LC 02 2025

Larchmont Chronicle

Catastrophic January firestorms spare Mid-Wilshire, other flatland communities

Opportunities to turn grief into action

By Casey Russell

The devastation of the January fires has left many overwhelmed with emotion.

But when calamities hit, communities have the opportunity to rise up and help. Locals came together almost immediately in January to aid those in need. The Hancock Park Home Owners Association circulated donation information and put together a drive the first weekend of the fires. Clothing, hygiene products, childcare and pet supplies, luggage, towels and bedding

By John Welborne

current emergency ends.”

and electronics were collected at a home in Windsor Square.

Brookside residents, led by Sam Karim, collected items for the YMCA fire relief efforts. Gift cards, healthy snacks, water, microwaves, toys for young children and more were gathered. Julie Stromberg, of Brookside, spearheaded an effort to provide meals to firefighters at area stations.

By John Welborne

The conflagrations of early January have been tragic for so many Southern California residents.

As of our press deadline for this February issue of the Larchmont Chronicle, the areas south of the Hollywood Hills and east of the Westside have not seen such fires along our streets.

That said, it’s probably safe to say that everyone in this part of town knows someone, or more likely, many families, that are directly affected by the devastating fires in the Palisades, Altadena and elsewhere.

Shock and sadness can be seen on the faces on Larchmont walkers as the smoke continues to linger long after the damage has been done to neighborhoods throughout the county.

But we also see hope and resilience in the eyes we meet and the friends we greet and the strangers we pass, which tells us our neighbors to the west and the east will persevere, and we will get through this, together.

x 11

Homeless Count put on hold Television City at CBS site gets green light

This year’s Homeless Count had been scheduled for three days in late January, with the local (Mid City West and Greater Wilshire) counts to have taken place on Jan. 21. However, due to the wildfire crisis, this year’s count — throughout Los Angeles County — has been postponed. A Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) spokesperson told us: “We don’t have the new dates yet. I’m not sure when that will be decided. It is, in part, dependent on when the

Our year-round guide to lifestyle, entertainment, residential and business news, “Miracle Mile 2025,” will be published in the March issue. Advertising deadline is Mon., Feb. 10. For more information, contact Pam Rudy, 323462-2241, ext. 11.

Visit count.lahsa.org to learn more and to register when the dates are known.

The Miracle Mile Residential Association started a Go Fund

See Donations, P 15

By Suzan Filipek

The Los Angeles City Council has approved the TVC 2050 Project to develop land surrounding the historic CBS Television City studios at Beverly Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue.

The project is expected to be completed prior to the 2028 Olympics, a spokesperson for the developer said.

The unanimous city council vote on Jan. 7 on the Hackman Capital Partners modernization and expansion project sets the stage for the 1.7-million-square-foot development. It includes sound stages, production support and general office and retail uses. It retains 265,000 square feet of existing buildings on the historic,

52-year-old television studio property.

The approved plan also requires that at least 150,000 square feet of the site’s proposed 1.7 million square feet remain dedicated to sound stages, production support and production

A separate story on this page reports on some of the generous individuals and organizations that have stepped up to help. The story cites opportunities available to those who also wish to assist.

office space in perpetuity, and that general office space be prioritized for entertainment uses. The plan stipulates that a maximum of 500,000 square feet is permitted for office space.

But uncertainty about the development proposal

Longtime Chronicle columnist Patty Hill dies in Mississippi

By Suzan Filipek

Beloved longtime Larchmont Chronicle society

columnist Anne Patricia (Patty) Hill has died. She was 70.

Hill passed away on Aug. 16, 2024, at her home in Mississippi following a longtime illness, her husband, David Hill, told us.

Hill was named a Chronicle Woman of Larchmont in August 2012, shortly after she became president of the Ebell Club of Los Angeles.

She first visited the historic women’s club 13 years before, when a friend invited her to a weekly luncheon.

VIEW NORTHWEST from the 1000 block of Fiske Street in Pacific Palisades toward the rapidly approaching fire, just minutes after the mandatory evacuation order was issued Jan. 7 to residents of

Streets” neighborhood.

Photo by Manfred Hofer

By John Welborne

The envelope, please Editorial

This is our February issue. At the beginning of next month, on Sun., March 2, celebrity presenters will be asking for “the envelope” to announce the winners of the 97th Academy Awards.

But we already know the winners in the world of the Larchmont Chronicle. They are you, our readers and our advertisers who allow this highly local publication to continue in this, our 63rd year. Ever since our founders, Jane Gilman and the late Dawne Goodwin, first published the paper in 1963, the enterprise has continued because of strong community support.

Back to that envelope: Last November, many of you used the small white envelope inserted in that issue of the Chronicle to show your support by sending your checks, many for $30 and quite a few for $50, or $100, or more. The publisher and staff thank you sincerely, especially in this time of serious challenges in reporting the news, printing newspapers and delivering the papers to our readers. The Chronicle remains successful because of the support of our advertisers and readers.

If you missed that envelope in the paper at the end of last year, we are enclosing a second one in this issue! Your support really does make a difference, and we will be happy to receive what you send. Thank you.

The envelope, please!

DEDICATED TO THE PRESERVATION OF HANCOCK PARK

137 N. LARCHMONT BLVD. LOS ANGELES 90004 www.HancockPark.org Est. 1948 HANCOCK PARK HOME OWNERS

Grief and Gratitude in a Difficult Time

The horrific fires that caused thousands of our neighbors in the Los Angeles area to lose their homes and, in some terrible cases, to lose their lives, have made all of us grieve. It’s also made us appreciate our communities and those hardworking people who helped combat the fires, worked to keep everyone informed, organized relief efforts and did everything possible to keep us safe.

First and foremost, we are grief stricken at the loss of precious lives, and at the loss of the homes that contained thousands of our neighbors’ lives and memories. Nothing replaces such loss, and we extend our hearts to all who are suffering.

Second, we thank our incredibly brave and hardworking LAFD firefighters and the firefighters who raced to help LA from around the country, Canada and Mexico. The LAPD, our utility workers and everyone else who fought the fires back, kept public order, helped people evacuate and restored power. An event like this reminds us of how this infrastructure of human effort keeps us safe. Some of these firefighters fought the roaring fires with very little sleep — working double shifts for days. Such dedication inspires all of us and builds our ties stronger.

And we thank our City workers and, particularly, our Councilmember, Katy Yaroslavsky, and her fantastic team for keeping everyone informed, helping coordinate evacuations, marshalling shelter and doing everything possible to care for the community.

The size of such a catastrophe will require a major effort on the part of everyone living in the Los Angeles area.

Resources

The Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation seeks monetary donations to support firefighters on the front lines.

The California Fire Foundation is looking for donations to support surviving families of fallen firefighters, firefighters and the communities they serve.

World Central Kitchen , spearheaded by chef José Andrés, has a relief team in Southern California to assist first responders and families, and is accepting donations to support the ongoing relief effort.

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is accepting donations and looking for volunteers.

Direct Relief is also accepting donations to support those impacted by the wildfires.

The Red Cross is looking for monetary donations as well as blood and volunteers.

Visit our website to learn more! HancockPark.org

Calendar

Mon., Jan. 27 — International Holocaust Day.

Wed., Jan. 29 — Lunar New Year, Year of the Snake. Sun., Feb. 2 — Groundhog Day.

Tues., Feb. 11 — Mid City West Neighborhood Council board meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Pan Pacific Park, 7600 Beverly Blvd., midcitywest.org.

Wed., Feb. 12 — Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council board meeting via Zoom at 6:30 p.m., greaterwilshire.org.

Fri., Feb. 14 — Valentine’s Day.

Mon., Feb. 17 — Presidents’ Day.

Thurs., Feb. 27 — Delivery of the March issue of the Larchmont Chronicle.

Letter to the Editor

Street people still on Larchmont

I am following up on my Letter to the Editor last month [“Street people on Larchmont,” Jan. 2025]. What I admire about the Chronicle is that you continue to report the news, the facts, along with supporting our amazing community and neighborhood. And you somehow manage to continue a printed edition.

I’m so fortunate to have “landed” here 40-some years ago. I’ve moved twice, about three blocks, from Ridgewood to Rosewood. In fact, I found this place thanks to the Chronicle — back in the era when there used to be some rentals listed in the classified section. The unit already had been rented but the tenant wanted out of her lease, and I stepped up at the right time. A couple was considering getting a divorce and had opted to each rent an apartment

Larchmont Chronicle

in the same building while deciding to get divorced or not. Their plan didn’t work out. He stayed in the nextdoor apartment, and she left. To my benefit.

Regarding the fellow squatting on the sidewalk in front of Starbucks, about which I wrote last month, he has been on and off Larchmont Boulevard since June of 2024. I’m guessing he’s in no hurry to leave even if offered housing. Housing comes with rules; that’s why so many homeless in our city are service resistant. He’s looking worse for wear since I photographed him in June. It really bothers me that this guy is smoking away his drugs of choice while our neighbors and shoppers must stroll through his clouds of smoke. He’s so dirty and obviously in need of help in order to save his life. But no, let’s just pretend he’s not there. It is so unfortunate that we’re allowing folks like him to perish on our sidewalks.

Keith Johnson Larchmont Village

Write us at letters@larchmontchronicle.com. Include your name, contact information and where you live. We reserve the right to edit for space and grammar.

CORRECTIONS

In our January 2025 story, “Loyola’s Father Goethals to move on,” we should have written that Rev. Greg Goethals, as a youth, hung out in Windsor Square, although his family resided in Glendale, where he attended Incarnation Parish School prior to Loyola.

In the “Around the Town” column in that same issue, the caption for a photo showing St. James’ preschool students and parents misspelled Elizabeth Fain LaBombard’s last name.

‘With all of the trauma of the January fires, we are trying to look forward to brighter days in February. So … what are your plans for Valentine’s Day?’

That’s the question inquiring photographer Casey Russell asked locals.

“I usually do a ‘Galentine’s Day’ celebration with my friends. We cook together, make a cake and take pictures.”

“Our kids are both in college. We send them each a Valentine’s care package so they can feel the love from afar.” Mark Goodarzi and Niloo Eskandari Windsor Square

“My wife is allergic to flowers. So every year I get her a bouquet of mozzarella cheese sticks.”

Ish Patel Windsor Village

Grace Hentemann Windsor Square

Pamela and Marat Daukayev’s dance of the heart, step

By Helene Seifer

They say it takes two to tango. For Pamela and Marat Daukayev, it took a pas de deux. Their story is a dance of the heart where, step by step, they built a life together in Windsor Square, with three now grown children (Marat Jr. and twins Emma and Nicholas), two golden retrievers and three birds. Plus, they founded an acclaimed ballet school along the way.

Pamela Van de Velde Daukayev was born in Ohio; her mother was originally from London, England, and her father, who served in the U.S. military, hailed from Ghent, Belgium. They moved frequently, including stints

THE DAUKAYEVS met, fell in love, had three children and founded an acclaimed ballet school along the way.

abroad, before settling in Los Angeles. Pamela studied ballet growing up, but not seriously enough to pursue it professionally. After college, she lived with her mother in the Pico Robertson area and

ran a small fiber optic company that did museum lighting. As an adult, she turned to ballet for exercise.

“It’s a demanding discipline and really great exercise,” says Pamela. “I wanted to improve. I was looking for a serious class.”

Step one: the meet-cute

A friend recommended an adult ballet class at a nearby studio that was taught by a Russian teacher. Intrigued, Pamela went to the class. “He looked younger than I expected a Russian teacher to be,” she remembers. He didn’t speak much English, so she wondered how he would be able to communicate, but once the lesson began, “He walked

down the line [of dancers] and gave me a tap on my kneecap, and I knew exactly what he meant.”

The teacher was Marat Daukayev. He had been a principal dancer with the Kirov Ballet (renamed the Mariinsky Ballet in 1992) and, after retiring from performing, he became the premier teacher for their star dancers. He had taken this temporary teach-

ing position in Los Angeles to have time to decide what to do next in Russia.

Pamela immediately re-

PAMELA AND MARAT DAUKAYEV’S wedding, Aug.10, 1996.

Weekends in Rome sealed the Doerings’ relationship

By Nona Sue Friedman

A romantic rendezvous in Rome is where Bruce and Lynn Doering of Ridgewood Place started their 50-plus years together. They were both students at Stanford University in Palo Alto, where they met — she a sophomore from Las Vegas and he a junior from Montana. Bruce

for a list of LBA merchants & services, go to Larchmont.com

spotted her in their Italian class and, as he says, “She was knockdown gorgeous.”

He asked her out to dinner.

As Lynn puts it, “The date was contentious” because they had differing political views. This was the late 1960s and politics were a hot topic.

Nevertheless, the two continued with Italian class and spent two semesters abroad studying in Florence. Bruce said, “We only went to school four days a week, [so] Lynnie and I would hop on the train to Rome for the weekend.”

The Eternal City was where their conversations about philosophy, history and politics sealed their relationship. Bruce gets a little starry-eyed recounting these special times. They both related an incident to the Larchmont Chronicle: “We went to a pensione in Rome. The guy behind the desk asked ‘One bed or two?’ Before either of us could answer he said, ‘You get one bed. Two beds are for old people.’”

Back at college for his senior year, Bruce moved off campus into a house with five other guys. Although Lynn had housing on campus, she basically lived with all the guys, further cementing her relationship with Bruce.

After graduating in

1970, Bruce moved to the Haight-Ashbury area of San Francisco with the same five guys. Lynn stayed at school.

The lovebirds hatched a plan to live together in San Francisco after Lynn graduated. However, Lynn came from a very conservative Greek Orthodox family. Living together was not an option.

Before Lynn’s mom came for graduation, Lynn’s more progressive Aunt Billie, who lived in San Francisco, had found a place for Lynn and Bruce to live — in sin! Aunt Billie furnished it to appear as though Lynn was the only occupant.

Lynn’s mother came to town

and was never the wiser.

In 1973, the two eloped and were married at San Francisco City Hall, which infuriated Lynn’s mother. It took quite a while and lots of coaxing from Bruce’s father before the bride’s family would throw a reception for the newlyweds. Married and living in San Francisco

While in San Francisco, politically active Bruce unionized a discount store. This inspired Bruce to make further social changes. The Doerings then moved to Chicago.

Bruce became a union organizer at a steel factory on the

(Please turn to Page 14)

Sponsored by

BRUCE ORCHESTRATED a surprise 50th anniversary party for his wife, Lynn Doering. Top left: at their wedding reception.

Daukayev

(Continued from Page 3) sponded to her new teacher. “He was an incredible dancer. He was a very kind person,” she says. “His talent had been reserved for the most welltrained in Russia. When he worked with us, he was very, very kind and inspiring. He wanted us to get as far as we could.”

“The first class or second

class finished,” Marat remembers, “and [Pamela] sat on the floor, holding her ballet shoes, and she’s crying. It was difficult for me. I would like to help. I asked her what was the matter,” and she answered, “Marat, if I had had a teacher like you, I would have had a chance to be a ballerina.”

Step two: Uncommon language of love They began dating. “In the beginning, we looked in the

dictionary a lot,” Pamela explains. “We went to the ballet, cooked, went to the beach, talked, looked in the dictionary.” They quickly fell in love.

“It’s difficult to explain about love,” Marat states in his Russian-accented English. “You love [a] person, that’s it. It’s how you’re feeling. She didn’t speak Russian. I didn’t speak English, but we had a feeling.”    They also had an uncanny way of understanding each

other. Once Pamela accompanied Marat to the dentist, who asked. “Will you translate for him?” She answered that she would. The dentist told Marat to sit in the dental chair and then he would put the bib on him, which Marat did not understand. Then the dentist asked Pamela to say it in Russian. “I don’t speak Russian,” she answered and promptly repeated in English exactly what the dentist had said, whereupon Marat complied. The dentist was baffled. “He understands me,” Pamela explained, “and not you.”

Step three: Marriage and decisions    The relationship got serious, and Marat took her to see his homeland. In St. Petersburg, Pamela wanted to see the Mariinsky Ballet performance of “Swan Lake,” but when they went to the theater, it was sold out. Pamela recalls, “A woman in pink came running after him. Marat recognized her. She was an usher.” Pamela could see how upset the woman was that a star of the ballet couldn’t get a ticket. “She ran off and came back with two chairs and put them in a theater box for us!”

When they went to Ufa, his hometown, all the local “babushkas” (older ladies) came to catch a glimpse of Pamela to see the woman from Hollywood who was dating their Russian celebrity. Pamela laughs, “They expected someone like Dolly Parton — voluptuous. One said, ‘She is just a skinny girl!’”

Pamela and Marat married on Aug. 10, 1996, in a friend’s house in Los Angeles. But soon they had some decisions to make. Pamela points out that in Russia, the state takes care of its stars; in America, Marat had to figure it out for himself. He had several offers, including assistant artistic director offers from the Mariinsky Ballet and the Colorado Ballet. They decided to try Colorado, but returned to Los Angeles after their first child was born to be near Pamela’s aging parents.

Pamela encouraged Marat to start a ballet school and, in 2001, they started the Marat Daukayev Ballet School with only two students. That same year, they bought their 1917 Windsor Square house. With Pamela as executive director and Marat as artistic director, the school flourished on La Brea Avenue before moving to Wilshire Boulevard in Wilshire Center (now commonly referred to as Koreatown) just before the pandemic. To date they have trained more than 2,000 students, some of whom

have gone on to dance at such places as the Royal Ballet School, the San Francisco Ballet and the Stuttgart Ballet. Step four: Dance of the heart On Feb. 6, 2023, Marat suffered a heart attack. His classes were covered by the other eight teachers at the school while he underwent operations and recovery, and Pamela kept the school running. He was back at work a month later, having barely skipped a beat.

“Work is life, is movement,” Marat says. “Now I am 72 years old and continue to work. People need me.” And he needs Pamela.    “I left Russia, I was 43 years old,” states Marat. “I start life here from zero. I met Pamela. I was lucky. And step by step.”

skin deep

by Dr. Rebecca Fitzgerald

Dabbing and blending and mixing yet those red lines, spots and splotches are still maddeningly apparent. Go ahead and imagine a morning not spent covering up facial redness because treating irritating vascular conditions is easily within your reach.

Excel V and Vbeam Laser Systems are both safe and effective approaches for addressing Rosacea, birthmarks, acne scars and broken blood vessels. Laser energy heats and eliminates the abnormal vessels, ultimately restoring your normal skin shade. Your treatment option will depend on your skin tone and how resistant and chronic your vascular issue is. You can expect to schedule three to four appointments spaced a month apart, with one to two days of mild swelling after each treatment. The massive upside? Patients are finding results are nothing short of transformative.

Contact our office today to schedule your first appointment and get ready to streamline your morning routine. Dare we say hit that snooze button? Adv.

Dr. Rebecca Fitzgerald is a Board Certified Dermatologist located in Larchmont Village with a special focus on anti-aging technology. She is a member of the Botox Cosmetic National Education Faculty and is an international Training Physician for Dermik, the makers of the injectable Sculptra. She is also among a select group of physicians chosen from around the world to teach proper injection techniques for Radiesse, the volumizing filler. Dr. Fitzgerald is an assistant clinical professor at UCLA. Visit online at www.RebeccaFitzgeraldMD.com or call (323) 464-8046 to schedule an appointment.

Amy Forbes and Andy Murr have proven to be a sure bet for love

By Casey Russell

Amy

Forbes’

mother often said, “Weddings — such a good place to meet people!” It turns out she knew what she was talking about. Forbes and her husband, Andy Murr, met at the wedding of a friend. “It’s always so annoying when mothers end up being right,” said Murr.

The fateful wedding was held in Irvington, New York. Forbes had grown up knowing the family of the groom, and Andy was good friends with Hank, the groom’s brother. During an extended cocktail hour before the reception dinner, Hank introduced Forbes and Murr.

As it happened, quite some time prior to the wedding, Hank and Forbes had made a $50 bet: Forbes betting the friend would get married and Hank betting against that. During the cocktail hour, Forbes asked Hank to pay up. All the betting talk led to a fresh wager between the two new acquaintances, Forbes and Murr. Regarding Hank’s marital prospects, Forbes and Murr put five dollars on the line. Forbes bet that Hank would be married within two years. Murr bet he wouldn’t. Forbes lost that bet, but, the couple told us, “It was the first of many $5 bets we’ve made.”

After the two returned home — Forbes to Los Angeles and Murr to Atlanta —  their correspondence began, “On paper … with stamps! Archaic stuff,” said Murr. “Amy had decided Hank should be the ‘escrow’ for our $5 bet.” She sent Murr a copy of the letter she’d sent to Hank regarding the idea, and that was the couple’s first letter.

The two wrote to each other consistently, and they eventually decided to meet up in New Orleans for their first date. It was a success! But because Forbes, a real estate lawyer, had won a yearlong fellowship in Bangkok, the couple’s relationship was kept to paper

interactions during that time, though Murr, a correspondent for Newsweek magazine, did get to visit once.

Transfer west

After Forbes returned to Los Angeles, Murr put in for a transfer. “He arrived in December of 1989 and, by March of 1990, we were engaged,” said Forbes. When asked how Murr popped the question, he said, “Amy was deep into a bed-and-breakfast phase … so she picked a place in Napa. We got there and it was way too cutesy.” There were Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls in the room.

Though that decor did cure Forbes of her bed-and-breakfast phase, being in the room didn’t stop Murr from receiving a “Yes!” when he asked Forbes to marry him. “In the ridiculous room, he asked if I wanted to marry him and presented me with pearls,” said Forbes. Murr knew she felt a ring would mark her as a husband’s chattel, so Murr chose instead to present her with what have come to be known as “the betrothal pearls.”

Windsor Square

The couple has now been together for 34 years. Residents of Windsor Square, they have three grown children, all of whom live within 15 minutes of them. When asked how they kept their relationship strong while both working full-time and raising three kids, Forbes said, “I don’t know! We had a

Richard T. Chung, DDS

Cosmetic, Implant & General Dentistry

Member of the American & California Dental Associations. USC Graduate. Most insurances accepted. Appointments recommended. New patients and emergencies welcome!

really wonderful housekeeper who lived nearby and was with us for nearly 20 years, and we lived close to my family. You just have to accept that sometimes your life is going to be out of control.”

Now that they are empty nesters, the couple likes to go to restaurants, museums and movies with foreign subtitles. They like to explore old historic parts of town, do hikes and stair tours, spend time with their dog, volunteer and travel together. Last year, they went to Guatemala, Vietnam and Italy. Next up is Argentina. Both also serve on boards — Murr on a charter school board for Brightstar Schools and Forbes on the board of the Center Theatre Group (where she is also president) and on the board of The Music Center. Forbes still works part-time in real estate law. “We care about the city and are good civic actors,” said Forbes of herself and Murr. “Where much is given, much is expected.”

At the fateful wedding where they met, Murr says he was attracted to Forbes because she was very lively, pretty and smart. Forbes took a liking

(Please turn to Page 15)

MURR AND FORBES at their wedding in 1990.

THE COUPLE in Umbria, Italy, in October 2024.

By Matt Rauschberg

Troop 10 has been an active part of the Los Angeles community for more than 110 years. In this time, it has provided young men with leadership opportunities and adventure both here in the city and out in the wild.

Last summer, the troop attended two summer camps, one in the forested mountains near Lake Arrowhead and the other by the beach in San Diego Mission Bay, where they learned kayaking, small boat sailing, motorboating, welding and other skills. The troop also embarked on a multiday backpacking trip across the Ansel Adams Wilderness and Yosemite National Park. Surrounded by towering peaks and majestic waterfalls, the Scouts navigated challenging terrain while fostering teamwork and leadership skills and creating memories that will last a lifetime.

In October, the Scouts camped out on Santa Cruz Island in Channel Islands National Park, where they kayaked through sea caves and kelp forests and saw rare birds, scampering island foxes, and huge pods of dolphins. In the past year, the troop has also gone rock climbing in

Joshua Tree, camping by the beach at Point Mugu and hiking on Strawberry Peak, Echo Mountain, and Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park.

Troop 10 continues to serve its community through Eagle projects and service projects in tandem with local charities.

One noteworthy collaboration has been with the Friends of Griffith Park, where the troop has engaged in many handson projects aimed at restoring and preserving the natural beauty of the park. From trail maintenance to tree planting, Scouts exemplify the values of environmental stewardship. Over the holidays, the Scouts volunteered their time with

One Voice, providing holiday meals, toys and other necessities to families in need with small children.

Given that only 4 percent of Scouts ever achieve the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout, Troop 10 is especially proud of its three most recent Eagle Scouts who, as part of their yearslong journey to this prestigious honor, each planned and executed a major service project for the community, including:

Lion Paulson painted a large garden mural and redesigned a covered play area at the Para Los Niños Early Childhood Education Center in Hollywood. Para Los Niños raises children

out of poverty and into brighter futures through positive educational opportunities and wraparound support.

Michael Hanna reupholstered and built movement devices for the historic pews and added safety and control features to the medical services area as part of the homeless outreach program at Silverlake Community Church.

Oliver Payne removed old grass and bushes and installed low-water landscaping at St. James’ Episcopal Church, saving water, money and maintenance time for church staff.

Sponsored by St. James’ Church since 1914, Troop 10 is the oldest continuously chartered Scout Troop in the Western United States. In that

time, 370 Troop 10 Scouts have achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Today, Troop 10 brings together boys ages 11 to 17 from all backgrounds and more than a dozen area schools. In addition, St. James’ is officially launching a new troop for girls, for girls ages 11 to 17. For those wishing to build lasting memories and relationships, boys and girls ages 11 to 17 (and their parents) are invited to visit Troop 10 at their weekly Tuesday night meetings at 6:30 p.m. at St. James’. Lastly, the troop’s annual Pancake Breakfast fundraiser is Sun., Feb. 9. Keep an eye out for the Scouts selling tickets and first aid kits on Larchmont Boulevard over the coming weekends.

TAKING A BREAK at Thousand Island Lake on a backpacking trip in the Ansel Adams Wilderness, Troop 10’s Steve Henrich, Matt Rauchberg, Lucas Henrich, Joe Fiedler, Andy Fiedler, Max Rauchberg and Carter Tsao, Aug, 7, 2024

SCOUTS from Troop 10 paddle into a sea cave on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park, Oct. 2024.

By Carolyn Reyes

In such times of unexpected loss and tragedy, it’s uplifting to see our Cub Scouts developing a strong sense of duty to the community.

Pack 16 began the season partnering with TreePeople to care for young trees in the shade-deficient neighborhood of El Monte. Our Arrow of Light Scouts reported for duty at 7 a.m. to water and refresh mulch, ensuring the success of the tender transplants.

Our Webelos paid a visit to seniors at the Alexandria Care Center to decorate Thanksgiving placemats, and our

Arrow of Light (AOL) scouts volunteered with Big Sunday to pack Thanksgiving dinners for many needy families in Los Angeles. AOL is the fifth-grade den, the final level before graduating from Cub Scouts.

We kicked off the Christmas season with our first-ever raffle, which was a huge success and a big fundraiser for us.

The effort was spearheaded by our Bears, who sold many tickets for the highly coveted prize of Salt & Straw Ice Cream for one year and a free iPad donated by Melrose Mac.

masses at St. Brendan Church each month and are looking forward to their first winter camp at Lake Arrowhead this month. Other camping activities planned include overnight stays at the USS Iowa and the Los Angeles Zoo.

We also contributed toys for Wilshire Rotary’s Bring a Gift to Santa event.

Our young Tigers and Wolves are ushering the choir

Pack 10 plays with a purpose and sells popcorn

By Diane Gilmore

Whether it is a day of service with TreePeople or a holiday carnival, Pack 10 Scouts are learning character, citizenship and fitness. It may look like a lot of fun to the kids, but every moment is a teaching opportunity —

a game with a purpose.

This year Pack 10 has gone deep sea fishing, walked the tide pools, cleaned up beaches, planted trees and served the unhoused at St. James’ Soup Kitchen. Many of our big events are held outside at St. James’ School, at the ocean

or on a mountainside. Camping and hiking events are full family adventures. Our Cubs are now stars when it comes to silly skits and wonderful songs useful on campouts.

Glen Lim, our Cubmaster, leads a large group of fully trained leaders. Our families are also grateful to the Larchmont community for its support during popcorn sale season. You will know us by our blue uniforms. Thank you all. Diane Gilmore is charter representative for Scouting America.

In the wake of these devastating fires, our Bear Den is currently organizing to write letters of hope and solidarity to fire victims and to donate their time to relief efforts.

We are so excited for what 2025 will bring and to contin-

BEARS Francesca Sy-Uy and Charlie Gibson sell first aid kits and raffle tickets at the Christmas tree lot on Larchmont.

ARROW OF LIGHT Den Leader Rigo Vazquez (left, in back) and Scouts Julian Hoffman, Astrid Huybrechs and Amalia Vazquez help care for newly planted trees in El Monte.

CUBMASTER Glen Lim took 35 families deep sea fishing, departing from Redondo Pier. Lim is behind the Scout flag on the right in a grey sweatshirt.

Left: PACK 10 members at the annual popcorn fundraiser on Larchmont Boulevard in

Pan Pac athletics is tops in Dept. of Recreation and Parks

Back row, left to right: Pan Pacific Sr. Dir. Eric Calhoun, Coordinator Floyd Thweatt and coaches Clinton Sellers, Jason Ayala and Marcellus Willis.

When I moved to Los Angeles in 1985, the historic Pan-Pacific Auditorium on Beverly Boulevard in the Fairfax District was abandoned and run-down. Weeds shoved through the crumbled pavement, and a rusty chainlink fence ran the perimeter of the Art Deco ruin. I imagined creepy organ music every time I drove by, and the decaying structure reminded me of that haunted pavilion in the horror B-film classic “Carnival of Souls.” It was difficult believing this had once been Los Angeles’ premier events venue, where Elvis Presley performed for two nights and the Ice Capades made yearly stops.

When a fire leveled the auditorium in 1989, it paved the way for the development of the present Pan Pacific Park Recreation Center.

Championships

Eric Calhoun, the senior recreation director for the center, has lots to be proud of. He arrived in 2019 from West Los Angeles’ Stoner Park and immediately began Pan Pacific’s soccer program. Last month, his Minors Division (10 and under) coed team won the Metro Region Championship.

“This was the first region-

Youth Sports by Jim Kalin

al title for soccer in the long history of Pan Pacific,” said Calhoun.

That regional title qualified the team for the City Championships, which they unfortunately lost 1-0 to a tough Van Nuys Delano Park team.

Soccer is not the only sport at which Calhoun’s Pan Pac athletes excel. The Girls Majors Division (11 and 12) volleyball team progressed to the Regional Championships, and, on Dec. 14, lost a nail-biter in three sets. The final set ended just 17-15.

“That was a heartbreaker,” said Calhoun.

Flag football

Is there any better sound than that Velcro rrrrrippp when a flag is yanked from a flag football player’s belt?

Two years ago, the Pan Pacific Park Boys Majors Division Flag Football team won the City of Los Angeles Dept. of Recreation and Parks Flag

Football Championships. The title game against Northridge was a slugfest that emphasized two great defenses. The final score was 9-6.

Pan Pacific’s flag football program has become the one to beat.

“We entered two teams into this year’s post-season tournament,” said Calhoun. “Our Majors lost in the championship game of the Metro Region finals.”

The post-season squads consisted of the best players chosen from Pan Pacific’s six leagues. Each coach nominated players from his team to represent Pan Pac against Los Angeles County’s other All-Star recreation and park teams in the post-season city

(Front row, left to right) Micah Epstein, Cade Quinn, Micah Kim, Clinton Sellers Jr., Jason Ayala, Hugo Payne, Ryan Lopez, James Saltzman, Canaan Willis, Maximillian Fredericks, Sage Mohajer, Jordan Wasserman, and kneeling, Jeremiah Reinholdt.

PAN PACIFIC MINORS DIVISION soccer team won the Metro Region Championship in December.

MICAH EPSTEIN AND MICAH KIM are sixth graders at John Burroughs Middle School.

(Please turn to Page 11)

Promoting confidence, empathy and inclusivity through play

By

Casey

Russell

February is Black History Month. It’s a time when students in our area will be learning about the many contributions of African Americans to the United States. But it’s also a great time for us, as parents, to take stock of what we can do to help our children grow up seeing diversity as a norm.

I feel very fortunate that our neighborhood park is a gathering place for a variety of people. Playing with my daughter in the sand area when she was young, I’d hear at least three different languages and loved that she was part of a rainbow of children playing together on any given afternoon.

But I will say that, though I loved the co-op preschool she attended, there was not a wide variety of cultures or skin tones represented. When choosing where she’d go for elementary school, diversity was a big factor in our decision.

There is power in what children see in their environments every day. It is a big part of what shapes their view of the world and the people in it. In truth, there’s a lot we parents can do at home to encourage a sense of belonging and inclusiveness in our children.

I grew up watching two shows: “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and “Sesame Street.” Mr. Rogers explored differences and was all about “liking you just the way you are.” And “Sesame Street,” which first aired in 1969, acted on the incredible educational

Youth Sports

(Continued from Page 10) tournament.

“We had three weeks to prepare for the playoffs,” said Marcellus Willis, head coach of the Minors Division team.

Overtime victory

Youth flag football is a seven-against-seven format.

Speed trumps size, and a quarterback who is an accurate passer is tough to beat. Pan Pac had two quarterbacks with deadly arms.

“We stressed that next player,” said Willis.

Pan Pac’s Minors won the Metro Championship by shutting out the first three teams, then defeating Echo Park in the title game 30-6. These games were played with first-string quarterback Canaan Willis. But as the Willis family was out of town for the City Championships, backup quarterback Owen Church stepped in.

“Owen is a wide receiver, which enabled him to understand the role of quarterback.”

With Church leading the team, Pan Pac won their semifinal game over Valley Region champ Sherman Oaks 28-0.

potential of building positive multiracial representation into the children’s show. With puppets of various skin tones, genders and abilities living, playing, working and learning together, “Sesame Street” has continued to educate decades of children using little ones’ favorite language: play.

The tools of play

And that’s where we can make a big difference in teaching our children without words. Ultimately we choose the books, toys, dolls and art supplies that come into our homes. Making sure our little ones have toys that look similar to them can help them know that they matter in the world; they are represented. Ensuring they also have toys that don’t look like them not only reflects the world we actually live in, it also promotes inclusion.

Children spend much of their days playing and using their imaginations. When they immerse themselves in role-playing with figurines and dolls, either during solo play or with others, they are practicing social interactions. This helps develop empathy. It stands to reason that ensuring our children’s dolls reflect the variety of people in our world could play a role in helping them become confident, inclusive people.

Books

The same is true for the books we provide for our children. Books give us a window into the experiences of others. They can help diffuse stereotypes and can

“Our finals opponent was Cheviot Hills,” said Willis. “They had a great pass coverage defense.”

The title game ended in a 28-28 draw, then went into double overtime. On an option play, Church handed off the ball to running back Max Fredericks, who faked a pass before sprinting in for the winning score.

“Movement on the football field is life,” said Willis.

Pan Pac’s Minors moved a lot.

Wilshire Wildcats season starts Feb. 22

Opening games for the Wilshire Wildcats Softball spring season are scheduled for Sat., Feb. 22. Opportunities are available for girls in three age divisions — 10 and under, 12 and under and 14 and under. Practice days for all groups will take place Tuesdays. The first was Jan. 21. The season will run through the end of May. Registration remains open through mid-February. Visit wilshiresoftball.com or email president@wilshiresofball.com.

Tips on Parenting by

Casey Russell

help us see that people are unique, but also have a lot in common. Books can also help our children build positive self-images because they identify with characters they read about. They can imagine themselves in characters’ places. Readingrockets.org is

a great resource for making sure your bookshelf is diverse. Art supplies

Crayola now sells Colors of the World crayons, colored pencils, pens and paints.

There are various brands of multicultural construction paper available, as well. It’s great to be able to supply a variety of skin tones with which our kids can create their masterpieces. And it’s only fair for all kids to be able to see themselves reflected in their art supplies.

As we get into this new year, let’s remember the po-

tential there is to create more love and inclusiveness in the world. Our children’s playthings may seem like a small thing, but sometimes the small things end up making a big difference. Here are some more websites to check out for diverse toys, dolls, books and art supplies: brainsandbeautydolls. com, discountschoolsupply.com (for a Colorations Colors Like Me Supplies Kit), amazon.com (for Colors of the World pencils, pens and crayons) and diversebookfinder.org.

Board-Certified Pediatricians

• We care for children 0-21 years old • Most PPO Insurance plans accepted • Complimentary “meet the doctor” appointments available

. www.larchmontpediatric.com

Lauren Estrada MD, FAAP

Neville Anderson MD, FAAP

Matthew Loh MD, FAAP

Keith Shopa MD, FAAP

New Scout Troop 43 serves youth of Larchmont

By Suzan Filipek

In 2024 American Legion Post 43 launched Scout Troop 43, serving the youth of the Larchmont area. The founding five scouts came from legacy Troop 621. The new post offers dedicated leaders with military back -

grounds and meets at the Legion Hall on Highland Avenue.

New Scoutmaster Glen

Schecter is a member of Post 43, and he is an avid fisherman. Scouts determine their own adventures, and they already have 12 months of

amazing activities scheduled for 2025. They are looking for neighborhood youth — boys and girls, ages 11 to 17 — to join them. This is a terrific opportunity for youth to develop leadership and outdoor skills. Contact this troop online  through beascout.org

by contacting Mr. Schecter via email info below.

Formerly Troop 621 Troop 621 was a former Larchmont troop (originally sponsored by Plotke Plumbing on Larchmont). The troop’s charter expired last year.

“I did not want the remaining five boys to leave Scouts, so we enlisted them in a new neighborhood unit. They now have eight boys and three girls. They have had an active year. The post has registered and trained several new leaders. It’s been a win-win,” said Diane Gilmore, charter representative for Scouting America.

Scouting: Area Directory

Cub Scouts: Pack 10

Glen Lim, Cubmaster glenlim416@gmail.com

Pack 16

Jackie Miron, Cubmaster jdmiron@quigleyandmiron. com

Pack 777

Eugene Hong, Cubmaster ceo@eugenehong.com

Boy Scouts: Troop 10

Matt Rauchberg,  Scoutmaster matt.rauchberg@gmail.com

Troop 43

Glen Schecter, Scoutmaster mauiglen@icloud.com

Troop 777

Joseph Shin, Scoutmaster troop777bsa@hotmail.com

Girl Scout cookie season is here

By Nona Sue Friedman

The annual in-person sales of Girl Scout cookies begin Fri., Feb. 7. However, if you are lucky enough to know a Girl Scout, digital orders started Jan. 22.

After this, the 2025 cookie season, S’mores will be retired. If these are your favs, stock up this year. Thin Mints, Adventurefuls, Samoas, Tagalongs and many more will also be available for purchase.

And it’s more than just a cookie when you buy from a Girl Scout. These sales help to

build confidence, foster entrepreneurship, teach money management and inspire people skills in the sellers.

SAMOAS are one of the most popular cookies. Photo courtesy of Little Brown Bakers

PLANTING FLAGS on Memorial Day at the National Cemetery are, left to right, Jim Olds, Joshua Lo, Andrew Urner, Connor Kim and Stewart Smith. Olds and Smith are wearing Sons of the American Revolution militia uniforms as part of a reenactment.

THE WILLOWS

By Wren Meltzer 7th Grade

January at The Willows, like at most Los Angeles schools, was unusual and unfortunate.

After winter break, all of The Willows students were excited to be back at school. However, only two days into the start of the new semester, school was cancelled due to the Palisades and Eaton wildfires.

Parents received an email

from the head of school on Jan. 7 that the power had gone out and that school would be closed the following day. As the wildfires continued and the air quality got worse, The Willows decided it was safest to close for the week. School officials sent updates and offers to help those in need. They also kept track of those who had experienced loss.

While this wasn’t the best start to the new year, it makes being back at school all the better. The rest of January at The Willows will be filled with sports games, electives, assemblies, friends and fun.

Additional School Reporters are on Page 4 of Section 2

NEW COVENANT

By Kailey Kim 10th Grade

LARCHMONT CHARTER

LAFAYETTE PARK

By Ella Wolovitch 9th Grade

Recent days at the LFP campus of Larchmont Charter School have been full of ups and downs.

Last week, students reemerged into classrooms as winter break came to a close. They began working on final projects and tests to close out the semester.

But this didn’t last long, as the devastating wildfires resulted in school closing on Jan. 9 and Jan. 10. During these days, the LCS Wilshire Campus was open as a space to provide resources for victims of the fire

and for volunteer opportunities for those who wanted to help. The community came together to support people who lost everything, and we intend to continue doing this throughout the coming weeks. School reopened on Jan. 13, and students are back hard at work, staying cautious of the air quality and aware of the recent tragedies.

Happy New Year! After a refreshing threeweek winter break, NCA students are back at school, pumped and ready for 2025! We hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful holiday season with plenty of rest and festivities.

NCA began the spring semester with a welcoming open house event. Parents had the opportunity to visit the classrooms, where they could admire the remarkable work their children had completed in the initial weeks of school. Additionally, this event served as a great chance for parents and teachers to engage and discuss students’ progress.

The girls’ and boys’ basketball teams have fought so hard this season. Thank you for all your support. We urge you to come out to the last couple of games to help the teams finish strong. Go Huskies!!

IMMACULATE HEART

By Rosie Law 11th Grade

Welcome back, Pandas! Our students are a few weeks into second semester at IH and just getting back into the groove of school.

The most prominent upcoming event is our Junior Class Ring Ceremony on Jan. 31. The annual event brings together family, faculty and the senior class for a liturgy and presentation as the juniors receive

their class rings. This year, my Class of 2026 will welcome our rings and become part of the legacy of more than 11,000 alumni who have received the uniquely designed bands (which feature the heart of Mother Mary, Immaculate Heart’s patroness).

This ceremony will be very special to me because it will make me feel connected with my sister, who experienced her ring ceremony two years ago. The rings reflect our close school community and the sisterhood that make IH the special place that it is.

ST. BRENDAN

By Alyssa Lee 8th Grade

January is the month of the much-awaited Catholic Schools Week, which takes place from the 26th of the month to the 31st of the month.

We will show our school spirit by dressing up in different themes, competing in our faculty versus 8th grade volleyball game, daily class presentations, a classroom feud and a teacher swap.

Our annual Bingo Night with family and friends will take place on Jan. 24. The next day, our 2nd grade Bears receive their First Reconciliation, and the day after that we host our school open house.

We are also excited to have our first ever Lunar New Year celebration on Jan. 31. We hope this brings a lot of good luck going into the month of February.

On behalf of the St. Brendan community, we continue to pray for everyone who has been affected by the devastating and tragic California fires earlier this month. May God bless you and your families, always.

Dentistry for Children and Young Adults

TV City

(Continued from Page 1)

remains because of continuing opposition from a number of neighbors.

“Nine community organizations and local businesses filed appeals against this development. Given the flawed process and spotty administrative record, litigation is both inevitable and likely to be successful,” Shelley Wagers and Danielle Peters, co-founders of Neighbors for Responsible TVC Development, told us in an email after the council vote.

“We reached this point because we have all tried to engage with the developer to address the community’s concerns, but we have been rebuffed at every turn.”

They added that the morning of the city council vote, another 146 pages of new material from the developer was submitted without council or public review. “The city council refused to delay the vote.  We are confident that the court will consider the fundamental flaws of the project and process and call for greater definition, meaningful improvements and due process.

“With respect to our next steps, we’re considering our options.” Opponents of the project include Caruso (The Grove), A.F. Gilmore Company (Original Farmers Market) and others. Supporters include Park La Brea Residents Association, Los Angeles Conservancy, Holocaust Museum Los Angeles (and others).

Patty Hill

(Continued from Page 1)

Hill returned with her husband for a dinner dance and was smitten.

She would go on to serve The Ebell in five different volunteer posts before becoming president. She oversaw a 455-person membership, a staff of 37, a commercial rental division and two philanthropies.

In her two-year term, she headed a multi-million dollar budget and the onset of a multiyear preservation and restoration project for the 75,000-square-foot Italian Renaissance-style building at Wilshire and Lucerne boulevards.

A Memphis native and

Doerings

(Continued from Page 4) south side of Chicago. He was instrumental in getting changes to the hazardous factory conditions and even snuck a Chicago Sun reporter onto the premises to reveal the horrific conditions.

Concurrently, Lynn was doing desk work at a South Chicago hospital. Being in this environment, Lynn found that helping people through nursing appealed to her. She got her nursing certification.

In 1977 their daughter Katie was born. The steel mills were closing down and laying people off in droves.

Bruce’s grandfather was a prominent judge in Montana.

Lynn suggested law school as an option for Bruce to pursue. In 1981 he was accepted

former New Yorker, Hill sported cherry red-framed glasses, strings of pearls and a bubbling enthusiasm. She enlivened parties at area events

“Around the Town,” the name of the column she penned for

to the UCLA School of Law. Off to California they went. Life in Los Angeles

In Los Angeles, Lynn continued her nursing career, working at Cedars-Sinai, taking classes at Cal State Los Angeles and eventually being admitted to the School of Nursing at UCLA. She completed her master’s in nursing in 1986.

Upon graduation, she received multiple cash awards totaling $25,000 for her studies. Bruce proudly boasts, “She swept all of the awards, and that was the down payment for our home.”

Bruce had graduated from law school and was clerking at the law firm Taylor, Roth and Bush. In 1985 Jay Roth, a partner in the firm and resident of Norton Avenue, recommended Bruce for a job as the business repre-

Jeanne Marguerite Garcia

September

Jeanne Garcia was a longtime resident of Windsor Square. She was active in the Ebell Club of Los Angeles, and served as Parent Club President for St. Brendan School.

29, 1944 – November 29, 2024

Jeanne was a caring wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, and friend. She is survived by her sons Stephen, Mark, Darin, and Christopher, in addition to her seven grandchildren; Kevyn, Jack, Taylor, Alexandra, Wyatt, Myla, and James.

Her creativity and artistic spirit led her to UCLA where she earned an associate’s degree in Design. She specialized in kitchen design, as her abilities were reflected in various neighbors’ homes in Hancock Park and the surrounding area.

Her son Darin related Jeanne’s outreach to others as a beautiful butterfly that touched many lives in a beautiful and meaningful way. She had a gift for

bringing people together while turning her home into a place filled with laughter, love and homecooked meals. She was constantly opening her heart and her home to friends and family.

Jeanne had a great sense of adventure and enjoyed spending quality time with her large extended family in Iowa, Nebraska, and Colorado. She rarely missed a family reunion, wedding, or chance to welcome a new loved one.

Her beautiful smile, sense of humor and impeccable style will be dearly missed but forever remembered.

The Celebration of Life was held on December 21, 2024 at St. Brendan Church with Father Brian Castañeda officiating.

Jeanne was raised in Iowa and was interred next to her mother, Lucille, at Evergreen Cemetery in Red Oak, Iowa on January 3, 2025.

the Chronicle

She was most proud, she told us in a 2012 interview, of her work as a minority arts coordinator of African American works at a repertory theater for the deaf and a dance company that performed Afro-Cuban dance.

She also served on the board of a professional musicians group and on the board of Crossroads School, which her son attended.

In an email last month to the Chronicle, David Hill wrote of their 49 years of marriage: “I wore out a half-dozen tuxedoes escorting her to a thousand balls, galas, opera openings and charity dinners, which she covered for her Around the Town column

sentative at what is now the International Cinematographers Guild, Local 600. He got the job and stayed for 37 years. “It was just what I wanted,” Bruce said. Back to his passion of organizing unions and making work conditions better.

How did they get to the neighborhood?

This young family was ready to put down roots here in the City of Angels. After searching all over the city and not finding any homes that appealed to them, Aunt Billie came through again.

She recommended they reach out to a realtor friend of hers, Cookie Day. Ms. Day showed them their current house on Ridgewood Place, and they fell in love with it. “It was so much better than anything else we’d seen. We loved the area with all the local shops and the charm of

over two decades.

“She left me a heart filled with gratitude and several closets full of clothes.”

Patty Hill suffered multiple fractures from a fall on the stairs of her home in 2020 at the El Royale Apartments in Windsor Square. Her last column for the paper was in November 2020.

She is survived by her son, Lonnie Hill, of Las Vegas, her husband David, and three siblings.

Her fondest wish, David Hill told us, was that any memorials be in the form of a donation to the Ebell of Los Angeles where she served as president and on the board for 16 years. To donate, visit ebellofla.org/ support-us#donate-today.

the older homes,” the Doerings agree. Not to mention how walkable the area is.

With Lynn’s award money as their down payment, they moved in with their daughter in 1986 and have never looked back.

Lynn continued her education at UCLA and got her Ph.D in 1995. She worked her way up the ranks at the university and became associate dean of the School of Nursing. She retired in 2021. Their daughter, Katie, is now married and has a daughter of her own, and her family also lives in the Los Angeles area.

And Bruce’s crew of friends that he lived with off campus in Palo Alto and San Francisco? They remain friends to this day, getting together annually for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and other gatherings throughout the year.

Ecclesia Gnostica Gnostic Christian Church Bishop Dr. Stephan Hoeller

PATTY HILL

Donations

(Continued from Page 1)

Me page and matched donations received (up to $2,000). The association also worked to provide meals to firefighters and police. Through the association’s efforts, Los Angeles Fire Department Station 68 and the Los Angeles Police Department’s Wilshire Division received meals from Met Him at a Bar restaurant, 801 S. La Brea Ave. and Redbird, 114 E. 2nd St., the first weekend of the fire.

Another nearby group that

stepped up immediately was the Hollywood Food Coalition, which focused on meals, masks, water and other essentials. Because the safety and needs of pets are a big concern during catastrophes like these fires, many groups, including Best Friends Animal Society, put their focus on that area of need. There were so many good efforts undertaken that the Chronicle could not begin to catalogue them all. But everyone involved should be proud and be thanked, if known.

As this issue goes to press,

the fires are still burning. Aid and donations are still needed and welcomed. If you are interested in donating, there are many ways to do so. One is through the City of Los Angeles website for this disaster: lacity.gov/lastrong. Another is the comprehensive site of L.A. Works. it lists many ways to help. See: laworks.com/ 2025fires.

Do note that good intentions can often overwhelm fire stations and shelters with more physical goods and donations than they can handle. The soundest advice —

during any catastrophe — is to open our hearts by opening our checkbooks. Vetted organizations can then utilize donated funds in the most effective, efficient ways.

The list of organizations stepping up is long and is constantly evolving. A useful local source that is being updated regularly is Big Sunday, an organization founded in Hancock Park, with its headquarters office now located a bit to our east. Learn more about how one can help or receive help at bigsunday.org/ lafiresresourcelist.

Tips for protecting respiratory health during wildfires

By Elaine Pershing

A matter of serious concern during these local wildfires relates to respiratory and immune wellness. Local doctor Dr. Mao Shing Ni offers detailed suggestions:

“The recent and ongoing wildfires in the Los Angeles area can severely impact air quality, posing significant health risks, especially to the respiratory system. Here are practical tips to help safeguard your well-being:

“Stay indoors Keep windows and doors closed, and use weather stripping to seal any gaps.

“Use air purifiers Invest in

a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter to reduce indoor air pollution. Ensure your HVAC system is equipped with proper filters, and avoid activities like vacuuming that may stir up particles.

“Wear a proper mask. If you must go outside, wear an N95 or P100 mask to filter out harmful particles.

“Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water to keep your respiratory system hydrated and help your body flush out toxins. Herbal teas with anti-inflammatory properties, such as peppermint, chrysanthemum or Detox Tea, can be soothing.

“Protect vulnerable groups.

Children, older adults and individuals with respiratory conditions like asthma are at greater risk.

“Use a nasal spray. A saline spray can help rinse out particles and keep nasal passages moist, reducing irritation from smoke exposure.

“Eat and take anti-inflammatory foods and herbs. To support your respiratory and immune systems, incorporate foods rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and quercetin.

“Monitor air quality. Stay updated on air quality lev-

els using apps or websites like airnow.gov.

“Practice breathing exercises. Engage in gentle breathing exercises like diaphragmatic breathing to help your lungs remain healthy. Try self-healing qigong. Avoid strenuous activities that can strain your respiratory system during poor air quality days.”

Dr. Mao concludes, “By taking these steps, you can protect your health and maintain respiratory wellness during wildfire season. If you experience persistent symptoms such as coughing, difficulty breathing or chest pain, seek medical attention promptly.”

Forbes & Murr

(Continued from Page 7) to Murr because he was funny, smart and was wearing a bowtie (which he still has). After more than three decades together, they still see the original attractions, but they also have grown to appreciate additional attributes.

Forbes describes Murr as kind, supportive, stable, smart and very funny. Murr sees Forbes as smart, intense and committed. “Part of her commitment is helping an amazing number of people with pretty complicated stuff. She goes way out of her way — not just with organizations, but with individuals who come to her with problems. She’s got an amazing amount of energy and, once she decides to do something, it’s going to happen,” said Murr.

The couple says all the chapters of their life together have been good. “The best way not to get divorced is to stay married. You power through,” said Forbes. Though there is truth to her somewhat humorous advice, in the case of Forbes and Murr, their “powering through” has clearly been accompanied by a deep appreciation, respect and love for each other.

Park La Brea held its annual meeting

COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE

field in connection with the Palisades Fire.

By John Welborne

In the Theater of the vast Park La Brea complex situated south of The Grove and north of the museums of Hancock Park, members of the Park La Brea Residents Association (PLBRA) gathered for their annual meeting on Sun., Jan. 12.

President Robert Shore presided, and legal counsel Bruce J. Altshuler spent much of the early part of the meeting advising attendees on voting guidelines for the board of directors election and answering general questions. Several days after the meeting, the election results were announced, with 11 candidates elected.

Miracle Mile meets on Jan. 25

By Suzan Filipek

The Miracle Mile Residential Association (MMRA) will hold its annual community meeting on Sat., Jan. 25 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Petersen Automotive Museum, 744 S. Fairfax Ave.

Due to the recent wildfires, the agenda for the upcoming meeting has changed.

“We’ve decided to refocus, in light of the critical fire disaster, to highlight what we’re calling ‘neighborhood

resilience,’” MMRA President Greg Goldin told us.

“We plan to talk about ways for neighbors to get to know one another more closely, to learn skills to keep each other safe in emergencies and, more widely, to keep an eye out for each other.”

All neighbors within the Miracle Mile are welcome to bring their input and questions pertinent to the neighborhood and to become members of MMRA for an annual fee of $25.

The main feature of the meeting was a question and answer session with the Los Angeles City Council Fifth District representative.

Because Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky was in the field in connection with the Palisades Fire evacuations (that include parts of her district), she was unable to attend, but her communications director, Leo Daube, made remarks and responded to many questions. Additional information about the annual meeting, as well as future meetings, is on the association’s website at: plbra. org/meetings.

New group gathers in, and for, Larchmont on Feb. 2

By Nona Sue Friedman

Local residents seeking to build a new neighborhood organization invite interested people to join them at an al fresco breakfast, from 9 a.m. to noon, on Sun., Feb 2. The event will take place in the parking lot behind Hancock Homes at 501 N. Larchmont Blvd. (on the northwest corner at Rosewood).

The purpose of the new group, named Larchmont United Neighborhood Association (LUNA) is to advocate for the Larchmont

Village area between Arden and Wilton, from Beverly to Melrose.

The founding president of LUNA is Sam Uretsky, and Annie O’Rourke and Keith Johnson are joining him on the LUNA board. At the Sunday breakfast, the founders hope to recruit additional members, at annual dues of $25 per household.

As Uretsky told the Larchmont Chronicle , “We are passionate and excited to help Larchmont grow with a positive perspective.”

Third Street alumni celebrate school’s 100 years at brunch

By John Welborne

The centennial of local Third Street Elementary School was celebrated again on cam-

pus on Jan. 17. Classmates from the 1940s through 2020s reconnected at a lovely brunch hosted by Friends of Third in the school’s library.

Centennial historian Wendy Holley-Zelman welcomed attendees, and this writer’s Class of 1959 was represented by about a half-dozen alums.

communications director Leo Daube answered PLBRA members’ questions in the absence of the councilmember, who was in the

CLASS OF 1959 alumni of Third Street School reconnect at Centennial Alumni Brunch in the school’s library. From left: Sam Tarica, Carolyn Crocker Layport, Cynthia Markus and Michael Silvera.

HISTORIAN and organizer Wendy Holley-Zelman welcomes the oldest alum to attend the brunch, Ann Reiss Lane, class of 1941.

What we lost in the fires — few areas are untouched by this tragedy

As Los Angeles comes to grips with the losses, in lives, property and communities that were consumed in the catastrophic fires that broke out the second week of this year, it seems that few areas of our civic life have been left untouched by this terrible tragedy. This includes architectural heritage. At the time of writing, with the fires still raging, over 40 architecturally and culturally significant structures have been lost. A comprehensive list is being compiled by the Los Angeles Conservancy.

As we have seen with world-famous sites such as the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Windsor Castle and many others — outside of war — fire is one of the most destructive foes of built heritage. Closer to home, Hollywood’s Sunset Fire on the evening of Jan. 8, which engulfed Runyon Canyon, hovered above one of the most concentrated centers of historic buildings in the city, threatening the Wattles Mansion, Yamashiro, The Magic Castle and the historic districts of Hollywood Heights and Whitley Heights. Extinguished before a single home was burned, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) scored its first victory against the fires.

It is the Palisades and Eaton fires that have been the sources of the most destruction. News from the Palisades soon revealed that Will Rogers’ historic ranch house in Will Rogers State Park was lost, along with its connections to Hollywood’s Golden Age. Lost nearby was Camp Josepho, which had hosted Scouting groups and activities for 84 years. Modern masterpieces such as Richard Neutra’s Freedman House, 1948; the Robert Bridges’ House, 1974; and Ray Kappe’s Keeler House, 1991, as well as the mid-century Corpus Christi Catholic Church, were burned. As of press time, the Charles and Ray Eames House, 1949, mi-

On Preservation

by Brian Curran

raculously survived. Along with thousands of houses, the Palisades lost its village center, including its historic Palisades Business Block, Theatre Palisades’ Pierson Playhouse and the 1929 Mortensen House, which was among the earliest homes in the community. While the Getty Villa managed to escape the destruction, much of the Pacific Coast Highway’s historic roadside architecture and eateries was lost. This included Cholada Thai, the Malibu Feed Bin, Moonshadows, the Reel Inn and the Topanga Ranch Motel, among many others.

To our east, the historic series of communities in the San Gabriel Valley — Altadena, Pasadena and Sierra Madre — bore the brunt of the catastrophic Eaton Fire that caused incalculable losses of residential neighborhoods and buildings, many well over 100 years old. Gilded Age landmarks such as the Frederick Roehrig-designed Queen Anne-style Andrew McNally Estate, 1887, and the Myron Hunt and Elmer Greydesigned Zane Grey Estate, 1907, were both destroyed. Planned communities and developments such as the 1920s English-style Janes Village, and Gregory Ain and Garrett Eckbo’s 1948 postwar Modernist development, the Park Planned Houses, both suffered heavy losses. Houses of worship and religious sites were not spared, with the Altadena Community Church, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, the Al Taqwa Mosque, the Pasadena Jewish Temple and the Theosophical Library all lost. Quirky and nature-related sites such as the beloved Bun-

ny Museum, the 1946 artists’ colony Zorthian Ranch, the 1934 Works Progress Administration (WPA)-era William D. Davies Memorial Building in Farnsworth Park and the

1912 Walter Valentine Cottage in Wildwood Park were consumed in the blazes.

Each of these historic structures listed, along with the multitude of houses, schools,

cafés, stores and gathering places lost, add up to places of memory, of identity and of connections to the past that underpin a community’s sense of place. Their loss is incalculable, and in most cases permanent. These places are changed forever, scarred. History has shown us though, that out of great destruction can come great renewal and fresh creativity. If California’s history of destruction and revival is any guide, these devastated communities will be rebuilt and be beautiful again, in some cases better. A few of these landmarks may even rise, phoenixlike, from the ashes. But today, we mourn what we lost in the fires, because today, it is now all in the past.

MORTENSEN HOUSE overlooking the Pacific Ocean on Via de la Paz was among the earliest homes in Pacific Palisades and now is gone due to the fire.

School News

(Continued from Page 13 of Section 1)

THIRD STREET

By Maya Johnson 5th Grade

LARCHMONT CHARTER WILSHIRE

By Emory Tom Kirkwood and Xavi Mason 3rd Grade

PILGRIM SCHOOL

By Allison Pak 11th Grade

Greetings from Third Street Elementary! The victims of the Palisades and Eaton fires weigh heavily on our minds. Our own Coach Matthew, from JMG Sports After School Program, has lost his home. If you would like to help Coach Matthew please donate to his Go Fund Me account at gofund.me/cf11a62b.

On a lighter note, our school has multiple events planned in the coming weeks. Third Street’s See’s Candy Fundraiser will run Jan. 21 through Jan. 31. This Valentine’s Day fundraiser will help raise money for both teachers and students.

Our 5th graders are preparing to leave for Astro Camp, which is an overnight science-based educational camp.

The Read Around the World Book Challenge is still going strong! Students have taken on the challenge to read about people and places from all seven continents.

Parents will have a night of fun during our annual Parents Casino Night Fundraiser Event, which is scheduled to take place on Feb. 21. The event includes an online auction and will be a time for parents to have an enjoyable evening while also supporting our school.

Good morning, Los Angeles! February has come!! We’re here to be kind, give cards and celebrate Presidents’ Day.

For Presidents’ Day, teachers’ classes are doing activities such as read-alouds related to the holiday and learning about past presidencies heartily.

Speaking of hearts, our school has a tradition called Kindness Month, where every day we have a challenge to be kind. Domi Miyamoto, the assistant principal, said, “Typically during Kindness Month, students come up with the challenges. Everyone attempting any challenge adds to the pleasantness of the month, and those who complete all (or almost all) of the challenges receive an extra something too!”

For Valentine’s Day, Ms. Amanda, our school’s reading specialist, has a tradition of having Kindness Spies who go around school looking for students who are being kind.

Speaking of kindness, we’re signing off to give Valentine’s cards while hoping that any people affected by the fires are on the road to recovery.

P.S. Thank you LCS staff for keeping us safe from the fires. We highly appreciate it.

Our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected by the recent fires, especially those who lost their homes, businesses and schools. The City of Los Angeles is strong and we will

LE LYCÉE FRANCAIS DE LOS ANGELES

By Aydin Hammoudeh 8th Grade

rebuild. Semester One is coming to an end, which means that people will be wrapping up their final work. Near the end of the semester there will be the traditional snow trip that happens every end of January. All high school students are going to Big Bear, where we will be staying for three days and two nights. We are free to bring our own gear, but those who don’t own

would like to thank all our first responders for the tremendous work they’ve done to help.

any will be able to get rentals.

The class of 2025 has recently received early dedication college admissions to Cornell, Tulane and other colleges. It is admissions season and open houses were well attended. Many families are interested in Pilgrim School’s programs, offerings and our beautiful historic landmark.  For more information, please contact admissions@pilgrim-school.org

the communities and for everyone who has been impacted.

As we were ready to embrace the new year, our community was affected by devastating fires. Our heart goes out to those most touched by this tragic event. Unfortunately, our school lost one of its campuses, the Pacific Palisades Campus. Many of us and our loved ones have been evacuated and sadly, lost our homes.

To provide a sense of normalcy, our four other campuses, located in the West Los Angeles area, remained open during this stressful and difficult time. The school worked to give students a safe and supportive environment, and for many of us, it is the last stable space in our current lives.

Our Pacific Palisades students have all been welcomed to the Le Lycée Century City campus in newly arranged classrooms, just for them. Our parent community stood strong to help provide housing, transportation and clothing to those affected by the fires. We

CAMPBELL HALL

Claire “Cal” Lesher 12th Grade

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2025!   Unfortunately, the year started off with the disastrous wild fires in Los Angeles. We are deeply appreciative, and we feel immense gratitude beyond words for the first responders and firefighters for their bravery and heroism in battling and continuing to combat the numerous fires. We pray for all

One of the many reasons I love our school community is that we step up and take action. Campbell Hall immediately began asking for donations for our disaster relief supply drive for all essentials. Our school came together and filled our gymnasium with the donations. In a few days, with the help of volunteers, we were able to distribute the goods to people affected by the devastating fires. Additionally, we started a CH Community Relief Fund for people who are experiencing need and loss related to the Los Angeles fires. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone. May everyone remain safe.

This home at 408 N. Beachwood Dr. in the Larchmont Village Neighborhood sold for $1,732,720 in December.

Art week showcases diversity of Los Angeles and beyond

By Helene Seifer

Mention the month of February and most people think of Valentine’s Day or possibly Presidents’ Day but, for art lovers, the month marks art week in Los Angeles. In February, two important exhibitions are again celebrating art and artists from local, national and international galleries: the sixth iteration of Frieze Los Angeles and the 30th edition of the LA Art Show. In addition, attendees of the seventh Felix Art Fair will again converge on the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and an upstart art fair in an abandoned post office is joining the scene.

Vibrancy of Los Angeles at Frieze Frieze Los Angeles 2025 showcases the important contributions of Los Angeles to the art world. Christine Messineo, director

of Americas at Frieze, states, “As a major art center, Los Angeles plays an influential role in the global art scene. This year we will bring together a stellar roster of galleries and artists that reflect the vibrancy and diversity of Los Angeles and beyond.”

More than 100 galleries from more than 20 countries are exhibiting, and nearly half of all participating galleries are based in Los Angeles or have spaces here in addition to other international locations, including David Zwirner, Hauser & Wirth, Blum and Small Fires Everywhere. A Focus section introduces emerging artists and galleries onto the international stage, such as Los Angeles gallery artists Sawaka Goda from Nonaka-Hill and Brandon Landers from Carlyle Packer Gallery. Outside the confines of the exhibition

pavilion — designed by Kulapat Yantrasast’s architecture firm wHY — a site-specific free public program explores Los Angeles’ cultural identity.

Diversity is our strength at LA Art Show

The  LA Art Show  will mark its 30th year with over 100 galleries and 16 museums and arts organizations representing diverse perspectives from around the globe. “Art is most impactful when it transcends borders,” notes the art fair’s director and producer Kassandra Voyagis. “Diversity is our strength.”

The Art Show’s 8-year-old non-commercial platform, DIVERSEarthLA, will reflect on its history of inclusive arts programming by focusing on eight presentations from previous years, including a banner celebrating diversity created by community members alongside artists at the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach and carried in the 2019 Long Beach Pride Parade.

Visitors to the exhibit will see a range of art pieces, including  “Jane Morris,” a portrait of the embroiderer, artist model and wife of textile designer William Morris by Nikoleta Sekulovic, from the Rebecca Hussack Gallery in London. Also on view is an industrial metal sculpture titled “Steam Robot” by Steel Che (Youngkwan Choi), from Art in Dongsan in South Korea.

The LA Art Show wants to be approachable to a diverse audience. “For three decades now, LA Art Show has worked to democratize art,” explains Voyagis. “We offer a range of mediums and price points to ensure accessibility to the next generation of enthusiasts while also catering to established art collectors.”

Casual conversation and cocktails enhance the art experience at the seventh  Felix Art Fair  at the beautiful Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. From CalArts to Ukraine’s Voloshyn

Gallery in Kyiv, more than 60 galleries from around the world showcase their artists in the hotel’s halls, bedrooms, bathrooms and poolside cabanas.

Created as an alternative to more traditional art fairs, which charge high fees to exhibiting galleries and to attendees, the  Santa Monica Post Office  is presenting, in its inaugural year, approximately 25 solo exhibits in an abandoned Art Deco post office for a fraction of traditional costs. Galleries scheduled to exhibit include Sprüth Magers from Berlin, London, New York and Los Angeles; Cooper Cole from Toronto, Canada; and Tokyo gallery Kayokoyuki.

Frieze Los Angeles is at the Santa Monica Airport, 3027 Airport Ave., Feb. 20-23. Adult  tickets start at $79. Frieze. com/fairs/frieze-los-angeles.

LA Art Show takes place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, South Hall, 1201 Figueroa St., Feb. 19-23. One-day tickets are $35 (15 percent of ticket proceeds go to support the American Heart Association). laartshow. com. Felix Art Fair is at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, 7000 Hollywood Blvd., Feb. 19-23. Passes are $100. Visit felixfair.com. Santa Monica Post Office is located at 1248 5th St. Tickets are $10.

THE PAINTING “Jane Morris,” by artist Nikoleta Sekulovic, from Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery in London, is in the LA Art Show.

ARTWORKS shown at Frieze include Sawaka Goda’s “Nefertiti Rolling Pyramid,” 2007.

DANCE II by artist Nairi Safaryan of the Wood Symphony Gallery will be at the LA Art Show.

Las Madrinas Ball benefits Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

CHRONICLE neighborhood debutantes at

325 N. Larchmont Boulevard, #158 Los Angeles, California 90004 windsorsquare.org

157 N. Larchmont Boulevard

“In the coldest February, as in every other month in every other year, the best thing to hold on to in this world is each other.”

— Linda Ellerbee

Los Angeles Wildfires: We at the WSA hope that you and your loved ones are safe after the devasting fires of January. We offer our deepest condolences to those who have lost so much and gratitude to first responders who battled the flames. Here, in Windsor Square, many in our community generously opened their homes to displaced families or organized donation drives for those affected by the fires.

Lend a Helping Hand: You can still help! There are many ways through local groups, churches and individuals to join in the effort to help those affected by the fires and the recovery of our city. Here are three city- and countyapproved lists of resources to help guide you:

LA Strong: lacity.gov/LAstrong LAHSA: lahsa.org/newsArticle/resources-tosupport-those-during-the-la-fires LA Works: laworks.com/2025fires

Local Public Safety: The WSA encourages continued vigilance and robust home security. The WSA will resume outreach regarding the possible introduction of License Plate Reading (LPR) cameras on streets that choose to participate. The WSA is contributing $1,000 to the first block that moves forward with camera installation. For further information on LPR cameras, contact WSA board member Steve Tator at @tator100@aol.com.

Valentine’s Day, February 14th: Don’t forget to get a little something sweet on Larchmont Boulevard for your sweetheart!

WE NEED BLOCK CAPTAINS! Be the leader of your block and the point person for all that’s going on in the neighborhood. The WSA has numerous block captain positions open. It’s a great opportunity to engage with neighbors and community leaders. Send an e-mail to: blockcaptains@windsorsquare.org.

The Windsor Square Association, an all-volunteer group of residents from 1100 households between Beverly and Wilshire and Van Ness and Arden, works to preserve and enhance our beautiful neighborhood.

325 N. Larchmont Blvd., #158, Los Angeles, CA 90004, or windsorsquare.org.

By John Welborne

Las Madrinas honored 26 young women and their families for their service to the Southern California community and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles during the Las Madrinas Ball at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Dec. 21.

Sheridan Russell Link, president of Las Madrinas, formally welcomed the families and guests in attendance and thanked everyone for joining Las Madrinas in its support of the research programs at Children’s Hospital. She spoke of Las Madrinas’ positive impact on the hospital for the past 91 years, specifically highlighting the organization’s latest commitment to the Las Madrinas Endowment and Chair in Developmental-Behavioral

‘Sheroes’ to be spotlighted

at The Ebell

Hidden stories of Los Angeles’ remarkable women will be showcased at the second annual The Ebell Institute (TEI) Study of Women’s History symposium on Thurs., March 27, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Ebell of Los Angeles, 741 S. Lucerne Blvd.

Untold stories of “sheroes” will include women who helped build the city as well as modern scholars and artists.

“We are extremely excited for our second symposium and continuing to develop a broader understanding of the critical role women have played in shaping Los Angeles as we know it,” said Sika Lonner, development manager.

Deadline to submit an entry to be a panelist at the symposium is Fri., Feb. 21. Selected participants will receive a $300 honorarium.

The March 27 event is free. For detailed instructions to submit an entry and more information, write to sika@ ebellofla.org.

Designer to talk on new book, French homes

Interior designer Timothy Corrigan will discuss his new book at The Ebell of Los Angeles on Thurs., Jan. 23, at 7 p.m. Corrigan will share insights from his career, his design philosophy and the inspiration behind his globally influenced interiors.

The evening will showcase elements of his recent design work, two of his French homes — a Belle Époque apartment in Paris’ 16th arrondissement and a countryside château — and his latest book, “At Home In France.” The text is by former ELLE Decor editor-in-chief Michael Boodro.

Get tickets at ebellofla.org.

Pediatrics.

This year’s Ball chair was Hilary Esketh Crahan, of Windsor Square. Larchmont Village Florist created the centerpieces and floral décor.

The Wayne Foster Orchestra accompanied the Presentation of the Debutantes and played the traditional waltz that transitioned the party from presentation to celebration.

Larchmont Village Neighborhood Association

AN INTRODUCTION

Hello fellow Larchmont Village residents! This is first of what we hope will be a regular series of columns updating you about what’s going on in the neighborhood, as well as a forum to communicate directly about urgent issues we’re dealing with that will affect your lives.

I’m Charles D’Atri, the President of the Larchmont Village Neighborhood Association. I’ve been a member since I moved to Larchmont in late 1998 and an officer for nearly that long. The LVNA, which is nearly 40 years old, is unique in the sense that it is not a homeowner only group; we include residents of all types. Our borders run from Wilton Place to the west side of Arden Boulevard, Melrose Avenue to Beverly Boulevard.

As an historic and eclectic neighborhood with a variety of types of housing & zoning plus commercial corridors on Melrose and Larchmont, we deal with most of the issues (development, upzoning, quality of life, crime) that have become hot buttons across the city, and we act as a resource for residents of our area.

We have the good fortune to have informed, committed neighbors as officers and members who have a great deal of knowledge about the issues that affect us. I encourage you to reach out so we can be a resource to help you or to refer you when you have a problem. Our officers include Charles D’Atri as President, Vince Cox as Vice President, Karen Gilman as Secretary (and Land Use Expert) and Treasurer Sandy Fleck. Housing

We are well aware of the need for housing in Los Angeles and have long played our part with hundreds of multifamily units being built over the last decade+. We recognize the need for, and support development of, multifamily housing in our R3 areas. We’ve worked with a long list of developers to try to ensure that what’s built is supportive of the character of our neighborhood. Additionally, for 15+ years, we have been focused on the potential (and now-happening) redevelopment of North Larchmont Boulevard, one of the areas of the neighborhood that features buildings that are substantially smaller than what the existing zoning allowed even before recent changes. It’s important that you know the characteristics we’ve long identified as being critical to the fabric and viability of North Larchmont — walkable streets with neighborhood friendly commercial first floor uses and live/work buildings (including some reasonable amount of parking) that build on, rather than just exploit, the strengths of the surrounding area and that show sensitivity and offer mitigations for the inevitable negative impacts of construction.

Density

With the recent liberalization and encouragement of even greater density by the state and city, there has been an explosion of development, both proposed and anticipated. Unfortunately, in addition to neighborhood friendly, aware builders who take the time to walk our streets and create buildings we can all be proud of, we now — as the area has become more desirable and the impediments to building lessened — are encountering rapacious developers with little sensitivity for the neighborhood’s existing balance. Such developers have become something of a plague on our area. It would be great if every project were sincere in its commitment to affordable housing and buildings that enrich and build upon a successful, future-looking model. That hasn’t been our experience.

WE NEED YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT. Join the neighborhood association; sign-up for our email list; write to city officials; and turn up for city meetings and hearings when asked. If it interests you, participate in our Board. Also, install the MyLA311 app — the most effective way to report issues to the city.

You can join or reach out to the Larchmont Village Neighborhood Association at lvna.info. You can write to the LVNA at: Larchmont Village Neighborhood Association

325 North Larchmont, #294

Los Angeles, CA 90004

You can email the general LVNA box at lvna90004@gmail. com or email me directly at lvgwnc@gmail.com.

Serving the Larchmont community between Beverly and Melrose, Arden to Wilton Place lvna.info • lvna90004@gmail.com

LARCHMONT

the 2024 Las Madrinas Ball included, from left, Grace Victoria Hutchins and Alana Juanita Laurie. Nick Boswell Photography

Look to London for perspective on our devastating fires

There have been times, when writing this column, that I have felt more like a war correspondent than a theater critic: covering theater during the pandemic, or the invasion of Ukraine, or the Black Lives Matter protests, the #MeToo movement, last year’s rains and floods, or two presidential campaigns. This month’s column is yet another report from the front.

As a result of the recent fires, already struggling theaters have announced closures or, optimistically, postponements of plays. Artists have lost homes or had to evacuate; rehearsal and performance spaces have burnt down; people died. Homeowners who have lost everything will not be responsive to box office workers selling subscriptions. Donors who might be coaxed back to the arts now have more pressing causes to support.

The burnout is as much spiritual and psychological as it is physical and topographical.

Because a monthly column allows for a bit of perspective, bear with me:

In 1613, Shakespeare’s Globe burned down when a cannon shot, used for a special effect in “Henry VIII,” set fire to the theater’s thatch roof. The theater was rebuilt a year later, but was closed by the Puritans in 1644, and it was torn down during the inter-regnum of Oliver Cromwell. Charles II restored the monarchy in 1660, and he brought back from his French exile a taste for indoor

theaters, proscenium stages, and actresses, none of which were part of the “cruder” theater of Shakespeare’s day.

However, in 1665 London was decimated by plague, and the theaters were shut down.

The same year England suffered an extreme weather event with a cold, wet winter followed by a 10-month drought. Water was scarce. Timber was dry.

On Sept. 2, 1666, a maid left the embers glowing in a baker’s oven on Pudding Lane, and by 1 a.m., a third of London was ablaze. Samuel Pepys, the 17th century diarist, wrote: “… all over the Thames… you were almost burned with a shower of firedrops. This is very true; so as houses were burned by these drops and flakes of fire, three or four, nay, five or six houses, one from another… [we] saw the fire grow; and, as it grew darker, appeared more and more, and in corners and upon steeples, and between churches and houses, as far as we could see up the hill of the City, in a most horrid malicious bloody flame, not like the fine flame of an ordinary fire: it made me weep to see it.”

Nearly 200,000 Londoners spent the next few months living in tents and open fields. More than 13,000 houses were destroyed, along with 87 churches and St. Paul’s Cathedral. The city burned for nearly five days. But within a month the King and his special commission had approved architect Christopher Wren’s plan for a new city and the re-

Theater Review by Louis Fantasia

building of St. Paul’s.

New London would have wider streets, with houses farther apart, made from brick or stone, not timber, pitch and thatch. There would be downspouts and gutters, and

something called “insurance” to pay for a fire brigade.

And there would be a revival in the theater. Dryden, Congreve, Wycherly and others would write plays (mostly comedies) for an audience hungry to be entertained. Theaters were expanded. Going out was once again fashionable, expensive, and, most of all, important. Plays came to reflect the wit and resilience of the city and its people.

And London was not alone.

After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, city leaders built a

massive new opera house. A month after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the French actress Sarah Bernhardt gave a free performance of Racine’s “Phédre” for more than 5,000 survivors at the Greek Theatre on the UC Berkeley campus.

It is a war, and we have lost the battle. But to paraphrase the Revolutionary War hero John Paul Jones, “We have not yet begun to fight.”

We will create. We will perform. We will applaud. And, yes … we will review!

A cop’s account tells of Palisades fire

By Nona Sue Friedman

What’s it like to be a first responder at the Palisades fire?

The Larchmont Chronicle had the opportunity to talk

with Senior Lead Officer (SLO) Danny Chavez of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). He has been called to work the Palisades fire along with many other SLOs.

Chavez says that the LAPD is pulling officers from every part of the city to help with the fire. The officers work 17-hour shifts with one day on and then one day off. The entire force has been moving schedules around to help and accommodate the Los Angeles Fire Department. Chavez hasn’t heard anyone complain.

He recently drove through the burned area for the first time. In his words, “Seeing the lives taken down to ruins is sad, very, very sad. Everything is gone. In person, it’s twice as sad as on television.” As he was driving, he said all the houses and garages were burned down, but there was one kid’s swing left hanging on a tree limb. A haunting scene.

While on duty, Chavez

spoke to some of the firefighters from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as CAL FIRE. He learned that the CAL FIRE teams work 24-hour shifts. After their shifts, he thought maybe they were put up in a hotel or some kind of accommodations, but no. They sleep in their uniforms, removing their jackets, in their trucks. Then, to decompress, they sit in collapsible chairs. At this particular fire, they are able to sit on the beach. “But they are still right at the fire scene, so they are never really off or able to relax,” Chavez related. The most positive aspect of this disaster, in Chavez’s opinion, is the community’s response. According to him, “The community, Los Angeles, has been absolutely supportive of us. No one will be hungry or thirsty or without coffee. It’s such a nice and positive thing to see.”

LONELY SWING SET still stands while fire burns in the background. Photo by Matthew Hoen

Homestyle Uzbek restaurant is serving on Melrose Avenue

The Republic of Uzbekistan is a landlocked country in central Asia known for hearty, homey meat dishes. There is a handful of restaurants specializing in Uzbek cuisine in Los Angeles, where the roughly 3,000 Uzbek expats in the Los Angeles area — and others who appreciate comfort food — can indulge in the authentic tastes of the region. The newest such restaurant is Zira Uzbek Kitchen

The restaurant is a family affair. The husband-and-wife team of Azim Rahmatov and Gulnigor “Gigi” Ganieva own the eatery and aim to create an atmosphere reminiscent of the hospitality of their homeland. He studied hospitality management at Cal Poly Pomona and managed a now closed Uzbekistan restaurant and then worked at luxury hotels. She runs their social media account, although her day job is as a cardiologist

at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. She explains that her husband supported her during her cardiology training and now she is supporting his dream to have his own restaurant. Azim’s brother, Azam Rahmatov, is the chef, having last cooked at an Uzbek restaurant in New Jersey.

Homey atmosphere

The two brothers watched YouTube videos to learn how to build furniture and subsequently made the restaurant’s wood tables and cozy booths cushioned with bold patterned pillows. Tables hold vases of cotton branches in honor of Uzbekistan’s biggest crop. Framed fabrics with mosaic patterns adorn the walls, and colorful ceramics from their home country are tucked into wall cubbies. Tea arrives in beautiful Uzbek teapots with geometrically patterned small bowls for sipping. Pendant lamps have charming, fringed

by Helene Seifer

shades, adding to the homey atmosphere. Servers wear peasant-style striped vests and doppa, an Uzbek embroidered skullcap. Their only misstep is they need better napkins, not thin paper ones in diner napkin dispensers.

Influences

Uzbek cuisine has been influenced by immigrants from other countries in the region. Uzbeks also were introduced to foreign spices and foods when they were the center of the Silk Road trade route (from 130 B.C. to 1453). One spice whose use spread over the Silk Road is cumin, which is used liberally in Uz-

Taste vibrant Mexican cuisine at Descanso

By Suzan Filipek

Descanso was set to celebrate its entrance into the neighborhood with a grand opening Thurs., Jan. 23, at its flagship Los Angeles location at 5773 Wilshire Blvd.

At the Chronicle’s presstime, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was scheduled to kick off the opening of the contemporary taqueria that blends traditional Mexican cuisine with modern influences.

A reception with live music was to follow at the

9,000-square-foot restaurant in the SAG-AFTRA Plaza. It’s in the former home of Callender’s Grill, which closed in 2018 after 40 years.

The new restaurant celebrates the artistry of Mexican cuisine, “where every dish tells a story,” Rob Arellano, founder and co-owner of Descansco, said in a release.

The restaurant features a massive, round central bar, a main dining room and openair patios. In addition, there is a room where multicourse meals are made to order at a

Celebrate Year of the Snake

Firecrackers will sizzle and pop at the 47th annual run / walk in Los Angeles Chinatown, Sat., Feb. 1, and Sun., Feb. 2, at the Central Plaza, 943 N. Broadway. In what may be the oldest and longest-running event in the country to commemorate the Lunar New Year, the opening ceremony will feature lion dancers and lighting of 100,000 firecrackers. A 50-mile and a 20-mile bike ride and a PAW’er dog walk also take place Feb. 1. The 5K, 10K and kiddie run are scheduled for Feb. 2.

A beer garden, vendors and

children’s activities will be included in the two-day event. Visit firecracker10k.org.

Malaysian treats

Closer to home, Malaysian chef and caterer Samantha Tan, of Wilshire Park, is taking orders for made-fromscratch Lunar New Year foods through Wed., Feb. 12. Her menu includes a Chinese New Year (prosperity toss) Salad with plum sauce dressing, spicy curry puffs, meat and vegetarian dishes and desserts. Visit samtanskitchen. com and on Instagram @samtanskitchen.

communal table. Private dining is also available.

Menu highlights include a seafood tower, lobster enchiladas and tacos of steak, al pastor, chicken and more.

A portion of the sales from the grand opening will be shared with the California Community Foundation Wildfire Recovery Fund.

To see the brunch, lunch and dinner menus and more information, visit descansorestaurantsla.com.

bek cooking. In fact, the word “zira” in the restaurant’s name means “cumin.”

We started with a $3.50 pot of very flavorful black tea (they are awaiting their liquor license for beer and wine), a plate of $14.99 pickles (two treatments of cabbage, cucumber pickles and half sour green tomatoes) and some terrific Uzbek bread. $6 brings a large round loaf resembling a turban, served warm with red pepper cream cheese. A lovely way to start.

Salads feature eggplant, beef and kurt (an Uzbek cheese), $6.99 to $15.99, and there are $6 samsas (stuffed pastries), but we went right for the manti (steamed dumplings). They offer both steak and pumpkin versions and we ordered the pumpkin, $18. Five four-inch, thickskinned, pleated manti were stuffed with grated pumpkin and onions and served with yogurt sauce. I imagined it would resemble sweet pumpkin tortellini, but these were savory and oniony. My husband loved them, but I think I would have preferred the meat version.

A popular Uzbek dish is lagman, hand-pulled noodles with meat, either as a platter, $19, or in a beef soup, $15.99. My husband and I went on a chilly night, so we split the soup version. The cumin-scented beef broth was filled with a tangle of chewy, wonderfully satisfying noodles, chunks of beef, onions

and loads of multicolored peppers. It was warming and delicious and similar to a good beef stew, only brothy, not thickened. It tasted like home, even though my home never had a soup like this. Chicken shashlik, $16, came with one juicy, well-seasoned skewer, a small green salad and potatoes or rice. We selected rice. This is a tasty, well-priced dish. We also tried $19 plov — rice with garlic, carrots, chickpeas and beef — which was a little under-seasoned.

Desserts are $7.50 apiece, and we ordered a slice of honey cake, which they had just added to the menu. Delicious honey-infused cake was layered with honey cream. It was just sweet enough to perfectly accompany our last sips of tea.

The food at Zira Uzbek Kitchen is meant to evoke memories of home kitchens. The food is not delicate or overly complicated. They are not attempting to turn Uzbek dishes into a Michelin-star experience, nor are they adhering to the California penchant for local, veggie-centric cooking, although Gigi, as a cardiologist, insists they cook with less oil than is traditionally used in Uzbekistan, and they do offer some vegetarian options. This is honest, affordable, tasty food in a charming space reflective of Uzbek culture. And I applaud that.

Zira Uzbek Kitchen, 7422 Melrose Ave., 213-332-4086.

Valentine’s celebrations, weddings, showers and all types of events.

and areas for

Dylan’s music and puzzling influence onscreen; prolific songwriter

A Complete Unknown (9/10): 141 minutes. R. This movie makes a good effort at explaining Bob Dylan’s puzzling fame and influence. But to start off, it’s directed by James Mangold (script by Mangold, Jay Cocks and Elijah Wald), who also directed “Walk the Line” (2005), the biopic about Johnny Cash. There, Mangold made the decision to eschew using Cash’s iconic voice for a horrible impression by Joaquin Phoenix, who is no singer and whose interpretation of Cash’s voice went a long way toward diminishing the movie for me.

Mangold does it again here, having star Timothée Chalamet sing Dylan’s songs himself. This was a surprisingly good decision this time, because Chalamet has a much better voice than Dylan. Mangold also avoided using Joan Baez’s gorgeous voice and allowed Monica Barbaro to use

her own voice. That wasn’t so bad, either, as Barbaro has a beautiful voice.

The film tells the first four years of Dylan’s career, 19611965, ending with the climactic moment at the Newport Folk Festival in which Dylan used an electric guitar to the dismay of the promoters, including Pete Seeger (Edward Norton) and the audience. This, presumably, marked the beginning of the transition of music from beautiful melodies and clever lyrics, to be superseded by the jarring loudness of the electric

guitar and banal lyrics.

Chalamet gives a stunning, Oscar-quality performance, capturing Dylan’s selfish, abusive personality perfectly. Joining him are wonderful performances by Barbaro and Elle Fanning (whose performance is also Oscar-quality) as Sylvie Russo. Russo is a substitute name for the late Suze Rotolo, whose name was not used in the film at Dylan’s request. Rotolo was the woman Dylan eventually married after the relationship with Baez ended. The movie is unfortunately vague on these two relationships.

This is a highly entertaining movie filled with music.

Diane Warren: Relentless (9/10): 91 minutes. NR. This is a fascinating documentary about someone who came from nowhere to become a songwriter for more than 450 artists with a catalogue valued at more than a half billion dollars. Directed by Bess

At the Movies with Tony Medley

Kargman, the story is told by Diane herself and a myriad of artists and friends, including Cher, Common, Gloria Estefan, Jerry Bruckheimer, Clive Davis, Quincy Jones and a host of others.

Diane says of her childhood, “I got arrested. I was sent to juvenile hall for a couple of weeks. I think they thought they were saving me, but it was kind of a traumatic thing when you are a kid.

“I wanted a 12-string. My dad said, ‘If you get nothing lower than a B I’ll get it for you.’ I did that, and after I got my guitar, I went back to getting nothing but Ds and Fs.”

Reminiscent of John Lennon, whose mother told him, “Playing the guitar is fine, John, but you’ll never make any money at it,” Diane’s mother told her father, “She can’t make a living at it.”

Diane says, “I love it when people tell me I can’t do something.” Her dad took her for guitar lessons, but she didn’t want to learn the scales, so the teacher told her father, “Don’t bring Diane back. She has no future in music.” So, she taught herself.

“Rhythm of the Night” was her first hit when she was 29. She signed with Jack White and wanted to get out of the contract. Jack White says, “I gave up and we made a deal. But it is true that without me there would be no Diane Warren.”

Diane says, “I started my own company, settled the lawsuit and I never looked back. I’ve owned all my own songs since then.”

Cher fought not to record “If I Could Turn Back Time.” “I hated it,” says Cher. But Diane said she’d pay for the track and wouldn’t give up. Cher says that Diane is so cheap that if she were going to pay for the track, she’d sing it. “The minute I started the track,” says Cher, “it was perfect. I did it in about 15 minutes. Diane is unrelenting; but it’s one of my favorite songs, one of my biggest hits.”

Diane says, “You just need one believer, and that one believer has to start out being you.”

Clive Davis: “She knows the power of love. She knows the heartbreak of love. She knows all the emotional qualities surrounding it. But it’s fantasy. Because to my knowledge, she’s never really been in love.”

Diane says, “I’m straight. Everyone thinks I’m gay. But it doesn’t matter. I don’t want to be in a relationship. I don’t think you have to be in love to write a great love song. To me it’s like method acting. When I’m writing these songs, I’m the character. I feel everything.”

She sums up, “I write great songs, and I work my ass off for it.”

Near the end, she gives probably the best Oscar acceptance speech ever. The film closes with a full performance of her song “Dear Me” — a letter to herself.

Lunar Year

(Continued from Page 9)

nese New Year Salad with plum sauce dressing known as Prosperity Toss, spicy curry puffs, meat and vegetarian dishes and desserts including a Malaysian take on a Basque cheesecake. Visit samtanskitchen.com or @ samtanskitchen on Instagram.

TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET as Bob Dylan. Photo: Macall Polay / Searchlight Pictures

Copper wire thieves are at it again, making many areas dark

By Nona Sue Friedman

Thieves of the night are making neighborhoods dark, again. The Larchmont Chronicle has heard from two different areas whose neighborhoods are dark because of copper wire theft.

Larchmont Village

The streets of Irving Boulevard and Norton Avenue between Beverly Boulevard and Melrose Avenue have been “black” since before Christmas, according to Cathy Gellert, resident of

Irving. The lights on Clinton Avenue from Bronson Avenue to Larchmont Boulevard also are not working.

Gellert, a block captain for her block of Irving, has reached out to and responded to neighbors concerned about sudden outages as a result of thieves ripping copper wire from the junction boxes in the ground and on streetlights. Many reports have been made to the city’s 311 number, she tells us.

Unfortunately, the dark

streets have created more crime in the area. As Gellert says, “When there isn’t any light on the streets, it’s just an opportunity [to commit crimes].” She told the Chronicle that, in the last couple of weeks, one car was broken into, and a catalytic converter was stolen from another car.

Gellert reached out to her council district, CD13, and to the City of Los Angeles. As this issue was going to press, she had not heard back. “This all happened before the fires, and it’s concerning that I haven’t heard anything from the city or the council district,” she told us.

Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez of CD13 allocated $400,000 in 2024 for overtime repair work by the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting (BSL). The neighbors say they hope the BSL will find its way to this area soon and that the lights will once again shine bright.

Windsor Village

Barbara Pflaumer, president of the Windsor Village Association, told the Larchmont Chronicle that about 10 blocks of Windsor Village have had the copper wire stolen from their streetlights, making them inoperable. She also noted that lights in the area along Olympic Boulevard were out.

Pflaumer contacted Michelle Flores, field deputy for CD5 (headed by Katy Yaroslavsky), and Pflaumer was told, “It’s a citywide problem, and there are delays in fixing the lights.”

Subsequently, on Jan. 15, a Chronicle reporter saw BSL representatives repairing the lights along Olympic, then heading north into the neighboring side streets in Windsor Village. A BSL staff member working on the project said that they hoped to be finished by the end of the weekend (Jan. 19).

At the end of 2024, CD5 Councilmember Yaroslavsky allocated $60,000 of her dis-

cretionary funds to help repair streetlights. It is unknown if there is a cause and effect relationship to these particular repairs in Windsor Village.

On the day this issue of the Chronicle was going to press, we learned that the streetlights were out on Norton and Van Ness avenues, between Third Street and Beverly Boulevard — again because of wire theft.

Windsor Square

WIRES EXPOSED at the base of a streetlight fixture on Windsor Boulevard in Windsor Village. Photo by Linda Choi

JUNCTION BOX that houses the wires for streetlights is ravaged on Clinton Avenue.

Photo by Cathy Gellert

BUREAU of Street Lighting is making repairs and hardening access to lights along Olympic Boulevard.

Prostitution, litter, traffic addressed directly with Soto-Martínez

By Nona Sue Friedman

After multiple unsuccessful community meetings with underlings of Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez’s Council District 13 office, the residents of St. Andrews Square Neighborhood Association (SASNA), along with neighboring residents of Ridgewood Wilton, met virtually early in January with Soto-Martínez. There were about 35 people on the video conference.

Residents wanted answers to specific questions surrounding an uptick in prostitution on local streets, excessive trash from these nightly trysts and the councilmember’s responses to increased and dangerous traffic. SASNA residents also wanted their streetlights fixed and shining brightly again after months and months of darkness.

Not feeling safe

Soto-Martínez listened empathetically to his constituents, many of whom expressed experiencing feelings of not feeling safe and a poor quality of life.

Vannary So, a resident of Manhattan Place, complained of needles and condoms littering the sidewalks. She said that she and her mom pick up this trash daily around

St. Brendan and Charles Kim

Elementary schools.

Tina Kim, another constituent, complained, “It’s like walking through a biohazard wasteland. There are so many needles and condoms.”

Grace Suh, who also lives in the area, was one of many who expressed feeling unsafe both after dark and early in the morning. In her opinion, the increase in prostitution has created a decline in the neighborhood.

Prostitution

Senior Lead Officer Danny Chavez said he wants to be included to hear the needs and wants of the community. “I want to be part of the solution.” He explained that his

department has given multiple citations. Community

leader Loretta Ramos said later that she felt his passion at the meeting and was very glad he was there.

Traffic

Others at the meeting talked of cars circling in the middle of intersections, doing “donuts” near Wilton Place and Third Street as well as speeding down Western Avenue, Wilton Place and the side streets of the neighborhoods at all hours of the night. “Traffic safety is one of the platforms I ran on aggressively. More people died in traffic accidents than homicides in Los Angeles in 2024,” said Soto-Martínez. However,

a solution to these incidents has not yet been presented.

Councilmember and action

“Having the councilman on the call made a huge difference. We finally got some answers and action has been taken. We were able to impress upon him the seriousness of the situation,” said Ramos.

A few days after the meeting, Ramos sent an email to the neighborhood about good news and action from CD13. Soto-Martinez’s office arranged for the Los Angeles Conservation Corps to come to the St. Andrews

(Please turn to Page 14)

BUREAU of Street Lighting repair truck is a welcome sight on St. Andrews Place.

Photo by Karla Martinez

Armed restraining order violator; victim hit for parking space

WILSHIRE DIVISION

SLO Tyler Shuck has been deployed to assist in the fire area and at the Federal Emergency Management Agency relief location. He is unable to provide crime information for his division this month.

OLYMPIC

DIVISION

AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS:

A 26-year-old male entered a multiunit building carrying a rifle and violating an existing restraining order on the 200

Prostitution

(Continued from Page 13) neighborhood once a week for two hours to clean. She also shared that the Bureau of Street Lighting was already fixing the streetlights. As of this writing, SASNA streets are

block of South Manhattan Place on Dec. 29 at 2:30 p.m.

A victim was saving a parking spot in front of an apartment building when a suspect tried to park there and hit the suspect on the 600 block of South Gramercy Place on Jan. 4 at 6:15 p.m.

BURGLARIES: A suspect pried open the rear door of a home on the 600 block of Lorraine Boulevard, taking money and jewelry on Dec. 30

bright once again. Hopefully this will be a deterrent for illegal and illicit overnight activity and start to make people feel safer, said one neighbor.

Residents say they hope these meetings can be scheduled regularly for the coming year.

WILSHIRE

DIVISION

Furnished by Senior Lead Officer

Tyler Shuck

213-712-3715

40740@lapd.online

Twitter: @lapdwilshire

at 10 p.m.

A suspect broke a back window of a home on the 300

Furnished by Senior Lead Officer

Daniel Chavez

213-793-0709

36304@lapd.online

Instagram: @olympic_slo1

block of South Norton Avenue, ransacked the home, and took property on Jan. 3

at 9 p.m.

RAPE: A woman was raped on the 900 block of South Gramercy Place on Jan. 3 at noon.

THEFT: A package was stolen on Jan. 3 from a multifamily building on the 4700 block of Elmwood Avenue at 1:30 p.m.

GRAND THEFT AUTO: A car was stolen from a parking lot in the 3700 block of West 9th Street on Jan. 3 at 6 p.m.

Griffith Park scenic run, 5K is Feb. 2

Registration is open for the Griffith Park Run Half-Marathon and 5K on Sun., Feb. 2, at 4730 Crystal Springs Dr. The event is open to runners and walkers of all ages and abilities, as well as pets.

Enjoy the scenic trails of Griffith Park while supporting the Los Angeles Parks Foundation and Los Angeles city parks.

The event is the only half-marathon that covers all the main trails in Griffith Park. Participants can enjoy the backdrop of iconic landmarks such as the MerryGo-Round, Travel Town, Los Angeles Zoo and Autry Museum.

The 5K route will be flat, scenic and shaded. Awards will be given to the first male

and female runners at the finish line. All finishers will be awarded medals designed by Los Angeles-based artist Beatriz Mojarro.

Promising a great family day out, the half-marathon will begin at 7:30 a.m. The 5K race starts at 10 a.m. Registration fees include raffle items, a commemorative die-cast medal and a T-shirt. Parking will be located off of Crystal Springs Road. For prices, more information and to register, go to rungpr.com.

PLOTKE Plumbing

A paper trail through the ages, from ostraka to pulp fiction

If you had to jot down a quick note, what would you reach for? Smartphone handy, would you go for a note-taking app? Or a receipt floating around in your wallet or purse? But who has a pen? Anyone?

If this were Classical Athens, you might reach for a pottery shard. The small, discarded remnants of broken vessels were scratched into by hand as a form of quick, informal note-taking. Known as “ostraka,” from the Proto-Indo-European root “ost-,” meaning “bone,” these writing surfaces were cheap and readily available, making them useful in doodling, scribbling and — with few other options available — cleaning one’s behind after using the bathroom.

Each year, the Athenian populace was given the option to expel a particular citizen from the city-state for a 10-year spell. A vote decided which among them was sentenced to leave, their name etched in ostraka. If the number of ostraka bearing your name reached 6,000, you were thereby banished in this process, which, named for these ballots, came to be known as “ostracism.” Some would further besmirch an exiled enemy by specifically using an ostracon bearing the offender’s name for trips to the toilet.

From about the fourth to the 15th century, parchment — a medium made from the skin of sheep and goats — was the writing material of choice in Europe. Its name arrives from the Late Greek “pergamenon,” meaning “of Pergamon,” adopting the title of the ancient Greek city (today Bergama, Turkey) from which it was thought to have originated.

A similar sheeting made using the skin of a calf was called “vellum,” a descen-

dant of the Old French word for calf, “vel,” from which the word “veal” also arises. Today “vellum” usually refers to a translucent paper named after the animal-derived version for its high quality, though there is still some calf vellum in modern use. In 2017, the House of Lords and House of Commons in the U.K. reached a compromise on a new method for printing the Acts of Parliament which, recorded since 1849 on calfskin, would now live on archival paper, with front and back covers made of traditional calf vellum.

Paper, whose manufacture was first documented in China during the Eastern Han period (25-220 A.D.), eventually became the standard across the globe. The material was named for papyrus, a medium made from thin strips of the plant Cyperus papyrus and used in Egypt at least as far back as the First Dynasty (3100 - 2900 B.C.). The two goods are distinctive, however, in that paper is made by macerating cellulose fibers, which are then suspended in water, pressed and dried. For this reason, many papers are named for the specific plant species used to make them, for example dó paper, made from the inner bark of the dó

Judge Kaddo to be honored Feb. 8

Judge James A. Kaddo, a longtime resident of Larchmont Boulevard in Windsor Square, is being honored by the House of Lebanon (HOL) with a lifetime achievement award. The evening will include dinner and dancing on Sat., Feb. 8, at 6 p.m. at HOL, 4800 Wilshire Blvd.

Kaddo was a driving force in establishing the HOL. He is also the first Lebanese-born American judge to serve in California. Tickets start at $200 and can be purchased at tinyurl.com/7pedu8m7.

Word

Café by Mara Fisher

tree native to Vietnam, and lokta paper, crafted from the fibers of an evergreen shrub known colloquially as “lokta” in Nepal.

The paper typically used for file folders — called “manila” — was once made from fibers of the abacá plant, or Manila hemp, a species of banana endemic to the Philippines. Bristol, a thick drawing medium made by gluing together thin paper layers, is named not for the city in southwest England but after the prolif-

ic 18th-century art collector Frederick Augustus Hervey, Fourth Earl of Bristol. And the roll of sturdy brown paper we call “kraft,” while being useful in all manner of “crafts,” is actually named for the German word meaning “strength.”

But what of the paper before you? With its gray cast and smooth surface, newsprint is, quite literally, your everyday paper. The doorstop mainstay arrived in the 19th century with the development of wood-pulp paper, a significantly cheaper alternative to papers made from cotton fibers, which had been the standard in the U.S. up to that point. The cost to produce paper using wood pulp was so low that the literary community at first derided it as appropriate for only the

basest forms of publication. Indeed, magazines with sensational stories of romance and adventure were printed on the fronts and backs of the cheap, mass-market material — hence the term “pulp fiction.” The democratization of access to paper — scorned by the likes of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who mourned how books, “[once] religious oracles... [were] degraded into culprits” — coincided with increasing literacy rates and growing urban populations. With this seismic shift in the availability of reading material, we now interpret with ease the musings of great minds, stories from across the globe and the goings-on of a fivesquare-mile neighborhood in central Los Angeles that’s particularly dear to our hearts.