver Ronald Johnson, who co-led a 32-21 victory over the Minnesota Gophers (the Trojans’ last game, against Washington State, happened after Downtown News went to press). But the real storyline here is Sarkisian, who last year beat his old team (and his old boss, Pete Carroll) in Washington. The Trojans are looking for revenge on their home turf.

—Ryan Vaillancourt

Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner

BUY ANY MEAL GET 2nd ONE HALF OFF! With this ad. Expires 10/31/2010

Breakfast Served All Day! Dine-in only.

straycatla.com • 500 S. Spring St • 213-891-1144

Mon-Fri 7am-10pm • Sat 9am-2am • Sun 9am-5pm

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. With spectacular cultural events nearby, even the most demanding tastes are satisfied. Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore. Visit the Towers Apartments today.

TOWERS T H E

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