LC 04 2024

Larchmont Chronicle

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SUMMER CAMPS & PROGRAMS 13

PASSOVER rituals. 26

BOB BAKER DAY is coming. 2-13

For information on advertising in the paper, please call Pam Rudy 323-462-2241, x 11

Mailing permit:

Officials back from Paris after summit on Olympics

n Readying to host Olympic Games 2028

By John Welborne

Mayor Karen Bass returned to Los Angeles from Paris on March 10, having led a delegation of members of the Los Angeles City Council and other civic leaders as part of her efforts to ensure that Los Angeles is prepared to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028.

“The reason for this trip was to really see behind the curtain about how a city prepares to host one of the biggest events in the world, and we

See Olympics, P 6

REBECCA ROSS, right, the U.S. Attaché for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, welcomes City of Los Angeles Councilmembers Traci Park and Katy Yaroslavsky and Mayor Karen Bass to the U.S. Embassy in Paris on March 7.

Ladies golf readies to tee off

By John Welborne

Tickets are on sale for this year’s Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) championship tournament at Wilshire Country Club. The tournament is four days, April

Design for Living

Our annual home and lifestyle section will be featured in the May issue of the Larchmont Chronicle. Advertising deadline is Mon., April 8. For more information, contact Pam Rudy, 323-462-2241, ext. 11.

Modernization on track at Burroughs School

n Final phase is estimated to be complete in 2027

By Suzan Filipek

John Burroughs Middle School (JBMS) in Hancock Park is celebrating its 100th year during a growth spurt.

The campus in many ways looks as charming as it did when it opened a century ago. A welcoming brick façade showcases its historic buildings and landscaped grounds at the southeast corner of Sixth Street and McCadden Place.

This idyllic scene is interrupted with the construction

of a three-story “shop” building just south on McCadden Place. Further on, toward Wilshire Boulevard, the former Wilshire Warriors baseball field now serves as a temporary construction staging area.

“We are currently on track to finalize the renovations to the shop building by this summer, with plans to complete the new three-story building comprising 24 classrooms, along with food service and

See Modernization, P 8

‘Sweet Lady Jane’ back on the Blvd.

n

By Casey Russell

Sweet Lady Jane has been in the news quite a bit in recent months. First, because new stores were in the works, then because all locations were suddenly closed. The latest news is that new owners have swept in to bring the beloved bakery back.

Now, as the Larchmont Chronicle  is going to print, the upscale bakery is scheduled to open at the end of

Election 2024 winners and Nov. runoffs

By Suzan Filipek and John Welborne

While some City of Los Angeles candidates’ seats were secured for another term on Super Tuesday, the remainder — who ended in the “top two” of their respective statewide races — will be on the ballot in the General Election on Tues., Nov. 5, 2024.

Voters have a long stretch ahead — seven months — to

See Election, P 6

Coffee brews with cops and captains

n Concerns on tap

By Nona Sue Friedman

A large contingent of officers from the Wilshire Community Police Station interacted with members of the community on March 5 at a Coffee with a Cop event at the Target on La Brea Avenue at Fourth Street.

In attendance were both of the station’s new captains, Cliff Humphris and Julie Rodriguez, along with Larchmont’s new interim Senior Lead Officer (SLO), Joshua Parker. Capt. Humphris commented, “It’s nice to put names and faces together and know each other.”

The officers listened to residents’ concerns, which focused primarily on safety. Humphris admitted that Wilshire Division is not meeting its goal of decreasing violent crimes yet, but it is meeting its goal for

reducing property crimes. He is looking at different strategies to improve the situation.

Sam Uretsky, a 25-year resident of Larchmont Village, took the opportunity to compliment SLO Parker: “SLO

Parker has singularly been the most responsive officer, outside of commanding officers, I ever have worked with. He’s remarkably easy to deal with. He’s everything you want in an SLO and more.”

BURROUGHS MIDDLE SCHOOL looks as picturesque today as when it opened in the 1920s. But a closer look at the $208 million Modernization Project shows many upgrades and new buildlings are in store. Some are just around the corner. Rendering by Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects

CatBird opens, Larchmont Jewelers plans for early April

See Sweet Lady Jane, P 10

TALKING WITH ONE of Wilshire Division’s new captains, Cliff Humphris, (second from left) are (left to right) Larry Guzin of Windsor Square, Marty Beck of Hancock Park and Sam Uretsky of Larchmont Village last month on the rooftop of Target on La Brea Avenue.

See Ladies Golf, P 2

EASTER egg hunts and other traditions. 26

Editorial

By John Welborne

What’s at the movies?

One of the many nice features about newspapers in a democratic country is that differing opinions can be shared with readers. Conflicting arguments on the issues of the day, including arts and culture, can be printed and read.

Here, at the Larchmont Chronicle, our half–dozen regular columnists are free to have views different from one another and from this paper’s publisher and editors.

Tasteful expression of different opinions leads to better results, in my experience. For example, our movie reviewer is very enamored this month (Section 1, Page 24) of the just-released British comedy / mystery “Wicked Little Letters.”

However, our reviewer takes director Thea Sharrock to task for a casting decision for a character whose “casting ignores the actualities of the time and place of the film.”

I don’t think that will bother me when I get to see the movie, but different viewers have different outlooks. And that is good. Personally, I am looking forward to a remake of “Patton” with the general being played by Jennifer Lawrence.

DEDICATED TO THE PRESERVATION OF HANCOCK PARK

HANCOCK PARK HOME OWNERS ASSOCIATION ASSO

Est. 1948

137 N. LARCHMONT BLVD. LOS ANGELES 90004 www.HancockPark.org

HPOZs tell the history of Los Angeles! Once they are gone, so is the history of our City!

As the Mayor’s Executive Directive 1 moves from Directive to Ordinance (permanent law), the fate of City of Los Angeles official Historic Preservation Overlay Zones hangs in the balance.

It’s time to advocate for protecting our historic neighborhoods and our historic districts! Take a moment and let our councilmember and mayor know that you support protecting the City’s HPOZ neighborhoods that have been officially designated by previous City Councils and Mayors. PLEASE WRITE (citing Council File 23-0623):

City Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, Fifth District: Councilmember.Yaroslavsky@lacity.org

City of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass: karen.bass@lacity.org

Tell each of them you “want full protection for our HPOZs and Historic Districts in the CF 23-0623 codification of ED 1.”

Historic Preservation Overlay Zones protect the cultural and architectural history of Los Angeles. In addition, for 45 years, those zones have maintained high-quality affordable housing better than elsewhere in the City as a whole.

HPOZs:

• Are more racially and economically diverse with a higher share of low-income tenants;

• Are 69% multi-family;

• Provide five or more units of multi-family housing in nearly 40% of all HPOZ buildings;

• Are 5% of all rent-controlled properties, while occupying less than 2.5% of the City;

• Are 25% to 40% less expensive than post-2000 new construction;

• Create both intergenerational wealth and much lengthier landlord-tenant relationships;

• Generate more job growth by nearly two-to-one; and

• Are home to large mature trees, mitigating the heat island effect.

(From: “Preservation Positive Los Angeles,” a report by the Los Angeles Conservancy; see: tinyurl.com/46wzujb9.)

To learn more about the 35 HPOZs in the City of Los Angeles, go to: planning.lacity.gov/preservation-design/ local-historic-districts

Calendar

Fri., March 29 — Good Friday.

Sun., March 31 — Easter Sunday and César Chávez Day.

Mon., April 1 — April Fools’ Day.

Tues., April 9 — Mid City West Neighborhood Council board meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Pan Pacific Park Senior Center, 141 S. Gardner St., midcitywest.org.

Wed., April 10 — Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council board meeting, 6:30 p.m. at the Ebell of Los Angeles, 743 S. Lucerne Blvd., greaterwilshire.org.

Mon., April 15 — Tax Day.

Ladies Golf

(Continued from Page 1)

25-28, with a field of 144 of the top women golfers in the world. Tickets range in price from free (for military and first responders and a child under 18 accompanied by a paid adult) to hundreds of dollars for premium club seating with complimentary food and beverage. Regular daily grounds passes are $25, with a grounds pass for the entire tournament being only $45. Ticketing and other information can be found online at:

jmeaglelachampionship.com

Purse increased

On Monday, March 22, Walter and Shirley Wang — CEOs, respectively, of tournament sponsors JM Eagle and Plastpro — announced that the 2024 tournament purse will increase from $3 million to $3.75 million, the largest prize fund on the LPGA Tour outside of the major championships.

At the Monday press conference, Mr. and Mrs. Wang said, “Our commitment to the

Larchmont Chronicle

Founded in 1963 by Jane Gilman and Dawne P. Goodwin

Publisher and Editor

John H. Welborne

Managing Editor Suzan Filipek

Assistant Editor Casey Russell

Contributing Editor Jane Gilman

Staff Writers

Talia Abrahamson Helene Seifer

Advertising Director Pam Rudy

Art Director Tom Hofer

Circulation Manager

Nona Sue Friedman

Accounting Irene Janas

606 N. Larchmont Blvd., #103 Los Angeles, CA 90004

323-462-2241

larchmontchronicle.com

Mon., April 22 — Earth Day and first night of Passover.

Thurs., April 25 — Delivery of the May issue of the Larchmont Chronicle

LPGA, to the players and to the spectators is to continue to lead the way in shining an increased spotlight on women’s sports and promoting a more equitable landscape for female golfers, one tournament at a time.”

Top players attending Early commitments for the tournament are headlined by the top four players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings: No. 1 and Los Angeles resident Lilia Vu ; Nelly Korda (No. 2), Celine Boutier (No. 3) and Ruoning Yin (No. 4). Defending champion Hannah Green is set to return, joining past champions at Wilshire Country Club including Nasa Hataoka (2022), Minjee Lee (2019) and Moriya Jutanugarn (2018). Volunteer

The JM Eagle LA Championship is now seeking more than 500 volunteers to fill a variety of roles — such as marshaling, scoring, hospitality, transportation — during tournament week. For a volunteer’s $65 payment, he or she receives: an official tournament branded golf shirt; a hat or visor; volunteer pin; one volunteer badge allowing on-course access and free parking all week; four daily grounds tickets; and free breakfast and lunch for each day worked. Learn more at: jmeaglelachampionship.com/ volunteer.

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.

‘What is a camp memory you have?’

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

“I used to go to bible camp every year. I loved the campfires at night, cooking up s’mores. We created a lot of lifetime memories around the campfire, and I’m still friends with a good amount of the guys to this day.”

Ben Yoo and Karen Windsor Village

“I learned how to horseback ride at camp. It was a general camp, but we learned to ride Western. It was up in Santa Barbara.” — Delilah

“I was in juvenile camp, but that was forced!” — David Delilah Loud and David Harry with (L-R) Roscoe, Otto, Rikki and Bob Larchmont Village

“I remember the ice cold, 30-second showers at Camp High Hill in Long Beach.”

Jonnatan Zan with Max Windsor Village

2023 LPGA WINNER at Wilshire Country Club, Hannah Green, poses with tournament sponsors Shirley and Walter Wang.

Big Sunday; ‘Sisters;’ drums and beer on St. Patrick’s Day

Hundreds of supporters gathered in Candela La Brea’s giant ballroom on March 14 to support Big Sunday, one of the country’s top organizations for connecting people to volunteer opportunities. The ninth annual gala proudly celebrated 25 years of building communities, improving lives and giving people a sense of purpose. Honored at this year’s event were Adam Greenfield, Cathy Weiss, Robert Brown and The Change Reaction, a giving platform that “provides vital financial assistance to tens of thousands of working Angelenos who struggle with urgent needs and hardships.”

Marta Kauffman of “Friends” fame spoke of her favorite annual pastime: taking people horseback riding who may have never had the opportunity. Founder and Executive Director David Levinson spoke appreciatively of the 36 sponsors of the evening, the

SECTION ONE

Around the Town with

in-person attendees and the thousands upon thousands of volunteers within the community. Board members Ina Coleman and Howie Mandel made the much-anticipated announcement that Big Sunday has finally found a permanent home. Their old space on Melrose was recently torn down, and their new headquarters is just up the street in Hollywood, just steps away from the world famous Musso & Frank Grill. The new location includes a small campus, green space, room for a working kitchen, exhibit and performance space, a workshop area, parking (!!) and much more. Moving date

is scheduled for April 1. Guests enjoyed grilled vegetables, fingerling potatoes, port wine braised beef short ribs, hot smoked plank salmon and an array of yummy desserts. Founded in 1999 with 300 volunteers at a single day of service, the organization now organizes more than 2,000 ways for people to volunteer every year, boasting over 1.75 million volunteer man-hours.

The annual Larchmont Charter School (LCS) “Sisters of the Grape” wine- and appetizer-tasting fundraiser (Please turn to Page 4)

March 16 brought in more moms, more food and more wine in its second-year return from the COVID-19 shutdown. Longwood Highlands LCS mom, chef and television personality Daphne Brogdon threw open her doors to welcome the hungry

SECTION TWO

HUNDREDS of supporters enjoy the 9th annual Big Sunday Gala, celebrating 25 years.

BIG SUNDAY board member Ina Coleman (right) with friend and 10-year volunteer Pam Daves.

Around the Town

(Continued from Page 3) group, along with co-hosts Julie Johnson, Kim Huffman Cary, Lisa O’Malley and Monica Gamboa. Guests enjoyed homemade ricotta dip, spring salad, burrata and tomatoes and pizza — with small bitesized Italian wafer cookies for dessert. Last year featured Alsatian wine pairings. This year, there were three Italian wines from differing regions of Italy: Contadi Castaladi (northern Italy), La Spinetta (Tuscany) and Allegrini Valpolicella (north of Verona). New Larchmont moms bonded with many of the OG Larchmont moms and, by the end

of the party, there were several new book clubs born out of the evening. Many attendees were already asking, “What will next year’s wine selection reveal?” Locals in attendance included Rebecca Hutchinson, DJ Kami, Irene Guez, Devon Dionne, Janneke Straub, Lindsey Rosenthal and Dragana Popovic.

• • •

What’s a Boomshaka? Lots of Windsor Boulevard and Plymouth Boulevard neighbors learned the answer to that question at a block party organized at their home by Aline and Will McKenna on the afternoon of St. Patrick’s Day, Sunday, March 17. Although there was a keg of green beer

the McKenna backyard in Windsor Square.

and a hot pretzel cart, the real feature was the backyard performance of two-dozen Northwestern University students visiting from Chicago. These members of that school’s premier drum, dance and rhythm ensemble — Boomshaka — were present in Los Angeles for the group’s annual “tour week,” giving high-energy performances at schools, community centers and elsewhere, including Windsor Square!

A three-year member of the troupe is Leo McKenna, now a junior at Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences. Long a drummer in middle and high school here in Los Angeles, McKenna also is the drummer in a fourman band, Sapphire Man, at

Northwestern.

Immediate neighbors enjoying the performance included Val Ulene and David Skaggs, Bernie Cummings and Ernie Johnson, Carol and Luis Fondevila, Martha and John Welborne, Stan DeBreu, and John and Kay Park, plus a flock of friends and families from

(Please turn to Page 5)

‘Taste of Hollywood’ is April 13 at Hollygrove

By Suzan Filipek

Pacific Clinics’ annual fundraising event, “A Taste of Hollywood,” is on Sat., April 13, beginning at 5 p.m. at the Hollygrove campus, 815 N. El Centro Ave.

Celebrity chefs will cook up their culinary creations at the event, which will help support Pacific Clinics’ Los Angeles and South Coast Region, including a suite of Hollygrove programs and its housing program. Hancock Park resident Sheri Weller is serving on the

event committee. She is on Pacific Clinics’ Los Angeles Board of Governors.

A silent and live auction will be featured. Among nearly a dozen celebrity chefs featured are Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger from Border

Grill, Chad Colby from Antico Nuovo and Michael Cimarusti, Sam Baxter and the kitchen team from Connie and Ted’s.

Marilyn connection

In 1935, Norma Jean Baker, who later would be known as Marilyn Monroe, came to live at the Hollygrove campus (then the Los Angeles Orphans Home Society).

Today, more than 16,000 children, adults and families in the Los Angeles / South Coast Region are supported with food and housing insecurity and health issues through the clinic.

A Chic Affaire fashions and luncheon is May 9

Mark your calendars. A Chic Affaire Fashion Show and Boutique Luncheon is Thurs., May 9, at the Lakeside Golf Club, 4500 Lakeside Dr., in Burbank.

Sponsored by the Assistance League of Los Angeles and its Mannequins and College Alumni auxiliaries, the event will feature Trina Turk fashions modeled by members of the Mannequins.

All proceeds from A Chic Affaire will support Assistance League of Los Angeles programs that help 22,000 homeless, foster and impoverished children and young adults annually.

For tickets and more information, contact senior director of development Mayboll Carrasco at MCarrasco@AssistanceLeagueLA.org.

DRUMMER Leo McKenna, third from left, has performed with the Northwestern troupe for three years.

BOOMSHAKA drummers perform in

LARCHMONT CHARTER MOMS enjoy food, wine and excellent conversation at the annual Sisters of the Grape fundraiser.

Around the Town

(Continued from Page 4)

Leo’s and his brother Charlie’s schools, plus Boomshaka alumni living in Southern California. Hero points were earned by Aline and Will for being hosts to Leo — plus the other 22 members of the group — for a full week. “Lots of futons and air mattresses were borrowed from friends,” reported Aline. Learn more at: boomshaka.org

Meanwhile, on that St. Patrick’s Day Sunday, there was a good chance you had to wait in line for over an hour to get past the bouncers if you already weren’t in the Tom Bergin’s tented parking lot by noon. St. Patrick’s Day is the

historic venue’s biggest day of the year and, by the looks of the crowd size, this year did not disappoint. Some attendees began their day at the famous Fairfax Avenue watering hole at 6 a.m., starting the celebration with a traditional Irish breakfast. Others showed up at a more leisurely hour, taking advantage of the three outdoor bars, the sunshine, the music and the picnic-style tables on the lot. Everything was green: from the revelers’ clothing, to the wigs, to the buyable T-shirts and hats and, of course, the beer. When asked how the green beer was produced, a dutiful bartender replied, “The leprechauns came in last night and worked their magic!” If green beer wasn’t

your fancy, you could opt for a Guinness on tap or anything from the Bergin’s bar, including a traditional Irish Coffee. (After all, Tom Bergin’s has advertised itself as the “House of Irish Coffee” since 1936.) Celebrants danced the day away to the mix of a local DJ and a live bagpiper who wandered the crowds bringing music and plenty of Irish authenticity. When I finally exited the scene at 10 p.m. there were no signs of the party winding down.

Until next year… “May your luck be like the capital of Ireland… always Dublin!”

• • •

We also have learned that one of the honorees at the 2024 Cardinal’s Award Dinner (“An Evening of Grace and Gratitude”) at the Bever-

ly Hilton back on February 24 was Thomas J. Blumenthal, whose family members have been Hancock Park stalwarts forever. Catholic Archbishop José H. Gomez presented the award to Blumenthal in the festive setting of the International Ballroom, also home to the Golden Globes, the Las Madrinas Debutante Ball and the annual (since 1905) Bachelors Ball.

And now you’re in the Larchmont know!

Blumenthal, a former member of The Bachelors, also is a board member at each St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo and Santa Clara University’s Jesuit School of Theology. Further, he is chair of the board at Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles and has been for the past five years. Blumenthal manages to fit all of this volunteer service into a life that includes being the president and CEO of Gearys, the fabulous emporium that has been a Beverly Hills fixture since 1930.

LOCAL REVELERS on St. Patrick’s Day include, from left, Lesley Holmes, Ivan Garel-Jones, Laura Siegel, Bob Wenoker, Pete Sepenuk, Abby Werman and friend, Sam Roseme, Catherine Mann, Gus Sepenuk, Lily Roseme and Hana Bradshaw.

A QUEUE FOR THE PUB on St. Patrick’s Day 2024.

ENERGETIC DANCE is part of Boomshaka performances.

THOMAS J. BLUMENTHAL at the 2024 Cardinal’s Award Dinner with Archbishop José H. Gomez.

Olympics

(Continued from Page 1) accomplished just that,” said Mayor Bass.

The delegation included local Fifth Council District Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, a member of the city’s Ad Hoc Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Yaroslavsky said of the 2028 Olympic Games that will follow those in Paris by four years, “Los Angeles must take full advantage of the opportunities that come with hosting the Olympics in 2028, and now is the time to do it, especially as it relates to our sustainability efforts.”

Following the delegation’s arrival in Paris and a reception with U.S. Ambassador Denise Campbell Bauer and a briefing by Deputy Chief of Mission and Attaché to the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games Rebecca Ross, the travelers met with Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo. The brief Thursday-to-Sunday visit was full of meetings and included tours of Olympic facilities

Election

(Continued from Page 1) decide for whom to vote again.

U.S. Congress seats

In the race for the California 30th District House of Representatives seat — long held by U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff — where 15 candidates were in the running, San Fernando Valley Democrat and State Assemblymember Laura Friedman pulled ahead with 30.09 percent of the votes,

that are being completed for the Paris 2024 Games this summer.

One meeting and tour was at the new Paris 2024 Olympic Village. The host was Mayor Mathieu Hanotin of Saint-Denis, the location of the Olympic Village. Saint-Denis is the second-most populated suburb of Paris and is about 5.8 miles north of the city center.

There, the Los Angeles dele-

followed by Republican Alex Balekian with 17.42 percent; they face a runoff in November.

Adjoining the 30th California Congressional District are Districts 34 and 37. In both races, the incumbent U.S. Representatives came out ahead: Jimmy Gomez received 51.16 percent of the votes in Congressional District 34. He will face David Kim, who received 27.91 percent, in November. In the 37th District Sydney Kamlager-Dove

gation learned how the investment in housing and infrastructure in Paris will create lasting positive impact and generate economic growth after the Olympic Games.

At the trip’s conclusion, Mayor Bass thanked her Parisian hosts and added, “We look forward to continuing to engage with them throughout this year and beyond, to learn from their reflections after the

received 72.45 percent of the vote and will face Juan Rey, who got 10.34 percent.

District Attorney Incumbent DA George Gascon led the pack of 11 challengers, but barely, with 25.19 percent of the vote. Runner up was former federal prosecutor Nathan Hochman with 15.94 percent of the vote, earning a spot in a November runoff.

Many of the challengers were from Gascon’s own office — the largest local prosecu-

Games and to plan for 2028 in a way that will generate tangible benefits in Los Angeles for generations to come.”

torial office in the country.

City Council

Some Larchmont Chronicle readers voted in the primary for a city councilmember in Council District 10, which runs along the southern and eastern borders of the paper’s readership area. Incumbent Heather Hutt garnered 37.79 percent of the votes. Grace Yoo came in second with 23.12 percent of the vote and will be in the runoff with Hutt.

Board of Supervisors

Some Chronicle readers also got to vote for Supervisor in District 2. Incumbent Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell will serve another four years after receiving 68.45 percent of the vote in the March 5 primary.

California Legislature

In the State Assembly, two incumbents: Rick Chavez Zbur (with 78.30 percent of the votes in Assembly District 51) and Isaac Bryan (with 83.88 percent of the votes in Assembly District 55) will face run-off challengers Stephan Hohil, who had 10.90 percent, and Keith G. Cascio, who had 16.12 percent, respectively.

In the 54th Assembly District, which includes a bit of the southeast corner of the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council area, Mark Gonzalez will face John K. Yi in November, with 45.20 and 34.48 percent of votes respectively.

U.S. Senate and more Rep. Adam Schiff (Democrat) and former ballplayer Steve Garvey (Republican) are in the runoff for the U.S. Senate seat of the late Dianne Feinstein. Schiff won 37 percent of the primary vote, and Garvey received 24.46 percent.

skin deep

by Dr. Rebecca Fitzgerald

Rounding the corner toward summer prompts certain grooming practices to come back into play. Now is the ideal time to prep for a sunny season free of shaving and bothering with razor bumps and skin irritation. Check check check on the top three considerations skin care professionals and patients alike have for laser hair removal: faster application time, increased comfort and appropriate for all skin shades. Lutronic Clarity II delivers on all three and then some.

Higher energy and a wider range of pulse widths plus real-time feedback on skin temperature ensures that hair removal on larger regions goes more quickly and painlessly, and even targets fine hair on all complexions.

Our Nurse Practitioner, Angela, has over 10 years of experience with laser hair removal on all skin types and laser hair removal is one of the most frequent procedures she performs every day. Some tips from her to help you get the most out of your treatments include avoiding tanning and self-tanner and no plucking or waxing at least 4 weeks prior to treatment. You can shave or trim the hair, and its best to shave 1-2 days before your appointment.

Most patients will receive optimal results with six to eight treatments spread out so we advise contacting us now. Next up: gel pedicure please!

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.

Adv.

IN PARIS, Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, at far left, is shown with (left to right) Councilmember Traci Park, Mayor Karen Bass, Saint-Denis Mayor Mathieu Hanotin and City Council President Paul Krekorian in front of the 2024 Olympic Village.

SAINT-DENIS is a community in the northern suburbs of Paris and is the site of the 2024 Olympic Village. Map © 2024 Google

Modernization

(Continued from Page 1) locker room facilities, by this fall,” a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) said.

New buildings and classrooms, in addition to upgrades to the school’s historic campus, have been in the planning stage since 2016. Construction got underway in 2022.

“There are many facets to this project: new construction, upgrades, installation of new technologies, new furniture, etc., all of which are being done to secure, preserve and make existing buildings more resilient while providing modern new spaces for future generations of learners and educators,” the spokesperson said.

When the $208 million Burroughs Middle School Comprehensive Modernization Project is finished, the nearly 11-acre campus at 600 McCadden Pl. will have 27 new classrooms making the the total number 71. Handicapped accessibility will be improved, security strengthened and parking improved, according to the Project’s Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR).

The Burroughs student population has grown beyond its original capacity from when the neighborhood school opened in 1924 with 400 students.

Before construction started in 2022, enrollment was approximately 1,700 students.

That number has today dropped to 1,348 sixth through eighth grade students who arrive at the school in cars and buses, on bikes and on foot.

“The project maintains the ability for the enrollment to return to the enrollment it supported prior to construction…

“The project was planned to support the long-term projected enrollment for the school and its highly sought-after magnet program,” the school spokesperson said.

2027 completion date

“The final phase of construction is anticipated to be completed in 2027. That phase encompasses the addition of new specialty classrooms; upgrades to the existing administration, gym, and classroom buildings; and enhancements to the parking lots and play fields.”

The school has remained open throughout construction of the original Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects design that DLR Group architects is implementing.

“Interim classrooms and temporary facilities were installed on the campus and are being used in order for school to remain open and ensure that learning can continue uninterrupted during construction,” the LAUSD spokesperson said.

Traffic problems

Some of the issues local residents addressed early on have been fixed: accessible

Beautifying Larchmont

The LBA has replanted 10 of the concrete containers in the village as part of our beautification project.

Support our beautification project

We have created new merchandise to help fund these projects, available at Tailwaggers and Romi Cortier Design. All proceeds will go toward beautifying the Boulevard.

entrance solutions, building new classrooms and a cafeteria, and upgrading the historic buildings built in 1924.

Others, not so much. These include traffic mitigation for McCadden Place, at least according to one resident who lives across the street from the school and asked not to be named.

The traffic flow should improve when the project is complete, the LAUSD spokesperson told us. “A new parking lot and bus drop-off are being constructed on the school property along Wilshire Boulevard. The staff parking and busses will no longer comingle with traffic on McCadden, where parent drop-off and pick-up occur, which will help alleviate congestion currently experienced on McCadden in front of the school.”

Noise is another factor that falls on deaf ears, the McCadden resident told us.

School officials claim resident concerns are addressed, such as when a June Street resident’s call was made regarding excessive noise. The culprit was a generator, which was moved further away from the caller’s backyard fence, eliminating the noise issue.

Residents with questions or concerns can reach out to the LAUSD Facilities Office of Community Relations at 213241-1340.

A little history

The original campus was composed of four Italian Renaissance Revival-style buildings now designated as historic, and these will receive upgrades under the project.

They include the auditorium on McCadden Place and the main school building facing Sixth Street.

The campus has been identified as a historic district eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places and the California Reg-

ister of Historical Resources. Academic excellence Burroughs Middle School has been redesignated for 2024 as a California School to Watch for demonstrating academic excellence, social equity and responsiveness to the needs of young adolescents. Schools are reevaluated every three years for the honor.

See the Final EIR on the Burroughs Modernization Project at www.lausd.org/ceqa.

NEW PLAYGROUND and classroom building at Burroughs Middle School. Renderings by Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects

JOHN BURROUGHS campus rendering, viewed from Sixth St. and McCadden Place when construction is complete in 2027.

CHA HOLLYWOOD PRESBYTERIAN MEDICAL CENTER

Sweet Lady Jane

(Continued from Page 1)

March. New co-owner Julie Ngu is very excited, telling us, “We are so happy to be part of the neighborhood. You forget you’re in Los Angeles [when you’re on the Boulevard]. It’s a little escape,” she said.

When we spoke with Ngu, she was full of energy and gratitude. Thank goodness, because the business owner has a lot on her plate, or should we say, in her oven.

Ngu is the CEO of Pacific French Bakery, a bakery her parents founded 40 years ago, which specializes in breads and pastries. And now, she is the proud co-owner of the six Sweet Lady Jane locations.

Long a dream

Ngu told us this is a dream come true for her. “When it’s a dream, it doesn’t feel like work,” she said. The owner plans to be at one of the stores working side-by-side with her team every day. “I am a baker’s

cakes for a celebration, and I was like, ‘This is great!’” The cake was, of course, from Sweet Lady Jane. Ngu told us that, after that bite, she sought the bakery out and, when she walked into the Melrose location, she was transported into a European café. “It was adorable! The variety was incredible, and everything there was made from scratch. I said to myself, ‘One day, I’m going to have a bakery like this.’”

daughter. It’s common for us to be at work before the sun comes up and to stay until the sun goes down,” she said.

Ngu truly did grow up in a bakery. “It was my babysitter,” she told us. When she was a child, her job was to hold the baguette bags while someone slid in the bread. “I loved it!” she said.

So how did Ngu go from 17 years of full-time work at Pacific French Bakeries to owning Sweet Lady Jane? “I was in college, and my cousin brought home one of these

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

157 N. Larchmont Boulevard

Spring Has Sprung!

March showers have given way to April flowers in Windsor Square!

LAPD Police Advisory Board Meeting, Olympic Division April 4 / Wilshire Division, April 18:

Join community members in providing information and advice to the LAPD Olympic and Wilshire divisions, and take information from the police department back to the community. Advisory groups meets monthly to discuss crime and quality of life issues.

Silent Cruise-In at the Petersen Museum, April 7: Join the Petersen from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. for its annual electrified cars & coffee! Experience some of the most exciting electric vehicles ever built, including rarely shown concepts, land speed record vehicles, and one-off customs. petersen.org/events/ev-cruise-in-23-6mh76

Larchmont Running Club, April 13: Meet up for a run and then coffee/tea/etc.; all levels welcome. facebook.com/ groups/1694128234364398

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Garden Designs & His Southern California Work and Legacy, April 13: The Frank Lloyd Wright Garden Symposium will convene at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre for a discussion about the great architect’s influence on Southern California garden design. ebellofla.org/event/frank-lloyd-wright-garden-designsand-legacy

Chabad of Miracle Mile Communal Seder, April 22: Join Chabad Miracle Mile for an inspiring, friendly and welcoming evening for the entire family with explanations of all the mystical and kabbalistic meanings behind all of the customs. chabadmm.com

Passover: Sundown April 22 to April 30.

Windsor Square Important Dates: Windsor Square HPOZ Board meets April 3 and 17 at the John C. Fremont Library. Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council General Board Meeting is April 10.

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. A great opportunity to engage with neighbors and community leaders. 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. Join with us! Drop us a line at 325 N. Larchmont Blvd., #158, Los Angeles, CA 90004, or visit our website at windsorsquare.org. ©LC04 24

At that time, Ngu told us, she was living on ramen and chips. It’s now 20 years later and… ta-da! The new owner told us that, when she first called to inquire about buying Sweet Lady Jane, the response was, “Who are you?” But she knew the prior owner didn’t want Sweet Lady Jane to go to waste. The name was too precious. “We wanted them to believe in us. We kept saying, ‘We can do this… I’m good at this,’” she said.

Triple Berry Cake

When asked if the former owners have been to any of the locations since the reopenings, Ngu responded in the affirmative. They visited the Santa Monica location and got none other than the store’s famous Triple Berry Cake. “It tastes the same,” Ngu assured us. “I’m not touching that! It’s an iconic recipe!” While that delicate cake is her favorite, the new owner told us her second fave is either the cherry pie or the walnut brownie cookie. “I was diligent about trying everything with and without frosting, warm and not warm. All these details [are important],” she told us.

Larchmont

When asked what the Larchmont location will be like, Ngu said she’s smiling from ear to ear thinking of opening Sweet Lady Jane on the Boulevard. “It’s smaller, but [the area is] so alive! Larchmont is a little village,” she said. Ngu told us that there is no space to put tables inside, but she hopes to work with the city to see about having some outdoor tables. There will be drinks available, and she and her partner are trying to get some other items in and review the menu. Before the pandemic, Sweet Lady Jane had expanded its menu in some locations to include sandwiches, wraps, salads and soup. After some time has passed, Ngu said she may look into having items like that as to-go offerings. The new owners are happy to receive suggestions from the community. “I’m open ears and open heart for whatever the community asks for,” she said.

Julie Ngu told us that her partner Matt Clark and she are side-by-side in this endeavor. While she spoke to us, Clark was out making cake deliveries. “It’s pretty amazing when

you have a partner in crime in all aspects of your life,” Ngu said. The two focus on quality and want to make sure every cake that leaves their stores puts a smile on people’s faces. Ngu sure has a smile on hers. “I want to stress that dreams really do come true. Don’t give up on them!” she said.

Jewelers

Sweet Lady Jane isn’t the only shop opening on the Boulevard this spring. Catbird NYC opened in early March at 124 ½ N. Larchmont Blvd. The woman-run business sells fine jewelry that, according to the store’s website, is made with over 95 percent recycled 14K gold and recycled diamonds. Catbird celebrated with a launch party a week after officially opening. Many stopped by to check out the jewelry and enjoy complimentary pizza and Alec’s ice cream, then walked away happily with free bouquets from Blue Pansy Floral Design Company.

There also has been a lot of work going on at 119 N. Larchmont Blvd., the new Larchmont Jewelers location. Caren Ho, director of marketing at Hing Wa Lee Jewelers, told us the team is targeting an opening day sometime in the first week of April.

And, though many miss Le Petit Greek at 127 N. Larch-

mont Blvd., we know that local residents Dimitris, Nora and Nicholas Houndalas are welcoming longtime customers (and new ones!) at their nearby Greek Eats at 8236 W. Third St. In the meantime, two other local residents, Phil Rosenthal of Netflix’s “Somebody Feed Phil” and chef Nancy Silverton, co-owner of Osteria Mozza, plan to open a diner called Max and Helen’s (after Rosenthal’s parents) in the former Le Petit Greek space this summer. This will be Rosenthal’s first time as a restaurant owner; previously he participated as an investor. He envisions an affordable, community-centered diner where people can take the time to chat and get to know each other while eating.

LARCHMONT JEWELERS is readying for its opening expected this month.

PATRONS enjoy Catbird’s opening party.

NEW SWEET LADY JANE owners Julie Ngu and Matt Clark at the Santa Monica location.

Thank you

TO OUR DOCTORS

PIH Health extends its deepest gratitude to our outstanding physicians. Every day, these dedicated professionals provide our patients with expert, consistent, comprehensive, focused and compassionate care. Thank you, doctors, for your dedication to keeping our communities healthy!

PIH Health Downey Hospital

PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital

PIH Health Whittier Hospital

PIH Health Physicians

By Casey Russell

Started by a senator from Wisconsin in 1970, the first Earth Day rallied 20 million people, with a goal of raising environmental awareness.

This year, 1 billion people in 193 countries will celebrate the 49th Earth Day on Mon., April 22. It’s a wonderful opportunity to remind our youngest generation how they can be caretakers of our planet.

Children often care deeply about living things. This Earth Day, why not take a moment to show our children a picture of our planet from space? We can look at the photo together and talk about the Earth as a living thing. Likening our planet to a tree that is home to birds, bugs and squirrels, we can begin talking about how we can care for the planet that is our home.

Climate change can be explained simply to children: We have too much “stuff” in the atmosphere, and it is messing up the system down here on Earth. Fortunately, we can let our children know that we

PILGRIM

By Allison Pak

10th Grade Pilgrim School celebrated Women’s History Month

by inviting the founder and executive directors of Alexandria House, Ms. Judy Vaughn and Ms. Marissa Espinoza, to talk about what they do and how they help and house women and children.  Our Association of Student Body fund raised $890 and donated it to Alexandria House.

On March 15, we had a Holi

have some control over how much we increase the “stuff” up there.

Ways to be caretakers

This year’s Earth Day theme is Planet vs. Plastics. Having our children become plastic detectives is a great way to bring their attention to how much plastic is in our lives.

(According to Earthday. org, more plastic has been produced in the last 10 years than was produced in the entire 20th century.)

We can work together to reduce the amount of plastic we buy and use. How? Keeping reusable straws and utensils in our cars and bags enables us to avoid using single-use plastic when we eat on the run. When we shop, we can take our own reusable bags and also can consciously choose brands that use glass or aluminum packaging. We can refrain from buying toys and items that come in wasteful packaging. We can make sure every member of the family has a reusable water bottle and, when packing lunches, we can utilize reusable containers.

Celebration. People gathered on the Sarafian Field to learn about dance from a member of Los Angeles’ own MLK Bollystars dance troupe. There was also a traditional color throw with some nice music.

Pilgrim is planning to start Middle School and High School debate teams for the 2024 - 2025 school year! We are hosting a workshop with John Meany, the founder of the Public Debate Program. Meany is a national champion intercollegiate debate coach and format innovator. The workshop is for students currently in grades 5 through 11 who would like to learn more about debating and joining a team.

Tips on Parenting

by Casey Russell

Basics

Most of us know the energy- and water-saving basics, and we strive to teach them to our kids: Turn off the water when brushing your teeth. Take short showers. Turn off lights and energy-consuming appliances when leaving a room. Put on a sweater or take off a layer instead of turning on the heat or air conditioning. Make sure we are recycling properly. Earth Day is a great time to take stock on how we are doing on these simple ways to reduce water and energy usage.

Phantom power

But we can also learn, and teach our children, about phantom power. Many electrical devices consume energy when in standby mode and/or when they aren’t being used.  The simple fix is to remove

If you’re interested in learning more about Pilgrim School, please reach out to admissions@ pilgrim-school.org.

LOYOLA

By Sean Kim

cords from outlets and to power off electronic devices when we are not using them.

Food consumption

Being conscious of our family’s food consumption is also an easy way to make a difference. Buying locally helps eliminate energy used to transport food to us from afar. Eating plantbased meals helps reduce greenhouse gases, and simply cutting down on food waste ensures that the resources used to grow, ship, package and produce our food are not wasted. It also stops our uneaten food from contributing to the methane emissions that come from our landfills.

Other ideas

There are fun ways to let children see the differences they are making through their actions. We can take them to a beach or a park, or we simply can walk around our neighborhood picking up trash and recycling. We can plant a pollinator garden and watch as the bees and butterflies enjoy what we’ve offered. We can have yard sales to make sure that things we don’t need any more go to another person,

CAMPBELL HALL

By Clair “Cal” Lesher

11th Grade

rather than sitting unused or ending up in the trash. We can teach our kids how to save money and resources by buying used items at thrift stores, eBay or Craigslist. We can show them the joy of gifts of experiences instead of buying them more “stuff.”

But one of the most effective ways we can help our kids learn to care about the environment and the animals sharing planet Earth is to get them out into nature. We don’t have to go far. Nature and wonder can be found in our own backyards.

But unique experiences sometimes have bigger impacts on people. Taking a trip to a national park, going to an animal sanctuary, snorkeling, camping, hiking, skiing, bird watching, geocaching (an outdoor treasure-hunting activity), surfing — getting kids out experiencing and participating in the marvels of our world will naturally grow their love of it. And, as we parents and caregivers know, that which we love, we want to protect.

Happy Earth Day!

10th Grade Loyola High School’s track and field team is off to the races as athletes have already broken records and competed at high-level meets. Loyola’s track season began on Feb. 17 and will not reach the finish line until the last week of May with post-season meets.

Coach Austin Janisch shared thoughts about the program’s tremendous growth since his years as a student at Loyola.  Janisch noted, “Loyola’s program has shifted to new training strategies and an emphasis on different types of workouts from when I was a student.”

Loyola’s successful season has been marked by achievements, new personal records and the personal growth of each athlete. The coaching staff — including Head Coach Edward Hairston — was enthusiastic to see each runner overcome individual roadblocks.  Hairston shared, “I want them to consistently embrace the discomfort of growth, and be willing to remain diligent to the slow intentional journey of self-development.”

Coach Hairston wants to see runners get faster and stronger but also hopes “to develop in them an inextinguishable passion for life’s progress through the lens of track and field.”

We are in our third trimester and the home stretch of this school year. The Senior Spotlights will begin in late April. That’s when seniors share their perspectives about attending Campbell Hall.

The 68th annual Bagpipers Ball plans are coming together for the fundraiser in early May. Proceeds will support our financial aid programs.

Our sports teams deserve a big congratulations! Four members of

our girls’ soccer team are honorees for 1st and 2nd team Gold Coast All-League Recipients. Also, two members of our boys’ soccer team received the awards for 1st and 2nd team Gold Coast All-League Recipients. Furthermore, three members of our girls’ basketball team and three of our boys’ basketball team received the awards for Gold Coast All-League Boys’ Basketball recipients. Go Vikings!

Lastly, robotics ended the season on a great note. Three of our robots made it to the semi-finals, and Robot 34690B to the Finals, at the Peninsula competition.  A big congrats to robot team 34690A, which will compete in the VEX Robotics World Championships in early April!

Camp Hollywoodland helps girls explore, bond and grow

By Casey Russell

The City of Los Angeles opened Griffith Park Girls’ Camp in 1926. It moved to its current location at 3200 Canyon Dr. in 1951, and Camp Hollywoodland, as it is now called, is still going strong nearly 100 years later.

This summer, at a series of four-night sleepaways being offered between June 17 and Aug. 9, girls ages 6 to 17 will immerse themselves in the camp’s urban forest environment to form friendships, build confidence, rise to challenges and have some classic camp fun.

Each week is uniquely themed at Camp Hollywoodland, and most weeks include a one-day field trip to Universal Studios, Disneyland or Soak City. But the camp’s overarching aim is to offer girls an opportunity for personal growth through teamwork, friend-making, self-reliance, the discovery of new talents and the chance to try new activities.

A typical Camp Hollywoodland day starts with breakfast in the dining hall followed by two or three activities such as arts and crafts, group games and time at the rock wall. After lunch and some time to relax, girls get swim time before another activity or before going to dinner. Sometimes the camp organizes a carnival or fashion show after the evening meal before campfire time and bed.

“This is a lot of girls’ first time away from home, and the staff is really great at making them feel comfortable,” said Rizzo, the camp’s recreation coordinator who only gave her camp name. “It’s a great place for campers to experience independence, make new friends and try new things.”

There is a minimum of two counselors per cabin at the camp, and the camp counselor / camper ratio varies by age with a 1-to-6 ratio for younger campers and a 1-to-12 ratio for older girls.

Lynette Smith (or Cricket, her camp name), has been working at the camp since 1993. She started out as a camp counselor and, working her way up, became the camp’s director in 2022. “When I was 12, and a firsttime camper at sleepaway camp, I decided I wanted to be a camp counselor when I grew up, and here I am,” she said.

Smith sees Camp Hollywoodland as a place where the best parts of Los Angeles are gathered together. She loves that campers and staff get to meet so many different people. “We have campers attend from all over Los Angeles and from other countries,” she said. Girls from Canada, China, Mexico, Japan, France and Dubai join locals at the camp. “[It] provides something different for everyone who is here. Camp gives us all a place where we can be ourselves 100 percent of the time,” said

Smith.

The director told us that when she first became a program director in 1996, it was

important to her to keep classic camp traditions alive. She sees camp as a unique opportunity for children to foster

their own independence. It provides a place for them to take safe risks, trying things (Please turn to Page 16)

BOLLYWOOD color celebration comes to Camp Hollywoodland.

Summer is coming, and it’s a great time for kids to go to camp! That can mean sleepaway for a week or a month, or put them on a bus or drop them off for one day filled with an eclectic array of fun activities.

Camps are a great opportunity for kids to be outdoors with other kids and to play baseball, ride horses, craft, sing, dance, surf and garden or learn a new skill, such as photography or ceramics.

The following list consists of day camps in the Los Angeles area and overnight camps that can be a bit farther out of town. Check each website for more information.

If you have a favorite camp that we’ve missed, please contact circulation@larchmontchronicle.com.

Overnight camps

Aloha Beach Camp Hawaii 68-729 Farrington Hwy. Waialua, HI 96791

818-919-0833

alohabeachcamphawaii.com

Boy Scouts of America

Multiple locations

2333 Scout Way Los Angeles 213-413-4400

greaterlascouting.org

Catalina Island Camps

707 W. Woodbury Rd., #F Altadena 626-296-4040

catalinaislandcamps.com

Camp Hollywoodland Girls Camp 3200 Canyon Dr. 323-467-7193

laparks.org/camp/camp-hollywoodland

Camp JCA Shalom Institute 8955 Gold Creek Rd. Lakeview Terrace 818-889-5500

campjcashalom.com

Camp Ramah 385 Fairview Rd., Ojai 310-476-8571 ramah.org

Camp Tawonga 31201 Mather Rd., Groveland 415-543-2267 tawonga.org

Canyon Creek 18651 Pine Canyon Rd. Lake Hughes 661-724-9184

canyoncreeksummercamp. com

Girls Scouts Lakota Camp 11220 Dorothy Ln. Frazier Park 213-213-0123

girlscoutsla.org

Gold Arrow Camp P.O. Box 155, Lakeshore 800-554-2267

goldarrowcamp.com

Griffith Park Boys Camp 4730 Crystal Springs Dr. 323-664-0571

laparks.org/camp/griffithpark-boys-camp

Guided Discoveries

AstroCamp & Catalina Sea Camp

302 North El Camino Real San Clemente 909-625-6194

guideddiscoveries.org

Habonim Dror Camp Gilboa 38200 Bluff Lake Rd. Big Bear Lake 323-653-6772 campgilboa.org

Idyllwild Arts

52500 Temecula Rd., #38 Idyllwild 951-659-2171

idyllwildarts.org

Monarch Camps

Catalina Island & Sequoia National Park 5792 Ethel Ave. Van Nuys 818-304-3016 ext. 4 monarchcamps.com

Pali Adventures 330778 Hwy 18

Running Springs 909-867-5743

paliadventures.com

River Way Ranch Camp 6450 Elwood Rd., Sanger 559-787-2551

riverwayranchcamp.com

Skylake Yosemite 37976 Road 222 Wishon, 93669 559-642-3720

skylake.com

Wilshire Blvd. Camps

Camp Hess Kramer & Gindling Hilltop Camp 3663 Wilshire Blvd. 213-835-2196

June 10 - September 13

wbtcamps.org

YMCA Summer Camps Camp Marcil & Camp Whittle P.O. Box 70 Fawnskin, 92333 909-866-3000 ymcala.org/camps/ sleep-away-camp

Day camps

General camps

Aloha Beach Camp 30100 Pacific Coast Hwy. Malibu 818-932-4600 alohabeachcamp.com

Camp Keystone 2854 Triunfo Canyon Rd. Agoura Hills 818-717-7290 campkeystone.com

JCamp at J Los Angeles 5870 W. Olympic Blvd., 323938-2531 jcampwestside.org

Monarch Camps

Los Angeles Valley College 5792 Ethel Ave.

Los Angeles City College 855 N. Vermont St. 818-304-3016 ext. 4 monarchcamps.com

Pan Pacific Day Camp 7600 Beverly Blvd. 323-939-8874

laparks.org/reccenter/ pan-pacific

Silver Lake Camps 1902 Hyperion Ave. 323-445-3790

silverlakecamps.com

Silver Lake Recreation Center Day Camp 1850 W. Silver Lake Dr. 323-644-3946

laparks.org/reccenter/ silver-lake

Summerkids

3697 Fair Oaks Ave., Altadena 626-577-9979  summerkids.net

Tom Sawyer Camps

707 W. Woodbury Rd., #F Altadena 626-794-1156

tomsawyercamps.com

Tumbleweed Day Camp 1024 Hanley Ave., 90049 310-472-7474

tumbleweedcamp.com

UCLA Recreation

John R. Wooden Recreation Center 221 Westwood Plaza 310-825-3701

recreation.ucla.edu/summer-camps-2024

Art camps

Atwater Photo Camp 3015 Glendale Blvd. 310-463-6277

atwaterphotoworkshops.com

Bitter Root Pottery 7451 Beverly Blvd. 323-938-5511

bitterrootpottery.com

Children’s Art Institute 14702 Sylvan St., Van Nuys 818-780-6226

ccsteaches.org/cai

School of Creative and Performing Arts

Occidental College 1600 Campus Rd. 800-718-2787

socapa.org/locations/ la-camps

RAZ Summer Camp

1046 S. Roberston Blvd. 424-303-7868

razland.com

Wizard of Art 1947 Hillhurst Ave. 323-661-0341

thewizardofart.com

Dance camps

Colburn School 200 S. Grand Ave. 213-621-2200

colburnschool.edu

Level Up Dance Academy 5873 W 3rd St. 213-359-7784

levelupdanacela.com

Marat Daukayev

School of Ballet 3435 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 200 323-965-0333

maratdaukayev.com

School of Creative and Performing Arts

Occidental College 1600 Campus Rd. 800-718-2787

socapa.org/locations/ la-camps

Sophie Dance 5867 W. 3rd. St. 323-395-3050

sophiedance.com

Drama camps

Children’s Civic Light Opera

CSULA Bldg. 20

2955 S. Robertson Blvd. 310-600-4620

cclotheatrecompany.com

Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

over the city — and farther afield

Summer Arts Conservatory

CSULA Bldg. 20

5151 State University Dr. 818-957-1619 summerartsconservatory. com

School of Creative and Performing Arts

Occidental College 1600 Campus Rd. 800-718-2787

socapa.org/locations/ la-camps

Shakespeare Youth Festival

Kenneth Hahn Park 4100 S. La Cienega Blvd. 323-334-0105 shakespeareyouthfestival. com

Theatre 360

Performing Arts Camp 2623 E. Foothill Blvd., #104 Pasadena 626-577-5922

theatre360.org

Youth Academy of Dramatic Arts

Los Angeles 8115 W. Third St. Studio City 12745 Ventura Blvd.

Playa Vista 5456 McConnell Ave. 323-655-9232

yada.org/summer-camp-2023

Garden camps

Descanso Discoveries

140 Foothill Blvd., La Cañada 818-354-3418

ceconline.org/summer

Huntington Explorers Camp 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino 626-405-2104

huntington.org/explorers

Los Angeles Zoo Camps 5333 Zoo Dr. 323-644-4200

lazoo.org/plan-your-visit/ camps-and-classes/zoo-camp

Museum camps

Arboretum Nature Camp 301 N. Baldwin Ave. 626-821-3222

aboretum.org

Natural History Museum 900 Exposition Blvd. 213-763-3466

nhmlac.org/adventuresnature

Los Angeles County Museum of Art 5905 Wilshire Blvd. 323-857-6512

lacma.org/education/ art-camp

Music camps

Burbank Music Academy

Rock-n-Roll Camp 4107 W. Burbank Blvd. Burbank 818-845-7625

burbankmusicacademy.com

Colburn School

200 S. Grand Ave. 213-621-2200

colburnschool.edu

School of Rock 7801 Beverly Blvd. 323-999-1919

schoolofrock.com

Los Angeles College of Music Summer Xperience

300 S. Fair Oaks Ave. Pasadena 626-568-8850 lacm.edu

Los Angeles Opera Camp

135 N. Grand Ave. 213-972-8001

laopera.org/community/geton-stage/opera-camp/

School of Creative and Performing Arts

Occidental College

1600 Campus Rd. 800-718-2787

socapa.org/locations/lacamps

School camps

Buckley School

3900 Stansbury Ave. Sherman Oaks 818-783-1610 buckley.org

Camp TIOH

7300 Hollywood Blvd. 323-876-8330 ext. 4000 briskinelementary.org/ community/camp-tio

Camp Wildfolk

Wildfolk WeHo

Larchmont Charter School 1265 N. Fairfax Ave.

Wildfolk Valley Adat Ari El 12020 Burbank Blvd. Valley Village 818-299-4151

campwildfolk.com

Campbell Hall Sports Camp 4533 Laurel Canyon Blvd. Studio City 818-505-2415

campbellhall.org

Camp Patriot @ Pilgrim Pilgrim School

540 S. Commonwealth Ave. 213-400-8885

camppatriot.weebly.com

Center for Early Education

563 N. Alfred St. 323-651-0707

centerforearlyeducation.org

Children’s Arts Institute

CCS Campus 14702 Sylvan St., Van Nuys 818-780-6226

ccsteaches.org/cai

Got Game Sports

Third Street Elementary 201 S. June St.

Hancock Park Elementary 408 S. Fairfax Ave. 310-975-8524

gotgamecamp.com

Harvard Westlake Middle School

700 N. Faring Rd. 310-274-7281

Upper School 3700 Coldwater Canyon Studio City 818-980-6692

hw.com/summerprograms

International School of Los Angeles - Ecole du

Soleil 4155 Russell Ave. 323-665-4526

internationalschool.la

Immaculate Heart

5515 Franklin Ave. 323-461-3651

immaculateheart.org

Iverbe Day and Sports Camp

The Willows 8509 Higuera St. Culver City 310-779-1952

iverbe.com

Loyola High School

1901 Venice Blvd. 213-381-5121

loyolahs.edu/academic/

summer-session

Marlborough Camp Mustang 250 S. Rossmore Ave. 323-964-8401 marlboroughsummer.org

Summer at Mayfield

500 Bellefontaine St. Pasadena 626-799-9121 mayfieldsenior.campbrainregistration.com

Prime Time Sports

Culver City Middle School 4601 Elenda St. 310-838-7872 primetimesportscamp.com

Steve & Kate’s Camp Valley Village

The Country School 5243 Laurel Canyon Blvd. 323-244-2556 steveandkatescamp.com

Sports camps

Enterprise Farms

3919 Rigali Ave. 323-665-8977

enterprisefarms.com

Fitness By the Sea 1541 Palisades Dr. Pacific Palisades 310-459-2425 fitnessbythesea.com

JAG Gym 8640 Hayden Pl., Culver City 310-287-9886 jaggym.com/camps

Learn To Surf 641 Westminster Ave., #5 Venice 310-663-2479

learntosurfla.com

Swordplay LA 919 W. Isabel St., Burbank 818-566-1777 splafencing.com/summer-camps-2024

Traditional Equitation School 480 Riverside Dr., Burbank 818-569-3666 ridetes.com

Vernon Lee Gym

Pasadena 1047 N. Allen Ave. 626-796-6011

Burbank 1828 N. Keystone St. 818-558-1177

vernonleegym.com

Special interest camps

California Science Center

Hands-On Science Camp

700 Exposition Park Dr. 323-724-3623 californiasciencecenter.org/ programs/summer-camps New York Film Academy 3300 Riverside Dr. 800-611-FILM NYFA.edu/summer-camps/

SCI–Arc

960 E. Third St. 213-613-2200 sciarc.edu/academics/summer-programs

Summer Discovery UCLA

516-447-4907 summerdiscovery.com/campuses/ucla

Camp Hollywoodland

(Continued from Page 13) they may never have tried.

Smith told us that many parents call her after camp ends to tell her how their picky eater is trying more foods, their shy daughter is making friends more easily or that their child has asked to take lessons in a skill she tried for the first time at camp.

Camp Hollywoodland gives campers choices, opportunities and experiences, but the program is really centered on building relationships. “We believe the relationships you foster at camp are for life,”

said Smith. While summer camp is what most people know about Camp Hollywoodland, the facility offers a variety of other programs throughout the year. Parent / child weekends, family day camps, movie nights and girl getaway weekends are some of the offerings available.

Boys’ Camp Boys have a similar opportunity at Camp Hollywoodland’s brother camp, Griffith Park Boys’ Camp, founded in 1925, a year before the girls’ camp. Located on 10 acres in the Griffith Park hills, the residential boys’ camp has a rock climbing wall, a high ropes

challenge course, miles of hiking trails and an archery range. It too is a classic camp and aims to give participants experiences in nature and with peers that will help build a lasting foundation for life.

At both camps, the attendance fee varies between $550 and $650 depending upon the selected week (four nights).

To learn more about Camp Hollywoodland, call 323467-7193 or email camp. hollywoodland@lacity.org. Its website is laparks.org/camp/ camp-hollywoodland.

For information about Griffith Park Boys’ Camp, email gp.boyscamp@lacity. org.

OAKWOOD

By Charlotte Zabel 11th Grade

June 10-14 & June 17-21

June 24-July 26

February was a flurry of events, from a Traditional African-American Music workshop during our weekly Town Meeting to our annual IDEAS summit, a week of educational and emotional events about identity and belonging.

Students participated in racial, gender and religious affinity spaces and also got to learn about newly added workshops like redlining, Hawaiian poetry, immigration and the border and legislation surrounding abortion and LGBTQIA+ rights.

Students, generally, seemed impressed that activities that weren’t purely conversational were incorporated. They allowed us to connect across our differences and learn more about our peers.

“Immersion” has once again arrived. All Oakwood students sign up for an immersive course at the local and / or national level. From learning about the Aztec Empire and Spanish colonization by exploring Mexican ruins and culture, to learning about the migrant history of Los Angeles and how food culture has been established in different neighborhoods, to traveling to Catalina Island to scuba dive and learn about marine life — there is something for everyone to be involved in.

Softball, boys’ tennis and baseball seasons are now in full swing with the tennis team headed to Indian Wells for team bonding. Two juniors placed in the Quarterfinals of the UC Berkeley Tournament of Champions Invitational and received a “gold bid” to the Tournament of Champions National Invitational held annually at the University of Kentucky in Lexington! Congrats to them!

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Google: Core College Counseling for more information or call 310-717-6752. Nanci has been a Brookside resident for 46 years.

CAMPERS at Griffith Park Boys’ Camp are ready to replenish their energy after a day of camp activities.

GIRLS ready themselves for one of the camp challenges.

CLIMBING area at Camp Hollywoodland gets girls up among the trees.

Cub Scout Pack 16’s Pinewood Derby winners announced

By Jim Kalin

There were cars of every size, shape, color and theme at this year’s Pinewood Derby.

Cub Scout Pack 16 held the annual race March 8 at St. Brendan School’s gymnasium. The racing was accompanied by pizza and snacks. Competition was divided by dens, and a double-elimination bracket system was used. The two Webelo dens were combined, so there were just four divisions. A specialty contest was also held.

The only champion from last year’s derby to defend his title was Liam Salviejo.

Below are the results of the racing and specialty judging.

Tiger Den

First Place: August Klein with his car “Weaver.”

Honorable Mention for Design: Asher Siegel for his car, “Grimace.”

Honorable Mention for De-

IMMACULATE HEART

By Emmelyne Lay

12th Grade

sign: Oliver Gibson for his car “Rainbow Friends.”

Wolf Den

First Place: Liam Salviejo with his car, “TTD.”

Honorable Mention for Design: Francesca Sy for her car, “UFO.”

Honorable Mention for Design: Gabriel Tarrosa for his car, “Scream.”

Bear Den

First Place: Willa Klein with her car, “Love Story.”

Honorable Mention for Design: Mason Im for his car, “Mickey D.”

Honorable Mention for Design: Jeraldine Miron for her car, “Nuthin.”

Webelo Den

First Place: Aiden Kim for her car, “Green Machine.”

The Immaculate Heart school community is currently enjoying its Easter Break after an actionpacked start to the spring semester. March saw the final performances of many IH Genesians in the spring musical “Something Rotten,” which starred Gianna S., Harper J. and Bo Violet V., all Panda seniors. This comedic masterpiece was full of the great talent and heart found here on the IH campus.

Students took their last CaML (California Math League) test of the year on Pi Day. They worked to solve complex problems while enjoying pieces of actual pie. The sophomores also recently enjoyed their off-campus retreat at Camp

Bob Waldorf in Montrose, where they participated in teacher-led activities and reflections. Additionally, five juniors attended the Founding Forward trip to Pennsylvania, where they visited Valley Forge as well as the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.

When classes resume on April 8, another flurry of activity will begin as seniors weigh their college choices, spring sports are in full mode and high school students prepare for the beloved tradition of Mary’s Day!

CENTER FOR EARLY EDUCATION

By Griffin Miller 5th Grade

One great tradition at CEE is called Families. Each Families group is named after a Crayola Cray-

on color. Students, faculty, staff and teachers are assigned a family when they start at the school. Each person’s family stays the same throughout his or her CEE career. Once a month, families meet and participate in activities led by the 6th grade students.

Our Families tradition is really special because students and adults of all ages can connect, build community and become friends. In addition to the activities and games that the 6th graders organize, one important part of Famililes is that we work together on a community ser-

vice project. In March, all Families participate in the Whole School Day of Service. We go on different field trips to help the community outside of our school. Nassim Shandy, the director of teaching and learning, oversees the trips. “The intention of this day is to provide students with a chance to engage in hands-on volunteerism and cultivate a positive attitude towards giving back through service. We want all members of our community to think about the world outside of the schools’ walls,” she said.

Some organizations that fam-

Honorable Mention for Design: Julian Hoffman for his car, “Simpsons Car.”

Honorable Mention for Design: Henry Fiedler for his car, “Box Car.”

Honorable Mention for Design: Spencer Sauer-Portes for her car, “Herbie.”

ilies visit are Alexandria House, Baby2Baby, City Greens, Heal the Bay, Hollywood Food Coalition, Karsh Center, Kings Road Park, Magnolia Family Center, Proyecto Pastoral Early Childhood Center, Saban Community Clinic, Wags & Walks, Wallis Annenberg Petspace, Watts Senior Center and Westside Food Bank. Each visit includes a tour, meetings with leaders, hands-on tasks and reflection sessions. The Whole School Day of Service and Families are two special examples of the importance of community at our school and in our city.

CARS OF EVERY SIZE, shape, color and theme were at this year’s Pinewood Derby.

CUB SCOUT PACK 16 Pinewood Derby champions are (left to right) Aiden Kim, Willa Klein, August Klein, and Liam Salviejo.

Spring Block Party returns to Larchmont Village with family fun

By Casey Russell

The second annual Larchmont Spring Block Party is just around the corner. It takes place on Sat., April 27, from noon to 5 p.m., when the street in the 500 block of North Bronson Avenue will be closed for some neighborhood fun.

Last year’s event brought smiles to so many faces that organizers Maggie Pena, Claire Kosloff, Annie O’Rourke, Cyndi Jabr, Cathy Gellert and Kelly McAdams decided to feature many of the same activities this year. Water games will return, as will arts and crafts tables, face painting, a bike-and-scooter course, a water balloon toss and tarot card readings.

New to this year’s event will be a visit from tortoises from Windsor Village’s Tortoiseland. Live music featuring neighborhood musicians and Larchmont Charter School student bands and performers will add to the festive feel, and food trucks and local vendors will abound.

This year, organizers are working more closely with Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez’s office as plans are made. Soto-Martinez and other city representatives plan to attend the event, along with Wilshire Senior Lead Officers and representatives from local city services, such as LA Sanitation.

The event is free to attend, but donations are welcome. Proceeds will be distributed to Alexandria House and other local nonprofits.

Anyone interested in spon-

soring or volunteering can email organizers at larchmontvillageblockparty@gmail.

com. For more information, follow along on Instagram at @larchmontblockparty.

New ‘Alice in Wonderland’ to premiere at Ebell April 6

By Casey Russell

A new production of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” will premiere at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre, 4401 West 8th Street, Sat., April 6, and Sun., April 7.

Show creators Brooke de Rosa and Paige Lehnert have put together a cast of 18 performers to bring the story to life as a colorful musical. LED backdrops, original costumes and interactive elements will invite the audience members to immerse themselves in this classic fairytale adventure.

Tickets can be purchased at ebellofla.org/event/ alice-in-wonderland.

DECATHLON team of Christ the King School consists of 6th, 7th and 8th graders. The team took second overall at the Academic Decathlon regional competition among 15 teams at St. Mary’s Academy on March 2. Front row (L to R): Hannah Bang, Fabiano Chavez, Alvin Choi and Francis Benico. Back row (L to R): Janeth Quintanilla, Israel Serafin, Kelvin Patel, Rio Villavicencio, Jane Yoon and Joshua Ibediro.

ALICE AT THE EBELL will be portrayed by Brooke Iva Lohman.

NEIGHBORS savored the springtime sunshine at last year’s block party on North Bronson Avenue.

CHILDREN enjoy Pump and Splash water play at 2023’s Larchmont Spring Block Party.

Early Mother’s Day for mom who instilled a passion for tennis

Admittedly, this column is a month early. I should have saved it for our May issue, in honor of Mother’s Day. To my own mom, and mothers everywhere, I apologize!

Coach Ronita Elease Elder is an exceptional person. So is her son, Cliff Frazier, who I referred to as Coach Frazier for years. I had no idea what his first name was, and neither did most parents I came across whose children took tennis lessons from him at local Poinsettia Park.

“Coach has a great way with kids,” said Karen Shu, whose sons Cameron and Colin take lessons from Frazier. “My boys are very different from one another, but Coach has a way of relating to both of them with compassion, kindness and respect while still teaching to who they truly are as individuals.”

Frazier grew up in Los Angeles and benefitted from parents who were rich in athletic talent. His father, Cliff Frazier, Jr., played football at UCLA and was a starting defensive lineman when the Bruins defeated Ohio State in the 1976 Rose Bowl. His mother attended Dorsey High School and received a tennis scholarship to Whittier College, then worked for the SCTA (Southern California Tennis Association) division of the USTA (U.S. Tennis Association) as the director of diversity and inclusion. The path Frazier’s mother is responsible for her son’s present

Youth Sports

by Jim Kalin

position and passion.

“She created a Saturday morning tennis program at Crenshaw High School when I was young,” explained Frazier. “I had to go with her, so tennis became familiar.”

Frazier was a ball kid with the pro circuit when it stopped in town for the Mercedes-Benz Cup and the Los Angeles Open. He played varsity tennis at Beverly Hills High, and he attended Alabama State University on a tennis scholarship.

“I didn’t expect my life to go in its present direction,” admitted Frazier, who majored in music business and worked in that industry after returning home from college.

Thanks to his mother, that didn’t last long.

Ronita Elease Elder founded Sports Explorer, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Currently, she and her son co-chair the organization. Aces4Kids is its fundraising initiative, which sends outstanding students to the Family Day at the BNP (Banque Nationale de Paris) Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, every March.

“Our program is offered to children of any economic background,” Frazier emphasized. “It highlights diversity and is a melting pot for kids who normally might never interact with one another.”

Aces and love

Prior to leaving for Indian Wells, Frazier assigned “homework.” The younger children, ages 5-7, were required to submit a drawing or collage that depicted Coach Frazier giving lessons on Poinsettia Park’s Court 1. Those who were 8-10 had to compose a report on a famous tennis player, and the children 11 and older wrote papers on the benefits of taking tennis lessons from Frazier.

Early Saturday morning on March 2 a passenger shuttle from Corporate Coach Char-

Dentistry for Children and Young Adults

ter & Tours, Inc., a service based in Inglewood, arrived to take the kids and parents to Indian Wells.

“We were scheduled for a 30-passenger shuttle,” said Frazier. “But they upgraded it to a 50-passenger vehicle. It set the tone for the whole day.”

Indeed. But nothing topped the practice session they attended. Tennis legend Venus Williams appeared in an unscheduled practice.

“That was a true highlight,” said Frazier.

Aces4Kids’ eventual goal is to take students to a Grand Slam event. Lofty? Perhaps, but this year’s trip to Indian Wells included the largest group yet.

It’s growing.

For more information or to make a contribution to Aces4Kids, go to sportsexplorer.org/pages/eventflyer.

ACES4KIDS’ group photo at the BNP Paribas Open Family Day.

COACH FRAZIER and his student Rishi Singhania with the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour’s current No. 6 player, Alexander Zverev.

TURNING POINT

By Lochlann O’Connell 8th Grade

students will go to Space Camp the very next week.

As we get closer to spring, Turning Point gets more exciting. This year’s 8th graders get to go to Puerto Rico for their service-learning trip! We are all very excited to swim and enjoy meals together, as well as to help out around the island, making trails and planting trees. We have been waiting for this for a while so everyone is excited.

As one of our assignments before the trip, 8th graders had to make a packing list. One of the items I included was a swimsuit because I want to swim in the crystal clear waters of Puerto Rico. Another item was a pair of work gloves — we will need these so we don’t cut or hurt our fingers while helping out around the island.

We are all thrilled to visit such a beautiful place on our final Turning Point class trip.

ST. JAMES’

By Kingston Smith And Hailey Lee 6th Grade

As the St. James’ community enters spring, we are all still basking in the post-glow of Matilda Jr., the Musical. The show was a big hit and all who participated had a really great time. From our teachers who helped out in many ways to parents who designed and built sets, it was a tremendous and successful event.

Students will not be too sad when spring break is over, because there are a lot of great things happening in April! The 4th through 6th graders have the Spring Dance, and 5th grade

Space Camp is really exciting! Students get to stay in spacecraft-like dorms, experience antigravity and conduct missions just like the ones astronauts perform. Students also get to sample food similar to what astronauts might eat on the space station or on a mission.

MELROSE ELEMENTARY

By Franklin Raghaven 5th Grade

Congrats to Melrose for winning the Magnet Schools of America Award, School of Distinction.

Sounds fancy, right?  Well, along with that, Melrose is making us work out now with the jog-a-thon or the Melrose Games that always take place in April.

The Parent Teacher Organization is paying for it all, and each class has been given an animal as its mascot. The PTO president said, “It’s the second biggest fundraiser this year and it is animal-themed. Melrose caregivers can donate on PledgeStar.”

Kids at Melrose will wear eclipse glasses on April 8th, but don’t go make your cereal box eclipse glasses yet because Los Angeles will not have a full solar eclipse.

In our Melrose garden we are now growing celery, lemongrass, strawberries, kale and basil. New flowering plants are around the bases of trees and groups of kids like to spend recess helping out and watering the plants.

THE WILLOWS

By Birdie Reynolds 8th Grade

Coming back from spring break is never easy for students, but thankfully at The Willows we have plenty of

events lined up to make coming back to school just a little bit easier. Not only are our sports teams continuing their seasons, at the end of the month, they have the playoffs, which wrap up their seasons.

Later in the month, we have the Celebration of Dance. This event enables our dancers to showcase new dances and also fan favorites that have been performed throughout the year. We have student-led hip-hop dances and Swan Lake renditions, as this event is really about the passionate, accomplished dancers who are proud to show what they have been doing.

Throughout the month many grades have field trips planned, and students are now just getting into their new electives and classes they picked before spring break. It is always an exciting time at The Willows, from arts to sports — we tend to have it all!

PAGE ACADEMY

By Isabella Argiropoulos

8th Grade

with practice testing the week before. Our students will be preparing projects and presentations in celebration of Earth Day on the 22nd. We will close out the month with the Spring Scholastic Book Fair and International Day, which celebrates our students’ multicultural backgrounds. I hope you all enjoy our lovely spring weather, the wildflowers in bloom and our sunny skies.

ST. BRENDAN

By Harry Jannone Kim

8th Grade

bag of pretzels or a protein bar to someone, it seemed to cheer the person up, especially when we made eye contact or said something nice. It felt good to help people. It really feeds your soul.

CHRIST THE KING

By Zoe Griswold and Anjella Guiza 7th Grade

March came in like a lion but spring is now here! Our students had a great time participating (in their pajamas) in Read Across America Day and wearing their best spring outfits for spring pictures. Green was the theme for our free dress day, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, and our students had a great time at our annual egg hunt with Easter Bunny pictures.

Coming back from our spring break, April and the rest of the school year will be very eventful. Our Move-Up Morning will be coming up for our junior kindergarten (JK) through 7th grade students. They will get a preview of what to expect in the coming year by spending the morning following the next grade level’s schedule.

Standardized testing will be occurring the week of April 15th,

March is an exciting month at St. Brendan with many exciting activities. Lenten season was observed Feb. 14 to March 28. Throughout the month of March, 8th graders practiced for the reenactment of the live-action Stations of the Cross. This reenactment of the Stations was very heartwarming and wonderful.

It’s the 3rd trimester of the academic year and CKS students are working hard. Our 8th grade students received their high school acceptance letters and are very excited about going to high school next year.

Eighth graders received their acceptance letters to high schools in mid-March and are excited to go through the next chapters of their life. These letters showed us that our hard work during the past three years has paid off. Through our work and determination, we were able to get into the schools of our dreams. We celebrated with Pi Day on March 14.

Saint Brendan hosted a Western Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation committee in late March. We enjoyed talking to the team members as they evaluated our school.

HOLLYWOOD SCHOOLHOUSE

By Penny Yoon 6th Grade

On March 2, our Academic Decathlon team competed in the regional competition, which was held at St. Mary’s Academy. Our team did an amazing job and placed 2nd overall!

We had our annual CKS Fun Run on March 5. Students ran as many laps as they could to raise money for our school. All the students had fun and it was a great fundraising event.

Our 3rd, 4th and 5th graders went on a field trip to the LA Opera to see “Puccini Opera Tales.” Our parish held a St. Patrick’s Day Dinner Dance on March 17, which included traditional Irish food and music as well as traditional Irish dancers. March 27 marked the beginning of our Easter vacation, so we wish all our readers a very happy and blessed Easter.

THE BUCKLEY SCHOOL

By Max Terr 10th Grade

March has been a jampacked month! My fellow 6th grade classmates and I finally found out what schools we got into! Some acceptances included: Campbell Hall, Harvard Westlake, Marlborough, Buckley, Berkley Hall, Saint Brendan, Archer, Pilgrim, Oakwood and Brentwood.

But that’s not the only exciting thing that’s happened. Last week, we also went on two field trips! The first one was a surprise trip to Warner Brothers Studios. And, let me tell you, it was AMAZING. We got to see sets from “Abbott Elementary,” “All American,” “Young Sheldon,” “Pretty Little Liars” and tons more! The second field trip was to the California Science Center to see the new Leonardo da Vinci exhibit. That was also super-cool because of how many things he invented. Last but not least, recently, many of us students volunteered at Food on Foot. Food on Foot is an organization that gives food and clothes to those experiencing homelessness. On our volunteer day, there was a huge line of people. When we gave a

The Buckley School is winding down for spring break, yet people and classes are still moving quickly.  Tests and assessments are happening as students are working towards a well-deserved vacation.  Many activities and clubs are also being offered with a lot of action in student-run areas, our very own Griffitrons robotics team, Team 1661, competed and won several league matches against other teams across the country.

In middle school, outdoor education is being prioritized with The Buckley School working to create meaningful friendships and bonding experiences.

We are also winding up for Spirit Week, which is a coveted annual tradition at Buckley. Every year, each grade comes up with an entirely student-led choreographed dance based on a movie. This week’s activities also offer a break from the stress of school. A number of fun games accompany the dances. From water balloon tosses to jump rope competitions, the fun never stops. That’s all from The Buckley School!

AMPA students perform ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ at Hamilton High

By Jim Kalin

For anyone who has never attended a live performance of the musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” here’s a great opportunity to see it presented by extremely proficient high school actors from one of the premier Los Angeles performing arts academies.

The Academy of Music and Performing Arts (AMPA) at Hamilton High School is a tuition-free program for students looking to fill a need for high-quality music and performing arts opportunities at a comprehensive high school. AMPA, which began as the Academy of Music in 1987, draws students from all over Los Angeles, even Park La Brea and the Larchmont area. The academy offers 13 majors, which include musical theater, film, drama, dance, piano, guitar and poetry.

“What makes AMPA truly different is that we offer high-quality, competitive performing arts programs as part of a rigorous academic course of study, meaning our students are prepared to go to

NEW COVENANT ACADEMY

By Sue Jung Park

11th Grade

March was filled with many events for New Covenant Academy.

In celebration of March Madness, the high school student council hosted a threeday sports tournament, including dodgeball, basketball and volleyball! The competition was held between classes, and the class that had the most points won a prize! Also, the student council held a boba fundraiser, allowing students to have a refreshing drink to enjoy.

High school students also went on a field trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain as a break from the stressful assignments and exams! Students had a great time riding thrilling roller coasters and eating delicious food with their classmates and teachers.

The boys’ volleyball season has officially started, so come out to future games to support them as they play hard! Go Huskies!

THIRD STREET

By Olive Clancy

5th Grade

Berklee College of Music or UC Berkeley,” explained AMPA Coordinator and Director Michelle Espinosa.

AMPA’s partnership with a public high school is unique and valuable to both entities. AMPA’s presence at Hamilton has attracted families back into the LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District). The academy’s student body benefits from large campus facilities (like the 600-seat Norman J. Pattiz Concert Hall) and opportunities to

break, we are back to finish the school year strong! Our annual Walk-a-Thon is this month. Every Panther participates to raise money for important programs at our school.

We also have a big showcase coming up, featuring our Korean Dual Language Program (KDLP) students. The KDLP classes will play traditional and modern Korean music and perform dances. They’ve been practicing for months, so it should be a great show.

The last friday of every month is Spirit Day, and this month we’re all dressing as our favorite book characters. Who would you dress up as? Have a great April, everyone!

MARLBOROUGH

By Avery Gough 12th Grade

participate in sports. Hamilton students in turn are permitted to enroll in certain AMPA classes.

“Anyone can take our beginning level performing arts courses and, if space allows, they can take intermediate and advanced options as well,” said Espinosa.

On the Hamilton High School campus, AMPA and LAUSD students mingle and support each other.

AMPA’s musical theater director and instructor is Jenny

Grade Case Study Night is also on the 17th, and gives juniors an opportunity to meet with college representatives, read applications and get feedback on how to successfully navigate the college process.

It is a month of many firsts and lasts, and a very exciting time for every grade at Marlborough.

Gordon, and her students perform two different musicals each school year. “Fiddler on the Roof” is one of her favorites and the most familiar. Her actor father, Gary Gordon, performed the lead role of Tevye in 17 different productions throughout Southern California. The last time he played the character, she was eight months pregnant with her own daughter.

“My dad walked me down the aisle to ‘Sunrise, Sunset,’” said Gordon. “This musical is woven into the fabric of my family.”

Jenny Gordon believes “Fiddler on the Roof” is an important musical, and a timely one.

“Although it’s a beautiful testament to Jewish culture, “Fiddler” resonates with all cultures because of its themes of family, love, dignity

and the importance of tradition. Considering the climate in the world right now, I think this show is essential for people to come and bring their families.”

Show performances for “Fiddler on the Roof” will be held at the Norman J. Pattiz Concert Hall on the Hamilton High School campus, 2955 S. Robertson Blvd. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for students and seniors at the evening performances, and $20 for adults and $10 for seniors and students at the matinees.

Tickets can be purchased at hamiltonmusic.org/events or at the box office on the day of the show.

Show times are Thurs., April 18, at 7 p.m.; Fridays, April 19 and 26, at 7 p.m.; and Saturdays, April 20 and 27, at 1 and 7 p.m.

Hello readers! We recently had our Open House during which parents came to campus to see what work their kids have been doing at school all year. My class did a little musical performance about the 13 colonies that was very fun.

After an awesome spring

The fourth quarter of the school year begins on April 8th when we return from Spring Break. The month offers many exciting events for Marlborough students.

The Spring Choral Concert takes place on the 12th, and on the 16th, 9th graders will have their Color Celebration. The colors selected will follow the class through their years at Marlborough, including at the Ring Ceremony, during graduation and future grade celebrations.

The Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is on the 17th. This ceremony commemorates the incredible athletes who have dedicated hard work and time to Marlborough sports and to the school as a whole. The 11th

AMPA CAST MEMBERS in rehearsal. From left to right: Madison Fujioka, Joaquin Cota Levin, Lucinda Jones and Robin Chorna. JENNY GORDON directs Cody Holmes, who will play the role of Tevye.

Change underway at Los Angeles theaters, new plays on stage

Los Angeles theater is in a period of transition. The Mark Taper and the Geffen have new artistic directors. The Geffen’s Tarell Alvin McCraney won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for “Moonlight,” and the Taper’s Snehal Desai built East-West Players into a local powerhouse, but neither has run a regional theater the size of either stage before.

Stephen Sachs, the co-founding artistic director of the Fountain Theatre, is retiring at the end of 2024, and a national search is underway to find his successor,

which is unusual for a 99-seat theater. It speaks, however, to the impact of the Fountain, punching above its weight.

Mr. Sachs assumed leadership of the theater in 1990, along with Deborah Lawler, who passed away last year. Under their guidance, the Fountain earned a reputation for excellence, particularly for its political dramas. Mr. Sachs was also instrumental in developing Deaf West Theatre and for nurturing numerous playwrights, directors and performers over three decades at the Fountain.

Theater

Review

by Louis Fantasia

It is unfortunate, in my opinion, that Mr. Sachs chose to conceive and direct the docudrama Fatherland for his final production. I say “in my opinion” because the play — a dramatised transcript of the interviews and trial of Guy Reffitt, whose son Jackson turned him in to the FBI for his part in the January 6 insurrection — has garnered reactions such as “powerful,” “stunning” and “riveting” from other reviewers. I found the piece lacking in insight and melodramatic at best. But see it for yourself. Stephen Sachs’ career and commitment deserve that much respect. (Playing through Sun., May 26; 323-663-1525, www.fountaintheatre.com).

Mr. Sachs’ play “Bakersfield Mist” premiered at the Fountain in 2011, starring the husband-and-wife acting team of Nick Ullett and Jenny O’Hara. The play was produced in London in 2014 with Kathleen Turner and “Star Wars’” Ian McDiarmid. Mr. Ullett, a Brit, hoped to be part of that production, but instead wound up cast in Harold Pinter’s “The Birthday Party” at the Geffen, starring

Tim Roth and Steven Berkoff and directed by William Friedkin. The only problem was that “The Birthday Party” never opened!

Show biz egos and backstage intrigues form the basis of Mr. Ullett’s delightful oneman narrative, The Birthday Party: A Theatrical Catastrophe, directed by Lisa James. The hour-long monologue is too slight to be called a play. However, as presented by Rogue Machine Theatre at the tiny Henry Murray Stage at the Matrix, it feels like a convivial conversation over drinks — minus the alcohol. It shouldn’t be missed. (Playing through Mon., April 8; 855-585-5185, roguemachinetheatre.org)

The Geffen survived the “Birthday” fiasco and has gone (mostly) from a local venue featuring Hollywood stars to a serious regional theater producing West Coast premieres of significant works. It continues this impressive streak with the upcoming area premiere of the 2023 Broadway production of Fat Ham, James Ijames’ retelling of the story of Shakespeare’s tragic Dane, set at a Black family’s backyard barbecue wedding reception.

USC hosts Festival of Books April 20, 21

The USC campus will be filled with all things books when it hosts the free Los Angeles Times Festival of Books Sat., April 20 and Sun., April 21. There will be books for sale, authors interviewed, book signings, musical performances, cooking demonstrations and more. Some events require advance reservations. A complete schedule is available at events.latimes.com.

We have Juicy, played by Marcel Spears, who puts the “question” of the play straight out: “I think my uncle had my father killed. Now my father wants me to kill my uncle.” Whether the family thinker and poet can — or should — exact revenge is the crux of the Pulitzer-winning adaptation, which, like Shakespeare’s original, breaks the fourth wall to directly engage the audience and has a Shakespearean roller-coaster mix of comedy and tragedy. It is, as Mr. Spears said in a pre-Broadway interview, “Hamlet with a little hot sauce.”

Because of the short length of the Geffen’s run and the deadlines for this column, I am not able to comment directly on the Los Angeles version of “Fat Ham.” Restaging a Broadway production limits a critic’s comments in any event. However, the issues that the play raises about the “relevance” of Shakespeare today, especially in minority communities, and the fact that it does so in such a joyous manner, make it worth writing about. Like the other two shows above, it will be worth seeing. (It runs April 4-28; 310-208-2028; geffenplayhouse.org).

Andre’s Italian is opening this month

A popular feature of the former Town and Country shopping center is making a comeback. Andre’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria told us they may be serving — as soon as Sun., April 7 — homemade pasta, pizza and daily specials at their sit-down restaurant in the Dominguez-Wilshire Building at 5400 Wilshire Blvd. Open 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. daily. Call 323-935-1246.

Fried chicken is a tasty, crunchy cut above on Melrose Hill

In what is quickly becoming a dining destination, Melrose Hill is enticing foodies from around the city. One of the draws is Le Coupé

At first glance the bright red exterior of the Le Coupé fried chicken storefront shouts fast food, but don’t be fooled. At the helm of the cheery shop is New Orleans native Chef Craig Walker, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Austin, Texas. After moving to Southern California, he and his wife and business partner, Kristen Walker, began cooking dinners for their neighbors during the pandemic. Quickly

they discovered that their fried chicken dinner was everyone’s favorite meal. Eventually, Le Coupé was hatched.

The name derives from the French word for “to cut,” which references the signature way he debones the chicken for the cutlet plate: the bone is still attached for those who love to gnaw, but it swings away from the meat to facilitate ease of eating. The name is also a reminder of being cooped up during COVID-19.

Most ingredients are sourced locally from farmers’ markets. Condiments and

On the Menu

by Helene Seifer

desserts are made in-house, as are the refreshing $6 sweetsour yuzu lemonade and $5 watermelon juice.

My husband and I shared their fried chicken sandwich, $15.50, a gigantic buttermilkand hot sauce-brined boneless thigh. Coated in seasoned flour and fried, then dipped

Alumnae collaborate on new musical

By Casey Russell

Three friends who met and performed together while attending Marlborough in the 1980s have collaborated again to bring “Nicky and the Angels,” a new musical, to audiences this spring.

Jillana Devine-Knickel, who grew up in Hancock Park, wrote and directs the semi-autobiographical show.  Ali Mandelbaum, who teaches musical theater at Marborough’s summer school, composed the music and lyrics, and Claire Anne

“Daanee” Touchstone of Windsor Village, who danced professionally for years and now is a K-12 arts coordinator for LAUSD, joined her two friends to choreograph the musical.

Set in the 1980s, “Nicky and the Angels” follows three teenage Angelenos as they discover themselves, the world outside of school, their love of musicals and, sometimes, their love of the wrong people.

Rehearsals for the show are being held in Marlbor-

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in chili honey, it is layered onto a brioche bun with sweet pickles, slaw and honey mustard. It is crunchy, sweet, sticky and delicious, and the bun holds up, unlike potato buns so many fried chicken purveyors use. Le Coupé also serves $15 fried chicken tenders and the $10 bone-in fried thigh described above on a plate, topped with the guilty pleasure of several pieces of puffed fried chicken skin. There are plenty of sides, all house-made. We shared a small mountain of $11 corn ribs. Fresh ears of corn are sliced through the cob into long wedges. Slathered with chili and lime mayonnaise, queso fresco and cilantro, the ribs are a fun take on elote, or Mexican street corn. I am partial to the watermelon salad, $13. Compressed melon (vacuum-sealing the melon concentrates the flavor) is cut

into cubes and topped with a spectacular chunky pistachio pesto and creamy Australian goat feta. Sliced pickled Fresno peppers are sprinkled on top to add a jolt of heat. A small pipette of balsamic reduction comes with the dish to squirt to taste. I couldn’t stop eating the sweet, salty, savory, nutty watermelon. Other sides include: individual loaves of Anson Mills blue corn cornbread made with duck fat and brown butter; mustard and chive potato salad; and fusilli macaroni and cheese — each $6.

Vanilla bean cheesecake, $8, and southern bread pudding, $7, were tempting, but we ended our lunch with $4 baked-to-order brown butter chocolate chip cookies which were oozy and chewy and excellent.

Le Coupé, 709 N. Western Ave., 323-380-7019.

ough’s music room, bringing the three alumnae back to their roots. “We’re having a blast introducing our talented young cast to the world of payphones, Walkmen, mix tapes and Tab [soda],” said Devine-Knickel.

The show will take place at The Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, Sun., April 14, through Sun., May 19. Tickets can be purchased at tinyurl.com/mrxfvd5b. For more information, visit nickyandtheangels.com.

‘Into the Breeches’

By John Welborne

The 2018 opening, in Rhode Island, of George Brant’s play, “Into the Breeches,” garnered a review (The Providence Journal, Feb. 1, 2018) describing the work as “a gem of a play, one of the sweetest nights of theater you’re likely to see this season.”

The same can be said of the revival, directed by the Larchmont Chronicle’s own theater critic, Louis Fantasia, now at Theatre Forty in Beverly Hills. Performances of the eight-person cast — in the charming (with adjacent free parking) 99-seat theater tucked inside the Beverly Hills High School campus — continue through April 27. Visit: theatre40.org.

CHOREOGRAPHER Claire

Anne “Daanee” Touchstone.

COMPOSER/LYRICIST Ali Mandelbaum. DIRECTOR/WRITER Jillana Devine-Knickel.

Beef, Chicken or Veggie Wellington

Wild Gene; ‘Wicked’ in Britain; action in Ireland; country music

Remembering Gene Wilder (10/10): 92 minutes. NR. “I didn’t think Jerry Silberman had the right ring to it. I wanted to be … wilder.” That’s how and why Gene Wilder got his name.

Although he had a small part in “Bonnie and Clyde” (1967), my first memory of Wilder is in “The Producers” (1967), the first 10 minutes of which are among the funniest ever filmed.

This is not just a revealing documentary about an outstanding actor / writer / director, it also tells how things got done in Hollywood. Told by Gene himself and people like Mel Brooks (there’s lots of Mel in this film, and that’s always a treat), Richard Pryor’s daughter, Rain, Ben Mankiewicz, agent Mike Medavoy, Carol Kane and many others, it captures the man as well as the actor. It’s full of “Inside Holly-

wood”-type anecdotes and also covers heartbreaks. If you love the Hollywood movie industry, this is a can’t-miss film.

Wicked Little Letters (8/10): 100 minutes. R. It’s hard to believe when you watch this, but the events depicted actually occurred in a little English village called Littlehampton, and they did cause a national sensation. It’s the story of two neighbors, Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) and Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley). Edith and others start receiving profane, offensive (indeed, wicked) letters, and Rose gets blamed for them.

Rose is a newcomer to the village and lives with her daughter Nancy (Alisha Weir) and boyfriend Bill (Malachi Kirby) next door to Edith. Rose is raucous with a truly nasty mouth. Edith, on the other hand, is prudish,

At the Movies with Tony Medley

the daughter of a tyrannical puritanical father, Edward (Timothy Spall), with whom she lives. The only person who comes to Rose’s defense is Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan) who is, herself, going through terrible discrimination, being the first female police officer in the history of Sussex.

Brilliantly written (Jonny Sweet) and directed (Thea Sharrock), Rose’s defiant attitude provides much of the comedic parts of the movie. I am a big admirer of all three stars, Colman, Buckley, and Spall, and all give sparkling

performances.

This is clearly a feminist movie because virtually all the male characters are presented in a negative light. The police (except Officer Moss) are all male, biased and sexist, and the protagonists are all female. In fact, with the possible exception of Bill, there is not one male character who is not a heavy.

I downgrade my numerical score for this somewhat, on account of the offensive woke presentism used in the casting of a character. The events the film is based on took place in the 1920s, but one of the judges in the trial is Black. In fact, there was never a Black circuit judge in England until Barbara Menshah was appointed in 2005, more than 80 years after these events take place.

Historical movies should reflect things as they were in the time when the events take place. It’s fine to have diversity in casting, but it’s not fine when the casting ignores the actualities of the time and place of the film. Such castings are jarring. I suppose if Hollywood were to remake “Patton,” we might expect the general to be played by Jennifer Lawrence or maybe Kimura Takuya or Jamie Foxx. The people who make these foolish decisions are agitpropping, and these choices degrade what is otherwise an exceptional film.

In the Land of Saints and Sinners (8/10): 106 Minutes. R. This is Liam Neeson’s generally annual early-year thriller. Some have been good (the first, very good) and some not so good. This is one of the good ones. While Finbar Murphy (Neeson) leads what appears to be a mellow life in an isolated coastal town (Glencolmcille) in the early ‘70s, he is a political assassin in the Irish wars.

Enter Doirean (Kerry Con-

don), a brutal, emotionless, cold-blooded killer on the other side, who ends up targeting Finbar with her vicious crew. Well directed by Robert Lorenz from a script by Mark Michael McNally and Terry Loane, it is enhanced by captivating cinematography (Tom Stern) of the desolate but beautiful Irish seaside. The conclusion is one of the better denouements one will see with the tension rising by the second. My only problem with it was the audio. I watched it on a link to my computer and had a difficult time with the thick Irish brogues and seemingly low-quality audio. Even though that could have been my computer, films in which people speak in deep accents should be enhanced by captions. But even without understanding much of the dialogue, it is so well done that I could follow what was going on.

The Neon Highway (8/10): 112 minutes. PG-13. When singer / songwriter Wayne Collins (Rob Mayes) and his brother Lloyd (TJ Power) arrive to perform at a local spot, they are well-received, and Wayne receives a troubling offer from a producer. On their way home, they have a bad accident, ending their quest for fame and stardom. Seven years later, Wayne, now a cable installer, meets country music star Claude Allen (Beau Bridges), who has fallen on hard times but who offers to help Wayne get his old record produced.

Directed by William Wages (with writing credits to Wages and Phillip Bellury), what follows is an involving tale of hope and deceit highlighted by fine performances by Bridges and Mayes along with a realistic look at the inside of the music business, where it seems as if everybody is manipulative and nobody is to be trusted.

Senior lunch is back on the table again at Pan Pacific Center

By Suzan Filipek

How about oven-fried chicken and a potato kugel for lunch?

The dishes are among a bounty of offerings on the menu at a senior lunch and activities program that reopened last month at the Pan Pacific Senior Activity Center after nearly three years.

“The Park La Brea / Mid City area encompasses a vibrant senior community that has not been able to gather together in this way since the pandemic,” a spokesperson for the Jewish Family Service

Egg hunt and Easter Bunny here for spring

By Casey Russell

The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks is hosting a Spring Fling Egg Hunt at Pan Pacific Park, 7600 Beverly Blvd., on Sat., March 30, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission is free to the event, which will include games, arts and crafts, prizes and more.

Children aged 4 and under will search for eggs at 10 a.m. Five- and 6-year-olds will begin their egg hunts at 10:30 a.m. At 11 a.m., 7-and 8-yearolds will start their searches. Nine- and 10-year-olds are at

LA (JFSLA) program told us.

The hot, kosher meals are free to anyone 60 years and older. The program is in partnership with the Los Angeles Dept. of Recreation and Parks.

“Not only are these programs critical for improv-

ing seniors’ physical health through nutrition and fitness, they also afford important social-emotional opportunities that can improve overall well-being,” JFSLA’s director of nutrition, Siri Perlman, RD, told us.

Lunch is served Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Various activity and exercise classes are planned as well.

Pan Pacific Senior Activity Center is at 141 S. Gardner Ave.

11:30 a.m., and children ages 12 and older will get their chance starting at noon.

The Grove

Nearby at The Grove, 189

The Grove Dr., the Easter Bunny will be at his Bunny Bungalow through Sun., March 31. In the park area of The Grove, scenic backdrops will set the stage for families desiring professional pictures with the Easter Bunny himself.

To make reservations for photos, visit thegrovela.com. For more information about the egg hunt, visit panpacific. recreationcenter@lacity.org.

Ecclesia Gnostica Gnostic Christian Church

Bishop Dr. Stephan Hoeller

Sunday Eucharist 11:00am

Sunday Eucharist 11am

Wednesday Eucharist 8:30pm Lectures • Fridays • 8pm

Wednesday Eucharist 8pm Lectures • Fridays • 8pm

307 ©LC0421

3363 Glendale Boulevard, Atwater, Los Angeles • 323-467-2685

2560 N. Beachwood Dr., Hollywood • 323-467-2685

LUNCH IS SERVED in the Pan Pacific Senior Activities Center. Above, community members enjoy a hot lunch and camaraderie.

PARK LA BREA resident Dan Drown enjoys lunch.

DIETICIAN Siri Perlman.

Passover, Easter: religious traditions joined by theme of rebirth

By Helene Seifer

Although the dates vary from year to year, Easter and Passover are always spring holidays that celebrate rebirth and renewal and share one thing in common. The centerpiece of Passover is the ritual meal called the Seder, when the story of the Jews’ 1300 B.C. exodus from slavery in Egypt is told. It is written in the Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke that the Last Supper of Jesus was a Seder.

The Passover Seder Seders were conducted as far back as 90 B.C. Seder, held on the first two nights (this year April 22 and 23) of the eight-day holiday, means “order,” and the interactions of the night follow a particular order. Edana Appel, director of Camp & Family Programs at J Los Angeles, explains. “All Jews are doing this all over the world. We are one link in the long chain of people.”

The journey to freedom began when Moses requested of Pharaoh, to no avail, to “Let my people go.” God then unleashed 10 plagues upon the Egyptians, from frogs and lice to the killing of the first born by the Angel of Death. To ensure the safety of Jewish families, they were instructed to sacrifice a lamb and smear its blood on

their doorposts as a signal to the Angel of Death to pass over their homes, hence “Passover.”

The story continues that, after that plague, Pharaoh granted them leave, but changed his mind and sent his warriors after the fleeing Jews. This led to a harrowing journey across the narrows of the Red Sea, which mysteriously parted to let the fleeing Jewish people across to dry land, and then closed to drown the pursuers.

Some interpret this symbolically. “There are always times when we leave the narrow and expand into a larger world,”

says Canter Lisa Peicott of Wilshire Boulevard Temple. “In our own life, we can feel stuck, in a ‘narrow.’ We can experience our own exodus, our own rebirth.”

The ritual Seder foods represent elements of the historic quest for freedom. Matzo, a flat, cracker-like bread, is a reminder that there wasn’t time to wait for bread to rise before leaving. A drop of wine is spilled for each of the 10 plagues. Horseradish is a reminder of the bitterness of slavery. Foods are dipped in salt water for the tears the slaves shed. Many add an orange to the table to symbolize equality for women and LGBTQIA+ people.

Family Passover traditions

Peggy and Stephen Davis, Windsor Square residents, and

TOGETHER FOR PASSOVER: from left to right, Harry, in-laws Barbara and Bruce Speiser; Amanda Witman holding Goldie Speiser; Brian Speiser and grandmother Dee Dee Witman.

reci-

William Charles Boeck, Jr.

William Charles Boeck, Jr. passed away peacefully at home on March 3, 2024 at the age of 94. He will be forever remembered for his beautiful smile, gentle eyes, caring heart, delightful sense of humor, outstanding medical accomplishments, musical talents and civic engagement.

He is survived by his loving wife of twenty-six years, Sandy Boeck, his children Bill, Tim, and Katherine, his grandchildren Sean, Madeline, Liam, and Olivia, and his great-granddaughter, Cora, as well as his niece, Mary Kate Sullivan Cox, and nephews Peter, Brendan, and RJ. Sullivan.

Born in Rochester, Minnesota, Bill was the youngest of three children. His parents, Lura Dinsmore Boeck and Dr. William C. Boeck, and his sisters, Mary Kathryn and Joan Boeck Sullivan, preceded him in death. His parents moved to Beverly Hills, where he attended Hawthorne School and Beverly Hills High School. He finished high school in three years and enrolled at Stanford University, majoring in premed. After graduation, he attended Stanford Medical School. He and another student were given the unique opportunity to spend their last two years at Harvard Medical School.

Bill sang in various All

December 4, 1929 - March 3, 2024

Saints’ Episcopal Church, Beverly Hills, choirs in his youth. He played clarinet, saxophone and bassoon at Beverly Hills High School. He sang with the Stanford University Choir for three years as an undergraduate and sang folk songs playing ukulele and guitar. During his first year in medical school, Bill participated in the freshmen chorus for the “Spring Sing” competition, and they WON first place. That second year in Stanford Medical School in San Francisco, Bill brought to the sophomore class two spirituals, and they WON first place in the Spring Sing again! Bill enjoyed the “Nu Sigma Nu Quartet” (licensed under *SPEBSQSA) in San Francisco, which was his first exposure to real barbershop singing.

Bill transferred to Harvard Medical School for his last two years. He had two roommates

from North Carolina who liked to sing, so they organized a quartet. Bill interned at Los Angeles County General Hospital. The following year he joined three other doctors, including a Stanford fraternity brother, at Harbor General Hospital. They sang barbershop every chance they could. He was in residency for two and a half years, then he served in the Navy active duty as Medical Officer on Columbus, a heavy cruiser, in the Pacific for two years. He returned to Harbor General to complete a residency in general surgery and then went to Orthopaedic Hospital in Los Angeles for his orthopaedic surgery residency.

Afterwards, Bill joined an orthopaedic practice in Beverly Hills, CA. A physical therapist approached him because she knew a quartet that was looking for a tenor. Later the quartet, along with about two dozen others, looked for a way to bring the old Santa Monica Chorus back to life. They couldn’t recreate the same chapter so they agreed to start a new chapter in 1974. They were licensed in 1975 and chartered in 1976. Bill Boeck became the Director of the Oceanaires in 1988 and had a dual membership in the Oceanaires and the Masters of Harmony from 1988 - 2010. He won gold medals with the Masters of Harmony in 1990

(San Francisco), 1993 (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), 1996, 1999, 2002 and 2005.

He became an active member of Westwood Rotary Club in 1982, joined Santa Monica Rotary Club in 2001, and then with his wife, Sandy, joined the Wilshire Rotary Club in 2011 and remained active until 2023.

The family would like to extend their gratitude to his caregivers: Albert Chavez, Cherry Pureza, and Tony Sevilla.

A Celebration of his Life will be held at All Saints’ Episcopal Church, 504 N. Camden Dr., Beverly Hills at 11 am on April 13th, followed by a reception in Lower Sweetland Hall.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles or St. Vincent’s Meals on Wheels.

pes were handed down from grandparents. “It keeps memories of them alive,” says Peggy. One year, she and Will went to Uganda for Passover. “We had a meal with the Abayudaya Jews,” explains Peggy. “They have been in eastern Uganda for more than 100 years. They are doing the same thing [for Passover as we do].”

Amanda Whitman and Brian Speiser of Windsor Village and their children Goldie (5) and Harry (20 months) may invite friends over for the Seder this year, but they’ll be sure to provide masks signifying each of the plagues for the children to wear. Amanda says, “They’re very cute!”

Easter rejoicing

The holiest day of the Christian calendar, Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus following his crucifixion. Father Jon Feuss of St. James’ in-the-City Episcopal Church explains that after the crucifixion, “A group of women went over to the tomb to tend to Jesus’ body and discovered he had risen. It was the opening of the gate of everlasting life.” A principal tenet of the faith became the promise, as Feuss says, of “enjoying life in heaven for all eternity.”

Falling this year on Sun., March 31, Easter is the joyous end to the spiritual journey of Lent that begins six and a half weeks before with Ash Wednesday. As ashes are marked on congregants’ foreheads, Feuss notes, “We say, ‘Remember you were dust, and to dust you

(Please turn to Page 27)

WILL DAVIS (in hat) helps build a vegetable stand before celebrating Passover in Uganda.

LIV enjoys matzo dipped in chocolate.

CALVIN KIM hunting for eggs with his preschool class at St. James’.

their grown children, Cadence (23), Will (30) and Hannah Davis Katirai (33) and her husband, Andrew, all crowd the kitchen to help prepare the meal. Some of the

Passover and Easter

(Continued from Page 26)

shall return.’ It’s a reminder that our time on this earth is limited. In this season of reevaluation, think about what you’d like to change about our relationship to God and to other people.” The introspective period leads to the sorrow of Good Friday, commemorating the crucifixion, followed by the celebratory Easter on Sunday.

As a deeply religious holiday, it is customary to spend Easter Sunday morning in church. Later, families usually gather for feasts and frivolity. Children traditionally dye eggs and search to fill their baskets

with chocolate eggs hidden by the Easter Bunny. Purportedly, the bunny connection was made in the 1700s when German immigrants to Pennsylvania brought with them a tradition where hares laid colorful eggs for good children. Others maintain Easter bunnies hopped onto the scene because their reputed fertility ties into the idea of birth and rebirth.

Family Easter traditions

Whitney Smith and her husband, Mike, enjoy taking daughters Charlie, 8, and Maya, 1, and son Isaac, 5, to their neighborhood park in Brookside for an Easter egg hunt. Afterward, they’ll head to her sister’s home for a big

meal and another egg hunt. To limit the candy consumption, explains Whitney, “We put little coins in the [plastic] eggs.”

Bunny books sometimes join the treats in Ashley and Roy Kim’s Easter baskets for their

three children, Kayla, 9, Alina, 7, and Calvin, 2. “Easter is one of our favorite holidays,” says the Hancock Park mother. “On Easter Sunday, we go to church as a family. We try to make it special and wear

our best outfits.” Ashley looks forward to Calvin hunting for eggs with his preschool class at St. James’. Kayla declares that one of the best things about Easter is, “Parents get to spend fun time with their kids!”

Clifford A. Miller 1928 - 2024

Clifford Albert Miller, nationally prominent business leader, Los Angeles civic leader, and advisor to presidents, died peacefully at his home in Los Angeles on February 16, 2024. He was 95. He was born in Salt Lake City on August 6, 1928, to Clifford Elmer Miller and LaVeryl (Jensen) Miller.

Over the course of his career, Cliff was chairman of one of the nation’s leading boutique public relations and business consulting firms and a director and often board chair of prominent educational and cultural institutions and business organizations.

Shamrock Holdings, Inc., the investment vehicle of the Roy E. Disney family, as a Managing Director. He served for many years as strategic counsel to the Disney family and the various Shamrock investment interests.

In addition to his business relationships, over the years Cliff served as an advisor to the White House during the Nixon, Ford and Reagan administrations, as well as to other Cabinet level officials.

Cliff graduated from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City in 1949 and subsequently did graduate work at UCLA. He was a staff correspondent for United Press International (UPI) at the Salt Lake Bureau from 1949 to 1955, when he joined Braun & Company, a national business consulting organization headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in New York, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. Rising to become president and then chairman of Braun, Cliff counseled the management and directors of leading Fortune 500 companies on government, investor, marketing and special business problems, including business crises.

In 1987, he joined Great Western Financial Corporation, the nation’s second largest thrift institution, as an executive vice president to form a new communications and marketing division. He had served as a director of the company since 1982. He retired from Great Western in December 1991.

In January 1992, Cliff joined

Cliff’s roles as a business leader also included serving as a director of Triad Broadcasting Company, Inc., Life Stage Media Group, Frontier Bank of Park City, Utah, and El Paseo Bank of Palm Desert, California.

As an active civic leader, Cliff served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Harvey Mudd College and was a Founding Trustee of the Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences at Claremont. He was also a member of the Policy Council and Board of Fellows of The Claremont Colleges, Chairman of the National Advisory Council of the University of Utah, and Chairman and Chairman Emeritus of the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

He is survived by his wife Judith, his children Stephanie Miller Genette, Courtney Miller, Cam Miller, and his three grandchildren. He was predeceased by his daughter Christin Miller and his brother, Maury Miller.

Cliff had two very special passions in life — the New York Yankees and Bombay Gin. His family is confident he is now able to indulge those passions without limitation!

DRESSED UP for church on Easter are, clockwise from lower left: Roy Kim, Alina, Kayla, Ashley, Calvin.

ISAAC SMITH shows off his bunny car Easter craft, made at the Petersen Automotive Museum.

YIMBYs vs Preservationists: Roundtable suggests uneasy détente

Hot on the heels of recent community discussions on two proposed ED1 (Mayor Bass’ Executive Directive 1) affordable housing projects in Larchmont Village at 507 N. Larchmont Blvd. and in the Windsor Village Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ) at 800 S. Lorraine Blvd., the federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) held a Housing and Historic Preservation Roundtable at City Hall on Feb. 22. The roundtable was to discuss the ACHP’s new Housing and Historic Preservation Policy Statement and to identify opportunities to implement its principles through local and statewide approaches.

Participants were divided evenly between preservation officials / advocates and YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) scholars and champions.

The former included California State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) Julianne Polanco, Los Angeles Office of Historic Preservation Principal Planner Ken Bernstein and Los Angeles Conservancy President and CEO Adrian Scott Fine. From the wide-open-development side were Terner Center for Housing Innovation Policy Director David Garcia,

UCLA Lewis Center Housing Initiative Project Manager

Shane Phillips and Local and Regional Policy Programs Director for CAL YIMBY Aaron Eckhouse. ACHP Chair Sara C. Bronin and ACHP Policy and Legislative Affairs Committee Chair Charles “Sonny” Ward moderated the discussion.

Tension in the room

There was a distinct tension in this arrangement as team YIMBY which, having wrested the machinery of state government to override community planning interests and weakened local control, had to reckon for the first time with the institutional strength of historic preservation at the federal, state and local levels.

The policy statement under discussion presented common sense steps seeking to encourage preservation solutions in solving the housing crisis, such as adaptive reuse of commercial buildings as well as consideration of historic resources even in planning review expedited to encourage development. In the zero-sum thinking of the YIMBY camp, such nuance is rather a foreign concept. In that movement’s public posturing, historic preservation is framed as elitist; neighbor-

On Preservation

by Brian Curran

hood “character” is mocked; historic houses and buildings are seen as impediments to greater density; and historic districts reinforce inequity.

The discussion started with the topic of the adaptive reuse of historic commercial buildings. That is a strategy, Ken Bernstein pointed out, at which Los Angeles has excelled. Park Mile in our community is now seeing a number of these projects. Bernstein also pointed out that, in post-pandemic Los Angeles, there exist the equivalent of 30 City National Plazas of vacant commercial space in the city, a seemingly enormous opportunity for new housing. Challenges to such adaptive reuse include high property costs, floor plates that may be too deep and the need for seismic upgrades. David Garcia of UC Berkeley’s Terner Center said that financial incentives would have to be provided to overcome these issues to allow new projects

to pencil out, particularly for affordable projects.

Dissension

The discussion found its fault line on the topic of historic districts and older neighborhoods. Adrian Scott Fine of the Los Angeles Conservancy called for the protection of naturally occurring affordable housing, i.e. historic apartments; and he asked, “How do we further densify historic neighborhoods without hurting communities?” Ken Bernstein suggested design guidelines were the best tool, however city planners’ hands have been tied due to state legislation such as Senate Bill (SB) 330, which prohibited anything but objective design standards. Bernstein did mention, cheerfully, that 500 permits had been granted for ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) in the 35 HPOZs in Los Angeles, a vital source of new housing.

Shane Philips of the UCLA Lewis Center would give no quarter to the idea of design guidelines, “You can’t have it all,” he said. “These are competing interests. Beautifully designed or affordable.”

SHPO Julianne Polanco pointed out that “if preservation is a community value, we

need to learn to work together.” Aaron Eckhouse of CAL YIMBY responded that perhaps some exemptions would be appropriate. However, he said, a much more critical view of what we preserve would be required.

ACHP Chair Bronin suggested that maybe cities could be given a “land budget,” an allocation of land set aside for preservation, to which UCLA’s David Garcia responded that this might work if cities had better data to help understand opportunities for adaptive reuse and quantify the amount of land and structures that are currently designated. (Los Angeles actually has such a tool in its own Historic Places LA database, which identifies all recorded historic resources and potential districts.)

Not encasing in amber

The discussion concluded with the basic understanding that historic preservation was a community value that had to be taken into account in the planning and development of new housing. However, YIMBYs argued that since the majority of historic resources were centrally concentrated in areas with the best transit and resources, flexibility is required. Historic districts

(Please turn to Page 7)

Planning staff’s efforts seek to change city’s urban design

By Suzan Filipek

Do you love your neighborhood, your quaint street with leafy trees and houses that date back to the early years of the last century?

So do Wall Street investors and real estate developers and brokers.

It’s time to stand up, again, to defend your turf. That’s the message local homeowner groups relayed to area residents last month.

“Our historic homes and our many, many affordable rent-controlled apartments are imminently threatened by a proposed ordinance that would make permanent Mayor Karen Bass’ Executive Directive 1 (ED 1),” Miracle Mile Residential Association President Greg Goldin wrote in a March email blast.

Development issues

There are two, related, real estate development issues that are very topical at this time. The first relates to the Executive Directive cited by Goldin. The purpose of ED 1 is to encourage the construction of 100 percent affordable housing. Mayor Bass signed that decree soon after she took office in December 2022.

The second issue involves the Dept. of City Planning’s “Housing Element Rezoning

800 LORRAINE at the corner of Eighth Street and Lorraine Boulevard, next to historic single-family houses in the Windsor Village HPOZ, is being proposed by a developer seeking to build pursuant to the mayor’s Executive Directive 1 (ED 1).

Program” that consists of several different implementation programs, including the Citywide Housing Incentive Program (CHIP) that, itself, will be implemented through one or more zoning code amendments being developed now (2023-2025).

CHIP anticipates the use of “incentives” that, according to the Planning Department, “will not modify the underlying zoning of a property, but will instead offer density, floor area, height, parking, and other incentives in exchange for providing on-site affordable housing units.” Although the

“OPPORTUNITY AREA” sites envisioned by city planners within the boundaries of the GWNC.

underlying zoning may not be changed, it appears that the results for the property owner and its neighbors will be the same as if it were.

ED1 replacement

As originally issued in late 2022, ED 1 — the mayor’s fast-track process for bureaucratic review of “100 percent affordable” housing construction applications — has been seen to result in existing low-density, low-height buildings potentially being dwarfed by six-story tall buildings proposed to be built next door, wrote Goldin.

He says that almost everyone he knows is onboard with the ED 1 goal to create affordable housing; it’s the method that’s in question, he adds.

“The mayor’s emergency decree was hastily drawn, with [unintended] huge loopholes for developers,” Goldin continued.

Several City Council committees are scheduled to review a draft ordinance that would formalize ED 1 as a permanent law. Depending upon how things go in the City Council review process, the new ordinance will affect

projects in neighborhoods within the Larchmont Chronicle circulation area, such as a seven-story housing project proposed at 507 N. Larchmont Blvd. and a six-story building proposed at 800 S. Lorraine. Neighborhood associations are urging residents to join in requesting City Council members to amend the ED 1 draft ordinance to require: protections for historic districts, 15-foot setbacks for tree planting, increased fire protection measures and more. Learn about reviewing

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City housing

(Continued from Page 3) the ED 1 ordinance at: tinyurl.com/ycypx5sm.

Housing Element rezoning

Los Angeles city planning employees currently on staff seek to change entirely the city’s urban design. They seek to do this through draft ordinances proposed to implement the revised Housing Element of the City of Los Angeles General Plan.

The staff’s CHIP “incentive” program includes draft ordinances and rules aimed to increase housing along major streets and in areas with access to public transit. The programs also encourage affordable housing on underutilized city properties and lands owned by religious organizations.

United Neighbors

Last year, the City Planning Dept. finally started to allow some community involvement with its zoning undertakings. Numerous Greater Wilshire-area neighborhood associations are among the many groups throughout California who are allied with United Neighbors (UN), a statewide coalition of renters, homeowners and community organizations. UN with community groups created new maps in response to the Housing Element maps originally released by the Planning

Dept. in March 2023, showing the city planners where density could be added in each community without the need to rezone single-family and sensitive multi-family zones. UN’s efforts bore fruit, and the community groups celebrated the removal of single-family rezoning overlays from the most recently released Housing Element maps.

Webinars

The most recent CHIP maps, uploaded for public review in late January of this year, together with draft ordinances released in March, are extremely complicated.

The Planning Dept. has scheduled webinars on Housing Element Rezoning for March 28 and 30. Webinars on the Housing Element Rezoning Program Ordinances are scheduled for April 2 and 9. Learn more about, and sign up for, the webinars at: tinyurl.com/ynkxwuxz.

You may view your block on the Planning Department’s new interactive maps, online. Be patient, the parcels and colors take time to populate. Images accompanying this article are exemplary screen shots — of just the neighborhoods within and around the boundaries of the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council (GWNC) — taken from the department’s website: tinyurl.com/4xydrwdy.

“DENSITY BONUS” sites envisioned by city planners within the boundaries of the GWNC.

“OPPORTUNITY ZONES” envisioned by city planners within the boundaries of the GWNC.

Building community on Melrose Hill with Larchmont in mind

By Helene Seifer

The blocks surrounding the intersection of Melrose and Western avenues have undergone a real estate boom in the last few years. Closed storefronts have been replaced by restaurants, art galleries and other upscale businesses. The district is called Melrose Hill. In truth, the historic Melrose Hill neighborhood of Craftsman and Colonial Revival homes is east and north of that intersection. Inaccurate nomenclature aside, most agree that the changes are welcome. Rejuvenating any area takes a team of talent, but the driving force behind the ongoing effort is real estate developer Zach Lasry.

Lasry moved to Los Angeles in 2014 to become a filmmaker. He made a few short films but ultimately decided to work in real estate. “The instinct is very similar,” Lasry notes, in that collaborating with the

right people is key to success. He says that, too often after a walkable district gets popular, it gets corporate. Lasry says, “I thought, I’ll buy buildings and make it work with creative, independent people who will introduce other people into the mix.”

Zach formed an investment team of family and friends, including his father, Marc

Lasry, co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks. With funding ready, he just needed properties and a plan.

In 2018, he was introduced to Tyler Stonebreaker, the founder, owner and CEO of Creative Space, a real estate service that devises business plans and helps find buildings that suit clients’ needs. The firm specializes in adaptive

Kristen

and

reuse and historic preservation. The gallery Hauser & Wirth had been a client.

“I was introduced to help Zach figure out what to do once he bought buildings,” says Stonebreaker. He also helped Lasry get his son into Wagon Wheel preschool. They started looking for possible locations to create a walkable commercial district and analyzed existing ones for ideas.

“We spent time on Larchmont,” Stonebreaker explains, noting that zoning restrictions and high rents were limitations they wanted to avoid. They asked, “What would be desirable to Hancock Park residents that Larchmont isn’t serving?”

When driving to visit his now wife in the Larchmont Village area, Lasry noticed the historically intact buildings along Western and Melrose avenues and was surprised that, “Somehow these buildings had not been ripped down.” Both Lasry and Stonebreaker liked its

central location near Hancock Park, Virgil Village and Los Feliz. Lasry bought 15 buildings along that intersection.

Populating them was a combination of coincidences and connections and making use of the fact that the area north of Melrose was designated a Federal Opportunity Zone to incentivize private investment. As Stonebreaker says, “The money has to be spent, so let’s help young entrepreneurs.”

Noah Holton-Raphael, Jack Biebel and Max Bahramipour, three New Jersey childhood friends, were making Italian-style deli sandwiches out of a cloud kitchen (commercial rental kitchen providing online orders only) on South Normandie Avenue when a mutual family friend, who was interning at Creative Space, introduced them to Stonebreaker who, in turn, introduced them to Lasry. Lasry invited them to join the Melrose Hill commu-

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NORTHWEST CORNER of Melrose and Western is home to several of developer Zach Lasry’s restaurant tenants.

Above: GGIATA Italian-style deli sandwiches are sold a few doors west of Filipino grill Kuya Lord on Melrose.

Right: LE COUPÉ, helmed by Chef Craig Walker and

Walker, is the fried chicken destination (primarily take-out, but with four eat-in tables

eight chairs) on Western Avenue.

Melrose Hill

(Continued from Page 6)

nity, giving them a deal on the rent and building out the space to order. Ggiata opened in 2021.

The Ggiata group then introduced Zach to a fried chicken chef from the same cloud kitchen, and Le Coupé joined Melrose Hill [see On the Menu in this issue of the Larchmont Chronicle]. Other food establishments on the Hill include Organica, Café Telegrama, Italian restaurant Ètra (in which Stonebreaker is a partner), Filipino grill Kuya Lord [see On the Menu, in the Aug. 2022 issue of the Larchmont Chronicle], whose chef, Lord Maynard Llera, is a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef, and the soon-to-launch Bar Etoile from the owner of wine shop Domaine LA.

Other additions to the neighborhood are Pop Up Home, a curated collection of vintage furniture which, in 2023, was featured in “House Beautiful” and “Architectural Digest,” and L.A. Grocery & Cafe, a farmers’ market-driven grocery and deli due to launch by the end of April. Vessel Performance, a private training and physical therapy gym, is in the works.

Art galleries have quickly joined the community, with many owners mentioning the beauty of the historic architecture and proximity to both east side and Downtown artists and westside buyers. The New York-based gallery David Zwirner opened on Western Avenue after its senior director, Robert Goff, who lives in Beachwood Canyon and whose children now attend St. James Episcopal School, was scouting a location for a small Los Angeles outpost. He took his child to a playdate with another child from The Oaks School in Hollywood, whose father was Tyler Stonebreaker. “[Tyler] drove me around to see possible

On Preservation

(Continued from Page 2) should not be “frozen,” they argued, so as to allow different housing types that would be sympathetic to their historic environments.

A concession of sorts, but it neglected once again to grapple with the issue of design guidelines, which would be necessary for such development to be integrated successfully.

It was an interesting day that provided much needed “official” response to YIMBYs’ usual caricatures of preservationists and the preservation community. Let’s hope it leads to further discussion and understanding that preservation is about preserving what is best and significant in our city, not encasing it in amber.

The ACHP’s Housing and Historic Preservation Policy Statement can be read here: tinyurl.com/mazu6cu7.

TELEGRAMA is an eatery open until mid-afternoon on the west side of Western Avenue, just north of Melrose.

places,” and Melrose Hill was chosen. The gallery, which Goff runs with Alex Tuttle, will soon expand into adjacent buildings, also owned by Zach Lasry.

Other galleries in Lasry buildings include Sargent’s Daughters, Clearing, Mexico’s Morán Morán, and South Africa’s Southern Guild — making for a compact art walk. However, Western Avenue is a long, wide, busy street that lacks the charm and ease of Larchmont Boulevard, and it is still considered gritty, making some visitors cautious about spending time there.

Lasry is working on that. He

MORNING finds lively diners inside Café Telegrama.

has paid for a security patrol and a janitorial service which keeps sidewalks and alleyways clean. Street parking is tough there, so he arranged for the nearby Bank of America to allow for free public parking. Lasry is also working with the city by offering to pay for additional crosswalks, streetlights and medians. A crosswalk at the intersection of Clinton Street and Western Avenue is scheduled to be constructed in the summer.

Not every real estate owner can or will finance things like sanitation crews and medians. Many will not make

POP UP HOME, on the east side of Western Avenue, just south of Melrose, features vintage furniture and objects discovered by Tricia Benitez Beanum and her team.

certain that the architectural integrity of the structures is maintained. Many will not give young entrepreneurs a chance. But those are very good ways to build community.

Right: DAVID ZWIRNER displays art in adjoining gallery buildings (two from the 1930s and one just designed for him by Selldorf Architects) at the northeast corner of Western Avenue and Clinton Street.

WINDSOR SQUARE

-

Paul R. Williams, FAIA, French Normandy masterpiece at 601 Lorraine is now available for the first time in almost 60 years. Originally built in 1932 for the William Collins family and acquired in 1966 by the Lee Chase family, who still owns it today. The curb appeal is stately and undeniably Paul Williams. The classic entry showcases Paul’s signature winding staircase creating a dramatic and

Paul R. Williams, AIA, French Normandy masterpiece at 601 Lorraine is now available for the first time in almost 60 years. Originally built in 1932 for the William Collins family and acquired in 1966 by the Lee Chase family who still owns it today. The curb appeal is stately and undeniably Paul Williams. The classic entry showcases Paul’s signature winding staircase creating a dramatic and elegant impression that carries you back to the Golden Age of Hollywood. The banister looks as spectacular as it did in 1932 and is rumored to have been carved on-site during construction. The grand-scale living room has high ceilings, crown molding, and Paul’s famous indooroutdoor flow with double doors to the backyard.

assisted them in this endeavor. Offering almost 5000 square feet of living space with 5 bedrooms 5 bathrooms, and over an 18,000 square foot lot, this stately property is ready to be restored, remodeled, or reimagined. Included in many publications, the Chase Residence was given a Landmark Award from the Windsor Square Hancock Park Historical Society in 1994. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to own a true piece of Southern California architectural history.

The library/den has the original paneling and a hidden bar accessed by a secret panel to hide spirits during prohibition. In 1967 the Chase Family wanted to remove a wall in the kitchen that separated the butler’s pantry. Mr. Williams assisted them in this endeavor. Offering almost 5000 square feet of living space with 5 bedrooms 5 bathrooms, and over an 18,000 square foot lot this stately property is ready to be restored, remodeled, or reimagined. Included in many publications, the Chase Residence was given a Landmark Award from the Windsor Square Hancock Park Historical Society in 1994. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to own a true piece of Southern California architectural history. offered at $5,488,000

323-422-7886

richard.battaglia@compass.com

DRE# 01493474

CAFÉ

Photo by Tyler Stonebreaker

Larchmont Central Park(let) concepts generate feedback

n Neighbors responding to draft ideas

By John Welborne

In the March issue of the Larchmont Chronicle (and also via the Larchmont Buzz — “thank-you,” Buzz!), the very preliminary ideas about a possible central park(let) — being discussed by the board of directors of the Larchmont Boulevard Association (LBA) — were shared with the community.

The ideas were expressed in concept drawings prepared for the LBA by Jeffrey Smith and his team at JMS Design Associates. This landscape architecture firm came up with the drawings so the LBA could stimulate public discussion of the parklet concept and preliminary design approaches that might be used.

Details and background of the concept are in this newspaper’s March issue: tinyurl. com/4s7vsemz.

In response to the drawings presented, a number of readers

shared their thoughts, many of which comments follow here.

For example, Paulette Light Rake of Windsor Square wrote to LBA Beautification Committee chair Romi Cortier: “I just

read the Larchmont Chronicle article and wanted to reach out to say I think it looks amazing. Thanks for all you are doing to make it happen.”

Please continue to share

views on the central parklet concept by e-mail to the LBA: romicortier@me.com.

Farmers market

One commenter suggested these proposed permanent

improvements were being offered, “to benefit a few who go to the Sunday Farmers’ Market.” Not the case. The LBA goal, according to LBA

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Metro D Line construction pilot project for using electric machinery

By Casey Russell

Last month, the Chronicle reported that the Metro D Line Extension (the subway link between Western Avenue and Westwood) is on track to open in the spring of 2025. This Metro extension is big news for our area and has been a massive undertaking for all involved.

With the completion of tunneling (nine miles), the removal of temporary decking, the conclusion of major concrete pours and installa-

tion of a majority of track, much of the remaining work will center on interior design, electrical and mechanical elements and the installation of train control systems in stations and tunnels.

Work to complete the station entrance plazas at the Wilshire / Fairfax and Wilshire / La Brea stations is underway.

As Los Angeles leaders advocate for building a greener city, it is notable that Skanska, the project development

and construction company at the helm of Segment 1 (Western to La Cienega) of the extension project, recently deployed a fully electric (zero-emissions) compaction roller for construction activity at the Wilshire / Fairfax Station.

The roller is called a Hamm HD 12e VV, and it is one of just five units in North America being used before production of these rollers begins in earnest. The new roller is the second fully electric piece of equipment being piloted by Skanska in the D Line project.

Skanska is committed to reducing carbon emissions on its jobsites, and the company also competed a 90-day pilot project using an electric crawler excavator just down the street at the La Brea station site. The Volvo EC230 was used to load trucks with material being exported from the construction site. Accord-

FAIRFAX and Wilshire Metro D Line construction area is the worksite for an electric Hamm HD 12e VV roller.

LARCHMONT CENTRAL PARK(LET) for the Boulevard is a concept being floated for public feedback. The idea is to provide permanent seating and dining areas for shoppers and take-out food establishment customers. Rendering by JMS Design Associates

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Park(let)

(Continued from Page 8)

president John Winther, is “to benefit all merchants, customers, and visitors, seven days a week.” The focus the landscape renderers made on the Sunday market booths was only to insure that a Larchmont Central Park(let) would work for the market.

Melissa Farwell, a representative of the farmers’ market, has continued to review the evolving concept drawings and emphasizes that her company supports this parklet idea because it will be so valuable for the community without being a detriment when the market and its vendors are present two days a week. As Farwell observed previously, the seating and eating space also will benefit market shoppers. Recently, Farwell reaffirmed: “Everybody will benefit if this sort of parklet improvement can be made at the city parking lot.”

Some of the feedback received by Cortier came from the LBA’s Instagram account: • • •

“Not sure about taking away parking spots. How would that affect the local neighborhood? Traffic? We sure need more public seating / tables on Larchmont, but not sure if this is the best solu-

tion. Would love to see more details about it.”

• • •

“I love the idea! More green spaces can foster a stronger sense of community. However, I think the idea needs some refinement, especially considering how parking is always an issue in Larchmont. My concern is the traffic flow and ensuring that this initiative doesn’t negatively impact the businesses in the area.”

• • •

“There isn’t enough parking on Larchmont for all the

shoppers as it is. This will hurt businesses.”

• • • Keith Johnson, of the Larchmont Village Neighborhood Association (LVNA) area, posted: “Looking forward to making our Blvd more walkable and user friendly. Unfortunately it is a destination people drive to — to walk, shop and dine. I walk or pedal there; haven’t driven to the ‘Mont in years.”

Driveway safety, trash

Another resident in the LVNA area, wrote that, “My

husband and I have lived on Lucerne for going on 25 years now and have watched our community evolve over the years.

“I would be thrilled with the removal of that single parallel parking space on Larchmont. Many times I have seen drivers pulling out of that space so focused on the traffic pattern behind them that they almost collide with cars pulling out of the parking lot. I think this is a great use of this space. I’ve also had the pleasure of walking through Healdsburg and enjoyed how they have made their walkways more communal.

“My one concern with all the growth we have seen on the boulevard, especially with businesses that sell food items to-go, is the trash. It’s often we see careless people just leaving their trash near benches and the trash cans overflowing (although the bins with pull down handles I think do a good job to minimize this).  If the outdoor areas aren’t technically assigned to any of these businesses, who will police the trash and perhaps people who take up residence longer than an intended coffee date or quick meal?

“I didn’t see this detail outlined in the Chronicle article, and I feel it’s an important

part of building something, because as they say, if you build it, they will come.”

Dining platforms

One Windsor Square neighbor, Suzanne Buhai, wrote to Cortier: “I see no need for this park. The logic of allowing people to sit and eat their take-out food, so that al fresco dining areas that are taking up parking spaces will surrender them, makes no sense to me. It seems at the heart of it, that some don’t like these al fresco areas. The street is lively now, those tables are filled, and Larchmont has not been this busy since I’ve been here (40+ years). People seem to love the al fresco dining.”

Tragedy of the commons

A concern was expressed by LVNA vice president Vince Cox: “Thanks for making the effort to think creatively about an important resource in Larchmont.

“Let’s start by contrasting the key difference between expanded restaurant seating and a new Central Park. The expanded seating is a remnant of COVID, and a recognition of the precarious economics of the restaurant business. The key fact, for our purposes, is that the restaurants have the right, ability, and incentive to carefully manage

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Colorful patterns on view in Butterfly Pavilion through August 25

Park(let)

(Continued from Page 9)

their precious space. I see no comparable mechanism for the proposed park space.

Parklets in urban spaces like Manhattan tend to be secured and managed by a private entity.

“The concept that comes to mind in connection with this proposal has become known as ‘the tragedy of the commons’ in the literature of economics and ecology. The idea is that an unmanaged public resource tends to be depleted by people who use the resource for short-

term gain. Examples include instances in which public green space is made available for free grazing by sheep or cattle, or maritime fish populations are opened to unrestricted harvest. Shortterm users benefit, and the resource is degraded or eliminated.

“Larchmont shopping district space is precious. Street vendors, political activists and solicitors, beggars, buskers, drug users, the mentally ill and the unhoused all have urgent short-term needs that Central Park will help them to address. Those needs conflict with the needs of people

By Suzan Filipek

Watch hundreds of butterflies flitter and shimmer around you at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County seasonal exhibit, “Butterfly Pavilion,” open through Aug. 25.

See 30 different species of shimmering butterflies as well as colorful native plants in an outdoor netted enclosure.

Visitors can walk among these colorful creatures and see all stages of their life cycle, from eggs to caterpillars

who hope to enjoy a serene, safe, and comfortable urban setting.

“It’s not fun for me to be Mr. Skeptic, but unless there is a legal right to regulate uses, and someone with the incentive and ability to systematically enforce that right, the planned Central Park will lower the quality of life on Larchmont Blvd. It will be a tragedy of the commons, and one more step in our sad transition from a high-trust to a low-trust community.”

Cleaning, programming Nora Houndalas, Windsor Square resident and former Boulevard proprietor of Le Petit Greek for decades (now running Greek Eats LA on Third Street), wrote: “I’ve always thought it would be a great idea to have a parklet. I love the drawings. Biggest difficulties will be in keeping it clean (maybe local school kids for community ser-

to chrysalises. Native species like the dark brown and yellow-fringed Mourning cloak, and the striking non-native Blue Morpho are among the varieties on display. Animal care specialists will be on site to answer questions.

Reservations for 30-minute timed tickets are required. Tickets are $8 per person in addition to the cost of general admission to the museum. The museum is at 900 Exposition Blvd. Free for members. Learn more at nhm.org.

vice rotate washing it down and picking up litter weekly) and sadly how will you

Transform fast-fashion waste into handmade weavings at Maker Night: Upcycled Weaving, a workshop with artist Sam Sklar at the Craft Contemporary on Thurs., April 4 from 6 to 8 p.m. The $12 fee includes materials. A family workshop, Upcycled Soft Sculptures, is with

artist Melora Garcia on Sun., April 14 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Space is limited. Advance tickets are required.

The Craft Contemporary is at 5814 Wilshire Blvd. Members are free. Visit craftcontemporary.org.

Earth Day in Focus: Arctic Indigenous Films, a program for families that will feature screenings of films by Arctic

keep homeless from camping there? But I absolutely love it.

“The trend for lunch over the past 15 years has been more grab and go — but let’s get people out of their offices or work-from-home life and under the open sky and trees — listen to the birds in those beautiful trees. Imagine board game days there and Rubix Cube or old-fashioned yoyo contests and lessons. Mahjong summer nights or chess day in the parklets. A quartet evening. Meet-your-neighbors coffee hour.

The list is endless. It’s a great idea! And it’ll leave alfresco for restaurants and not take-out places.”

As noted above, the LBA seeks more feedback on what is just a concept at this point. Write to: romicortier@me.com.

Indigenous filmmakers, is at the Academy Museum on Sun., April 21 and Mon., April 22.

The lands and people of northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and parts of Russia will be featured. The program is supported by the Sámi Film Institute.

For more information visit academymuseum.org.

The Academy Museum is at 6067 Wilshire Blvd.

SOME 30 SPECIES OF BUTTERFLIES will be in flight or perched on shoulders in the outdoor enclosure.

COLORFUL varieties of these intriguing insects will fill the NHM Butterfly Pavilion.

SIDEWALK TREE WELLS can be improved with ground cover, as done recently in front of Romi Cortier Design at 425 North Larchmont Boulevard. Photo by Romi Cortier

First Ruscha retrospective in 20 years opens April 7 at LACMA

By Suzan Filipek

The Impressionists painted flowers and lush landscapes, and Rembrandt mastered selfportraits. Ed Ruscha’s palette, however, has been his adopted home, Los Angeles, depicting a mixture of commercial advertising, entertainment and the words and images of everyday American life.

Paintings of a can of Spam, a Standard gas station and the Hollywood sign are among some of his most iconic works. They are among the 250 paintings, drawings, prints, photos and books in “Ed Ruscha / Now Then,” the artist’s first retrospective exhibition in more than 20 years.

Much of Ruscha’s work draws on Southern California and its landscape. He arrived here in 1956 from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to study commercial art at what is now CalArts. He would ultimately merge his skills in graphic design and fine art, combining text and images to create his singular, modern style.

“Ed Ruscha is a defining figure of postwar American art and has drawn inspiration from Los Angeles for more than six decades,” Michael Govan, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director — and exhibition co-curator — said in a statement.

Ruscha’s exploration of photography took him to Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile for his work “Los Angeles County Museum Of Art on Fire” (1965–68). The black-and-white photo shows the William Pereira museum buildings engulfed in flames. The aerial perspective originated from a series of photographs taken from a helicopter.

Ruscha’s book “Thirtyfour Parking Lots in Los Angeles” (1967) features aerial views the artist directed of empty parking lots, including a blackand-white image of the former May Company on Wilshire. (It is now the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.)

Ruscha’s thick layers of paint outlining brand names aligned him with the Pop Art movement, such as his recreation of a can of Spam, titled “Actual Size,” partially named after an advertising term and also because objects in his paintings are often their actual size.

He took other familiar objects and transformed them into something new. In his painting of the 20th Century Fox production logo, he added his signature, a horizontal thrust making the image of the 20th Century Fox logo seem to loom out from the canvas.

His 1968 silkscreen on print, “Hollywood,” is composed of

billboard-size letters of the iconic sign on a horizon line, evoking the broad perspectives of the West Coast landscape.

The artist questions preconceived assumptions of language by breaking apart a three-letter word in his “Sin / Without,” 1990.

The exhibit has been co-organized by Govan and Christophe Cherix of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York and their staffs. It was conceived in collaboration with the artist.

“Chocolate Room” (1970 / 2023) is a single-room installation Ruscha originally

created for the United States Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 1970. Because of the fragile nature of its materials, the installation is being refabricated on-site by La Paloma Fine Arts studio in Los Angeles. We’re told the room will smell of chocolate.

“Ed Ruscha / Now Then” opens at BCAM at LACMA on Sun., April 7 and continues through Oct. 6. Visit lacma.org.

PARKING LOTS (May Company, 6067 Wilshire Blvd.) #25, 1967, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Ralph M. Parsons Discretionary Fund, © Ed Ruscha, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

ACTUAL SIZE, 1962, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, anonymous gift through the Contemporary Art Council, © Ed Ruscha, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

STANDARD STATION, Ten-Cent Western Being Torn in Half, 1964, Sid R. Bass, Private collection. © Ed Ruscha, photo courtesy of the artist

LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART ON FIRE, 1965-1968, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Collection Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.; gift of Joseph Helman, 1972. © Ed Ruscha, photo credit: Paul Ruscha

GALA ready for relocation and its annual fundraiser on April 12

By Casey Russell

Girls who attend Girls Academic Leadership Academy (GALA) will start the 20242025 school year at a new location. Founded in 2016 by the school’s principal, Dr. Liz Hicks, in a facility on the eastern edge of the Los Angeles High School campus at Olympic and Rimpau boulevards, the school is moving four and a half miles to 2328 St. James Pl., near USC. Its new home is surrounded on three sides by the only all-girls college in Los Angeles, Mount Saint Mary’s (Doheny Campus).

Hicks spoke of her excitement regarding the new location. “We are sad to leave this area, but excited about having our own space that our students can grow in,” she said. Being next door to Mt. St. Mary’s is a big plus in Hicks’ eyes. She hopes to see the relationship between GALA and the college grow, and she is looking forward to bringing in some master’s program students from that school and from USC to observe and possibly do some student teaching at GALA.

The school, part of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and the only public all-girls STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) school in California, was just named a California Distinguished School, and Hicks is proud of the school’s success rates.

GALA has a 100 percent graduation and college acceptance rate, and a large portion of the school’s graduates are going into STEM majors in college.

“That was a key thing we were

trying to change in California — working to have more women, and more women of color, in the STEM industry,” Hicks told us. But Hicks is also proud that GALA students learn how to use their voices and become leaders. The school has 60 clubs that are all student-initiated and student-run.

The new location was at one time a high school for special education students. Most recently, it was a LAUSD employee office. When the site

was no longer needed, LAUSD Superintendent Albert Carvalho announced that GALA would get to move onto the campus, giving the all-girls school its own space for the first time since its inception. “Being able to build our school the way we want to will be really nice,” said Hicks. She told us that one of the students had a great analogy: “We’ve been renting, and now we’ll have our own home.”

The first phase of funding provided by LAUSD will be for

Wilshire Boulevard will get spiffed up on April 13

By Nona Sue Friedman

Residents have organized a morning to spruce up Wilshire Boulevard between Fairfax and La Brea avenues, making it shiny and bright.

The Miracle Mile Residential

A SIGN ENCOURAGES neighbors to come out for Operation Sparkle on Sat., April 13.

Association (MMRA) and the Mid-City West Neighborhood Council are hosting their third annual Operation Sparkle on Sat., April 13, from 9 to 10:30 a.m.

According to MMRA Vice President Samantha Friedland, “We expect to have about 35 people help clean Wilshire Boulevard. SK Donuts is donating donuts, and Starbucks is providing the coffee for all the volunteers.” Friedland made signs that will be posted throughout the neighborhood to encourage attendance. Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky

has committed to helping as well, as she did last year.

All of the gear, including trashbags, gloves, grabber claws and vests, will be provided by MMRA. The group

is meeting at Wilshire Green Park, aka The Turtle Park, at Sierra Bonita Avenue and Eighth Street at 9 a.m. If you have any questions, reach out to info@MiracleMileLA.com.

Metro D Line

(Continued from Page 8)

ing to the pilot program’s initial findings, using that machine in place of a diesel-powered version lowered carbon-per-hour by 66 percent and saved an estimated $15.15 per hour. Additionally, noise output experienced in the surrounding area was reduced.

As the D Line extension work moves into its final stages, locals can start looking forward to having an option for reduced travel times west to Westwood or east to Downtown. It is estimated by Metro that subway users will be able to get all

the move. Secondary funding will be used to add more class space, which Hicks hopes will allow the school to increase enrollment. At some point, she hopes capital campaign money will enable the building of good sports and science facilities for the students.

GALA will hold its annual #LaunchHERfuture fundraiser breakfast at the Ebell Theatre on Fri., April 12, at 9 a.m.

Friends of GALA is sponsoring the event, and tickets can be purchased at fogala. org/lhf. Those interested in sponsoring the event should visit sponsorships@fogala. org. To learn more about the all-girls school, visit galacademy.org.

the way from Downtown to Westwood in approximately 25 minutes. City and county leaders expect this to provide a major bonus when our communities welcome the Olympic Games in 2028.

GALA students talk with attendees at 2023’s #LaunchHERfuture.

Photo: @Carlos Hernandez HARD AT WORK, GALA students in class.

Bob Baker Day is coming to town April 21

By Nona Sue Friedman

Puppets, crafts and food will fill the Los Angeles State Historic Park, 1245 N. Spring St., on Sun., April 21, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for Bob Baker Day. Baker was the founder of the Bob Baker Marionette Theater.

Grand Marshal Sid Krofft who, with his late brother Marty, created the children’s television shows “H.R. Pufnstuf” and “Land of the Lost,” will oversee the stage events for the day. Megan the Bubbleologist will entertain; puppeteer Randal Metz will perform; and David Arquette will be Bozo the Clown and end the day with a pie fight with Jozo Bozo and Nunu clowns.

The April 21st free, family-friendly festival is a celebration of what would have been Bob Baker’s 100th birthday and the 60th anniversary of his theater. With that double whammy, this special day is going to be bigger than previous years. This is also the 10th year of the now annual event.

The celebration will include puppet performances every 40 minutes, a craft marketplace with more than 60 vendors and local artists, face painting, craft stations, history tents and much more.

Although entrance to the

event is free, a reservation is required. The theater is also asking for a donation from those who attend. Visit bobbakerday.com to register and learn more.

LIBRARY CALENDAR

Scottish bagpipes; DJs celebrate Día for kids

FAIRFAX LIBRARY

Adults

First Thursday Film Screening: Watch “Killers of the Flower Moon,” on Thurs., April 4, at 1 p.m.

Kids

Scottish Bagpipes: Learn about Scottish bagpipes, dress and music on Tues., April 9, at 4 p.m.

All ages

Book sale: Browse used books every Wednesday, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. All sales support the library branch. •••

FREMONT LIBRARY

Kids & Teens

Partial solar eclipse viewing: Watch from the patio with special glasses, while they last, on Mon., April 8, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Celebrate Día: Día is a celebration of kids and literacy. DJs “Again, Again” will use their distinctive style to engage the audience about Día in music on Mon., April 22, at 3:30 p.m.

Drop-in craft: Every Tuesday swing by for a different craft from 4 to 5 p.m.

LEGO Build: Every Thurs-

day, indulge in building from 4 to 5 p.m.

Teens

DIY seed bombs: Make a seed bomb and watch plants grow in your yard on Tues., April 23, from 4 to 5 p.m.

•••

MEMORIAL LIBRARY

Toddlers

Story time in the park: Bring a blanket, listen to stories and sing songs in Memorial Park Wed., April 3, at 10:30 a.m.

Kids

Ramadan READy: Learn about Ramadan through stories and art activities Thurs., April 4, at 3 p.m.

Reading to the rescue: Love dogs? Take this opportunity to read to a therapy dog on Wed., April 10, from 4 to 5 p.m.

Kids & Teens

Drop-in tutoring with Steve: Every Thursday from 3 to 5 p.m., drop in for oneon-one assistance with any subject.

Adults

First Friday book club: Discuss “Caste: the Origins of our Discontents” by Isabel

(Please turn to Page 14)

BOZO THE CLOWN gets hit in the face with a whipped cream pie at Bob Baker Day.

Photos courtesy of Bob Baker Marionette Theater

STROLLING MARIONETTE entertains the young ones at Bob Baker Day.

A CHORUS LINE OF ANTS performs for a crowd at Bob Baker Day.

POLICE BEAT

Jewelry stolen from home on golf course; man wields machete

WILSHIRE DIVISION

ROBBERY AND HOME

INVASION: Three Black male suspects accessed a home on Rimpau Boulevard through the Wilshire Country Club golf course, smashed the primary bedroom glass door and entered the house while two victims were sleeping on March 6, at 10:35 p.m. The couple was awakened and attempted to hit their panic alarm. The robbers threat-

Since1959

ened them with harm if they did not cooperate. The intruders ransacked their closets and left with approximately $50,000 in jewelry. If you have any information about this incident, please contact Wilshire Division.

BURGLARIES: A suspect entered a home on South Las Palmas Avenue through the rear door, took guns and left through the same door on March 8, between 6:45 p.m. and 11 p.m.

PLOTKE Plumbing Inc.

Lynn Shirley (323)

FAX

License #768437

OLYMPIC DIVISION

Furnished by Senior Lead Officer

Joseph Pelayo

213-793-0709

31762@lapd.online

Twitter: @lapdolympic

Three male suspects broke a door and forced their way into a home on the 100 block of North Mansfield Avenue. They stole firearms and a watch before fleeing on March 9, between 3:10 and 3:50 p.m.

Tools were taken from a garage at a home on the 600 block of South Arden Boulevard between March 5 at 9 p.m., and March 6 at 3 p.m.

THEFT: Porch pirates were at it again, stealing luggage, clothing and packages from a multiunit building on South Sycamore Avenue near Second

Coffee with the Captain at YMCA

Thurs., April 11

Olympic Division of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is hosting a Coffee with the Captain event at the Anderson Munger YMCA, 4301 W. Third St., on Thurs., April 11, from 6:45 p.m. to 8 p.m. Residents are invited to meet Capt. Aaron Ponce along with other LAPD Olympic officers.

WILSHIRE DIVISION

Furnished by Acting Senior Lead Officer

Joshua Parker

213-453-6836

38959@lapd.online

Twitter: @lapdwilshire

Street between March 5 at 10 p.m., and March 9 at 7 p.m.

GRAND THEFT AUTO: A tan 2023 Land Rover was stolen from the 200 block of South Orange Drive between March 8 at midnight and March 9 at 9:30 a.m.

BURGLARY THEFT FROM

VEHICLE: A catalytic converter was stolen from a white 2014 Toyota Corolla in the 400 block of South Cloverdale Avenue on March 5 at 11:40 a.m.

OLYMPIC DIVISION

AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS:

A man lunged at another man wielding a machete and accused him of theft on March 3, at 8:30 a.m., near Wilton Place and Beverly Boulevard. A male and female were involved in a verbal dispute on the sidewalk near Sixth Street and Irving Boulevard. The argument escalated and the man hit the woman victim in the head with a bottle

Libraries

(Continued from Page 13)

Wilkerson on Fri., April 5, at 1 p.m. Next month’s book is “Finlay Donovan is Killing It,” by Elle Cosimano.

Memorial’s environmental reading group (MERG): Discuss environmental issues through books. This month is “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Kimmerer on Tues., April 9, at 6 p.m.

Recycled origami: Learn how to use recycled paper to make origami on Thurs., April 18, at 3 p.m.

B.Y.O. needle arts: Work on needlecrafts Thursdays, from 1 to 3 p.m.

Los Angeles Public Health Department: Stop by to see what services they provide Tues., April 10, and Tues., April 24, at 2 p.m.

Art class: Paint and color every Wednesday at 3 p.m.

All ages

Dog adoption: Dogs come to the park looking for a new home Sat., April 13, at 11 a.m.

Recycle T-shirt bag: Teens Recycling for Change will teach everyone how to make produce bags out of T-shirts on Mon., April 1. from 4 to 5 p.m.

Earth Day event: Join Memorial Teens Leading Change group to learn about composting and recycling at home and join in family fun activities on

on March 11 at 1:30 a.m.

ROBBERY: An argument took place between two male family members near Sixth Street and St. Andrews Place on March 2 at 8:30 p.m. The interaction intensified with the suspect strong-arming the victim and taking his camera and money.

BURGLARY: A suspect smashed the front door of a multiunit dwelling and stole money and jewelry from a senior, female victim on March 3 at 11:30 a.m. on the 4800 block of Elmwood Avenue.

GRAND THEFT AUTO: A black 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe was stolen from the 300 block of North Bronson Avenue between March 2 at 10 p.m. and March 3 at 9 a.m.

A white 2004 Toyota Tacoma was stolen from the 4700 block of Oakwood Avenue between March 8 at 6:30 p.m. and March 9 at 5 a.m.

Another white vehicle, this time a 2020 Kia Sport, was stolen from Council Street near Manhattan Place between March 10 at 10 p.m. and March 11 at 7 a.m.

BURGLARY THEFT FROM

VEHICLE: A license plate was stolen from a vehicle on March 4 at 7 p.m. near South Wilton Place and Sixth Street.

Sat., April 20, from noon to 4 p.m.

Chess club: Play chess or learn how each Friday, from 3 to 5 p.m.

Book sale: Support your library by purchasing your next favorite read every Tuesday from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m., every Saturday, from 3 to 5 p.m.

•••

WILSHIRE LIBRARY

Kids

May Day baskets: Create paper May Day baskets with flowers on Thurs., April 25 from 4 to 5 p.m.

LIBRARIES

FAIRFAX

161 S. Gardner St. 323-936-6191

JOHN C. FREMONT

6121 Melrose Ave. 323-962-3521

MEMORIAL

4625 W. Olympic Blvd. 323-938-2732

WILSHIRE

149 N. St. Andrews Pl. 323-957-4550

HOURS

Mon. and Wed., 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Tues. and Thurs. noon to 8 p.m.; Fri. and Sat., 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Libraries will be closed Sun., March 31 for Easter Day.

Hello, howdy and ‘God be with ye’ — words for

A salutation spells a beginning. They’re what we use to announce ourselves when entering a room or a group chat; the opening words of a phone call, email or handwritten letter. Their deeper meanings may wish good fortune or health — “salutation” itself comes from the Latin verb “to wish health to” — or, like a handshake, establish mutual respect — or at least acknowledgement.

Early greetings may have evolved from functional, intuited vocalizations, like early forms of “hey,” a single syllable at one time used when shouting to draw someone’s attention. The phrase became standardized in the 13th century as a call implying a challenge or rebuttal. “Hey” has lost its disputatious edge since then, used handily today as a relaxed, familiar welcome.

How about “hello?” A relatively young greeting not recorded until the early 19th century, the opener is an evolution of the original “hollo,” also a shout to attract someone’s notice. Its rise to popularity can be attributed largely to the advent of the telephone. In Alexander Graham Bell’s vision for his invention, call recipients would answer a ringing phone with the salutation “ahoy, ahoy.” In 1877, howev-

er, the year after Bell’s patent was filed, Thomas Edison wrote that he thought the word “hello” should be used as the opening for telephoned conversations. Edison’s amendment stood the test of time — the phrase “hello” was even included in early how-to guides on using the new technology — but Bell stuck by his nautical salute, continuing to answer calls with the phrase “ahoy, ahoy” for the remainder of his life.

Other salutations evolved over the centuries from sentiments of devotion or other forms of flattery. Though it’s almost gone the way of the dodo (like letter-writing itself), the phrase “dear,” a polite introductory word written at the start of correspondence before a name, dates back to the mid-15th century. The word originates with the Old English “deore,” which itself arises from the Proto-Germanic “diurijaz,” meaning “precious” or “expensive.” The Italian greeting “ciao” was born from a variant of the Venetian phrase “s-ciào vostro,” which translates literally to “(I am) your slave.” The expression was not meant in a factual sense, but rather as a promise of good will (similar to the English phrase “at your service”). And let us not forget “howdy.” Mostly as-

Coffee with a Cop in Mile benefits all attendees

By Nona Sue Friedman

About 30 Miracle Mile neighbors convened to talk with officers from the Wilshire Community Police Station of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), at a recent Coffee with a Cop at Starbucks on Wilshire Blvd.

Realtor and resident Dmitris Savva said of the Miracle Mile, “It’s a great neighborhood.”

He’s just beginning to get involved with local politics. He likes that Wilshire LAPD initiated this gathering and would like to see more events like it to create a greater sense of community.

Benefits of gatherings

LAPD officers at the gathering told us they find these get-togethers helpful because they can connect with citizens and businesses in a relaxed forum. No one is a suspect or a victim, and residents can ask questions and get answers person-to-person. It’s all about building community.

Marwan Soghaier and his wife, Jeanette Corcuera, walked over to the event to join their fellow neighbors. Corcuera shared that she had an unfortunate incident occur with an unhoused male

Word Café by Mara Fisher

sociated with the Southern U.S. today, the term was used in 16th-century England as a contraction of a simple yet thoughtful question: “How do ye?”

Where salutations commence a conversation or written message, valedictions conclude them. From the Latin verbs “valere” and “dicere” (meaning “to be well” and “to say,” respectively), valedictions are words of parting that bid well-being.

The most commonly used variants, “goodbye,” or simply, “bye,”  traces back to the late-16th-century “godbwye,” a contraction of “God be with ye.” Classic letter-writing outros include “sincerely,” derived from the Latin “sincerus,” meaning “whole, clean or pure,” and “cordially,” or “from the heart,” a development of the Latin word for the vital organ, “cor.”

If it’s a love letter you’re sending, maybe you’d end it with x’s and o’s (hugs and kisses whose sense is, to this day, of unknown origin), or perhaps “S.W.A.K.,” standing for “Sealed With a Kiss,” a sign-off used in letters sent between soldiers and their sweethearts during World War II. Those amorous ini-

tials are just one of many postscript acronyms popular at the time, which include the sentimental H.O.L.L.A.N.D. (Hope Our Love Lasts And Never Dies), the more risque V.E.N.I.C.E. (Very Excited Now I Caress Everywhere) and B.U.R.M.A. (Be Undressed Ready My Angel) and E.G.Y.P.T., which, spelled out, is too racy to print in these pages. Paramours used the covert system to maintain privacy from censors who monitored missives for any military secrets that might make their way in between the lines.

And now, a time for sweet sorrow as I bid thee “adieu” (literally “to God”). Be strong, be well, be in good health — ’til next month.

just prior to this gathering. She was trailed for multiple blocks during broad daylight while being yelled at. As she relayed the situation to Senior Lead Officer Timothy Estevez, he told her that her actions and reactions were all good. Then he proceeded to give her additional safety tips, including “carry pepper spray, be aware, cross the street, be cognizant, keep your head up and look around.”